Kitsunetsuki

[Kaze Kyuubi]

Hello everyone, Kaze here. Having seen this forum seemed promising, and since I've been working on some house rules of my own, I felt I'd sign up and share, and hopefully get some feedback to balance some stuff out.

Kitsunetsuki

Description: Kitsunetsukies are to Kitsunes as Tieflings are to devils, distantly related, but sharing some of the blood of their ancestors. They are an incredibly imaginative race, using their daydreams and wishes to disrupt reality, creating illusions that are somewhat real.

Appearance: Usually, a Kitsunetsuki has a few fox-like features, such as fox ears, a tail, and slit eyes, sometimes sporting claws or whiskers. They tend to be of light build and graceful, much like an elf, besides the obvious features that make them stand out. They can however hide their features at will, making them seem as if they are normal elves.

Personality and Alignment: Mischevious, cunning, wily, all can be used to describe them. They will manipulate others, whether to give humility, or to help another. Usually they are good, alhough nuetrality isn't uncommon, evil ones are quite rare. On the law and chaos spectrum, they tend towards chaos, their only laws generally being those of their own making.

Reasons for Adventuring: A Kitsunetsuki's ultimate goal is usually to realise their full power, to become like their ancestors, which is possible only through experience and wisdom. Thus travelling to experience new things and experiment with their powers becomes an ideal reason for adventuring. They aren't usually so interested in the material, preffering their own illusional worlds to reality, and showing that with their powers.

Kitsunetsuki Adventurers: Kitsunetsuki adventurers tend to be Rogues, Rangers, Sorcerers, or *Disciples of Inari. Their ability to fool their enemies works well in their favour as a Rogue, their graceful dancelike movements help the slashing blades of the ranger, as well as steadying the bow so often wielded, they are attracted to the sorcerer's amount of power and their Charisma helps them a great deal, but as Disciples of Inari they truly bring out their abilities in illusions. A Kitsunetsuki Sorcerer automatically takes the Wild Magic class feature, or may take a Fox Magic class feature if the DM allows.

Average Height: 4'8"-5'6"
Average Weight: 110-130 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 7 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Insight

Fey Origin: Due to their Kitsune blood, Kitsunetsukies are considered to have the Fey origin for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.
Unnatural Grace: Blending their mixed fey and kitsune heritage, they gain a +1 bonus to Reflex Defense.
Trickery Affinity: As they often try to fool others, they are better at avoiding being tricked themselves. Kitsunetsukies get a +2 bonus to Insight checks opposing bluff checks. Additionally, you gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against effects with the charm keyword.
Psychic Defense: Kitsunetsuki have powerful minds, and so can resist psychic damage easily. You have resist psychic 5 + one-half your level.
Fox's Charm: Whenever a Kitsunetsuki uses a Bluff or Diplomacy check to change someone's opinion, they may roll twice. They may choose to use the higher roll.

Fox Fire • Kitsunetsuki Racial Power
At-Will • Conjuration, Psychic
Minor Action • Ranged 10
Effect: You summon a mote of psychic energy. It occupies one space within range, and lasts until the end of your next turn. A creature that begins its turn adjacent to such a mote takes psychic damage equal to your charisma modifier.
For every Kitsunetsuki tail feat you have, you summon an additional psychic mote. You cannot have more than nine summoned at a time.
Sustain Minor: You may sustain this power to the end of the encounter. If you sustain it, you may move each psychic mote up to two squares.
Special: If you possess all nine tail feats, sustaining them becomes a free action, and they can be moved up to four squares.

*Disciple of Inari: A future class to be created, a user of fox magic, playing with illusions and dimensions.

Feats: So far, a thought I'd been pondering for tail feats is, there are three tiers, and nine tails, one of them you start with but is unactivated. So, considering that, and the fact that I feel they should be able to gain more abilities in some way, in this case through feats, I figured, for each tier, there could be one tail as an At Will, one tail as an Encounter, and a third tail as a Utility, gaining a Daily for obtaining all three tails of a tier. Naturally, the powers shouldn't be rediculous, but at the same time should increase as more tails are gained. The second tier of tails cannot be gained without having the first, and likewise for the third of course. These are my thoughts so far, but ideas are welcome.

Heroic:

Tail of Whirlwinds:
Whirlwind
At-Will • ?
Standard Action • Burst 1
Effect: Spinning rapidly, you slash all adjacent foes with your tails, dealing 1d4 + Dexterity Modifer damage. For each tail possessed, add +1 to the damage dealt.

Tail of Displacement:
Displacement
Encounter • Psychic
Standard Action • Blast 3
Effect: You target an area in front of you, and begin to tear small holes in reality. All enemy targets in that area are blasted with 1d6 + Charisma Modifer Psychic damage. You may slide the affected targets one square each per tail possessed.

Tail of Disguise:
Disguise
Utility Encounter • Illusion
Standard Action • Self
Effect: You take on the appearance of another medium sized creature. You gain none of it's abilities or traits, only it's appearance. If you attack an unaware target, you gain bonus damage equal to the number of your tails and the illusion fades.

Heroic Trio Daily Power: Not sure on this one yet.

 

[Kaze Kyuubi]

I know that double posting is a nuisance on any forum, and I don't wish to anger the moderators, but I feel it's better to post this than to create a new thread with the same basic idea. I've made a complete rehaul of the stats and abilities of the race, so I feel it's worth bumping it up from the last page.

 

[Siberys]

Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 7 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common, Primordial, Kitsune
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Insight

So far, so good. I'd get rid of Kitsune and Primordial and replace them with Elvan. That's generally considered the language of spirit-type creatures.

Unnatural Grace: Kitsunetsukies don't have a Dexterity Score, they instead use their Wisdom for all Dexterity related stats and modifiers.

NO. This is bad design. It makes any class that uses both dexterity and wisdom much too powerful - rangers, for example, and wizards. Also, how does this interact with point buy?

Kitsune Blood: Kitsunetsukies are considered Fey, Immortal, and Kitsunes for the purposes of effects.

With regards to Immortal and Fey, I'd choose just one. I'd make an argument for Fey, myself.

Trickery Affinity: With how familiar they are with trickery, Kitsunetsukies can add their Charisma Modifier to their saves against anything that might fool them. Additionally, if they resist, they may immediately attempt to counter the trick with one of their own of the same kind, a lie to a lie, a fient to a fient, an illusion to an illusion, etc.

This is poorly worded. You can just phrase it like a dwarf's poison resistance - "You have a +2 bonus to saves against powers with the charm keyword."

Fox's Charm: Any attempt made by a Kitsunetsuki to sway someone else, be it for a favour, as a lie, or a simple bluff, gains a +1 bonus. This increases to a +2 bonus at 11th level, and a +3 bonus at 21st level.

I'd word this like a Goliath's athletic ability - "Whenever you make a diplomacy or bluff check to change someone's opinion, you may roll two dice and take the batter result."

Sharp Senses: A Kitsunetsuki has highly developed senses, they can smell targets as easily as they can see or hear them, and they get a +2 Racial Bonus to perception checks involving hearing or smell.
Kitsune Tails: A Kitsunetsuki, much like a Kitsune, gains tails through wisdom and experience. While not nearly as powerful as one, they do get one minor benefit for each tail they possess, and it also effects their Fox Fire ability. At 1st, 4th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st, 24th, and 28th you may choose one benefit from this list. No benefit may be selected twice. Benefits effect everything they do(Extra damage effects all damage dealt, extra attack effects all attack rolls made, etc). +1 AC, +1 Attack, +1 Fortitude Defense, +1 Reflex Defense, +1 Will Defense, +1 damage, +1 to Trained Skills, +1 Speed, or +1 Initiative.
Reincarnation: A Kitsunetsuki who reaches 30th level may be reborn like a phoenix in the Dream World as a Half Kitsune, retaining some knowledge and experience. If they do so, in their next life they gain a +2 bonus to knowledge skills(Arcana, History, Religion, Dungeoneering, etc), and a +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma to their new scores.

I'd remove these. The first is unnecessary, the second is too good, and the third won't really ever come into play.

Racial Encounter Power: Fox Fire: At Will, Minor Action
A Kitsunetsuki can create a ball of dancing flame, a manifestation of a small distortion in reality. This can be controlled up to 10 squares away from the Kitsunetsuki as a free action, and has the illumination of a torch. If used to attack, it's attack roll is based off of Charisma + 1/2 the character's level versus Will Defense. If it fails, it simply fizzles out, if it succeeds it deals 1d4 + Charisma Modifier in psychic damage. At first only one can exist at any given time, but as they gain new tails, they are able to control more at once, but still can only create one per round. No target can be damaged by more than one per round, if they take damage form one they can't be hit by another during the next round. If a critical is scored, it deals Charisma Modifier damage to all enemy targets within a one square burst.

This really needs to be formatted properly, as it's difficult to understand if it isn't. I'd phrase it similarly to a wizard's flaming sphere.

Basically, a lot needs to be done. I'd make one replacement ability and take out Unnatural Grace, Sharp Senses, Kitsune Tails, and Reincarnation. Look over existing races for ideas - you might give them psychic resistance akin to tiefling's fire resistance. Also, if you're sticking with wis/cha, they need a NAD bonus. I'd suggest a +1 racial bonus to REF.

 

[Kaze Kyuubi]

Alright, so I took most of your advice, and now here are the changes.

1. I changed their langauges, they now have Common and Elven.
2. I Changed Unnatural Grace to give the +1 bonus to Reflex.
3. I changed Kitsune Blood to Fey Origin.
4. I changed and reworded Trickery Affinity, now it gives a +2 bonus against both Bluff checks and powers with the Charm keyword.
5. Fox's Charm now works as you suggested, they can make two rolls and use the higher result when using Bluff or Diplomacy checks to affect someone's opinion.
6. I removed Sharp Senses, Kitsune Tails, and Reincarnation.
7. I added Psychic Defense, exactly like the Tiefling fire resistance, but to psychic instead.
8. I formated Fox Fire to make it closer to the regular powers in look to make it easier to read, and took out some of the confusing text.

Now, I think it's a lot more balanced than before, though I still wnat a way to incorporate the tails. I'm thinking maybe feats or something, but I'd need to work out effects that don't make them too good, something you have to think about. If I do add them as feats, there would likely be three per tier, adding up to their nine tails, with the first feat activating the power of the one they are born with.

Ina ny case, thanks for the advice. I don't own the books, my friend does, so I don't know the spell you're reffering to, and I don't know everything about this version yet, I'm still used to 3/3.5 for the most part. But this should really help to balance it.

 

[Siberys]

Your race and power are still oddly worded, and now the power seems too weak. How about this?

Kitsunetsuki
Average Height: 4'8"-5'6"
Average Weight: 110-130 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 7 squares
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Insight

Fey Origin: Due to their Kitsune blood, Kitsunetsukies are considered to have the Fey origin for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.
Unnatural Grace: Blending their mixed fey and kitsune heritage, Kitsunetsuki gain a +1 racial bonus to Reflex Defense.
Trickery Affinity: As they often try to fool others, they are better at avoiding being tricked themselves. Kitsunetsukies get a +2 bonus to Insight checks opposing bluff checks. Additionally, you gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against effects with the charm keyword.
Psychic Resistance: Kitsunetsuki have powerful minds, and so can resist psychic damage easily. You have resist psychic 5 + one-half your level.
Fox's Charm: Whenever a Kitsunetsuki uses a Bluff or Diplomacy check to change someone's opinion, they may roll twice. They may choose to use the higher roll.
Fox Fire: You may use the fox fire racial power.

Fox Fire • Kitsunetsuki Racial Power
At-Will • Conjuration, Psychic
Minor Action • Ranged 10
Effect: You summon a mote of psychic energy. It occupies one space within range, and lasts until the end of your next turn. A creature that begins its turn adjacent to such a mote takes psychic damage equal to your charisma modifier.
For every Kitsunetsuki feat you have, you summon an additional psychic mote. You cannot have more than nine summoned at a time.
Sustain Minor: You may sustain this power to the end of the encounter. If you sustain it, you may move each psychic mote up to two squares.

That's how I'd do it, at least; I changed the wording on a few things. Now all you need to do is make up a few feats, and BAM. You're done.

 

[NMcCoy]

Oh dear, there appears to have been some very odd parallel development going on here (or perhaps I saw this thread and forgot about it?)
Here's my own take on a Kitsune race. We've got a lot of overlapping ideas, it seems; perhaps we should collaborate at this point?

Edit: Hold on a moment; I just noticed the editing note/date. I don't mean to be accusatory, but if you were inspired by my writeup it'd be nice of you to say so, as there's some pretty major similarities...

 

[Kaze Kyuubi]

NMcCoy, I PMed you about that, I didn't actually know of your thread, so it seems we had a few somewhat similar ideas.

Siberys, Once again I took your suggestions, though as I don't have the books myself, I'm not completely sure of the format for the powers and such. My friend has them, so I've had a few glimpes and gotten some general ideas, but my thoughts tend to be messier than the finished result.

I'm working on some ideas for powers activated by feats, but I'm not sure what to do for those, nor do I know if my current ideas are too strong or too weak.

 

[Siberys]

Siberys, Once again I took your suggestions, though as I don't have the books myself, I'm not completely sure of the format for the powers and such. My friend has them, so I've had a few glimpes and gotten some general ideas, but my thoughts tend to be messier than the finished result.

No worries; I'm just such a nerd about proper formatting that it's something I notice immediately. I find that having a copy of the PHB handy when writing races is a definite help, so I'd suggest borrowing it (or getting it back, if you're the one doing the lending) and trying to fit your ideas into that sort of framework. One of 4e's strengths is the standardization, y'ken.

As for the feats, the best way to determine if they're broken, besides playing with them, is to post 'em. Then you get several people working on it, critiquing, etc.

Siberys

 

[Kaze Kyuubi]

I actually posted my first three feat ideas at the bottom of my original post, the three tails for the heroic tier. So far the idea is there are three per tier, one gives an at will, another an encounter, and the third a utility, with all three together giving a daily. If you were to obtain all the feats, that would mean three of each kind.

 

[NMcCoy]

First of all, there aren't any feats that give straight-up additional powers - all power-related feats draw on an existing power resource: either Channel Divinity, or retraining a power you already have into another power of the same type.

Secondly, your attack powers don't have any attack rolls; they're too powerful as it stands, especially with only feats as a requirement to take them (and not apparently requiring the loss of an equivalent power).