[4e] Gnoll Advice

[nepphi]

So I'm playing a gnoll in a game soon, hopefully.

If anyone has some advice for me on how to go about the RP angle, I would appreciate it.

Relevant details -

Holdn is trying to adhere to a Good alignment. He has something in his past that makes it difficult to do so however - he murdered his wife/mate (however gnolls put it). They were part of a 'fringe' tribe of gnolls, but when he came home he found her conducting rites to Yeengohu (sp?). He killed her over it, and left.

Holdn is a Barbarian by class, having given over to his angrier impulses for the first bit of time after leaving his home. He's turned his attention toward atonement and redemption more recently.

So that's the backstory in brief, what sort of RP should I use to bring this out in-game?

Thanks for any advice you may have.

[illyrus]

Personally the big difference I see in gnolls from let's say humans is what they tend to put in their stomach. I'd decide on what he considered okay to eat (would he eat the corpses of slain enemies for example, demons, or certain animals humans tend not to eat?) Trying to be good and trying to be human are two seperate things.

Is his goal going to be attempting to convert those that follow demon lords away from the side of evil to good instead of killing them? Does he want to hunt down demonkind for them perverting his wife's morals?

Or perhaps you're going for him to try to become a good human. Personally I'd find the struggle of an alien mind to be more interesting than just trying to emulate a human in a hyena-man's body.

[nepphi]

I would definitely be interested in the idea of an 'otherness' to him.

I'm basing the idea on similar ones raised in a comic called 'digger' by Ursula Vernon. So something anthropologically different to normal human ideals would be good.

The eating thing seems interesting. Cannibalism need not be evil, after all.

As for his goals pertaining to the demon-priests, I'm not sure. I can see him trying to convert average gnolls away from it, but the active worshippers and especially the warlock/priest caste are essentially under a death scentence as far as he's concerned.

[FoE]

There was a good article on playing gnolls in Dragon #367. If you don't have access to DDI, I will summarize:

1) Gnolls who don't follow Yeennoghu are fierce hunters, but they don't revel in slaughter the way their kinfolk do. They love to track but don't love to torture the way other gnolls like to. They are both predators and scavengers, so they don't have qualms about eating their prey and can even digest bones. (A village assaulted by a gnoll pack tends to leave no trace of the inhabitants ...) It is not uncommon for gnolls take trophies from their kills.

2) Gnolls to live on the edges of civilized society. They prefer the company of their kin, but they may come to terms with humans or other settlers who share their lands and might even sell their services as hunters and predators. That said, all gnolls have a "pack" mentality, and it is difficult for them to be alone. If there are no gnolls nearby, they are as likely to bond with an adventuring party that accepts them. They might initially challenge other members of the party to establish a clear social hierarchy. However, a gnoll is fiercely loyal to its comrades, to the point of laying down its life for its chosen pack.

3) Female and male gnolls are equal, but females tend to be larger in some clans. Most other races can't tell the difference and some people even believe that gnolls are hermaphrodites. Gnoll lifespans are short; they rarely exceed thirty years.

4) Even friendly gnolls tend to be aggressive in their personality. Gnolls don't find intimidation to be a sign of hostility; instead, the speaker is merely asserting its strength and seeking to find its place within the pack hierarchy. One of the simple ways this comes across is that a gnoll never makes requests; it demands, or threatens.

5) Gnolls that turn away from Yeenoghu may believe that no god deserves their worship, or they may foster a connection to primal spirits. Worshipping Melora, Kord and the Raven Queen is also common.

6) Some gnolls can mimic any voice. The article suggests a feat that can be taken to accomplish this.

The article also contains a few background suggestions, a racial power and some feats, all of which I am not going to list here.

As for your character, I imagine your gnoll character would be on the run from his former pack-mates and becomes an adventurer in order to survive. He becomes apprehensive around couples and becomes especially enraged around demons and demon-worshippers.

His goal would not be to convince other gnolls to turn away from Yeenoghu, which is practically impossible, but to one day challenge his people's god and take his vengeance on the Beast of Butchery.

[Swordgleam]

From what you've described, I think multiclassing into Paladin for RP reasons might be fun. Pick up a handful of rituals, and RP how he's trying to use divine power for good - something almost none of his kind have ever done.

It also seems like he's trying to move away from his barbarian roots personality-wise, so multiclassing into something where he can pick up a couple defensive utilities would help you roleplay that aspect during combat.

[nepphi]

Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, Swordgleam.

At the moment he doesn't follow any deity in particular, being kind of leery on the subject of supernatural beings. That said, he's not -against- the idea of a God, just hesitant. Any ideas what deity he could focus his attentions toward eventually?

[Inyssius Tor]

Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, Swordgleam.

At the moment he doesn't follow any deity in particular, being kind of leery on the subject of supernatural beings. That said, he's not -against- the idea of a God, just hesitant. Any ideas what deity he could focus his attentions toward eventually?

Face of Evil suggested Melora, Kord, the Raven Queen, and the primal spirits of the earth. Melora is the standard choice for those who escape the Beast of Butchery's clutches but aren't cool enough to worship the much more interesting primal spirits; I think she's a bit generic, myself. I like Kord a lot, but gnolls are more interesting when they fight for keeps, and Kord--though big on fighting--is not so big on eating one's enemies; and he seems a little upbeat for a gnoll who kills his wife and is exiled from his clan and so on and so forth. For both of those reasons, I'd favor the Raven Queen; she's got a much more natural grimness to her.

The aforementioned much more interesting primal spirits would be, well, an interesting choice. And probably a more natural one than choosing a god, since gods and demon lords aren't terribly different from a skeptical mortal's perspective (and from that of the primal spirits, come to think of it). And, hey, it's another way to distinguish between "good" and "human"; most human and demihuman societies are quite big on gods.

[FoE]

Thanks for listening to my suggestions, Inyssius.

For both of those reasons, I'd favor the Raven Queen; she's got a much more natural grimness to her.

I agree, though I do think Melora is a good choice. She's a bit generic because not much has been written about her, but I see her as a fierce and uncaring goddess ... much like nature itself.

Plus, she's got a shark for an exarch. That's bitchin'.

[Swordgleam]

I second the Melora and Raven Queen suggestions. Though if he really wants to make a break from his roots, Avandra would be a great choice. Seems like she'd work well for a barbarian, too. Choosing Pelor would work if he decided to go hardcore anti-evil.

[Inyssius Tor]

If you can't tell, I'm not so much a fan of the primal classes.

Nevertheless, have you looked at Primal Power? There's an awful lot of interesting fluff in there.

I agree, though I do think Melora is a good choice. She's a bit generic because not much has been written about her, but I see her as a fierce and uncaring goddess ... much like nature itself.

Oh, I don't deny that someone could make her interesting, my inner worldbuilder is itching to give it a shot. It's just that she's rather awfully bland now, and that doesn't seem like it would make her a good choice for this sort of situation unless the DM is already pushing her.

Plus, she's got a shark for an exarch. That's bitchin'.

Oh, indeed.

[nepphi]

Urgh! I can't believe I missed your suggests, FoE ;-;

I'm sorry! Reading the thread again to update.

[nepphi]

On a related note, where can I find out about these primal spirits, other than PHB2 and Primal Power? Are they in any of the planes books?

[Optimystik]

I would definitely be interested in the idea of an 'otherness' to him.

I'm basing the idea on similar ones raised in a comic called 'digger' by Ursula Vernon. So something anthropologically different to normal human ideals would be good.

Lycanthromancer and I read that as well, very good comic. Maybe he can help you with the concept...

[nepphi]

Lycanthromancer has expressed his distaste for 4e to me enough times, and I 3.5 to him, that we don't talk gaming much anymore.

[Swordgleam]

Oh, I don't deny that someone could make her interesting, my inner worldbuilder is itching to give it a shot. It's just that she's rather awfully bland now, and that doesn't seem like it would make her a good choice for this sort of situation unless the DM is already pushing her.

Melora is "Artemis, just add water." And Artemis is awesome. So all it takes to make Melora less bland is to realize she's blatantly based on a goddess whose name is derived from the Phoenikas for slaughterer.

[nepphi]

...you know, that sort of works. Wow.

[Inyssius Tor]

On a related note, where can I find out about these primal spirits, other than PHB2 and Primal Power? Are they in any of the planes books?

Just Primal Power, unless there's a little in Underdark; and they're unlikely to be found anywhere else in hardback within the next sixteen months at least, I think.

I was surprised to see how much fluff there was in Primal Power. The book is packed with it.

[nepphi]

I'll dig more completely through PP then. Thank you all for your advice, it's all been immensely valuable.