Kitsune: Hengeyokai Kitsune are one of the most common and most mysterious Hengeyokai are shapechangers found throughout the Island subsets of Hengeyokai. These are Hengeyokai who spend nation of Wa and sometimes into neighboring lands of Kara- their first century as Foxes. However even young kitsunes can tur. It is near impossible to tell just how many there are due often be told apart from normal foxes due to their prevalence to their highly secretive nature and ability to appear as for odd colors and patterns. Kitsune can take on usual orange human. Hengeyokai actually have three forms. One of a and white fur of most red foxes but more often are pure humanoid, one of an animal, and one of a hybrid forms. white, white with red markings, or black with white Hengeyokai typically live for two centuries, for the first markings. This makes them a target for poachers or slavers century they live as a normal member of their animal species who want a powerful spies or courtesans on their side, save for their longevity. However during their 10th decade of especially before the kitsune comes of age. Though even life, they slowly become bipedal and more and more Kitsune as young as 50 recognize this problem and often intelligent until they obtain a hybrid form. dirty themselves on purpose to hide an unusual coloration or Most Hengeyokai prefer to live in their hybrid forms, markings. Additionally Kitsune of extraordinary power or life usually disguised as humans. With the exception of kitsune, experience tend to gain tails. This is not consistent with life Hengeyokai have no control over the natural shape of these experience, a kitsune can live a very long peaceful life and forms and they all appear as unique individuals who don’t never gain any tails, while others may earn multiple with a resemble any other people except by rare coincidence. Most single year. The exact way kitsune gain tails is unknown but Hengeyokai prefer this form and live among common races, it’s recognized a a symbol of wisdom and status in their but always on the edge of highly wild areas and almost never culture. 3-tailed Kitsune often become leaders of their in cities. Most only show their hybrid forms to those they community, 5-tailed kitsune are sought after by sages across trust completely, though a few due choose to live openly or in the nation. And legend speaks of kitsune who have been able the rare all hengeyokai community. Having spent their first to gain ten tails and become gods. At any time your number of century as normal animals, most do not repeat their time in tails is equal to your ½ your level rounded down, minimum animal forms except if they have large attachments from their one. old lives or need to protect their old homes. These Hengeyokai are revered as guardians of their home forests. Traits: Ability score: Your Dexterity score increases by 2 Age: Hengeyokai live for two centuries, as an animal in the first, and then as an intelligent creature their second. Upon turning 100 they are physically and mentally comparable to adolescent humans. Size: In your hybrid form you are between 4’8” and 5’6” though you usually gain a couple inches in your human form. Your size is medium Languages: You can read, speak and write, Common, Sylvan, and another language of your choice. Speed: Your speed is 35ft Proficiencies: You are proficient at deception. Nature’s Mask: Your true form is that of an anthropomorphized animal but you can use your move action transform into either your hybrid form, a specific human that is unique to you, or animal as a move action. If you transform into your animal form use the stat block for your animal, but keep your intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. In this form you cannot speak normal languages or cast spells or do any other actions that require hands or human speech to perform. Your gear is absorbed into yourself. You can however speak with other animals. This effect lasts as long as you transform again or if you drop to 0 hit points while in animal form. If so, then you revert to your hybrid form and cannot transform into an animal or human with this feature until ySampleour next short or long rest. file Kitsune are social creatures and while their deceptions of the Bakeneko common races are legendary they are also the only known Bakeneko are unique among hengeyokai as the only subrace hengeyokai to form their own communities. Kitsune villages that almost never ventures into the wild. Rather older are often impossible to find unless you know exactly what bakeneko often try to pass their offspring to wealthy or nice you’re looking for. They are hidden by powerful enchantments individuals of the common races to as common housecats. on high mountains or in deep forests. On their own Kitsune Those unable to make it, instead wind up on the streets of culture is quite chaotic and with artistic performance and coastal cities, hunting rats and fish until their awakening. drama are mainstays of their culture, as is the thriving Even after this period though, most bakeneko chose to live in merchant class who boast wares attained almost lawfully animal form rather than in human or hybrid forms, often from throughout Kara-tur. Kitsune children are often kept in lapping in the luxury of their owners or using the the household and treated as somewhat akin to pets, having commoners’ neglect of them to learn valuable secrets. Many very few responsibilities save to not chew on furniture. alley cats eventually are recruited or form their own However kitsune childhoods often last longer than their organized crime syndicates; specializing in spy-work, parents lives so it iup to aunts, uncles, and local monasteries assasination, and transportation of valuable materials. Just to oversee kitsune’s transformation into intelligent creatures don’t ask them to pick up cat-nip. and their subsequent adolescent years. Around the time of their awakening, bakeneko’s tails split Fox Shape: your animal shape is a fox. Use the stats listed into two. These tails grow longer throughout their lives and below. then begin to glow as well. Often cat-owners who suspect they Ability score: Your charisma score increases by 1 have a malevolent bakeneko on their hands cut the tails of Natural illusionist: You have the minor illusion cantrip. their cats in hopes this would prevent their awakening. In Additionally you may use your Nature’s Mask feature to look actuality this sometimes causes a self fulfilling prophecy, like any small or medium humanoid, however while doing so turning a potential newly awakened and loyal family member you must make concentration checks to not revert to your into a prodigal child who may or may not seek revenge. Few hybrid form. do but enough to keep the fear alive. More often though bakeneko cast out of their homes, turn to any new place to establish and prove themselves, often becoming adventurers. Ability score: Your intelligence score increases by 1 Fox Cat form: Your animal form is that of a cat. Use the stat small beast, unaligned block listed on page pg. 305 of the player’s handbook. Innate spell casting: You know the dancing lights and chill Armor Class 12 Hit Points 2(1d4) touch cantrips. At 5th level you can use the animate dead Speed 40ft. spell once per day. This is replaced by create undead at 10th level Cat’s Grace: You take half damage from falls and cannot STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA be knocked prone by falling damage unless you fall 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 10 (0) 9 (+0) unconscious. Skills Perception +3 Stealth +4 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages - Challenge 0 (10 XP) Keen Hearing and Smell The Fox has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell Actions Bite Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 1 (1d4 - 1) Sample file Tanuki Often mistaken for badgers or racoons, tanuki actually start their lives as Racoon- Dogs, a type of Canine similar to foxes Racoon Dog but much heavier with Racoon-like brown and black small beast, unaligned markings on their fur. Tanuki are on of the few Hengeyokai that cannot naturally grow additional tails. Instead certain Armor Class 10 other aspects of the tanuki’s body are enlarged at the Hit Points 3(1d6) discretion of the player and GM. These should be within Speed 30ft. reason, without impeding movement. Raccoon-dog’s close relationship to foxes may explain why STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Tanuki often share a similar sense of mischief to their kitsune cousins. The main difference is that Tanuki often lack the 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) boundless energy and playfulness of their cousins, but in turn are much more careful and capable and patient. Kitsune Skills Perception +3 Stealth +4 often see their tricks or illusions as a form of art, the loftier Senses passive Perception 10 the better. Tanuki instead are surprisingly humble and Languages - Challenge 0 (10 XP) capable of waiting out long cons just for the joy of eating a simple meal in peace. It is for this reason many still choose to live in the wilderness even after their awakening. If a tanuki Keen Hearing and Smell The Fox has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or does choose to live in a society it’s often in their human form, smell running stores of questionable wares and waiting to see just how much money they can make before they’re caught.