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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Razamis" data-source="post: 7231593" data-attributes="member: 6909244">Strength bonus really does not make sense for playable Gnolls. Gnolls are large, but they are lanky and agile, especially when compared to races that do get a strength racial bonus like an orc or a mountain dwarf. Gnolls favor bows which suggests some capability with them, and bows are a dexterity trait. Lastly Gnolls are the archetypical monstrous evil rangers, and rangers often favour dex.The justification that you use for giving gnolls a strength bonus is from Volo's guide where it states "Strength, hunger and fear are the three concepts that every Gnoll extols.". In this case Strength is not meant as in lifting capability and muscles, it's meant as in strength over your foes, lack of weakness, and domination. There are many ways to use the word strength, such as strength of character, or mental strength. Gnolls value strength, but differently then orcs value strength. Orcs value strength in a way that they may physically wrestle and over power their opponent. Gnolls value strength in a way that they do whatever is necessary to achieve dominance over an opponent, and since they may not be physically stronger, the use cheap tactics like ganging up, bows to finish people at a range or set fire to villages, etc.. On a side note, D&D5e does a very poor job with Gnolls in the monster manual. Rampage is an ability, that on a monster, will not get used very often at all since PCs often won't be dropping like flies to Gnolls. In fact, PCs often won't ever drop to gnolls, and thus the gnoll essentially has no special racial ability. I would have preferred that WoTC gave gnolls a "when bloodied" ability, or a pack tactics gang-up ability, or some scent bonus, something beneficial for the situations gnolls will actually be in against PCs.As for your work on creating a gnoll playable race, I think that you put a lot of thought and effort in to it and so good stuff. However I respectfully must say, that even though the points work out for race creation, the result is not something that is useful, and aside from how racial stats may work out for one class or another, there is really not much useful here that someone would want to play a gnoll for, especially when compared with Human, halfling, or elf options.- +2 Dex, +1 Con - This is good. (drop strength, that simply does not fit in any way).- Darkvision - This is good, and useful in game. Lot's of races have this though, so it's doesn't make this race special.- 30 speed - I liked the 4e idea of giving gnolls 35 movement.- Longbow Proficiency - This makes lore sense, but is almost entirely useless in practice. If the gnoll is a class that can make use of this feature, they likely already get this proficiency from the class (ranger, fighter, barbarian). If their class would not have granted them this proficiency (Sorcerer, Wizard, Cleric), they are likely never going to be better off using it then a simple cantrip. Thematically it's neat, but in play it's not very useful.- Bite - This makes sense for the race, it will almost never be worth using over any other attack option outside of rampage, but natural weapons can be situationally useful.- Rampage - This ability is much more useful for a PC then it is for the Gnoll as a monster fighting PCs. The problem is that it costs a bonus action, and it is yet another feature that makes duel-wielding a less attractive option for PCs with this racial trait. Unfortunate in the case of a Gnoll PC, given the link between gnolls and rangers.- Perception and either Stealth or Intimidate? Intimidate feels more...fundamental. Stealth only 1 guy has. - Perception is good, fits nice with the canid sense of smell thing.- Common, Gnoll Language. Maybe Abyssal? - I'd just make it Abyssal.At the end of the day, the useful items are Darkvision, Rampage for non-duel-wielders, and Perception. Perception and Darkvision are not unique racial features. The only thing that makes this not just a "crappier elf" is Rampage. I like the direction of rampage for a gnoll PC because of that. But compare some other monstrous PC races like Lizardfolk Hold Breath, Swimming Speed, Bite, and Natural Armor, all unique lizardfolky stuff. Or compare the Tabaxi "Feline Agility", consider how much better that feature is, and it's free, not a bonus action, but they get one additional unique racial feature "Climbing speed" due to their claws,  VERY useful. My point here is that the Gnoll you present is missing one feature, in addition to rampage, that makes the gnoll race feel more unlike every other PC race. (some sort of pack tactics, or berserk when bloodied, might do it).</blockquote>

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