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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5981191" data-attributes="member: 2067">The <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20120801" target="_blank">new article today</a> is about the gnoll. Famously described in OD&D as the combination of a gnome and a troll. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/5980601-post22.html" target="_blank">I described my view of gnolls here</a>, and WotC took their track in Tuesday's Wandering Monster article.The picture presented as a gnoll so far hits most of the high points. I don't really object to it. I do think it could be better. I think the general image is a bit...cartoony, and the big hands don't help. I do love the face, but it looks a little sympathetic...even cute. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> And while the concept overall is pretty strong, I feel like I'm not getting a sense of the gnoll's role in the world very strongly. It's not doing anything particularly cruel or debased or "casually violent." It doesn't look like it's ready to gleefully rip me limb from limb. The hunch is good, but I think we need to ratchet up the evil and danger a little bit, here. And gnoll "dumbness" to me wasn't a lack of cunning or intellect per se, but more a lack of awareness of themselves or the consequences of their actions. Rather than looking "duuuuh...", maybe they should look careless. I'd expect gnolls to be the type to run with scissors or to let a wound get infected. They get that it's dangerous, they just don't care. That might be my own narrow take on it, though. And the image isn't bad. A little cartoony and non-threatening, but not bad. B. Which also corresponds to the production sketch I like the best. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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