one of my Players wants to play an Gnoll.
So I started to think about 2 things.
First the OR. I guess it schoult be about 7 or 8 because theryr bestial nature.
Second: Are there any Gnoll Tribes in Ravenloft and when yes in which domains?
How would the ordanary folk reakt. I guess quite violently....
What are your sugestions?
Ravenloft is a very human setting with even elves and the like being rare. The exception being the dark-fantasy feel of Darkon. For the most part fantasy monsters have no place as it is monsters from folklore, mythology and faerie tales that fit best. Orcs, drow, gnolls and the like just scream D&D and high fantasy and really grate against the setting.
First, the player needs one damn good background for the gnoll: how he's survived in the land, he he eats and where he lives. Then he needs a good explination for why he's going to interact with the party and the like.
Most people would try to kill him at best. Alot of folk wouldn't recognise him as a gnoll, just a monster. Some might just assume he's a were or mongrelman. Or one of the broken ones. These are people that live and die ten miles from where they were born, have never seen magic or an elf and all of a sudden they're seeing a scary hyena-man with huge teeth.
One way might be to make the character a cursed human, someone altered into a gnoll. Weasily way to explain the character but it works. That way you don't even have to use the word "gnoll" to describe it, it's just a 'beast' or 'thing'.
I´t thinking about making him a creature who comes from outside the mists.
By the way, my campaign will start in an falkovnian prison, that is a location where it can be an advantage to be feared.... less stress with other prisenoers ^^
By the way, my campaign will start in an falkovnian prison, that is a location where it can be an advantage to be feared.... less stress with other prisenoers ^^
Eh, do you seriously believe Falkovnians - perhaps the most racist ethnic group of the Core - would consider putting a 'beastman' in the same prison as humans? Methink your gnoll would enjoy a one-way trip to the arena where a Hawk Knight would butcher him to display bravery in front of Drakov.
But that's only me :P
The solitude, the self doubt, the constant physical abuse, society's undying and unfounded hatred; very tragic. Very tragic, and very Ravenloft. Remind you of a particular, literary "flesh golem"? ;)
"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous."
...
"I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me. The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge. I have wandered here many days; the caves of ice, which I only do not fear, are a dwelling to me, and the only one which man does not grudge. These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow beings. If the multitude of mankind knew of my existence, they would do as you do, and arm themselves for my destruction. Shall I not then hate them who abhor me? I will keep no terms with my enemies. I am miserable, and they shall share my wretchedness."
I say go for it. And props to you for both taking on the challenge, and for going against the flow.
And what if the gnoll were put in the lower levels of the Central Prison under strict orders from the Ministry of Science, backed by the Ministry of Intelligence? What is that thing, and what is it doing in Falkovnia, Lekar of all places? This is information that must be gleaned. It would make perfect sense, I feel, for both of these ministries to act out of paranoia like that; they wouldn't be so quick to put the gnoll to death. And they would probably go out of their way to try and shelter the creature's existence from the populace as best they could (perhaps even resorting to murder), that is, until they can devise a plan of action as dictated by their answers, be they legitimate or fabricated. To show weakness (through surprise and confusion) in front of the peasants like that is just unacceptable.
Very interesting character concept.
Thanks for your suggestions guys
I don't recall any modules that feature gnolls. IMO the only core domains they'd fit into would be Tepest and or Darkon. In Tepest they'd have to compete for space with the Goblyns and grovel before the hags. In Darkon I seem them confined to the wildest reaches...except for maybe for the odd bounty hunter hand picked by the kargat?
I seem to recall that the idea of gnolls came from legendary accounts of dog headed men who lived in "Hindustan" (India) from the reports of intial explorers from the times of Marco Polo through the Age of Exploration. Though not a perfect mesh with the traditional D&D gnoll, this suggests a connection to the Verduous lands might also work. These gnolls would no doubt work with or grovel under Arijani and perhaps try to hunt down the rebel weretigers...dangerous work indeed.
As has been stated already gnolls aren't going to fare well in "diplomatic arenas." A gnoll probably has an OR of 6. That's the value I came up with following the RL DMG guidelines for the eberron shifters (see the warforged/shifter thread). I see parallels in form and perception.
I could see the wizards in Falkovnia trying to find ways to incorporate the strength, agressiveness and darkvision of a gnoll into "shock troops." Trying to build the perfect soldier isn't the newest or most original idea but certainly fits with something falkovnia might be interested in doing. No doubt the "research" would be unpleasant for both the gnoll and the test subjec...er other players. ;^)
-Eric Gorman
+1 for being medium sized, +3 for its monstrous appearance, +2 for its predatory reputation, and maybe a +1 for the culture shock factor.
They should be hated and feared by all. If a gnoll walks into a city or village, the residents would probably pick up arms and either drive it away or kill it. I wouldn't reccomend allowing a player to be one myself.
As for Gnoll tribes, there are none described AFAIK so it's up to the DM to make some up.
Gnolls are better as a foe for the players to fight in Ravenloft, not as a playable race. There would be very little reason for a gnoll to be in a falkovnian prison, considering such a creature would be killed on sight, or at best, taken captive and sent on a one way trip to the arenas as someone else suggested.
If he were taken prisoner instead of killed, they would definitely keep him away from the other human prisoners. At least in a cell one or two spaces away from any humans.
That's my opinion anyway.
What I would probably do is steer this PC towards a less jarring concept and towrds something that, while allowing him/her to be monstrous would give everybody ELSE a break. the most dangerous potential issue with this PC is that his total freakishness will make the game less enjoyable for the more "normal" characters in your party - I mean, how long will the other characters be willing to run out of town every session just to keep their fellow PC alive. (And the flip side to that is, if the Gnoll is good aligned, how long until he begins to feel guilty about all the sacrifices his collegues must make for his own sake, before he wanders out into the wilderness?)
What if he were to play an afflicted werewolf instead? Sure, it's been done, but it seems more in keeping with the style. (Actually, that begs the question - won't this guy be hunted down by monster hunters who are convinved they must lay this "wolfish" menace to rest?) Or, at least, strongly suggest he play something like a sorcere with Disguise Self or a shapeshifting druid that can (at least eventually) alter its shape to something more innocuous in town. (A mangy, but faithful hound travelling with the PCs will draw no attention.)
Again, you CAn work with it, but it really begs the question - will this make the game BETTER or Worse.
And only you and your PCs can decide that one.
It is only when you get more than one does it become less of an individual and more of a generic, faceless bunch of stats to be slaughtered for xp.
A gnoll can work as well as a gnome or halfling. A more folklorish creature might be easier but gnolls, with their lack of the fantastic, still work.
Just never use the word "gnoll" to describe it. Stick to it's name and a description.
Now all we need is a Norse Domain of course...
Morrigan
That might not do much to help the PC deal with hostile, superstitious Core natives -- who've likely never heard of Rajian gnolls; to your average local yokel, the PC would seem like just another butt-ugly Broken One -- but it'd give the gnoll PC a legitimate background within the game setting, and the better-educated Renaissance-domain aristocrats might recognize where the gnoll character comes from. Of course, this would mean the PC wouldn't be a traditional, barbaric gnoll from the wilderness, so it might not fit the image the player intended for the character: if the player wants a gnoll because of the race's primitive background, casting Ravenloft's gnolls as the pariahs of (civilized) Sri Raji wouldn't work.
I actually recall reading about gnolls in 2nd Edition Ravenloft (I believe it was in a forrest realm, ruled by witches, that intimidated the gnolls into servitude) may well be, that this was only a mistake in the german translation, but I recall pretty clearly.
Although a few orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, kobolds and gnolls could easily be slipped in there as to make the 'wee beasties' seem more magical and unique and less a race of monsters.
I've got to find that book, then I could quote the passage. I believe it read something like: their servants include a band of gnolls cowed into submission (pretty loosely translated, as I don't have the book in front of me)
I'll post again, as soon as I find it.
How's the gnoll PC coming along?
Just curious...
thats a quite funny story ^^
The party managed to survive the cantral prision and to flee. But they found themselfes in the swaps of souargane.... (The Night of the Walking Dead is about to come)
Because of the present problems the townsfolk the mob which drives the party out of the town is still missing, but all villegers still refuse to trade or even talk with the "monster."
The Gnoll slept his first night in the prison of the town because he attacked, but not hurt, the guy who ceeps the gravejard. The guy was quite harshly and the gnoll lost his caution (his first powers check). After the murder on the barmaid the gnoll was set free, because he had an aliby.
Some pices of coin to the innkeeper were a good investition for the second night, because of that the gnoll is allowed to sleep with the rest of the party. But they have one big problem: Only the gnoll wants to solve the misteries ov Marais de Tascaron, the rest of the party is more interested in liqor....
If they surfife the next nights, the gnoll will learn that other cities won´t give him such a nice welcome....
p.s. The gnoll has almost died because he ate a rat which he slew in the prision. It took him about a month to fight back the infection of filithfewer..... ^^
So, the campaign is more about gothic comedy i guess.....