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All right so the inspiration for this character is real simple. One of the myths about Kitsune in Japanese folklore is that they take the form of attractive an woman and marry a man, but resume their fox shape at night and run off and return in the morning before their husband wakes up. However if they are caught they scamper off and never return to their family. Why do they do this?? MAYBE cuz they go fight crime as a fox at night and their secret identity has been found out! And as your loving wife doesn't want to put you in danger. Makes perfect sense.
This is exactly what I want to make for an upcoming home game of Hell's Rebels, save for being a male and having a lovely wife, a Kitsune Vigilante who lives his daily life in his human form, but strikes confusion and mixed emotions into criminals by turning into the adorably fearsome VULPUNISHER!!
In all seriousness though, I'm favoring the Stalker specialization but honestly have no real good ideas how to do this. The party is comprised of a melee slayer whose going into Mantis Assassin, an Unchained Monk, your typical Magus, and a skald, all very combat focused. I'm really wanting to focus on more of an out of combat utility character, Seriously the up and coming assassin isn't even taking disable device and I believe dumped some INT limiting his skills. Social skills are at least semi covered with the skald grabbing diplomacy and bluff, and the slayer taking intimidate, but neither will be exemplary at the two from what I'm hearing.
So I'm looking to use the social identity to bring in some money by rocking a very high craft skill that has yet to be determined, would love something that has other benefits too, while using the fox vigilante form to be the ultimate scout/thief and just be an untouchable pest in combat.
EDIT: P.S. Will use the Mockingbird talent to communicate as a fox. Theoretically that could work, will ask DM if I get this concept to work.
If you've stuck with me this long I appreciate it, and double thanks for any ideas. :D
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You alternatively could make use of a ring of eloquence to talk in Fox Shape.
It certainly sounds like a fun idea.
Ah sweet, I'm really not up to snuff on magic Items so that's definitely nice to know that that is an option.
I'm having fun as a ratfolk Urban Druid in Hell's Rebels. I started with Craft:Alchemy and took Craft:Wondrous at 3rd (our current level.)
I have SO MANY plans drawn up to disrupt, humiliate and deny resources to the Kintargo Asmodean and Loyalist (both individuals and establishments) revolving around creative uses of Alchemy, Poisons and Wondrous Items.
I have a like-minded Slayer partner, but the other two PC's are a little to, "heroish," to get their hands as dirty as we intend to.
With the only guy in the party with trapfinding not developing disable device there's a real hole in the sneaky side of things there. For some weird reason vigilantes don't get trapfinding even as a talent; you may want to multiclass.
If you do so you might look up the Songbird of Doom build. There are ways of taking advantage of the tiny size category, and while there are some nice vigilante talents the thing you really want it for here is the social identity which you get at first level. You could leave the class then and not look back.
Well, neither specilization really affects skills out of combat. That's really just a choice between sneak attack or a full BAB and certain vigilante talents. I'd take the full BAB, but that's personal preference, and your Slayer may appreciate a sneak attack buddy. In either case, cunning feint is an excellent talent, and goes well with a TWF build (as a kitsune, I assume you're going dex based.)
As for craft skills: social graces, double time and in vogue offer a 1/3 increase in earnings done in half the time, with a +4 bonus to boot.
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By "Fox" do you mean the kitsune's regular bipedal fox-like shape, or are you taking the Fox Shape feat and literally fighting crime while polymorphed into a fox?
You could work into a kind of intimidate build. Grabbing dazzling display to let you intimidate everyone around you, and the stalker talent "Twisting Fear" let's you get your d4 hidden strike damage against anyone you afflict with a fear effect.
If you nab the enforcer feat, you can get a free intimidate everytime you hit someone for non-lethal damage. Bludgeoner lets you do non-lethal with every weapon that deals bludgeoning damage.
And if you DO go fox shape, bite attacks can deal bludgeoning.
Combining ALL of those moving parts is not exactly optimal (especially the Fox Shape bit), but it'd be funny and at least reasonably effective.
The real downside to do this in fox shape (besides the somewhat weak use of a feat) is that creatures get -4 to intimidate checks against bigger ones.
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*facepalm. Just......facepalm.*
I mean taking the fox shape feat and taking a bite out of crime of course! But seriously, I'm not expecting to be amazing in combat, just an untouchable pest, kind of a pseudo tank, Outside of that, providing extra coin with my craft alchemy skill as well as cheap alchemical items and being a beast at stealth so I can accompany the slayer on his sneaky adventures and cover the pretty essential skills to his job he doesn't have. Also the scent ability should be fun for these shenanigans.
Also I'm mainly wanting the stalker specialization for the talents that give me evasion, uncanny dodge and hide in plain site.
Thinking starting stats are gonna be:
STR 10
Dex 17
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 14
Grabbing weapon finesse first level, 2nd level grabbing the vigilante talent Lethal Grace which adds half my level to damage if I use dex to attack but STR for damage and gives me weapon finesse as a bonus feat, BUT if I already have weapon finesse I can take another feat that would've been available to me when I took it the first time. 3rd level I get fox form, and I think is a solid starting point for this idea.
Also, can improved unarmed strike be used while under the affect of the beast shape spell? The ability from the Fox shape spell functions as beast shape 2 and have to turn into a fox.
There is a bit of an issue going for the stalker specialization. Fox Shape has a requirement of BAB +3. With stalker, you wouldn't be able to grab it at 3rd.
There is a bit of an issue going for the stalker specialization. Fox Shape has a requirement of BAB +3. With stalker, you wouldn't be able to grab it at 3rd.
... Yup just earned my first dunce cap for the day, I forgot the requirement was ban not level. Well avenger it is then, Now I really need to know if I can use unarmed strikes in fox shape cuz fist of the avenger is pretty sweet.
That would bring up a rules question but I'ma put it right here in case someone knows. Lethal grace and fist of the avenger both add damage based on your vigilante level to damage, lethal grace adds half your level to damage, and fist of the avenger adds half your level to damage minimum +1 and a maximum of +5, do they stack?
There is a bit of an issue going for the stalker specialization. Fox Shape has a requirement of BAB +3. With stalker, you wouldn't be able to grab it at 3rd.... Yup just earned my first dunce cap for the day, I forgot the requirement was ban not level. Well avenger it is then, Now I really need to know if I can use unarmed strikes in fox shape cuz fist of the avenger is pretty sweet.
That would bring up a rules question but I'ma put it right here in case someone knows. Lethal grace and fist of the avenger both add damage based on your vigilante level to damage, lethal grace adds half your level to damage, and fist of the avenger adds half your level to damage minimum +1 and a maximum of +5, do they stack?
A possible issue there is that Fist of the Avenger explicitly requires an attack with a fist or gauntlet, and Foxes don't technically have the ability to form a fist with their paws. So I'd suggest running it past your GM before trying it. Otherwise, you should be good (although with the massive STR penalty, I don't know if I would bother with Lethal Grace's damage boost and just get DEX to damage ASAP).
I played around a bit with a Grappling Avenger build, but the grappling rules do not play nicely with Tiny creatures. Dirty Trick seems like a decent route to go, especially if your GM doesn't need you to explain how a Fox is using Expose Weakness or any other Dirty Trick option.
There is a bit of an issue going for the stalker specialization. Fox Shape has a requirement of BAB +3. With stalker, you wouldn't be able to grab it at 3rd.... Yup just earned my first dunce cap for the day, I forgot the requirement was ban not level. Well avenger it is then, Now I really need to know if I can use unarmed strikes in fox shape cuz fist of the avenger is pretty sweet.
That would bring up a rules question but I'ma put it right here in case someone knows. Lethal grace and fist of the avenger both add damage based on your vigilante level to damage, lethal grace adds half your level to damage, and fist of the avenger adds half your level to damage minimum +1 and a maximum of +5, do they stack?
A possible issue there is that Fist of the Avenger explicitly requires an attack with a fist or gauntlet, and Foxes don't technically have the ability to form a fist with their paws. So I'd suggest running it past your GM before trying it. Otherwise, you should be good (although with the massive STR penalty, I don't know if I would bother with Lethal Grace's damage boost and just get DEX to damage ASAP).
I played around a bit with a Grappling Avenger build, but the grappling rules do not play nicely with Tiny creatures. Dirty Trick seems like a decent route to go, especially if your GM doesn't need you to explain how a Fox is using Expose Weakness or any other Dirty Trick option.
Ya know I didn't really take that that way but now that you mention you're right that wording was definitely an intentional limitation, at least so you couldn't wield a reach weapon and still have powerful kicks to threaten up close with, however, intended or not that likely exludes anything that could be done in fox form since i'd only have legs. Dirty tricks tho... certainly worth taking a look at.
There is a bit of an issue going for the stalker specialization. Fox Shape has a requirement of BAB +3. With stalker, you wouldn't be able to grab it at 3rd.... Yup just earned my first dunce cap for the day, I forgot the requirement was ban not level. Well avenger it is then, Now I really need to know if I can use unarmed strikes in fox shape cuz fist of the avenger is pretty sweet.
That would bring up a rules question but I'ma put it right here in case someone knows. Lethal grace and fist of the avenger both add damage based on your vigilante level to damage, lethal grace adds half your level to damage, and fist of the avenger adds half your level to damage minimum +1 and a maximum of +5, do they stack?
A possible issue there is that Fist of the Avenger explicitly requires an attack with a fist or gauntlet, and Foxes don't technically have the ability to form a fist with their paws. So I'd suggest running it past your GM before trying it. Otherwise, you should be good (although with the massive STR penalty, I don't know if I would bother with Lethal Grace's damage boost and just get DEX to damage ASAP).
I played around a bit with a Grappling Avenger build, but the grappling rules do not play nicely with Tiny creatures. Dirty Trick seems like a decent route to go, especially if your GM doesn't need you to explain how a Fox is using Expose Weakness or any other Dirty Trick option.
No, I think anyone can make a fist: Foxes just rarely do. Every been punched by a dog or cat: it hurts, though they do it by accident.
That might be hard to sell though lol