Mixing
Does a sound mimicked by a kenku have the same effect as the real sound?
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
One of the antagonists in my plot is a kenku scientist. The party has met her a couple of times and is more and more disturbed with her experiments. She had accepted her curse and the fact that she cannot speak of her own accord. So she makes the best of it and studies the speech of others, with a special focus on the sounds of different dangerous creatures.
The party will face off against her and I plan to use a plethora of harmful sounds in this fight (utilizing the kenku’s mimicry trait), for example a harpy’s Luring Song, a gibbering mouther’s Gibbering and a banshee’s Wail. Now I would like to know, if this would actually work the way I want. (Which means, that the party would have to make saving throws against those abilities). I know, that I can do whatever I want as a GM and that my word is law. But I’d like to keep things logical and consistent, and I’m not sure if these imitated sounds would have the desired effect. I have some arguments for it and against it.
Does a sound mimicked by a kenku have the same effect as the real sound?
(I know that according to the rules, they cannot copy features from other creatures with their mimicry. Otherwise it would say so. This question is more focused on whether this would make sense in an in-universe context).
dnd-5e kenku
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
One of the antagonists in my plot is a kenku scientist. The party has met her a couple of times and is more and more disturbed with her experiments. She had accepted her curse and the fact that she cannot speak of her own accord. So she makes the best of it and studies the speech of others, with a special focus on the sounds of different dangerous creatures.
The party will face off against her and I plan to use a plethora of harmful sounds in this fight (utilizing the kenku’s mimicry trait), for example a harpy’s Luring Song, a gibbering mouther’s Gibbering and a banshee’s Wail. Now I would like to know, if this would actually work the way I want. (Which means, that the party would have to make saving throws against those abilities). I know, that I can do whatever I want as a GM and that my word is law. But I’d like to keep things logical and consistent, and I’m not sure if these imitated sounds would have the desired effect. I have some arguments for it and against it.
Does a sound mimicked by a kenku have the same effect as the real sound?
(I know that according to the rules, they cannot copy features from other creatures with their mimicry. Otherwise it would say so. This question is more focused on whether this would make sense in an in-universe context).
dnd-5e kenku
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
1
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
One of the antagonists in my plot is a kenku scientist. The party has met her a couple of times and is more and more disturbed with her experiments. She had accepted her curse and the fact that she cannot speak of her own accord. So she makes the best of it and studies the speech of others, with a special focus on the sounds of different dangerous creatures.
The party will face off against her and I plan to use a plethora of harmful sounds in this fight (utilizing the kenku’s mimicry trait), for example a harpy’s Luring Song, a gibbering mouther’s Gibbering and a banshee’s Wail. Now I would like to know, if this would actually work the way I want. (Which means, that the party would have to make saving throws against those abilities). I know, that I can do whatever I want as a GM and that my word is law. But I’d like to keep things logical and consistent, and I’m not sure if these imitated sounds would have the desired effect. I have some arguments for it and against it.
Does a sound mimicked by a kenku have the same effect as the real sound?
(I know that according to the rules, they cannot copy features from other creatures with their mimicry. Otherwise it would say so. This question is more focused on whether this would make sense in an in-universe context).
dnd-5e kenku
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
One of the antagonists in my plot is a kenku scientist. The party has met her a couple of times and is more and more disturbed with her experiments. She had accepted her curse and the fact that she cannot speak of her own accord. So she makes the best of it and studies the speech of others, with a special focus on the sounds of different dangerous creatures.
The party will face off against her and I plan to use a plethora of harmful sounds in this fight (utilizing the kenku’s mimicry trait), for example a harpy’s Luring Song, a gibbering mouther’s Gibbering and a banshee’s Wail. Now I would like to know, if this would actually work the way I want. (Which means, that the party would have to make saving throws against those abilities). I know, that I can do whatever I want as a GM and that my word is law. But I’d like to keep things logical and consistent, and I’m not sure if these imitated sounds would have the desired effect. I have some arguments for it and against it.
Does a sound mimicked by a kenku have the same effect as the real sound?
(I know that according to the rules, they cannot copy features from other creatures with their mimicry. Otherwise it would say so. This question is more focused on whether this would make sense in an in-universe context).
dnd-5e kenku
dnd-5e kenku
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
edited 2 hours ago
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
asked 2 hours ago
hohenheim
1,731737
1,731737
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
1
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
1
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
1
1
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Probably not.
As you said, a strict RAW ruling will have to be negative, so all I can offer is my take on it.
Mimicry.
You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
While the Kenku can replicate the sound, they are probably not able to replicate the whole experience, the power and stuff like that. They just don't have the same physiology (or magic). And even the replicated sound is a distinguishable imitation, not a perfect copy.
Imagine it as a difference between a whale song, or a roar of jet fighter passing by, or a wind rustling leaves around you versus a recording of it. It "sounds" the same, but it isn't.
Moreover, in the case of Harpies, the melody is magical (Kenku can't do that), the Banshee's wail give psychic damage, not thunder (so it's not reaaaaly sound/voice based).
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Probably not.
As you said, a strict RAW ruling will have to be negative, so all I can offer is my take on it.
Mimicry.
You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
While the Kenku can replicate the sound, they are probably not able to replicate the whole experience, the power and stuff like that. They just don't have the same physiology (or magic). And even the replicated sound is a distinguishable imitation, not a perfect copy.
Imagine it as a difference between a whale song, or a roar of jet fighter passing by, or a wind rustling leaves around you versus a recording of it. It "sounds" the same, but it isn't.
Moreover, in the case of Harpies, the melody is magical (Kenku can't do that), the Banshee's wail give psychic damage, not thunder (so it's not reaaaaly sound/voice based).
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
Probably not.
As you said, a strict RAW ruling will have to be negative, so all I can offer is my take on it.
Mimicry.
You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
While the Kenku can replicate the sound, they are probably not able to replicate the whole experience, the power and stuff like that. They just don't have the same physiology (or magic). And even the replicated sound is a distinguishable imitation, not a perfect copy.
Imagine it as a difference between a whale song, or a roar of jet fighter passing by, or a wind rustling leaves around you versus a recording of it. It "sounds" the same, but it isn't.
Moreover, in the case of Harpies, the melody is magical (Kenku can't do that), the Banshee's wail give psychic damage, not thunder (so it's not reaaaaly sound/voice based).
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
Probably not.
As you said, a strict RAW ruling will have to be negative, so all I can offer is my take on it.
Mimicry.
You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
While the Kenku can replicate the sound, they are probably not able to replicate the whole experience, the power and stuff like that. They just don't have the same physiology (or magic). And even the replicated sound is a distinguishable imitation, not a perfect copy.
Imagine it as a difference between a whale song, or a roar of jet fighter passing by, or a wind rustling leaves around you versus a recording of it. It "sounds" the same, but it isn't.
Moreover, in the case of Harpies, the melody is magical (Kenku can't do that), the Banshee's wail give psychic damage, not thunder (so it's not reaaaaly sound/voice based).
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
Probably not.
As you said, a strict RAW ruling will have to be negative, so all I can offer is my take on it.
Mimicry.
You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check.
While the Kenku can replicate the sound, they are probably not able to replicate the whole experience, the power and stuff like that. They just don't have the same physiology (or magic). And even the replicated sound is a distinguishable imitation, not a perfect copy.
Imagine it as a difference between a whale song, or a roar of jet fighter passing by, or a wind rustling leaves around you versus a recording of it. It "sounds" the same, but it isn't.
Moreover, in the case of Harpies, the melody is magical (Kenku can't do that), the Banshee's wail give psychic damage, not thunder (so it's not reaaaaly sound/voice based).
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
answered 1 hour ago
J.E
2,428625
2,428625
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f133033%2fdoes-a-sound-mimicked-by-a-kenku-have-the-same-effect-as-the-real-sound%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Side note: I would have expected sirens to have some sort of song to lure sailors near reefs or somehting, but they don't, according to Tales from the Yawning Portal.
– hohenheim
2 hours ago
How exactly does the Kenku scientist work? Normal Kenku can't "invent new ideas", which seems pretty difficult for a scientist. Is this a Kenku that overcame their curse and can come up with new ideas? Because that might make a big difference in terms of what answer you get.
– Theik
1 hour ago
1
@Theik: It's not that she invents any new ideas from scratch, but combines already established ideas and draws her own conclusions. This would allow her to do experiments and learn, but somehow circumvents the part about not being able to create somehting new (, at least in my opinion).
– hohenheim
1 hour ago