Help! I'm ignorant!

[Drayan]

This has been bugging the bloody hoo-ha out of me. I've not played any Dragonlance, or read any of the books (I think it's Dragonlance, I could be wrong). Could someone please tell me what in the name of all that is sweet and good in Odin's beard is a kender?

 

[CRGreathouse]

An innocent, kleptomaniac halfling.

I hate them with a passion.

 

[Drayan]

THANK YOU!

I feel slightly less ignorant now.

 

[Dagger75]

A kender is kind of like a halfling, except they look like elves. They are Kyrnn (Dragonlance) specific.

Kenders are fearless. Nothing scares, from dragons to meeting Takhisis (spelled horribly wrong) herself. They are also thieves, or as the kender call themselves borrowers. They pick up things that intrest them, then get get bored with the item and find something else that interests them. These interesting shiny object are just placed in a pocket or pouch and forgotten about. Think pack rats, that what kender are. BUT they don't steal for monetary gain. A kender will just as likely pick up a shiny rock left on a table as the emearald sitting next to it.

They also use these funny weapons called Hoopaks (I may wrong with spelling once again). They are basically staff slings.

Others might be able to tell you more and much better than I have.

 

[National Acrobat]

Not only are Kenders innocent and kleptomaniacs, they are naturally curious about everything and hence, lack anything resembling fear, which deprives them of common sense. Most adventurers know when to leave certain things alone, or to just leave, but since Kender are not afraid of anything, they have very short life expectancies.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

I think this is from the description of Kender from the 1e Dragonlance 'world'. An heirloom (my turn to misspell ), in a Kender town/house, is any object that's been in the same house more than 3 weeks.

Think of Kender as permanent children, small children! They're utterly fearless, they simply don't understand the concept. They'll pick up and walk off with anything that's not bolted down, unless of course that Kender has a crowbar with him (another mis-quote). On the other hand, calling a Kender a Thief is a nearly sure-fire way to pick a fight with one. They have an innate ability, the Taunt, which allows them to basicaly irritate the **** outta anyone/thing they want to use it on. And, if I'm not mistaken, they tend to forget things about 15 minutes after they've occured, especialy the 'bad stuff'. I suspect this is part of why they never learn the meaning of Fear.

In summation: Having a (well played) Kender in your group is a lot like having a niece/nefew/cousin of about age 4, just physicaly a bit more mature, with you in your adventuring party. The key is that (s)he'll never grow up! This 'never' assumes (s)he somehow survives the perils of the dungeon, and/or the rest of the players by the end of that night of course...

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Psionicist]

If you play a kender, and the other players and the DM are NOT totally PISSED after 15 minutes, you are not a good roleplayer

 

[Jeph]

If you play a kender, and the other players and the DM are NOT totally PISSED after 15 minutes, you are not a good roleplayer

Heh. Don't you mean "palladin?" heh.

 

[Fade]

[B
In summation: Having a (well played) Kender in your group is a lot like having a niece/nefew/cousin of about age 4, just physicaly a bit more mature, with you in your adventuring party. The key is that (s)he'll never grow up! This 'never' assumes (s)he somehow survives the perils of the dungeon, and/or the rest of the players by the end of that night of course...

Hatchling Dragon [/B]

I have to ask them, why, for non-metagame reasons, would anyone allow one into dangerous and sensitive situations? Club 'em unconscious and leave them in town, or shoot them down before they touch the 'glowy thing of doom' and kill everyone. Or just cut their hands and feat off when your typical dour dwarf notices they have stolen from him.

 

[Kilmore]

I'm on to you...

Don't think I don't know what's up here. Someone's opening a thread on kender on behalf of the Gnomish Anti-Defamation Gathering of Eastern Tethyr. Just let the spite roll down the hill.