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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Charles Rampant" data-source="post: 6985506" data-attributes="member: 32659">We end our tour of the Gnolls with the Witherling, the somewhat odd undead variant. <img src="http://www.critical-hits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/witherling_mm2-199x300.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />In the book image, the Witherling is standing in the exact same pose as the other Gnolls, only this time he has no skin. Since Gnolls have a pretty interesting skull - though, rather oddly, he still has ears - the image works for me, but only just. It definitely feels like the imagination ran dry for this group of monster images. So it seems that Gnolls enjoyment of flesh eating extends to each other. Rather than being properly decadent about it and taking that as a euphemism, they instead actually kill their comrades, and then conduct dubious rituals to Yeenoghu to bring back the consumed Gnolls as undead. These then follow the warband around, killing but not eating their victims, meaning more food but fewer mouths to feed. It all seems like a subconscious population control measure. Probably the most interesting thought here is what other rituals Yeenoghu might have taught the Gnolls. The Witherling is definitely not a plot-driving threat, though it is perhaps good as an initial threat for level one characters. This guy is basically presented as chaff to be sprinkled into fights with Gnolls. Its combat stats are extremely unexciting, as is normal for CR 1/4, but he does have the interesting Vengeful Strike rule, meaning that it can use a reaction to make a melee attack, if a Gnoll nearby dies. That’s a nice wrinkle to add to a fight - not so powerful as to make your players complain, but definitely something that’ll make them think. This, along with the Hunter’s crippling shots, gives the DM some options for spicing up combats without needing to bring in house rules or spellcasters. With this, we end the Gnolls, and won’t be mentioning them again until the Leucrotta, I think. Just as well, since I’m pretty bored of talking about them!</blockquote>

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