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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mike Myler" data-source="post: 6856369" data-attributes="member: 6726030">First of all thank you for the in-depth consideration and feedback! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I can't say I agree with you that I did not make tanuki, but I will agree that I did not make your vision of tanuki and should you run some D&D in Mists of Akuma, I encourage you to modify them however you see fit to. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />While there is absolutely a creature in the real world known as tanuki (that is to say, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog" target="_blank">Japanese raccoon dog</a>), they have a strong popularity in Japanese mythology that has little to do with the actual animal -- it's not a disparity as big as Babe the Blue Ox, but obviously like any lore they have traits that the real animal does not (exaggerating many that they do have, like enlarged scrotums). As I put this together, I read several websites to make sure I remained true to their mythology. Your assertion that tanuki are dim-witted might be true in some instances, but the most popular tanuki characters in folklore were famed for being clever and tricking others (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danzaburou-danuki#In_popular_culture" target="_blank">danzaborou-danuki</a>, a sort of ghost tanuki popular in Japanese mythology). Danzaburou was well known for being a tricky character, one that used illusions (thus the minor illusion cantrip). In terms of burrowing vs. climbing, if you check out their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog#Bake-danuki_by_area" target="_blank">mythologies by area</a> you'll find two tanuki that were definitely climbers, so again I'm going to stick to my guns on that too.I agree that not every race requires a trait to cover their tails, but I would argue that tails are far more important to tanuki in comparison to tieflings. One of their tenets is "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog#Ongoing_popular_tradition" target="_blank">a big tail that provides steadiness and strength until success is achieved</a>" and to translate that into mechanics, I thought something about tricky communication (strengthening the theme I've set up with minor illusion) was appropriate.I don't disagree with that, but the thievery bit has to do with their subjugation in the recent past of Soburin (the last 150 years or so) and less to do with the original mythology that inspires this race. However, one of my team pointed out that they were a little  too good so we dropped the bravery trait this morning. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />As a fellow with a minor in mythology I am a little bit hurt that you feel this way, but can only politely disagree and assure you that I definitely did due diligence while researching for the tanuki race. If I were just making straight up raccoon people (which might be worth pursuing) we'd be looking at something far, far more stealthy, although I cannot deny that they got a bit of treatment like that due to the century and a half of subjugation they've experienced in Mists of Akuma (though obviously you have no way of knowing that from this small one page preview <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> .)Here's the full list of race options in Mists of Akuma: Humans (Soburi, Ceramian, and Ropaeo), Bakemono, Enjin, Hengeyokai (of the Cat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Crane, Fox, and Spider varieties), Kappa, Mutants, Necroji, Oni-Touched,  Psonorous, Pyon, Shikome, Steametic, Tanuki, Tengu, Umibozu.I like my tanuki and don't want to swap them for an obscure thing without mythological precedent -- I remember seeing red pandas at the zoo, but can't recall hearing any lore about them (though if you want to pitch me a red panda race for MoA, you are encouraged to do so!) If you check out the links above you can see my reasoning for some of the traits you didn't feel are appropriate but as a point of fact, we have a Japanese scholar (a fellow who teaches mythology on the mainland even!) ready to evaluate the full Mists of Akuma book before it is published to make sure that we stay on point. I'll make sure that he gets a look at this thread so he can consider your thoughtful critique when it comes to the tanuki!Thank you again for the feedback! While I can't say it compelled me to change a lot about the race, it is definitely good food for thought and I appreciate that you took the time to share your opinions. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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