Tuillen's page

Regarding the kitsune feat fox shape.

1. Is it once per day or at will?
2. Is the duration indefinite like the kitsune's change shape ability or is it minute per level per beast shape II?

In a recent game, a player had to change his character because the feat was a significant part of his build, but the GM was of the view that as worded, the feat only allowed the fox shape to be taken once per day and that it would only last 5 minutes. The player's character-concept depended substantially on the understanding that it was an extension of the kitune's change shape ability (at will, indefinite duration).

I told him there was probably a clarification somewhere on the boards, but to my surprise I could not find one.

From memory, James Jacob had a big hand in shaping Tian Xia.

Nonetheless, here's JJ's take on the feat.

Hopefully that will help get this to campaign clarifications.

Tuillen wrote:

James Jacobs wrote:

Ah. The point of that was to give kitsune the option to assume fox form. As a 0 HD player race, shapechanging is kinda powerful to just give out for free, and having the kitsune PC spend a feat on it helps to keep things more balanced.

It adjusts the kitsune's basic ability to change shape, which normally allows only the assumption of a human form. That ability is usable at will, as often as the kitsune wants, and when she takes Fox Shape, that doesn't change; she can assume fox shape as often as she wants as well.

Thanks James. Would the fox shape duration also be indefinite, like the kitsune's basic ability? Would a sleeping kitsune in fox form turn back into his normal form after a few minutes?

It works exactly like the basic ability, so yes, it's indefinite. Remember, the "change shape" ability is NOT the same as the alter self spell. As stated in the universal monster rules for "change shape"...

Universal Monster Rules wrote:

"Unless otherwise stated, it can remain in an alternate form indefinitely."

It uses the language of alter self as mostly a space-saving technique, so we don't have to spell out all the rules for polymorph and the like. When a creature uses change shape to assume a new form, it remains in that form as long as it wants. If a change shape ability has a limited duration, the rules text will spell it out—and in such a case, it's better to just give the creature alter self as a spell-like ability and save all the trouble.

Thanks James! =)

Ah. The point of that was to give kitsune the option to assume fox form. As a 0 HD player race, shapechanging is kinda powerful to just give out for free, and having the kitsune PC spend a feat on it helps to keep things more balanced.

It adjusts the kitsune's basic ability to change shape, which normally allows only the assumption of a human form. That ability is usable at will, as often as the kitsune wants, and when she takes Fox Shape, that doesn't change; she can assume fox shape as often as she wants as well.

Thanks James. Would the fox shape duration also be indefinite, like the kitsune's basic ability? Would a sleeping kitsune in fox form turn back into his normal form after a few minutes?

Tuillen wrote:

Was the fox shape feat available to kitsunes intended to expand on the kitsune's change shape ability? Was it meant to be an at-will ability with an indifinite duration, a once-per-day ability with a min/level duration, or somewhere in between?

I have no idea what "fox shape feat" you're talking about, so I can't say for sure.

Mea culpa. It's a feat from page 5 of the Dragon Empires Primer. Here is the text:

Fox Shape
You can change into a fox in addition to your other forms.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, base attack bonus +3, kitsune.
Benefit: You can take the form of a fox (Pathfinder RPG
Bestiary 3 112) whose appearance is static and cannot be
changed each time you assume this form. Your bite attack’s
damage is reduced to 1d3 points of damage on a hit, but
you gain a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to
appear as a fox. Changing from kitsune to fox shape is a
standard action. This ability otherwise functions as beast
shape II, and your ability scores change accordingly.

Was the fox shape feat available to kitsunes intended to expand on the kitsune's change shape ability? Was it meant to be an at-will ability with an indifinite duration, a once-per-day ability with a min/level duration, or somewhere in between?

Regarding the kitsune feat fox shape.
1. Is it once per day or at will?
2. Is the duration indefinite like the kitsune's change shape ability or is it minute per level per beast shape II?

In a recent game, a player had to change his character because the feat was a significant part of his build, but the GM was of the view that as worded, the feat only allowed the fox shape to be taken once per day and that it would only last 5 minutes. The player's character-concept depended substantially on the understanding that it was an extension of the kitune's change shape ability (at will, indefinite duration).

I told him there was probably a clarification somewhere on the boards, but to my surprise I could not find one.

" Ah well, leastwise ya don' go killin' people over the treasure ya find. Tha's a plus, I s'pose.

Tuillen stares at the angry man and tries his best not to laugh.

"Yes... of course we don't..."

Has anyone seen my bear Tibbers?

...suddenly glad I'm playing a lizard.

That one was off the scale. XD

This thread is getting packed. So,

ROLL CALL

Post the following: Your character name, your class(es), and a one-line description. If you have a sheet ready, post with the alias with the sheet in the profile.

Tuillen

The son of a Kelentur necromancer and a lesser nobleman in the courts of Southern Midjuric, cast out for his half-elven blood and chased from the temple he once found refuge in, Tuillen finds comfort in his faith in Danhia, the memory of the friends he left to protect and the new friends he has found in the rural village of Tannersmark. He longs to ignite the spark of courage he sees in the repressed and subdued populance.

Character sheet is in the profile.

That fits the dogma of Danhia very well. You could optionally add to that a note about worthy self-sacrifice. The wellbeing of others always comes before your own, even to the point of death (although it is not a virtue to be eager to give up your life; it must be a last resort. You cannot be a boon to your fellows if you are dead, so it better be worth it).

Glad you like it! Btw, those were the precepts. This is the code:

A knight is sworn to valor.
His heart knows only virtue.
His blade defends the helpless.
His might upholds the weak.
His words speak only truth.
His wrath undoes the wicked.

The right can never die,
if one man still recalls.
The words are not forgot,
if one voice speaks them clear.
The code forever shines,
if one heart holds it bright.

Btw, I've also started statting out Tuillen's specifics in his profile.

On the topic of Paladin-code, I will be following the precepts of Erastil outlined on page 26 of Faiths of Purity.

• My community comes first, and I will contribute to it all that I can. If I don’t give back, who will?
• I must offer the poor in my community assistance, but I may not do the work for them—instead, I must teach them to rely on themselves. It is only through cooperation that a community grows strong.
• When danger threatens, I am not a fool. I seek first to make sure the weak and innocent are safe, and then quell the danger.
• I keep to the old ways, the true ways. I am not seduced by the lure of money or power. I remember that true honor comes from within, not from the accolades of others.
• I remember that reputation is everything. Mine is pure and upstanding, and I will repair it if it is broken or tarnished. I stand by my decisions, and live so that none shall have cause to blame me.
• I show respect to my elders, for they have done much. I show respect to the young, for they have much left to do. I show respect to my peers, for they carry the load. And I shall carry it with them.
• I am honest, trustworthy, and stable. If I must leave my lands and community, before I go, I ensure that they will be tended in my absence. Even when duty calls, my duties to my home come first—letting them lapse makes me a burden on my people.

By the way, if having two paladins is a but of a hassle know that my character, who will be named Heilani Meilar, will probably grab either a level of Bard or Charisma-based Witch in order to become an Arcane Archer (though likely only a few levels before going back to Paladin). She'll heavy a really have focus on archery.

Just as well, I'll be focusing on melee. XD

Thanks! That's some good information to work with. Based on what you've said, I could make the original backstory work by having Tuillen's mother be an elven necromancer. Will re-work it based on the new info and re-post the amended background story.

"Perhaps I should speak for myself, master Green, for the inn-keeper has asked the questions of me, and it would be rude of me not to respond with my own voice."

Where did you come from and if not Tannersmark, why did you leave?

"I suppose I was always meant for a life on the road.

From my youth, my elven blood had marked me as different and I had been called ‘knife-ears’ by my peers long before I even knew what it meant. Though my father was a member of the Midjuric’s ruling caste, I enjoyed little luxury, for his union with my mother had brought him no small measure of disfavour amongst Midjuric’s nobility. I knew little of my mother, but it was impossible to live in the courts of Midjuric without hearing the whispered stories. Stories of her secret necromantic experiments, and stories of her discovery and exile that led to my father’s disgrace. I was deemed an eye-sore in the courts, a reminder of why elves should never be allowed to be seen in Midjuric high society. Even my father’s servants either shunned me or regarded me with disdain. It was just as well, for my father’s fall from grace also affected his businesses, and many of our servants had to be dismissed anyway.

As I grew into adolescence, my father sought ways to redeem me in the eyes of the Midjuric courts. He trained me in swordplay in the hopes that I could join the warrior caste, and often left me in the care of Father Rothlan to test my suitability for priesthood. It was Father Rothlan who instructed me in the ways of the gods, and I came to find solace in the temple, for the priests and children at the temple were always the most supportive and forgiving of my ‘other-ness”. I took well to the teachings, and was soon allowed to teach some of the children who came to the temple. It was ultimately amongst the children, too young to understand my heritage and too innocent to care, that I found my closest friends: cheeky Jedadiah with his wild mop of red hair, Elissa the little princess, Kaydee the tomboyish scrapper and the shy little Raquil. Ah the times and laughter we shared. In time, the teachings and my service at the temple came to define me, and for a time, I thought I had found my place.

The tenuous peace was not to last, however. For whilst the children who lived in the temple were orphans who had been taken in by the temple, there were also others, children of the Midjuric nobility who were sent to the temple for religious education. And when the parents of those noble-born children found out that the “knife-eared necromancer’s spawn” was teaching their precious children in the temple, the outcry was great. Soon I heard old whispers were heard once more, this time within the temple itself. I had lost my refuge.

It was my love for Father Rothlan and my little friends kept me from bitterness, but I soon began to fear that by being associated with me they too would come to suffer harm. There were many tears shed between when I made the decision to leave the courts of southern Midjuric. But I had come to understand that all the people of the courts see in me is the knife-eared child of a necromancer, and until I do something to change that, I would never find acceptance there. And so I left, hoping to find opportunities to distinguish myself and prove my worth as an individual – opportunities the court of Midjuric would never afford me.

Perhaps someday, when I have proven my worth as more than the knife-eared son of a necromancer and a disgraced nobleman, I will be able to return. Or perhaps I will find a place on the road, and find a new family amongst the people I travel with. For now, I have no home, and my fortunes lie before me. May the gods guide my path.”

How would you like to advance?

"Since beginning my travels, I have felt the stirring of arcane energy within my blood. I fear I already know the source of this energy, and I'm well aware that I must learn to control it, or it will consume and destroy me. Perhaps I can find a way to blend this power with those granted to me by the gods."

How do you feel about the rising tensions between Midjuric and Leethe?

“I have heard much about the racism that goes on in Leethe, and my personal experiences have instilled in me a particular distaste for those who would judge others by the color of their skin, the shape of their ears, or the length of their limbs. A person’s worth should be ascertained according to his character. As for Midjuric, well, for better or worse, I do hope to someday return there. If nothing else, Father Rothlan, Jedadiah, Elissa, Kaydee and Raquil still live there, and I will defend them and their homes with my life. Beyond that, well, war consumes all who lie in its path, and from what I have read, it is a terrible thing to behold. If it is within my power, I will seek to prevent a war for the sake of the innocents who will suffer in its event.”

You have had some prior adventures; what characterises them and what loose ends might catch up with you later? How do you feel about the people of Tannersmark and what makes you stay? Is it love, loyalty or something else? Do you have a family here?

“In my travels North towards the Leethe/Midjuric border, I have sought to protect those whom I perceived to be unjustly persecuted by forces stronger than themselves. A few weeks ago, I passed near the village of Tannersmark, where I encountered a group of humans loading people into a cage on a horse-drawn cart. It was evening, but in the gloom, light from a torch fell on a chained child in their midst, a little girl who reminded me of little Kaydee, and my homesickness fuelled my outrage to goad me into action. Though armed with but a walking staff, I charged towards them.

It should have been a fatal mistake, with one of me and six of them. But in the dark the men panicked, thinking that they were beset by a larger force than a solitary half-elf. By the time they gathered their wits, I had laid low two of their number. And then I called out “you who are chained, behold your children! Behold your loved ones! Would you allow them to be taken into captivity without a fight? To arms, and show them the mettle of the men of Tannersmark!”

The cry was sufficient to gain the attention of some of the captives, and as I fended off the remaining slavers, I found myself being aided by three of the captives who swung their chains with a vigor and fury that spoke well of their spirit. As another of the slavers fell to my staff, the last of them fled, apparently to find easier prey.

Since that day, I have lived with Joatham and his family, earning my keep by helping at his farm. Little Rachelle, his daughter, has grown to be a dear friend, her resemblance to Kaydee soothing my homesickness even as it keeps it alive. I have come to understand the people of Tannersmark a little better since. They are a humble lot who are content to lead simple lives and strive to avoid trouble. But I also saw on that fateful night a latent heroism within them, a heroism fuelled by the tales of valor told by their fireplaces.

But why was such heroism chained to be carted of in a cage? Perhaps it needs to be ignited. Perhaps they need to see that even in this rural region there are people who will raise their arms against injustice, who will stand for them and with them against those who will oppress them. Perhaps they need a champion that lies not in the tales told by the fireplace, but before their very eyes. The slavers may come again, but when they do, I will stand against them once more. But my greatest hope is that the men of Tannersmark will stand with me, and in time, be able to stand without me.”

FiddlersGreen wrote:

Submitting Tuillen Aelethsyl. Am interested to know if this story will fit in with your concept of Midjuric, and whether any adjustments will be necessary to fit Tuillen into your world.

A half-elf child of a noble family would be an odd duck not for the human half, but for the elven half. The majority of Midjuric's nobility, including the king, are human.

Ah darn, I drew the wrong inference from the Jhogun write-up. I thought that since the elven nobility of Jhogun was compared to the nobility of Midjuric, the nobility of Midjuric was elven too. XD

Where in your world would elven nobilty be found? I thought of Jhogun, but was unsure about the culture there.

Alternatively, how are elves perceived in Midjuric (in general and the Jhogun elves in particular)? I could retool him by swapping the genders of Tuillen's parents, and making Jedadiah, Elissa, Kaydee and Raquil children whom Tuillen befriended at the temple, rather than childhood friends he grew up faster than.

Continued from the previous post as FiddlersGreen, to answer some of the questions that were not answered in the previous post.

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How would you like to advance?

"Since beginning my travels, I have felt the stirring of arcane energy within my blood. I fear I already know the source of this energy, and I'm well aware that I must learn to control it, or it will consume and destroy me. Perhaps I can find a way to blend this power with those granted to me by the gods."

Tuillen will be a paladin/sorcerer going into eldritch knight. Am considering dips into oracle and Pathfinder Savant if you allow. Character wise, he is a paladin first and foremost, but hopefully the backstory gives you an idea of the kind of paladin he is (i.e. not the I'm-always-right-you-guys-abide-by-the-stick-up-my-**** type).

How do you feel about the rising tensions between Midjuric and Leethe?

“I have heard much about the racism that goes on in Leethe, and my personal experiences have instilled in me a particular distaste for those who would judge others by the color of their skin, the shape of their ears, or the length of their limbs. A person’s worth should be ascertained according to his character. As for Midjuric, well, for better or worse, I do hope to someday return there. If nothing else, Father Rothlan, Jedadiah, Elissa, Kaydee and Raquil still live there, and I will defend them and their homes with my life. Beyond that, well, war consumes all who lie in its path, and from what I have read, it is a terrible thing to behold. If it is within my power, I will seek to prevent a war for the sake of the innocents who will suffer in its event.”

You have had some prior adventures; what characterises them and what loose ends might catch up with you later? How do you feel about the people of Tannersmark and what makes you stay? Is it love, loyalty or something else? Do you have a family here?

“In my travels North towards the Leethe/Midjuric border, I have sought to protect those whom I perceived to be unjustly persecuted by forces stronger than themselves. A few weeks ago, I passed near the village of Tannersmark, where I encountered a group of humans loading people into a cage on a horse-drawn cart. It was evening, but in the gloom, light from a torch fell on a chained child in their midst, a little girl who reminded me of little Kaydee, and my homesickness fuelled my outrage to goad me into action. Though armed with but a walking staff, I charged towards them.

It should have been a fatal mistake, with one of me and six of them. But in the dark the men panicked, thinking that they were beset by a larger force than a solitary half-elf. By the time they gathered their wits, I had laid low two of their number. And then I called out “you who are chained, behold your children! Behold your loved ones! Would you allow them to be taken into captivity without a fight? To arms, and show them the mettle of the men of Tannersmark!”

The cry was sufficient to gain the attention of some of the captives, and as I fended off the remaining slavers, I found myself being aided by three of the captives who swung their chains with a vigor and fury that spoke well of their spirit. As another of the slavers fell to my staff, the last of them fled, presumably in search of easier prey.

Since that day, I have lived with Joatham and his family, earning my keep by helping at his farm. Little Rachelle, his daughter, has grown to be a dear friend, her resemblance to Kaydee soothing my homesickness even as it keeps it alive. I have come to understand the people of Tannersmark a little better since. They are a humble lot who are content to lead simple lives and strive to avoid trouble. But I also saw on that fateful night a latent heroism within them, a heroism fuelled by the tales of valor told by their fireplaces.

But why was such heroism chained to be carted of in a cage? Perhaps it needs to be ignited. Perhaps they need to see that even in this rural region there are people who will raise their arms against injustice, who will stand for them and with them against those who will oppress them. Perhaps they need a champion that lies not in the tales told by the fireplace, but before their very eyes. The slavers may come again, but when they do, I will stand against them once more. But my greatest hope is that the men of Tannersmark will stand with me, and in time, be able to stand without me.”