Homebrew Free Gnoll Species Details

Fury of the Free

Though they no longer hear the words of Yeenoghu calling them to endless hunger, the Free Gnolls often feel the compulsion to destroy. The driving voice that led them may be gone but it's absence hasn't cured them of their destructive nature. The most important feature of any Gnoll is their violent impulses. It's an instinctual behavior for them, they know nothing else. Even Gnolls who have chosen the path of a "hero" will often seek the most blunt and direct solution to their problems. They understand the importance of a "Second Chance" as they would not exist without such mercy, yet they rarely extend such generosity any further. There are no "third chances" among Free Gnolls. 

Despite their lack of interest in the ways of Paladins, Clerics and others who worship and follow the will of Gods; the Free Gnolls prove themselves time and time again to be unfailingly devoted to kinship and some sense of justice. Though they believe the strongest deserve the most, they equally believe that the strongest should both lead and protect the pact. Responsibility is held in the utmost respect among Free Gnolls, and so it should be in any adventuring party. A powerful but dumb Gnoll may choose to lead and protect a party of smarter but weaker Gnolls, yet they will also realize the value and responsibility of their smarter pack-mates. A wise Gnoll knows that brute force is easily overcome by organized numbers.

Feral Fiends

All gnolls share certain traits. There is a strong, instinctive bond between gnolls of the same bloodline. Gnoll clans can and do fight one another, and they see struggles for dominance within a clan, but pack mentality is a powerful force within gnoll life. This is reflected in battle: Gnolls are pack hunters who work together to bring down their prey, ganging up on an enemy instead of striving for individual glory. Beyond this, gnolls are shaped by two forces: the primal nature of the hyena, and the pure malevolence of the demon.

Brutal Savages

The gnoll followers of Yeenoghu embrace the fury of the fiend, which results in their legendary brutality. Aggression is a tangible force within the soul of the gnoll and even with their ties to Yeenoghu broken they still feel an impulse to perform acts of brutality whenever the opportunity is presented. Gnolls in Civilization know that they must 'behave' among the other races - and often feel resentment towards those who keep watch over them - so many of them find careers as mercenaries, soldiers, thugs or even bodyguards if it affords them an opportunity to unleash their fury against an enemy in full.

The Soul of the Hyena

Gnolls agree that Yeenoghu gave birth to their race as it was the tainted corpses of his foes which turned the carrion-feeding Hyenas into the monstrosities they are now. However these days few Gnolls worship the Lord of Savagery. Though the fury of the fiend runs through the blood of the gnoll, some reject this demonic heritage and find solace in the spirit of the hyena that lies within them. Over the course of generations, this has produced clans of gnolls that are less savage than the Butcher’s Brood. Typically unaligned as opposed to chaotic evil, these gnolls still live as nomadic hunters on the fringes of society. However, they are more likely to hunt wild beasts than civilized creatures, and they take no joy in torture or unnecessary cruelty. These gnolls still love the thrill of the hunt, especially when tracking together with others of their pack; it is this that keeps them tied to the wild life, instead of settling down to form static communities. But they do not attack peaceful villages without serious provocation. They love to hunt and track—not to slaughter. Such gnolls usually come to terms with the humans or other settlers who share their lands, and they might sell their services as trappers or hunters. Although they trade with members of other species, gnolls prefer the company of their own kind, along with their hyena companions. They do not take slaves, and while they do not kill peaceful humans who come to their camps, neither do they make them feel welcome. These gnolls are still predators and carnivores; while they are not quick to anger, a visitor to a gnoll camp would be wise to mind his manners. When dealing with these gnolls, think of how their primal nature might play into their personalities. A gnoll is more comfortable in the wilds than in a town. He is a pack animal and prefers the company of his kin to solitude. Like the hyena, he is content to scavenge others’ kills—but like the hyena, he is a hunter and predator, ready to fight if provoked. Gnolls that follow the path of the hyena make excellent rangers; they might lack the brutal talents of the torturer of Yeenoghu, but they typically have excellent Nature and Perception skills.

Friendly Intimidation

Humans typically find that even friendly gnolls seem aggressive. When performed correctly, gnolls do not consider intimidation to be a hostile act; instead, the speaker is asserting its strength and seeking to establish its place in the pack hierarchy. One of the simple ways that this comes across is that a gnoll almost never makes requests; when possible, it makes demands, or at the least firm statements. Instead of “Can I help you?” the gnoll says “Tell me what you want!”—pushing the target to take action.

Childish Games

Gnolls aggression starts young. As soon as a gnoll pup is capable of walking, it starts fighting with other young gnolls. Pups seek out small tunnels that adults can’t fit into; in these mazes, they fight to the death. This practice weeds out weaker gnolls, but it also keeps their numbers down—one reason these vicious creations don’t pose more of a threat to the world at large.

The Voice in the Darkness

Folktales say that gnolls can mimic voices to lure enemies into danger. And there is truth to these tales; Gnolls are known to be nearly on par with Kenku in the realm of mimicry - with followers of Yeenoghu having used this skill to bait Adventurers into an ambush in the past. You may consider your Gnoll capable of imitating voices it has heard before with a Deception check of 8+proficiency contested by the target's Perception or Insight skill.

The Language of Demons

The gnoll language is the strongest evidence supporting the theory that gnolls have fiendish blood. Gnolls have an innate knack for the Abyssal language; even if a pup is raised outside gnoll society, the words come to the gnoll from dreams and vague memories. Gnolls also have a knack for the path of the infernal pact warlock. This need not reflect service to Yeenoghu; some gnolls find that they have a gift for harnessing the infernal power that lies latent in their blood, which is a gift of distant demonic heritage.

Religion

The Free Gnolls have made a conscious effort to defy all Gods and otherworldly Patrons, as a result very few of them become clerics or warlocks with the exception of the Fiendish ones who find power in their own heritage.  If a Gnoll does select a Deity to follow it is usually due to similar interests revolving around their lust for violence, the thrill of the hunt, the joy of a good challenge, or other such features that push the Gnoll to exceed in some physical sense. Consider this when choosing your Patron or Deity.

Lone Wanderers

While Gnolls lean in favor of a pack mentality some may go off on their own to fulfill a personal quest - usually revolving around a challenging task that the Gnoll has pit against himself. Some find themselves at home in civilizations where Gladiatorial combat is a main entertainment spectacle - willingly entering the ring with a grin at the thought of being praised to slay another skilled opponent. Some are simply the last of their tribe, as in-fighting does occur from time to time, and may seek companionship to replace the tribe they've lost.

Physical Qualities

Gnolls tower over humans, with the average gnoll standing over 7 feet tall. Despite their physical strength, gnolls are lean; gnolls are rarely musclebound, and they move with remarkable speed. Their eyes are bright green or yellow, and gleam whenever they catch the light. Gnolls are 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. A number of gnoll bloodlines have members (both male and female) who possess crest-like manes of hair that run from the head and down the spine; these rise up when gnolls are frightened or angry. Although these are general traits, the traces of demonic blood in gnolls can produce unusual features. An obvious example of this are the talons of the gnoll claw fighter, but this can manifest in lesser ways. A gnoll might have gleaming red eyes, or black fur with fiery orange spots; a wide range of variation is possible. Gnolls mature with remarkable speed for intelligent humanoids; some cite this as proof of their demonic heritage and suggest that it is unnatural for a creature to be ready for battle so soon after birth. They have short life spans—in fact, they rarely live longer than fifty years, but they typically remain remarkably strong and vigorous right up to the end of their days. When their strength leaves them, it is a sudden and catastrophic decline.

Favored Classes

With their primal fury and natural inclination towards brutality Gnolls make excellent Barbarians, though others who revel in the hunt become Rangers.  Warlocks are a common staple of the old legends and sometimes viewed as sages among their kin. Gnolls in Civilization greatly enjoy the teachings of the Fighter class and others enjoy the stealth and deception of the Rogue.

Free Gnoll Traits

Age, Size, Ability Score Increase, Immunity to Poison, Constitution Increase, Advantage

Ability Score Increase

Due to your heritage as a Carrion feeder you recieve a +2 to Constitution and have advantage in Saving Throws against Poison or Disease

Age

Gnolls reach Maturity at a mere 5-10 years of age usually, but live far shorter lives than other races.  It's rare - with their vicious nature - for them to live past 30 but some have been seen to go on as long as 50 before their strength suddenly leaves them and they drift into the final sleep.

Alignment

Free Gnolls favor true neutrality, only offering help to others when it interests them on a personal level - such as potentially facing a mighty opponent. Those in civilization are Lawful as needed to maintain a level of trust with locals and some may find themselves leaning towards evil or good depending on how accepted they feel. A Gnoll who is consistently under strict supervision may feel his fury rising and pushing him toward Evil tendencies while a Gnoll who is trusted enough to roam freely through the cities may become Good-aligned.

Size

Gnolls tower over humans, few - if any - stand less than 7 feet tall and can grow as tall as 8 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base movement speed is 30 feet.

Septic 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 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. When you make this bite attack your target must roll a Constitution saving throw against 8 + your proficiency + your Constitution modifier or be infected with a Disease of your DM's choice (Or suffer the Poisoned condition if the DM prefers). 

Poisoned: A poisoned creature has disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Ability Checks.

Scavenger

As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as leatherworker's tools

Darkvision

Due to your Fiendish lineage 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 attack on your turn, you may use a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make a bite attack.

Proficiencies

Due to your size and appearance you have natural proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Your Heritage as a creature hailing from harsh landscapes affords you proficiency in the Survival skill.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common and Abyssal.

Claws

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