Gnoll (5.5e Species)
Gnoll[edit]
In ages past, gnolls were birthed from the vile whims of Yeenoghu, the demon lord of slaughter. When this fiend ravaged the material plane, hyenas that fed on his victims’ corpses grew bloated with demonic essence, bursting forth as the first gnolls—hyena-like humanoids driven by their creator’s hunger for destruction. These creatures exist to spread chaos, their numbers swelling through profane rituals or natural breeding, forever marked by their demonic sire’s bloodlust.
Gnolls tower between seven and eight feet, their lean, muscular frames cloaked in matted fur of brown, gray, or yellow, often spotted or striped. Their hyena-like heads bear snarling muzzles, yellow eyes, and jagged teeth, with manes that rise in anger. Clad in scavenged armor or hides, they wield crude weapons, their claws and fangs ever ready. Swift and strong, their scarred bodies reflect a life of relentless conflict.
Their packs are savage bands, led by the strongest or most cunning, roaming to pillage and slay. Loyalty binds them only to their kin, and even then, dominance is won through brutal contests. Shamans invoke Yeenoghu’s will, guiding warbands to raze settlements in his name. Some gnolls, rare and outcast, reject this path, but they face the wrath of their kind and the world’s fear, forever haunted by their heritage.
Gnoll Traits[edit]
Creature Type: Fiend
Size: Medium (about 6–8 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Rampage. Immediately after you deal damage to a creature that is already Bloodied, you move up to half your Speed and make one weapon attack as a Bonus Action. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Carrion Eater. You have Advantage on saving throws made to avoid or end Magical Contagions. You also have Resistance to Poison damage.
Back to Main Page → 5.5e Homebrew → Species