Kenku (pronounced keng-KOO or KENK-oo) are a fictional race of bird-like humanoid creatures in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. They have appeared in multiple editions in the game's history and became an official playable race in Volo's Guide to Monsters. They are loosely based on tengu, spiritual beings in Japanese mythology, and are most recognizable for their lack of a voice; instead of speaking themselves, they use their gift of mimicry to communicate. Jeremy Crawford, lead rules designer of the Dungeons & Dragons game, says "[they] can cleverly piece together voices and sounds they've heard to communicate".
Publication history
The kenku originally appeared as uncommon monsters in the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons's Fiend Folio (1981). In this sourcebook, they wielded quarterstaffs or katanas, had inherent magical abilities, and could change their appearance once a month. They had slight magic resistance and were typically treated as thieves and tricksters, with a neutral or chaotic alignment.
The kenku next appeared in the second edition's Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), and were reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). This sourcebook described them as bipedal humanoid birds that used their powers to "annoy and inconvenience" humans, with average intelligence, a neutral alignment, and a secretive, thieving nature. They were also incapable of speech and communicated with birdlike squawks, and were described as being skilled at gestures and pantomime to convey their thoughts. As in their previous incarnations, they possessed a degree of magic resistance and were renowned for their crafty, malicious cunning; they were occasionally known to pass themselves off as gods to steal the offerings of worshippers.
The kenku and the kenku sneak appeared in 3.5 edition's Monster Manual III (2004). The kenku was further developed in Dragon #329 (March 2005). An adventure involving kenku appeared in Dungeon #120.
The kenku's next appearance was in the game's fourth edition in Monster Manual 2 (2009). It subsequently received an article in Dragon #411, "Winning Races: Kenku", which fleshed them out as a playable race.
The kenku most recently appears in the fifth edition in the Monster Manual, the Dungeon Master's Guide (2014), and as a playable race in Volo's Guide to Monsters. In these sourcebooks, kenku are rendered incapable of making sounds or developing ideas of their own, cursing them to steal everything from words to goods from others. They are presented as wingless, avian humanoids who were cursed by an ancient god, yearn for their lost flight and roam the world as bandits and thieves.
Ecology
Physical characteristics
Kenku are commonly depicted in Dungeons & Dragons lore as short, dextrous hawk-, raven- or crow-like humanoids. In earlier editions, they possessed wings capable of flight, which were described as folding against their backs and "[could] be mistaken at a distance for a large backpack". In later editions, however, kenku lost their wings, a trait that plays into their racial backstory. They are described as having humanoid arms, with clawed talons in place of feet and hands; these talons are capable of grasping and performing fine motor tasks. They are typically covered in russet-brown, dark blue or black feathers and have black beaks and "brilliant yellow" eyes, but have a relatively humanoid build. Though more agile than humans, they tend to be physically weaker and are more suited as rogues and thieves than fighters. They have yellow eyes in earlier editions, or small black beady eyes in subsequent editions. They are light for their size due to their hollow bones. They are typically between five and seven feet in height and weigh roughly 75 pounds (32 kilograms). They often wear light, loose-fitting clothing and carry daggers or other small weapons, which they frequently conceal within their cloaks.