So, I was looking through Monsters of the Multiverse and I noticed some very interesting details about the kenku that were added, including the ability to forge stuff and the ability to speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
I-
My bois can speak now :D
Honestly? I'm really glad they made this change. Mimicry is a cool feature, but only using it to talk is so damn annoying. WotC, if you're reading this, thanks! I'm really glad you did this!
I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
They still have a Mimicry trait, which lets your Kenku mimic sounds well enough that a listener needs to roll an Insight check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma modifier to tell it's an imitation. The earlier Kenku version has them rolling Insight against your Deception check, so this is treating it more like the Investigation check against an illusion spell.
Edit: Unrelated to Kenkus, but our party's Changeling is going to love the ability to shapechange into both Medium and Small creatures!
I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
I have never enjoyed features that dictate how a character is roleplayed. It is like saying that if you play a Drow you must speak in a French accent and twirl your mustache. Let the mechanics be different but leave the RP choices to the players imagination.
I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
I have never enjoyed features that dictate how a character is roleplayed. It is like saying that if you play a Drow you must speak in a French accent and twirl your mustache. Let the mechanics be deferent but leave the RP choices to the players imagination.
I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
I have never enjoyed features that dictate how a character is roleplayed. It is like saying that if you play a Drow you must speak in a French accent and twirl your mustache. Let the mechanics be deferent but leave the RP choices to the players imagination.
Uh, yeah, that's how drow are played.
I thought it was just me who did drow like that
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my name is not Bryce
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I like that they no longer have that hard-baked into the race... I understand that the restriction made them an unpopular race, since many players either didn't want to deal with that feature so aggressively, or they feel guilty about coming up with some reason to hand-wave it. Still... I find the hard restriction one of the most interesting details about the race, and in my games as DM I'll continue to have Kenku (at least NPCs) still limited in their speech. I've played as a Kenku and had a few NPC Kenku in my games, and it's way more fun for everyone else at the table... if you can do it in a way that doesn't slow everything down or otherwise annoy the other players.
Still... it's definitely a feature that should be optional. I actually would have liked if, in MPMM, they had included the "only mimicry" speech as an Optional Rule.
I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
I have never enjoyed features that dictate how a character is roleplayed. It is like saying that if you play a Drow you must speak in a French accent and twirl your mustache. Let the mechanics be deferent but leave the RP choices to the players imagination.
No, its like saying halflings are short and you then roleplay how that effects you.
Kenku mimicry isn't a personality trait, it's an inability. I would probably have just made it cosmetic (i.e. "You should generally assume PC kenku have a sufficiently wide variety of available mimicked words to communicate clearly, and only play it out for as long as it is entertaining for the players").
I really don't think that being small, which has a mechanical effect is the same as having an "accent" that has no mechanical effect. Lucky for you, you can still play your Kenku just like you always have. The rest of us just don't have to since it isn't "RAW" anymore.
I'm fine with people playing it how they want. My point was that Kenku don't have a lot of notable defining traits, so seems odd to pick that race and then complain about how you don't like its main RP feature. As I said, if you want to be a bird person there are other existing options.
In theory, I don't want people telling me how to roleplay my character. In practice, I never would have had the immense fun I've had with my Kenku if I wasn't told how to roleplay my character.
As far as I know you can also decide if you want to use the Legacy Kenku (the old one who can only speak with mimicry)or the Kenku from Monster of the Multiverse.
I play the old Legacy Kenku, I have no problem with it, the bad thing I find is the limitation with creativity. this restriction of creativity that the kenku has as a curse rather makes my life difficult. Even if open talk is a beautiful thing. I feel it is worse when you as a kenku are not allowed to do things that require some creativity. Which in my opinion is contradictory, because as a kenku player you need a lot of creativity to be able to play him. in my opinion they should have broken the creativity barrier :D
PS: sorry if the english is not quite correct, I learn the language as best I can. :3
In the setting I'm making I'd already sort of circumvented this via what I call family voices. Basically a couple generations ago a few dozen people gave taught kenku how to speak, so now they distinguish their family via their voice.
In my opinion restriction like that can lead to fun worldbuilding rather then just the DM going "no you don't how to say dog". Of course if a Kenku says something like Hyporeflexia I might make them roll something at the minimum.
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So, I was looking through Monsters of the Multiverse and I noticed some very interesting details about the kenku that were added, including the ability to forge stuff and the ability to speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
I-
My bois can speak now :D
Honestly? I'm really glad they made this change. Mimicry is a cool feature, but only using it to talk is so damn annoying. WotC, if you're reading this, thanks! I'm really glad you did this!
Kenku learn the languages because they've heard enough to mimic practically the whole language and understand it. They still have mimicry though.
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HERE.I had not ever tried to play a wordless Kenku until recently, and honestly it's been one of my favorite characters ever. I am always extremely engaged in the game in order to grab stray lines of dialogue, and I get laughs all the time when I throw a character's words back at them at appropriate (an inappropriate) times. It's gotten to the point where a character will say something, then pause, think about what they just said out of context, and facepalm because they know I'm writing it down in my spreadsheet.
I just feel like its a really unique playing experience. There were a few times I couldn't really get across what I wanted to say, but it wasn't that big a deal. Regardless of the change, my table will continue to play Kenku this way. There's not enough playstyle variation between races, I don't know why they'd want to kill off one of the few that actually play differently. If we want to be a normal talking bird we can just be aaracokra or owlin.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
They still have a Mimicry trait, which lets your Kenku mimic sounds well enough that a listener needs to roll an Insight check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma modifier to tell it's an imitation. The earlier Kenku version has them rolling Insight against your Deception check, so this is treating it more like the Investigation check against an illusion spell.
Edit: Unrelated to Kenkus, but our party's Changeling is going to love the ability to shapechange into both Medium and Small creatures!
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I have never enjoyed features that dictate how a character is roleplayed. It is like saying that if you play a Drow you must speak in a French accent and twirl your mustache. Let the mechanics be different but leave the RP choices to the players imagination.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
Whoa.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Uh, yeah, that's how drow are played.
I thought it was just me who did drow like that
my name is not Bryce
Actor
Certified Dark Sun enjoyer
usually on forum games and not contributing to conversations ¯\_ (ツ)_/
For every user who writes 5 paragraph essays as each of their posts: Remember to touch grass occasionally
They could already talk, just had to use mimicry to do it.
Er ek geng, þat er í þeim skóm er ek valda.
UwU
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I like that they no longer have that hard-baked into the race... I understand that the restriction made them an unpopular race, since many players either didn't want to deal with that feature so aggressively, or they feel guilty about coming up with some reason to hand-wave it. Still... I find the hard restriction one of the most interesting details about the race, and in my games as DM I'll continue to have Kenku (at least NPCs) still limited in their speech. I've played as a Kenku and had a few NPC Kenku in my games, and it's way more fun for everyone else at the table... if you can do it in a way that doesn't slow everything down or otherwise annoy the other players.
Still... it's definitely a feature that should be optional. I actually would have liked if, in MPMM, they had included the "only mimicry" speech as an Optional Rule.
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No, its like saying halflings are short and you then roleplay how that effects you.
They aren't Kenku anymore.
Kenku mimicry isn't a personality trait, it's an inability. I would probably have just made it cosmetic (i.e. "You should generally assume PC kenku have a sufficiently wide variety of available mimicked words to communicate clearly, and only play it out for as long as it is entertaining for the players").
I really don't think that being small, which has a mechanical effect is the same as having an "accent" that has no mechanical effect. Lucky for you, you can still play your Kenku just like you always have. The rest of us just don't have to since it isn't "RAW" anymore.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
Yes its just poorly conceived and designed RAW that made the Kenku no longer Kenku, they are just random bird race now.
In 2e Kenku couldn't talk at all and just made "bird squawks"
in 3/3.5 they had their own language, but also spoke common
Don't know about 4e (Edit: In 4e they had mimicry but could also talk normally.)
In 5e they lost their voice and then got it back again.
Which one is the "true" Kenku?
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
In 4e they had mimicry but could also talk normally.
Thanks, I will edit the post
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
I'm fine with people playing it how they want. My point was that Kenku don't have a lot of notable defining traits, so seems odd to pick that race and then complain about how you don't like its main RP feature. As I said, if you want to be a bird person there are other existing options.
In theory, I don't want people telling me how to roleplay my character. In practice, I never would have had the immense fun I've had with my Kenku if I wasn't told how to roleplay my character.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
As far as I know you can also decide if you want to use the Legacy Kenku (the old one who can only speak with mimicry) or the Kenku from Monster of the Multiverse.
I play the old Legacy Kenku, I have no problem with it, the bad thing I find is the limitation with creativity.
this restriction of creativity that the kenku has as a curse rather makes my life difficult.
Even if open talk is a beautiful thing.
I feel it is worse when you as a kenku are not allowed to do things that require some creativity. Which in my opinion is contradictory, because as a kenku player you need a lot of creativity to be able to play him.
in my opinion they should have broken the creativity barrier :D
PS: sorry if the english is not quite correct, I learn the language as best I can. :3
In the setting I'm making I'd already sort of circumvented this via what I call family voices. Basically a couple generations ago a few dozen people gave taught kenku how to speak, so now they distinguish their family via their voice.
In my opinion restriction like that can lead to fun worldbuilding rather then just the DM going "no you don't how to say dog". Of course if a Kenku says something like Hyporeflexia I might make them roll something at the minimum.