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.
I love transformational races, a really nice change to the standard races.
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
boy I really hate low requirement prestige classes, not a single feat or skill requirement i mean even low requierments would still require a cost. IMHO make the costs more campaign specific I am not saying everyone has to look the same but at least have some cost.
good choice fits thier favored class ranger and their huminoid hd
BAB: Full (as Fighter)
Good Save: Fortitude / Bad Saves: Reflex, Will
yeap thats a knoll.
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)
I thought knoll class skills were just listen and spot? I like the list but I don't see balance. maybe you could explain it to me?
Level Special Abilities
1 Beast Ritual, Bite, Natural Armor +1
2 Str +2, Claws, Darkvision 60 ft.
3 Natural Armor +2, Dark Blessing
4 Dex +2, Str +2
5 Natural Armor +3
6 Con +2, Dark Blessing
7 Natural Armor +4
8 Abyssal Blessing
hmmm... seems front loaded I would have rather seen the darkvision moved up one along with dark blessing.
But maybe Abyssal Blessing will be good enough to discourage dipping. My only reall complaint was why not 2 more levels to make 10?
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.
I think this could have been included as a prerequisite so I would understand the prereequisites better. I feel like an idiot for my earlier comments about no cost to the class.
Natural Armor (Ex): The character gains the indicated bonus in addition to whatever racial Natural Armor it had before becoming a Gnoll.
I love natural armor does not get used enough.
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.
Since standard Gnolls don't get a bite or a claw attack is this setting specific? you might include the line that bite damage is slashing, piercing and bludgening, makes players think of the ability as being a bit stronger.
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.
since they are secondary should they not be 1d4+ 1/2 str modifer
Darkvision (Ex): As the Darkvision ability.
I assume range is 60 feet but it should be stated.
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.
Really original and very powerful with this number of options to choose from a players dream. I would rather have seen more feats that dealt specificly with the gnollish racial abilites and specificly thier abilities within your setting.
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.
I like the abyssal blessings much better than I do dark blessing much more specific to gnolls and thier relationship with their diety. It really makes a very good top tear ability Great Job
IN CONCLUSION
i really like the feel of this and it gives me some great ideas of what to do with some of the transformational races in my world. I like gnolls and I think thier society and culture is vastly underused though too often they are treated as an anomorphic heyena race for my taste.
my complaints are that few of its special abilites reflect a primary stat, the racial modification of +2 to Con is missing and only 8 levels instead of 10(though that one is just personal taste).
It has a high cost and generous abilites which are always favorites of mine. I would consider it an above average design. good job.
Your PCs have my sympathies...
