Reworking 5e Monsters I - Old(er) school Gnolls

By LadyofHats via Wikimedia commons

Monsters in D&D 5e have precisely one thing going for them: lots of hit points. That makes combat dull. What should be a brief, brutal affair, is morphed into a slugfest that is timed perfectly to end in 3 rounds (or longer). The party is never any real danger because monster damage is generally low.

So, let’s turn our monsters into glass cannons like our characters. I was pursuing the 2nd and 3rd edition bestiaries and I fell in love with two concepts, monster’s rank (e.g., Orc Sergeants have 3 HD) and giving monsters class levels. Let’s give it a shot.

Design Goals. I want this redesigned monster to

• Be Dangerous

• Be Easy to run

• Feel like a gnoll 

Building the Chasis

First, Monsters are average, not heroes, so let’s start with the standard array for rolling 3d6: 14, 12, 11, 10, 9, 7

Secondly, a gnoll’s heritage? In my (quick, inaccurate) opinion it adds: +2 Strength, and +1 Dexterity, while giving the Rampage ability and the bite attack. The 3rd ed. Monster Manual notes that Gnolls like to be Rangers. 

Up until 4th and 5th editions, your average Gnoll was a 2HD monster, so let’s start a level 2.

Starting Stats are Str: 16 (+3), Dex 12 (+1), and Con 12 (+1); everything else is basically irrelevant, as DMs rarely make charisma checks as Gnolls.

Adding Levels

The first level of Ranger is… meh. Just dialogue about traveling and the ability to recall information about, uh, groups of people you consider enemies.

The second level is where the meat is: fighting style plus spell casting. Spells are used for Hunter’s Mark, which is just +d6 damage to attacks. Gnolls are ferociously hungry and barely held in line by their masters (demon-infused blood will do that to you) so let’s pick the most aggressive fighting style: Two-Weapon Fighting. I want to make them truly deadly, so I am just going to give gnolls the benefits of the Longstrider spell.

I love the idea of their bite attack being something that they just do, so let’s add that in as the second attack, that opens up the gnoll to carry a shield.

Gnoll Savanah Strider (CR 2, 450 XP)
Blood red eyes, howling laughter, spots
AC: 15 (Hide, Shield, +1 Dex)
HP: 13 (2d10+2)
Speed: 40ft.
Saves: Str, Dex, Con +3; Other +0

Actions
Multiattack. The gnoll can attack with its spear and then bite.
Spear. +5, reach 5ft or range 20/60ft, 10 dmg (2d6+3)
Bite. +5, reach 5ft, 9 dmg (1d4+1d6+3)

Demon-infused Blood: Thrown into a rage by the scent of fresh (alive) meat, the gnoll adds d6 damage to every weapon attack (already included) and increases their speeds by 10ft (already included). 

Here is a creature that hits harder, more often, and has a higher attack bonus than the standard 5e Gnoll, all while using the 3d6 “standard array”. The monster is also cheaper to equip if you care about those things. I cut the rampage ability because the creature already gets multiattack with its bite. The longbow is gone because it’s redundant with thrown spears.

I like the idea that the gnolls' extra damage is powered by the smell of “fresh meat”. If characters find a way to block their scent, the benefits should be removed. It also implies that gnolls can hunt you down, which fits with the lore/Ranger abilities. DMs should foreshadow this.

Making a Squad Leader

Suppose you wanted to make 5 HD Sergeant. In that case, you can turn the Ranger’s Level 3 Colossus Slayer option into Enhanced Demon-Infused blood, by upping the d6s into d8s, boost strength at level 4, up the proficiency bonus, and add the extra attack at level 5. Also, at level 5, Rangers get their second-level spells. Most of them are underwhelming, situational, or complex for a DM to use. However, Pass Without Trace creates some fantastic stealth opportunities. For fun, I added the chain shirt because leaders should have better equipment.

Gnoll Reaver Sergeant (CR 3, 700XP)
Blood red eyes, perfect silence, chain
AC: 16 (chain shirt, Shield, +1 Dex)
HP: 32 (5d10 +5)
Speed: 40ft
Saves: Str +7; Dex, Con +4; Other +0
Skills: Stealth +11 (passive 21)

Actions
Multiattack. The gnoll can attack with its spear twice and then bite.
Spear. +7, reach 5ft or range 20/60ft, 12 dmg (1d6+1d8+4)
Bite. +7, reach 5ft, 11 dmg (1d4+1d8+4)

Enhanced Demon-infused Blood. Thrown into a rage by the scent of fresh (alive) meat, the gnoll adds d8 damage to every attack (already included) and increases their speed by 10ft (already included). 

Deep Raiders. The squad led by the Gnoll Reaver Sergeant has a +10 bonus to stealth, doesn’t leave traces of their passage, and can’t be tracked except by magical means as if Pass Without Trace was cast upon them. 

Remaking the Pack Lord

To make an 11HD Pack Lord, we have to deviate from the classic ranger. The Natural Explorer, Land’s Stride, and Favored Enemy powers are pointless on a monster. I’ll swap those out for the toughness feat. We will take and simplify the multiattack Defense (+2 AC) and the Whirlwind attack looks promising. Don’t forget to bump up proficiency and Strength.

Gnoll Pack Lord (CR 8, 3900 XP)
So many teeth, Plate mail, Burning eyes
AC: 20 (Plate, +2 Natural)
HP: 94 (11d10+33)
Speed: 40ft
Saves: Str +9; Dex, Con +6; Other +2

Actions
Multiattack. The gnoll can attack with its glaive twice then bite or whirlwind then bite.
Glaive. +9, reach 10ft, 17 dmg (1d10+1d12+5)
Bite. +9, reach 5ft, 14 dmg (1d4+1d12+5)
Whirlwind. The Pack Lord swings their glaive and makes a glaive attack against every creature within 10 feet.

Consumed by demon-infused Blood. Thrown into a rage by the scent of fresh (alive) meat, the gnoll adds d12 damage to every attack (already included), increases their speed by 10ft (already included), and makes their weapons magic. 

O O Legendary Resistance. (2/day) If the Pack Lord Fails its saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

The revised pack lord is a little meh. But its speed and whirlwind attack may surprise clumped-up enemies. It needs to be tested.

5 Gnoll Savanah Runners and 1 Gnoll Reaver Sergeant is a deadly encounter for a 5th-level party of 4 heroes. The Gnolls will likely surprise their targets with an average stealth roll of 21. Gnolls know about wizards. They will spread out and, if they can, target those in the back of the party with pointy hats, staffs, and deep purple robes.

By Marcel Oosterwijk - The Hyena Saga- Part 9 Uploaded by Mariomassone, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17061709

FAQ

Some of your math doesn’t work out…
Probably. I simplify a lot, and thus smaller mechanical effects like saves are more vibes than actual calculated numbers. Most players won't notice.

What about Stats, Darkvision, Perception, skills, and languages?
They are incidental and redundant, generally. If they come up, I’ll rule at the table.

Why do this?
Monsters with stacks of hitpoints and milquetoast attacks are boring and just not reflective of how I see the in-game world. Going back to the old Monster Manuals, fighters, clerics, and wizards' abilities are known skill sets. Giving them to Monsters makes sense. Combat should be fierce, swingy, and dangerous (and, if possible, avoided altogether).

Also, spotted hyenas are social, primate-level smart, and their jaws have 40% more crushing force than a leopard's. Sentient, demon-infused hyenas should scare characters and the world around them. Average Gnolls by themselves are fast and violent, but a squad under a Reaver Sergeant is virtually undetectable until it's too late.

Download a copy of the stat blocks here.