Kenku are a race of wingless, birdlike humanoids from Protera. They are crafty, dexterous, and hard to trust.
Anatomy[]
Kenku evolved from birds, but have since lost their ability to fly and their wings, though some have some plumage under their arms. However, they have retained their beaks and talon-like appendages, with the addition of opposable thumbs. Their eyes are sharp, and they are known for their dexterity. A Kenku stands, on average, just under five feet tall and weighs around eighty pounds.
Personality[]
Kenku are secretive, somewhat selfish, and rarely found alone. Most Kenku are found in gangs, preferring the cover of night to go out. Their ability to perfectly mimic familiar sounds, voices, and accents makes them very sneaky, and often use this to their advantage to pilfer food or gold from unsuspecting subjects. Though most all are fluent in Common, Kenku communicate to others of their race only in their own language, also called Kenku.
Combat[]
Most Kenku take the path of the rogue or other classes of subtlety and trickery, as they are particularly adept at that combat style. They are great allies, knowing the effectiveness of teamwork, so almost always has a partner to help them flank opponents.
Alignment and Religion[]
Rarely is a Kenku non-chaotic, though they're not evil creatures. Chaotic neutral is the most common alignment of the Kenku. Most Kenku worship either Olidamarra, the God of Rogues, Vecna , the God of Secrets, or Arkri, the Goddess of the Dark Nest.
Society[]
Kenku society is centered in Kuee'ani, roughly translated as Darkest Nest, the Kenku capital on Protera. Kenku are hatched from eggs from their mothers, and are raised until they are fluent in Kenku. Once this is done, they are immediately introduced into a gang, a group bonding experience not taken lightly. Gangs are similar to extended families, and go back for generations. Gangs have Common names (Blackclaw, Steelbeak, Darkflight) and Kenku names (Tres'ki, Les'tal, Krey'ku), and are a point of pride. Rarely do Kenku leave gangs unless bringing them immense dishonor, such as leaving a gang member to die alone.
Kenku as Characters[]
- +2 Dex, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution.
- A Kenku's base land speed is 30 feet.
- Great Ally: When successfully aiding or being aided by an ally on a skill check or attack roll, the Kenku applies a +3 bonus instead of the usual +2. In addition, flanking with an opponent grants a +4 bonus instead of the usual +2.
- Mimicry: A Kenku can perfectly imitate familiar sounds, voices, and accents. To duplicate a specific individual's voice, a Kenku makes a Bluff check; a listener familiar with the voice being imitated must succeed on an opposed Sense Motive check to discern that the voice isn't genuine. This ability does not enable the Kenku to speak languages it can't normally speak.
- Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d3).
- +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
- A Kenku adds an extra +1d6 to any sneak attacks made while flanking an enemy.
- Favored class: Rogue.
- Level adjustment: +0.