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.

  1. Ability Scores
  2. Classes allowed and Level Limits
  3. Special (innate) Abilities
  4. Thief Skill adjustments
  5. Height/Weight and Lifespan Tables
  6. Physical/Social description

 

Ability Scores:

 

Minimum

Maximum

STR

6

17

INT

6

18

WIS

3

18

CON

8

18

DEX

10

19

CHR

6

18

CUL

10

18

Modifiers (if used) –1 STR, +1 DEX

Classes allowed and Level Limits

Single Classes

Level Limit

(if used)

Fighter Group

 

Fighter

12

Ranger

10

Barbarian

12

Knight or Cavalier (Dragonlance/Unearthed Arcana)

10

Priest Group

 

Cleric

13

Priest of specific gods

Depends on deity

Rogue Group

 

Thief/Handler

U

Bard

U

Wizard Group

 

Magic-User/Mage

10

Specialist Mage (other than illusionist or wild mage)

6

Wild Mage (tome of magic)

U

Illusionist

U

Psionocist (dark sun)

6

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

Special Abilities (innate):

Taunt

As 1st level spell

Fear Resistance

Immune to all non-magical fear, +2 to save vs all magical fear (including creature based such as Dragons)

Infravision

30’

Thief Skills (non thieves or bards)

5% chance to perform any thief skill (except read languages), 40% chance to climb wall. Dexterity and race adjustments apply (see below). These NEVER advance unless DEX increases, or obviously if the Half-Kender changes class to a thief or bard.

Hoopak

Half-Kender can use and specialize (if a Fighter) the Hoopak. They get no bonuses to hit or damage, however as to pure Kender.

Thief Skill Adjustments:

Pick Pockets

+5%

Open Locks

+5%

Find/Remove Traps

+5%

Move Silently

+5%

Detect Noise

+5%

Climb Walls

-10%

Read Languages

-5%

 

 

Height/Weight and Lifespan Tables

 

Males

Females

Height

53 inches+1d10 inches

(4'5" to 5'3")

51 inches+1d10 inches

(4'3" to 5'1")

Weight

90 Lbs. +3d10 Lbs.

(93 Lbs. to 120 Lbs.)

70 Lbs. +3d10 Lbs.

(73 Lbs. to 100 Lbs.)

 

Base starting Age

Maximum age (years)

15+1d8 (18-23)

100+3d20 (103-160)

 

Middle Age

(-1 STR/CON +1 INT/WIS)

Old Age

(-2 STR/DEX -1 CON +1 INT/WIS)

Venerable

(-1 STR/DEX/CON +1 INT/WIS)

50 years

67 years

100 years

 

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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