Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-Gnolls

Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:52 pm Gnolls

I don't have the complete book of humanoids but i suspect that gnolls are in there. I have an idea for using gnolls from the pomarj in the restocking of a sacked temple of EE. I am looking forward to using a Shoosuva as a little added muscle but am a little troubled by some of the details. First off are witch doctors and shamans the same thing? What are the level restrictions of gnoll clerics/shamans/witch doctors. What classes are available for gnolls?

Mon Oct 07, 2013 2:56 pm

Gnolls ARE in that book:

+1 Str, -1 to Int and Char (to non-gnolls)

Min/Max Stats
Str: 6/18 (I imagine percentiles should be possible); according to 1e DMG, average gnoll Str is 16
Int: 3/14
Wis: 3/16
Dex: 5/18
Con: 5/18
Char: 3/14

Class restrictions
Fighter 11
Cleric 9
Shaman 5
Witch doctor 5
Thief 11

At 1st lvl (only), gnoll characters receive +2 hp
Base AC: 10

Special advantages: Infravision
Special disadvantages: damage as Large creature

Weapon proficiency (preferences): battle axe, long composite bow, morning star, two-handed sword, any polearm

Nonweapon proficiency (preferences): animal training (hyenodon), close-quarter fighting, hiding, hunting, observation, tracking, wild fighting

Some of these proficiencies are detailed in the book; let me know if you need more information.

If you want some tougher hitters, I suggest you toss some flinds into the mix instead. They are, essentially, bigger gnolls (just as orogs are to orcs).

Stats on flinds, if needed, are available, too. Cool

-Lanthorn

Mon Oct 07, 2013 6:52 pm Re: Gnolls

Mon Oct 07, 2013 7:09 pm

thank you brother lanthorn. The shoosuva is a gnoll undead gaurdian. 5HD and 30% magic resistance. special attacks and defences. I hope that is muscle enough especially with some spell casting gnolls in the mix.

Thanks to sirX for definitions. I especially like the idea of a heat metal casting gnoll shaman. :)

To be honest i am hoping the PCs use disguise to penetrate to the depths of the dungeon and into the nodes. I am hoping they see the Gnolls of the Black Tongue as a way to enter and descend without fighting. Well at least until a gnoll uses a detect alignment. Then a little fighting.

Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:25 am

No fighting? Scared of the dog headed humanoids? Evil Grin

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Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:25 am

Sat Oct 12, 2013 9:54 am

Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:40 am

Too bad you guys only have time for "hack & slash" play.

Pity.
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Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:38 pm

lanthorn wizard of two i just had another look at your gnoll stats and i see cleric, shaman, and witch doctor. Shaman is a druid? And i will take the stats for the flind thanks:) Yeenoghu is the only god the gnolls worship. The Shoosuva is a spirit developed by Yeenoghu long ago to act as an intermediary between him and his shaman and witchdoctors.

MS i whole heartedly agree. It is to bad. Never to late to change. I have had many hours in solitaire to think about "my oerth". I hope it goes in another direction. I have a kick-**** map of Verbobonc with a 1mm:4ft scale. I have a plan for what happens with all the players in the ToEE. A side adventure is arranged.

In the end its probably my fault. It was my first time dming a game i hadn't played for over twenty years. Unprepared is an understatement. Here's hoping this year will be better than the last.

Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:21 am

Though there is information on Shaman in Faith and Avatars, The Complete Barbarian’s Handbook (Shaman Kit), and The Complete Book of Humanoids (another Shaman Kit), perhaps Lanthorn means the Shaman from here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaman_%28accessory%29
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Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:48 pm

Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:16 am

The Shoosuva are large undead guardians created by Yeenoghu, and can be found in Dragon #63 on p. 31.
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Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:39 pm

I don't have that book, I am afraid. Sad

Would either of you mind sharing the stats, powers, how they are created, etc. of that particular creature with us? This may be something that I wish to add to my own campaigns!

-Lanthorn

Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:31 pm

Can't really post that much information here, unfortunately.
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Thu Oct 17, 2013 5:16 pm

Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:53 pm

Just a quick search finds several copies on amazon for less than $10 w/ shipping.
You may find it worth your while since there are several nice 2e tidbits in that one.
TABLE of Contents Reads
Featured Creatures— Official new monsters..........5
Where the bandits are— WORLD OF GREYHAWK™ aid . . 14
A shifty character for your campaign— The bandit NPC . . 22
The humanoids>— Kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls: What they’re like and why they’re like that ...........26
Plan before you play>— Make maps that make sense......50
— A report from Gary Gygax .............59
The future as seen by Foglio .....61
For the sake of change— Coins through the ages ........67 <(Seems we were talking on this not toooo long ago)

REGULAR OFFERINGS
Out on a Limb— Letters from readers
From the Sorceror’s Scroll— The barbarian class .........8
Greyhawk’s World— News from the east and south ...15
Leomund’s Tiny Hut— Make charisma count ...........19

or if you got a C note layin around Laughing

Ebay has a listing for the old Dragon Archive Disks that contain the first 250 magazines on cds (woks out to about $2.50 apiece and easier to store)here

For 2e that would pretty much cover Dragon Mag.

Tue Dec 03, 2013 4:31 pm Flind character

Just had a character add a Flind character to my group. The background isn't done yet, and there are some things to flesh out, but for the most part he's done. Here he is:

Remarr Speardancer

Flind
Fighter (Wilderness Protector)
Level: 2
EXP: 2250
Next Level: 4500
Alignment: Chaotic-Good
Ht: 6'6"
Wt: 200 lbs

ABILITIES
Str: 18-39 + 1/+ 3 Wt. Allow 135 Max Press 280 Open Doors 12 Bend Bars 20%
Int: 12 (3) Languages, Chance to Know spell: 50%, Max spells/level: 7
Wis: 10
Dex: 17 +2 Reaction Adjust, +2 Missile Attack Adjust, -3 Defense Adjust
Con: 14 +0 Hit Points Adjust , 88% Shock System, 92% Resurrection
Char: 10 4 Max Henchmen

COMBAT
Hp: 18
Thaco: 19
Ac: 5

Spear THACO: 16 DAMAGE: 1-6+3/1-8+5 3lbs, Medium, Piercing, Speed 6
long bow THACO: 16 DAMAGE: 1-6/1-6, Medium, Piercing, RoF 2, Range: 50/100/180
flindbar THACO: 18 DAMAGE: 1-4/1-4 (+3) medium, Bludgening, Speed 4 (DISARM: opponent must make save vs. wands)
bite THACO: 18 DAMAGE: 1-4/1-3 (+3) Natural, S/P, Speed 0

Proficiencies
Total Proficiencies: 12
Unused: 2
Weapon Proficiencies (4): Spear, Long Bow, Wpn of Choice: Spear, Wpn Specialization: Spear
Non Weapon Proficiencies (4): Swimming, Alertness, Direction Sense, Hiding
Bonus Proficiencies: Flindbar, Survival-Forest, Tracking, Animal Empathy, Nature Lore, 2-wpn fighting
Languages (2): Gnoll (N), goblin, common

Theiving Abilities
Move Silently: 20%
Hide in Shadows: 26%

Racial Advantages:
Flinds have infravision with a range of 60 feet
Racial Traits: Sensitive Smell (+1 surprise checks, -2 saves vs. odors/gases/etc.), Monstrous Dex (+1 Dex, -1 Reaction checks)
Superstitions: Tribal - Moon Phases (Full is positive, New is negative). Personal: Thunderstorms (Negative), Dreams (Positive)

Equipment
Longbow
Spear
Hide Armor
Flindbar

Magic

Background

Sat Dec 07, 2013 9:46 am

How much muscle are you looking to add to the mix? Flinds work extremely well because they aren't immediately noticeable to most parties. As in, when they first come into contact, it's unlikely that your players are all going to scream "get the flinds first" but they'll figure out that there's something different about them.

Shoosuvas are definitely more muscle! I haven't heard of them mentioned in years, I think that would be an excellent addition if it fits your story.

Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:54 am

Not to toot my own horn, but I've done Faiths & Avatars style write-ups for the three Gnoll gods that have been published at various points (Yeenoghu, Gorellik from DMGR4, and Refnara from Dungeon #48):
http://blog.aulddragon.com/tag/gnoll-gods/

I incorporated the Shoosuva into the writeup for Yeenoghu.

Regarding shamans and witch doctors, DMGR4 Monster Mythology discusses them, they got kits in PHBR10 Complete Book of Humanoids, and many various Monstrous Compendium entries include basic descriptions of them. Basically, both advance as clerics and have access to three of the listed priest spheres in the deity descriptions, while witch doctors also gain wizard spells from one school and gain and cast those spells at half their priest level, rounded down (so a 5th level witch doctor would have the spellcasting powers of a 2nd level wizard).

Personally, I prefer the shaman class from Spells & Magic/Faiths & Avatars due to the animism of the class, which I find is a pretty cool and unique mechanic. It's easy to modify the class's sphere list to make them appropriate for the individual deities and add in wizardly magic for the witch doctor.

Jeff

Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:49 pm

Well, Remarr died. He was unfortunately susceptible to gases (-2 on saves) and died from a poison gas trap. He was a short-lived experiment!

Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:49 am

Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:14 pm

Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:05 pm The gnolls are back on the board

I am working on random encounters in the gnarley forest using Pluffet Smedger's Glossography. A humanoid encounter leads me to the encounter table from pg185 of the DMG and just like that gnolls are back in play. I just finished with men, brigands and men, merchants. The humanoid encounters from the MM have big numbers but kinda piss poor leader types compared to the men. Do the humanoid encounters in the monstrous compendium list the possible leader types like those given in the MM for human groups? eg high level fighter types as leaders with a % chance of MU/cl/thief according to numbers in party? Do i need to purchase more books or can someone do me a solid and provide the levels max for goblin, hobgoblin, kobold and orc. I already got the gnolls stats and will throw in a flind or more.

Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:21 pm

To answer your query, here it is:

Goblin
-1 Str and Char
Stats (min/max)
Str: 4/15
Dex: 4/17
Con: 5/16
Int: 3/18
Wis: 3/18
Char: 3/12 (non-gnolls)

Fighter: 10th lvl
Cleric: 9th lvl
Shaman: 7th lvl
Witchdoctor: 7th lvl
Thief: 12th lvl

Hobgoblin
-1 Char
Stats (min/max)
Str: 6/18
Dex: 6/18
Con: 5/18
Int: 3/18
Wis: 3/18
Char: 3/14 (non-gnolls)

Fighter: 11th lvl
Cleric: 9th lvl
Shaman: 7th lvl
Witchdoctor: 7th lvl
Thief: 12th lvl

-Lanthorn

Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:40 pm

Forgot two entries:

Kobold
-1 Str and Con
Stats (min/max)
Str: 3/16
Dex: 4/18
Con: 4/15
Int: 3/17
Wis: 3/18
Char: 3/14 (non-kobolds)

Fighter: 8th lvl
Cleric: 9th lvl
Shaman: 7th lvl
Witchdoctor: 7th lvl
Thief: 12th lvl

Orc
+1 Str, -2 Char (non-orcs)
Stats (min/max)
Str: 6/18
Dex: 3/17
Con: 8/18
Int: 3/16
Wis: 3/16
Char: 3/12 (non-orcs)

Fighter: 10th lvl
Cleric: 9th lvl
Shaman: 6th lvl
Witchdoctor: 6th lvl
Thief: 11th lvl

let me know if you need more,

-Lanthorn

Thu Jul 02, 2015 11:29 am

I knew there was a thread about gnolls. I just posted what was probably one of the most epic combats in any game I've ever run. I believe the party was all about 3rd level, and large, when it entered a gnoll fortress. Actually, it's an old dwarven fortress now used by a large tribe of gnolls and flinds.

It was in the Keep at Koralgesh adventure, and you can find it here if you're interested in how the fight went:

http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6143

I never realized how cool gnolls could be, before running this. They have more promise than many other races, and I tried to play them tough and smart. I believe, if used correctly, gnolls can provide quite a challenge for most adventuring groups.

And it's only the beginning.