Level Up (A5E) Working on a Kender

[Faolyn]

If you want to have a bit of their natural thievery, why not give the kender culture an expertise die on Sleight of Hand checks?

 

[Xethreau]

The heritage gift in the OP is roughly 1/2 as strong as recommended in Homebrew & Hacking. The extra design space is a huge opportunity to help tell the Kender story more!

A huge point to consider is that, on average across the he heritages overall (and confirmed in H&H), a heritage gift contains an equal amount of power (or actually slightly more!) than the heritage base.

 

[Morrus]

The heritage gift in the OP is roughly 1/2 as strong as recommended in Homebrew & Hacking. The extra design space is a huge opportunity to help tell the Kender story more!

A huge point to consider is that, on average across the he heritages overall (and confirmed in H&H), a heritage gift contains an equal amount of power (or actually slightly more!) than the heritage base.

Yes, the heritage gift right now is very much the weak point. Flavourful suggestions are very much welcomed!

 

[Morrus]

Still working on this. I need to beef up that wanderlust gift.

 

[Deadmanshand]

Flavourful suggestions…hmm. I am not sure if this helps, but this is what I did. Firstly, I made a kender heritage, while it based on the halfling, it is still new. I combined your wanderlust with a trait I called Curious. This is a heritage trait. I made Taunt a heritage gift (as well as, a gift called Agile, which gives a +1 bonus to AC when attacked by creatures a larger size).

I made the Kenderkin culture. The traits are much like the Tunnel Halfling, but without Fleet of Foot. In the trait I called Quick Hands (which is pretty much the halflings Trained Fischer), I added a line regarding the hoopak. I also made a trait called Deep Pockets, which is loosely based on the Kender Pockets feature from the 1e Dragonlance hardcover supplement.

 

[Morrus]

I do think the wanderlust should incorporate the curiosity aspect. Most things I think of are a little bland though.

Maybe something like difficut terrain doesn't slow you down? Kender just heedlessly throw themselves headlong forward, not worrying about the terrain.

 

[xiphumor]

I do think the wanderlust should incorporate the curiosity aspect. Most things I think of are a little bland though.

Maybe something like difficut terrain doesn't slow you down? Kender just heedlessly throw themselves headlong forward, not worrying about the terrain.

That isn’t bad, but it is kind of similar to Tuft Feet.

My own personal theory is that travel does for the will what reading does for the intellect: it forces you to confront new and sometimes difficult stimuli at a rapid pace, and as such, you become adept at dealing with situations you aren’t prepared for. What if the kender are particularly good at stepping outside of their comfort zone?

Wanderlust. Your desire to experience strange cultures and places has given you a knack for dealing with situations you aren’t prepared for. A number times equal to your proficiency bonus between long rests, you can choose to gain advantage on a check or saving throw in which you are not proficient.

 

[Morrus]

Hmm. Maybe once per long rest you gain proficiency in a skill or tool, or recall a language?

 

[xiphumor]

Hmm. Maybe once per long rest you gain proficiency in a skill or tool, or recall a language?

Or, how about this? Extra exploration knack (or two) from your first class?

 

[Larnievc]

So, Kender for A5E for the game I'll be running in January.

I'm going to make Kender a culture, but add Wanderlust as a heritage gift for halflings. Dropping the compulsive thievery but adding a 'communal property' element to the culture. This is very much a work in progress, so feel free to weigh in.

I'm basically assuming people will take the Halfling heritage and the Kender culture.

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New Halfling Gift: Wanderlust
You are blessed withan innate gift of insatiable curioisity and a desire to explore and experience new things. You gain advantage on Survival checks and proficiency in Insight.

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Culture: Kender
Kender communities are cheerful and welcoming. Communal in nature, there is little concept of personal property, with each community member using what they need whenever they need it. This can occaionally lead to misunderstandings in the wider world, although most kender adapt quickly to new customs.

Happy-go-Lucky. Your optimistic nature helps you through even the darkest times. Whenever you would suffer a level of Strife, you do not suffer that level. Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you take a long rest.

Cultural Gear. You gain proficiency with the hoopak (see slingstaff in the AG), slings, staffs, thrown weapons, and cartographer's tools.

Taunt. Growing up in such a communal society, you are able to discern another creature's deepest insecurities. As a bonus action, you can taunt a creature within 60 feet that can hear and understand you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier), or suffer disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Once a creature has successfully saved against your taunt, it is immune to this feature for 24 hours,

Like I said, very much a WIP. Thoughts welcome!

I like it mechanically but doesn’t it run into the trope of monoculture? Does the Kender culture have an analogous Human culture? Maybe I’m over thinking it; I’m pretty drunk with the in-laws going quietly insane.

Maybe call it Communal Culture or something like Kibbutzim?

Edit: now that I think about it Kibbutzim seems like a slam dunk for where a Kender might typically hail from.