Dragonlance Would you allow Kender outside of Dragonlance?

[Scrivener of Doom]

For me, the desire to play a kender is one of those markers that suggests a player is not going to be compatible with the way we play but...

Seriously, though, if I had to wrangle kender for some God-forsaken reason, I'd do it in +13A. Kender would get taunt as a once-per-battle Racial Ability. "Handling" would be a racial feat. It would be a Faustian Bargain ability. You gimmick up an explanation of where and when you got whatever pouch-fitting item on the fly. In exchange the DM banks a complication to be named later, just like invoking a "5" on the Icon Dice. Yes, you happen to have the vault key Captain Birdwhistle was carrying. Just don't come crying to me because your scatterbrained klepto with selective memory disorder can't, for the life of him, remember ever coming to this town - let alone tripping the Lord Mayor over his chamber-pot andthatbountyposterdoesn'tevenlooklikemethisisjustdiscriminationagainst-URK!

Marty Lund

That's a great response.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

In 99% of cases, my answer would be 'No.' On rare occasions, if I know the player well and consider them trustworthy, I would have make sure it's cleared with the other players. All of them, not just a majority. Then I would make it clear in no uncertain terms that this character is likely going to die early into the campaign, probably at the hands of the other PCs.

But seriously, Kender are just a terrible idea as a race. A group of adult adventurers wouldn't want to be responsible for the life of an ADHD child with kleptomania traveling with them, and likely wouldn't trust such to keep their own lives secure in a battle. And it's not just the fact that the race is used as "an excuse" for annoying behavior. It's that this annoying behavior is completely justified IC, and to not partake in it would be poor roleplaying. Factor in their fearlessness, i.e. suicidal tendencies, and you've got a TPK in a four foot container.

All right, I'll stop ranting now.

there was a nsfw picture of the original write up someone wrote over e planning why they were bad and unplayable

I can't stand how it forces other Pcs and NBC to except and love them...they would be race profiled not let in shops or bazaars. ..and for good reason. As a race they can't ever learn what about there customs might set someone off...


I have seen great RPers turned into game destroyers by this race... I only saw it done well once, and even that was only when the we group got veto authority over the PC in question...on any action.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Absolutely! As I've mentioned before, the first time I read about Kender (in Dragon, before Dragonlance came out) I swore a vow that any character of mine who ever came across any Kender would kill it/them on sight. Fortunately, everyone else I've ever played with wanted nothing to do with them either. But that vow still holds.

Yes and if played by the right up by raw YOU would be wrong...BECUSE EVERONE LOVES THEM.... That is themain problem thesame race treated like outcast and mistrust AND the PC could learn in game and grow wouldn't be half as bad... Although that would still be a hard race...

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I've found they're a lot of fun, both as a DM and as a player. Fluffwise, I pretty much insist that they originate on Krynn. But it's easy enough to imagine a kender borrowing a plane-traveling device and playing with is, such that either the kender or his whole village end up in another world.

 

[wedgeski]

I'd allow Kender. I wouldn't allow disruptive play. The player would have to figure out how to do one without the other.

Nailed it.

I've had nothing but good experiences DM'ing kender, but have heard enough over the years to understand that my experience is not universal. Or even common.

 

[Jester David]

I like kender, but they're hard to pull off. Kender are a race that should be saved for advanced roleplayers.

Outside of Dragonlance, there's halflings, who fill much of the same role. Kender are redundant. It's possible to slip in a little kender to established halflings in a setting without too much trouble.

 

[asorel]

there was a nsfw picture of the original write up someone wrote over e planning why they were bad and unplayable

I can't stand how it forces other Pcs and NBC to except and love them...they would be race profiled not let in shops or bazaars. ..and for good reason. As a race they can't ever learn what about there customs might set someone off...


I have seen great RPers turned into game destroyers by this race... I only saw it done well once, and even that was only when the we group got veto authority over the PC in question...on any action.

You mean *inappropriate link removed*

 

[Zaukrie]

If it is fun, yes. If the person playing one plays so it is not fun, no.

 

[Queer Venger]

Answer is simple enough: No. Keep iconic setting races in their worlds. The Realms has halflings, Krynn has Kender.

 

[Midknightsun]

We had a player who entertained the idea of playing a Kender. Several of us, in no uncertain terms, stated that "handling" party items would end poorly for the character. . . . .very poorly. He decided against it much to the relief of the rest of the group. I also don't get how a society of fearless kleptos could possibly not end up on bounty boards. Fine in novels when you have control. Not so fine in games where I have yet to see one played that was NOT extremely disruptive.

Sadly though, while I really like the Dragonlance Setting and would love to run it, my group would consist of, at minimum, a Kender, a Gully Dwarf, and a Tinker Gnome. The end result would be me throwing myself off the roof of my house yelling "D you Weis and Hickman! Dyou to H!!!!"