Balanced Kenku

Kenku are a race of feathered humanoids with the heads of corvids, standing slightly smaller and much lighter than most humanoids. The ravenfolk of quick wit and uncanny mimicry make excellent scouts and spies, able to perfectly reproduce anything they've seen or heard before. The Kenku have many rumors surrounding their history, but no one can be certain of their true origin.

Physiology

Kenku resemble a feathered humanoid with a corvid head that can range from crow or raven, to magpie and jay. Small feathers cover their bodies and they vestigial flight feathers on their arms that are much too small to carry them aloft. Instead, they can glide if they leap from a sufficiently high place and guide their descent with some accuracy. They stand on two bird-like feet sporting razor sharp talons that are more suited for gripping branches than attacking enemies.

Keen Minds

Kenku have a brilliant ability to solve puzzles and find perspectives that other creatures fail to grasp. Their unique ability to mimic and nearly perfectly copy others informs their own thinking; how would an orc approach opening this chest? How would a dwarf value this coin? How would a halfling sneak down this hallway? In many regards, a Kenku is less an individual and more a collection of influences and mannerisms gathered during its entire life.

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Dreams of Flight

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 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.

Kenku Adventurers

Kenku adventurers are usually the survivors of a flock that has sustained heavy losses, or a rare kenku who has grown weary of a life of crime. These kenku are more ambitious and daring than their fellows. Others strike out on their own in search of the secrets of flight, to master magic, or to uncover the secret of their curse and find a method to break it.

Kenku adventurers, despite their relative independence, still have a tendency to seek out a companion to emulate and follow. A kenku loves to mimic the voice and words of its chosen companion.

Kenku Names

Kenku tend to name themselves, doing so when they come of age. The name is an onomatopoeia of a sound often heard during the Kenku's chosen profession. To Kenku, these sounds are very distinct and unique to each individual; despite three Kenku introducing themselves as Clang, Ting, and Peal, the sounds they recreate when introducing themselves to other kenku are very distinctive.

To this end, many Kenku change their names when they change professions, though would still answer to their old name if companions of that chapter of their life visited again. But to a kenku, the life they lead is their identity, and though they remember their pasts, to them, that was a different kenku, one younger and less experienced.

Kenku Traits

As a Kenku, you have certain traits in common with your people.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age. Kenku live a shorter lifespan than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60.

Size. Kenku are about 5 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 120 lbs. Your size is medium

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Vestigial Wings. Though you're incapable of sustained flight, your lightweight, feathered body still allows you to slow your descent. While you are falling and not incapacitated, you can use your reaction to slow your descent to 60 feet per round, for as long as it takes to reach the ground. Your arms are occupied while doing this, preventing you from using them to make weapon attacks or cast spells. While falling in this way, for each 1 foot you fall, you can travel 1 foot in any direction horizontally.

Expert Forgery. You can perfectly duplicate other creatures' handwriting and simple craft work such as keys or official seals. You gain expertise in forgery kit, and gain advantage on any check made to duplicate or recreate an object you have seen before.

Kenku Training. Thanks to your unnaturally good memory, you have proficiency in two skills, tool proficiencies, weapon, shield or armor training, or languages of your choice.

Mimicry. As an action, you can mimic sounds and spoken phrases you have previously heard with perfect accuracy. If a creature uses its action to examine the sound, it can determine the sound is your mimicry with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check against your mimicry check, which is a d20 + your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.

You can project this sound up to 30ft away, making it seem as if the sound originated from somewhere else by throwing your voice.

Adept Linguist. Your ability to perfectly reproduce speech patterns and your sharp wit lends itself to learning languages fairly easily. If you listen to a language being spoken on and off for a period of 24 hours, you can choose to learn that language, though you can only speak it, not read or write it. If you use this ability again to learn another language, you forget the previous language you learned with this feature.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Auran, and one standard or primordial language known of your choice.

Credits

Homebrew by Commander Fayne

All rights reserved except which are copyright of their respective holders. All art used is credited without permission under "Fair Use." This material may not be sold, resold or profited from in any way, in accordance with Fair Use.

Page Art Credit

• Pg 1 - "A Shy Kenku" by Henriette Boldt
• Pg 1 - "Crowbin O'hood" by Matt Forsyth
• Pg 2 - "Kenku Paladin" by Colby Marchi Rilken
• Pg 3 - "Kenku Fanart" by Kira L. Nguyen

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