"Gnolls are large, evil, hyena-like humanoids that roam about in a loosely organized bands.
While the body of a gnoll is shaped like that of a large human, the details are those of a hyena. They stand erect on two legs and have hands that can manipulate as well as those of a human. They have greenish gray skin, darker near the muzzle, with a short reddish gray to dull yellow mane.
Gnolls have their own languageand many also speak the tongues of flinds, trollas, orcs, or hobgoblins.
Combat:
Gnolls seek to overwhelm their opponents by sheer numbers, using horde tactics. When underthe direction of flinds or a string leader, they can be made to hold rank and fight as a unit. While they do not often lay traps, they will ambush or attempt to attack from a flank or rear position. Gnolls favor swords (35%) and battle axes (20%)in combat, but use also bows (15%), morningstars (15%).
Habitat/Society:
Gnolls re most often encountered underground or inside abandoned ruins. When above ground they operate primarily at night. Gnoll society is rules by the strongest, using fear and intimidation. When found underground, they will have (30% chance) 1-3 trolls as guards and servants. Above ground they keep peets (65% of the time) such as 4-16 hyenas (80%) or 2-12 hyaenodons (20%), which can act as guards.
A gnoll lair will contain between 20 and 200 adult males. For every 20 gnolls, there will be a 3 Hit Die leader. If 100 or more are encountered there will be also a chieftain who has 4 Hit Dice, an Armor Class of 3, and who receives a +3 on his damage rolls due to his great strength. Further, each chieftain will be protected by 2-12 elite warrior guards of 3 Hit Dice (AC 4, +2 damage).
In a lair, there will be females equal to half the number of males. Females are equal to males in combat, though not usually as well armed or armored. There will also be twice as many young as there are adults in the lair, but they do not fight. Gnolls always have at least 1 slave for every 1- adults in the lair, and may have many more.
Gnolls will work together with orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, ogres, and trolls. If encountered as a group, there must be relative equality of strength. Otherwise the gnolls will kill and eat their partners (hunger comes before friendship or fear) or be killed and eaten by them. They dislike goblins, kobolds, giants, humans, demi-humans any any type of manual labor.
Ecology:
Gnolls eat anything warm blooded, favoring intelligent creatures over animals because they scream better. They will completely hunt out an area before moving on. It may take several years for the game to return. When allowed to die of old age, the typical gnoll lives to be about 35 years old.
Flind
The flind is similar to the gnoll in body style, though it is a little shorter, and broader. They are more muscular than their cousins. Short, dirty, brown, and red fur covers their body. Their foreheads do not slope back as far, their ears are rounded, but still animal like.
Flinds use clubs (75%) which inflict 1-6 points of damage and flindbars (25%) which do 1-4 points of damage. A flindbar is a pair of chain-linked iron bars which are spun at great speed. A flind with a flindbar can strike twice per round. Each successful hit requires the victim to save vs. wands or have his weapon entangled in the chain and torn from his grasp by the flindbar. Due to their great strength, flinds get a +1 on their attack rolls.
Flinds are regarded with reverence and awe by gnolls. Flind leaders are 3+3 Hit Dice, at least 13 intelligence and 18 charisma to gnolls (15 to flinds), and always use flindbars."
AD&D 2nd ed. Monstrous Manual
D&D © Wizards of the Coast
Keywords
male
1,264,555,
monster
27,365,
traditional
21,704,
hyena
20,700,
humanoid
17,887,
traditional art
8,902,
dungeons and dragons
2,570,
d&d
1,325,
gnoll
1,128,
bestiary
92
Details
Published:
5 years, 9 months ago
25 May 2020 15:57 CEST
Initial: 20ac374240e0377267cab76b50ef9e75
Full Size: 50f6480ff9652e26d323fc87b14a1946
Large: b4e8f0ddb05e3861ca288dd6dc6af978
Small: 5455df7291c8536d84217753a309b398
Stats
17 views
4 favorites
0 comments
