Homebrew Kender Species Details

 Well you dont have to be ugly about it ! oh, not ugly as in your face, but I do say your face is quite ugly..." - Tasslehoff Buurfoot

Kender are small humanoids that resemble human children with pointed ears. They are to be found throughout Ansalon and the other realms of Krynn, and few people live their lives without finding out first-hand exactly what it is about this irrepressible race that annoys everyone so much. The free-spirited kender observe few boundaries and even fewer laws, getting on the wrong side of almost everyone they meet, yet never losing the insatiable drive for excitement and adventure which fires their lives.

Small and Practical

The diminutive Kenders survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be slender, weighing between 20 and 35  pounds.

Kender’s skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Kender men hardly ever sport sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches even more so. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Kender's practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of kender keep their treasures on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem and have little patience for dithering.

Free and Curious

Kender live a carefree existence in which the world consists of secrets waiting to be uncovered. Their most defining character trait is their insatiable curiosity. To a kender, all the dark corners of the world need a light shining in them, all the locked doors should be opened just a crack, and all the trapped chests obviously have something all the more interesting to hide. This is a mixed blessing both for the kender… and the party of unfortunates that happen to be in the vicinity at the time. This curiosity manifests itself in young kender, around the age of 20, at which point they depart their homeland on a journey of discovery called ‘wanderlust’. At least as many kender are never seen again as actually return from this adventure. Almost all kender encountered outside the kender homelands will be on wanderlust.

A Sly hand

Like an almost involuntary reflex, kender will appropriate absolutely anything that catches their eye. Physical boundaries or notions of privacy are both alien concepts to them. This is not thievery as the common man understands it, but ‘handling’ (kender are as contemptuous of real thieves as the next person). Most kender are at best bemused, and at worst mortified, to be accused of theft or pickpocketing, and are able to give perfectly reasonable explanations for just about every accusation levelled at them. Favourites include:

• It must have fallen into my pouch.
• I picked it up so I could give it back to you.
• I was just keeping it safe – it looked fragile.
• I forgot I had it.
• Yes it does look like yours.
• I thought it was a lovely present, thank you.

Pastoral Pleasantries

Their desire for exploration and their unquenchable curiosity lend the kender a unique perspective on what is beautiful or desirous. They are as likely to be captivated by the different colours of an unusual bird feather as they are by the perfect gemstone, and hold little regard for economics beyond the day-to-day needs of their travels. This is a boon to the kender, but a source of unending heartache to everyone around them, as a kender is never happier than when her hands are in the pockets, pouches, and backpacks of those around them.

Kenders try to get along with everyone else and are loath to make sweeping generalizations—especially negative ones.

Dwarves. “Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word. But would it hurt them to smile once in a while?”

Elves. “They’re so beautiful! Their faces, their music, their grace and all. It’s like they stepped out of a wonderful dream. But there’s no telling what’s going on behind their smiling faces—surely more than they ever let on.”

Humans. “Humans are a lot like us, really. At least some of them are. Step out of the castles and keeps, go talk to the farmers and herders and you’ll find good, solid folk. Not that there’s anything wrong with the barons and soldiers—you have to admire their conviction. And by protecting their own lands, they protect us as well.”

Exploring Opportunities

Kender usually set out on the adventurer’s path to support their friends, or explore a wide and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is a career more than an opportunity or sometimes a necessity.

Kender Names

A Kender has a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations.

Male Names:  Argie, Brimble, Buckeran, Giffel, Jackin, Kronin, Milo, Pentrian

Female Names:  Amari, Amber, Athola, Catt, Dera, Emla, Ethani, Hakan, Judi, Juniper, Loraine, Mela, Noblosha, Oletta, Paxina, Teeli.

Family Names: Buurfoot, Birdwhistle, Deep-Pocket, Downyheels, Five-Rhyme, Flamehair, Flowerhair, Lampwick, Lighteyes, Maplekeys, Nimblefingers, Pathfind, Quickstep, Redfeather, Riddler, Ringglimmer, Slightfoot.

Kender Traits

Your kender character has a number of traits in common with all other kenders.

Darkvision

Accustomed to the darkness of twilight, you have superior vision in the 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Taunt

You have an uncanny insight into the motivations and characteristics of other races, and you can use this insight to infuriate them. As a bonus action, you can unleash a verbal barrage of sarcasm, insults, and crude comments against a creature. You force a target creature 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. On a failed save, the target cannot take reactions until the beginning of their next turn and gains disadvantage on the next attack roll or ability check they make before the end of their next turn. Once a target suceeds the saving throw, it becomes immune to it for the next 24h.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

A kender reaches adulthood at the age of 20, when the first signs of wanderlust strike, with old age settling in around 70 years. Kender can live for more than 100 years, if curiosity doesn't kill him.

Alignment

Kender tend toward neutrality in outlook. They don't consider themselves to be lawbreakers and actually hold a high disregard for "thieves". If they feel a law is unjust, kender simply ignore it. It is extremely rare for a kender to be evil, since kender hold a high regard for life and liberty, and are almost completely incorruptible.

Handler

You have a tendency to pick up and pocket random items without even noticing. You can spend one minute to rummage through your belongings to find an item costing up to 2gp, and weighing up to 2 pounds. Roll a d20, a result equal to or greater than 15 means that you have the item. After one hour or when you return this item to your inventory you lose the item and cannot find it again, unless you use this feature again to produce it. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Kender Weapon Proficiency

You are proficient with all kender weapons.

Size

Kender average between 3 1/2 and 4 feet tall and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Fearless

You have immunity against being frightened.

Kender Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Kenderspeak. The Kenderspeak language isn’t secret, but kenders are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all kenders speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.