Kenku
Kenku are feathered humanoids that wander the world as vagabonds, driven by greed. They can perfectly imitate any sound they hear. Haunted by an ancient crime that robbed them of their wings, the kenku entered Azgaarnoth as part of the Hordes, but soon distanced themselves, and today wander the world as vagabonds and burglars who live at the edge of human society. Kenku suffer from a sinister reputation that is not wholly unearned, but they can prove to be valuable allies.
Jump to: Kenku Commoner | Kenku Master | Kenku Kensei
History
The kenku once served a mysterious, powerful entity on another plane of existence, the same that created the Hordes (or so it is said). Some believe they were minions of Grazz't, while others say that they were scouts and explorers for the Wind Dukes of Aaqa. Whatever the truth, according to legend, the kenku betrayed their master soon after they came with the Hordes to Azgaarnoth. Unable to resist the lure of a beautiful sparkling treasure, the kenku plotted to steal the item and escape to the Material Plane.
Unfortunately for the kenku, their master discovered their plan before they could enact it. Enraged, the entity imposed three dreadful curses upon them. First, the kenku’s beloved wings withered and fell away from their bodies, leaving them bound to the earth. Second, because their ingenuity and skill had turned toward scheming against their patron, the spark of creativity was torn from their souls. Finally, to ensure that the kenku could never divulge any secrets, their master took away their voices. Once the entity was satisfied that they had been sufficiently punished, the kenku were set loose on the Material Plane.
Since then, the kenku have wandered the world. They settle in places that accept them, usually bleak cities that have fallen on hard times and are overrun with crime.
Dreams of Flight
Above all else, kenku wish to regain their ability to fly. Every kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms capable of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for the kenku to acquire the items for themselves.
Despite their lack of wings, kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures. They seek out ruins that reach to the sky, though they lack the motivation and creativity to make repairs or fortify such places. Even so, their light weight and size allow them to dwell in rickety structures that would collapse beneath a human or an orc.
Fallen Flocks. Kenku wear ill-fitting cloaks, robes, and rags. These garments cover the soft, sleek feathers of their bodies, shrouding their bare arms and legs. They tread lightly when they walk, on talons made for grasping the branches of trees and seizing prey from the lofty skies. Soft as the wind they move, so as not to draw attention to their shameful forms.
Kenku Speech
Kenku can mimic the sound of anything they hear, with an accuracy that defies most mortal ability to tell a difference from the real thing. They can perfectly copy any sound they hear, from a halfling's voice to the sound of rocks falling downhill to the roar of a dragon overhead. (Any magical effects--such as the enchatment present in a siren's song--are not replicated.)
Most kenku use a combination of overheard phrases and sound effects to convey their ideas and thoughts to non-kenku. A kenku asking for money might make the sound of coins clinking together, and a kenku referring to a busy marketplace can reproduce the cacophony of hawking vendors, barking dogs, bleating sheep, and the cries of street urchins. When mimicking voices, they can only repeat words and phrases they have heard, not create new sentences. To converse with a kenku is to witness a performance of imitated sounds and almost nonsensical verse.
Kenku speak to one another in much the same way. Because they are adept at interpreting one another's glances and gestures, the sounds they make to communicate complex ideas or emotions can be succinct. Groups of kenku also develop secret codes. For example, a cat's meow might be the secret code for "Prepare to attack!" or "Flee for your lives!"
Perfect Imitators
Kenku can copy existing items with exceptional skill, allowing them to become excellent artisans and scribes. They can copy books, make replicas of objects, and otherwise thrive in situations where they can produce large numbers of identical items. Few kenku find this work satisfying, since their quest for the freedom of flight makes them ill-suited to settle into a routine.
For this reason, many kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signaling a prime opportunity for a robbery. Since kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a message inadvertently, but the kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter.
By the same token, kenku have no ability to invent new ideas or create new things. At best, they can only combine existing things together, but even then it can only be in service to an idea that has already been had by another.
Geography
Kenku landed upon Azgaarnoth in the East, just as the rest of the Hordes did, but since that time, they've spread thinly out to every corner of Azgaarnoth; there is no one land or geographic region that bears more or less of them than any other. Many kenku
Kenku gather in groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master.
Kenku Names
Given that kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between male and female names.
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Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by weapons, such as the clang of a mace against armor or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-kenku refer to the kenku by describing this noise. Examples of this type of name include Smasher, Clanger, Slicer, and Basher.
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Kenku thieves, con artists, and burglars adopt animal noises, typically those common in urban settings. In this manner, kenku can call out to each other while those who overhear them mistake them for common animals. Non-kenku use names that refer to the sound made or the animal a kenku mimics, such as Rat Scratch, Whistler, Mouser, and Growler.
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Some kenku turn their back on crime to pursue legitimate trades. These kenku adopt noises made as part of their craft. A sailor duplicates the sound of a fluttering sail, while a smith mimics the clanging of a hammer on metal. Non-kenku describe these folk by their trade sounds, such as Sail Snap, Hammerer, and Cutter.
Playable Race: Masters of Mimicry. Kenku are excellent rogues and arcanists (wizards, sorcerers, even pale masters) as well as excellent clerics and druids. They generally do not do well as bards, owing to their lack of creativity, but some kenku have shown the ability to exceed the limitations of their race. Strangely, the kenku penchant for mimicry also makes them excellent monks, mystics, and shamans.
Kenku Commoner
(No description given)
Environment
Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Ruins, Swamp, Urban
Token
Kenku Commoner
Medium humanoid (kenku), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 13 (3d8)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Proficiency Bonus +2
- Saving Throws
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities
- Skills Deception +4,Perception +2,Stealth +5
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages understands Auran and Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait
- Challenge 1/4
Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the kenku has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it surprised.
Mimicry. The kenku can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Kenku Master
(No description given)
Environment
Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Ruins, Swamp, Urban
Token
Kenku Master
Medium humanoid (kenku), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 14 (DEX (+4))
- Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 8)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Proficiency Bonus +3
- Saving Throws
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities
- Skills Deception +7,Perception +3,Stealth +8
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages understands Auran and Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait
- Challenge 1/4
Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the kenku has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it surprised.
Mimicry. The kenku can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Kenku Kensei
Certain kenku enter into monastic orders and learn their ways to an astonishing level of proficiency. Those that take up the Way of the Kensai become masters with their chosen weapons (typically shortsword and shortbow), and become formidable opponents.
Environment
Token
Kenku Kensei
Medium humanoid (kenku), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 17 (Unarmored defense (+4+3))
- Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 8)
- Speed 45ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0)
- Proficiency Bonus +3
- Saving Throws
- Damage Vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances
- Damage Immunities
- Condition Immunities
- Skills Deception +7,Perception +3,Stealth +8
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages understands Auran and Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait
- Challenge 3
Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the kenku has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it surprised.
Mimicry. The kenku can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Ki (Recharges on short or long rest). The kenku has 8 ki points, used for several of its Actions below. Saving throw DC is 14.
Focused Aim. When the kenku misses with an attack roll, it can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase its attack roll by 2 for each of the ki points spent, potentially turning the miss into a hit.
Path of the Kensei. Chosen weapons: shortsword and shortbow.
Stunning Strike. When the kenku hits another creature with a melee weapon attack, it can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike; the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the kenku's next turn.
Precise Strike. When the kenku hits a target with a kensei weapon, it can spend 1 ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage (1d6) to the target. It can use this feature only once on each of its turns.
Actions
Multiattack. The kenku can make two attacks (Unarmed Strike, Shortsword, and/or Shortbow).
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage. These are magical for purposes of resistances and immunities. If the kenku is holding a kensei melee weapon, it can use it to defend itself. It gains a +2 bonus to AC until the start of its next turn, while the weapon is in its hand and it isn’t incapacitated.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 7) piercing damage. These are magical for purposes of resistances and immunities.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 7) piercing damage. These are magical for purposes of resistances and immunities.
Stillness of Mind. The kenku can end one effect on itself that is causing it to be charmed or frightened.
Bonus Actions
Martial Arts. When the kenku uses the Attack action with an Unarmed Strike or Shortsword on its turn, it can make an additional Unarmed Strike.
Flurry of Blows. Immediately after the kenku takes an Attack action, it can spend 1 ki point to make two Unarmed Strikes as a bonus action.
Patient Defense. The kenku can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on its turn.
Step of the Wind. The kenku can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on its turn, and its jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Quickened Healing. The kenku can spend 2 ki points, and recover 1d6 + 3 hit points.
Path of the Kensei: Ranged weapon. The kenku can use a bonus action on its turn to make its ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When it does so, any target it hits with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. It retains this benefit until the end of the current turn.
Reactions
Deflect Missiles. The kenku can deflect or catch the missile when it is hit by a ranged attack. The damage it takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + 12. If the damage is reduced to 0 and the missile is small enough to hold in one free hand (and the kenku has a free hand), the kenku catches the missle, and can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack (range 20/60) using the weapon or ammunition it just caught, as part of the same reaction. This attack is made at a +7 to hit.
Slow Fall. The kenku can use its reaction when it falls to reduce any falling damage by 40 points.
Evasion. The kenku's instinctive agility lets it dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When it is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.