Kindennen
Twisted gasps of delight and shuddering sighs of guilt and burden come from the amalgamate Kabni known as the Kindennen as its gangly and elongated arms reach outwards to give and give, only to violently sob and punish those who would take. Its warped form is a horror to behold, an unholy matrimony of twisted spines and ribs that are covered by thin, hairless skin wrapping around it tightly like a fabric. One must be careful around the Kindennen, of its gifts, of its tears, and of its desperate and insatiable need to give and feel validated for its existence; which it is convinced is worthless.
Kabni. Kindennen are a type of Kabni, strange alien-like creatures that are the manifestations of thoughts, dreams, the collective unconscious, and individual unconscious drives like the id, ego, and superego produced by sentient minds. Kabni are sprung from a plane adjacent to the Material Plane known as the Abstract Plane, a plane of existence where thoughts and psychic energy can produce tangible reality and even mimicries of life. Kabni are very rarely produced from thoughts and drives that are positive, and instead all share a hunger for devouring the psychic energy of sentient creatures capable of thought. Kabni usually represent a specific style of thought, greed, deceit, wrath, id, pride, etcetera. With no form of reproduction, and the links between the Abstract Plane and the Material Plane far and few in-between, many Kabni stay forever trapped within the Abstract Plane, but every so often, if there is tear between their world and the material plane’s, intentional or not, Kabni can pour in droves to unleash chaos.
Kindness to a Fault. Kindennen are a peculiar, more rare kind of Kabni as the emotion they are born of is much more complex than that of typical fears or desires. A Kindennen is borne from a place of compulsive generosity, self-hatred, and heavy guilt; where one gives and gives their entire life away only to be wracked with guilt in response. Usually the products of emotional abuse and toxic caregiver relationships, the Kindennen represents the unhealthy need to give, to not be a burden, and to provide without care of oneself that leads to complex feelings of guilt and self-destruction when one of these individuals needs to care for themselves. Kindennen are a twisted manifestation of a complex state of mind, and represent the paranoia and toxicity of this kind of mindset.
Indirect Assailants. Further adding to their peculiar nature, Kindennen very rarely directly attack other creatures. Instead, they flock towards creatures that are intelligent and attempt to shower them in gifts and feelings with overwhelming force. The sheer psychic energy of these gifts usually wrack their recipients in otherworldly fears, psychically enhanced emotional burdens, or in some cases, insanity. Kindennen seek not to harm others, but their overpowering guilt exudes an aura of destruction towards those around them.
Kindennen
Large aberration (Kabni), chaotic evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 240 (30d10 + 90)
- Speed 30 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
- Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +6
- Skills Insight +6
- Senses Darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages Understands the intent of all language, and speaks Common
- Challenge 11 (200 XP)
Aura of Guilt. When a creature starts their turn within 30 feet of the Kindennen, they must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw, or be cursed with Guilt for 1 minute. Creatures who have received a Kindennen 'Gift' or who have reduced a creature to zero hit points in the last 10 minutes have disadvantage on this saving throw. While Cursed with Guilt, the target's speed is halved, attack rolls are made with advantage against the target, and every time the target casts a harmful spell or makes an attack they take 1d10 psychic damage. A creature can remake this saving throw at the end of their turn to end this effect, or this effect can be ended early if they are targeted with the Remove Curse spell. Once a creature succeeds on this saving throw, they are immune to the Kindennen's Aura of Guilt for 24 hours.
Shared Burden. Whenever the Kindennen takes damage, it releases a burst of psychic energy of hefty guilt and sorrow, and each creature within 5 feet of the Kindennen takes 1d8 psychic damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Kindennen makes up to three Gift attacks. The Kindennen can only target a creature with the Gift attack once per turn.
Gift. The Kindennen reaches out and tries to force its gift against a target it can see and touch within 15 of it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw of 16, or 'receive' the gift and regain 3d8 hit points. For the next minute, if the target attacks another creature or targets a creature with a harmful spell, the wound that was healed immediately bursts open and the target takes 5d8 necrotic damage, and the 'Gift' that was affecting them ends. If a creature is affected by multiple 'Gifts,' they all activate at the same time if the target attacks another creature or targets a creature with a harmful spell.
Sob (Recharge 5-6). The Kindennen releases a sobbing wail of their own perceived failures, and each creature of their choice within 60 of them that can hear them must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw of 16 or take 6d10 psychic damage and be Cursed with Guilt, as if they had failed their saving throw against Aura of Guilt, only taking half damage upon success. If the Kindennen witnesses a creature within 120 feet get reduced to zero hit points, this action is immediately recharged.
Reactions
Guilt Ridden Apology. When a creature within 15 feet of the Kindennen leaves this range, the Kindennen can release a guilt-laden apology and plea that they will do better, and if the creature can hear the Kindennen, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw of 16 or have their speed reduced to 0 until the end of their turn.
Take Not Their Gifts. As much as one may feel bad for a Kindennen, their gifts are deadly. Although the Kindennen hands can heal wounds; they are loaded with the same emotional baggage and expectation that many of the Kindennen are based off of, and any act of retaliation, violence, or self-preservation can invoke the guilt of the Kindennen which cause the wounds they healed to rip open once more and be soaked with briny, acidic tears.
Never Reason with a Kindennen. Although those who are sympathetic, or who may see a twisted mirror of a loved one, may feel inclined to be kind or generous to a Kindennen, it is nigh impossible to appease or make a Kindennen feel better in any way. Because of their nature, they will warp every action, every facial expression, and twist every intention into that of something that will cause them guilt, harm, or further prove in their mind how they are a burden. Although kind words and reassurances can temporarily calm a Kindennen’s mutterings and sobbings, they are inherently volatile creatures and actions such as these will usually cause them to eventually lash out in greater emotional strength; usually by forcing their unwanted gifts to absolve a debt of their own creation.
Changelog
- Version 1.0
- Initial version released
More!
This homebrew was made by KoatheDM, and you can find more homebrew content on Patreon! I also have an Instagram account, Reddit account where I post and tease other homebrew content by the name of KoatheDM, and a Twitter where I also tease upcoming content! This document was made through GMbinder. Art by Pedro Sena.