Kenku and (their lack of) creativity?

[RossN]

I've always had a soft spot for Kenku, mostly because I'm a bird lover in real life and having bought Volo's Guide to Monsters I'm more than half inclined to run one at some point, or even set them up as an important part of a homebrew world. I'm trying to wrap my mind around one point however: Kenku lack the spark of creativity.

Any ideas on how to run this in a character? Kenku aren't stupid (they have a Wisdom bonus and no Intelligence penalty) just completely uncreative. So I imagine they do very well with scenarios they've personally experienced before but anything truly new is very difficult for them. Does anyone have any suggestions or help on playing this aspect?

[LordSamuel]

I've always had a soft spot for Kenku, mostly because I'm a bird lover in real life and having bought Volo's Guide to Monsters I'm more than half inclined to run one at some point, or even set them up as an important part of a homebrew world. I'm trying to wrap my mind around one point however: Kenku lack the spark of creativity.

Any ideas on how to run this in a character? Kenku aren't stupid (they have a Wisdom bonus and no Intelligence penalty) just completely uncreative. So I imagine they do very well with scenarios they've personally experienced before but anything truly new is very difficult for them. Does anyone have any suggestions or help on playing this aspect?

The main thing about Kenku - lack of creativity they compensating by quite perfect mimicry. But indeed, the only creativity players create is the way, how they complete tasks, quests etc. So, maybe you could try to show that a Kenku character just cant solve problems in a way, that they havent seen yet. So, at start such person should try to do thing in obvious way, but studying in his companions doings, he will probably try to use it later on. In a simple way - use the creativity of others for yourself. But i think it is incredibly hard to roleplay such element of a character. Mostly kenku showing to others that they are kenku by making an mimicry effect while speaking with others NPC\PC or making some moves, that have already done before. (Big advice, dont use Mimicry effect too often, at the end of a session players would hate it)

[LudicSavant]

The kenku lack of creativity doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If they have zero creativity, how do they engage in problem solving or utilizing mimicked words or actions in original contexts (which could require more creativity than using non-mimicked phrases in the first place)?

[Jophiel]

Any ideas on how to run this in a character? Kenku aren't stupid (they have a Wisdom bonus and no Intelligence penalty) just completely uncreative. So I imagine they do very well with scenarios they've personally experienced before but anything truly new is very difficult for them. Does anyone have any suggestions or help on playing this aspect?
I would try to play it with a great deal of rigidity. Imagine your worst corporate middle-management nightmare: This is the way we do it because this is the the way it's done. You have a better idea? That's great but this is the way we do it. When a problem arises that the "way we do it" doesn't handle, the first answer will be to throw more at it. Trolls at the gate? Put up the four archers with flaming arrows. Magically shielded troll at the gate? Fine, send eight archers with flaming arrows. Even pouring flaming oil on it won't be tried until you have twelve archers with flaming arrows plinking off its shield (because archers are the way we do it).

In a group adventuring situation as a PC, where you're bound to run across new things, I would defer most of the planning to the other members but then expect (not to the point of hurting the game, of course) that we do the same thing next time. If the cleric successfully turned the zombies once, why aren't we opening with that move every time? Or, if you're the cleric, you'll always try opening with that because it's the way you do it.

[Sigreid]

Honestly, I would take proficiency in History and RP a vast knowledge of what has worked for people before.

[LordCdrMilitant]

I would try to play it with a great deal of rigidity. Imagine your worst corporate middle-management nightmare: This is the way we do it because this is the the way it's done. You have a better idea? That's great but this is the way we do it. When a problem arises that the "way we do it" doesn't handle, the first answer will be to throw more at it. Trolls at the gate? Put up the four archers with flaming arrows. Magically shielded troll at the gate? Fine, send eight archers with flaming arrows. Even pouring flaming oil on it won't be tried until you have twelve archers with flaming arrows plinking off its shield (because archers are the way we do it).

In a group adventuring situation as a PC, where you're bound to run across new things, I would defer most of the planning to the other members but then expect (not to the point of hurting the game, of course) that we do the same thing next time. If the cleric successfully turned the zombies once, why aren't we opening with that move every time? Or, if you're the cleric, you'll always try opening with that because it's the way you do it.

That actually sounds really fun.

"Section 12.53, Book 4, indicates that we should first issue an ultimatum, followed by immediate casting of Magic Missile against the third goblin archer from the left. Section 4.22, Book 12, however, indicates that when facing undead, one should immediately utilize Turn Undead upon the nearest hostile, followed by a casting of Scorching Ray. Section 2.01, Book 1, indicates that the undead condition should take precedence over the species when determining course of action, except in the case of intelligent undead, in which an alternate set of instructions found in Book 18 should be executed as prescribed. But I left Book 18 on the ship, because Section 3.04, Book 1, indicates that we need Books 1, 2, 4, 5, and 12 when raiding goblin camps, and Section 1.92, Book 1, indicates that we should not bring unnecessary material. Here, fill out this form in triplicate, then these, and these to get this other set, so we can get this set, so we can hit a guy with a sword."

It could also get really annoying really fast.

[RossN]

The kenku lack of creativity doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If they have zero creativity, how do they engage in problem solving or utilizing mimicked words or actions in original contexts (which could require more creativity than using non-mimicked phrases in the first place)?

In fairness the kenku lack of creativity isn't an evolved trait; they specifically lost it (and their voices) thanks to a magical curse. 'Natural' pre-curse kenku were presumably a pretty normal, by D&D standards, humanoid race.

I think this fits we the idea that seem they seem to live in the shadows of other cultures rather than in nations of their own and also to be significant followers.

Some interesting ideas here. Volo's Guide to Monsters does suggest that adventurer kenku "still have a tendency to seek out a companion to emulate and follow." One idea I had here was that the kenku's companion had been killed pre-campaign, so the kenku is trying to embody that now dead character ('what would _ do?') I think that would remain true to the idea of a mimic without irritating the other PCs too much by copying them.

[LudicSavant]

In fairness the kenku lack of creativity isn't an evolved trait; they specifically lost it (and their voices) thanks to a magical curse. 'Natural' pre-curse kenku were presumably a pretty normal, by D&D standards, humanoid race.

I think this fits we the idea that seem they seem to live in the shadows of other cultures rather than in nations of their own and also to be significant followers.

Some interesting ideas here. Volo's Guide to Monsters does suggest that adventurer kenku "still have a tendency to seek out a companion to emulate and follow." One idea I had here was that the kenku's companion had been killed pre-campaign, so the kenku is trying to embody that now dead character ('what would _ do?') I think that would remain true to the idea of a mimic without irritating the other PCs too much by copying them.

The reason it doesn't make sense has nothing to do with whether or not it's evolved. It has to do with the fact that things that Kenku supposedly do engage in (such as applying known phrases to new contexts) requires more creativity than things they specifically cannot engage in (constructing new sentences with known words).

[Mjolnirbear]

With regards to that...

Language acquisition includes the rules needed to use each word. "The" cannot be used by itself; words in English cannot start in 'sr-' ; words in French are gendered; words in Spanish never start with 'sc-'. When people break these rules you automatically know they 're not a native speaker even if you don't know why.

When kenku use mimicry, they are imparting meaning. They *have* to follow the rules of a language. They understand people who speak it and when they mimic they follow the same rules so as to be understood. Neither can happen without an unconscious understanding of rules.

Therefore, kenku know language. They just can't speak it. They can only mimic words they've heard, but because they know language they can put them together according to the rules they know.

At least that's how I'd rule it. It makes sense to me that the curse doesn't prevent learning a language, merely prevents expressing it.

That said, people can Invent new words and do it all the time. Supercallifragilisticexpiallidocious, anyone? I'd say that this part is missing. Kenku can understand that this word is a legit word because it follows the rules; but they could never Invent it. Which probably also mean they can't use puns, innuendo, portmanteaus, acronyms or even metaphor.

[Grey Watcher]

That actually sounds really fun.

"Section 12.53, Book 4, indicates that we should first issue an ultimatum, followed by immediate casting of Magic Missile against the third goblin archer from the left. Section 4.22, Book 12, however, indicates that when facing undead, one should immediately utilize Turn Undead upon the nearest hostile, followed by a casting of Scorching Ray. Section 2.01, Book 1, indicates that the undead condition should take precedence over the species when determining course of action, except in the case of intelligent undead, in which an alternate set of instructions found in Book 18 should be executed as prescribed. But I left Book 18 on the ship, because Section 3.04, Book 1, indicates that we need Books 1, 2, 4, 5, and 12 when raiding goblin camps, and Section 1.92, Book 1, indicates that we should not bring unnecessary material. Here, fill out this form in triplicate, then these, and these to get this other set, so we can get this set, so we can hit a guy with a sword."

It could also get really annoying really fast.

That awkward moment when you sit down to play D&D, but someone at the table was really jonesing to play Paranoia.

[LordCdrMilitant]

That awkward moment when you sit down to play D&D, but someone at the table was really jonesing to play Paranoia.

Okay, that was a bit of a silly and extreme example, but a character to has a manual for everything and is incapable of making decisions without the direction of the handbook would be rather fun and funny to play, I think.