“It does good also to take walks out of doors, that our spirits may be raised and refreshed by the open air and fresh breeze: sometimes we gain strength by driving in a carriage, by travel, by change of air, or by social meals and a more generous allowance of wine.”
-Seneca
This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.
Bakeneko are often mistaken for other types of feline aliens, but as they age, their tails fork beginning at the tip and eventually—in old age—will become two entirely separate tails. Scholars who study the rumors and folklore regarding bakeneko consider this a sign that they are, in fact, more closely related to the many-tailed vulpine kitsune than to other humanoid felines. Also like kitsune, they can naturally take the form of other types of humanoids and live secretly within other civilizations. Unlike their fox-like kin, however, rumors about the bakeneko are far more likely to be ominous warnings and boogeyman tales than stories of spiritual achievement.
Bakeneko are medium Humanoids with the bakeneko and shapechanger subtypes.
Bakeneko gain the following spell-like abilities: 3/day—energy ray (fire only), At Will—token spell.
As a standard action a bakeneko can take on the appearance of a single specific Medium humanoid. The bakeneko always takes this same form when using this ability. The bakeneko gains a +10 racial bonus to Disguise checks to appear as that type of humanoid. This ability otherwise functions as disguise self, except the bakeneko can remain in this form indefinitely.
Bakeneko gain a +2 racial bonus to Bluff and Survival checks.
Bakeneko can see in dim light as if it were normal light.
Take simple pleasures and relaxation when the opportunity presents itself.
Roll with the punches without much melodrama except for one or a few principles you will go to war over.
Take the measure of a person by how they treat lowly workers and dependents.
Assimilate quickly into other cultural practices, with special focus on the etiquette of greetings and hospitality.
Mistake you for the species your alternate form resembles.
Admire your dedication to your principles.
See you as lazy and mischievous.
Are suspicious due to the rumors and legends about your kind.
Every bakeneko has two forms. One is their bakeneko form, and the other is that of another sort of medium-sized humanoid. If the bakeneko in question has a non-bakeneko parent, their guise is usually the same species as that parent. Furthermore, regardless of form, bakeneko do not have an inherent sex or gender, and can freely change them as they see fit. The general appearance of either form does not shift radically with such changes, so people may assume the bakeneko to be a fraternal twin. Sometimes the bakeneko may have even more subtle differences than that when changing sex and/or gender.
Bakeneko originate from the same homeworld as humans and traveled to the stars along with them. Since then they have assimilated into many other societies and have flourished, hidden, across an even wider spread of worlds where humans may not be immediately welcome.
Typical bakeneko are fond of relaxation and leisure. They are slow to anger and happily spend significant amounts of time lounging, dancing and singing drinking songs, tinkering, or other such simple pleasures. Even when traveling or exploring, they will take what opportunities present themselves for idle relaxation or casual entertainment. However, each bakeneko has a very strong sense of propriety about a few principles or values they hold personally dear. If they witness someone violating these principles, especially at the bakeneko’s personal expense or that of someone they care about, they will become single-minded and vindictive in (at minimum) teaching the offender a lesson they will not soon forget. These principles are frequently related to showing hospitality, courtesy to those less prosperous, or not abusing family. Bakeneko tend slightly towards good alignments, but are primarily driven by individual personal values and principles that may potentially correspond generally to any specific alignment.
Most of the time bakeneko are cultural chameleons, blending invisibly into the community and only appearing in their differing form for anonymity among people who know them or when embodying legends (which they most likely shared into the community in the first place. However in reasonably cosmopolitan cultures and locales they will use their shapeshifting freely, appearing in either form and whatever gender they wish to express at the moment.
Bakeneko seek adventure for many reasons, often linked to their home culture, but also sometimes simply for thrills, to gain wealth for spending on idle carousing, or to pursue a principle they hold themselves to. Their catlike lightfootedness and grace makes them excellent operatives and their years of quickly learning through observation grants them a particular knack as technomancers or mechanics.
Bakeneko who live within another culture will normally be named according to that culture. However, since bakeneko have no fixed sex or gender, they might take multiple names to avoid confusion, or they might have a unisex name. Bakeneko raised within a community of other bakeneko usually list their family name before their personal name.
Bakeneko Family Names: Asahina, Baishou, Doigawa, Ebihara, Futaba, Himura, Ichinose, Kikuchi, Mochizuki, Nobutoki, Outsubo, Shiranui, Takana, Yukimura, Zaizen
Bakeneko Personal Names: Akiho, Chiaki, Haruka, Hibiki, Itsuki, Kazu, Kunie, Mitsuki, Nao, Rei, Setsuna, Shun, Tomoe, Yasu, Yoshiko
NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a
DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.
DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.
LICENSE
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
Starfinder Core Rulebook © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley, Robert G. McCreary, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, and James L. Sutter, with Alexander Augunas, Judy Bauer, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Lissa Guillet, Thurston Hillman, Erik Mona, Mark Moreland, Jessica Price, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott, and Josh Vogt.
Starfinder Alien Character Deck © 2020, Paizo Inc.; Author: Robert G. McCreary.
Bakeneko, Idleness and Intensity Copyright 2022, Malachite Idol; Author Patrick Johnson.
END OF LICENSE
