D&D Why you should play Gnolls - Dungeons and Dragons Gnoll Character art Rookzer0

[@hihilt2589]

I played a gnoll before. It was a 5e campaign and we also had a goblin bard in the party, while my gnoll was a rogue. Early on we had been kidnapped by 200 rival goblins who wanted to sacrifice us to some weird deity. My gnoll was the only one managing to get free from the rope that was restraining us. I blew up the place igniting a small trail of gunpowder that I noticed on the floor and, as the goblins blew up I helped my friends free themselves. Then, as my character was getting hungry, I decided to pick up a goblin's leg that got roasted by the explosion and I ate it happily in front of the goblin in our party, who got traumatized by that and never again trusted my character completely. The player who played the goblin turned it into an inside joke and we still quote it in other campaigns to this day. Also we used this as motivation with my gnoll threatening to eat the poor goblin when he refused to do something we needed him to do. Ultimately though my gnoll considered the goblin like a best friend or brother and would've died to save his life (or would've tried anything to bring him back to life)

[@orbismworldbuilding8428]

I love it

[@louisdepointedulac5072]

Frikkin awesome

[@burnzy2639]

that gnoll laugh at the end was... too convincing

[@hundwyn7530]

“Yip” is used to describe a sound in response to pain, “yap” is more an annoying bark

[@Rookzer0]

Awesome info, thank you.

[@pericoel21]

Pretty technical, huh

[@MrNetWraith]

Anyone interested in playing gnolls should take a look at the article titled, funnily enough, Playing Gnolls, from Dragon magazine #367. Whilst set in the 4th edition "base setting" commonly known as Nentir Vale or Points of Light, it presents a very unique look at gnolls that takes them beyond the savage, slavery-practicing cannibals of previous editions, and gives them far greater nuance than 5th edition's portrayal of them as near-mindless demon-spawned killing machines.

[@Rookzer0]

Nice I will have to check that out, thank you.

[@cellardoor9360]

Vibe check? 1)Yeet and Doughnut 2) Did I talk about gnolls being proficient with nun-chucks 3) Small-Large sized creature I love this channel

[@Rookzer0]

100% accurate, vibe check approved.

[@strongevillord358]

Rampage: When the gnoll "reduces a creature!" to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the gnoll can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack.

[@Rookzer0]

It's s great passive

[@pericoel21]

Gnolls are more Metal than some actual demons in D&D

[@lokitob]

These are scary beasties. I played a gnoll warlord in 3.5Ed. (Or was it 4th? I forget.) The group swore up and down that I would hate the class and that the character was going to fail hard. That Dex/Con bonus came in handy early on (while my group was still thinking of my gnoll as a tank) and, once I explained how my abilities combo with the bard's and avenger's, only ranged adversaries gave us any trouble. The pack tactics feats, flanking bonuses, and general bossing around that comes from the warlord class meant that we mauled most enemies without taking a hit. When the avenger did get struck, retaliation came swiftly from either their own feats and abilities or my warlord stepping in to butcher the foe in defense of her "packmate." If she ever took hits, the goal then became to ride the line between "blooded" and "down" for bonus dice on attacks (stacking with flank/pack attacks and bardic tomfoolery). The character that was disregarded by my friends as a throwaway on creation became the reason the party functioned at all by the third session. When the DM went ADHD an abandoned the campaign, everyone pleaded with me to revive the character for the next adventure.

[@Rookzer0]

Glad to see your character made and impression

[@Randomdudefromtheinternet]

I know a bit of hyena behavior: - Clans follow a strict matriarchal hierarchy, the lowest female is one spot higher than the highest ranking male. - Male hyenas are sexually mature at 2 years old, after that they're expelled from their original clan, made to wander until they find another clan - when they find another clan, they're beaten hard by the females, joining as the lowest rank. So, for RP ideas, your Gnoll PC/NPC can be a recently exiled male, who just happened to stumble wherever the party is (probably very ill and full of parasites since they don't have someone to help them groom or tend their wounds). A few healing spells or potions later, the Gnoll wants to join the party, so he offers his chest as a "I'm ready, punch me" (cool way to begin to RP culture shock).

[@atalhlla]

Some hyena males stay with their original clan for awhile longer even after reaching maturity as “momma’s boys”, since until they leave they still sit below their mother in rank. This is the only way a male can rank higher than a female. The downside of course is that they can’t mate. They’re quite emotionally intelligent and excellent puzzle solvers, though clan life can indeed be quite violent. The hazing and domineering can get bloody.

[@godd9986]

YEEEEES! the hyena bois have arisen...

[@syldarikitsune]

Praise be to Yeenoghu.

[@Rookzer0]

LET THE WITHERING BEGIN!

[@TheMariosack]

Rampage does require the gnoll to die, it requires an enemies hit points to hit zero

[@Rookzer0]

OMG YOU"RE RIGHT!?!?! How did I read that wrong so many time... That's way better!!!!!

[@herostreamsstanevil3587]

If it was if the gnoll died you could’ve just made an undead gnoll

[@Rookzer0]

@@herostreamsstanevil3587 truth

[@yeenmachine206]

My best character, is a gnoll bard. She plays heavy metal on a magic electric guitar. It’s also her battleaxe. She kept the party alive during a battle with a beholder by actually knowing healing spells, when the cleric was being useless (again)

[@Rookzer0]

It blows my mind to see useless clerics, CLERICS FTW!

[@michelveilleux1275]

Brütal Legends! 🤣👌

[@Xion_Toshiro]

Play Neverwinter Online; if you wanna see useless Healers. This makes me wanna go full on Gnoll.

[@Xion_Toshiro]

Yeenoghu is now forever; "Yeet Doughnut". And that Hyena laugh was legit. I have an idea for a Gnoll Brawler; with a side of Bard, carrying an electric guitar that doubles as an axe & flamethrower, inspired by heavy metal & Mad Max settings.

[@Rookzer0]

Omh that's dope. Please name him yet doughnut as well

[@LoudAngryJerk]

If there was an official gnoll player race I absolutely would play it. Unfortunately, I'm just too lazy to make one, or argue with my DM to let me play someone else's playermade race

[@Rookzer0]

I would just roll with the one from the monster manual. Start as a level 3 gnoll and go to town

[@samohearne4931]

im playing a gnoll barbarian in my current campaign and his goal is to escape or overcome the hunger and take a flail from a flind. having a ton of fun so far

[@echonvoid]

Currently playing a gnoll cowboy who is trying to free his fellow gnolls from the charm that yeenogue has on them. I love him so much

[@Rookzer0]

Breaking away form yeenogue sounds like a worthy quest

[@hab0272]

I appreciate how your videos are informative and artistically inspiring at the same time

[@Rookzer0]

Thank you!

[@markusriissrensen5571]

it would be awesome to play a gnoll that does not condone killing at the start, but his bloodlust becomes more prominent further into the campaign.

[@natrob8179]

Love how creative these videos are

[@Rookzer0]

Thanks, I really enjoy drawing them!

[@buttersauce9965]

i really think the bugbear pc stats from volos would suit the gnoll well

[@Rookzer0]

I think an argument could be made for that. I'm less confidant about their traits but most start blocks and monsters could be easily interchangeable

[@ccrobbins5163]

Im thinking of playing a gnoll who can only communicate by laughter

[@Rookzer0]

Make sure your party is ok with it, let me know how it goes!

[@logancole5101]

Gnoll wizard..... I will drop that there for a moment and let the madness sink in. Would it work? Probably not but that might end up being for the best. Can you imagine an Evocation Gnoll with very little self control. It would be messy, but probably effective as a distraction.

[@Rookzer0]

I cast fire ball, dinner is ready

[@Two49]

I actually just rolled a new character mid-campaign, a female Gnoll druid that defies basically all of the stereotypes of her race, lol.

[@Rookzer0]

Nicely done

[@jokhard8137]

Could you tell us more about her, please?

[@tyto9188]

I currently have a human child warlock of Yeenoghu and boy am I planning to involve some gnolls asap

[@graysonsnow2832]

Excellent! New video, new food for imagination. After them, there are always a couple of stories in my head that I somehow want to realize. I especially like to draw at this moment. Thanks so much for giving inspiration!

[@Rookzer0]

Nice, when you finish your draeing make sure to share it with the discord

[@graysonsnow2832]

No, I'm not so good at it.

[@caffeineandsleepingpills]

Backstory: You're the sickly runt of the litter and you are about to be cannibalized by the pack when a party of adventurers attacks and kills or scatters your pack. An optimistic paladin who lost his son in a gnoll raid believed in the power of nurture over nature and took you into the party, raising you as a family member. A few years later, your old pack returns and slaughters your adventurer family, and being unable to save them you could only flee. Now you've joined another party of adventurers and hope to bring justice to your old clan, all the while suffering the literal and figurative slings and arrows of outrage from villagers and city dwellers while you do your best to fit into a world that doesn't want to welcome you as much as your murdered adoptive parent.

[@elchjol2777]

I've been making a setting for awhile now and gnolls feature in an interesting way in it. Gnolls in this setting are generally LN nomadic tribals that have gotten a stereotype for being reliable if a bit crude mercenaries. The classic gnolls also exist in a way but are referred to as Curselings or the Beast-bound,those that have lost themselves to the chaos and bloodlust of battle becoming little more than pawns to the most deprived of dark entities. A common saying is that there's a reason why the Gnoll tribes have so many rules,you won't live to tell about the one that threw them aside. Legends in the setting say that the gnolls were created when a god of war and conflict who's name is lost to history was split in two,one side becoming the representation of the more honorable side of warfare and the other being the worst that can come of conflict. With the gnolls being brought into the world by the blood of this split god,they have been pulled in both directions. While known for mostly being mercenaries,they are ones to never break an oath or contract and see those of their kind that do as slipping toward the darker side of the split god.

[@renarddubois940]

I have a little tip for digitigrade legs, the foot, as in the third part of the legs, not the thing that touch the ground, THAT would be the pads and toes.. so the foot and the thigh of the same legs are pretty much always parallels, there's a few exceptions but at first, it's better to make it parallel until you are put in a situation where it doesn't work and where you gotta try something else

[@acewraithwind8485]

Oh man, so not a story that happened yet, but a character idea based on the lore my DM has for his gnolls. The gnolls, as they are more demonic and based on their origin story, are not naturally born and instead were normal hyenas that went through a dark ritual of killing a bunch of people and gorging on all of the corpses so much that they explode from the sheer amount they eat and from inside is a gnoll. So the hyenas are their way of reproduction too. One idea I have is of a gnoll who's pack was attacked and killed and they are the only survivor, but still has one hyena. So this gnoll, either because this hyena is basically like a child to it (maybe literally, before the transformation) or in hopes of it transforming, is very protective of this hyena and its whole thing is making sure it's good, safe, and happy ... And maybe also going on killing sprees to have it devour all the bandit corpses in the path of the party's destruction.

[@Rookzer0]

Dark... but a cool idea!

[@andrewblack2596]

DOOOOD, you hyena laugh is GODDAMN SCARY!

[@Rookzer0]

Lol the one at the end was actual hyenas. ;)

[@andrewblack2596]

@@Rookzer0 So you used actual hyena clips? Couldn't tell sounded so natural...are you really a Gnoll posing as a youtuber?

[@esbeng.s.a9761]

the rampaig feature is proberly based on their 4e ability which made it so that they got a free attack on bloodied creature (lower than half hp)

[@marcusblacknell-andrews1783]

I've been building Gnolls as "Way of Mercy" monks, that way, "Fangs of Yeenoghu" Gnolls can be played as witchdoctors.

[@frankiehealey4674]

I’d love to play a very articulate and intelligent Gnoll. Think like, Alex Delarge, will hurl insults at an enemy before just absolutely going to town on them. Someone very graceful and eloquent on the outside, but goddamn viscous in battle.

[@Rookzer0]

Sound fun. A gnoll tactician would be pretty dope

[@goldtoothslair3052]

Okay by the end there that just made me laugh. Why do all these potions taste like garlic I don't feel any better. No but you will taste better.

[@Rookzer0]

Insert demonic poodle laughter

[@quazarKiragon]

(Hyenas are technically cats/felines, so would make a gnoll a cat not a dog) but not gonna lie a rare gnoll that could break the chains of their savage nature be they succeed or fail will still make for an interesting story, just imagine a gnoll tinkerer etc

[@Rookzer0]

Not to "Um Actually" you but I was under the impression that while Hyenas are CLOSER to cats than they are dogs they are their own unique Thing, more closely related to mongooses than either of the other two. You could use a Catfolk as a base in dnd no issue but I think this is still the closest to dogs in dnd before you hit the shooney in pathfinder.

[@quazarKiragon]

@Rookzer0 mongoose just like hyenas, are feliformia (still feline like) same with meerkats, but yes it's own genus but holds a shared branch with the mongoose, so no they are not dogs/caniformia bears on the other hand are caniformia, in the distinction of what makes an animal canine like or feline is based on their skulls most predominantly the shape, jaws and teeth, retractable claws, but with hyenas and aardwolves are a special case due to convergent evolution, which they evolved to mimic the look of canids but they are not canids

[@Rookzer0]

Nice, Good bit of research there. @@quazarKiragon I didn't know that about their skulls. Thanks for the clarification and the new bits of info!

[@quazarKiragon]

@Rookzer0 ironically does make sense in the D&D setting though, when you got creatures like displacer beasts which are obviously feline like, despite felines are prone to a more vicious nature (probably because cats can be A-holes) they are not evil by nature but can be inclined to evil or chaotic nature, while dogs or dog like creatures are generally seen as good natured like the displacer beasts natural enemy the blink dog, kinda ironic really, but like all things as you stated alignment and nature isn't set in stone and are generally treated more as a guideline rather then an absolute and irredeemable creature, like the beholder they are generally lawfull evil, but there was one called large Luigi that broke the mold

[@himboghost629]

I wanna play one of the playable Gnolls from pathfinder so bad

[@Rookzer0]

It works out in 5e pretty well without much fiddling.

[@SpookyTanukiGaming]

The rampage ability isn’t the gnoll going to zero hp but them reducing an enemy to zero.

[@Rookzer0]

Thats a great note, was a misstep on my part. Why not both :p

[@asherael]

I've got a gnoll that was raised by humans, she's all friendly and pretty stupid, but does rage out like a proper monster

[@michelveilleux1275]

Shenzi Banzai and Ed characters would be amazing.😅👌

[@Rookzer0]

That would make a classic trio I'd welcome to the table.

[@Wolfphototech]

*Hyenas* are not related to *Canines* ( dogs , wolfs , foxs & etc. ) . They and ardwolves are in their own family . But they are more closely related to *Felines* then *Canines* *Gnolls* are derived from *Hyenas* .

[@arecold4222]

Now i want to play a Gnoll Bard, with a metal guitar. That also functions as an Axe. Metal as fuuuck

[@Rookzer0]

I like where this is going....

[@Fae2705]

I was just thinking about this!

[@Rookzer0]

nice!

[@wariyoshidirector]

Currently playing a barbarian gnoll who was raised by nuns. He's a lovable idiot and it's super fun to play him like that

[@matthewhenry86]

2:45 They don't just look and act like hyenas, the first Gnolls were born from hyenas gorging on the dead left by their ancestral god's path of carnage until they couldn't move. When they popped from being too overstuffed, Gnolls came out. And Gnolls still reproduce this way, which is why they always have hyenas with them. They're basically Gnoll larvae.

[@CausticSauce]

i altered my gnoll's clan by having them unknowingly destroy one of silvanus' favorite forests, and he gives them a proverbial "bad dog" in the form of a curse that severs them from yeenogu, and forces them to cooperate with other races by making all male gnolls born as dire-corgi-esque fatboys that are sterile and of animal intelligence, forcing them to seek mates of other races, hunting down giants in large groups in an odd combination of bar crawl and hunt, trying to make new pups, or currying favor with villages by doing mercenary work and physical labor in exchange for partners and coin. cannibalism is still a thing, but more a "eat my enemies to gain their power, eat my allies to keep their spirit" kind of thing. still mean and aggro as hell, but basically a ultraviolent furry snu-snu race.

[@princevesperal]

They don't read often!? Honestly, a Gnoll book club would be hilarious!

[@TBarnett]

I miss playing my Gnoll that I had come to enjoy. He was a bit challenging to nail down as a person and I think if given another chance, I'd smooth out the rougher concepts. He was played as a Blood Hunter that was indoctrinated and used as an experiment of sorts to see what the blood of Gnolls were like when used in non-Gnoll creatures when he was a pup. He'd escaped the thrall of Gnolls that were weeding out those who had any form of ties to Yeenoghu as they didn't want a spread of corruption to retake them. He'd later join a party of a kenku who had probably the best armor and tanking game in town, a hill dwarf who had an obsession with making things into hats, and a puma tabaxi who happened to have a sudden run-in with a planeshifting traveller who walked across realities by way of dreams. My gnoll died due to aging by way of a badly botched roll when he was hit with a Horrifying Visage. I adhered to the rule that Gnolls typically dropped dead after about 40 years or so and mine was already about halfway there as it was. He aged out and withered away in front of the party. While the party did revive him, things were a bit off afterwards. Sadly, the campaign did not continue after too many more sessions as I chose to step away. I'll miss ya, Rathe... Til we meet again in another campaign one day.

[@TheApproachableMohawk]

I know I'm 2 years late, but I'm currently playing a cannibalistic CG flindbar(nunchuk) wielding gnoll. He's actually incredibly friendly and would never purposely hunt people to eat them, he just isn't afraid to eat an opponent (whether after he kills them or while he kills them), especially since he has a feature that lets him heal through eating flesh. He was raised by a noble race of fiend hunting mountain Wargs, and grew up savagely, but with strong morals and great honor

[@jsd9891]

I’ve been using half gnolls, found a character builder on the wikis that I like to use, gives them a tad bit of humanity, my newest is a Druid half gnoll which surprisingly works well together

[@aarondevaldez9134]

I play Gnolls whenever I get the opportunity.

[@shmee123ful]

I would kill to see a version of a gnoll that's a Tasmanian devil. Becouse the sounds they make are frankly horrifying

[@Rookzer0]

You could definitlynuse the gnoll as a base for it. Maybe roll it as a medium sized creatures

[@SweetLuups]

Gnolls are supposed to come from hyenas who engorged themselves on dead humanoids killed by a gnoll priest. It makes a lot of sense

[@Rookzer0]

Creepy but accurate. Though I would argue the priest in question might have been yeenoghu. Great find!

[@SweetLuups]

@@Rookzer0 it's a Fang of Yeenoghu

[@redwed6]

Man's casually busts out the Fibonacci mid drawing LOL

[@cthulhuthereader]

Yeah, chuckle bois

[@Rookzer0]

He he he he hoo ho ho ho haaaa!a

[@mileslugo6430]

I once had a gnoll PC who instead of dieing called on the aid of the evil goddess in the campaign.

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

For those that want to play a Gnoll, but not a Gnoll, you could say your character had been killed and reincarnated as a Gnoll. Think about the roleplay potential. Think about it, normal person dies and got brought back as a Gnoll. All the advantages and disadvantages of a Gnoll, but with the trauma of being one and probably being ostracized by the community they grew up with. You can do this with many other races Sure, they made the reincarnation list easier to deal with in 5E, but the older ones were more challenging. You could come back as various humanoids or even as an animal. In said older editions you needed a 'Miracle' or 'Wish' spell to regain your original body. You can of course stay with the 5E rules or, if you like a challenge, talk with your GM of applying the older rules. Remember, reincarnate only changes your physical attributes, not your mental ones.

[@Pataxum]

I would love a video about Yuan Ti Pureblood

[@Rookzer0]

It's on my list

[@edddoubled3534]

I'd been trying to convince my DM for a long time to let me play a Gnoll, but they are kinda locked in the whole "Gnolls are forever evil and nothing will change that" kinda argument. Granted I'm not suggesting making a completely "Good" Gnoll, I just wanted to be able to play one who really doesn't care for Yeeonghu or worshipping him. Just trying to live their own life and adventure about. I don't suppose there's any way you or anyone else would try to talk with this DM to convince them to let you play a Gnoll without it having to be an evil campaign?

[@Rookzer0]

It depends on if you want to play a classic gnoll which i would argue an evil camion would be a lot of fun. But another alternative would be giving your evil gnoll characters motives to follow the party. which can be a lot of fun. "I want to eat him" But then the party will kill you "Ok i wont eat them... for now"

[@edddoubled3534]

Fair, I'll probably just have to talk to them and see if they'll accept the suggestion. Thank you for the reply!

[@rachdarastrix5251]

I'm actually going to do a secret silngle player campaign where I will play as a gnol. I'm just playing as the bad guys for now as I lay the foundation of the next campaign for actual hero players.

[@admpandora91]

"gnolls are hellhounds" Hyenas are cats... Lol

[@Crusaderjack]

Goblins next? We need some booyagh!

[@Rookzer0]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5akpJZ8ZtOAqtU Enjoy

[@AttisSoul]

Ability Score - STR or DEX + 2, WIS + 1 and INT - 2/1? would be my guess for stats But this my guess main;y cause i would want to use them as death clerics PC.

[@Rookzer0]

Yeah based on the monster stat block you could go, str+2, dex +1, int -2 but i think wis could be an alternative vecause clerics are a favored class for them in my mind.

[@alexanderflack566]

​@@Rookzer0 Personally, I don't like giving something based on a spotted hyena an intelligence penalty. Spotted hyenas are extremely intelligent. From what I've read, their social structure and cooperative problem solving abilities are in line with primates more so than with any other species in order carnivora, including wolves. Personally, I dislike pretty much everything about their characterization in 5e; I don't like making any mortal race "always X" with regard to alignment or personality/behavior, I don't like making something based on spotted hyenas mindless or stupuid, and they certainly shouldn't be always chaotic, let alone always chaotic evil. They don't even mention gender dimorphism and social structure, which should have the females as larger and more dominant and aggressive than the males (I think they might have had that in a previous edition, then subsequently ignored it or changed it). It feels like they wanted to make a new type of fiend, but without the subtype and without making a new race.

[@lazrustosadow5880]

Snowball the pom pom gnoll barbarian

[@Rookzer0]

Lol noce

[@noddarkwolf]

thxs for the sub reminder

[@Rookzer0]

I hope that wasn't sarcasm, I never know if that actually helps people or not.

[@noddarkwolf]

@@Rookzer0 it wasnt i genueinly forgot to sub after i watched the Minotaur vid

[@Rookzer0]

@@noddarkwolf Glad to hear you made it back, thanks for checking us out!

[@curiouswind9196]

Did you know that hyenas poop white? Now you do, you are welcome :)

[@Kepora1]

You know I hate people making gnolls dumb because hyenas are actually SUPER FUCKING SMART, like they have better group problem solving than most primates.

[@Rookzer0]

They can be pretty smart.

[@loyaldrake6849]

I want this!! Just need stats

[@Rookzer0]

+2Str, +1 dex -2 int. go go go

[@loyaldrake6849]

@@Rookzer0 Is there anything else that'll need to be used?

[@Rookzer0]

@@loyaldrake6849 not really, You can make an argument with your dm about pact tactics or maybe getting sentinel as a free feat. but other than that they are pretty standard.

[@asherael]

Remember female gnolls would be bigger and meaner than male ones

[@Rookzer0]

Gnoll matrons are not to be trifled with

[@IcsulX]

Hyenas are more closely related to felines then dogs.

[@Rookzer0]

True fact

[@Randomdudefromtheinternet]

Some hyena stuff: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnOmf4qjipqUpqc kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpuVf6GgadCGf6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3rNmHyHrMqYj6M

[@Xion_Toshiro]

What kinda Photo Shop is that?

[@Rookzer0]

Cc 17 I think

[@King_Midas66]

Why do you not have 100k subs

[@Rookzer0]

I assume they are being stolen by kobolds and bugbears but its wildly speculative.

[@SaurusWarriorSotek]

Guys, i am trying to play d&d for the first time, but i do not have any money to play it in face to face sesions or buy the books, how can i start? I am not a native english speaker, i am really bad at speaking it :c So, if any one know an app or site where you can play, it would be really cool to know

[@Rookzer0]

There are a handful of discord servers out there looking for members. I would suggest the dnd beyond discord. If not there you can always use the pathfindersrd for free rulesets and start your own game.

[@esbeng.s.a9761]

In my world Inogo is a girl but because female hyinas are packing bigger than the males does everyone else ecept gnolls believe she is a he

[@Rookzer0]

makes sense to me

[@HRJons]

huuuuuuuuuuuuegh