Gnoll

Gnolls are feral humanoids resembling hyenas that attack settlements along the frontiers and borderlands of Faerun without warning, slaughtering their victims, devouring their flesh, and cackling madly. The following features are intended for a player character race and not meant to be used with the **gnoll** statistic block in the Monster Manual.

## **Demonic Origin**

The origin of the gnolls traces back to a time when the demon lord Yeenoghu found his way to the Material Plane and ran amok. Packs of ordinary hyenas followed in his wake, scavenging the demon lord's kills. Those hyenas were transformed into the first gnolls, parading after Yeenoghu until he was banished back to the Abyss. Gnolls then scattered across the face of the world, a dire reminder of demonic power.

Gnolls who have taken to adventuring have broken free from the shackles of Yeenoghu, and no longer follow the demon lord blindly. This does not necessarily mean that all gnolls who seek adventure have forsaken his bloodlust, only that such a bloodlust is now the gnoll's own and not of Yeenoghu's instinct. This usually puts the adventuring breed of gnolls at odds with the fangs of Yeenoghu, who serve as extensions of his will. Thus, they are often forced to wander.

## **Nomadic Destroyers**

Gnolls are dangerous because they strike at random. They emerge from the wilderness, plunder and slaughter. They attack like a plague of locusts, pillaging settlements and leaving little behind but razed buildings, gnawed corpses, and befouled land. Gnolls choose easy targets for their raids. Armored warriors holed up in a fortified castle will survive a rampaging gnoll horde unscathed, even as towns, villages, and farms surrounding it burn.

Gnolls rarely build permanent structures or craft anything of lasting value. They don't make weapons or armor, but plunder such items from the corpses of their fallen victims. At the core of their nature, they are scavengers.

## **Fangs of Yeenoghu**

The bane of adventuring gnolls are creatures favored by Yeenoghu called fangs. In much the same way Yeenoghu created the first gnolls, a hyena that feasts upon the fang's kills undergoes a horrible transformation, becoming a full grown adult gnoll. Much like the fangs themselves, these gnolls are filled with an insatiable lust for blood.

## **Gnoll Names**

Gnoll names are usually of two varieties. The most common type of naming refers to physical characteristics the gnoll might possess. The second type refers to deeds the gnoll has accomplished or foes vanquished. There is also a third type of name that gnolls use amongst themselves, which tend to sound like guttural growls and barks. Gnolls have little difference between male and female names, with the exception being that the deed names of females tend to be focused on domestic duties and hunting rather than battle.

Description Names: Blackfang, Whitetooth, Splitsnag, Goregrin, Dustfur, Scumeyes, Cracknail

Deed Names: Brokenspear, Raindance, Clayface, Armorbreaker, Deadeye, Cleftclub, Goldclaw

True Names: Rruor, Khaz, Dirrg, Brykx, Groh, Gruzz, Vyrr, Krizz, Awrg, Yurrn, Kuhr

## **Gnoll Traits**

Your ferocious nature grants you traits in common with your hyena ancestors.

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

**Age.** Gnolls mature incredibly rapidly, possibly due to the demonic tinge still in their bloodline. They are fully grown and able to fight by the age of 2. Adventuring gnolls do not usually strike off until 5 or so. The perilous gnoll lifestyle combined with their hyena metabolisms usually limits their lifespan to roughly 40 years.

**Alignment.** As the spawn of Yeenoghu, all gnolls feel the pull toward chaotic evil. Those who broken away from Yeenoghu can, with great struggle, find themselves turning away from evil. The chaos in their blood, however, is far more difficult to overcome. To encounter a gnoll ruled by law or good is a truly rare thing, as such a creature has managed to turn against its very nature for its ideals.

**Size.** Gnolls stand between 7 and 8 feet tall when fully erect and average about 250-350 pounds, although they often adopt a hunched posture. Your size is Medium.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Darkvision.** 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 grey.

**Rampage.** When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack or a spell that requires an attack roll on your turn, you can take a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make a single melee attack or cast a cantrip that requires an attack roll.

**Carrion Eaters.** Your hyena ancestry allows you to survive on certain foods that others would not be able to stomach. You can consume and gain nourishment from raw meat that has been exposed or spoiled for up to one week without becoming ill.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnoll. Gnoll is a guttural language of barks, howls, yelps, and growls. Hyenas also understand basic commands in Gnoll.

**Subrace.** Two subraces of playable gnolls are available: hill gnolls and grave gnolls. Choose from one of these subraces.

## **Hill Gnoll (Dustback)**

Hill gnolls are the most common type of gnoll, prone to raiding and pillaging. When commonfolk cry "gnolls!," they are usually talking about hill gnolls, who some observant folk have taken to calling dustbacks. They have fur that ranges from a tawny tan to golden brown and even some russet tones. Hill gnolls are ambushers and bullies, they overwhelm their opposition with scare tactics and sheer numbers. Their cackle is high-pitched and piercing, heralding their attacks.

Hill gnolls are resourceful combatants, able to wield large bones with the same deadly skill as battle axes. Their dense, limber physiques enhance their martial prowess.

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Strength score increases by 2.

**Dustback Weapon Training.** You have proficiency with improvised weapons, flindbars (a segmented greatclub), spears, and longbows.

**Feral Cackle.** As an action, you can emit a baying laugh to instill a rampage in another. One creature that you can see within 30 feet of you can use its reaction to make a single melee attack if it can hear the cackle. You must complete a short or long rest before you can use this trait again.

**Bloodlust.** You have advantage on the bonus action granted by your Rampage trait.

## **Grave Gnoll (Ashmane)**

The grave gnolls are a more secretive lot than their dusty cousins, preferring to skulk and scavenge in the dark. They are called ashmanes for the pale grey shades of their fur. Their eyes cast an eerie green luster and their claws are dark as pitch. Grave gnolls lurk around cemeteries, battlefields, and other sites of death and burial to feast on the carrion.

Ashmanes are known for their preternatural awareness and cunning. They are adept with poisons and remain more touched by their demonic origins than the dustbacks. Thus many ashmanes are born with abyssal wild magic in their blood or go on to make dark pacts with fell beings.

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Charisma score increases by 2.

**Vile Skulker.** You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill and with artisan's tools (poisoner's kit).

**Keen Hearing and Smell.** You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing and smell.

**Extra Language.** You can speak, read, and write Abyssal.