Forgotten Fable™: Tenjikujin Race

by Tim Wallace and Adam Frank

The small, agile, and incredibly friendly tenjikujin are a race of humanoid rodent-like creatures. They are found all over the world and always in groups. While a bit flighty and easily frightened they are highly curious and well-loved wherever they may travel.

Physical Description: Tenjikujin are small, averaging about three feet tall, humanoid guinea-pigs who are covered in soft fur that come in various mottled colors of browns, tans, and greys, the tenjikujin are very unassuming to look at. Their large black eyes, located on the sides of their heads, while prominent, are not their primary way of observing the world and are rather underdeveloped. Their other senses though, make up where these fall short. Tenjikujin are almost never surprised by people as their noses and ears give them an almost preternatural sense of space. Some can, by taste, identify poisons, or potions without being affected by the item. Some think these powerful senses are what makes these creatures so personable: that perhaps they can taste emotions and react accordingly.

Society: Highly social and valuing family, the tenjikujin are usually found in family clans. While most groups are nomadic, they are found everywhere on Densetsu. Raised from birth, constantly surrounded by their huge and complex families, the tenjikujin dread being alone and are sometimes seen as skittish in solitary situations. A litter of tenjikujin kittens will be raised by an entire clan. The children look to the children of the entire clan as siblings, every clan member is considered part of the family. They have celebrations for anything they consider worthy of one; holding huge feasts and inviting any non-threatening people living nearby.

Relations: The tenjikujin are recognized as the most universally well-loved race on Densetsu and are welcome anywhere and usually among anyone. They are friendly and helpful but, without other tenjikujin around can be skittish. Due to this overwhelming acceptance they make great spies or diplomats. A kingdom will often reach out to a clan to hire a few of the more adventurous tenjikujin who may be wanting to learn more about the world outside their clan. The only places the tenjikujin tend to avoid are the more war-torn regions, those places that are constantly in flux due to the rise and fall of warlords. Even there though, you may find an adventurous clan, an exiled tenjikujin, or even just an individual looking for something different than life has presented them.

Alignment & Religion: Tenjikujin stick mostly to their own belief structures. While they have gods they believe that the spirits of their ancestors live on in the newborns around them. A tenjikujin who dies may be thought to be reborn in the next litter and a kitten with similar fur markings or coloration may even end up sharing a name with the recently deceased. The deities they do follow are those of travel and market. In fact Kishiko, the goddess of travel and the sea is seen as a patron of the tenjikujin.

Adventurers: While often nervous, there are times a tenjikujin will be forced to leave their clan. Sometimes their family clan hires them out, other times a traumatic experience that they seek to rectify will push them outside their clan. While it is rare, it is not unheard of for a curious tenjikujin to just feel the bug of adventure and seek treasure, acceptance, friendship, or just a change of scenery. The tenjikujin are seen as boon companions and, as most are so personable, they are readily accepted into groups for their diplomatic skills.

Tenjikujin (天竺人) Racial Traits (11 RP)

+2 to Dexterity or Charisma: Tenjikujin are nimble or companionable.

Humanoid (Tenjikujin): Tenjikujin are humanoids with the tenjikujin subtype.

Small: Tenjikujin are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Normal Speed: Tenjikujin have a base speed of 30 feet.

Gregarious (1 RP): When a tenjikujin successfully uses Diplomacy to win over an individual, that creature takes a –2 penalty on attempts to resist any of the tenjikujin’s Charisma-based skills for the next 24 hours.

Scent (3 RP): Tenjikujin have the scent ability, but take a –2 penalty on all Perception checks based primarily on sight.

Sociable (1 RP): When a tenjikujin attempt to change a creature's attitude with a Diplomacy check and fail by 5 or more, she can try to influence the creature a second time even if 24 hours have not passed.

Uncanny Awareness (5 RP): Tenjikujin cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized or if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her. When a tenjikujin reaches 9th level in any combination of classes, she gains immunity to maze spells and cannot become lost.

Languages (1 RP): Tenjikujin begin play speaking Common. Tenjikujin with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages).

Alternate Tenjikujin Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing tenjikujin racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Cornered Fury: Whenever a tenjikujin with this racial trait is reduced to half or fewer of her hit points, and has no conscious ally within 30 feet, she gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class. This racial trait replaces uncanny awareness.

Scavenger: Tenjikujin with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Perception checks to find hidden objects (including traps and secret doors), determine whether food is spoiled, or identify a potion by taste. This racial trait replaces gregarious and sociable.

Silver Tongued: Tenjikujin with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff checks. In addition, when she uses Diplomacy to shift a creature's attitude, she can do so up to three steps up rather than just two. This racial trait replaces scent.

Terrain Bond: A tenjikujin with this racial trait selects a type of terrain from the Terrains table below. When in that terrain she gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC, a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and can move through natural difficult terrain at her normal speed. This choice is made at character creation, and cannot be changed. This racial trait replaces gregarious and sociable.

Terrains

Cold (ice, glaciers, snow, and tundra)

Desert (sand and wastelands)

Forest (coniferous and deciduous)

Jungle

Mountain (including hills)

Plains

Planes (pick one, other than Material Plane)

Swamp

Underground (caves and dungeons)

Urban (buildings, streets, and sewers)

Water (above and below the surface)

Tenjikujin Racial Rules

The following options are available to tenjikujin. At the GM's discretion, other appropriate races may also make use of some of these.

New Craft (Shelter) Skill Uses

You are able to craft temporary shelter out of materials found in the wild.

Check: The DC and effect of a Craft (shelter) check depend on the task you attempt.

Task	DC
Light shelter enough for 1 Small creature	5
Moderate shelter enough for 2 Small creatures or 1 Medium creature	10
Heavy shelter enough for 8 Small creatures or 4 Medium creatures or 1 Large creature	15

Temporary Shelter: Temporary shelter is a small structure such as a lean-to or a hut built out materials found within the terrain occupied, as well as tarps or any similar such equipment you might have with you. This shelter provides protection from inclement or less severe weather (but not any type of storm) for the designated number of creatures for an 8-hour period. Creatures within this shelter treat environmental heat (or cold) as one level less: severe heat (or cold) is considered very hot (or cold) conditions, while very hot (or cold) is considered average temperature (see heat dangers and cold dangers).

Action: Building light shelter takes 3d6 minutes of work. Building moderate shelter takes 1d3 hours of work. Building heavy shelter takes 1d6 hours of work.

New Survival Skill Uses

You are able to find shelter, such as a cave or dense copse of trees, in the wild.

Check: The DC of a Survival check depend on how many creatures you are trying to find shelter for.

Task	DC
Find shelter in the wild for 1 Small or Medium creature.	10

Find Shelter: For every 2 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 10, you are able to find shelter large enough to accommodate an additional Small or Medium creature. A Large creature counts as four Small or Medium creatures when calculating the result.

Action: Finding shelter in the wild takes 10d6 minutes.

Tenjikujin Feat

Tenjikujin have access to the following feat.

Wide-Eyed Mien

Your innocent appearance make its hard for opponents to attack you.

Prerequisites: Cha 13, tenjikujin.

Benefit: As a standard action, you turn up the charm making it difficult for creatures to attack you. Any opponent attempting to directly attack you, even with a targeted spell, must attempt a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier). If the save succeeds, the opponent can attack normally and is unaffected by this ability. If the save fails, the opponent can't follow through with the attack, that part of its action is lost, and it can't directly attack you for the duration of the ability. Those not attempting to attack you remain unaffected. This ability does not prevent you from being attacked or affected by area of effect spells. You cannot attack without breaking the effect but you may use nonattack spells or otherwise act. You may use this ability a number or of rounds per day equal to your character level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 round increments.

Tenjikujin Magic Item

Tenjikujin have access to the following magic item.

BOUNTIFUL BOWLS

Aura faint conjuration; CL 6th

Slot none; Price 6,480 gp; Weight 4 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

These six matching wooden bowls are apparently commonplace beyond some writing around the rims. Once per day, when the bowls are set out and the command word is spoken, they fill with a tasty stew 10 minutes later. Each bowl of stew is highly nourishing and contains everything necessary to sustain a single herbivorous, omnivorous, or carnivorous creature for one day.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be a tenjikujin; Cost 3,240 gp