Homebrew Kitsune Species Details

I met a kitsune only once and purely by accident. A man named Koan had come into the bathhouse seeking respite from a long day's journey. I fixed him a steaming hot bath and after a moment I heard him cry out in pain, having dipped his toe into the water he found it to be far too hot and stumbled out of the bath-room buck naked. To my surprise, he was covered in fine red fur and had a long bushy tail. Realizing his mistake, the man immediately turned into a fox and leapt out the window, never to be seen again.

— Busheii, bath-house keeper

 

Kitsune are spirit foxes who having lived over 100 years, gain superior intelligence and magical abilities granted to them by their patron spirit, Inari.

Spirit Animal

Kitsune are curious folk who bear every resemblance to an ordinary fox. They possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yokai, the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit. However, this does not mean that kitsune are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally different from regular foxes. Because the word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes gain supernatural abilities.

Guardians and Tricksters

In general, kitsune are a secretive race, preferring to avoid prolonged contact with civilization. Some more adventurous kitsune will venture into settlements and cities and often get themselves into trouble due to their general lack of understanding of laws and social mores. Kitsune of good alignment, however, can become protectors of a human family or village. As protectors, they are expected to defend the land from outsiders and see to the general well-being of the inhabitants. In return, they receive offerings of food, gifts, and service from those they protect. Kitsune are the patrons of Inari Okami, god of rice, fertility, and sake and they act as her messenger.

Tales distinguish kitsune gifts from kitsune payments. If a kitsune offers a payment or reward that includes money or material wealth, part or all of the sum will consist of old paper, leaves, twigs, stones, or similar valueless items under a magical illusion. True kitsune gifts are usually intangibles, such as protection, knowledge, or long life.

Yokai Shapeshifters

A kitsune may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches 100 years old. Common forms assumed by kitsune include beautiful women, young girls, or elderly men. These shapes are not limited by the fox's age or gender, and a kitsune can duplicate the appearance of a specific person. Foxes are particularly renowned for impersonating beautiful women.

Kitsune Names

Because kitsune know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names, and instead identify the forest’s children by their deeds, habits, and other actions, the concept of names strikes most kitsune as strange. However most kitsune adventurers adopt human names when they must deal with society.

Sometimes kitsune adopt the nicknames or titles outsiders give them under the assumption that those who need names can call them whatever they wish.

Kitsune Traits

Your kitsune character has the following racial traits.

Mystic Fox

You can cast dancing lights, minor illusion, and dream, with this trait, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can’t cast it again with this trait until you finish a short or long rest.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

A fox only becomes a kitsune after it has lived 100 years and grows its second tail. The critter will remain a kitsune until the age of 1,000 when it becomes a powerful golden Tenko.

Alignment

Kitsune tend toward chaotic and neutral alignments; they have little understanding of the laws or mores of civilized folk. They are rarely evil but often mischievous.

Size

When in fox form, Kitsune are between 2 and 3 feet tall and their size is Small. When in human form, Kitsune are between 5 and 7 feet tall and their size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

You have a fox’s keen senses, especially in the dark. 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Yokai Shapeshifter

The ability to change shape is natural to a kitsune. At will the kitsune may change their form from fox to human or from human to fox. The number of times a Kitsune can change forms in one day equals their level. Changing form requires one minute of concentration during which the character can do nothing else.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.