Kitsune
Kitsune are vulpine shapeshifters who can shift between their two forms (a single human form, and their true humanoid fox form) with ease. In their human forms, kitsune tend toward quickness and lithe beauty. In all forms they possess golden, amber, or brilliant blue eyes. In their true forms, they are covered with a downy coat of auburn fur, although more exotic coloration is possible. Some Kitsune have greater shapeshifting abilities than others: some can shift into a pure fox or (imperfectly) mimic the appearance of any human they have encountered.
Two Tails: Disguise Self
Three Tails: Charm Person
Four Tails: Misdirection
Five Tails: Invisibility
Six Tails: Suggestion
Seven Tails: Displacement
Eight Tails: Confusion
Nine Tails: Dominate Person
Variations
As well as the mundane Kitsune most commonly found in Palimpsest, variant Kitsune can be found across the Cardinal Stars: Windkin (North Star) Earthkin (South Star), Firekin (East Star) and Waterkin (West Star).In the Arts
Chasing Tails, the ninteenth book of the Qu'onan the Warrior Elf series, features a seductive nine-tailed fiery Kitsune as Qu'onan's female conquest for the installment. The book was written by Talitha Spice in 1262.Magical Tails
Kitsune all start with a single fox tail, but some may develop extra tails, that grant them special powers. Very rare, powerful Kitsune can have up to nine tails, and each extra tail grants the Kitsune the following powers:Two Tails: Disguise Self
Disguise Self
You make yourself – including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment – look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your creature type (although you can appear as another subtype). Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person or gender.
The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check. A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.
Target area: You
Illusion (glamer)
Will disbelieve; see text
SR: No
V, S
1 standard action, 10 min./level, personal
The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check. A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.
Target area: You
Three Tails: Charm Person
Charm Person
This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw.
The spell does not enable you to control the charmed person as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, or else be good at pantomiming.
Target area: One humanoid creature
Enchantment (charm) [mind-affecting]
Will negates
SR: Yes
V, S
1 standard action, 1 hour/level, close (25ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
The spell does not enable you to control the charmed person as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, or else be good at pantomiming.
Target area: One humanoid creature
Four Tails: Misdirection
Misdirection
By means of this spell, you misdirect the information from divination spells that reveal auras (detect evil, detect magic, discern lies, and the like). On casting the spell, you choose another object within range. For the duration of the spell, the subject of misdirection is detected as if it were the other object. Neither the subject nor the other object gets a saving throw against this effect. Detection spells provide information based on the second object rather than on the actual target of the detection unless the caster of the detection succeeds on a Will save. For instance, you could make yourself detect as a tree if one were within range at casting: not evil, not lying, not magical, neutral in alignment, and so forth. This spell does not affect other types of divination magic (augury, detect thoughts, clairaudience/clairvoyance, and the like).
Target area: one creature or object, up to a 10ft. cube in size
Illusion (glamer)
None or Will negates; see text
SR: No
V, S
1 standard action, 1 hour/level, close (25ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target area: one creature or object, up to a 10ft. cube in size
Five Tails: Invisibility
Invisibility
The creature or object touched becomes invisible. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so.
Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.
Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as swimming in water or stepping in a puddle). If a check is required, a stationary invisible creature has a +40 bonus on its Stealth checks. This bonus is reduced to +20 if the creature is moving. The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions. Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as Bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.
Target area: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lbs./level
Illusion (glamer)
Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes
V, S
1 standard action, 1 minute/level, personal or touch
Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.
Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as swimming in water or stepping in a puddle). If a check is required, a stationary invisible creature has a +40 bonus on its Stealth checks. This bonus is reduced to +20 if the creature is moving. The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions. Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as Bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.
Target area: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lbs./level
Six Tails: Suggestion
Suggestion
You influence the actions of the target creature by suggesting a course of activity (limited to a sentence or two). The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. Asking the creature to do some obviously harmful act automatically negates the effect of the spell.
The suggested course of activity can continue for the entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do. You can instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. If the condition is not met before the spell duration expires, the activity is not performed.
A very reasonable suggestion causes the save to be made with a penalty (such as -1 or -2).
Target area: One living creature
Enchantment (compulsion) [language-dependent, mind-affecting]
Will negates
SR: Yes
V, M (a snake’s tongue and a honeycomb)
1 standard action, 1 hour/level or until complete, close (25ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
The suggested course of activity can continue for the entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do. You can instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. If the condition is not met before the spell duration expires, the activity is not performed.
A very reasonable suggestion causes the save to be made with a penalty (such as -1 or -2).
Target area: One living creature
Seven Tails: Displacement
Displacement
The subject of this spell appears to be about 2 feet away from its true location. The creature benefits from a 50% miss chance as if it had total concealment. Unlike actual total concealment, displacement does not prevent enemies from targeting the creature normally. True seeing reveals its true location and negates the miss chance.
Target area: Creature touched
Illusion (glamer)
Will negates (harmless)
SR: No
V, M (a small loop of leather)
1 standard action, 1 round/level, touch
Target area: Creature touched
Eight Tails: Confusion
Confusion
This spell causes confusion in the targets, making them unable to determine their actions. Roll on the following table at the start of each subject’s turn each round to see what it does in that round:
Target area: All creatures in a 15-ft.-radius burst
Enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Will negates
SR: Yes
V, S, M (three nutshells)
1 standard action, 1 round/level, medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
- 01-25 Acts normally
- 26-50 Does nothing but babble incoherently
- 51-75 Deals 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand
- 76-100 Attacks nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of the subject’s self)
Target area: All creatures in a 15-ft.-radius burst
Nine Tails: Dominate Person
Dominate Person
You can control the actions of any humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject’s mind.
If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a dominated creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).
Changing your orders or giving a dominated creature a new command is a move action.
By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.
Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.
If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the spell each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off the domination.
Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect does not automatically dispel it.
Target area: One humanoid
Enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Will negates
SR: Yes
V, S
1 round, 1 day/level, close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a dominated creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).
Changing your orders or giving a dominated creature a new command is a move action.
By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.
Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.
If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the spell each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off the domination.
Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect does not automatically dispel it.
Target area: One humanoid
Aqueous (Plane of Water)
Chthonic (Plane of Earth)
Fiery (Plane of Fire)
Urban (Palimpsest)
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Related Organizations
Related Myths