## Gnoll "SHOULD YOU BE SO BRAZEN OR MISFORTUNED AS *to stand before the savage hyenafolk - take heed; gnolls bear an appetite not for gold, nor for such ideals as honor or mercy. Only if your worth as kin is deemed above the value of your flesh may you find compromise and the rare regard of the gnolls.*"      —Scholar Brammir, *The Denmatron's Rebellion* #### Though widely reviled as savage stalkers and merciless marauders, the collective identity of the gnolls is as contentious a subject among scholars as it is among the gnolls themselves. And while they are commonly known for their feral instincts, vicious demeanors, and fierce passion for the hunt; so too are gnolls naturally adaptable and doggedly loyal to their given packmates. Ferocious as the hyenafolk may be, those gnolls who would entertain exceptions to their aggressive dispositions can make for highly-capable allies and remarkably-dependable companions. ### Hyaenids A gnoll looks much like a humanoid hyena and shares many traits with the animal. Gnolls are strong, tall, and lean and covered with a thick coat of fur, which generally ranges from light to dark brown. Depending on the clan, this might be a uniform color, or broken up by stripes or spots. Though they are not obligate carnivores, it is not uncommon for a gnoll to subsist solely on meat. Like the hyenas they resemble, gnolls possess strong jaws and are capable of consuming almost every part of their prey, including teeth and bones. ### Aggressive Behavior Due to their excitable, assertive, and impulsive nature, gnolls are commonly known for their aggression and general lack of civility. When speaking, gnolls tend to be brazenly direct and lacking in common courtesy; few would waste time with pleasantries and many gnolls prefer to be concise over bothering with embellishment. Though they are instinctively social, the relatively savage demeanor held by most gnolls can make even the friendliest behavior seem aggressive. ### Pack Instinct Gnolls are social creatures, and the pack instinct plays a powerful role in their lives. The bond of the pack is essential to all gnolls and, while they may occasionally squabble to establish lines of dominance, gnolls make for steadfast allies. In battle, gnolls are strong team players and- though competitive by nature- they will typically set aside any thought of personal glory to assist their clanmates. Though they generally prove wary of strangers, gnolls are seldom solitary and those that are separated from their kin will usually seek surrogate packs. The often aggressive behavior and fearsome appearance of the hyenafolk can be difficult to deal with, yet their pack instincts are strong. Should you earn one's rare trust, you will find the kinship of a gnoll to be a very powerful bond. \columnbreak <div style='margin-top:338px'></div> ### Thrill of the Hunt Fierce and feral, gnolls are true creatures of the wild; they oft prove uninterested in conquest and very seldom seek fortune or glory. Instead, gnolls are driven by instinct and impulse. While they revel in their predatory nature and the thrill of the hunt, most gnolls are equally motivated to ensure the prosperity of their packs. They tend to seek out means of proving themselves to their allies and, being prideful scavengers, often commemorate these pursuits by claiming trophies- be they simple mementos or the bones of their foes. ### Abyssal Origins The gnolls of the Butcher's Brood are fanatically devoted to their demon prince; they believe that his blood flows through their veins and that their devotion justifies every terrible atrocity they commit. For the Children of Yeenoghu, cruelty and bloodshed are a source of joy and a reason for living. And much like tieflings inherit the traits of devils, all gnolls are marked by the essence of the Abyssal lord Yeenoghu. Yet, though they bear his fury, some clans may elect not to venerate the Demon Prince. While the gnolls of the Butcher's Brood believe they were created by Yeenoghu himself, much like the fiends they conjure through his worship, others have suggested instead that the Demon Prince usurped- and possibly destroyed- the gnolls' true gods. This rumored lost pantheon included such deities as Refnara the Moon-Biter, a clever goddess of darkness and command over fear; and the true patron deity of the hyenafolk, Gorellik, who is said to have been a savage avatar of hunters and predatory beasts, much like the Faerûnian deity Malar. But regardless of their origins, few clans who break away from the Butcher's Brood aspire to the ruination of the mortal realm. Some embrace the worship of gods while others see the deities as being no different from demons. Some find purpose anew in the spirit of the hyena that lies within them and take solace in their bond to the natural world. But most of all, no matter their aspirations, all gnolls can find purpose in the ties they hold to their kin. <img src='https://www.gmbinder.com/images/xVC71rc.png' style='position:absolute;width:500px; bottom:475px; right:-25px' /> <img src='https://www.gmbinder.com/images/nzPYZyD.png' style='position:absolute;width:1125px; bottom:300px; right:-300px' /> \pagebreakNum ### Hierarchy and Authority Like hyenas, gnolls exhibit a notable degree of social hierarchy within their packs. Packlords generally shape this hierarchy into an order of succession, granting authority both by lineage and perceived ability to lead and protect the clan. But in order to ensure the strength of this hierarchy, it is fairly common for challenges of authority to occur between packmates of similar standing. Such squabbles typically comprise of brief displays of dominance and intimidation and- though these altercations may result in bloodshed- not many gnolls would seek to fatally wound their clanmates. ### Diplomatic Inability The uncommon gnolls that see fit to coexist with their non-hyenine neighbors are nevertheless likely to remain wholly aloof; the beastfolk seldom mingle with those outside of their individual packs and, in such engagements, may prove reluctant to show much in the way of hospitality. Being highly suspicious of strangers, gnolls who show any regard for other humanoids oft do so either with disdain or careful curiosity. Furthermore, a majority of gnoll clans are openly hostile to each other due to their competitive nature. This aggression usually extends to all strange gnolls, making it highly difficult or even dangerous for any lone wanderers to join a new pack. ### Hunters and Wanderers Owing to their animal ancestry, gnolls inherently favor wild, wayfaring lifestyles. Some practice related trades- such as leatherworking and herbalism- or take up animal husbandry, taming beasts and training pack animals. Though gnolls seldom approach anyone outside of their clans, some more entreprising hunters might be willing to offer their services to local people as trappers or trackers. ### Leaving the Pack You may have come from a nomadic tribe of shamanistic hunters, wild and true to your nature; you may have belonged to a roaming clan of marauders or a congregation of wandering trappers and traders; or perhaps you were seperated from your kin entirely and have come to live among other races either in fellowship or in servitude. Whatever your origins, remember that the pack instinct is strong in gnolls and that it is unlikely for one to leave his or her pack by choice. Furthermore, consider that all gnolls share an ancient bond with Yeenoghu; you may choose not to act upon your demonic inclinations, but they are nonetheless a part of your nature. ##### Gnoll Quirks | d20 | Quirk | |:---:|:-----------:| | 1 | You are always hungry. | 2 | You are greatly amused by the macabre. | 3 | You trust and treat your friends like family. | 4 | Your attempts to be friendly are often deeply unsettling or even somewhat threatening. | 5 | You are highly protective of your companions and innately distrustful of nearly everyone else. \columnbreak | d20 | Quirk | |:---:|:-----------:| | 6 | You are often confused or annoyed by the inclinations of civilized folk. | 7 | You nonchalantly propose ruthless acts of violence during casual conversation. | 8 | You are easily distracted by strange smells or deeply unsettled by shrill sounds. | 9 | You display no reservations about disemboweling intelligent creatures. | 10 | You express mild concern for any folk who are without sharp teeth or thick fur. | 11 | You are highly impressionable and instinctively imitate your packmates. | 12 | You fight with great enthusiasm and resent easily-won victories. | 14 | You dislike spending much time in any one place. | 13 | You have inherited a number of abnormal superstitions from your clan. | 15 | You tend to lord over anyone that you deem unthreatening or unintimidating. | 16 | You habitually inspect materials by chewing on them. | 17 | You are strongly inclined to collect trophies and mementos. | 18 | You try to repress your primal fury, fearful that it may betray you. | 19 | You make up for in fervor what you lact in tactfulness. | 20 | You love to compete and regularly attempt to outdo your allies. ### Gnoll Names Gnoll names are usually short and comprised of the same harsh sounds of the gnoll language- often being spoken like a sort of growl or bark. --- - **Male Names:** Dagnyr, Dhyrn, Doryc, Garr, Gurn, Gnasc, Gorak, Grakk, Gyrryn, Harr, Hattak, Hyrn, Ilekk, Ishkr, Keghet, Knaag, Kraff, Krik, Kurr, Kurshak, Kylm, Laskh, Lhyr, Rolk, Shar, Thrakk, Thyrn, Urg, Varr, Vas, Vaszi, Yekk - **Female Names:** Dagnyra, Dyrna, Garra, Gnara, Gorza, Grakka, Harra, Hruthna, Ishka, Kaskya, Ketta, Krshia, Kylma, Lhyra, Malla, Mrna, Mrsha, Nysha, Osyka, Othna, Saga, Srnya, Shara, Vara, Vasza, Vedya, Vetza, Yrna, Zudya ### Gnoll Traits Your gnoll character gains the follow characteristics. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity and Strength scores each increase by 1. ***Age.*** Gnolls age noticeably faster than most humanoids and seldom live beyond 40 years. ***Size.*** Gnolls generally stand around 7 feet in height and weigh between 230 and 280lbs. Most gnolls exhibit a slightly hunched posture due to their animalistic physique. Your size is medium. \pagebreakNum  ***Alignment.*** Being highly opportunistic, many gnolls are chaotic by nature. Furthermore, their fiendish origins and common disregard for other humanoids lead most to be innately evil- though a rare few lacking faith in Yeenoghu may adopt neutral alignments. Regardless, gnolls who stay true to their pack instincts are generally inclined to abide by the ideals of their chosen companions. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ***Bite.*** Your bite is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. ***Darkvision.*** Being moderately nocturnal, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. ***Menacing.*** You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. ***Scavenger.*** You can safely consume raw or rotting food and have advantage on saving throws against disease and ingested poison. ***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common. You can also speak Gnoll, though it lacks a script or written form. While much of the communication between gnolls consists of body language and expressive gestures, they also employ their own vocal language made up of various cackles, whoops, and other non-verbal sounds. And though many packs borrow spoken phrases from Abyssal in order to communicate their more complex ideas, most gnolls do not speak the language fluently. ***Subrace.*** Due to the rifts that largely exist between the gnolls, their clans each bear their own unique cultures and characteristics. The following clans are available as subrace options: Blackfang, Mosshide, Riverpaw, Stoneclaw, Cairnbriar, and Grimfur. Choose one of these clans for your gnoll character, renaming it to fit your backstory or campaign setting if desired. #### Clan Blackfang Mighty and merciless, the gnolls of Clan Blackfang embrace their ancestral ferocity and readily wield it against their foes. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases   by 1. ***Powerful Build.*** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. ***Rampage.*** Immediately after you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on your turn, you can move up to half of your speed and make an additional attack with your bite or with a melee weapon. If you make this attack with a weapon, you do not add your ability modifier to the damage of the attack. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest. \columnbreak #### Clan Mosshide As talented trackers and pack hunters, the gnolls of Clan Mosshide are both notoriously difficult to evade and remarkably quick to coordinate their attacks. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases   by 1. ***Fury of the Pack.*** When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to that creature if it has taken damage from one or more of your allies since your last turn. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest. ***Go for the Throat.*** You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your bite attack. ***Stalker's Tenacity.*** Whenever you make a Wisdom (Survival) check to track a creature, you are considered proficient in the Survival skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. #### Clan Riverpaw Bearing such powerful spiritual connections to the natural world that they count wild beasts among their packs, the gnolls of Clan Riverpaw are among the few known to venerate druids, sages, and oracles. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases   by 1. ***Gorellik's Gift.*** You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with non-aquatic predatory beasts. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them. ***Sagecraft.*** You can cast *Augury* once with this trait, ignoring the gold cost of the material components. You regain the ability to cast the spell this way when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. ***Wildsoul.*** You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. #### Clan Stoneclaw Swift and sturdy, the gnolls of Clan Stoneclaw charge brazenly into their adversaries, striving to outrun and outmuscle any who would become their quarry. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Constitution score increases by 1. ***Predatory Resolve.*** You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill. ***Sudden Rush.*** You can take the Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns. \pagebreakNum #### Clan Cairnbriar Feared for their association with death and psychomancy, the shamanistic gnolls of Clan Cairnbriar are often spoken of in whispered rumors of witchcraft and exhumation. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases   by 1. ***Deathsage.*** You can cast *Speak with Dead* once as a ritual, and it recharges after a long rest. ***Mystic.*** You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. ***Soulbinding.*** Whenever a creature you can see within 15 feet is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature is killed outright and you regain hit points equal to 1d4 + the creature's Constitution modifier (minimum of 0). Creatures that fail this saving throw can not benefit from healing or features that would prevent them from death, such as Undead Fortitude or Regeneration. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. Inorganic creatures, including most constructs and elementals, automatically succeed on this saving throw. Once you use this feature, you can not use it again until you complete a short or long rest. #### Clan Grimfur Touched by the grim goddess of darkness, Refnara the   Moon-Biter, the albinistic gnolls of Clan Grimfur detest the light and display mastery over fear at its most primal. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases   by 1. ***Chosen of Refnara.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. ***Hunter's Call.*** As an action on your turn, you can let out a terrifying howl, forcing each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. Targets that can't hear you automatically succeed on this saving throw. On a failed save, a target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened target takes any damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest. ***Smell Fear.*** You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. ***Superior Darkvision.*** Your darkvision has a range of 120 feet, instead of 60. ***Sunlight Sensitivity.*** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of the attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. \columnbreak <img src='https://www.gmbinder.com/images/qw2H81P.png' style='position:absolute;width:450px; bottom:500px; right:5px' /> <img src='https://www.gmbinder.com/images/nzPYZyD.png' style='position:absolute;width:1125px; bottom:240px; right:-345px' /> --- <div style='margin-top:469px'></div> ## Gnoll Racial Feats As a gnoll, you can take any of the following feats in place of an Ability Score Improvement. ### Carrion Eater You know better than to pass up a potential meal. You gain the following benefits: - Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You have advantage on skill checks made to harvest creatures. - Whenever you spend one or more Hit Dice to heal at the end of a short rest, you can regain an additional number of Hit Points equal to twice your character level. To gain this benefit, you must have spent at least 5 minutes since your last rest feasting on the corpse of a creature that is not a construct or elemental. Once you use this feature, you can not use it again until you complete a long rest. \pagebreakNum ### Animal Awareness *Prerequisite: Perception or Survival skill proficiency* ___ You have proven to be exceptionally aware of your animalistic senses. You gain the following benefits: - Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. - You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) skill checks that benefit from hearing or smell, such as those made to detect a hidden creature or to track one whose scent you are familiar with. ### Vicious Your bite is deadly and you are eager to prove it. You gain the following benefits: - The damage die of your bite increases to 1d6. - You have advantage on the first bite attack you make each round against a creature that is grappling or being grappled by you. - Whenever a creature within reach scores a critical hit against you, you can use your reaction to perform a bite attack against it. ___ > ## Text Credits > * Gnoll player race by Monco > * This race was heavily inspired by Keith Baker's *Playing Gnolls* and includes text that has been adapated from Mr. Baker's publication. > ##   > ## Image Credits > * GMBinder Icon - [*Slave Master Gristtlefang* by Miguel Regodón](https://www.artstation.com/miguelregodon) > * Greatclub gnoll - [*Arena Bred* (2010) © Wizards of the Coast (by Michael Phillippi)](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xLEO) > * Crossbow gnoll - [*Crafty Scrapshot* by Phu Thieu](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/GKYV4)