Gnoll

Gnolls remind the world of the horrors posed by the hordes of the Abyss, and the damage that even the briefest demonic incursion can inflict on the world.
Whenever the demon lord Yeenoghu enters the Material Plane and goes on a rampage, he leaves a great trail of corpses in his wake. As the Lord of Savagery despoils the land, packs of hyenas trail him and feast on the victims until the dead flesh of Yeenoghu's prey leave them bloated and unable to move. Then, in a shower of blood and gristle, the hyenas transform into gnolls, which take up Yeenoghu's awful mission to kill and destroy anything in their path.

The Gift of Yeenoghu

As creatures that sprang up in the wake of a demon lord, gnolls are creatures of savage blood lust, incapable of understanding or acting on any other impulse. They are extensions of Yeenoghu's will. They pause only to devour what they have killed, and to fashion crude weapons and armor from their victims' corpses.
Yeenoghu imparts to the minds of his followers an unquenchable, supernatural hunger, both for violence and for the flesh of intelligent creatures. A gnoll feels a constant, gnawing demand for blood and destruction that abates only when it kills and eats intelligent creatures. Other prey might provide temporary sustenance, but it does nothing to quell Yeenoghu's hunger. Perhaps gnolls are not inherently evil, but this shared hunger over generations has gradually gnawed away their conscience.
Strength, hunger, and fear are the three concepts that every gnoll extols. Strength allows a gnoll to overwhelm, kill, and devour a foe. Hunger motivates a gnoll to go forth and slay in Yeenoghu's name. Fear is a weapon used against enemies to make them easy prey. In concert, all three play a role in advancing Yeenoghu's goals.

War Bands and Surrogate Packs

In spite of the savage nature of the gnolls, there are some aspects to their culture that are not inherently repulsive. Gnolls place a very strong value on the family, respecting blood ties perhaps more than any other aspect of a relationship. Though gnolls within a pack will commonly fight with each other for dominance, these battles are quickly forgotten after their resolution, and in most situations, gnolls of the same bloodline are loyal friends and allies to one another.
This loyalty to family is particularly obvious during combat, either with rival gnoll packs or other races. Gnolls who fight side by side regularly throw away personal glory in order to help their brethren. Perhaps most surprisingly, when a gnoll has been separated from clan and family, their instinctive need for such blood ties oftentimes leads them to form a surrogate "pack" from those whom they choose to befriend. To these unlikely allies, the gnoll is as loyal and faithful as they would be towards their own brothers or sisters, embracing the outsiders as if they were family.

Playing a Gnoll

Gnolls are, by all means, a monstrous race. They have little variation in personality and outlook. They are collectively an elemental force, driven by a demon lord to spread death and destruction. No goodness or compassion resides in the heart of gnolls. Like a demon, they lack anything resembling conscience, and teaching or coercing them to put aside their destructive tendencies is an onerous task.
A gnoll that manages to stall its insatiable hunger, whether it be through sheer willpower or some form of madness, will undergo immense inner struggle. Some may no longer be driven by their hunger, but find it difficult to adapt to the world around them, still holding evil tendencies that have embedded themselves in their behavior and psyche. Other gnolls are struck with immense guilt for their misdeeds and driven towards either a pacifistic nature or a quest for redemption in the eyes of the gods.
Should you wish to play a gnoll, consult your DM. Consider asking yourself the following questions: Why is this gnoll away from their pack, and how did they get in that situation? How are they quelling their savage bloodlust? How have they survived this far before the adventure began? How do they feel about non-gnolls; are they a compassionate misfit or do they hold back every urge to eat people on sight? How you overcame your innate evil and escaped your tribe should be a key element of your backstory.

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.
Alignment. Gnolls are usually chaotic or neutral evil, though exceptions exist. These outliers either flee their tribe and attempt to assimilate into civilization or are feasted upon by their brethren at the first sign of compassion being shown.
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.
Rampage. On your turn, when you make an unarmed strike using your bite attack or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, you can use a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make a weapon attack or bite attack.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnoll. The Gnoll language is incredibly difficult for non-Gnolls to understand as it primarily consists of yips, yaps, chuckles, and snarls with some references and influences from Abyssal.

Lifespan

Up to 30 years

Average Height

6'0"-7'6"

Average Weight

280-400 lbs