Half Kender (Oh No!) - Version 1.1 by Steve VanHorn and Michael L. Blair

This is probably the only significant contribution of mine to any campaign I have played in. In 1992, after completing the Dragonlance campaign with my gaming group (where Blink Ticklefinger originated), I approached Steve VanHorn with the idea of playing a Half-Kender in his Maya campaign world as a sort of gag. We both sat down and worked out the rules below. For the record, Talen Ticklefinger (Fighter/Magic-User, son of Blink Ticklefinger and a human female), the FIRST Half-Kender EVER played in a AD&D group, was being played MONTHS before the short story, "Kender Stew" that confirmed "officially" the existence of Half-Kender.

Ability Scores:

Modifiers (if used) –1 STR, +1 DEX

Classes allowed and Level Limits

Multi-Class: Any two (or three) non-italicized classes can be multi-classed.

Special Abilities (innate):

Thief Skill Adjustments:

Height/Weight and Lifespan Tables

Description: These rules cover Half-Kender coming from a union of a Kender and a Human (or between two Half-Kender of this type). There are several other crossbreed possibilities (in order of likelihood: elf, half-elf, and dwarf), but a union with a Human is the most likely (other races are less likely able to tolerate a relationship with an often raucous Kender). Human/Kender unions are USUALLY between a small male Human (under 5’10") and a female Kender (most likely as female Kender are quite attractive), but marriages/liaisons of Kender males and Human females do occur...

Physical Appearance: Half-Kender resemble Elves to the untrained eye. They stand the same height (average of 4’10"), and have much the same characteristics (including pointed ears). Females are a little shorter (average 4’8"), and will also resemble elf maids in physical appearance.

Behavior: However, Half-Kender behave much more like their demi-human Kender relatives. Near-absolute fearlessness (to all but magical fear) and intense curiosity are present in half-Kender. Half-Kender, however are heavily influenced by which type of setting they were raised in... If they were raised by humans, the Half-Kender’s Kender tendencies might be somewhat suppressed. If raised by Kender, they would behave more like pure Kender. ALL Half Kender will have a tendency to "handle" and to wanderlust, just not as intense as their pure Kender parent, but this WILL be either greater or lesser depending on their environment.

Half-Kender will tend to be a little less chaotic than their pure Kender parent, but still will be strongly independent and have a strong dislike for boring activity. Wanderlust will hit a Half Kender around their late teens or early twenties, and will last approximately 5-10 years. Half-Kender wanderlust is less absolute than a pure Kender, tending to last months, or perhaps a year at a time, followed by months, or a year back at home.

Society: Half-Kender do not have a distinct society. They are found in both Kender and Human communities. Half-Kender will tend to prefer the company of another Half-Kender for a life mate, if possible.

Half-Kender as PC Adventurers: Half-Kender make mediocre fighters (maximum strength of 17), excellent thieves and bards, and scary priests or magic-users... A player playing a Half-Kender will likely have a lot of explaining to do, and will face some derision from human society in general.

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