Homebrew Radiant Kitsune Species Details

The Radiant Kitsune is a rare creature that many do not see in their entire lifetime. They live attuned with everything arcane and are seen as manifestations of magic in general due to their slight, otherworldly glow and fascination with magic and nature. Vulpine spirits of cunning and deception with remarkable intelligence, these creatures tend to avoid conflict and keep to themselves as to not encounter unnecessary dangers - though if they do find civilization, they will attempt to integrate into their society if deemed hospitable enough for their desires.

While most Radiant Kitsune are never seen with more than one or two tails, their number of tails can reach up to nine. Radiant Kitsune with nine tails are said to have near-complete control over nine kinds of magic and be completely impossible to find - most of them die long before this point. Tails are seen as marks of accomplishment and magical prowess, as a Radiant Kitsune will only grow another tail if a certain connection has been established with the arcane.

The lifespan of a Radiant Kitsune is hard to define, as nobody really knows the answer. Some say they are immortal, while others say they can live to see the impossible made possible. The most common theory is that their lifespan is associated with their tails - Radiant Kitsune with three tails tend to live longer than those with one or two - and most people agree that the Radiant Kitsune lives a very long time.

Part of the reason a Radiant Kitsune is so rare is due to their natural ability to disguise themselves as other creatures. Their harmony with nature and the arcane allows them to gain the Wild Shape ability once they reach around ten years of age.

Radiant Kitsune Traits

The Radiant Kitsune's connection to the arcane gives them access to magic and features unique to the Radiant variant.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern exact color in complete darkness, only things like "red" and "orange". In dim light, you can see exact color.

Radiance

You emanate a soft glow from your body. Due to this, you can function as a light source in dark or dimly lit locations.

Light Manipulation

You gain access to the Dancing Lights cantrip.

Wild Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.


You can stay in a beast shape for a maximum of 10 hours. You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

  • Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.
  • When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
  • You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.
  • You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
  • You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Nine-Tailed Arcana

You always start with only one tail.

At the discretion of the DM, you may gain another tail - up to a maximum of nine - after a major achievement has been completed by you or your party (such as defeating a powerful foe, mastering a powerful spell or finding and attuning to a legendary item*).

* You must be the one to master the powerful spell or attune to the legendary item.

For each tail you gain, you gain the following effects:

  • Another tail. This foxlike tail can be whatever color or shape you like.
  • +1 to any roll of any type relating to any kind of magic (such as History, Perception or Attack rolls).
  • 100 years added to your lifespan.

If you gain three tails during a campaign, you gain the following effects in addition to the previous tail effects:

  • Advantage on Attack rolls relating to any kind of magic.

If you gain five tails during a campaign, you gain the following effects in addition to the first tail effects:

  • You can choose an extra creature to add to Wild Shape as long as the challenge level is below 5, regardless of whether you have seen it or not.
  • Your walking speed is no longer decreased by challenging terrain.

If you gain nine tails during a campaign, you gain the following effects in addition to the first tail effects:

  • Divine Majesty. Every time you take your turn, you may use your action to roll a 1d6 and heal hitpoints of any creatures of your choice within a radius of 20 feet equal to the number you rolled. This roll is unaffected by modifiers (such as +2).
  • Advantage on any roll relating to any kind of magic.
  • Transcendence. You may completely change the appearance of your hair and eyes.
  • Your Radiance glow changes from white to golden, and any creature within 10 feet of you sees in bright light.
  • You gain a +5 modifier on your first roll after each long rest.

Cunning

You gain proficiency in Persuasion, Perception and Deception.

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