Kenku 5e Stats to build your race in d&d
Kenku is a Medium humanoid (kenku) that is chaotic neutral. Refer to Monster Manual (BR). The greed of kenku was cursed as a vengeful god. The name of the kenku has been forgotten, which is excellent for setting drop-ins. It no longer can fly. Once, the kenku could fly in the wind and sing. The flightless kenku, haunted by an ancient crime that took their wings, wander the world’s streets as vagabonds or burglars living at the edges of human society. Although they have a sinister reputation, Kenku can be valuable allies.These are the Kenku 5e stats.
- Skills: Perception +2, Stealth +5
- Senses: passive Perception 12
- Languages: Common and Auran understand each other, but Common speaks only through its Mimicry trait.
- Challenge: 1/4 (50XP)
- The Ambusher: The kenku can roll attack rolls against any creature that it surprises in the first round of combat.
- Mimicry: The kenku can imitate any sound it hears, even voices. If a creature hears the sounds, it can detect imitations by performing a DC 14 Wisdom (Insights) check.
Kenku 5e Stats block
Kenku 5e dnd |
stats |
---|---|
Armor Class | 13 |
STR | 10 (+0) |
DEX | 16 (+3) |
CON | 10 (+0) |
INT | 11 (+0) |
WIS | 10 (+0) |
CHA | 10 (+0) |
Hit Points | 13 (3d8) |
Speed | 30 ft |
ACTIONS
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack – +5 to hit, reach five feet, one target
Hit: 6 (1d6+ 3) Piercing Damage
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack (Rade Weapon Attack): +5 to hit. Range 80/320 ft., 1 targetHit: 6 (1d6+ 3) Piercing Damage
What is the HP of a Kenku?
Hit: 6 (1d6+3) Piercing Damage Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack – +5 to hit, range 80/320 feet, one target
Which class is best for Kenku dnd 5e?
The rogue thief class is the most kenku-friendly. The thief archetype is characterized by its crow-like appearance, bonus to Dexterity and Expert Forgery.
Kenku Variant 5e: Homebrew Version
Some kenku do not rely on the peaceful aspects of theft and such. Many end up as assassins or other bloody workers who stealthily kill and lie about their crimes. These are the ones to be afraid of, as they mix with cowardly squealers and normal forgers.
This race variant replaces expert forgery and kenku training traits and is now available in various colors. You will acquire the voice of deceit and ambusher traits.
Ambusher. Your advantage in attack rolls against any creature that you have surprised is yours.
Voice of Deceit. You are skilled in deception.
Tabaxi vs. Kenku
There is a lot of overlap between the Tabaxi and Kenku. They have similar ability scores and receive similar skill proficiency. Depending on their class and build, there is some room to be better than the other due to minor differences.
Kenku Speech 5e
Kenku’s unique speech style is perhaps the most prominent feature of the race. This limitation attracts many players to the Kenku more than the Tabaxi and the Wood Elf, which have similar racial traits. Many players miss the essence of Kenku’s speech mechanics.
Kenku can reproduce any sound they hear and even voices. There is no limit to the number of sounds or voices that you can recall and imitate so that any kenku can create a virtually unlimited library of sounds.
A kenku can only repeat short phrases or words in their entirety if they have been exposed to very little speech. Imagine being able only to speak in star wars prequel memes. While you may respond to almost any situation using the lines you know best, this can lead you to lose much nuance and specificity. That is how many Kenku players present the Kenku’s Mimicry characteristic. And again, this is the worst-case scenario. It is a way kenkus have likely never spoken to kenkus who are capable of speech.
Another more common scenario would be a Kenku who has been exposed to many conversations between speaking animals over their lifetime. A computer can reproduce the speech of a human using real-world research based on only a few seconds’ speech recordings. Kenku is biologically predisposed for this ability, and I do not doubt that a natural race mimics could reproduce natural human speech after hearing just a few minutes.
In extreme cases, kenku may learn speech the same way as natural language interfaces. Spoken language is a combination of sounds arranged differently to make sounds we can recognize as words. The basis of computerized speech is created by people whose voices (Siri and Alexa) are. Participate in recording sessions, where they create a collection of these sounds. Computers then arrange these sounds to create audible speech. The speech can be altered in many ways to sound more like natural speech. Kenku can also do this. Imaginative masters could read out a list of sounds to their kenku minions, giving them the ability to speak almost naturally. That could allow Kenku to perfectly imitate the teaching session and spread the master’s voice across the population.
It’s unclear, however, if kenku can alter their voice inflection even in the most ideal of situations. Even though kenku have been trained with a wide range of sounds to reproduce speech, they might only speak in monotone. Kenku, who assemble speech from various sources, may sound disjointed or fluctuate in pitch and tone like old Speak & Spell. One voice might be shared by all kenku families, allowing outsiders to identify kenku communities based on their familiar voices. These ideas are not explored in the official text. However, it is an excellent exercise for roleplaying and interesting to think about.
Classes (Default Rules).
This section assumes you are not using the “Customizing Your Origin” rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Scroll up to the next section if you’re using these rules.
Artificer
Bad abilities spread.
Barbarian
Destructive abilities are standard.
Bard
Although a Kenku bard is an exciting concept, it will not increase your core class features as much as other races.
Cleric
A combination of Wisdom and Dexterity is a good combination for a priest. The Kenku’s additional skill proficiencies can also give you extra abilities that are similar to a rogue. An excellent replacement for a rogue would be a kenku trickery priest.
Druid
The critical Wisdom increase is available, while a Dexterity boost helps to reduce the Druid’s terrible AC. Although the Druid doesn’t benefit from the extra skills, they can be helpful to supplement the skills of a Cleric who has the right background and skills.
Fighter
The Kenku’s unique flavor and skills are great for a class that often feels boring when it’s not fighting.
Monk
The Monk is blessed with Wisdom and Dexterity. Additionally, Kenku’s additional skills enable him to be a Scout.
Paladin
Although dexterity-based Paladins are possible, it is not shared. However, very little about Kenku affects the paladin thematically or mechanically.
Ranger
Kenku in dnd 5e is clever with Wisdom and Dexterity. It’s hard to find a better ranger.
Rogue
Thematically, Rogue is an excellent fit for the Kenku. You have more options for customization than the Tabaxi when it comes to your race’s racial skills. The Rogue theme is perfect for a race that is prone to mimicry, forgery, and appropriation.
Sorcerer
There is no Charisma growth.
Warlock
There is no Charisma growth.
Wizard
There is no Intelligence growth.
Overall, Kenku in 5e Dnd is mechanically sound and can excel in many builds because of their high ability scores and skill proficiencies. Their Dexterity and Wisdom increases define them more than their intelligence, making the Kenku a famous race for stealthy characters. Hope the Kenku 5e stats will help you to build your race.
Kenku 5e Stats to build your race in d&d
Kenku is a Medium humanoid (kenku) that is chaotic neutral. Refer to Monster Manual (BR). The greed of kenku was cursed as a vengeful god. The name of the kenku has been forgotten, which is excellent for setting drop-ins. It no longer can fly. Once, the kenku could fly in the wind and sing. The flightless kenku, haunted by an ancient crime that took their wings, wander the world’s streets as vagabonds or burglars living at the edges of human society. Although they have a sinister reputation, Kenku can be valuable allies.These are the Kenku 5e stats.
- Skills: Perception +2, Stealth +5
- Senses: passive Perception 12
- Languages: Common and Auran understand each other, but Common speaks only through its Mimicry trait.
- Challenge: 1/4 (50XP)
- The Ambusher: The kenku can roll attack rolls against any creature that it surprises in the first round of combat.
- Mimicry: The kenku can imitate any sound it hears, even voices. If a creature hears the sounds, it can detect imitations by performing a DC 14 Wisdom (Insights) check.
Kenku 5e Stats block
Kenku 5e dnd |
stats |
---|---|
Armor Class | 13 |
STR | 10 (+0) |
DEX | 16 (+3) |
CON | 10 (+0) |
INT | 11 (+0) |
WIS | 10 (+0) |
CHA | 10 (+0) |
Hit Points | 13 (3d8) |
Speed | 30 ft |
ACTIONS
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack – +5 to hit, reach five feet, one target
Hit: 6 (1d6+ 3) Piercing Damage
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack (Rade Weapon Attack): +5 to hit. Range 80/320 ft., 1 targetHit: 6 (1d6+ 3) Piercing Damage
What is the HP of a Kenku?
Hit: 6 (1d6+3) Piercing Damage Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack – +5 to hit, range 80/320 feet, one target
Which class is best for Kenku dnd 5e?
The rogue thief class is the most kenku-friendly. The thief archetype is characterized by its crow-like appearance, bonus to Dexterity and Expert Forgery.
Kenku Variant 5e: Homebrew Version
Some kenku do not rely on the peaceful aspects of theft and such. Many end up as assassins or other bloody workers who stealthily kill and lie about their crimes. These are the ones to be afraid of, as they mix with cowardly squealers and normal forgers.
This race variant replaces expert forgery and kenku training traits and is now available in various colors. You will acquire the voice of deceit and ambusher traits.
Ambusher. Your advantage in attack rolls against any creature that you have surprised is yours.
Voice of Deceit. You are skilled in deception.
Tabaxi vs. Kenku
There is a lot of overlap between the Tabaxi and Kenku. They have similar ability scores and receive similar skill proficiency. Depending on their class and build, there is some room to be better than the other due to minor differences.
Kenku Speech 5e
Kenku’s unique speech style is perhaps the most prominent feature of the race. This limitation attracts many players to the Kenku more than the Tabaxi and the Wood Elf, which have similar racial traits. Many players miss the essence of Kenku’s speech mechanics.
Kenku can reproduce any sound they hear and even voices. There is no limit to the number of sounds or voices that you can recall and imitate so that any kenku can create a virtually unlimited library of sounds.
A kenku can only repeat short phrases or words in their entirety if they have been exposed to very little speech. Imagine being able only to speak in star wars prequel memes. While you may respond to almost any situation using the lines you know best, this can lead you to lose much nuance and specificity. That is how many Kenku players present the Kenku’s Mimicry characteristic. And again, this is the worst-case scenario. It is a way kenkus have likely never spoken to kenkus who are capable of speech.
Another more common scenario would be a Kenku who has been exposed to many conversations between speaking animals over their lifetime. A computer can reproduce the speech of a human using real-world research based on only a few seconds’ speech recordings. Kenku is biologically predisposed for this ability, and I do not doubt that a natural race mimics could reproduce natural human speech after hearing just a few minutes.
In extreme cases, kenku may learn speech the same way as natural language interfaces. Spoken language is a combination of sounds arranged differently to make sounds we can recognize as words. The basis of computerized speech is created by people whose voices (Siri and Alexa) are. Participate in recording sessions, where they create a collection of these sounds. Computers then arrange these sounds to create audible speech. The speech can be altered in many ways to sound more like natural speech. Kenku can also do this. Imaginative masters could read out a list of sounds to their kenku minions, giving them the ability to speak almost naturally. That could allow Kenku to perfectly imitate the teaching session and spread the master’s voice across the population.
It’s unclear, however, if kenku can alter their voice inflection even in the most ideal of situations. Even though kenku have been trained with a wide range of sounds to reproduce speech, they might only speak in monotone. Kenku, who assemble speech from various sources, may sound disjointed or fluctuate in pitch and tone like old Speak & Spell. One voice might be shared by all kenku families, allowing outsiders to identify kenku communities based on their familiar voices. These ideas are not explored in the official text. However, it is an excellent exercise for roleplaying and interesting to think about.
Classes (Default Rules).
This section assumes you are not using the “Customizing Your Origin” rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Scroll up to the next section if you’re using these rules.
Artificer
Bad abilities spread.
Barbarian
Destructive abilities are standard.
Bard
Although a Kenku bard is an exciting concept, it will not increase your core class features as much as other races.
Cleric
A combination of Wisdom and Dexterity is a good combination for a priest. The Kenku’s additional skill proficiencies can also give you extra abilities that are similar to a rogue. An excellent replacement for a rogue would be a kenku trickery priest.
Druid
The critical Wisdom increase is available, while a Dexterity boost helps to reduce the Druid’s terrible AC. Although the Druid doesn’t benefit from the extra skills, they can be helpful to supplement the skills of a Cleric who has the right background and skills.
Fighter
The Kenku’s unique flavor and skills are great for a class that often feels boring when it’s not fighting.
Monk
The Monk is blessed with Wisdom and Dexterity. Additionally, Kenku’s additional skills enable him to be a Scout.
Paladin
Although dexterity-based Paladins are possible, it is not shared. However, very little about Kenku affects the paladin thematically or mechanically.
Ranger
Kenku in dnd 5e is clever with Wisdom and Dexterity. It’s hard to find a better ranger.
Rogue
Thematically, Rogue is an excellent fit for the Kenku. You have more options for customization than the Tabaxi when it comes to your race’s racial skills. The Rogue theme is perfect for a race that is prone to mimicry, forgery, and appropriation.
Sorcerer
There is no Charisma growth.
Warlock
There is no Charisma growth.
Wizard
There is no Intelligence growth.
Overall, Kenku in 5e Dnd is mechanically sound and can excel in many builds because of their high ability scores and skill proficiencies. Their Dexterity and Wisdom increases define them more than their intelligence, making the Kenku a famous race for stealthy characters. Hope the Kenku 5e stats will help you to build your race.