Demonic Origin
The first gnolls came into existence when the demon lord
Gnoll
WE ARRIVED IN THE RUINS OF THE VILLAGE ON
the third day. Based on the carnage, it was almost certainly
gnolls; orcs and goblins generally aren't inclined to eat their
victims. The flesh and muscle had been stripped from nearly
every corpse, and in a few cases the bones had even been
broken open for the marrow inside. In one place it appeared
as though the gnolls' insatiable hunger had even led them to
try and eat the wooden walls of a storage shed. Looking upon
carnage such as that makes it difficult to see gnolls as
anything other than pure evil. They are like a plague upon the
land, their numbers and their trail of destruction only
increasing with each raid.
– Garret Gamwich, A Journal of Journeys
Insatiable Hunger
A gnoll's thoughts are almost entirely consumed by a single
drive: to eat. A gnoll warband will travel across the
countryside killing and eating any living thing they can get
their hands on. They revel in the kill and in the feast; the more
violent the slaughter and the more indulgent the feast, the
better. A gnoll's hunger is almost never sated; a warband may
stop for a few days after consuming the denizens and livestock
of a particularly large town, but they will inevitably be on the
move again not long after. In the absence of other food
sources, gnolls will even eat each other in desparation.
Yeenoghu rampaged across the material plane. Wherever he
went, packs of hyenas followed in his wake, scavenging on his
kills. Any that ate from a corpse slain by Yeenoghu was
transformed into a gnoll, filled with an insatiable hunger for
more flesh. The first gnolls followed after Yeenoghu,
continuing to scavenge off his destruction. Once Yeenoghu
was banished back to the abyss, the gnolls had to find their
own sources of food - and so began their own slaughter.
Playing a Gnoll
Gnolls typically travel in warbands of other gnolls, and are
usually consumed by their insatiable hunger. Consider why
your gnoll character is not traveling with a typical warband.
Were they captured and enslaved, now put to use for their
ferocity in battle? Are they a spy for their warband, sent to
undermine their enemies from within? Or have they mastered
their desires, and now chart their own path in the world?
Volo's Guide to Monsters offers more resources for defining
your gnoll character. Typical gnoll characteristics can be found
on page 36, and tips for playing a monstrous adventurer can
be found on page 118.
Gnoll Names
Being so singularly focused on food, most gnolls do not have
names or see a need for them. Particularly powerful gnolls,
such as pack leaders or Fangs of Yeenoghu, might be granted
a name by Yeenoghu himself.
No distinction is made between males and females when
names are granted; to Yeenoghu, all gnolls are simply engines
for destruction.
Gnoll names: Aargab, Alark, Andak, Ethak, Eyeth, Ignar,
Immor, Oduk, Orrom, Otal, Ulthak, Ustar.
Gnoll Traits
Your gnoll character has the following racial trats.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases
by 1.
Age. Gnolls mature quickly, and are fully grown by age 7. A
gnoll can live as long as 30, though many die in battle first.
Alignment. Due to the influence of Yeenoghu, most gnolls
are concerned only with killing and devouring as much as
possible. Most gnolls are Chaotic Evil.
Size. Gnolls are generally quite large, standing between 7
and 8 feet tall. They aren't particularly heavy for their size,
generally clocking in at around 300 lbs.
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 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.
Rampage. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with
a melee attack on your turn, you can take a bonus action to
move up to half your speed and make a bite attack.
 Carrion Eater. Your body is well adapted to eating rotten
and decaying meat. You have advantage on Constitution
saving throws to resist the effects of spoiled food, such as
diseases or the poisoned condition.
Languages. You speak Common and Gnoll. Gnoll consists
of whines, cackles, and howls, and has no written form.
Gnoll Warrior
Gnoll warriors are the most common type of gnoll, and make
up the backbone of any warband. They are the strongest and
most savage of all the common varieties of gnoll, and can put
enough force into their attacks to leave weaker foes
staggering.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
by 2.
Savage Strike. When you hit with a melee weapon attack,
you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice an additional
time and add it as extra damage of the weapon's damage type.
After you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish
a short or long rest.
Gnoll Hunter
Hunters are particularly adept at moving through areas
undetected. They often range ahead of a warband, picking off
sentries to ensure the gnolls' future victims have no idea
what's coming.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Hunter's Talents. You have proficiency in the Perception
and Stealth skills.
Gnoll Flesh Gnawer
Flesh Gnawers are much faster than other gnolls. They
typically chase down isolated targets or anyone who manages
to escape the main slaughter, ensuring that nobody but the
gnolls leaves the battle alive.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by
an additional 1 (total of 2), and your Constitution score
increases by 1.
Sudden Rush. As an action, you can surge forward with
unexpected speed. Until the end of your turn, your speed
increases by 60 feet and you don't provoke opportunity
attacks. When you take this action, you can also make one
melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
After you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish
a short or long rest.
Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu
Sometimes a gnoll will cause so much havoc and mayhem
that Yennoghu takes notes of them specifically. In these cases,
Yeenoghu rewards them by turning them into a Fang of
Yeenoghu. These Fangs can create more gnolls much in the
same way Yeenoghu did originally - any hyena who feasts on a
corpse slain by a fang will tranform into a new gnoll.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
by 2.
Poison Maw. When you hit a creature with your bite attack,
they must make a Constitution saving throw or else take 1d4
poison damage. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your
proficiency modifier + your Constitution modifier.
Credits
Gnoll player race by /u/Enraric
Gnoll Flesh Gnawer art by Wizards of the Coast
Frostgrave Gnolls art by Dmitry Burmak
Gnoll names taken from Volo's Guide to Monsters.
This document is unofficial Fan Content permitted
under the Fan Content Policy. Not
approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the
materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast.
©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
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