Gnoll: The ascencion

heirodule · Jul 31, 2003

I had the party kill a bunch of gnolls that took over a keep. Some of the gnolls were druidic, and not really with the whole demonic program ofthe main body of gnolls. The players kinda "got" this, but it didn't matter to them (much)

In a confrontation in the druidic shrine, the main gnoll druid (NE, but tending to N) decided he was beaten, put his arms down, chin up, closed his eyes and said "You may strike me down, but I will become more powerful tnan you can imagine".

(spur of the moment idea

)

So now the ranger who offed the gnoll will be returning to the gnoll forest to hunt remnants of the main force with a bunch of recruits from the barony.

I want to have him mark those words

I'm thinking reincarnation, but a big dire animal doesn't fit the bill.

I toyed with a Spirit of the Forest, but thats a bit much for 6th level

I'm leaning now towards a gnoll ghost, and something whereby all the gnolls will become ghosts and haunt the forest

Some kind of powerful gnoll-like or otherwise bestial fey who has lots of "oness with the forest" vibe going, but I'm cluess as to what that would be.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Felix · Aug 1, 2003

I love gnolls.

With that out of the way... I think what you have here is a great possibility for a long term antagonist. He will be able to creep after the party without their knowing, and mess with them at any time. Remember, ghosts never really die, unless their reason for being a ghost is undone.

His reason for being a ghost is to revenge himself upon this ranger, or whatever else you can think up. Ghost doesn't die until ranger dies. The ghost will want to mess with the party, and will show up at the most inopportune times. Don't have him kill the party directly, just make life very, very difficult. At the same time, keep giving him druid levels. Heh.

The gnoll is always in the background, but around when they reach 14th to 17th level, have a head to head confrontation. Have the gnoll show the party the imbalance the barony was inflicting upon the forest, and how the gnolls had to react to defend it; doubt is cast upon their prior actions. Have the baron turn evil-ish, and let the party know that they assisted in his rise to power.

But as to what the gnoll actually comes back as, definitely go Ghost templated gnoll druid.

Ooo! Just thought of something. Ever seen the movie Fallen? The ghost can pass from creature to creature every round using its Malevolence ability. He keeps his mental stats, and his class abilities (re: spells). So he can jump from body to body of willing gnolls and harass the party until he runs out of spells. He can even possess the ranger...

At any rate, what will rid the party of the Gnoll ghost? Assisting in the creation of a gnoll homeland, defended from the barony, and in harmony with nature. If they are involved in attacking the homeland, or in providing the baron with information about the defenses, the gnoll comes back and kills them. That is how much more powerful the gnoll has become: more than they could possibly imagine.

I think I'm going to pinch this situation for my campaign. Yoink.

Tonguez · Aug 1, 2003

Yep go Gnoll Ghost and then apply the concept of Ancestor Worship. The surviving gnolls now worship the Ghostly Gnoll matyr and from that worship the gnoll begins to gain divinity! - you can start him as a ghost to begin with but then as the PCs gain levels you can start making the gnoll proportionately more powerful - fiendish+gnoll ghost+ Verdant Lord PrC+yep keep going

Otherwise Felix had some great ideas (like the 'Fallen' body switching concept) and what about the ability to enter the body of enters - even multiple animals and plants - and basically become spirit of the forest by default

Melvin the Mediocre · Aug 1, 2003

another dead gnoll returning idea...

Since he was a druid you might consider a more celtic theme. You could have the gnoll come back every full moon as something like the celtic god Herne (I think) who was master of the Wild Hunt. For one night every month (since he was fairly evil, maybe he should appear on the new moon), you could have a ghostly version of the gnoll at the head of a giant pack of wolves hunting after the ranger and party. He could slowly become more powerful with every new moon. Perhaps he starts off with two or three dire wolves and seems just like a gnoll. But the next month he has damage reduction or is etheral and has a few more wolves, etc.
If you want to be extra creepy, you could have any wounds the ranger receives from the gnoll - hunter reappear every new moon.

Sharack Bladestorm · Aug 3, 2003

Spirit rather than undead?

Heirodule,

You could do something where rather than being undead, the druid freed his spirit into nature. He can tend to manifest in familar areas, like the gnoll forest, where he'd have some limited control of the local plant and animal life.

The ranger can find odd things like -- tracks now lead in circles or are covered up, foraged food spoils, vermin or poisonous plants pop up to harry the troops from the Barony.

In fact, the spirit can turn the Ranger almost into a bad luck charm... whenever the Ranger is in the forest w the troops, bad things happen and he needs to find out why...

Ciao,
Sharack

arwink · Aug 4, 2003

If you've got access to the Manual of the planes, try slapping the Wood elemental template on either the base gnoll or some kind of dire creature that fits in with the druidic ethos the gnoll was following.

Rather than making it undead or calling it an elemental, describe it as a spirit made up as the very matter of the forest itself - the body consisting of vines, roots, branches, leaves, moss and stones in a vaguely gnoll-shaped tangle. if you want to be really mean, give it regeneration (unable to regenerate fire), and describe the way the ghost seems to pick up bits of debris from the floor of the forest to fill its wounds.