Hello everyone!
I always think about doing something conceptual, and I'm still trying things to share my opinions while communicate with you aswell. Aaand I came up with this new idea: Monster Monday! With this series, I'll try to share my opinions and my style of use about a monster. Probably most of them will be D&D (or at least d20 fantasy) creatures, but I'll try to add some varies to introduce different monsters with you. Okay, here we go!
Savage, Tribal, Chaotic
Everything has started for me when Wizards announced their 5th edition of D&D. I wanted to start a campaign, pre-ordered core books, and started to build up a campaign. And people were using goblin for EVRITING! It was extremely boring for me, so I started to look out for "my-style-of-goblin", another lesser monster race which I could use for savage ambient. And I picked gnolls.
Gnolls are basically hyena, with erected posture, primitive behaviour and predator instincts. Their size are medium, but with their hunchback, they look smaller. They are chaotic evil, but I like to use them as neutral evil or chaotic neutral, because, basically they're trying to make out their living by hunting and stealing. Their primitive and tribal life-style makes them more dangerous and I really like to use it that way.
Yeenoghu
In my campaign, gnolls in the world are under effect of a mind-affecting effect. Because, Yeenoghu, a demonic gnoll entity shares some of its demonic power to ones who loyal to it. And shaman-gnolls of tribes understand what it is, and gather others for sacrifice living beings for the sake of Yeenoghu. Actually, there was a moment which gnoll tribes gathered up their forces and tried to bring Yeenoghu into material plane. They captured lots of commoners to offer their souls to Yeenoghu, and there was a huge portal working in progress. But adventurers were able to negate this attempt, somehow.
Gnoll Varieties
There were lots of different threats in the campaign, but gnolls were everyday threat and I created some varieties for constantly using the same concept, but keep it from becoming a boring element. A year later, Wizards released a book called Volo's Guide to Monsters, and they added ALMOST the same gnoll variants I created! It was shocking for me, but I was glad to have these varieties inside of an official content book.
Gnolls in my setting are misunderstood, pushed away, underestimated, and they want to make people pay for it. They're angry (I gave Rage trait to some of my varities), ambitious, and always loyal to Yeenoghu!
This is just an introduction post to a new concept, so I kept it short. What do you think about it? Would you like to read more of monsters' nature? Do you want to see statistical details? Do you like gnolls? Drop your comments and let's talk about them!
I haven't used gnolls in any of my games yet, but mostly because the scenarios haven't fit. In my library game, I plan to introduce travel to strange places, and maybe I will teleport them to a savannah-like region with a gnoll population once they escape the shadowfell...
Interesting idea! Gnolls have bigger potential than its surface, I believe. Maybe you could use their shamanic/cultic side for a better fit :) I generally use them as barbaric raiders or bandits, but when party goes deeper, they eventually some magical-spiritual cores.
Well, my plan is to send them to Sigil and then bounce them "randomly" to somewhere interesting for a new, unrelated adventure. Meeting Gnoll tribes on a savannah-like plain could be fun scenario.
Ooh, I got some Planescape vibes 😏
Yeah, I'm thinking Planescape meets Magic: The Gathering here. If time allows, I want to bounce to Sigil, then some other world, and then to Ravnica, and then maybe even to the Iron Kingdoms with the new 5E RPG stuff from Privateer Press. A review may be forthcoming...
It sounds quite interesting! But also I think it needs lots of effort. I'll be waiting for the review, and some game records maybe :P
I like the idea of the Monster Monday! Don't think it would be neccessary to have stat blocks for this concept does not exclusively cover a specific system. Instead perhaps it would be cool to have some example of the composition of an encounter group you used or some information about the hierarchy of a tribe or something like that? I do not specifically like gnolls but do not hate them either, they are the typical highwaymen in many fantasy roleplaying settings so gnolls count as classics ^^
Thank you for the suggestion! I guess a little bit of tactical approach could color up the content.
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