Dragonlance Would you allow Kender outside of Dragonlance?

[Jeff Albertson]

Klepto is just a way of playing a character. I can do that now. The immunity to fear thing is just taken from Frodo and company, which halflings share.

They're just halflings with the thief and "cuteness" aspects dialed up to 11. Its the same thing.

Yeah, hobbits on meth.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

If you say so.

 

[asorel]

Klepto is just a way of playing a character. I can do that now. The immunity to fear thing is just taken from Frodo and company, which halflings share.

They're just halflings with the thief and "cuteness" aspects dialed up to 11. Its the same thing.

It's more than a way of playing a character. The Kender's magpie-like urges are stated to be an aspect of the race as a whole. Also, the Kender acquiring their Fear immunity from a memetic ancestor which they share with the Halflings does not give Halflings that trait as well.

 

[Jeff Albertson]

If you say so.

Ah, very good; if who says what?

This seems analogous to the DM ruined my early D&D career-deal, we see. Some have obviously had major problems with d-bag DMs, and d-bag players.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

They are definitely a take on the halfling. With annoyance dialed up to 11 of course. But my hobbitish halflings are not the same as kender.

 

[Mercule]

Some races have a "world identity" that so strongly evokes the source material that they scream when brought into other settings. Kender are one of these (along with Warforged from Eberron). Not a chance I'd allow them in another game. The fact that, while I liked Tas well enough, I don't see it as a functional schtick for a whole race probably plays heavily into that, as well.

 

[Gnarl45]

I would let my player have his kender but I would make it clear to him that playing a Kender outside of Krynn would be about the same as playing a wookie or other alien race. He would probably be looked with a lot of suspicion or get kidnapped by a mad doctor to be dissected.

 

[Mephista]

It's more than a way of playing a character. The Kender's magpie-like urges are stated to be an aspect of the race as a whole. Also, the Kender acquiring their Fear immunity from a memetic ancestor which they share with the Halflings does not give Halflings that trait as well.

That's still just roleplaying hints, but for the GM. Is every last Yuan-ti going to be like the MM write-up? Is a PC Pureblood Yuan-ti (hey, its happened in the past) going to be like the MM write up? Of course not. Is every elf a racist jerk that looks down on other races? Nope.

The whole kender thing is nothing more than a stereotype, no different than trying to play a Drizz't clone, but with Tas clones instead.

 

[asorel]

That's still just roleplaying hints, but for the GM. Is every last Yuan-ti going to be like the MM write-up? Is a PC Pureblood Yuan-ti (hey, its happened in the past) going to be like the MM write up? Of course not. Is every elf a racist jerk that looks down on other races? Nope.

The whole kender thing is nothing more than a stereotype, no different than trying to play a Drizz't clone.

The severity of non-mechanical personality aspects ultimately varies from player to player, but the Kender mentality is hardly equivalent to clones of Salvadore's character. This can be seen in the fact that Drizz't is a third party creation, whereas the idiosyncrasies of Kender are found in the core descriptions of the race.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Some races have a "world identity" that so strongly evokes the source material that they scream when brought into other settings. Kender are one of these (along with Warforged from Eberron). Not a chance I'd allow them in another game. The fact that, while I liked Tas well enough, I don't see it as a functional schtick for a whole race probably plays heavily into that, as well.

I would let my player have his kender but I would make it clear to him that playing a Kender outside of Krynn would be about the same as playing a wookie or other alien race. He would probably be looked with a lot of suspicion or get kidnapped by a mad doctor to be dissected.

Yeah, that's how I feel about it, and kind of what I was wondering about. I figured Kender's world-identity is strong enough that it really illustrates the question of "do you feel an obligation/desire/need to allow races from one world in a campaign in an unrelated world?"

 

[Warunsun]

I have seen Kender allowed in a Ravenloft campaign. I wasn't the DM. Since Ravenloft is extra-planer I can kind of understand it but I would in no way encourage it.

 

[Shasarak]

I'm just wondering. For me allowing something so incredibly tied to a particular setting to be played outside of it just jarring and not appealing at all (as DM or a player at the table of a DM doing so). I'm getting the impression that some others feel differently, so I want to see where most are at.

Yes I would. It is no more or less difficult then allowing Dragonborn or Tieflings.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I have seen Kender allowed in a Ravenloft campaign. I wasn't the DM. Since Ravenloft is extra-planer I can kind of understand it but I would in no way encourage it.

...yeah, I gotta say, in RL or Dark Sun or some similar, sombre-toned setting (maybe Birthright?) I'd not allow Kender.

But FR or Greyhawk or even Planescape could probably deal with 'em just fine. And they wouldn't be the most ridiculous things on Mystara, either.

 

[MrVyngaard]

I totally would! Sithicus kender NPCs for the heroes to frolic with. But not as player characters.

 

[iserith]

Sure, I wouldn't mind. My players know that regardless of the character they bring to the table they are responsible for making choices during play that are fun for everyone and contribute to the creation of an exciting, memorable story. A player who buys into those goals of play can play any character successfully.

 

[Zardnaar]

No and I want to ban them in Dragonlance as well.

 

[Dausuul]

Hell, I wouldn't allow kender in Dragonlance.

More seriously: No. As far as I'm concerned, kender are confined to Dragonlance, warforged to Eberron, muls to Dark Sun, and dragonborn to 4E. I don't even include elves and dwarves unless I feel satisfied that they have a place in the setting and are not being crammed in "just because."

 

[Sunseeker]

Yes I would. It is no more or less difficult then allowing Dragonborn or Tieflings.

I suppose if you had to include the 4E lore for them. The fact that Tieflings existed in Faerun before that though kinda dilutes the potency of said lore.

I mean, Kender w/o the lore are what, annoying halflings? Not much new there.

Not allowing Kender is basically the same reason I don't allow Drow. Dark elves? Sure. They're just elves of another skin color. But Lolth-worshipping suberterrainian psychopaths with some kind of crazy civilization nobody knows about? No.

 

[Shasarak]

I suppose if you had to include the 4E lore for them. The fact that Tieflings existed in Faerun before that though kinda dilutes the potency of said lore.

I mean, Kender w/o the lore are what, annoying halflings? Not much new there.

Not allowing Kender is basically the same reason I don't allow Drow. Dark elves? Sure. They're just elves of another skin color. But Lolth-worshipping suberterrainian psychopaths with some kind of crazy civilization nobody knows about? No.

I do not really see the point of having Dark Elves if they are not a psychopathic subterranean spider loving cult of personality.

If they were not already invented then I would have to invent them myself.

 

[Dausuul]

I do not really see the point of having Dark Elves if they are not a psychopathic subterranean spider loving cult of personality.

Oh, I think they work very nicely as a mysterious cabal living in the shadows of the high elf empire, advancing sinister plans.