D&D 5E Kenku - Poorly thought out race no matter how cool

[JacktheRabbit]

I like the Kenku, I like the picture drawn and I like the options when playing them.

But, if you want to go purely by the rules as written no Kenku can be a spell caster. A Kenku cannot speak on its own, it can only mimic sounds it has heard.

So it cannot cast any spell it has not heard another spell caster cast. A Kenku also cannot read any magic scroll aloud unless it has also heard another read the exact same scroll.

I assume most people do not think about this flaw or if they do it is merely hand-waved away.

Opinions?

 

[Ancalagon]

This is a valid point.

In general, "cannot speak" races are... not really worth the trouble, IMO :/

 

[Azzy]

Interesting.

Perhaps with scrolls, they can get a party member to read it to them (without using it) before hand so the kenku can mimic it later when using the spell.

With spells with verbal components, perhaps the kenku doesn't use words and instead makes other sounds. After all, nothing in the spell rules requires (or suggests) that spell casters all use the method for casting spells (other than material components, which are listed in the spell descriptions). This makes sense as many cultures will likely have different languages, and possibly different magical traditions that developed independently of each other (especially those geographically isolated from each other). Also, some classes that gain spells innately (like sorcerers) develop their magic in a very personal way, and spell casters that get their spells from another being (say, clerics, warlocks, and such) probably have their spells granted to the in a manner that takes into account the caster's language and ability to communicate.

 

[flametitan]

Actually Kenku can use spell scrolls. As written, there's no mention of you needing to read it aloud, while it simply says "no components", which would include Verbal and Somatic, not just Material.

As for casting the spell, remember that the Spellcasting rules specify that magic words aren't the power source of the Verbal components. Instead it comes from "the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance". Think like an instrument. Multiple instruments can make the same note, even though few instruments create the exact same sound when they do. If a spell were so specific as to prevent a Kenku who knows their Do-Re-Mi's from being able to string the spell together from a mish-mash of other sounds, then it might be too specific for anyone other than the inventor to perform.

That said, I might be a little liberal with how a Kenku mimicry, as I'm interpreting them as being able to act like a sound module for a MIDI device. They can't arrange notes in new ways, but they can translate it from note to sound if they have the soundbank to draw from in their memory.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Also, kenku make amazing shadow monks. Mine is called Swift Robber. Add in thieves' tools proficiency, criminal background, stealth, deception and persuasion and he can get in anywhere, steal anything, and get away with it.

 

[pukunui]

I would argue that, in order to be able to read, they would need to know what the words they are reading sound like, so they ought to be able to say them out loud. They're just copying what someone else has written, after all. It might come out sounding like one of those early text-to-speech computer programs, but I'd say they'd be able to do it, since it doesn't involve any original thought on their part.

To be honest, it's that last part that I can't get my head around. How do you roleplay something that's incapable of thinking for itself? And what exactly does that mean anyway?

 

[gyor]

The Kenku is almost pure ribbon abilities and have a major disability, it's the only race that is worst designed then the Genasi which insanely and horrifically unbalanced.

 

[Azzy]

The Kenku is almost pure ribbon abilities and have a major disability, it's the only race that is worst designed then the Genasi which insanely and horrifically unbalanced.

What's wrong with the genasi?

 

[Blue]

I like the Kenku, I like the picture drawn and I like the options when playing them.

But, if you want to go purely by the rules as written no Kenku can be a spell caster. A Kenku cannot speak on its own, it can only mimic sounds it has heard.

So it cannot cast any spell it has not heard another spell caster cast. A Kenku also cannot read any magic scroll aloud unless it has also heard another read the exact same scroll.

I assume most people do not think about this flaw or if they do it is merely hand-waved away.

Opinions?

If I say "Right, you need to go left", you've heard all the words for "Go right!" even though it's a different sentence. So at the very least you don't need to have heard the incantation in order, you can use words from other spells and arrange them.

Actually, since the kenku can mimick sounds not just whole words, it could do plenty of others. "knee" is just the first part of "need", etc.

Of course, if you take that to it's logical conclusion, there's only a certain number of unique sounds in a language. Once you can reproduce all of them you should be able to put together any word.

https://www.quora.com/Phonetics-Whi...mongst-the-most-common-languages-in-the-world

The last bit - hooking together heard sounds, plus the kenku's expert ability to duplicate things, comes together for a wizard. Given the directions from a spell book or scroll, they can perfectly (if soullessly) hook together sounds in order to cast.

For me clerical casting is more likely language, though more like how before SALT II some masses were given in Latin. That's easy, it's a language even if it's just one used religiously.

A warlock hearing their invocations in their head from their patron makes sense for a kenku who is promised power.

How a sorcerer does it, since it's all from within them, I have no clue.

 

[76512390ag12]

This is a roleplaying race. Not a gamer race.

I would happily play one.

A kenku spell caster would be great to roleplay, since indeed they have to hear a spell cast to cast it, but only once. You can either assume they are taught that at spell school or that they have to be taught in the future. Doesn't every character?

I'd want to think about Scrolls. It's be fun for them to not be able to read at all. They mimic, but reading requires a conversion between symbol-concept-sound so maybe they can't.

As for roleplaying such a creature: cue hours of self doubt similar to that of a robot or a simulant: "Am I real or just a mimic of real? Do I have a soul?"

Yes, great fun.



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