Gnoll

Bestial and bloodthirsty, gnolls are a savage race of hyena folk considered a blight upon the face of Omeria by other races. Great numbers of gnolls inhabit the Desolation of Ditimaya and the Wither, spreading terror to all who enter these lands.

Fiend-Touched

Gnolls owe their existence to the disease known as "the fang." Large packs of gnolls carry the disease among them. When they strike a humanoid civilization, there is a chance that the pack is carrying the disease. The disease is almost always fatal to those who contract it. Once a humanoid dies from the fang, their body bloats into a gruesome incubator. After two hours, a new gnoll "hatches" from the corpse, fully grown.

Because of the way they procreate, all gnolls are asexual. Interestingly, there are still "male" and "female" gnolls, however, they do not understand nor care about the differences in their respective anatomies.

Gnoll Adventurers

Occasionally, there are gnolls who break free from their desire to maim and kill, and gain a form of self-awareness. These gnolls—referred to as "dull minds" by their brethren—will usually ply their skills with the sword and bow to those who see value in the gnoll's naturally aggressive nature. Naturally, such creatures are often met with fear and disdain as nearly all gnolls are ruthless killers. It's hard for them to shake the stereotype.

Gnoll Names

To gnolls, it seems pointless to name something that lives such a short life. Most gnolls won't receive a name until they've lived for at least one year. Even then, the name is usually a descriptor of the gnoll, something used to differentiate it from the other members of the pack. Although the names are given in the Gnoll tongue, the literal translations for such names are "skunk stink", "rotten tooth," "bloody fur", and so on.

Gnoll Names. Gheikork, Guzzekx, Khikeih, Meikx, Varg, Trucekk, Thecc, Thergar, Varg, Zeih

Gnoll Traits

You share the following traits in common with all other gnolls.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age.

Due to the supernatural method in which gnolls are created, gnolls are born fully-grown, needing only a few hours to get their bearings. Gnolls live short life spans relative to other humanoids. Those that aren't put to the sword typically live no more than thirty years.

Alignment.

Gnolls are fiend-touched creatures whose minds quake with the desire to kill and devour all living creatures. They are almost always chaotic evil. A small number of gnolls rise above the craven and violent nature of their fellows, taking pride in their skill at arms and their natural ferocity.

Size.

Gnolls stand slightly taller than humans, ranging from 6 to 7 feet in height. Your size is Medium.

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision.

Your fiendish heritage grants you better-than-normal vision in the dark. 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 jaws are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. On a hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Plaguebearer.

You are immune to disease.

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. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short rest.

Languages.

You can speak, read, and write Common, and you can speak Gnoll. The gnoll language is a whiny-sounding language characterized by yips, yelps, and barks, as well as regular high-pitched giggling often mistaken for laughter or joy. Gnolls do not share a written language.