Shade11 here, and I'm new to DND Beyond and... WELL DND IN GENERAL. Anyways, I was captivated by the Kenku backstory and place in the various worlds of DND. What I was curious about was their ability/curse Mimicry. I understand that they can unerringly mimic various sounds that they hear, but I wonder about their memory regarding sound. If they have names which relate to sounds they frequently mimic/make then surely they must remember various sounds or even words over a long period of time. While they are unable to formulate complex plans or even strings of sentences on paper or via mimicry, surely they have the capacity to recall a few words or sounds. "...kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft." (Kenku Names, Race Detail)
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The Pen or the Sword... Let Us See Which is the Sharper of the Two!
We once had a Kenku Bard in our party who was called *sound of marbles falling on a wooden surface*... Good times :P
If I'm correct they have near perfect/eidetic memory, so they should remember quite a bit. It's not explicitly stated if they can copy voices/words spoken by other people and therefore communicating by switching (kinda like Bumblebee from first Transformers movie) between voices/sounds they recall. If I had one in my group I'd rule that all spoken language is ruled out and they only communicate by mimicing sounds, not voices. It depends on how big a role it should play in the story.
It depends on how big a role it should play in the story.
I see. I imagined thqg it would be possible to hear a password or phrqse then mimic it exactly to pass through unhindered or thqt they would remember a single word amidst the sound for a long time. Like "Hungry" for example. In the end it's up to a DM amd tge others though, isnt it? Still wanna do something that makes the community not yell at me though, lol.
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The Pen or the Sword... Let Us See Which is the Sharper of the Two!
It depends on how big a role it should play in the story.
I see. I imagined thqg it would be possible to hear a password or phrqse then mimic it exactly to pass through unhindered or thqt they would remember a single word amidst the sound for a long time. Like "Hungry" for example. In the end it's up to a DM amd tge others though, isnt it? Still wanna do something that makes the community not yell at me though, lol.
I think what you're describing is fine. As a DM I'd require a perception check to hear the password and maybe require an Int check to recall it, perhaps with advantage because Kenku are adept at it. There's quire a lengthy paragraph here as well: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/races/kenku
I'm playing a Kenku who was raised on a pirate ship his whole life, and therefore only speaks in broken pirate jargon. He uses words and phrases as much as mimicry of sound, but it's VERY clear that he does not "have his own voice". I'm playing him like a computer; I take in all the information around me and process and store that information, but i can't necessarily produce anything on my own
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
It's not explicitly stated if they can copy voices/words spoken by other people and therefore communicating by switching (kinda like Bumblebee from first Transformers movie) between voices/sounds they recall.
From my understanding it is stated that they do just that: "Most kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey their ideas and thoughts." It's under the Hopeless Plagiarists section of their race details page.
I play a Kenku in a campaign (PbP) as well. I keep a running Word document with quotes from other the PCs and the NPCs we meet and patch phrases together to make sentences (like the Bumblebee example). It's only really possible because it's PbP, it wouldn't be possible outside of a digital format (unless you actually had an eidetic memory), but it's really fun. My kenku (Tap) is also a warlock of the old great one so he can use telepathy to communicate as well. I hardly ever use telepathy unless I'm trying to communicate in secret or a facial expression (beaks aren't very expressive). The telepathy could be used as a bypass the "no actual voice" problem, but I think it takes away from the kenku experience too early on, so I decided not to use it that way.
I eventually plan to give Tap an Imp familiar through the Pact of the Chains. I plan on taking the Voice of the Chain master evocation with a slight twist, I will also allow the Imp to speak through Tap's mouth when Tap allows it. The Imp will have full access to Taps mimicry ability without the kenku limitation on creative thought, thus be able to sound like anyone Tap has heard before without having to say their exact words (that part requires DM sign off as it basically takes the Actor feat for free). Using Mask of Many Faces to appear like someone else and the Imp speaking to sound like someone else (without copying their exact words) opens up a lot of doors. The catch is, the Imp is Lawful Evil, while Tap is Chaotic Good. The Imp will only say things that are in fitting with its alignment (i.e., Deception/Intimidation skills, things that are self-serving, etc.) and therefore may not always say what Tap would like.
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Shade11 here, and I'm new to DND Beyond and... WELL DND IN GENERAL. Anyways, I was captivated by the Kenku backstory and place in the various worlds of DND. What I was curious about was their ability/curse Mimicry. I understand that they can unerringly mimic various sounds that they hear, but I wonder about their memory regarding sound. If they have names which relate to sounds they frequently mimic/make then surely they must remember various sounds or even words over a long period of time. While they are unable to formulate complex plans or even strings of sentences on paper or via mimicry, surely they have the capacity to recall a few words or sounds. "...kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft." (Kenku Names, Race Detail)
The Pen or the Sword... Let Us See Which is the Sharper of the Two!
We once had a Kenku Bard in our party who was called *sound of marbles falling on a wooden surface*... Good times :P
If I'm correct they have near perfect/eidetic memory, so they should remember quite a bit. It's not explicitly stated if they can copy voices/words spoken by other people and therefore communicating by switching (kinda like Bumblebee from first Transformers movie) between voices/sounds they recall. If I had one in my group I'd rule that all spoken language is ruled out and they only communicate by mimicing sounds, not voices. It depends on how big a role it should play in the story.
Subclass: Dwarven Defender - Dragonborn Paragon
Feats: Artificer Apprentice
Monsters: Sheep - Spellbreaker Warforged Titan
Magic Items: Whipier - Ring of Secret Storage - Collar of the Guardian
Monster template: Skeletal Creature
The Pen or the Sword... Let Us See Which is the Sharper of the Two!
Subclass: Dwarven Defender - Dragonborn Paragon
Feats: Artificer Apprentice
Monsters: Sheep - Spellbreaker Warforged Titan
Magic Items: Whipier - Ring of Secret Storage - Collar of the Guardian
Monster template: Skeletal Creature
I'm playing a Kenku who was raised on a pirate ship his whole life, and therefore only speaks in broken pirate jargon. He uses words and phrases as much as mimicry of sound, but it's VERY clear that he does not "have his own voice". I'm playing him like a computer; I take in all the information around me and process and store that information, but i can't necessarily produce anything on my own
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?