For me, if I were to DM it/pitch it as a PC, I'd say the Kenku should be allowed to use a voice mimic for conversation but only for a limited period, as it wouldn't make sense that they can mimic voices flawlessly with the group but then suddenly have to roll when it's being used as a deception.
Plus doing a voice over time would kill your throat, so I would also add that the Kenku woild have to rest up their voice, maybe not so much needing a short/long rest, but if enough time has a elapsed, then it can resume conversation.
That way they use it sparingly whilst still doing fun interactions using noises or writing stuff down without making small talk during sessions a chore for the party.
On that note, of course using mimic in a crafty way to deceive, trick and etc they'd roll deception against insight, but when it comes to those times of small talk and banter, I don't see a problem letting the PC actually talk for a bit without needing to jump through hoops.
Plus I love the idea of the PC hearing new voices they like and trying them on, which can lead to funny gags and interactions with the party
For me, if I were to DM it/pitch it as a PC, I'd say the Kenku should be allowed to use a voice mimic for conversation but only for a limited period, as it wouldn't make sense that they can mimic voices flawlessly with the group but then suddenly have to roll when it's being used as a deception.
...
On that note, of course using mimic in a crafty way to deceive, trick and etc they'd roll deception against insight, but when it comes to those times of small talk and banter, I don't see a problem letting the PC actually talk for a bit without needing to jump through hoops.
On these points take together, I agree.
There is a difference between mimicking voices to engage in a conversation, where the purpose of the mimicry is to get your own thoughts and feelings across, and mimicking a voice with the intent of pretending to be someone else. For the one, how accurate you mimic the voice doesn't matter: what matters is getting your cut and pasted words across. The other, however, is absolutely an attempt at deception, and should require a roll.
They shouldn't be able to perfectly mimic everyone at all the times but should be allowed to mimic at all times, even if it isn't very good. It's when they specifically try to sound like someone else for the purpose of passing their own voice off as that person's voice that they should be made to make a skill check
Plus doing a voice over time would kill your throat, so I would also add that the Kenku woild have to rest up their voice, maybe not so much needing a short/long rest, but if enough time has a elapsed, then it can resume conversation.
That way they use it sparingly whilst still doing fun interactions using noises or writing stuff down without making small talk during sessions a chore for the party.
Not every form of a verbal mimicry is done "in a voice".
Mimic means to copy someone's actions or other observable expressions. What you are describing is imitation: the act of doing something in the same way as something or someone else.
If you speak, and I simply repeat everything you say back to you, I am mimicking you; even if it's still in my normal talking voice. If you speak, and I try and copy your voice, I am imitating you. Depending on how different our voices are, I might only be able to do it for a few minutes, or all day long as though it were my own normal voice with no stress whatsoever. In either case, even if you restricted a kenku to both mimicking AND imitating, there's something else to remember.
Kenku aren't human.
They're anthropomorphic corvids. Human-shaped ravens. Natural, real-world ravens have a much wider range of sounds they can vocalize than we can. They can mimic human speech, car horns, jackhammers, a crowd of screaming rollercoaster riders, and the list goes on and on; and they seem to get by just fine without resting their voices. So even if you did force a kenku player character to imitate whatever they were mimicking, they're still be able to pull it off al easily as the rest of their party can speak. It might not be convincing or very good, but it doesn't have to be unless they're actively trying to deceive with it
To me, the whole "Kenku can mimic any sound but can't form new words" wouldn't really be limiting at all unless they grew up completely alone. Growing up in any kind of community would likely have allowed it to be taught (formally or informally) the majority of words and phrases in common - they would just say them all in their teacher's voice. Words and phrases they picked up later would be in one of the voices that spoke it. Even those growing up purely on the streets should have been able to pick up enough to be able to hold a basic conversation by adulthood - though it would likely be in several different voices.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Song lyrics might be a good communication medium for a Kenku.
For me, if I were to DM it/pitch it as a PC, I'd say the Kenku should be allowed to use a voice mimic for conversation but only for a limited period, as it wouldn't make sense that they can mimic voices flawlessly with the group but then suddenly have to roll when it's being used as a deception.
Plus doing a voice over time would kill your throat, so I would also add that the Kenku woild have to rest up their voice, maybe not so much needing a short/long rest, but if enough time has a elapsed, then it can resume conversation.
That way they use it sparingly whilst still doing fun interactions using noises or writing stuff down without making small talk during sessions a chore for the party.
On that note, of course using mimic in a crafty way to deceive, trick and etc they'd roll deception against insight, but when it comes to those times of small talk and banter, I don't see a problem letting the PC actually talk for a bit without needing to jump through hoops.
Plus I love the idea of the PC hearing new voices they like and trying them on, which can lead to funny gags and interactions with the party
On these points take together, I agree.
There is a difference between mimicking voices to engage in a conversation, where the purpose of the mimicry is to get your own thoughts and feelings across, and mimicking a voice with the intent of pretending to be someone else. For the one, how accurate you mimic the voice doesn't matter: what matters is getting your cut and pasted words across. The other, however, is absolutely an attempt at deception, and should require a roll.
They shouldn't be able to perfectly mimic everyone at all the times but should be allowed to mimic at all times, even if it isn't very good. It's when they specifically try to sound like someone else for the purpose of passing their own voice off as that person's voice that they should be made to make a skill check
Not every form of a verbal mimicry is done "in a voice".
Mimic means to copy someone's actions or other observable expressions. What you are describing is imitation: the act of doing something in the same way as something or someone else.
If you speak, and I simply repeat everything you say back to you, I am mimicking you; even if it's still in my normal talking voice. If you speak, and I try and copy your voice, I am imitating you. Depending on how different our voices are, I might only be able to do it for a few minutes, or all day long as though it were my own normal voice with no stress whatsoever. In either case, even if you restricted a kenku to both mimicking AND imitating, there's something else to remember.
Kenku aren't human.
They're anthropomorphic corvids. Human-shaped ravens. Natural, real-world ravens have a much wider range of sounds they can vocalize than we can. They can mimic human speech, car horns, jackhammers, a crowd of screaming rollercoaster riders, and the list goes on and on; and they seem to get by just fine without resting their voices. So even if you did force a kenku player character to imitate whatever they were mimicking, they're still be able to pull it off al easily as the rest of their party can speak. It might not be convincing or very good, but it doesn't have to be unless they're actively trying to deceive with it
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
To me, the whole "Kenku can mimic any sound but can't form new words" wouldn't really be limiting at all unless they grew up completely alone. Growing up in any kind of community would likely have allowed it to be taught (formally or informally) the majority of words and phrases in common - they would just say them all in their teacher's voice. Words and phrases they picked up later would be in one of the voices that spoke it. Even those growing up purely on the streets should have been able to pick up enough to be able to hold a basic conversation by adulthood - though it would likely be in several different voices.