Tips for Playing a Kenku in D&D

[@Fallenmonkd20]

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[@ClaireDeLoon]

Was playing my kenku ranger earlier today. Walks into Artisan's shop Places pair of disembodied Aarakocra wings in perfect condition on counter Mimics the sound of someone saying, "...don't ask". Proceeds to spread his arms and flap them around while running around the shop, trying to convey the idea "glider".

[@Fallenmonkd20]

Lol that's great!

[@Ahrenji]

Really enjoyed this video. I'm playing a Kenku Bard/Wizard in a campaign right now! I think they make excellent bards with their mimicry just like you said with cutting words. When my Kenku casts Vicious Mockery he makes the sound of a baby or chicken. Like he's calling the enemy a wimp. Plus I always thought it was boring to be a stereotypical "bad guy minion" Kenku so mine worked at a huge library and was tasked with making copies of books that were getting too old to read and copying loose notes into full books on certain subjects to preserve and organize information.

[@Fallenmonkd20]

I love that! The librarian idea is a really good idea!!! Also the calling them a wimp idea is a good idea as well. They sound like a solid character!

[@devonlittlejohn9445]

It's funny, in my D&D Campaign, I have a Kenku NPC who runs a magical pet store 😎 Here's the catch, he only speaks using Duke Nukem phrases via a soundboard I have on my laptop 😂😂

[@fleshanthos]

I knew almost nothing about a Kenku. I play him as my pet parrot. They repeat phrases they know when applicable. That's all I need to do. My party arrived in a city that had an alarm bell ringing; which I copied whenever the DM told us it rang, until we switched it off. Every time since then when there is danger, I make the same "CLANG" noise, for example. Just research how crows actually act here on youtube. You'll get the idea of how to play them. When I do speak common, I speak it like a parrot. "Eat eyes. Give eyes. Price eyes?" "Water. Water. Where water?"

[@dylanstacey6782]

I'm currently playing a Kenku Artificer right now and my role-playing with him is that he was a mage's apprentice so he speaks using phrases he'd say to him. A half Orc paladin was on 1 HP and ran off to fight a skeletal minotaur and I chased after him trying to use cure wounds on him so I said "Stay still you silly bird!" in my master's voice.

[@Xenkatze]

My Kenku is a rogue who lived on the streets, and heard a lot of things. Anyone who's played TES knows that beggars see and hear everything, so who really knows what nonsense my Kenku could say?

[@chesh1567]

Genius

[@Todd-_-Umptious]

I'm picturing you at every session now, no matter the scenario just saying "I used to be an adventurer like you, but then..." and never anything more XD

[@Xenkatze]

Don't give me ideas lol

[@Todd-_-Umptious]

@@Xenkatze Too late, the seed has been planted :3

[@hahano6054]

I have a kenku monk named clatter (the sound of ball bearings clattering down stone stairs, the sound of glorious, glittering CHAOS) and she is an absolute delight to play. She adores copper, will fight her own reflection at any opportunity, has an almost unhealthy obsession with birds, and an unstoppable need to GO FAST. Her record rn is 360 feet in one turn. She loves to be up high, and her favorite method of attack is to pounce from above. And she does want to fly, but with a twist: her dream is to become a copper dragon. She's got a bit of a criminal background, bc it would have been hard to catch her after a b&e XD She had an almost equally chaotic friend during this time, and as such, most of her more concerning phrases ars in his voice, as well as useful ones, like "could I borrow some words?" The group interactions are fantastic too: Bard(the leader): "Alright, so what are everyone's plans for the week?" Clatter, joyfully: "Arson!" Artificer: "that voice is starting to get WAY too familiar. Who are you mimicking?" Clatter, in the same voice: "you know, i *could* tell you, but then I'd have to kill you, and that'd be a real shame" Npc witnessing the constant conflict between the arrogant goblin and the 300 pound metal man: "How have you not killed each other yet?" Oodair (goblin paladin) : "i am protected by the platinum dragon" Artificer: "the only thing you're protected by is dumb luck, and clatter's speed" (being a goblin, he's light enough to yoink out of bad situations) Clatter (both phrases in the same voice): "i am immortal until proven otherwise.... Gotta catch me first!" Bard: "...we *really* need to discuss where you've learned these phrases" The artificer, watching clatter struggle with a iron bar in the wall: "you're not going to be able to-" (Clatter pulls it free, and everyone is silent for a moment) Clatter, delighted: "hit things!" The bard: "clatter, no" The paladin, casting light on the bar: "CLATTER YES!" The bard: "what is she-" Artificer: "show me what you have!" Clatter, wielding a piece of a literal force of creation like a hammer: "HIT THINGS!!!!!" Bard, scrambling to catch her, and failing bc he isnt even half as fast: "NO!!!" Artificer: "oh my god, why does she have the rune" Paladin: "uhhh okay. New objective: get the rune from clatter" Clatter: "Mine now!" Bard: "No, it's not. Give it to me." Clatter: "Gotta catch me first! :D" The group got a ship, but the bard didn't know any sailing songs. So clatter started singing the ENTIRETY of "99 bottles of beer" with the mentality of "if I had to suffer through it, at least i wont suffer alone". She spent the whole song dodging swords and spells alike. It was quite amusing.

[@hahano6054]

Another really fun thing with kenkus is talking in their sleep: Just imagine, it's the middle of the night, and suddenly: "The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues." Except it doesn't stop. It goes through the whole script

[@Fallenmonkd20]

I never thought about them sleep talking, that is amazing lol

[@hahano6054]

@@Fallenmonkd20 that way, you can even include memes in their vocabulary in a way that makes sense!

[@gazelleguy]

I'm gonna be starting my first D&D campaign and been looking for suggestions for different races to play as, and your vids are super helpful! Thank you!

[@Fallenmonkd20]

No problem! I hope you have fun with it!

[@MirasaurusRex]

My Kenku hexblade is my favorite character ever. Didn't even know about the Raven Queen when I picked hexblade, it was a happy coincidence. Her name is Cricket, and she's the best distraction and is cross classes into rogue and gets too many attack rolls with her rapier.

[@Something5451]

I'm playing a multiclassed kenku rn, his warlock patron recently gave him a real voice--but before i tended to say a lot of common phrases, and would try to mimic other player characters accents/voices. The mom of the group voice lines like "are you alright?" "come down for dinner" "[kissie noises]", the rogues and wizards swears and quips, the barbarians deep belly laugh, stuff like that

[@EndertheDragon0922]

(This is kinda a long comment) I love the “Why did you leave me, Sharon!?” This was pretty helpful- while I’m probably not going to use sound clips, though it is tempting, I will use your idea of writing down who said what if it’s interesting enough for me to want to mimic. Imagining my female kenku saying something with Markiplier’s voice is cracking me up a little. I’m going to be playing a cleric of the wind goddess soon (my bf and I made a pantheon together since he was helping me dm my first campaign but since I’ve got my footing he’s wanting to run one on his own soonish) Cleric works rather well with kenku, due to their extra wisdom. As for the vocal spells, well, it wouldn’t be very helpful of my goddess to not teach me how to say spells, so I’ve got that covered too. However we don’t like the “removed creativity” part of kenku because... then you just sit around and do nothing? They wouldn’t have the creativity to pantomime or get points across with their limited vocals, and why play a role playing game if you’re resigned to just listen and not make ideas? Overall I’m excited to play her- her name is Mourning Dove, or Dove for short, because that’s the noise she uses as her name. She’s going to be rather friendly because I just can’t imagine playing one and _not_ being a good bean. Crows are beans.

[@ThorsShadow]

Well, the "not having creative thought" thing with Kenkus has to do with their lore. Groups of Kenkus (called flocks) often have a "master", who is non-Kenku (if I remember correctly). The master assigns them with tasks. Kenkus are often used as thiefs, spies and to forge documents, because of their perfect mimicry and forging abilities. In a group setting, if someone says "let's do A" and the other says "let do B", a Kenku would either be undecided, go with the options he or she logically thinks has more success, the option, that probably is less life-threatening, the option probably bringing them closer to their goal of flying or maybe just simply go with the plan of the person he/she likes more. But a Kenku would not be able to hatch a "plan C" on their own. I personally think, that wanting to be able to fly automatically forces someone to have at least some semblance of creative thought, so Kenku probably can think creatively, when it comes to that? I think? Like, a Kenku Wizard, studying the arcane to not just learn how to fly, but actually learn how to fly to the moon (which was possible at some point in the lore, but isn't anymore). Or a Kenku Rogue, originally being part of a flock, but leaving their family to obtain the secrets of flight and bring them back to their family. On their travels they hang around in taverns and hear and learn the banter of soldiers, mercenaries, merchants, pirates. Maybe even become a mercenary and/or pirate for some time. This would give you a foundation of phrases to say and "it'll give ye a jolly good time, ye landlubber." Both are ideas for a Kenku I want to make and play.

[@mypointisinvalidbut7010]

I have started sooo many wars with my kenku being a minor noble meeting kings and learning the sending spell....

[@bedzy]

I played a kinky who had an evil innocence about him, with a scary backstory that he blurts out not knowing what they mean, foe example “squawk not the orphans”. Had the dw and everyone else in stitches. Edit: dm not dw, kenku not kinky, for not foe

[@EndertheDragon0922]

I did not want to associate kenku with the word kinky but here we are

[@thebananabeast2322]

why didnt you just change what it said

[@robertlombardo8437]

Haha! If I played a kenku I'd use a Jontron sound board. Some absolute gold there. Plus, Jon has his buddy Jacques.

[@pongldr]

i came from jmak but as someone with a fairly recent interest in dnd your videos actually seem like theyll really help me out! you got a new sub C:

[@kosachilles2504]

The soundboard idea sounds great!

[@gamerfromheck6726]

Currently Level 3 Cleric Kenku, Albino Crow folk hero. Tempest with the Power of Zues, my only purpose is to purge 'evil' & help and inspire those around. I'm super excited to see where my campaign goes.

[@TwoHorndUnicorn]

Just doing some research for a kenku character and came across your video. Thanks for the perspective.

[@Scaphism_]

My kenku is a warlock whos patron lets him talk normally if he does a certain number of things a week, like kill a certain amount of people or give him a certain amount of gold

[@cutie12598]

I'm in my first campaign right now and my first ever character is a revived kenku named Hoot and he's an absolute dumb*ss and I love him and so does the players.

[@RAI-diate]

I'm creating my first character after playing my first game at the start of the year with a pre-made character and I'm settling on a Kenku Fighter named Zassu.

[@jamesmekdeci5570]

I made a kenku monk that was once an Aaracokra, and his tribe was cursed by an evil king of a neighboring kingdom as he wanted them to leave his land as he wanted total control over it, and I did not dump his intelligence, but he simply communicates by writing, but can still mimic, and talks like bumblebee, where he simply uses words from different voices and merges em into a sentence, but he doesn't do it often.

[@hades_head_empty]

i'm trying a way to get around the speaking part without having a soundboard. they're a warlock who was chosen by a tome that is a knowledge seeking entity. sorta athena vibes. and their character motivation, which is why the book is helping it, is to free all kenku of the curse. they used to serve an old wizard, who had the book, and died (maybe killed by the character, but it's ambiguous). so they're generally quiet or say old man phrases. when it's absolutely necessary they use telepathy or write something down (which i think is allowed bc the creativity is related to speech?). also the book saw that they're unusually creative for a kenku, though are still limited compared to other races. also bc of the knowledge entity, they're not a charisma based warlock, they're intelligence based with high wisdom bc i wanna get into divination later in the game. also charisma sorta has to be a dump stat for my characters because it's hard to get in that headspace, so i can't play a normal warlock without it being a complete meme that i say awkward things but for some reason people like me (yes, i know how that sounds). they do have some points in deception though. and though i wanna stray from a soundboard, i'm definitely gonna write down cool/funny/useful things that npc's or other players say; to show they're learning about the world after being isolated for so long opening up, and that they're warming up to their party members and friends. sorry for the rant, i just thought my unique take on it might help people who wanna go a slightly more serious route!

[@slippyy6742]

I’m playing a Kenku Bard as my first ever character. I’m gonna be honest I LOVE HIM, he’s my boy Blub. He’s so silly and I love him, he speaks only with his name most of the time. I just say Blub for the most part, my dm made it so I can make my own sentences, just only words with one syllable

[@yukiiukami1547]

I'm playing my Kenku Monk right now..and i think it fits just as well to a kenku than a rogue or bard.. Dex and Wis fit perfectly and the fighting styles and stuff are amazing aswell

[@jacktresidder5404]

I once played a cursed human Banneret(purple dragon knight) that was turned into a kenku once, it was rather amusing since I kept shouting "Tally ho!" "I say dear boy" and other stereotypical posh things as it was the one thing the knight remembered. The curse was put on him by a Hag that liked parties, The campaigns I am in was always a strange time when my group came together...

[@cheeseymann]

Could have avoided the need to have him hang out in taverns by going school of swords

[@awesomegeeksunshine3649]

I actually made a guide for my party that is a kenku cleric that's 10 years old. Nothing can go wrong ;)

[@Todd-_-Umptious]

I am a first time player, session zero happened the day before Covid lockdown went into full effect so have yet to play my first game but I decided to go with Kenku as my race. Music has been my first love and still is my main passion. So I wanted to at least start off playing D&D with something I'm familiar with until I get used to playing. So I have gone with the unlikely combination of a Kenku Bard. That's right, I'm a bard who is essentially that annoying guy at parties who only knows how to play Oasis cover songs. My name is Strrum Shandy and I cannot wait to play my failure of an entertainer. I like the idea that he would enter a competition for bards and just plays the exact same song as the performer before him INCLUDING the mistakes they made because it's a pattern based intelligence. I'm sure this combination of class and race will grind gears for some hardcore players but I'd love to hear what people think about it.

[@DrSalvador555]

So glad I can hear...anything.

[@Dzdzovnica]

I have kenku rogue with criminal background - hired killer. We had around 20 sessions (4-5h each) already and i have said no more than 10 words total. Heck, for around first 6 sessions my party didn't even know I can speak at all. I have explained it to my GM that as it's not my voice I hate using it and I refuse doing so. I'd rather mimic some surrounding noises like ringing bells, swords hitting each other, etc.

[@SilverClode]

i'm trying to play as a Kenku rough and it Mimics sounds are music and abridge quotes but the only problem t is I want either assassin or thief but not sure what weapon to give it

[@Fallenmonkd20]

If you're wanting to go melee, rapier is a pretty solid weapon, ranged though I'd say Hand Cross bow, if you get the crossbow expert feat it's amazing. Though the range being short you will probably have to have a light cross bow on you as well

[@SilverClode]

@@Fallenmonkd20 okay thanks

[@oddsockzx7124]

I play a Kenku Necromancer called Ribbit and I have anxiety and have trouble speaking myself so playing a Kenku really helps!! He mostly speaks in caws , frog sounds and honking like a goose as well as saying random words. I need to make him a soundboard.

[@MirasaurusRex]

My Kenku hexblade has a sister my friend is playing who's a necromancer named Rattle. Caw, Seeeestra!

[@oz_jones]

I am getting tips on how to play Kenku, because I have this itch to someday play as one, but I am not yet comfortable enough to be creative. Lol. Subscribed.

[@Teag_Brohman15]

I play as a Kenku Rogue named Karasu (get it?)

[@Geekella]

This is great xD thanks for sharing!

[@magicturtle12]

hey man just found your channel, i really like your positivity! keep it up man! solid content ^_^

[@Fallenmonkd20]

I apprciate it thanks!!

[@tjzx3432]

Im also making a kenku bard, and i thought it would be funny if he used his mimicry to fake playing the lute. He has good sleight of hand, and the goal is to say the notes ive heard, or riffs and then use the sleight of hand to make it look like im playing them.

[@iTsak0]

That's definitely a good way to RP if you want to be silly, but don't get the wrong idea. This is horrible and I'd say unacceptable if you want to play in a serious setting, plus I bet it would get old after 2-3 sessions.

[@williamseifarth4181]

I’m playing a Kenny pirate who acts like parrot.

[@mr.sugarcubes2280]

I'm just started getting into dnd and I thought this was a good class to start with bc it doesn't talk and it just looks for information all the time for its survival...which is what I would be doing the hole game with it being my first. But I made mine a monk and made a background for him and have a general idea of what I want to do with him, but I think it would be great if I could know which soundboard (s) you used for your dnd game so I could try to see if I could use any in a ironic situation lol

[@Fallenmonkd20]

Hey I hope this helps! As far as the sound boards go, I got a play list on my channel called "Kenku noises." It should be public, but if you can't see it let me know. The sound board I used was the "Maraplier Soundboard" from the Google play store. Not all the voice clips worked, but some gave me some good moments lol

[@mr.sugarcubes2280]

@@Fallenmonkd20 o thanks man, I misunderstood and thought you was making an app for it lol😅 but I appreciate you texting back and letting me know. I'll look for it and let you know if I can't find it but I enjoyed the vid and hope you keep making them whenever something like this arises. Keep it easy man

[@Fallenmonkd20]

@@mr.sugarcubes2280 no problem lol. I made this channel hoping to help some new people to the game so I don't mind Also thanks and will do, I got a video going up today as well, its more DM based, but you may like it as well.

[@brik826]

Could you give me this playlist of sound effects that you have? I'm going to play Kenku and I need it

[@Fallenmonkd20]

It's on my channel under playlists 👍

[@Klaital1]

If you have trouble taking them seriously, take a look at Kenku shadow monks, they are really scary.

[@plugay2050]

What's the app name? I like it so much and I don't have a good voice to make diferent ones So i think It'll be so good for my rp

[@Fallenmonkd20]

The markaplier app? It's been awhile since this video was produced so I don't have it anymore, but I believe it was just called "markaplier sound board." In the app story 👍

[@plugay2050]

@@Fallenmonkd20 Oh! Thank you!

[@HollowLifeVBlog]

Can someone help me? A group of friends told me to play as a Paladin Kenku and I don't know what to do with his background ;;

[@Fallenmonkd20]

Hey sorry I missed this comment, usually Acolyte is a good Paladin Background, but I feel solider works good as well. Sorry if this is to late of a reply lol

[@chesh1567]

Where is his sound board i need it

[@Fallenmonkd20]

I got a playlist on my channel called Kenku noises 👍

[@chesh1567]

@@Fallenmonkd20 ok thank you

[@pidgey7235]

Don’t mean to be rude or come off mean But its ironic that he’s saying he lost his voice at the beginning of the video when the video is talking about kenku’s who lost their voices xD

[@Kocchiheoide]

Anyone ever tell you you look like All Might?

[@Fallenmonkd20]

My wife and a friend of mine have been telling me I should cosplay him actually. Thanks I for sure take that as a compliment

[@meow11211]

Tough guy eh!?

[@zayden1569]

Couldn't you just say your character heard someone read a dictionary?

[@Fallenmonkd20]

Well that is an option yes, but I feel that would also take way some potential fun you could have with doing voices and stuff, or at least being creative with how you talk

[@coolbeans621]

How do I get that?

[@Fallenmonkd20]

The playlist or the Kenku? The playlist is in my playlist section Kenku is available in Volo's guide to monsters 👍

[@coolbeans621]

@@Fallenmonkd20 The playlist but thank you

[@coolbeans621]

I think I found it it will be helpful because I’m playing one to But it’s a robot

[@brondwin]

why not arcane trickster?

[@Fallenmonkd20]

Well for this game I was trying to make a healer, so Bard Kenku seemed like a fun combo, but Arcane trickster would be a really good fit for a Kenku as well!

[@brondwin]

@@Fallenmonkd20 I'm running one now and its super fun but challenging