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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next The Kender (Dragonlance)



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2015-11-10, 02:50 PM
Kender are small humanoids that inhabit the world of Krynn, and are found on all three of the main continents of that world. All of the subraces stand between 3 and 4 foot tall, have pointed ears. Kender weigh between 80 and 100 pounds, and are quite muscular despite their thin build. They have pointed ears giving them a slightly elvish appearance and the older that a kender is, the more face wrinkles develop, though kender have a youthful appearance all their life.

Kender live to be around 100 years old, reaching adulthood around 20 (which is when wanderlust sets in for several subraces) and reach old age at around 70.

Traits

As a kender, you have the following racial traits regardless of your subrace -

Size: kender range in height between 3 and 4 foot, and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is small.
Speed: All kender are very light on their feet. your speed is 30 feet.
Ability Score Adjustment: Kender are very mobile. Your dexterity score increases by 2

Choose from one of the following subraces -

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2015-11-10, 02:56 PM
Kender of Ansalon

True Kender

True kender have fair skin but tan very quickly, with tones that range from light during Snowfun to bronze in Summerlaze. Hair colour ranges from light blonde to black, and most kender wear their hair long and in the topknot, the most common hairstyle.

Around the time a true kender reaches adulthood, wanderlust sets in, and this causes the kender to wander Ansalon (and sometimes even beyond) far and wide. This can last anywhere between 5 and 50 years until the true kender decides to wind down and stay in one place for a while.

Kender are curious, and this leads them to have the desire to inspect whatever they can get their hands on. They pick locks and break into rooms out of curiosity, and pick up objects to study later. True kender understand the concept of money, but do not understand acquiring great amounts of wealth. To a true kender, a steel coin and a feather of an austrich that is a slightly different shade to that normally present in the plumage are both equally fascinating – the feather more so. After all, there are lots of steel coins in the world, but the feather may be one of a kind.

True kender are fearless. In the face of fear, they only experience a feeling like butterflies in the stomach, and this is usually enough to alert the true kender that the situation might not be the best one at the current time. Kender are not entirely reckless – while their companions are shaking, the kender is looking for a way to aid their companions.

Ability Score Adjustment – your charisma score increases by 1
Fearless - You cannot be frightened. When you fail a fear check, you only get a feeling of butterflies in your stomach
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are proficient in Slight of Hand.
Playground of Chislev – Due to your curiosity, you know a lot about Nature and have proficiency in nature.
Taunt - You have an uncanny insight into the motivations and characteristics of other races, and you can use this insight to infuriate them. As an action, you can unleash a verbal barrage of sarcasm, insults, and crude comments against a creature. As an Action, you can force a target within 30 feet who can hear you and understand your language to make a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If you win the contest, the target must use its next action to attack only you. The target attacks you with disadvantage during this action. If the target wins the contest, it is immune to your Taunt for 24 hours. If it fails, then it gains advantage on subsequent saves against this.
Kender Pockets – as a kender, you pick things up and pocket them, and then often forget about them. If you find yourself in need of a piece of non-magical equipment, there is a 25 percent chance you have it. Roll a d4. If you roll a 4, you find the item in your pocket, pack, or pouch. If you roll anything else, you don’t have such an item on you, and you can’t search again for the same item until you’ve spent at least one day in a town or city. Rummaging through your pouches, pack, and pockets in this way takes 1 minute.
Languages - You can speak, read, and write Common and Kenderspeak


Afflicted Kender



When Kenderhome was laid waste by the red dragon Malastryx, and the surrounding lands were turned into burnt out wastelands, there was a huge flight of kender to Hylo. A lot of these kender had witnessed the destruction wrought by the great wyrm, and were changed by those events.
Where there was once childlike innocence and curiosity, now there was mistrust and brooding, and they could not experience fear, and have now decided to look before they leap and while the afflicted kender are still outgoing, they are much more sober in the face of a threat. Some afflicted kender have become withdrawn and paranoid, and can be dangerous to themselves and to others.

While the Kender in Hylo are carefree and live life day to day, those that had the misfortune to witness Kenderhome laid to waste grow impatient with the their brethren, and therefore a gulf has formed between the Kender on Ansalon. Another difference is that afflicted kender generally have an “out” in any plan, and do not rely on luck in any situation.

As an afflicted Kender, you have –

Ability Score Adjustment – your wisdom score increases by 1
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are proficient in Slight of Hand.
Playground of Chislev – Due to your curiosity, you know a lot about nature. You have Proficiency in the nature skill.
On guard – You are proficent in Perception.
Brave – you have experienced fear, but you can dig deep. You have advantage on saving throws against fear
Taunt - You have an uncanny insight into the motivations and characteristics of other races, and you can use this insight to infuriate them. As an action, you can unleash a verbal barrage of sarcasm, insults, and crude comments against a creature. As an Action, you can force a target within 30 feet who can hear you and understand your language to make a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If you win the contest, the target must use its next action to attack only you. The target attacks you with disadvantage during this action. If the target wins the contest, it is immune to your Taunt for 24 hours. If it fails, then it gains advantage on subsequent saves against this.
Languages - You can speak, read, and write Common and Kenderspeak.


Coming Soon......
Kendar

Inhabiting Chorane, the land beneath the reaches of Icewall dwell the kendar. With light hair and almond eyes, the kendar are a race that lives for trade and commerce, and while they are as jovial as the kender, they understand and feel fear and therefore are less likely to run into danger.

The worldview of the kendar is that if they cannot see something, then it’s difficult to believe that it ever existed at all. Therefore, they do not believe in gods, magic or the hoopak, and the kendar do not believe that they are descended from the kender that roam Ansalon. After all, without first-hand knowledge of something, it is hard to believe that something happened at all, the kendar believe

While they generally ramble and struggle to get to the point in a conversation, they are dangerously adept when it comes to talking money, and they will deal in anything that will turn a profit, and trade with the other cultures that share the land beneath the icecaps. As for how the kendar arrived in their homeland, they state that they have always been there and leave it at that.

As for passions, the kendar have a great love of music, and gatherings with their human neighbours, bring the two groups together in great celebrations. Kendar especially love the tale of the first singer – even though they do not believe it in the slightest.

The kendar society is clan based, and these include between 200 to 500 members. Three times a year, the clan masters gather under the watchful eye of the elder in a session that can take up to two weeks to complete. As for survival, the kender are farmers of brak and herd rodents known as funnos.

As a Kendar, you have -

Ability Score Increase – as a result of living in the tough environment of the ice, your constitution rises by 1
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are proficient in Slight of Hand.
Kendar disbelief – as you doubt that magic is nothing more than parlour tricks (What are Nuitari, Solinari and Lunitari anyhow?),you have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma Saving Throws against magic, and advantage on Saving Throws against Charm and Illusion spells.
Darkvision – Some Scholars say that the reason that you have superior low light vision is the result of generations of living under the Icewall, despite you knowing that you have always lived there. Anyhow, you have Darkvision up to 60 feet. You can see in low light conditions as if it were bright light and darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern colour in the darkness, just shades of grey.
Shrewd Trader – You can add half your proficiency bonus rounded down to deception, persuasion and insight checks when engaged in trading and the selling of items.
Language - You can speak Kendar and Common. Kendar is very similar to Kenderspeak.

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2015-11-10, 02:57 PM
Kender of Taladas

Marak Kender

From the northern continent of Taladas, the Marak Kender live in remote valleys of the Steamwall Mountains. With The exception of those gripped by Wanderlust, they keep to themselves to themselves, and marak kender are paranoid - sometimes beyond reason.

After Taladas was spilt asunder, the marak kender confined themselves to the marak valley, and hid themselves from the rest of Krynn. When on wanderlust, a Marak Kender will be on a mission regarding the revival of items that will protect their people, or to gather intelligence on the threats of the rival races.

A Marak kender always suspects the worst in any person, and they take items not due to curiosity, but to make sure that the odds are in their favour, and they check everything out due to a fear of the unknown.
The kender of the Marak Valleys speak their own language, and whereas the kender of Ansalon usually undergo the wanderlust, the Marak kender take up the life of adventuring as there is no alternative that they can see, and usually they take up the life on the road as an escape from their enemies. The skills that a Marak kender tend to focus on are those of stealth and survival skills, and they have a tendency to horde any object that gives them an edge over their foes.
Unlike the clothing that the true kender favour, the clothing of the Marak kender tends to be sober and mostly of dull hue.

As a Marak Kender, you have the following attributes -

Ability Score Adjustment – your Constitution increases by 1.
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are proficient in Slight of Hand. Also to make sure that nothing in the pockets of that human over there can hurt you.
On Guard – you are adept at finding hidden dangers. You are Proficient in Perception, and you add double your Proficiency Bonus to Perception checks for finding traps, and for finding hidden dangers in the wild.
Brave – you have experienced fear, but you can dig deep. You have advantage on saving throws against fear.
Steamwall Stealth – The marak kender have used stealth as one of the main weapons to be used against their real and imagined enemies. You have advantage on stealth checks to hide in mountainous terrain.
Kender Pockets – as a marak kender, you pick things up on the off chance that it might be used against you, or find its way into the hands of someone that will. If you find yourself in need of a piece of non-magical equipment, there is a chance you have it. Roll a d6. If you roll a 6, you find the item in your pocket, pack, or pouch. If you roll anything else, you don’t have such an item on you, and you can’t search again for the same item until you’ve spent at least one day in a town or city. Rummaging through your pouches, pack, and pockets in this way takes 1 minute.
Languages - You can speak Common and the Marak Valley version of Kenderspeak.

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2015-11-10, 02:58 PM
Kender of Adlatum

Kunda

On the continent of Adlatum, far from the shores of Ansalon, there are two branches of the Kender race known collectively as the Kunda, a primal people that have similar demeanour and the appearance of the child race of Ansalon. The race was torn in two by the drowning – The Hoda and the Voda.

Hoda

The Hoda kunda are the worshippers of Antaeun (Sirrion), the force of the natural world, and the hoda have the belief that each individual is born of one of the four elements. To the Hoda, Antaeun is the one that provides the strength that is needed to forge the world, and along with Danbhala (Gilean), the one whom hand guides the spirit world, the ones that make Krynn revolve.
The hoda are identifiable by the tattoo worn by all the members of a certain age, which identifies the element that the hoda follows, and this is given to them on their 20th gift of life day. This is also the day that the element that they have chosen to follow is declared.

The Hoda are fierce warriors, but are a cheerful friendly people that are willing to help others that are in need of assistance and guidance, but other races can have a hard time dealing with them, as they can seem overbearing and outspoken, and can go from joyous and carefree, to pulling out a blade and threatening to fight someone in anger.

Like many other kender, the hoda are very curious, and will explore dangerous places with little hesitation. Every hoda warrior can go into “Natures Fury” – a place in which the hoda imitates their chosen element and enters battle rage.

As a hoda, you have –

Ability Score Increase – Your constitution score increases by 1. As a hoda, Antaeum has given you the fortitude to survive and thrive in Adlatum.
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are Proficient in Sleight of Hand.
Fearless: You cannot be frightened. You only get a feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
Forge of Krynn – You have resistance to elemental damage of the opposing element that you follow. Water opposes fire, and Air opposes Earth.
Bestowed by Antaeum – You have an innate ability to craft useful items from the gifts that the earth gave you without the use of a toolkit. You are proficient in crafting poisons and offensive powders.
Nature’s Fury – you can channel the blessings of Antaeum and channel the fury of your chosen element. In this state of rage, you can deal 1d6 extra damage to a melee attack for a number of rounds equal to your level. The damage type is determined by your chosen element. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.


Voda

The Voda are nicknamed the “Death Kunda”, due to their connections to the spirt world and those that had passed to the next world, in strange, arcane rituals. After turning to the Danbhala (Zivilyn) for help, they discovered the secrets of communicating with the dead.

The Voda live in a large, swampy valley that is known as the swamp of the dead. Each night in the Kundamarsh, the air comes alive with rhythm as the voda partake in ceremonies that celebrate the lives of their forebears and ceremonies are held in the name of the dead.

The ethos of the lives of the voda is simple – Live a life of liberty, make the most of it, and when it is over, hand all that you have to those that are on this earth to use. The mix of heavy folk spirituality and the cheerful optimism mean that a lot of them travel as fortune tellers, folk healers, spiritual advisers, and ghost hunters.

Shamans (known as Mama or Papa) have been known to animate the dead for various jobs, and they can speak with the dead. They show surprise when they are challenged by other races over this, and state “Well, he doesn’t need it anymore, so I borrowed it”.

As a voda, you have –

Ability Score Increase – Your wisdom score increases by 1.
Fearless: You cannot be frightened. You only get a feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
Nimble Hands – As a kender, you are skilled at breaking locks, to see just what is behind that door. You are Proficient in Sleight of Hand.
Part the Shroud – You have a sixth sense when it comes to dealing with others. You are Proficient in Insight.
Chosen of Dhabhala – You have resistance to necrotic damage, and can add half your proficiency bonus rounded down to Arcana checks in relation to necromancy.
Sense the Spirit World – You can use Detect Undead once per short rest, and you can use the spell Speak with Dead once per day.


Detect Undead
1st level divination (Ritual)
Casting Time – 1 action
Range – Self
Components – V,S
Duration – Concentration, up to 10 minutes

For the duration of the spell, you sense the presence of undead within 30 feet of you. The Spell can penetrate most barriers, but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or three feet of wood or dirt.

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2015-11-10, 03:03 PM
Kender Equipment

The Hoopak –

The hoopak is the signature weapon of the true kender – a three foot staff that is made of hardwood, forked at one end and with a metal tip at the other. The metal tip can be sharpened so the hoopak can be thrown like a spear, or struck into the ground so that projectiles can be fired from the forked end like a slingshot. It can also be used as a sling staff or twirled over the head to launch sling bullets or stones. For kender, the hoopak is a simple weapon, for other races it is martial.

The hoopak can also be used as a tool for the purposes of gathering fruit from the lower branches of trees, or as an instrument. When the hoopak is swung in a circle, it emits a low bullroar.

Cost – 7 gp
Damage – 1d6 piercing Melee/Ranged (Thrown), 1d6 bludgeoning Ranged
Weight – 9 Ib
Properties – Ammunition (range 30/120), Thrown (20/50), two handed.

Kender Cleric Domains

Coming Soon....
Kender Feats

Coming Soon....
Kender backgrounds
Coming Soon....

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2015-11-10, 03:47 PM
This is a 5e conversion for all the kender subraces. The lore came from the second edition guides Time of the Dragon for the Marak Kender and Otherlands for the Kendar. Other sources were The Kencyclopedia (http://www.dlnexus.com/fan/rules/modules/11762.aspx) and the Adlatum (http://dragonlancenexus.com/adlatum/?page_id=16) sourcebook.

With the conversion, I used the race analysis here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ViqLSEN67mmd2Lo_OJ-H5YX0fccsfI97kFaqx7V1Dmw/pub)to try and make sure the different subraces were balanced and were in the 6 range at least. For the Adlatum subraces, I will keep them as balanced as possible, though the Chosen of Dhabhala depends on how common the undead are in the setting and how often necrotic damage turns up, and I'm not sure about that feature.

I went overboard on the proficiencies for the various subraces, will try and work something that reflects the lore and post up tomorrow.

And as a small note, if you are a DM or a player, and are worried about a true kender (and to a lesser extent, a marak kender) PC or want to play one, please read chapter 7 of the Kencyclopedia for how to play a kender.