Haunted by an ancient crime that robbed them of their wings, the flightless kenku 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. Some have developed their skills to be of service, as great orators, scribes, artists, craftsmen and even mages. Though their talents for mimicry and forgery have been taken for granted by societies with great literacy and magic, and seen as a subservient race.
About 5'0 to 5'6, and about 90-110 pounds, these bird-like people have avian heads with a large beak and glossy feathers, which cover the body except for their clawed hands and the skin starting about halfway up its legs. The skin on these areas can range from dark grey, black, red, brown, blue, green, orange, white to bright yellow.
Kenku were first driven to their current state of existence by greed and thievery, and such traits remain in their culture to this day. The Kenku are spread far and wide, operating in small flocks, each one independent from the rest, often acting as thieves, bandits, forgers and other such unlawful practitioners. Nevertheless, each flock has its own laws and codes of conduct. Betrayal of these laws often involve the bearing of large, useless, wooden wings, a symbol of shame of the Kenku's lost grace, and a crime so heinous that calls for execution will end with the offender tossed from a tall cliff, and that makes them lawful or chaotic.
RACIAL SKILLS, ABILITIES & FEATURES
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by +2, and your Wisdom score increases by +1.
- Age. Kenku have shorter lifespans than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60.
- Alignment. Kenku are chaotic creatures, rarely making enduring commitments, and they care mostly for preserving their own hides. They are generally chaotic neutral in outlook.
- Size. Kenku are around 5 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.
- Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Expert Forgery. You can duplicate other creatures' handwriting and craftwork. You have advantage on all checks made to produce forgeries or duplicates of existing objects.
- Kenku Training. You are proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand.
- Mimicry. You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
- Languages. You can read and write Common and Auran, but you can speak only by using your Mimicry trait.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT TABLE
| GENDER |
BASE HEIGHT |
HEIGHT MODIFIER |
HEIGHT RANGE |
AVERAGE HEIGHT |
| MALE |
4'4'' |
+(2D8) |
4'6''-5'8'' |
5'1'' |
| FEMALE |
4'2'' |
+(2D8) |
4'4''-5'6'' |
4'10'' |
| GENDER |
BASE WEIGHT |
WEIGHT MODIFIER |
WEIGHT RANGE |
AVERAGE WEIGHT |
| MALE |
50 lbs |
x(1d6) |
52-146 lbs |
86 lbs |
| FEMALE |
45 lbs |
x(1d6) |
47-141 lbs |
81 lbs |
