Bit late to the convo but just wanted to say i took the mimicking portion to the very upmost extreme. Literally anytime anyone spoke to me i would simply reply in their voice exactly what they said to me. One member of the party found it highly annoying but a. 3 x,rd deszrr3z 4 4z3 3322333zzzzz-rest didn't mind and the DM absolutely loved it. I quickly became the half-orcs "feather fren" who (since i always follow orders) sat on his shoulders (we copied off the swashbuckler cause the orc thought he was cool)
The campaign went about as normal as on could go. The others knew what i could do and would get the half orc to get me to do things. I had a 20 in dex so i was extremely good at staying hidden and "find the shineys" and when the half orc would scream a squawk i knew to attack
I play a Kenku in a group I am in. This is how I work with speech:
1. Say the noise you want the Kenku to make to indicate something such as the sound of falling rocks to indicate danger and make this known to the party.
2. Say a common phrase you would have heard spoken by anyone in a fantasy world "How much for that sword?" "Good morning traveler" "I bid thee farewell" "2 pints for me and my friend here." etc.
3. If attempting to mimic a certain characters voice ask the DM what words or conversations they may have heard the person said then just role for deception.
4. If you want to piece together a totality different sentence or utterance normally not said like "I want to be friends with the kobold wearing that nice vest" then break your voice into various tones, intonations and accents of different characters saying "I want to be friends with you" ,"the kobold stole my pants", "why are wearing that?" and "That is a nice vest you are wearing". 4 voicing mimicked in that one sentence. If this counts as being creative then use methods 1-3.
5. With permission from your DM ask if you make noises using sounds, videos, and other recordings from a phone.
Many others can be used but make sure the DM is ok with it so it doesn't become too distracting.
6. Go the silent route. Ok Kenku not only can mimic any sound but can also forge handwritting so rather than saying what they said you just have them use a tear from a piece of paper and some ink to say what they wrote down.
Most likely the DM will let you speak normally with the assumption you heard enough words, phrases, and phonetic variables to construct a sentence. A DM who is overly strict about a Kenkus racial properties such as speech and creativity is just being an *******. I mean what makes a particular human, elf or dwarf player creative? If everything under the sun has been done somewhere else then what is not to assume the PC performed an action or had an idea they had already seen or heard of somewhere else? Is not being told what to specific do really an indication of creativity? "Oh sorry guys, my Kenku mage doesn't know which monster to attack because no one told her which one to, so I guess she will just spend her turn muttering to herself instead. Oh wait, no one told her to do that either. I don't suppose because no one told her to keep breathing that she stop that too now, does it?"
I have ACTUALLY played a Kenku (and by this I assume you mean, did someone play them WITHOUT handwaving the inability to speak freely). I did so by making sure my character (Rose) already had a base of quotes he could pull from. I used his backstory to explain that he had grown up with a troupe of actors. I then created a list of Shakespeare quotes. By combining parts of them, and of course writing down any new phrases i wanted to use from the mouths of my teammates, I was able to say quite a bit. Being committed to this pretty much means your character wont be the chatty type as it becomes difficult to initiate conversations. However, Rose had LOADS of personality and I thought it was some of my finest RPing
EDIT: I should add that the one thing I DID handwave is the idea that you must use a phrase in exactly the same delivery you heard it, which is definitely implied in the mimicry trait. As long as I've got a sentence under my belt, I felt free to deliver it how I pleased, pausing in places or emphasizing certain words or completely changing the emotion behind it. One example would be slurring my speech when I was drunk. Technically, the phrase should come out like it was a recording. but screw that. This way allows you to use a phrase more creatively, getting a lot more mileage out of it. If I hadnt done this RPing as a Kenku would have been a lot less fun
EDIT: I should add that the one thing I DID handwave is the idea that you must use a phrase in exactly the same delivery you heard it, which is definitely implied in the mimicry trait. As long as I've got a sentence under my belt, I felt free to deliver it how I pleased, pausing in places or emphasizing certain words or completely changing the emotion behind it. One example would be slurring my speech when I was drunk. Technically, the phrase should come out like it was a recording. but screw that. This way allows you to use a phrase more creatively, getting a lot more mileage out of it. If I hadnt done this RPing as a Kenku would have been a lot less fun
I've done that as well. I think the most common thing is to "Solid Snake" a question into a conversation... if an NPC says something I want to know more about, my character just repeats what they just said but with the inflection of it being a question. Something like, "There's been some kind of conflict near the Wizard's Tower... a troll has started causing trouble for the local farmers", "Wizard's Tower?"
Mine is Screech, the trickery cleric, level 8. I've been playing her for a year. I only use phrases spoken by the party and sounds. The verbal requirement for her spells were in her master's voice. My interpretation is she cannot SPEAK strung words together from multiple sources, but her "inner voice" is a la Bumblebee. So eventually, the Sorceror could Message her and then Screech could more accurately express what she was trying to say. The Bard with a helm of telepathy could listen to her thoughts and then translate for her.
Over the year, she has grown a lot. She is part owner of a tavern in Waterdeep, she killed her former master, she rescued one of her clutchmates, and she left her faith in Waukeen. Now she realizes that not being able to fully communicate robs her of her independence. She does not want to depend on her companions to translate for her anymore.
The DM and I are looking into various options- something akin to the Ghostwise Halfling one-way telepathic speech, access to the Message cantrip, a magic item, or a deal with a Great Old One Patron. Ideally it would allow her to telepathically speak to anyone, but the telepathetic response (like Message) is not necessary. Not sure which way it's gonna go yet!
Mine is Screech, the trickery cleric, level 8. I've been playing her for a year. I only use phrases spoken by the party and sounds. The verbal requirement for her spells were in her master's voice. My interpretation is she cannot SPEAK strung words together from multiple sources, but her "inner voice" is a la Bumblebee. So eventually, the Sorceror could Message her and then Screech could more accurately express what she was trying to say. The Bard with a helm of telepathy could listen to her thoughts and then translate for her.
Over the year, she has grown a lot. She is part owner of a tavern in Waterdeep, she killed her former master, she rescued one of her clutchmates, and she left her faith in Waukeen. Now she realizes that not being able to fully communicate robs her of her independence. She does not want to depend on her companions to translate for her anymore.
The DM and I are looking into various options- something akin to the Ghostwise Halfling one-way telepathic speech, access to the Message cantrip, a magic item, or a deal with a Great Old One Patron. Ideally it would allow her to telepathically speak to anyone, but the telepathetic response (like Message) is not necessary. Not sure which way it's gonna go yet!
Yeah, I've got a Great Old One Warlock Kenku who uses his telepathic abilities to communicate at times. Although keep in mind that it only has a 30 foot range, and it says "creature" for the target... so I'm pretty sure you're only allowed to speak to one person at a time, but I think the limits of it are a bit up to DM interpretation
We had a Kenku Mobsters oneshot live game where everyone played Kenkus. I went full Groot playing Cousin Egel aka Werk! A quiet hardworking druid cook who had been hit on the head so hard he thought he was a chicken and only spoke Druidic (Chicken noises). He'd been sent off by him Mama to get him out of the house and into the family business vs staying at home all day with his pet chickens. Gave him a 4 intelligence (total) for what turned out to be a murder mystery. Was great fun, everyone was mimicking each other and the NPCs (except Werk who would just go 'Werk!'). He was a druid so solved the murder by interrogating a pot plant who had witnessed everything... Alas he a. Wasn't smart enough to figure out that the twist was that there was no murder - it was a test, and b. wasn't able to tell anyone what he found out till it was too late.
Was super fun but I wouldn't do it for more then a one shot (mostly cause chicken noises are killer on the throat)
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Alberta Banana@TheRealAlberta: Good News! I finally brought Zangief back from the Dead :D :D :D Also I'M A LITCH FOR REAL! Downside may have ruined 60% of Athas in the process... sigh... I'll fix it tomorrow. LVL20 Litch, Sorcerer King of the Second Banana Age of Athas, Survivor of the Tomb of Horrors, Backwards Spellcaster, Undead Warlock Patron to Jane with a army of Simulacrum clones.
Late to the party but. For a bit I was excited thinking that the ARtificer's tinkering thingy would let Kenku make "speaking boxes" but its recorded messages.. not magically created messages (like ghost souunds or something).
So.. I don't think that'll work sadly. If it was just magical messages echoing. That would be an amazing way to hold a conversatoin as a kenku.
I don't know the exact wording though of the final release. but I assume its not that much different than the UA version
Edit. Oh wait the visual one can be words.. Does kenku curse prevent writing?
Late to the party but. For a bit I was excited thinking that the ARtificer's tinkering thingy would let Kenku make "speaking boxes" but its recorded messages.. not magically created messages (like ghost souunds or something).
So.. I don't think that'll work sadly. If it was just magical messages echoing. That would be an amazing way to hold a conversatoin as a kenku.
I don't know the exact wording though of the final release. but I assume its not that much different than the UA version
Edit. Oh wait the visual one can be words.. Does kenku curse prevent writing?
The Kenku curse doesn't prevent writing, but in theory the Kenku, instead of having their own handwriting, will instead replicate the handwriting of someone else. I played with this a bit with my Kenku... whenever he wrote something down it essentially looked like a ransom note, because all the letters were in different fonts and sizes, my justification being that he just liked the way certain letters looked and it all came together into his own internal alphabet.
The Kenku curse doesn't prevent writing, but in theory the Kenku, instead of having their own handwriting, will instead replicate the handwriting of someone else. I played with this a bit with my Kenku... whenever he wrote something down it essentially looked like a ransom note, because all the letters were in different fonts and sizes, my justification being that he just liked the way certain letters looked and it all came together into his own internal alphabet.
Ah. Should be fun with the Artificer though. Since they can pull a "tsuki ga michibiku" (it a light novel/manga) style "magical lettering in the air" Probably wouldn't make that quotting or style. If written by hand or spoken I would, but with the manifestation that doesn't require actually writing or speaking first and just 'is' it would be fun. THough still need to re ad the final version. it might've changed its wording.
I think a lot of people are overthinking the whole "Can only speak with mimicry"-thing. One could assume that a grown Kenku has heared enough words and phrases in their young life to speak coherently, propably even in the same voice if they hang around the same people a lot. You would be suprised how small of a vocabulary you need to speak about common things.
I run in a Kenku Druid in my current game and he has a crow who sits on his head and the crow talks for him but their is a 35% chance(a 7 or lower on a d20)that the crow says literally the opposite of what he wants him to say
Rolls a 16:Guys we have been in the tavern for a while maybe we should go get some sleep in a nearby inn
Rolls a 3:What does sleep even mean? 10 pints on me.
I think a lot of people are overthinking the whole "Can only speak with mimicry"-thing. One could assume that a grown Kenku has heared enough words and phrases in their young life to speak coherently, propably even in the same voice if they hang around the same people a lot. You would be suprised how small of a vocabulary you need to speak about common things.
This assumes the kenku aren’t in an all Kenku environment...
in an all kenku environment, the kenku are just repeating things for generations and no one knows who or what or why it started.
Kenku race in kenku only places is a lot like this Actual social experiment done with chimpanzees.
I have and Kenku I started in a 5E campaign that became my first multi class and my favorite player to this day.
Level one I chose warlock, awaken mind feature and bought a disguise kit, are usually awake in mind featured to speak to people(knowing when I took on level 2 take on Mask of many faces and beguiling influence) but that would come later.
Second level I chose a level in Bard, I’m hopes to spread the word of the great old one, and eventually I would get jack if all trades and song of rest.
now at level three my companion players at the table all dropped their jaws when I took an oath in the name of the great old one to create a faith in the name of the elderich wisdoms who were speaking to me and take on a third class adding paladin so I could use heavy armor, and take the defensive fighting style eventually at paladin level 2,
My dm loved the idea and I am currently at level 3 of this endeavor, I would love ideas on what oath to choose, Oathbreaker, blackgaurd or vengeance are the three I’m thinking on. Thanks y’all!
I have and Kenku I started in a 5E campaign that became my first multi class and my favorite player to this day.
Level one I chose warlock, awaken mind feature and bought a disguise kit, are usually awake in mind featured to speak to people(knowing when I took on level 2 take on Mask of many faces and beguiling influence) but that would come later.
Second level I chose a level in Bard, I’m hopes to spread the word of the great old one, and eventually I would get jack if all trades and song of rest.
now at level three my companion players at the table all dropped their jaws when I took an oath in the name of the great old one to create a faith in the name of the elderich wisdoms who were speaking to me and take on a third class adding paladin so I could use heavy armor, and take the defensive fighting style eventually at paladin level 2,
My dm loved the idea and I am currently at level 3 of this endeavor, I would love ideas on what oath to choose, Oathbreaker, blackgaurd or vengeance are the three I’m thinking on. Thanks y’all!
Dang, good luck lol a triple multiclass sounds tough to balance. But anyway for a Paladin Oath I'd toss my hat in on Vengeance... I'm mostly basing this on your Channel Divinity options at third level, since I'm not sure how long you're going to stick with the class in your multiclassing. But being able to paralyze an opponent with fear seems appropriate in theming along with a Great Old One patron. Alternatively, being able to simply give yourself advantage against an enemy for a full combat is potentially extremely helpful.
Bit late to the convo but just wanted to say i took the mimicking portion to the very upmost extreme. Literally anytime anyone spoke to me i would simply reply in their voice exactly what they said to me. One member of the party found it highly annoying but a. 3 x,rd deszrr3z 4 4z3 3322333zzzzz-rest didn't mind and the DM absolutely loved it. I quickly became the half-orcs "feather fren" who (since i always follow orders) sat on his shoulders (we copied off the swashbuckler cause the orc thought he was cool)
The campaign went about as normal as on could go. The others knew what i could do and would get the half orc to get me to do things. I had a 20 in dex so i was extremely good at staying hidden and "find the shineys" and when the half orc would scream a squawk i knew to attack
Playing a pbp campaign now as a kenku and I’m keeping a spread sheet of any phrase I find interesting and who said it.
Gash - Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
I play a Kenku in a group I am in. This is how I work with speech:
1. Say the noise you want the Kenku to make to indicate something such as the sound of falling rocks to indicate danger and make this known to the party.
2. Say a common phrase you would have heard spoken by anyone in a fantasy world "How much for that sword?" "Good morning traveler" "I bid thee farewell" "2 pints for me and my friend here." etc.
3. If attempting to mimic a certain characters voice ask the DM what words or conversations they may have heard the person said then just role for deception.
4. If you want to piece together a totality different sentence or utterance normally not said like "I want to be friends with the kobold wearing that nice vest" then break your voice into various tones, intonations and accents of different characters saying "I want to be friends with you" ,"the kobold stole my pants", "why are wearing that?" and "That is a nice vest you are wearing". 4 voicing mimicked in that one sentence. If this counts as being creative then use methods 1-3.
5. With permission from your DM ask if you make noises using sounds, videos, and other recordings from a phone.
Examples: If it is your turn and you are about to get the final hit on an enemy but role a critical fail use url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6bEs3dxjPg&t=223
When the life domain cleric heals you out of death use url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7nzml-zZ9M&t=4
If you don't trust an NPC and want the party to attack them use url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee0GKHEaTsU&t=67
When another player is hamming it up on their PC roleplaying use url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1pCX_g9NOU&t=2
Many others can be used but make sure the DM is ok with it so it doesn't become too distracting.
6. Go the silent route. Ok Kenku not only can mimic any sound but can also forge handwritting so rather than saying what they said you just have them use a tear from a piece of paper and some ink to say what they wrote down.
Most likely the DM will let you speak normally with the assumption you heard enough words, phrases, and phonetic variables to construct a sentence. A DM who is overly strict about a Kenkus racial properties such as speech and creativity is just being an *******. I mean what makes a particular human, elf or dwarf player creative? If everything under the sun has been done somewhere else then what is not to assume the PC performed an action or had an idea they had already seen or heard of somewhere else? Is not being told what to specific do really an indication of creativity? "Oh sorry guys, my Kenku mage doesn't know which monster to attack because no one told her which one to, so I guess she will just spend her turn muttering to herself instead. Oh wait, no one told her to do that either. I don't suppose because no one told her to keep breathing that she stop that too now, does it?"
I actually want to play one and use a soundboard as my main means of communication... Duke Nukem / 80's movies etc.
I have ACTUALLY played a Kenku (and by this I assume you mean, did someone play them WITHOUT handwaving the inability to speak freely). I did so by making sure my character (Rose) already had a base of quotes he could pull from. I used his backstory to explain that he had grown up with a troupe of actors. I then created a list of Shakespeare quotes. By combining parts of them, and of course writing down any new phrases i wanted to use from the mouths of my teammates, I was able to say quite a bit. Being committed to this pretty much means your character wont be the chatty type as it becomes difficult to initiate conversations. However, Rose had LOADS of personality and I thought it was some of my finest RPing
EDIT: I should add that the one thing I DID handwave is the idea that you must use a phrase in exactly the same delivery you heard it, which is definitely implied in the mimicry trait. As long as I've got a sentence under my belt, I felt free to deliver it how I pleased, pausing in places or emphasizing certain words or completely changing the emotion behind it. One example would be slurring my speech when I was drunk. Technically, the phrase should come out like it was a recording. but screw that. This way allows you to use a phrase more creatively, getting a lot more mileage out of it. If I hadnt done this RPing as a Kenku would have been a lot less fun
I've done that as well. I think the most common thing is to "Solid Snake" a question into a conversation... if an NPC says something I want to know more about, my character just repeats what they just said but with the inflection of it being a question. Something like, "There's been some kind of conflict near the Wizard's Tower... a troll has started causing trouble for the local farmers", "Wizard's Tower?"
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
one of my friends first characters was a kenku, charlatain rougue
Mine is Screech, the trickery cleric, level 8. I've been playing her for a year. I only use phrases spoken by the party and sounds. The verbal requirement for her spells were in her master's voice. My interpretation is she cannot SPEAK strung words together from multiple sources, but her "inner voice" is a la Bumblebee. So eventually, the Sorceror could Message her and then Screech could more accurately express what she was trying to say. The Bard with a helm of telepathy could listen to her thoughts and then translate for her.
Over the year, she has grown a lot. She is part owner of a tavern in Waterdeep, she killed her former master, she rescued one of her clutchmates, and she left her faith in Waukeen. Now she realizes that not being able to fully communicate robs her of her independence. She does not want to depend on her companions to translate for her anymore.
The DM and I are looking into various options- something akin to the Ghostwise Halfling one-way telepathic speech, access to the Message cantrip, a magic item, or a deal with a Great Old One Patron. Ideally it would allow her to telepathically speak to anyone, but the telepathetic response (like Message) is not necessary. Not sure which way it's gonna go yet!
DM of "A Wilder Song" Play-by-Post
Yeah, I've got a Great Old One Warlock Kenku who uses his telepathic abilities to communicate at times. Although keep in mind that it only has a 30 foot range, and it says "creature" for the target... so I'm pretty sure you're only allowed to speak to one person at a time, but I think the limits of it are a bit up to DM interpretation
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
They were cursed by some gods.
Nice. I've got a GOO Kenku I'm looking to play. Was going to use the telepathy thing to get around the speech thing.
We had a Kenku Mobsters oneshot live game where everyone played Kenkus. I went full Groot playing Cousin Egel aka Werk! A quiet hardworking druid cook who had been hit on the head so hard he thought he was a chicken and only spoke Druidic (Chicken noises). He'd been sent off by him Mama to get him out of the house and into the family business vs staying at home all day with his pet chickens. Gave him a 4 intelligence (total) for what turned out to be a murder mystery. Was great fun, everyone was mimicking each other and the NPCs (except Werk who would just go 'Werk!'). He was a druid so solved the murder by interrogating a pot plant who had witnessed everything... Alas he a. Wasn't smart enough to figure out that the twist was that there was no murder - it was a test, and b. wasn't able to tell anyone what he found out till it was too late.
Was super fun but I wouldn't do it for more then a one shot (mostly cause chicken noises are killer on the throat)
Alberta Banana @TheRealAlberta: Good News! I finally brought Zangief back from the Dead :D :D :D Also I'M A LITCH FOR REAL! Downside may have ruined 60% of Athas in the process... sigh... I'll fix it tomorrow.
LVL20 Litch, Sorcerer King of the Second Banana Age of Athas, Survivor of the Tomb of Horrors, Backwards Spellcaster, Undead Warlock Patron to Jane with a army of Simulacrum clones.
Late to the party but.
For a bit I was excited thinking that the ARtificer's tinkering thingy would let Kenku make "speaking boxes"
but its recorded messages.. not magically created messages (like ghost souunds or something).
So.. I don't think that'll work sadly. If it was just magical messages echoing. That would be an amazing way to hold a conversatoin as a kenku.
I don't know the exact wording though of the final release. but I assume its not that much different than the UA version
Edit. Oh wait the visual one can be words.. Does kenku curse prevent writing?
The Kenku curse doesn't prevent writing, but in theory the Kenku, instead of having their own handwriting, will instead replicate the handwriting of someone else. I played with this a bit with my Kenku... whenever he wrote something down it essentially looked like a ransom note, because all the letters were in different fonts and sizes, my justification being that he just liked the way certain letters looked and it all came together into his own internal alphabet.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Ah. Should be fun with the Artificer though. Since they can pull a "tsuki ga michibiku" (it a light novel/manga) style "magical lettering in the air" Probably wouldn't make that quotting or style. If written by hand or spoken I would, but with the manifestation that doesn't require actually writing or speaking first and just 'is' it would be fun.
THough still need to re ad the final version. it might've changed its wording.
I think a lot of people are overthinking the whole "Can only speak with mimicry"-thing. One could assume that a grown Kenku has heared enough words and phrases in their young life to speak coherently, propably even in the same voice if they hang around the same people a lot. You would be suprised how small of a vocabulary you need to speak about common things.
I run in a Kenku Druid in my current game and he has a crow who sits on his head and the crow talks for him but their is a 35% chance(a 7 or lower on a d20)that the crow says literally the opposite of what he wants him to say
Rolls a 16:Guys we have been in the tavern for a while maybe we should go get some sleep in a nearby inn
Rolls a 3:What does sleep even mean? 10 pints on me.
This assumes the kenku aren’t in an all Kenku environment...
in an all kenku environment, the kenku are just repeating things for generations and no one knows who or what or why it started.
Kenku race in kenku only places is a lot like this Actual social experiment done with chimpanzees.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJ8-IaBSeY
edit: this is why it’s always important to flesh out your world a little bit. A little RP. Goes a LONG way.
Blank
I have and Kenku I started in a 5E campaign that became my first multi class and my favorite player to this day.
Level one I chose warlock, awaken mind feature and bought a disguise kit, are usually awake in mind featured to speak to people(knowing when I took on level 2 take on Mask of many faces and beguiling influence) but that would come later.
Second level I chose a level in Bard, I’m hopes to spread the word of the great old one, and eventually I would get jack if all trades and song of rest.
now at level three my companion players at the table all dropped their jaws when I took an oath in the name of the great old one to create a faith in the name of the elderich wisdoms who were speaking to me and take on a third class adding paladin so I could use heavy armor, and take the defensive fighting style eventually at paladin level 2,
My dm loved the idea and I am currently at level 3 of this endeavor, I would love ideas on what oath to choose, Oathbreaker, blackgaurd or vengeance are the three I’m thinking on. Thanks y’all!
Dang, good luck lol a triple multiclass sounds tough to balance. But anyway for a Paladin Oath I'd toss my hat in on Vengeance... I'm mostly basing this on your Channel Divinity options at third level, since I'm not sure how long you're going to stick with the class in your multiclassing. But being able to paralyze an opponent with fear seems appropriate in theming along with a Great Old One patron. Alternatively, being able to simply give yourself advantage against an enemy for a full combat is potentially extremely helpful.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium