Wu-kan

Example wu-kan PCs

Fearless treeborne acrobatics, perpetually optimistic

Wu-Kan Heritage Traits

Average Height: 165 – 183cm (5’5″ – 6’0″)
Average Weight: 39 – 61kg (85-135 lb.)

Ability Scores: +2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity or Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Kaash, plus one of Sylvan, Common or Bestial

Natural Acrobat: You gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks, and may use Acrobatics in place of Athletics when climbing.

Blessed Fortune: You gain a +1 racial bonus to Will, Reflex and Fortitude defences.

Divine Beast: For the purpose of effects that relate to creature type, you are considered both a magical beast and a humanoid.

Insatiable Curiosity: You have the insatiable curiosity heritage power.

Insatiable CuriosityWu-kan Heritage Power
You throw caution to the wind, shaking off your misgivings. What could possibly go wrong?
Encounter
No Action Personal
Trigger: Your begin your turn.
Effect: You end all ongoing negative effects on you which have the fear keyword.

The wu-kan are a small offshoot of older beast-kin who found a home in the isolated jungles of Kaash. They claim to have descended from a great hero named Sunmon’Tzu, a former slave who used his formidable cunning to escape from his slow-witted masters. There are countless tales of Tzu’s exploits, but the most important tells how the heavens sent a celestial envoy to keep him in his place. Though intended to be heartless, this keeper eventually fell in love with him—and through their union, the wu-kan people were born.

Protected by the sea and the jungle, Kaash enjoys a position of safety in times of war. This has made its native wu-kan largely irreverent, anti-authoritarian, and a little smug. They are fiercely protective of their safe haven, but are usually friendly toward those who don’t try to threaten it.

Play a wu-kan if you want…

  • to be at home in both the jungle and the city.
  • to be a fearless daredevil who relies on luck and charm.
  • to travel mostly by the seat of your pants.

Physical Qualities

Wu-kan are slim, long-limbed humanoids with broad, friendly faces. They are graceful, and carry themselves with easy style. They tend to be pale-skinned, with slate-grey eyes and hair of grey, white or silver. Their bodies are covered with a very fine coat of pale fur; they don’t appear to have pelts, but their skin has a soft, velvety texture. Though they are otherwise mammalian, tufts of white or grey feathers sprout around their ankles, wrists and elbows, and sometimes their shoulder blades.

Wu-kan sport long furry tails which can be used for grasping or balance. Coupled with elongated, double-jointed fingers and toes, these aids make climbing trivial for a kan, who live most of their lives in the treetops. Wu-kan usually dress with this in mind, keeping any shoes or gloves open to allow grip. They are also identified by large, round, furry ears that sit low on their heads, almost flat against the neck.

The typical wu-kan lives around a hundred years, but they rarely show any physical signs of old age, even in their last days.

Playing a Wu-kan

Wu-kan have a long lifespan coupled with a seriously truncated attention span. They are typically spontaneous and reckless, perfectly able to recognise consequences but rarely feeling constrained by them. This strange inability to feel fear has led to wu-kan being perceived as somewhat mad, though never boring.

Inquisitive, open-hearted and irresponsible, wu-kan have an inherent dislike for authority and structure. They are all but expected to embrace wanderlust at some point, though most eventually return to Kaath and raise a family in their autumn years. However, it’s not unusual for a kan to settle in a foreign town that refuses to relinquish his interest—or to continue adventuring in search of fame, fortune and friendship.

Wu-kan are inclined toward honesty and good humour, and most share a common desire to bring joy to the world. Combined with their rather cavalier attitude toward friendship and love, this open-mindedness has given the wu-kan a reputation for being delightful, if unreliable, companions.

Wu-kan are perceived as… Fearless, witty, loyal, lucky, reckless, enthusiastic, friendly, cheerful, optimistic, joyful, humourous, irreverent.

Names: Arra’Chea, Aro, Bo, Eka’Ri, Haru, Jia’Wan, Kala’Ru, Kan’ou, Kana’Ye, Lin Yee, Rin’Keru, Sun’Mon, Tika’Ru.

Wu-kan Backgrounds

Fortune Seeker

“My legend has just begun!”

Every wu-kan babe hears the epic tale of Sunmon’Tzu, many before they leave their cradle. Combined with natural wanderlust and a literally fearless mind, the exploits of the great wu-kan hero inspire countless adventurers to journey forth from the jungle, seeking fame and fortune in the vast lands to the east. You are one such traveller, forging your own legend, chasing the horizon as far as fate allows.

Associated Skills: Streetwise, nature

Associated ritual: Knock (PHB2)

Jester

“Why so hostile? We’re all heroes here!”

With all their childlike wonder and adventurous spirit, people often dismiss all wu-kan as fools. That’s something you can take advantage of—why not smile and play along, if it keeps everybody happy? Whether you act the clown to defuse tensions, to conceal less wholesome intentions, or to ease some private sorrow, you can always be relied on to bring some levity to a difficult situation. After all, everybody needs to laugh.

Associated Skills: Bluff, diplomacy

Associated ritual: Calm Emotions(AP)

Wu-kan Feats

The following feats include this heritage as a prerequisite.

Adrenaline Rush

Prerequisite: Wu-kan, Bard

Benefit: As long as you have at least 1 temporary hit point, whenever you hit with a bard attack, you may deal damage equal to your Charisma modifier to one enemy adjacent to one of the attack’s primary targets.

Audacious Bluff

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: Once during a skill challenge, you can substitute a Bluff check for an Insight or Intimidate check.

Breath of Heaven

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: When you are pushed, pulled or slid by a melee attack, and the forced movement moves you out of melee range with the attacker, you can make a ranged basic attack against that enemy as a free action.

Daring Gambit

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: While you are bloodied, enemies suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls against you, but gain a +2 bonus to damage against you.

Dashing Flourish

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: The first time you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points during an encounter, you gain a +2 feat bonus to speed until the end of your next turn.

Deft Manoeuvre

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: You ignore difficult terrain when you shift.

Drunken Monkey

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: When you make a basic attack with a staff or unarmed strike, you can choose to target Reflex instead of AC.

Duck and Cover

Prerequisite: Kobold or Wu-kan

Benefit: When you have cover against an enemy, they suffer a -3 penalty to hit you instead of -2. If you have superior cover, they suffer a -7 penalty instead of -5.

Heroic Underdog

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: When you are threatened by three or more enemies, you gain a +1 bonus per tier to attack rolls.

Inspiring Clash

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: The first time you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points during an encounter, your allies gain a +2 bonus to damage until the end of your next turn.

Irrational Valour

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: Your insatiable curiosity power also ends charm and domination effects.

Loyal Companions

Prerequisite: Wu-kan, Ranger, Beast Mastery

Benefit: If you and your pet each attack a different enemy during your turn, you each gain a +1 feat bonus to attack and +2 feat bonus to damage rolls until the end of your next turn.

Obnoxious Taunt

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: Enemies marked by you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against you, but grant combat advantage to your enemies.

Scent of Roses

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: At the beginning of your turn, if you are threatened by two or more enemies, your first square of movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Sidestep

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: When an enemy misses you with an opportunity attack that was provoked by movement, you can shift 1 square as a free action.

Still Water

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: When you roll initiative, you gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier. This bonus ends when you miss with an attack, move, or are hit by an attack.

Thief of Fate

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: As long as an enemy suffers from an effect caused by you that a save can end, you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws, and that enemy suffers a -2 penalty to saving throws.

Third Hand

Prerequisite: Wu-kan

Benefit: Your gain a third ‘hand’ which represents your tail. You cannot use your tail to wield a weapon, but you can use it to hold other items, including an implement, or for climbing.