D&D 5E My Gnoll PC race/update

[Scott Steven Bell]

Gnoll
+2 Str +1 Dex
60' dark vision
carrion eater; advantage vs diseases and the poison condition
rampage; after bringing an enemy to 0 health may as a bonus action move half movement to next enemy and bite for 1d4+ strength. If he hasnt used a bonus action already this round ie..already used his bite attack. This ability is useable once per constitution point per long rest.
yennogu's fury; a Gnoll who has dropped to half health goes into a blood fury biting like a feral animal. As a bonus action they may make a bite attack causing 1d4+ strength damage
bonus proficiency; survival or stealth
languages; infernal (Gnoll), common

A full grown Gnoll stands near 7' tall but are more lanky and light footed than many other races.
Gnoll PC's are a rare breed that has for one reason or another stepped away from their primal mentality. Some still follow their savage paths while most are striving to rise above them. While Gnoll PC's may be of any alignment they tend towards Neutral.
Most Gnoll PC's also form tight bonds with like minded inividuals forming a type of new pack.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Nice. On the off chance that there might be some dispute over "ingested diseases and poisons", I would go with "advantage on saves against any effect that would cause the poisoned condition." It isn't a condition that comes up a lot, so I don't think it would be too overpowered (especially since you didn't give them a con boost, which would be the likely save), but it does come up more often (at least in adventures I have seen) than ingested poison.

 

[GreenTengu]

I would recommend simplifying this.

First, make them Str and Con rather than Str and Dex. There really isn't anything about the big, meaty, hair behemoths that suggests fine motor skills nor skill with bows or finesse weapons nor even being particularly dodgy. However, they most certainly come across as quite meaty and resistant to pain and injury.
Yeah, Dex is the god stat and so naturally every race wants to have Dex but... its kind of an issue.

Instead of "bite", just make it so that their natural attack damage die is 1d4.

A constant, every round you don't otherwise have a bonus attack, free attack (even if it is limited to d4+Str damage) seems a bit too much. It would edge them out to be flat out the best melee race in the game. So nyx that. Plus there is no "bloodied" condition in 5e.

Rampage grants way too much extra free movement, particularly if one is facing off against a mob of low hp enemies. What would work better would be that when you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, as a bonus action you may move into the area occupied by that creature and/or make a natural attack against another enemy in melee range. It really doesn't matter that the MM version is better-- the MM version doesn't get all the class abilities a PC is going to have and that ability is meant to stand in for one.

The point is that it needs to have a minor effect or needs to be a once per short rest thing. A powerful class-like ability that allows them significant movement and significant extra damage all the time is just not something that belongs on a race.

That would be extremely good for someone playing a Monk, but a Monk would negate the natural attack bonus and if you switch the second bonus from Dex, they won't really have any other advantages towards being a Monk and so maybe it would be okay.

Now-- what would concern me is this....

In 5E a well-made race you can pair with just about any class and say "it gives you this significant bonus". Something beyond just "oh, you get a bonus skill that your class... probably won't use much... and you could have picked up from background anyway."

You haven't given Gnoll anything at all that would give any sort of bonus to those who would be playing them as casters. Thus, someone playing one as say... a Warlock... would end up feeling like they were anything from between a feat to an entire level behind someone playing a more well-rounded race.

What you would want them is maybe something that would give a caster a boost but be nearly useless to the melee combat classes that their Str bonus and rampage ability pushes them towards being.

Perhaps something simple... such as adding their Con bonus to their AC (or just having a base AC of 12) when not wearing any armor would work.

 

[Scott Steven Bell]

I have made a few updates.

As for the better at one type of charachter than another I think that is nature. A mountain Dwarf makes a better type of charachter than a High Elf, A Tielfling is better at some classes than a Half-elf. A Gnoll could still be a good Gish type of charachter but being as they are large and physically powerful their natural instincts do tent towards martial skills just as a Wood Elf is a better ranger than mage, a M.Dwarf better fighter than sorceror, a half Orc a better barbarian than warlock. Its pretty common amoung races in my eyes.

 

[Tormyr]

I would recommend simplifying this.

First, make them Str and Con rather than Str and Dex. There really isn't anything about the big, meaty, hair behemoths that suggests fine motor skills nor skill with bows or finesse weapons nor even being particularly dodgy. However, they most certainly come across as quite meaty and resistant to pain and injury.
Yeah, Dex is the god stat and so naturally every race wants to have Dex but... its kind of an issue.
*snip*

Dex is probably a better ability score to have as a bonus for two reasons:
1. Dex is the Gnoll's second highest ability score after Str in the MM.
2. The DMG suggests turning one of the MM NPCs into a Gnoll by modifying the ability scores Dex +2/Int -2.

 

[Scott Steven Bell]

I also see Gnolls as more of lanky predator than a hulking one like an Orc.

 

[clutchbone]

Str/Dex is nice as it's more unique. There's enough Str/Con races already. Also, 35ft speed wouldn't be out of place here. Nevermind about the speed, doesn't match up with the MM.

Some wording suggestions:

Carrion Eater: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.

Bite: You can use your bite as a natural weapon to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4+your Strength modifier.

Rampage Yeenoghu's Fury: Once per short rest or long rest, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can move up to 1/2 your speed and make one bite attack as a bonus action.

Born Predator: You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.



EDIT: I renamed Rampage just because I like the new name better, but I changed it to short or long rest to better balance it against other racial powers.

 

[Scott Steven Bell]

I like it but I still think "Born Predator" could be stealth as well. After all stalking is stealth in 5E.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

While I would normally put in a plug for the gnoll warlock, a death cleric gnoll would fit Yeenoghu pretty well and str/wis would make a good melee ranger (particularly for BM ranger with a giant hyena) and dex/wis would work for a ranged ranger and wouldn't hurt the death cleric much.

 

[clutchbone]

But are gnolls, as a race, known for having above average wisdom? Personally, I don't think being wise or intuitive is a part of their racial theme.

@Scott Steven Bell Yeah stealth is "predatory", I just thought since you already have +Dex then the gnoll would need more help with tracking. Also (not that it matters for D&D really) real life hyenas don't stalk or ambush prey like lions; instead the whole pack simply runs prey down over long distances while biting chunks out it until it collapses from exhaustion/blood loss. There are videos on youtube if you're into that sort of thing.