Kender in the Forgotten Realms

A Playable Race for 5th Edition

Written and Illustrated by Tom Iszatt

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Kender
Kender are childlike humanoids, originally native to
Krynn, with presences elsewhere. They are known for
their bravery and playful teasing, as well as their
obsessive curiosity.
Born of the Greygem
The exact origins of the kender race are disputed – there
are three popular accounts, which all in some way trace
back to the Greygem of Gargath, Reorx’s vessel of Chaos.
The dwarven myth states that when the gem entered
Krynn, it worked its magic on a donsy of gnomes, turning
them into the first dwarves and kender. However, the
Irda would add that those transformed into dwarves
encountered this fate because of their greed for the gem,
whereas those who became kender wanted it out of
curiosity. A third story states that in the final battle for
the gem, some of the elven combatants were turned into
kender.
Children of the World
The most obvious aspect of the kender is their childish
appearance and character. They are reasonably short,
small-boned, and slender. However, by around middle
age, they begin to develop wrinkle-like facial features, and
this, paired with their pointed ears, gives them a rather
elven look. They have a pale complexion, and hair
(usually tied in a topknot) and eye colours similar to
those of humans.
Kender are known for their youthfully adventurous
nature. They are courageous and inquisitive, and much
more interested in the experience of a quest than the
monetary rewards at the end of it. They will often pick up
any items they come across which spark their curiosity,
and store them in their pouches. Whilst done innocently,
this often earns them the title of “thief”, a label they
abhor. They are also playful, and often rude, always ready
with a witty remark or scathing insult.
Moot Culture
Kender culture is focused on strong family relationships,
through which the young learn the stories and skills
which will allow them to flourish in the community. By
their teenage years, kender are considered old enough to
take part in Moots – gatherings where the adolescents
play games and show off any new skills. After this, most
kender will leave home, experiencing wanderlust, and
will spent most of their adult life adventuring.
The Forgotten Realms
Being non-native, kender are few and far between in the
Forgotten Realms. However, some great adventurers,
such as Emilo Haversack, have been able to cross the
boundaries between the planes, and pass into the Realms.
Most kender who have settled in the Realms can trace
their lineage back to one of these heroes, and do so with
immense pride.
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Kender live amongst the common people, who are
generally accepting of them due to their friendly exterior.
Whilst their tendency to ‘borrow’ is frowned upon, they
are not treated with as much suspicion as a tiefling or
drow might be. In terms of breeding, kender will often
marry halflings, due to their physiological similarity.
Moots in the Realms tend to be less frequent and more
prestigious, as they involve kender of the same ancestral
line travelling from far afield to gather together.
Ensure that the DM is aware of a kender’s position in
Forgotten Realms society, so that they can factor this in
when crafting the adventure.
Kender Names
A kender will tend to be named after their relatives,
common items which might be found in a kender’s pouch,
or important events from around the time of their birth.
Examples of these might be Lockpick or Tinderbox.
Kender born in the Forgotten Realms will usually take the
surname of their heroic ancestor.
Kender Traits
As a kender, you inherit certain traits from your ancestry.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by
1.
Age. Kender have a similar, if slightly longer, lifespan
to humans, reaching adulthood after their teens and
living around a century.
Alignment. Kender are very rarely evil, but their
trickster nature tends to push them towards chaos.
Size. Kender are thin, usually no more than 4 feet
tall, and tend to weigh around 40 pounds. Your size is
Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against
being frightened.
Curious ‘Borrowers’. You have proficiency in the
Sleight of Hand skill.
Party Trick. You gain proficiency in one skill of your
choice, or with the artisan’s tools of your choice, or with
a disguise kit or musical instrument.
Potent Wit. You are quick to pick up on a character’s
flaws, which you can exploit through well-crafted
insults. You have proficiency in the Insight skill, and
know the vicious mockery cantrip.
Few and Far Between. Even if they are not already
well acquainted, kender who meet by chance in this
foreign land will treat each other as family. If you come
across another of your race, as long as they are not
already hostile towards you for some other reason, they
will provide you and your party with hospitality, as their
means allows.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write in
Common and Gnomish. The dialect of Gnomish spoken
by kender is tonal and expressive. Kender scatter
Elvish phrases into their speech, but do not understand
the rest of the language.
Kender 2