Gnoll (5e Race)

## **Gnolls**

*"Bring me their heads! Bring me their flesh! Bring me their bones! Bring everything they own to me, and burn it to the ground!"*

*-Dagnyr, a pack lord gnoll*

### 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. The gnolls then scattered across the face of the world, a dire reminder of demonic power.

### Nomadic Destroyers

Gnolls are dangerous because they strike at random. They emerge from the wilderness, plunder and slaughter, then move elsewhere. 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 the towns, villages, and farms that surround the castle are ablaze, their people slaughtered and devoured.

### Murderous Scavengers

Gnolls rarely build permanent structures or craft anything of lasting value. They don't make weapons or armor, but scavenge such items from the corpses of their fallen victims, stringing ears, teeth, scalps, and other trophies from their foes onto their patchwork armor.

### Gnoll Names

Gnoll names tend to sound like the growling and yipping of hyenas, combined with utterings and phrases from the Abyssal language, making their names very hard for most races to pronounce or understand.

**Male Gnoll Names:** Dagnyr, Dhyrn, Doryc, Ghyrryn, Gnasc, Gnoryc, Gnyrn, Hyrn, Lhoryn, Lhyr, Mognyr, Sorgnyn, Thyrn, Toryc, Yrgnyn, Yrych

**Female Gnoll Names:** Dagnyra, Gnara, Gnora, Gnyrl, Hyra, Hyrgna, Lhyra, Lhyrl, Malgna, Myrl, Sargna, Shyrla, Tarnyra, Yrgna

### Gnoll Traits

Your gnoll character has the following racial traits.

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

***Age.*** Gnolls mature at a faster pace than most races, maturing at age 6 and living for only up to 40 years.

***Alignment.*** Almost all gnolls have an inclination towards the ways of chaos, from both having the blood of a demon lord, and the body of one of hyenas.

***Size.*** Gnolls are typically over 7 feet tall, and weigh almost twice as much as humans do. Your size is Medium.

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

***Bite.*** Your fanged maw 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.*** Your ancestors have spent long nights hunting, granting you the ability to see in the night better. 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.

***Rampage.*** When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon attack, you can move up to half of your movement speed and make one bite attack, as a bonus action.

***Ferocity.*** The natural hunting instinct you have enables you to crush your foes. When you miss with an attack roll, you can choose to reroll it, adding your Strength modifier (min +1) as a bonus to the attack roll. After using this feature, you must take a short or long rest before doing so again.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Gnoll, and Abyssal. Gnoll is a series of loud yips, barks, and snarls, that can be understood by only gnolls, hyenas, and the rare few that choose to learn the language.

***Subrace.*** Two kinds of gnolls live in the realms: pack lord gnolls, and ghutouched gnolls. Choose one of them for your character.

### **Gnoll Subraces**

#### **Pack Lord**

The leaders of groups of gnolls, pack lords command their allies, using both their intimidating appearance and the fear of their companions as a boon for them both.

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

***Menacing.*** You gain proficiency in Intimidation.

***Incite Rampage.*** As a bonus action, you can make one creature within 30 ft. of you use it's reaction to make a weapon attack, if it can hear you. After using this feature, you can only use it again after a short or long rest.

#### **Ghutouched**

Ghutouched gnolls are gnolls that have been blessed by their demonic lord, Yeenoghu. These gnolls typically possess odd traits, such as small horns, glowing or unusually colored eyes, or two tails.

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

***Yeenoghu's Spellcasting.*** You know the *produce flame* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *burning hands* spell once per long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the *scorching ray* spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

**Detect Balance Score**

**Base: 19**

**Pack Lord: 19 + 9 = 28**

**Ghutouched: 19 + 10 = 29**

## **Racial Feats**

### **Flind Training**

*Requirements: You must be a gnoll.*

An archdemon or god, most likely Yeenoghu, has bestowed upon you the gift of becoming a flind.

* Your Strength score increases by 1.
* You gain proficiency in one martial weapon of your choice.
* When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal an additional 2d8 psychic damage. After using this feature, you must take a short or long rest before doing so again.