D&D General Kender PC, Yes or No?

[Charlaquin]

Assuming I was running a Dragonlance game, sure. I don’t know why I would ever do that, but hypothetically.

 

[Zardnaar]

Assuming I was running a Dragonlance game, sure. I don’t know why I would ever do that, but hypothetically.

Maybe you fell over and hit your head a few times?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The true troubles are when the players want to behave as the comic-strip character "Dennis the Menace". To be always fun in real time is very difficult because you have to can improvise, and harder when there are serious menaces against the main characters' survival. In the fiction those characters do a lot of of wrong things and they suffer the consequences, but they are allowed to survive. In the dungeons (RPGs) those mistakes could cause painful and horrible consequences.

The line between fun and annoying is very blurred. Roleplaying a character as Stever Urkel can be nice in a tabletop, but a true pain in the neck in other if the roleplaying is wrong.

And what about kenders suffering "their own medicine", kleptomania by other nPCs? Or they being blamed for things they really didn't steal.

 

[TwoSix]

Sure, as long as it doesn't degenerate into constant passed notes of "I want to make a Sleight of Hand check against player X to steal his best magic item."

 

[Oofta]

I voted no.

You missed the "burn it with fire" and "hell no" options.

Not to mention "Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure".

 

[jasper]

I voted no.

You missed the "burn it with fire" and "hell no" options.

I will buy the gas. And dibs on the op minis.

Oofta,...Not to mention "Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure"... Only if the OP is downwind of my town. But first we loot their house.

 

[Coroc]

Seriously. I want to know. If you were the DM of a game, would you allow me to play a Kender PC?

If i would happen to DM a DL campaign, then of course, in FR definitely not, but i voted yes since i assume you meant that?

 

[Coroc]

tl;dr, If the Kender survives session zero, then I'd be ok with it.

I ask all players to come to the Session Zero without any preconceived characters that they want to play. First listen to the setting (and also give feedback on it - it's two-way world-building), then figure out what you play.

If there are then good reasons to play a Kender, then we can talk. But everyone - not just the DM - should agree. I also want to hear from all players why their characters would team up with this Kender, and I want to hear from the Kender why (s)he would hang out with the others. If that all works out, then I am all for it. But that means that all other characters are up-to-date on the peculiarities of the Kender. It means that the Kender-player must explain up front how the characteristics of the Kender will be played. And that most likely means the chaotic-stupid character idea will get vetoed, but the what-could-possibly-go-wrong-adventurer may be embraced by the others.

i, as a dm who tends to restrict race selection (and have been criticized for that in this forum) to meet the campaign flavor, but for sure would allow a kender in a DL campaign, would ask you:

Do you follow that session 0 principle of yours also for other choices? What if elf is one of the playable races, and one of your players wants to play one, but another of your players loathes elves? Is it the same?

 

[wicked cool]

of course-its a game. I let evil players in my games, all races etc.

im watching a Curse of Strahd online playthrough right now with a warforged, an evil sorcerer, a pesky Halfling and a Aasimar rogue that likes to cause trouble and drink. It isnst an ideal game but it works because the DM makes it work

Be a DM. Have an adult conversation with your players. If you don't think they have the maturity to pull it off then you shouldn't let them play a rogue at all. I cant envision a strong player suddently going off the raisl simply because they are a kender

 

[DemoMonkey]

Of course I would let you play a kender!

I would also let the other PCs murder your kender without (out of game) repercussion if they get fed up with you.

Roleplay however you want, as long as you are prepared to accept the consequences gracefully.