Unfortunately Kenku are Medium sized creatures and so are Dragonborn. RAW this isn't possible to do. Per VGtM Kenku are listed as being about 5 feet tall FYI, how you run your game might be different but just so you know.
Nothing stopping a DM from house ruling something (maybe have the bottom make an athletics check every round, the top make an acrobatics check every round, and have both attack with disadvantage since they're distracted balancing/carrying). But RAW, two medium creatures cannot occupy the same square (though I guess arguably, the kenku isn't in the same square, they're in the one that's 5' higher?), and being mounted requires the mount to be at least one size larger than the rider.
The mount rules really don't prohibit small players from riding medium players though, with appropriate physiology/tack. Seems to me like the mounted combat rules operate as a specific exception to the prohibition on occupying the same square.
Climbing doesn’t conflict, because it’s a creature two or more sizes larger. But, point taken, you could look there for inspiration as well if your players want to do this.
As long they're not trying to break mechanics I would just use the Mounted Combat rules as others have stated. It sounds like your players just want to do this for flavor. You'll just have to make a house rule about the size issues though. If they are trying to break some mechanics have them make various checks or impose disadvantage or movement restrictions.
As long they're not trying to break mechanics I would just use the Mounted Combat rules as others have stated. It sounds like your players just want to do this for flavor. You'll just have to make a house rule about the size issues though. If they are trying to break some mechanics have them make various checks or impose disadvantage or movement restrictions.
Going along with this...
check the dragonborn’s carry capacity for movement speed. The kenku weighs X + has Y weight of gear. And X and Y need to be added to the weight of dragonborns gear (z). X+Y+Z still needs to be < W (weight can be carried)
Maybe you should talk to your players first about why they even want to do this. It's sounds very unwieldy for combat situations and somewhat questionable even in non-combat ones.
Yeah, I'd say just make something up that sounds appropriate. Such as: the kenku can't use their own movement while on top of the paladin, and if they get hit they need to make an Acrobatics check to stay up there or fall prone into a space next to the paladin. (Maybe with disadvantage if it was bludgeoning damage.) The paladin would maybe be reduced to 2/3 of their movement speed and have disadvantage on DEX saves.
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One of my players (Kenku Warlock) wanted to be on the shoulders of a dragonborn paladin and then attack while he is on top of him.
The Kenku is quite tiny and the dragonborn big as hell.
The thing was that I did not know how to implement the combat rules with that kind of tactic.
How can you use that tactic using the e5 rules?
Unfortunately Kenku are Medium sized creatures and so are Dragonborn. RAW this isn't possible to do. Per VGtM Kenku are listed as being about 5 feet tall FYI, how you run your game might be different but just so you know.
If you do decide you want to allow it, I'd look up the rules on Mounted combat here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/combat#MountedCombat , then apply it with the dragonborn having full control of their turn like normal.
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Nothing stopping a DM from house ruling something (maybe have the bottom make an athletics check every round, the top make an acrobatics check every round, and have both attack with disadvantage since they're distracted balancing/carrying). But RAW, two medium creatures cannot occupy the same square (though I guess arguably, the kenku isn't in the same square, they're in the one that's 5' higher?), and being mounted requires the mount to be at least one size larger than the rider.
The mount rules really don't prohibit small players from riding medium players though, with appropriate physiology/tack. Seems to me like the mounted combat rules operate as a specific exception to the prohibition on occupying the same square.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Yeah mounts are one of the exceptions to occupying other creatures' spaces.
There is also optional rules for climbing creatures that do too.
Climbing doesn’t conflict, because it’s a creature two or more sizes larger. But, point taken, you could look there for inspiration as well if your players want to do this.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
dunno if this is raw or not:
how my TT DM handles it when our kenku wild magic sorcerer does that to our Dragonborn paladin.
paladin gets disadvantage on dex saves.
kenku must make concentration check on paladin attacks to stay on top of paladin.
and I assume the DM is rolling an “odd/even” to see which is attacked regarding enemies targeting the 2.
As long they're not trying to break mechanics I would just use the Mounted Combat rules as others have stated. It sounds like your players just want to do this for flavor. You'll just have to make a house rule about the size issues though. If they are trying to break some mechanics have them make various checks or impose disadvantage or movement restrictions.
Going along with this...
check the dragonborn’s carry capacity for movement speed. The kenku weighs X + has Y weight of gear. And X and Y need to be added to the weight of dragonborns gear (z). X+Y+Z still needs to be < W (weight can be carried)
Maybe you should talk to your players first about why they even want to do this. It's sounds very unwieldy for combat situations and somewhat questionable even in non-combat ones.
They probably want to do it because it sounds cool or fun. It's no big deal, just let them do it.
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Yeah, I'd say just make something up that sounds appropriate. Such as: the kenku can't use their own movement while on top of the paladin, and if they get hit they need to make an Acrobatics check to stay up there or fall prone into a space next to the paladin. (Maybe with disadvantage if it was bludgeoning damage.) The paladin would maybe be reduced to 2/3 of their movement speed and have disadvantage on DEX saves.