Gnolls (Action)

Heroic Action Role-Play

Alternate Names: Ghuls, Hyena-Men, Hyena

Attributes and Schticks

Body: 6-10
Mind: 5-8
Reflexes: 6-9
Move: 6

Killing Pace

Basic Action

Move three times your Move. In a long-distance chase or march you gain +1 Move, but if you maintain this pace a number of minutes equal to your Body, you take one Hit. If this is your last hit, you take a Damage Setback.

Mob

Basic Action

When two or more friends fight the same target as you in Melee can make a Normal Melee Attack with a +3 bonus to Melee against that target.

Mockery

Trigger Action (Combo)

Use this after you've hit or successfully interacted with someone. The target suffers a -3 penalty on all attacks and interactions directed at a creature that did not use Mockery against him this round.

Description

Fierce hyena-like brigands, gnolls are bad news.

Appearance

Gnolls are proud humanoids, standing 180 to 200 cm tall and well built. They are furred and have fanged snouts similar to a hyena's or dog's. Their fur is a motley brown, black or yellowish, often with stripes or pots. They exhibit animalistic behavior, and have an embarrassing tendency to move on all fours when exited or afraid.

Role

Gnolls are warriors and raiders, seeking and exploiting every weakness they find. They use violence and terror to gain influence and wealth. Though physically strong, they are not brave and see bravery and heroism as foolish.

Politics

Gnolls today are nothing but trouble. Gnolls themselves say they once had a magnificent civilization. They curbed their own bestial instincts, instigated rulers and built temples and pyramids to various animal-headed deities. But this civilization fell long ago, and now undead dominate the former kingdom.

Flinds are a bloodline among the gnolls that are considered especially noble. They are somewhat larger than ordinary gnolls, and resemble lions. They also have a secret weapon, the flind-bar, that only they employ. Common gnolls usually hold them in reverence.

Integration

Gnolls are rarely accepted into civilization, but often live on the fringes of it, as bandits, trackers, caravaneers or herdsmen. They are a chaotic bunch, with little regard for laws, customs and rulers, though they have a sort of honor and rarely break their own traditions or word.

Family

Gnolls don't distinguish between the sexes much; both sexes appear identical and even gnolls can have trouble telling them apart under all that fur. Females go into heat about once a year, attract males and mate. They then give birth to a litter of puppies; unintelligent jackal-dogs, about six inches long. These puppies can take care of themselves from the very beginning, and live of scraps and leftovers in the Gnoll lair, first growing into large jackals and then into full-fledged gnolls. Adult gnolls have few memories of the time they spent as puppies.