# Gnoll
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.
#### Physical Description
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 right up until they die of natural causes. Assuming they live that long.
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 as an abnormal eye or coat colors.
#### History
Gnolls are widely known as raiders and slavers. In the middle of the night, they attack a village or town, killing and eating guards and taking slaves. These slaves are then brutalized physically and mentally. This has become an art among many gnoll tribes. In fact, many gnoll tribes have “tantekurash” or “spirit breakers” who are experts at breaking the wills of slaves. If the slave resists, he/she is eaten. Occasionally a slave’s mind becomes so broken they revere the brutality of their gnoll captors. They then become “kryshantel” or “savage souls” who follow their gnoll masters into battle as thralls.
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. Such Gnolls have found ways to escape the influence of Yeenoghu, but must always be wary not to draw attention to themselves lest they find several warbands descending upon them.
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#### Society
While there may be struggles within packs to determine who the alpha is, throughout these conflicts, both sides remain allies. To gnolls, the good of the pack is far more important than any personal glory. As a result, gnolls can be loyal to a fault to their chosen pack. In battle gnolls strive endlessly to prevent their packmates from being harmed, even taking an injury themselves.
Furthermore, a gnoll's mind is undeniably primal. They are natural predators and love the thrill and challenge of the hunt. This has resulted in a few traits in most gnolls. For the most part, gnolls prefer the wilds to any sort of urban area, though there are exceptions who see a city as a unique form of wilderness. Moreover, gnolls typically avoid diplomacy in favor of intimidating an answer out of others. It is simpler that way.
#### Gnoll Names
The brutality of gnolls is reflected even in their names which tend to have many harsh consonants.
**Male** Dagnyr, Dhyrn, Doryc, Ghyrryn, Gnasc, Gnoryc, Gnyrn, Hyrn, Lhoryn, Lhyr, Mognyr, Sorgnyn, Thyrn, Toryc, Yrgnyn, Yrych
**Female** Dagnyra, Gnara, Gnora, Gnyrl, Hyra, Hyrgna, Lhyra, Lhyrl, Malgna, Myrl, Sargna, Shyrla, Tarnyra, Yrgna
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### Gnoll Traits
Gnolls are brutal hunters with a demonic ancestry who are fiercely loyal to their pack.
**Ability Score Increase.** Your Constitution score increases by 1.
**Age.** Gnolls reach adulthood by the age of 5 and live to around 30.
**Alignment.** Gnolls are usually chaotic neutral or evil, though there are exceptions.
**Size.** Most gnolls are between 7 and 7 and a half feet tall. 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.** You are proficient with your bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack that deals 1d4 piercing damage. You may use either your Strength or your Dexterity modifier for this Attack.
**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnoll. Gnoll is a harsh language that is a combination of canine barks and laughing sounds that has no alphabet of its own, and instead uses Abyssal for its script.
**Subrace.** There are three main subraces of gnolls that populate the worlds of D&D: Raiders, Hunters, and Pack Lords. Choose one of these subraces.
#### Raider
The Raider is the quintessential gnoll. Fast, brutal, and an efficient killer. Often commanded by a Pack Lord or Flind and aided by Hunters, they are the frontline combatants of every warband. Raiders are particularly violent when slaughtering weaker foes, often rampaging to a new victim as the previous one's body falls to the ground. Raiders prefer versatile weapons that can be equally used in melee and thrown should their prey try to escape, but every gnoll not-so-secretly favors the flail for inflicting maximum pain and suffering.
**Ability Score Increase.** Your Strength score increases by 2.
**Rampage.** When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on your turn, you may, as a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make a bite attack.
**Weapon Training.** You are Proficient in Spears and Flails.
#### Hunter
Hunters are the stealthiest gnolls in a war band, and they put their talents to use on the battlefield in a number of ways. In the vanguard of a war band, hunters creep around, picking off isolated opposition while clearing the way for the rest of the force to run roughshod over the enemy's territory. Hunters are particularly skilled with the longbow, and they fire arrows with viciously barbed heads. Even when a hunter doesn't kill its target with its first shot, the arrow strike brings so much pain that the victim is hobbled in its attempt to run away. When a hunter on the prowl finds prey and isn't concerned about remaining stealthy, it sounds a horn crafted from bone that produces a keening wail similar to a banshee's yell.
**Ability Score Increase.** Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
**Harrying Blow.** Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with ranged weapon attack, you can reduce that creature’s speed by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. This ability also affects thrown weapons.
**Weapon Training.** You are proficient in Longbows and Shortbows.
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#### Pack Lord
Gnoll pack lords are usually born under signs considered to be auspicious, or after a particularly bloody raid. They rule through a combination of might and cunning, taking the best spoils from the warband's raids. Food, valuable trinkets, slaves, and even magic items. Some even go as far as to ornament their bodies with brutal piercings and grotesque trophies, dyeing their fur with demonic sigils, hoping Yeenoghu will make them invulnerable.
**Ability Score Increase.** Either your Strength or Charisma score increases by 2, player's choice.
**Incite Rampage.** As a Bonus Action on your Turn, you may incite a rampage in one of your allies. They may use their Reaction to make a single Melee Weapon Attack. Your ally must be within 30ft and be able to see and hear you to be affected by this ability. You may use this ability once per Short Rest.
**Weapon Training.** You are proficient in Flails and Glaives.
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## Feat
### Blessing of Yeenoghu
*Prerequisite: Gnoll*
Your demonic heritage has manifested in new and terrifying ways. You have the following benefits.
Your Bite attack's damage increased to 1d6.
You grow large claws, which are natural weapons you can use to make unarmared strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.
If you make a bite attack as an action, you can use your bonus action to make an attack with your claws.
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## New Monsters
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> ## Hyena (Variant)
>*Medium beast, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 13 (Natural Armor)
> - **Hit Points** 11 (2d8 + 2)
> - **Speed** 50ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|15 (+2)|12 (+1)|12 (+1)|3 (-4)|12 (+1)|6 (-2)|
>___
> - **Skills** Perception +3
> - **Senses** Passive Perception 13
> - **Challenge** 1/4 (50 XP)
> ___
> ***Pack Tactics*** The hyena has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hyena's allies is within 5ft of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
>
> ***Strong Jaw*** The hyena's bite attack deals +2 damage.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. *Hit* 7 (2d4 + 4)
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___
> ## Dire Hyena
>*Large beast, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 12 (Dexterity)
> - **Hit Points** 45 (6d10 + 12)
> - **Speed** 50ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|16 (+3)|14 (+2)|14 (+2)|2 (-4)|12 (+1)|7 (-2)|
>___
> - **Skills** Perception +3
> - **Senses** Passive Perception 13
> - **Challenge** 1 (200 XP)
> ___
> ***Rampage*** When the dire hyena reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the dire hyena can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack.
>
> ***Pack Tactics*** The dire hyena has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the dire hyena's allies is within 5ft of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
>
> ***Strong Jaw*** The dire hyena's bite attack deals +2 damage.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. *Hit* 12 (2d6 + 5)
