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

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mike Mearls response: https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/917865250908545024

They use noises and tones they have picked up that fit
2:31 PM - 10 Oct 2017

I bet he's just parroting that answer from another developer.

 

[Ancalagon]

The history is only the history if you make it the history. Maybe the kenku believe they are cursed, but actually aren't, and are just like any other PC race. Or your kenku don't have any of that fluff at all. That's just it, it's all fluff and means nothing unless you make it mean something for your game. Nothing in the mechanics requires you to keep the curse aspect, or limit their intelligence/abilities.

If you step too far away from the fluff you lose the essence of the race though. You have to be careful with such changes.

 

[Sunseeker]

If you step too far away from the fluff you lose the essence of the race though. You have to be careful with such changes.

Kenku do not have a particularly compelling essence. A race that is neither creative nor inventive? A race that can only repeat what it has heard, has no language of their own and at best a language that looks like a death-threat letter cut from a People Magazine?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Kenku do not have a particularly compelling essence.

To you. Or, I admit, to me.

But clearly some people find them compelling. Many of the responses to this thread alone are proof of that.

 

[Alexemplar]

If you step too far away from the fluff you lose the essence of the race though. You have to be careful with such changes.

5e is the only edition in which Kenku were limited to only speaking in copied phrases. In 1e, they were telepathic. In 2e, they communicated using a combination of bird sounds, telepathy, sign language, etc. In 3rd and 4th edition, they speak languages normally but can mimic specific voices. And in all editions, make reference to Kenku arcane-style spellcasters and all but 3rd have stats for such characters.

The only really consistent thing from edition to edition is that their speech is unique, but it never seems to impede spellcasting ability and only in 5e is there ever any reference to a curse.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've never had the opportunity to play one, but I totes would if given the chance.

One inspiration would be "Hoppy", the Grey Parrot who has all the best lines in 2005's It Waits. Most importantly to the film, he seems to be able to detect the supernatural horror stalking the humans in the film, announcing its presence with "Uh-oh!"...which none of the brain donor movie characters figures out.

I don't know how I'd pull off that perception stunt, but mine would opt for an earthier "Oh s__t!", as per one of the birds I scoped on YouTube...

In addition, to simulate the way Kenkus speak, I'd make a bunch of linguistic charts- complements, insults, aphorisms, etc.- and roll randomly on them as needed. I might make similar charts for party members' names, which would include nicknames...and maybe some insults.

Useful phrases would not be randomized, nor would spell names & incantations.

So, my kenku might ask for healing like:

"Friarrrr Jerkhead! Friarrrrr Jerkhead! Hoppy wants a potion!"

"Then ask nicely, Hoppy." (Testily)

"Pleaaaase, potion. Nice Friar Jerrold."

"Very well."

*guzzle*

"And we say?"

"Thank you, Friar. Thank you Friar Jeehhh....rkhead!!!" (Laughing)

 

[SmokeyCriminal]

It's so funny and interesting because in my head I always imagined a Kenku would cast spells using different bird songs. So Fireball would be a roosters crowing, and Healing Word is a nightingale song, stuff like that.

And when it comes to talking I always imagined them being able to speak fluently, just not in their 'natural voice' because they don't have one. But I never considered that they could only speak in "quotes." Because I imagined that since they can read and write that they understand what the definition of words are and how sentence structure works.

Also it's not like they just started hearing words the day the campaign starts. I think its fair to say that they have heard every word that a person uses at least once in 12 years. I always imagined them purposefully choosing a specific persons voice to say specific type of things to convey the most emotion (because tragically they can't do it themselves). So like; If he's telling a joke he sounds like the bard, If he's comforting you he sounds like the cleric, If he's threatening you he sounds like the barbarian, and if he wants to freak you out he deliberately uses a different persons voice for every other word of a sentence or quotes a person in a macabre juxtaposition (Like in horror movies when they use oldies and lullabies during gory scenes). But ya, I always took it as more a deliberate tool and less a lost in translation type of thing.

Finally, I thought of the curse as more a loss of a piece of ones unique individuality and identity, which is really tragic. And less about a speech impediment. Even a mute person can make sounds and even tho the sounds don't equate to speech those sounds are what that person sounds like. It is a thing they own, it is them. And the Kenku had that piece of identity take away, seriously, even their screams of pain or wails of sadness arn't their own, how sad is that! And also the tragic irony to be able to sound like absolutely any beautiful thing in existence, except yourself. Ugh it's so sad!

The more I think about it, the sadder I get.

I'm never going to complain when I heard my voice in a recording ever again. Poor Kenku.

 

[KahlessNestor]

If you step too far away from the fluff you lose the essence of the race though. You have to be careful with such changes.

Tell that to Keith Baker and Eberron. Or Dark Sun. ALL of those races, except human, are almost completely different.

 

[jasper]

Old barbarian, and old cleric half drunk at tavern.
Barbarian... "huh what. DUCK!" grabs cleric and dives under the table.
Cleric what?
Kaboom, Fireball goes off.
Barbarian. "I heard that voice before. BEEP BEEP JASPER THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF WESSEX!
Cleric, " but we killed him 4 years ago when he would pay his part of the tab!
Barbarian, "yes but as side line he was teaching Kendu magic. Notice the rising "C Sharp" in the middle of the verbal. Classic Jasper!."
Cleric, "well it looks like foul for dinner. Dibs on the drum stick!"

 

[jasper]

5e is the only edition in which Kenku were limited to only speaking in copied phrases. In 1e, they were telepathic. In 2e, they communicated using a combination of bird sounds, telepathy, sign language, etc. In 3rd and 4th edition, they speak languages normally but can mimic specific voices. And in all editions, make reference to Kenku arcane-style spellcasters and all but 3rd have stats for such characters.

The only really consistent thing from edition to edition is that their speech is unique, but it never seems to impede spellcasting ability and only in 5e is there ever any reference to a curse.

I don't remember Kendu from other editions. I do have 1 thr 3E books. Can I get page numbers for reference.