Segev
2020-03-23, 12:58 AM
In Volo’s Guide to Monsters, we get the Kenku. I will not detail them here, but their secondary stat bonus is +1 Wisdom. Yet their Monster Manual entry has Wisdom 10 and Intelligence 11, they have specific racial bonuses to copying and forgery, and they are forced by their racial curse (but empowered by a racial ability) to communicate without words. All of which are Intelligence checks!
Their every racial quirk is built around things that would exercise or benefit from Intelligence. Nothing in their design save for the Monster Manual entry having proficiency in Perception even hints as Wisdom-related foci or prowess.
I know it’s a small thing, a +1 to one stat over another, but the whole point of racial stat mods is to make statements about the racial predilections and talents. And it seems to me Intelligence fits them far better than Wisdom.
Their every racial quirk is built around things that would exercise or benefit from Intelligence. Nothing in their design save for the Monster Manual entry having proficiency in Perception even hints as Wisdom-related foci or prowess.
I know it’s a small thing, a +1 to one stat over another, but the whole point of racial stat mods is to make statements about the racial predilections and talents. And it seems to me Intelligence fits them far better than Wisdom.