D&D 5E My Gnoll PC race/update

[Scott Steven Bell]

I guess thats why the NPC Gnolls get pack tactics. I just find them too powerful for a PC, hehe but I do see your point on just tracking prey down then eating it.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

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.

In previous editions, ranger was the preferred class for gnolls. Gnolls gig is to be predators and predators tend to be alert--thus wisdom is a good fit. On top of that, Volo's was all about how they spend a lot of time looking for signs. That's practically cleric 101. Hey, if you want to make a double physical stat race, go for it, but there are better candidates like bugbears and troglodytes.

 

[clutchbone]

Volo's also says they use bows a lot, so dexterity is also a good fit. Just because they are all cultists of Yeenoghu, doesn't mean they need to be wise. Orcs follow Gruumsh, an actual diety (Yeenoghu is a demon), religion is a huge part of their fluff and they aren't wise.

Yeah, Str/Wis is a good mechanical choice for rangers and fighters, but I just don't think it fits gnolls specifically. Just my two copper.

 

[GreenTengu]

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.

It is one thing if a race is marginally better at a class than another class.

What you want to avoid is making it so that if you match them with particular classes, you get such overwhelming bonuses that mechanically it would feel kind of dumb to have chosen any other race to match with that class.... while on the other hand, if you match them with another class the bonuses have so little effect on anything the character is likely to ever do that you may as well have chosen a race that got no bonuses at all.

A free bonus melee attack every single turn so long as you aren't using your bonus action for anything else plus a free 15' movement every time you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points is WAY too much of a boon for melee classes, there literally becomes flat out mechanically inferior to choose any other race to be that class...

Which ends up causing the effect that just about every hero who is one of those classes is now going to be a Gnoll.

Meanwhile it does nothing for that Gnoll Warlock or the Gnoll Death Cleric... so you end up effectively writing any real possibility of PCs playing those combinations out of existence.

Because while the option to be ridiculously mechanically inferior exists-- only the semi-masochistic players or the ones intentionally goofing are going to choose those options.