This video is sponsored by Hero Forge!
Hero Forge is the internet’s home for custom 3D printed tabletop miniatures!
You can create some amazing, custom minis.
You can build humans, dwarves, and elves, but also ratfolk, minotaurs, zombies, merfolk,
centaurs, snake people and Frogfolk!!
It’s a great tool to figure out exactly how your TTRPG character looks, and then you
get a fantastic mini for said character!
Recently Hero Forge finished up their kickstarter for color miniatures!
These minis were printed with the color option, and I love them.
Their new race option of Hyenakin inspired this video.
If you want to play a Gnoll warrior, they have you covered.
New forms are always being created.
Check out Hero Forge today by clicking the link in the description below!
Hello everybody Jorphan here the PH is silent.
In support of Hero Forge’s new K-9 Hyena Race for their mini creation I thought we’d
talk about Gnolls!
Gnolls are humanoid hyena people.
Although a recent tweet from the Wizard of the Coast demi-gods stated that gnolls should
be labeled fiends instead of humanoids.
Because of their origin and lack of player character option.
Their origin is different in different campaign settings for D&D, but there is always a hint
of fiendish blood in their history.
Which makes them vicious, chaotic, and cruel.
In D&D 5e gnolls are evil, wild, and chaotic, but in Eberron for example they have been
partially redeemed.
Gnolls are not necessarily evil, but the craving to hunt and the primal bloodlust that inhabit
their minds; makes them lean towards Chaotic Evil.
In general Gnolls also have a very strong family bond, respecting blood relationships
in the highest.
In some gnoll clans the group rarely engage in violent raids, preferring a nomadic lifestyle.
And in some cases these gnolls befriend or at least peacefully interact with other races.
Often they become trappers or hunters, but generally gnolls prefer their own kind to
others.
For the most part there is a dark side to gnolls, their blood has mixed with fiends.
In Eberron Gnolls often workship the Dark Six; the evil gods of Eberron.
In ancient times of the campaign setting they served fiendish overlords, but a large group
of gnolls have broken away from that history.
The gnoll group called the Znir Pact (or Gnoll Brotherhood) of Droaam have purged themselves
of demonic influence.
These gnolls do not allow another creature to hold dominion over them.
So gnolls are sellswords, soldiers and trackers.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters brought us the canon lore about gnolls for D&D 5e.
The demon lord Yeenoghu who is a demon prince of the Abyss was the creator of the gnolls.
Yeenoghu embodies killing, he doesn’t plot, or create traps.
He rips creatures apart for the pleasure of it.
Yeenoghu is a weaker demon prince, not as powerful as Orcus or Demogorgon, so he relies
on followers to summon him into the prime material plane.
He has become the patron of gnolls, and is worshiped as a god.
Yeenoghu stands 14 feet tall with a skeletal thin body, glowing red eyes, and armor he
has stolen, pieced together from his victims.
He wields a Triple Flail called “The Butcher” that was constructed from the bones of a god
he slew during the wars between the deities and the primordials.
Now I said I was pulling information from 5e, but that last bit was from 4th edition
lore.
Yeenoghu has the flail in 5th edition, but the deity primordial war was heavily a 4e
thing, still it was just too cool not to tell you about.
Gnolls come from Yeenoghu and Hyenas.
When Yeenoghu comes to the Prime Material Plane he leaves behind death, and a trail
of corpses.
Hyenas are naturally drawn to Yeenoghu and feast upon these corpses.
Later they transform into gnolls and assist with Yeenoghu’s mission to destroy anything
and everything.
This is why gnolls in 5e should probably have had the Fiend subtype rather than humanoid.
They are a product of the demon prince Yeenoghu.
Some non-gnoll cultists of Yeenoghu will run and stay with gnoll packs.
These people often take on gnoll characteristics, mimicking their actions.
A person would most likely have lost all hope to become a Yeenoghu follower.
A broken person with nothing left, this isolation and abandonment allow Yeenoghu’s path to
take hold.
Violence is an easy answer when one is searching for power, and Yeenoghu embodies violence
and destruction.
Perhaps the same reason a humanoid would be taken in by Yeenoghu’s teachings is the
reason the gnolls have.
A quick and evil way to feel powerful is to subjugate others.
Even though these gnolls worship and follow Yeenoghu they have little interest in rituals.
Gnolls won’t spend time performing ceremonies but instead follow their bloodlust.
This leaves non-gnoll cultists to spread Yeenoghu’s influence using magic.
Dragon Magazine 367 offers some assistance in playing a gnoll character in your campaign.
Gnolls are primal creatures with powerful instincts.
They are team players who don’t struggle with personal glory, if the group wins the
gnoll wins.
Gnolls will assist allies, and protect family members.
They look for groups or packs, rarely adventuring alone.
A gnoll in an adventuring party would have a stronger bond with those people, those friends,
than the others might realize.
Gnolls can appear aggressive, but they don’t have the same social norms as others.
Rather than asking a polite question, they might demand an answer.
In their mind the outcome is the same, you get the answer.
Intimidation isn’t considered hostile, it’s a way to show off and establish strength.
Fierce, Loyal, tough, and wild are all characteristics of gnolls.
I’d be curious if we get some gnoll race stats for D&D 5e at some point.
I mean we have Tabaxi cat people, and with Theros we now have Lion people.
Even elephant people from Ravnica.
But no dog people?
No gnolls?
If you really want to incorporate gnolls as a playable race in your game there are some
solid homebrew options out there on the web.
Google it and convince your DM to let you use one.
Gnoll fighters, or rangers would be interesting to play.
Perhaps Gnoll rogues who rely on strength.
A gnoll warlock could be an obvious choice, conflicted but utilizing the fiendish powers
of Yeenoghu.
We have Fiendish warlock patrons, but the expanded spell list always felt more devilish
than demon.
I’d love for Wizards of the Coast to publish some warlock pacts specifically associated
with demons, or better yet each demon prince has their own pact path.
At least a way to flavor it for a Yeenoghu pact vs a Demogorgan pact.
Now that I say that there is probably already some great homebrew that covers what I want,
and if not I should just write it!
Thanks again Hero Forge for sponsoring this video.
Check out these minis!
So great.
The web builder is easy to use, and the printed mini really reflects the options you chose.
From this gnoll designed in Hero Forge, to this color printed mini.
This was the mini that was sent to me.
Try it out today for free today at heroforge dot come.
You could even make yourself as a DM, which is what I did.
Cause that’s awesome.
If you’re interested in more information about yeenoghu I’ve got a Demons of the
Abyss video you can check out.
I also have some Eberron videos talking about religions of Eberron and the Dark Six.
Check it out in the description below.
Maybe your next campaign villain could be a Yeenoghu Priest who runs with a pack of
corrupted Gnolls!
Will you defeat them, or save them from this twisted influence?
Thanks for watching everyone, check out my Patreon for live d&d 5e games I run.
Share this video with your gaming group and help the channel grow!
Take care and I’ll see you all in the next video.