Personality

      Kender of all ages share a childlike nature: curious, fearless, irrepressible, independent, lazy, taunting, and irresponsible with others' possessions.

      Curiosity: Kender are curious about absolutely everything. They are natural explorers. They disgorge the contents of locked cupboards and delve into deep caverns. "Anywhere a rat can go, two kender will be," quips a human proverb. Very little escapes a kender's notice. Kender study every detail in a room, no matter how often they have been there.

      This curiosity extends especially to unusual things. Kender love magic items and rare creatures (chimeras, centaurs, uni corns, and dragons topping the list). Gadgets -- especially gnomish gadgets -- also catch kender eyes. Kender seek beauty in all things: they might prefer an old tarnished coin to a gleaming, newly minted one merely because the tarnished one is unique.

      Fearlessness: Kender are often fearless. They cannot grasp their own mortality and thus feel invincible. This fearlessness combines with kender wonder to wash away any dread (and any common sense) they may feel. Kender fearlessness does not, however, equate to stupidity. In moments of danger, kender battle bravely while others cower behind. And kender rarely let their fearlessness endanger anyone but themselves.

      Some tales suggest that kender can actually be frightened. Even so, these tales describe such monumental catastrophes that few kender survive to be questioned about their feelings.

      Irrepressibility: Few on Ansalon can shut a kender up or tie one down. Full of youthful energy, kender dread boredom and seek excitement, entertainment, and fun. Fun for a kender may mean spending hours watching an industrious ant climb over various obstacles. Sadly, though, risky undertakings hold at least as much allure for kender as safe ones. While other party members grimly embark upon a grueling trail with near-certain death at its end, a kender will accompany them "just for the fun of it."

      Independence: Kender believe in the rights and freedoms of the individual. Kender nations have no real ruler because they prefer the  freedom of anarchy. They resent being ordered about, and would ratherdo what they want, when they want. Demanding something of a kender only results in loud complaints, reluctant work, and taunts. But
kender willingly volunteer for any task, as long as it is interesting.

      Although they demand freedom of choice, kender often fail to consider the consequences of their actions. A kender's impulsive action may back him into a corner from his comrades must save him. "I guess I shouldn't have opened that door with the warnings on it, huh?"Entire parties bristle when a kender utters that awful saying, "Oops!"

      Compassion: Kender make lifelong friends. They offer undying (though distracted) devotion and self-sacrifice to their companions. They always aid those who are hurt and they happily share their meager bounty with those less fortunate. The wounding of a dear friend sends kender into paroxysms of grief. Their grief is so plaintive that it can soften even the hardest heart.

      Due to their big-heartedness for others, kender are easily hurt by indifference or cutting remarks from friends. However, they quickly forgive and forget, and this endearing trait makes them extremely difficult to dislike.

      Dreaming Laziness: Dwarves say that kender are "good for nothing, lazy doorknobs." True, a kender performing drudgery is like a hobgoblin dancing: it looks and feels unnatural. Kender, however, are among the most industrious creatures of Ansalon as long as they remain curious about their task. Work for work's sake is boring, tedious, and stodgy. Beautiful fields, clever dormice, and antic chipmunks are another matter entirely. Kender love dreams better than realities, and daydreams best of all.

      They thrive on stories and storytelling. True stories are routinely modified to make them spectacular, fascinating, and satisfying. But kender willingly listen to any story, no matter how poorly (truthfully) rendered it is. Kender also love music and dance. They have added chimes, bells, and whistles to all of their daily tools. Whether pounding nails into a barn roof or facing down a black dragon, kender always keep their beloved music on hand.

      Taunting: Kender, like human children, possess a calculating sense of insult. Their intense curiosity wins for them all sorts of shocking insights into a creature's private life. These insights become weapons in moments of wrath. Kender lash out not only to injure an enemy's pride, but to drive him to irrational behavior. The lapses in judgment that follow a kender taunt often allow the kender to land a killing blow.

      Handling: Kender are oblivious to matters of ownership. If a kender needs something that another person is not using, the kender will innocently borrow the item and put it to use. Curious kender often pick up items for closer examination, then distractedly forget to put them back.

      Although dwarves cannot distinguish this action (called "handling") from theft, handlers and thieves differ drastically. First of all, thieves steal for personal gain, but handlers take things due to curiosity and distraction. When a handler's curiosity shifts to a new item, he often loses the one he just picked up. Secondly, a thief always takes the most valuable item but a handler always takes the most interesting one. A handler will prefer a glittering shard of glass to a bagful of dull silver ore. Finally, thieves steal maliciously, knowing that they break moral and governmental laws; but
handlers take things innocently, unaware of rules of property that would make their actions malicious.

      Although kender handlers have common thieving abilities, they are not thieves. Handlers take quick offense at accusations to the contrary. Even if caught in the act of handling, they have (and believe) many excuses:

      - "I guess I found it somewhere,"
      - "You must have dropped it."
      - "I forgot I had it."
      - "I was keeping it safe for you."
      - "You said you didn't want it anymore."
      - "This looks just like yours, doesn't it?"
      - "Maybe it fell into my pocket."

     History

       The lessons of history stand firm: kender arose when gnomes were transformed by the potent and unrestrainable magic of the Graystone of Gargath. All written histories agree on this fact.

      Even so, a splinter group of scholars in Palanthus questions whether kender really came from gnomes. They note the vast dissimilarities between gnomes and dwarves on the one hand and kender on the other. Kender are not industrious; they do not tinker or invent; they have no beards; they cannot focus on tasks at hand; they are not stout and stocky; they do not dwell underground; they do not have rounded ears.

      Scholars who have made these contrasts go on to say that kender share many traits with elves. They joyfully embrace life; they disregard work and time; they love woodlands and nature; they look for beauty in all things; they have pointed ears and no beards; their progenitor Balif was a close confidant of Silvanos, and even swore allegiance to Silvanos at the first Sinthal-Elish, several hundred years before the Graystone.

      The scholars who have marshalled these arguments believe that kender arose when the Graystone transformed elves, not gnomes. This charge cannot be made lightly, for it flies in the face of every recorded history, especially that of Astinus's Iconochronos. Most scholars still support the histories as they stand, but the splinter scholars gain support daily. The furor still rages.

      Both sides agree, however, that the earliest known kender hero was Balif, a confidant of Silvanos. Balif fought in the Second Dragon War (often called the first because it was the first to involve all the peoples of Krynn), and established the kender nation Balifor. He died in 2750 PC.

      A second kender nation appeared in northwestern Ansalon in 2600 PC. An entire clan of kender became trapped on the first floating citadel, which drifted northwest and crashed against the spine of the Sentinel Mountains. The kender named their new land Hylo after its citadel, which was high and then low, and after its high mountains and low plains. In 2200 PC Ergoth arose and forcibly annexed Hylo. The Rose Rebellion of 1800 PC returned independence to Hylo.

      The Cataclysm struck Hylo hard. All the kender settlements along the bay were swept under by tidal waves and the city of Hylo itself became a port town. The eastern half of the nation disappeared and the western half clung to the newly formed isle of Northern Ergoth.

      The Cataclysm also decimated the land of Balifor, turning it into a desert waste. The kender left their homeland to barbaric desert nomads and migrated north. They founded a small forest city on the edge of a human ruin (now called simply "the Ruins" by the kender who explore it). Some kender believe that the Ruins are the remains of one
of the missing Towers of High Sorcery.

      After the Cataclysm, many kender refused to return to civilization, preferring to wander the land. Recently, the kender folk were mustered for war by one kender of note: Kronin Thistleknot. This charismatic leader is a powerful hunter-turned-warrior. He organized the kender resistance to the dragonarmy threat.

         Lifestyle

      Kender live in quaint, pastoral villages and towns constructed in the forests of Krynn. Perhaps this is so they can climb the trees, play tag among the boughs or just laze in the shade. Their homes are a variety of incomplete structures: tree-houses, terraced decks, spacious huts, snug little burrows, and tree hollows. All dwellings blend beautifully with their environment. Looking upon a kender city, one sees only bountiful woodlands, winter squash, grape and raspberry
vines, and blossoming fruit trees. On closer examination, a city appears. The city gate is simply a passage between sentinel oaks where a footbridge spans a creek. Hedges and gullies form the city's defenses and vines mask the porticoed buildings from view. Twisting stairs, rope ladders, and ropeways link the rooftops to each other and
to the ground. Kender have small immediate families with 2 or 3 children. For all the noise and fuss in a kender house, one would think there were dozens of children. Most kender happily stay at home, close to playmates. Sometime around age 20, kender are overwhelmed by a desire to wander and see the world. They travel for years, enjoying
the mysteries of Krynn, before their wanderlust runs out and they settle down. Some kender draw maps of their journeys, maps that become fairly trustworthy and very detailed after they fiddle with them for years. After wanderlust, kender become rooted into the land, remaining in one place until death.

      The sedentary nature of aged kender and young kender allows kender societies to crop up. Kender society is an omnigarchy: rulership by everyone. Everyone does whatever they please, so long as they do not harm each other. Kender value individuality and thus have no desire to force their opinions on others. Despite their blatant lack of law, common threats bring kender into quick cooperation. With little preparation, kender nations can field a formidable army.

      Occasionally, the kender will submit themselves to a ruler who seems interesting at the time. They have had kings, khans, warlords, councils, judges, and priestlords, many of which have not been kender and all of which have fallen from power within a month's time.

        Religion

       Before the Cataclysm, certain kender could work miracles as priests of the gods. The kender priests never built places of worship, preferring to praise their gods beneath the open vault of the heavens.

      In post-Cataclysm Ansalon, kender priests have all but vanished. During the War of the Lance, one kender lass purpertedly encountered a true priest and received her own Medallion of Faith from him. She in turn studied and began attracting followers. The kender priesthood has been on the rise ever since.

      Although kender recognize all the gods (as well as some nature spirits, eldritch beings, and potted plants), they hold four in highest regard: Branchala, Chislev, Mishakal, and Gilean. Kender generally consider Reorx a grumbling but benevolent grandfather, but do not praise him highly. Seacoast kender set Habbakuk high in their pantheons.

      Tools, Technology, and Weapons


      Most kender tools serve as a weapon, a tool of one's profession, and a musical instrument. Kender like to add personal touches to every tool, such as whistles, notches for tying bundles, and bright talismans of feather and fur.

      All kender possess a makeshift set of lockpicking tools, wires, files, old keys, hardened leather placards, and beeswax.

      For armor, most kender use only small shields, furs, padded armor, or leather armor. A rare few have been known to wear ring, studded, or chain mail, but companions say they were not well at the time.

      Kender Weapons

      Kender fight with intuition and grace. Their specialized weapons, which are also tools and instruments, are deadly in the hands of kender (+2 to attack rolls), but clumsy in the hands of others (-2 to attack rolls).

      Kender tools are commonly constructed of a flexible ironwood haft with leather, catgut, and metal adornment. The heavy "-pak" and "-ak" tools (e.g., polpak, battak) are frequently used by males, whereas the lighter "-pik" and "-ik" (e.g., whippik, bollik) are used by females. Hoopaks and whippiks find the most use among kender.
      Battak: (Dmg 1d8/1d8; Spd 7; Type B)
      The battak (slapstick) is a walking stick with a variety of items fastened along its length. It is the favorite tool of young kender. Shaped like a miniature studded club, this tool sports a small metal wedge at its tapered end and studs around the wide end. A wooden plug that fits into the broad tip unscrews and inverts to bear a short knife blade. The nether chamber that holds this club also stores sling bullets, which may be batted at one's target with great force (Dmg
1d4+2/1d6+2).

      Bells, chimes, and whistles fasten along the club, producing music and making a fearsome jangle in battle. Typical uses for this tool include

- batting bullets at targets,
- prying with the wedge,
- spearing with the blade,
- climbing by wedging it in the ground, and
- creating percussive music.

      Bollik: (Dmg 1d4+2/1d3+2; Spd 6; Type B)
      The bollik (bola belt) is a webbed rope belt worn about the waist on a leather sash and buckle. The bollik hangs from a series of quickrelease loops. On one end of the bollik, three weighted balls of leather hang on short strands of rope, forming a bola. When the bollik is worn, these bola balls are tied to the large metal buckle. The bollik can be tugged free with a simple snapping motion and can be relaced in two rounds. Typical uses include

- flailing enemies,
- using as a bola (-2 to damage),
- threshing grain,
- grappling walls,
- entangling enemies,
- climbing as a rope ladder,
- storing items in pockets of leather strap, and
- playing as a wind thrummer

      Chapak: (Dmg 1d6+1/1d4+1; Spd 4; Type B/S)       The chapak (snapper axe) is a combination hand axe and
slingshot. Its single-bladed axe head rests on a hollow haft of ironwood. The back of the axe blade forms two prongs that support a cat-gut slingshot (Dmg 1d4/1d4). The hollow haft has fingerholes drilled along its length and can be played as a flute if the end plugs are removed. Typical uses of this tool include

- splitting wood,
- shooting as a slingshot,
- prying with the butt,
- play as a flute,
- snorkeling (with holes corked),
- shooting as a blowgun (with holes corked) (Dmg 1/1; produces sleep), and
- grappling (with a spidersilk rope).

      Hachak: (Dmg 2d4+1/2d6+1; Spd 8; Type P/S)      The hachak (pole axe) is heaviest of the kender tools and is
used by woodcutters. On one end of its 6' segmented pole rests a hammer, spike, and piercing beak. The other end of the pole holds a broad axe backed by a hammer head and a saw blade. Metal rings circle the shaft at 1 foot intervals along its length. The shaft itself may be separated into three sections if necessary. Just below the axe blade, a sheepskin wrap stores 6 throwing darts. The hammer and beak can be used as weapons (Dmg 2d4/1d6). The shaft darts have the normal range for a thrown dart and do moderate damage (Dmg 1d4/ 1d4). Common uses include

- cutting and 'splitting wood,
- hammering nails,
- climbing as a ladder,
- pruning trees,
- planing wood,
- throwing darts, and
- playing as a chime by hammering on the blades.

      Hoopak: (Dmg 1d6+2/1d4+2; Spd/Type 2/PB)
      The hoopak (sling-staff) is the most common of kender tools. This 5', ironwood staff has a short spike attached to its tip, which doubles as a spear or bo stick and inflicts the noted damage. The staff's other end is forked and laced with gut. A stone may be flung by either planting the blade end of the hoopak in the earth and bending the staff back to sling the stone, or whirling the hoopak overhead as a traditional sling-staff. This tool acts like a bullroar when whirled in the air, creating a low thrumming sound. Its uses include

- throwing as a spear,
- striking as a staff,
- shooting or slinging stones,
- prying with the blade,
- picking apples with the gut, and
- whirling as a bullroar.

      Polpak: (Dmg 1d8/1d10; Spd 6; Type P/S)

      The polpak (swordstaff) has an 8' pole that sports a short-sword blade. Triggering a catch and giving the blade a half-turn releases it so that it can function as a sword. The blade has one serrated edge and doubles as a saw or pruner. The crosspiece for the sword is a double recurved crescent. Iron rings appear around the shaft at 1 foot increments to aid in gripping and climbing. A dozen caltrops are laced on a rod in the crosspiece. Typical uses include

- pruning trees,
- spearfishing with the blade,
- using the blade as a short sword,
- sawing with the serrated face,
-  climbing as a ladder,
- striking as with a staff, and
- playing as a musical saw.

      Sashik: (Dmg 1d8+1/1d10+1; Spd 5; Type B/S)
      The sashik (sashwhip) is a beaded, weighted sash-of laced rope. Worn across one shoulder, the sashik bears weighted pouches on one end. Two dozen large wooden beads that line one edge of the sashik can be pulled loose and thrown. The mesh of the sash is coarse and netlike. Common uses include

- flailing enemies,
- scourging by attaching hooks, -
- entangling enemies,
- climbing as a rope ladder,
- throwing wooden beads,
- fishing as with a net, and
- playing as a xylophone.

      Sithak: (Dmg 2d4/2d6; Spd 3; Type P/S)
      The sithak (swordbow) was originally a yoke used for carrying water in buckets. Now, its ends bear two blades, allowing it to serve as a double scythe. A recurving hook rests beneath each blade. A bowstring laced across the yoke allows short field-arrows to fire through a hole in the haft. Typical uses include

- carrying buckets as with a yoke,
- harvesting crops,
- furrowing ground,
- slashing enemies,
- shooting field arrows (Dmg 1d4+2/1d4+1), and
- strumming as a stringed instrument.

      Whippik: (Dmg 1d2+2/2; Spd 4; Type P/S)
      The whippik (whip-bow) is a thin wand of ironwood that holds a short length of looped catgut on its end. It looks much like a riding whip. The whippik is the most popular tool among female kender. Short darts may be fired from this whip bow. With additional lengths of gut and various hooks, grapples, and snares the whippik performs various
functions:

- shooting darts (Dmg 1d4+1/1d6+1),
- whipping or scourging enemies,
- snaring game,
- hanging criminals,
- fishing, and
- strumming as a stringed instrument.

Gaming Notes

        Kender are remarkably strong for their size, as well as extremely nimble. When creating a kender character, roll 2d6+4 for Str and add +1 to Dex score. Minimum and maximum acceptable scores follow:

Ability      Min/Max

Strength        6/16
Dexterity       8/19
Constitution    8/18
Intelligence    6/18
Wisdom          3/16
Charisma        6/18

      Proficiencies: Many kender have aptitudes for ranger skills: Hunting, Setting Snares, Survival, and Tracking. Other proficiencies common among kender include the following: Agriculture, Animal Training, Artistic Ability, Dancing, Fire-Building, Fishing, Language, Rope Use, Tailoring, Singing, Swimming, Weaving, and playing a Musical
Instrument. Infravision: Kender see 30' in the dark.

      Languages: Kender select from dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, and ogre languages to start.

      Magic/Poison Resistance: All kender gain a +1 bonus to saves vs rod/staff/wand, spell, and poison for every 3-/, points of Con they have. Due to this magic resistance, kender cannot learn wizard spells.

      Slings and Thrown Weapons: Because of natural talent, kender gain a +1 to attack rolls when using slings or thrown weapons.

      Surprise: Due to their watchfulness, kender penalize opponent's surprise roll by -4.

      Fearlessness: Kender are immune to both natural and magical fear. Still, kender are not stupid and will recognize danger quickly. Their reaction will tend toward fascination and curiosity, not fear.

      Taunting: Kender can taunt others into reckless acts. Their taunting tone is so annoying that enemies may become enraged. If enemies fail a save vs. spell, they act with mindless rage for 1d10 rounds and suffer a penalty of 2 to THAC0, Armor Class, and all action rolls.

      Thieving Skills: Even kender who are not handlers have an inherent ability to perform as a low-level thief: Pick Pockets 25%; Open Locks 25%; Find/Remove Traps 25%; Move Silently 25%; Hide in Shadows 25%, Detect Noise 25%, Climb Walls 50%,' Read Languages 10%.

---

|Home | E-mail DM | Updates | House Rules |
| NPCs | Player Characters | Maps |
| Knights of Solamnia |Wizards | Clerics |
| Gods | Races | History |
| Miscellaneous |
| Disclaimer |
| Links |