Shibaten (Action)

Shibaten or shibatengu are diminutive Japanese spirits, at home on lawns and in streams, kin to kappa and tengu. As game creatures, they are humanoid ducks, related to ducks the same way tengu are related to crows.

Alternate Names: Shibatengu, Duck-folk.

Attributes and Schticks

Body: 3-8
Mind: 5-10
Reflexes: 5-10
Move: 6

Mockery

Trigger Action (Combo)

Use this after you've hit or successfully interacted with someone. The target suffers a -3 penalty on all attacks and interactions directed at a creature that did not use Mockery against him this round.

Paddle

Inherent

You can float on water as comfortably as a human walks on land. Stormy water might impede your progress, but you never risk drowning.

Quackitude

Trigger Action (Combo)

When you do a successful Impress stunt, you can follow up with an immediate Normal Melee attack or a basic action Maneuver stunt.

Description

Shibaten or duck-folk are small humanoids with the physical characteristics of ducks, much like tengu have the features of crows. They mostly live sedentary lives, but have a fierce temper and can be very competitive. Their tempers fade as quickly as they flare and rarely get them into serious trouble.

Duck-folk are small, about 3'6 (110 cm) tall, with duck-like feathered bodies, large beaked heads, oversize eyes, and yellow or orange bird legs with finned feet. Their plumage varies wildly in color; white, black, grey, speckled brown with a blue or green head, or even motley with bright colors like blue, green, red, and orange. Plumage color is inherited, varies by gender, and sometimes related to social class and occupation. White shibaten are considered aggressive, black shibaten sly, brown and grey ones shy, and motley ones vain. Shibaten are surprisingly strong and make excellent wrestlers and fighters despite their small size. Their compact, water-repellent body and finned feet make them excellent swimmers.

Religion: Duck-folk are self-centered and boisterous and tend towards the chaotic in their personal habits. But they are rarely anarchists — they like to have a stable society to fall back on. They are drawn to boisterous, brave-faced gods much like themselves, patrons that see the value of a quick wit and a good laugh. They rarely pay more than lip service to religion.

Adventurers: More aggressive shibaten adventure to express their exuberance, while others are forced into a life of adventure because they have been kicked out of their homes by stronger or more organized creatures. They make surprisingly good warriors despite their small size, and many are fine archers and hunters. A good number of them display magical powers, especially as sorcerers or bards. Despite their size, they are too impatient and noisy to make truly good sneaks, but can do well as con-men.

Male Names: Ahiru, Akio, Arata, Atsushi, Haruo, Hiro, Hiroki, Isamu, Katsu, Ken, Kichirou, Masa, Orochi, Ryuu, Sadao, Sho, Takayuki, Takeo, Takeshi, Tatsuya, Tsuyoshi, Yasuo.

Female Names: Ahiru, Akane, Asami, Aya, Ayano, Chiharu, Etsuko, Hitomi, Kameyo, Kasumi, Kei, Kohaku, Mari, Mayumi, Nana, Natsuko, Ren, Sango, Takara, Toshiko, Yoshie.

Shibaten in Greyhawk

Shibaten are relatively common in Nippon and the Nippon Territories, and exist in small enclaves in Hepmonaland. Only a few individuals ever get as far away as the Flanaess, a place they consider cold and hostile. In Nippon, they exist in all social classes, but are often seen as upstarts or intruders. Their chaotic natures make them rise and fall quickly in the strict hierarchies of Nippon, which is alien to most other inhabitants of that land.

Role

Shibaten are regarded as harmless troublemakers by most outsiders. While neighbors find them noisy, they are tolerated as a humorous element, and their work in water-craft rarely causes serious competition. Shibaten get along decently with humans and well with grippli, kappa, tengu and half-orcs. Elves, half-elves, and halflings tend to shy away from their boisterousness, but accept them once they get to know them and realize they are not truly dangerous. Dwarfs often end up as enemies, answering to the duck-folk's aggressiveness with serious anger that won't blow over. Gnomes find duck-folk scary, and their styles of humor rarely mix, but when they do they can form amazing Manzai duos.

Politics

Shibaten live in small enclaves, usually close to the dwellings of other folk. Their society is loud, intense, and seems violent to outsiders, tough most of this is posturing - shibaten love to show off. Families are loose, often with temporary relationships. Hens lay clusters of eggs at long intervals. Ducklings are even more noisy that adults and considered a chore to raise; it is not unknown for egg clusters to be divided in a community or clan before they hatch. Shibaten eggs are color-coded by the gender of the duckling inside, and sometimes the drake takes responsibility for the male eggs and the hen for the female ones. Other times ducklings are raised communally or by a permanently mated pair, who need not be their biological parents. Shibaten tend to specialize in water-bound occupations, as fisherducks, ferryducks, and laundryducks. They also farm and forage in marshes and lakes and make great rice farmers, even forming bands of migrants to work paddies over a wide area - a very labor intense part of rice farming where their work is much appreciated. Some take to solo wandering and become itinerant mercenaries or comedians.