Homebrew Gnoll Species Details

"SHOULD YOU BE SO BRAZEN OR MISFORTUNED

to stand before the savage hyenafolk, take heed. Gnolls bear an appetite
not for gold, nor for such ideals as honor or mercy. Only those who have
proven themselves as loyal kin to the fearsome wanderers may be
spared their instinctive hostility and honored with the intensity of their fellowship."

     —Scholar Brammir, The Denmatron's Rebellion

Centuries ago, the gnolls of the Znir Pact turned their backs on the worship of fiends, resolving to live as free people. Gnolls are infamous among races such as humans and elves for their brutality and demonic heritage. For the most part, they aren't wrong. Many gnoll packs are indeed aggressive and have a demonic side to their affairs. Typically they worship the demon lord Yeenoghu. They also tend to be rather aggressive and are still mistrusted and avoided. To them, the pack is more important than anything else.

Demonic Origin

Demon-worshiping is not the only reason many races are wary of gnolls. A lean, muscular 7-foot tall gnoll can be an imposing sight. Despite their musculature, they move rather quickly, easily outpacing most other races. Gnolls also outpace most other races in how quickly they mature. A gnoll matures by the age of 5 and lives to be about 30. Oddly a gnoll's vitality will remain with them until very soon before their natural death.

Gnolls have reflective eyes that are typically bright green or yellow. They also have a thick coat of fur, which is generally light brown or dark brown. Certain clans may possess a single-colored coat or a spotted or striped coat. Some gnolls possess crest like manes of hair going from their head down their spine which rise up when they become frightened or angry.

Adding to other races distrust about gnolls, occasionally a gnoll's demonic ancestry will result in peculiar physical traits. This might be manifested in the claws of gnoll claw fighters or an abnormal eye or coat colors.

Nomadic Destroyer

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.

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.

 

Thirst for Blood

The gnolls' frenzied bloodlust makes them an enemy to all, and when they lack a common foe, they fight among themselves. Even the most savage orcs avoid allying with gnolls.

However, not all gnoll tribes are evil. There are a scattered few nomadic tribes who specialize as hunters and trappers. They may even come to peacefully interact with other races and often offer their service as hunters or trappers. Even so, they remain fairly aggressive and quick to anger, so other races have to be careful not to offend them.

Gnoll Names

The most important identifier for a Znir gnoll is its whoop. While deceptively short, a whoop includes a range of ultrasonic inflections that indicate clan, a personal identifier, and a suggestion of family affiliation (the Znir trace lineage through the mother). Because it’s impossible for most nongnolls to properly replicate a whoop, gnolls also use contract names—names intended to be used with clients and other outsiders. There is a basic structure of contract names used by all gnolls; the inflection of the name indicates gender, though few people recognize this if they don’t speak Gnoll. The Znir typically attach clan name to a formal introduction: “Ghyrryn Barrakas, Znir.”

Gnoll Contract Names: Dagnyr, Dhyrn, Ghyrryn, Gnasc, Gnoryc, Gnyrn, Gnyrl, Hyrn, Lhoryn, Lhyr, Lhyrl, Mognyr, Myrl, Sorgnyn, Thyrn, Toryc, Yrgnyn, Yrych

Gnoll Traits

Your Gnoll character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Constitution score increases by 1. In addition, either your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 2

Age.

 Young gnolls grow with uncanny speed. A gnoll is capable of fending for itself after only a few months, and is considered an adult at 5 years of age. Gnolls live to be around 30 years old. They remain vigorous until the end; death by old age is marked by a catastrophic decline over a space of a few days. Many believe this unusual lifecycle is tied to the supernatural origins of the gnoll.

Size.

Gnolls are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 250 to 320 pounds. 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 gray.

Bite.

Your teeth are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Hunter's Senses.

You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Perception, Stealth or Survival.

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 Gnoll, and your choice of either Common or Goblin.