Gnoll as PrC

[Nifft]

IMC, Gnolls are not a race per se. They are formerly human (or humanoid) cultists who have undergone a horrific transformation to gain physical prowess. In civilized lands they are killed on sight. Since they are unable to breed -- the ritual causes sterility -- they must replenish their numbers by "recruiting" new humanoids. They often keep slaves to torture & abuse, until the slaves are sacrificed to Yennoghu or beg to join the cult.


Gnoll Cultist

Requirements:
Type: Mammalian Humanoid
BAB: +2
Alignment: Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil
Language: Abyssal
Special: Must worship the Demon-Prince Yennoghu and complete the Beast Ritual


Gnoll Cultist PrC
HD: d8
BAB: Full (as Fighter)
Good Save: Fortitude / Bad Saves: Reflex, Will
Skill Points: 2 + Int bonus
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str)

[u]Level   BAB   Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities[/u]
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Beast Ritual, Bite, Natural Armor +1
2	+2	+3	+0	+0	Str +2, Claws, Darkvision 60 ft.
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	Natural Armor +2, Dark Blessing
4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Dex +2, Str +2
5	+5	+4	+1	+1	Natural Armor +3
6	+6	+5	+2	+2	Con +2, Dark Blessing
7	+7	+5	+2	+2	Natural Armor +4
8	+8	+6	+2	+2	Abyssal Blessing

Special Abilities:

• Beast Ritual: This ritual initiates the celebrant into the inner ring of Yennoghu's cult. To perform the ritual, the celebrant must partake of a human (or demi-human) sacrifice, eating the victim's living flesh while a Glabrezu watches. The ritual costs the celebrant 2 points of Intelligence and 2 points of Charisma, and the celebrant gains the [Evil] and [Chaotic] descriptors. Furthermore, the celebrant's type changes to Monstrous Humanoid, and it becomes sterile. Finally, its visage becomes visibly beastial, and it can no longer be recognized as its original race.
• Ability Modification: These are treated as though gained through level advancement.
• Natural Armor (Ex): The character gains the indicated bonus in addition to whatever racial Natural Armor it had before becoming a Gnoll.
• Bite (Ex): The Gnoll gains a bite attack which deals 1d6 + (Str x 1.5) damage. This attack is treated as the primary natural weapon.
• Claws (Ex): The Gnoll gains claw attacks which deal 1d4+Str damage. These are treated as secondary natural weapons. Most Gnolls fight with weapons if they have a choice.
• Darkvision (Ex): As the Darkvision ability.
• Dark Blessing: The Gnoll chooses from the following list of abilities, granted by Yennoghu:
  * Bonus Feat (Ex): Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Natural Armor, Multiattack, Run, Endurance, Track.
  * Abyssal Luck (Su): +2 Luck bonus to all saves.
  * Deathbringer (Sp): the Gnoll may cast Death Knell 3/day
  * Jaws of Power (Su): the Gnoll's natural attacks are treated as magical and evil for the purpose of penetrating damage reduction.
• Abyssal Blessing: The Gnoll chooses from the following list of abilities, granted by Yennoghu:
  * Abyssal Might (Su): the Gnoll gains a permanent +4 Enhancement bonus to Strength. This may be suppressed by a Dispel Magic (caster level = character level) for 2d6 minutes.
  * Jaws of Blood (Su): the Gnoll's bite attack gains the Wounding special ability.
  * Jaws of the Abyss (Su): the Gnoll's bite attack gains the Unholy special ability.
  * Jaws of Terror (Su): the Gnoll's bite attack gains three Bane special abilities.
  * Abyssal Hound (Sp): the Gnoll may summon a Howler for one hour per day with a 50% chance of success.
  * Abyssal Flesh (Su): the Gnoll gains damage reduction 5/good.

So, does this seem balanced? It's only gonna be used for bad guys.

-- N

EDIT: Names have been changed to protect the guilty (me).

 

[Scion]

If it helps any I like it

You have a requirment of any evil though, and in the first ability you gain [evil] and [chaotic], was this intentional?

Are you going to do something similar for the other alignments? especially good. Would be pretty cool to have something to give up most/all of your humanity in order to become a better follower of goodness and such, much like this evil one. Although it is rather very centric to fighter types. Perhaps you could add on the following?

Dark Blessing:
Blasted Soul (ex): all of your spells now have the [chaotic] and [evil] descriptors and you cast and know spells in a previously earned spellcasting class as if you were 2 levels higher.

Abyssal Blessing:
Corrupted Aura (su): All spellcasters within 60' have a caster level adjustment of -3 from your sickly aura unless they have both the [chaotic] and [evil] alignment descriptors. You cast and know spells in a previously earned spellcasting class as if you were 2 levels higher. Also, if you stay within 5' of a creature for more than 1 minute part of your aura clouds theirs. For every minute you were next to them their aura reads as chaotic and evil for one day.

If they use all of their dark blessings for spell power they will have 6 extra caster levels (4 if you do not allow repeats, which may be more balanced)

Sorry for the strange feedback I like your prc!

 

[Nifft]

Thanks for the feedback! I actually intend this to be a non-spellcasting 'race', and the racial class-levels do a bit to enforce it. I picture spellcasters taking only the first two levels of the PrC, unless they intend to take part in combat, in which case I could see up to 4 levels taken.

Remember that they've already got at least BAB 2 to qualify, so they could easily be Cleric3/Gnoll2/ClericX. (I don't see many Sorcerers or Wizards taking this class... Druids might get a kick out of it, though, and Rangers, Rogues & Barbarians are also great candidates.)

-- N

 

[Sertimon]

I like this PrC! Great work, Nifft! And here's some of my random thoughts for ya:

The only thing I would change is perhaps the Abyssal Flesh to damage reduction 5/magic instead, but it really depends on how common 'good' weapons are in your campaign. This is similar to the damage reduction granted by the Fiendish Creature template.

If Abyssal Might is a permanent enchancement bonus to Strength, how can it be supressed in an anti-magic field and by Dispel Magic spell? That doesn't make any sense to me. Or is this some kind of aura (in that case it makes sense to me!)?

If you have Monster Manual II, you might want to check out the Abyssal Ravager. It might be more fitting than the Howler for the Abyssal Hound ability. It even looks like a gnoll! Is it intentional that is ability is a supernatural one instead of a spell-like ability (similar to those of demons/devils)

I would probably move the first Dark Blessing to 4th level, and move Dex +2 up to 3rd level. This is mostly because it might be unbalancing to give a +4 bonus to Strength or the Wounding ability to a character of 5th level (say fighter, for example). Just my two cents.

 

[Nifft]

Thanks, glad you like it!

If Abyssal Might is a permanent enchancement bonus to Strength, how can it be supressed in an anti-magic field and by Dispel Magic spell?

Magic items (permanent effects) can be suppressed by a targeted Dispel Magic. This bonus acts like that. It also doesn't stack with Bull's Strength, which is important to balance IMHO.

If you have Monster Manual II, you might want to check out the Abyssal Ravager.

Not open content. I'd like to be able to publish this if I ever finish my setting, and Howlers are open.

I would probably move the first Dark Blessing to 4th level, and move Dex +2 up to 3rd level. This is mostly because it might be unbalancing to give a +4 bonus to Strength or the Wounding ability to a character of 5th level (say fighter, for example). Just my two cents.

Wounding is only granted by Darkest Blessing, and that only happens once (at 8th level).

Good catch on the (Sp)-ness of the summon. Thanks, -- N

 

[Sertimon]

Wounding is only granted by Darkest Blessing, and that only happens once (at 8th level).

Doh! I didn't even notice that it said Darkest Blessing! Shouldn't post this late perhaps ...

 

[Nifft]

Doh! I didn't even notice that it said Darkest Blessing! Shouldn't post this late perhaps ...

Yeah, or maybe I should be more creative with names of stuff...

-- N

 

[Sertimon]

Yeah, or maybe I should be more creative with names of stuff...

-- N

I'll try to give you some friendly suggestions: perhaps just change the 'blessing' part to Darkest Gift, Darkest Reward, Darkest Taint, Darkest Herritage, or Darkest Trait. Or perhaps change out the 'darkest' to Abyssal Power, Fiendish Savagery, or Demonic Conversion or any combination of these.

Hope some of these help! At least it's worth a try, even if you don't like them!

 

[Nifft]

Okay, the special ability names have been changed. (Now Darkest Blessing => Abyssal Blessing.)

-- N

 

[ConnorSB]

*swipe*

thats the sound of me swiping this prc to be used by the tarrasque ("Earthen King") worshiping kobolds in my campaign. Mmm.... evil goodnesss...