Kenku in general can mimic anything they heard. The only limitation is what your Kenku dud not hear. So yes you can go as a radio and confuse or annoy the shit out of whatever you cast your vicious mockery on.
There is a side bar in Volo's guide on how to role play a Kenku so go wild. But be careful as to not annoy your fellow players since they are relitively hard to play because of lack of actually speech.
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Born under the watch of something from the furthest corners of the far realms.... It knows all.... it sees all... and it asks: "What is it that you want to see?"... and my answer is... ALL"
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Or you're a great musician who can only play cover songs.
And every time he uses the vicious mockery he uses taunts from unruly bar patrons. A Kenku never forgets. Every slanderous thing said in their presence they recall perfectly. Also interesting for first contact with creatures you might not share a language with. They say something you don't understand, you repeat it back bring on the deception rolls.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I have the same idea, a kenku bard that is sort of snubbed by other bards of his college because he stole all of his skills from watching others and can't write anything original. However, he's so useful for copying compositions both on paper and with instruments that he was given his scholarship so he can help with others' writing to make his pay.
Ask yourself some questions about how he performs. Does he sing songs he's heard or just play them on instruments? If he sings, whose voice is it? Is it different voices for different songs? How do other bards regard him? Is he in a college or a "self taught" bard? What does he seek from adventuring? New voices to sing in or songs to copy? The background for my bird was the funnest part of making him for me, so go nuts. A mostly mute, bird shaped bard is supposed to be nuts.
I dont understand. If he can mimic everyone then he should be able to compose as well. He is not an idiot, he can take words or sentences from another and add them with some other sentences to create a new set of poetry. I am also looking at a kenku as a bard and the only problem I see is he cant play any blowing instrument because of the beak.
That depends on how strictly you wanna stick to the fluff around kenkus. 5e books say that they lack creativity due to an ancient curse, so some people play that as they can literally only copy things. Still, seeing as that can be a bit limiting and hard to play, most people don't take that as literal as all that and let their kenkus have the ingenuity to do what you said. Just takes a chat with the DM to get it hashed out.
That depends on how strictly you wanna stick to the fluff around kenkus. 5e books say that they lack creativity due to an ancient curse, so some people play that as they can literally only copy things. Still, seeing as that can be a bit limiting and hard to play, most people don't take that as literal as all that and let their kenkus have the ingenuity to do what you said. Just takes a chat with the DM to get it hashed out.
I always kinda figured, if they speak their own language (auran), that it has to come from somewhere. So surely they have their own voice with which they can form words, and it's not just an entire race of creatures talking like Bumblebee from the Bayverse films. Right???
And anyway there's nothing wrong with that interpretation, at face value. But personally, playing my kenku paladin was torture for that very reason. My DM, on several occasions, when not constantly reminding me of how goofy my character sounds, straight up halted the game to seriously audit me as to whether or not my character would have heard a multi-syllabic word before so that I could repeat it in the sentence I just made. No I'm not kidding, progress stopped so he could argue over how diverse a vocabulary I'd heard.
That depends on how strictly you wanna stick to the fluff around kenkus. 5e books say that they lack creativity due to an ancient curse, so some people play that as they can literally only copy things. Still, seeing as that can be a bit limiting and hard to play, most people don't take that as literal as all that and let their kenkus have the ingenuity to do what you said. Just takes a chat with the DM to get it hashed out.
I always kinda figured, if they speak their own language (auran), that it has to come from somewhere. So surely they have their own voice with which they can form words, and it's not just an entire race of creatures talking like Bumblebee from the Bayverse films. Right???
And anyway there's nothing wrong with that interpretation, at face value. But personally, playing my kenku paladin was torture for that very reason. My DM, on several occasions, when not constantly reminding me of how goofy my character sounds, straight up halted the game to seriously audit me as to whether or not my character would have heard a multi-syllabic word before so that I could repeat it in the sentence I just made. No I'm not kidding, progress stopped so he could argue over how diverse a vocabulary I'd heard.
Like, just. C'mon, man. Don't be that guy.
Basically, yes, they all talk like Bumblebee. Hence why half the Internet thinks the race is simply unplayable as written. Really though, it all depends on having a DM that will work with you (rather than, you know, punish you for playing a certain character that intrestes you). Between expressions and gestures, a sound effect sprinkled in, and quips that you pick up from your fellow players and NPCs, it should be easy enough to be both informative and entertaining at the table. The sidebar in Volo's guide concerning how to roleplay a kenku is super helpful, too. Telling what sounds you're making in the third person and what your trying to communicate with them gives your DM and players a bit more to work with. So long as you can give a little meta knowledge what you're trying to say, the game can keep moving despite you basically being Groot.
I have thought of kenku bards multiple times. The first thing that always pop into my head is "Worlds best cover musician" haha. But I think Kenku's would make pretty good bards. Listen in on a few people talking then perfectly mimic them to someone else. teamed with disguise self you could be a great face for the party, bluffing and impersonating people. In particular I think they would make a very good College of Whispers bard.
I never thought of a Kenku Bard but the idea is great. Imagine, if you start at 1st level and work it out with the DM, that you have no Proficiency in Performance. All of the music you've heard has only been mediocre so even if you duplicate it perfectly, it's not very good. One goal of your character is to seek out the absolute BEST performers in the land to sample the very best performances. Then when you perform, the DM gives you Proficiency ONLY on stuff you've heard that's good (so after traveling an Elven land, you can reproduce any Elven tune but when you reach Dwarf country you're back to mediocre music).
Hey everyone.
I have that idea about a kenku bard.
I thought it would be really cool if you have Mimicry as a bard and so you can be a living Radio.
So do you have experience with it and maybe some tipps for me?
Thanks to all
Chris
Kenku in general can mimic anything they heard. The only limitation is what your Kenku dud not hear. So yes you can go as a radio and confuse or annoy the shit out of whatever you cast your vicious mockery on.
There is a side bar in Volo's guide on how to role play a Kenku so go wild. But be careful as to not annoy your fellow players since they are relitively hard to play because of lack of actually speech.
Born under the watch of something from the furthest corners of the far realms.... It knows all.... it sees all... and it asks: "What is it that you want to see?"... and my answer is... ALL"
Dissonant whispers also could work as a good spell for a kenku (a discordant melody of whispers that have been overheard by the Kenku).
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Or you're a great musician who can only play cover songs.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
oh wow thanks for that many requests and that bar thing i definitely gonna do :D
I have the same idea, a kenku bard that is sort of snubbed by other bards of his college because he stole all of his skills from watching others and can't write anything original. However, he's so useful for copying compositions both on paper and with instruments that he was given his scholarship so he can help with others' writing to make his pay.
Ask yourself some questions about how he performs. Does he sing songs he's heard or just play them on instruments? If he sings, whose voice is it? Is it different voices for different songs? How do other bards regard him? Is he in a college or a "self taught" bard? What does he seek from adventuring? New voices to sing in or songs to copy? The background for my bird was the funnest part of making him for me, so go nuts. A mostly mute, bird shaped bard is supposed to be nuts.
#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
I dont understand.
If he can mimic everyone then he should be able to compose as well. He is not an idiot, he can take words or sentences from another and add them with some other sentences to create a new set of poetry.
I am also looking at a kenku as a bard and the only problem I see is he cant play any blowing instrument because of the beak.
That depends on how strictly you wanna stick to the fluff around kenkus. 5e books say that they lack creativity due to an ancient curse, so some people play that as they can literally only copy things. Still, seeing as that can be a bit limiting and hard to play, most people don't take that as literal as all that and let their kenkus have the ingenuity to do what you said. Just takes a chat with the DM to get it hashed out.
#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
I have thought of kenku bards multiple times. The first thing that always pop into my head is "Worlds best cover musician" haha. But I think Kenku's would make pretty good bards. Listen in on a few people talking then perfectly mimic them to someone else. teamed with disguise self you could be a great face for the party, bluffing and impersonating people. In particular I think they would make a very good College of Whispers bard.
"Toss a coin to your [Insert class here]"
He'd just be like the movie version of Bumblebee, repeating songs and news reports he's heard.
I use a soundboard on my laptop to much hilarity. My kenku bard also has a musical patron with stage fright who writes his "Originals"
I never thought of a Kenku Bard but the idea is great. Imagine, if you start at 1st level and work it out with the DM, that you have no Proficiency in Performance. All of the music you've heard has only been mediocre so even if you duplicate it perfectly, it's not very good. One goal of your character is to seek out the absolute BEST performers in the land to sample the very best performances. Then when you perform, the DM gives you Proficiency ONLY on stuff you've heard that's good (so after traveling an Elven land, you can reproduce any Elven tune but when you reach Dwarf country you're back to mediocre music).
So MANY RP opportunities with this!
"Most trusted scribe ever"
Has listened to an audiobook version of everything Shakespeare, or has listened to a figure like Shakespeare
Bonus points if you bring Shakespeare with you and cite where specific lines come from
I've done Shakespeare so I would love this!