Foxfolk

Foxfolk

Pharosian Name: Kiranari
Fey Name: Riko'qu

Foxfolk are forest-dwelling Fey with the innate ability to shift between humanoid and animalistic forms. While their origin myth emphasizes the Rainy Country as all Fey, they consider Pharos itself to be a home of equal familiarity, and they have inhabited its forests for time immemorial. Foxfolk are an easy-going people, enjoying pranks and trickery, though they are greatly protective of their friends, family, and homes.

General Information

Physical Description

Foxfolk are capable shapeshifters and may take on a variety of forms. Their primary form is typically overtly fox-like, but bipedal and intelligent, with fur covering its entirety. This form tends not to have any hair aside from its fur, though it may have lighter patterns across its body. Foxfolk typically have a single tail, though folklore and legends attribute particular mysticism to the presence of more, and there have been records of individuals with as many as thirteen.

A Foxfolk's alternate form is either distinctly more mortal-like or more fox-like, which are known respectively as soul-spirit and fox-spirit forms. Broadly, a Foxfolk's spirit form is believed to be a representation of themselves in the form of the mortal race that most influenced them in their youth, with the fox-spirit form representing an absence of such influence. Because of this, Human and Elven forms are the most common soul-spirit forms, though other races are not unheard of. In most cases, the soul-spirit form still maintains some marks of a Foxfolk, such as triangular ears, tail(s), or fur on the forelimbs. Similarly, a fox-spirit form tends to be distinguishable by keen observers from a real fox, as it will tend to have markings on its fur, less animalistic eyes, and radiate an empathy and consciousness the usual fox would not be capable of.

Mixed-Bloods tend to have interesting experiences with their forms. In general, their primary form may look much like the soul-spirit form of a typical Foxfolk, and they may have a secondary soul-spirit form corresponding to another race (or another presentation of the same race), or they may have a secondary form which looks much like the typical Foxfolk's primary form, even though they consider it less true to themselves. Few Mixed-Bloods have the ability to shift into a fox-spirit form, though such a thing is not impossible or unheard of.

Community Structure

Foxfolk thrive in the wilds and typically spend their youth traversing the land with family and familial friends in small groups known as bands. As they grow, they develop their own friends, and they are encouraged to find and break off with their own companions when they come of age. Typically, families reconvene after a few years, with parents joining their child's band, though the relationship becomes like any other friendship rather than being familial. To a Foxfolk, friends are a stronger bond than family, which is more so an obligation than a true relationship.

Cities are rarely a place where Foxfolk settle down for long. Instead, they tend to be points of interest along their journey where they may rest, trade, and move on before too long. Some Foxfolk end up lingering in cities for a bit too long and may make their roots there, though they'll often live in temporary housing throughout their stay (such as an inn) or move around regularly (sometimes multiple times a year), always trying to turn their stay into an adventure in and of itself. Friends of Foxfolk learn quickly not to worry too much if they disappear for a few days, or don't come home at night, as their reliability when it comes to predictable schedules is as bad as a confused old man's. On the other hand, they always will return at some point, as such Foxfolk tend to consider their closest neighbors and friends as their band.

Foxfolk grow up with a single name which is given to them by their parents. When they set off on their own, they typically take on a name of their own, though such a name is only valid if it is approved and used by the friend group around them. If it doesn't "catch on," then a Foxfolk will either come up with another name, or they will set off to find a different group to fit into. After a Foxfolk's chosen name is established, their family-given name is typically used as the name of their spirit form, alternatively serving the role of a surname when needed. Though it is not used in their names, all Foxfolk can speak Cacklewail, which they primarily use to convey different types of warnings to each other and those around them.

Gender and Relationships

Ever the dramatists and pranksters, Foxfolk tend to have extremely exaggerated concepts of gender. Though they don't put any serious stock into gendered roles within their friend groups, they love to really get into them whenever they stop by a city or encounter fellow travelers, treating gender like a game. Foxfolk with a soul-spirit form tend to connect to a specific gender in particular, though their soul-spirit form may change in its gender presentation over time as their own sense of gender changes. Some Foxfolk present as different genders between their primary and soul-spirit forms, allowing them to perfect multiple facets of the social roles they are cast into.

When it comes to relationships, the boundary between a Foxfolk's band and romantic partners tends to be somewhat blurry, and it could be said that they don't really understand the distinction between friendship and romance. They similarly do not tend to understand the concept of monogamy. A Foxfolk's band is those people they consider closest, so of course those people (not, typically, person) match the definition of best friend, romantic interest, and any other term that others dream up to segregate their companions. Because Foxfolk don't really consider gender when forming their bands, their romantic and sexual preferences are similarly not typically gendered. When Foxfolk have children, it is typically an inadvertent result of an in-band affair, and the whole band treats them as their child until they are old enough to go off on their own.

Race (5e)

Foxfolk (5e)

ability score increase: +1 Charisma

age: Foxfolk typically mature by age 15. They have lifespans which can stretch to 120 years.

Size: Medium

speed: 30ft

Languages:

race features:
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shapechange: You can assume the form of a single, specific Mortal race. This form does not have to have the same gender presentation as your Foxfolk form, but it must be consistent, and is often a representation of the appearance and gender you feel yourself to be at the time that you shift. The race, appearance, and presentation of your Mortal form may change over time, without impact to your Foxfolk form. You gain advantage on all attempts to disguise yourself which pertain to your shapeshift. While in your foxlike form, you gain a bite attack, which deals piercing damage equal to 1d6 + Strength modifier. Shapechange is a bonus action.
Trickster Magic: You are touched by Faerie magic. You may cast Dancing Lights as a cantrip. In addition, when you reach 3rd level, you may use Magic Mouth once between long or full rests. The ability score for these spells is Constitution.

Foxfolk - Variant

Greater Shapechange: You gain the ability to shapeshift into the form of a fox, and appear as if you are an animal to others unless you give yourself away. You have advantage on all disguise checks to portray an animal, as well as Perception checks related to scent. This replaces Trickster Magic.

Foxfolk - Variant (Spheres of Magic)

Trickster Magic: You gain access to the Illusion sphere. You do not use its abilities with a casting tradition, unless you are a caster, in which case adding a magical talent to the Illusion sphere forces it to make use of your casting tradition. In addition, non-casters gain access to one spell point per day, which recharges after a long rest.

Ancestry (Pathfinder 2e)

Foxfolk feats emphasize their vulpine physiology, their abilities to shift their shape, and their light-hearted nature.

Foxfolk

Hit Points

8

Size

Medium

Speed

25

Ability Boosts

Charisma, Free

Ability Flaw

Traits

Humanoid, Fey, Foxfolk

Languages

Human Common, additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive)

Special Abilities

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Low-Light Vision: You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.
Change Shape: As a Foxfolk, you gain the Change Shape ability.
Change Shape: (concentrate, divine, Foxfolk, polymorph, transmutation) You transform into a specific alternate form determined by your heritage. This form is the same age and body type as your true form and has roughly analogous physical traits, such as hair color. It need not have the same gender presentation. Your other form can change over time as your true form does. Using Change Shape counts as creating a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception. You lose any unarmed Strikes you gained from a Foxfolk heritage or ancestry feat in this form. You can remain in your alternate form indefinitely, and you can shift back to your true Foxfolk form by using this action again.

Heritages

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Celestial Envoy Foxfolk: You have a strong connection to the divine, affording you certain protections. You gain the Invoke Celestial Privilege reaction. Your alternate form is a common Medium humanoid ancestry prevalent where you grew up (typically human), called a tailless form.
Invoke Celestial Privilege: When you attempt a saving throw against a divine effect, but you haven't rolled yet, you can rise above the triggering effect and refuse to be harmed by it. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the triggering saving throw and to any other saving throws you attempt against divine effects until the start of your next turn.
Dark Fields Foxfolk: You can exert your unsettling presence to subtly Demoralize others. When you do, Demoralize loses the auditory trait and gains the visual trait, and you don't take a penalty when you attempt to Demoralize a creature that doesn't understand your language. You also gain the Invigorating Fear reaction. Your alternate form is a fox, which has the statistics of 1st-level pest form.
Invigorating Fear Once per hour, when a creature within 60 feet gains the frightened condition, you are invigorated by the shock of a prank or the thrum of terror. You gain temporary Hit Points equal to the creature's level or 3, whichever is higher. You lose any temporary Hit Points after one minute.
Earthly Wilds Foxfolk: You are a creature of the material world, with an affinity closer to the wilds than urban society. You gain a jaws unarmed attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage. Your jaws are in the brawling group and have the finesse and unarmed traits. Your alternate form is a fox, which has the statistics of 1st-level pest form.
Empty Sky Foxfolk: Your spirit is open to the secrets of beyond, granting you greater access to Foxfolk magic. You gain the Foxfolk Spell Familiarity ancestry feat. Your alternate form is a common Medium humanoid ancestry prevalent where you grew up (typically human), called a tailless form.

Ancestry Feats

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Name	Traits	Level	Prerequisites	Benefits	Details
Canines	Foxfolk	1	-	You gain a bite attack that deals 1d8 piercing damage.	Show spoiler You gain a bite attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage. Your canines are in the brawling group.
Foxfolk Spell Familiarity	Foxfolk	1	-	You've picked up a few magical tricks.	Show spoiler You've picked up a few magical tricks. During your daily preparations, choose daze, forbidding ward, or ghost sound. Until your next daily preparations, you can cast this cantrip as a divine innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.
Mystic Magic	Foxfolk	1	-	Choose one cantrip from the occult spell list.	Show spoiler Choose one cantrip from the occult spell list. You can cast this cantrip as an occult innate spell at will, heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.
Riko'qu Lore	Foxfolk	1	-	You excel at navigating social situations and keeping secrets.	Show spoiler You excel at navigating social situations and keeping secrets. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Diplomacy and Deception. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Foxfolk Lore.
Shapechanger's Intuition	Foxfolk	1	-	A lifetime of experience helps you see through disguises.	Show spoiler A lifetime of experience helps you see through disguises. When you come within 10 feet of a creature that is transformed into another form or is Impersonating a specific creature, the GM rolls a secret Perception check for you to realize that the creature is transformed, even if you didn't spend an action to Seek against that creature.
Slink	Foxfolk	1	-	You can move through shadows better unseen.	Show spoiler You can move through shadows better unseen. You can move 5 feet farther when you take the Sneak action, up to your Speed. In addition, as long as you continue to use Sneak actions and succeed at your Stealth check, you don't become observed if you end a Sneak action in dim light or darkness, as long as you have cover or greater cover or are concealed at the end of your turn.
Foxfolk Spell Mysteries	Foxfolk	5	at least one innate spell from a Foxfolk heritage or ancestry feat	You know more Foxfolk magic.	Show spoiler You know more Foxfolk magic. During your daily preparations, choose bane, illusory object, or sanctuary. You can cast this as a 1st-level divine innate spell once that day.
Hybrid Form	Foxfolk	5	-	When you Change Shape, you can retain elements of your Foxfolk form, allowing you to speak in a fox form, use Foxfolk unarmed attacks in a tailless form, or gain a tail in your tailless form to use abilities that require one.	Show spoiler When you Change Shape, you can retain elements of your Foxfolk form, allowing you to speak in a fox form, use Foxfolk unarmed attacks in a tailless form, or gain a tail in your tailless form to use abilities that require one. You can Change Shape to alter the details of your hybrid form without fully changing into your true form or your alternate form. While in hybrid form, your foxlike features make it obvious that you aren't a normal humanoid.
Light and Lithe	Foxfolk	5	-	Your body is almost as flexible as your shadow.	Show spoiler Your body is almost as flexible as your shadow. When you critically fail at Squeezing, you get a failure instead. Additionally, when you roll a success at an Escape check, you get a critical success instead; if you roll a critical success, you can Step instead of Striding up to 5 feet.
Myriad Forms	Foxfolk	5	-	With a bit of self-discovery, you find a new form.	Show spoiler With a bit of self-discovery, you find a new form. You gain the alternate form of a Foxfolk heritage other than your own, adding it to the options for your Change Shape.
Shifting Faces	Foxfolk	5	tailless alternate form	You wear many faces, even those that don't belong to you.	Show spoiler You wear many faces, even those that don't belong to you. When you Change Shape into your tailless form, you gain the effects of 3rd-level illusory disguise for 1 hour or until you shift back, except it's a transmutation effect rather than an illusion.
Tearing Fangs	Foxfolk	5	fox alternate form	You are one with the spirit of the fox, and you tear more primally at foes with your fangs.	Show spoiler You are one with the spirit of the fox, and you tear more primally at foes with your fangs. A number of times per day equal to your level, if the next fangs Strike you make before the end of your turn hits it deals an extra 1d6 bleeding damage.
Evade Doom	Foxfolk	9	-	You can elude supernatural disaster.	Show spoiler You can elude supernatural disaster. When you would gain the doomed condition, you can attempt a DC 17 flat check. On a success, you don't gain the doomed condition.
Forest Scoundrel	Foxfolk	9	-	You've learned to use roots, crevices, uneven ground, and dense underbrush to your advantage.	Show spoiler You've learned to use roots, crevices, uneven ground, and dense underbrush to your advantage. When you're in difficult terrain from an environmental feature, you can Take Cover, even if the feature wouldn't ordinarily be large enough for you to Take Cover.
Fox Trick	Foxfolk	9	-	You always have time for a joke or prank.	Show spoiler You always have time for a joke or prank. Once per hour, you can Create a Diversion, Conceal an Object, or Hide. All creatures who witnessed your Fox Trick then wise up to it, becoming temporarily immune to your Fox Trick for 24 hours.
Mystic Ascension	Foxfolk	9	Mystic Magic, trained in Astrology Lore or Occultism	You're incredibly skilled in astrological readings, and you can gain useful hints from the alignment of the skies.	Show spoiler You're incredibly skilled in astrological readings, and you can gain useful hints from the alignment of the skies. Once per night, if you can clearly see the stars, you can spend 1 hour reading the heavens to see how they relate to a particular goal, event, or activity that will occur within 1 week. The GM rolls a secret check, either a DC 28 Astrology Lore check or a DC 32 Occultism check. On a success, you learn a cryptic clue or piece of advice that could help with the chosen event, and on a critical failure, you learn a misleading cryptic clue or piece of advice.
Foxfolk Spell Expertise	Foxfolk	13	Foxfolk Spell Mysteries	Your tails show your magical mastery.	Show spoiler Your tails show your magical mastery. During your daily preparations, choose confusion, death ward, or illusory scene. You can Cast this Spell as a 5th-level divine innate spell once that day. You become an expert in divine spell DCs and divine spell attack rolls.
Unseen Trickster	Foxfolk	13	-	Even magical means have a hard time gathering information about you.	Show spoiler Even magical means have a hard time gathering information about you. You gain nondetection as an innate occult spell once per day, which can only be cast on yourself and is automatically heightened to half your level rounded up.
Trick Death	Foxfolk	17	Evade Doom	When your character would die, you can attempt a DC 17 flat check.	Show spoiler When your character would die, you can attempt a DC 17 flat check. On a success, you're instead reduced to 0 HP and a dying value 1 less than would normally kill you (typically dying 3). This doesn't change the result for any other creature affected.

You Might...

• Treat every detour, wrong turn, or unexpected setback as the beginning of a better story.
• Consider a friend’s problems to be your problems — and tackle them even before being asked.
• Feel restless if you stay in the same house, job, or town for too long.

Others Probably...

• Worry that your sudden disappearances mean trouble, even when you’re just chasing a whim.
• Think you treat life like a performance rather than a responsibility.
• Believe you’re incapable of commitment, unaware of the fierce devotion you give your band.

by AI-Generated (NovelAI + Dzine)