Gnoll (SLASH'EM)
G gnoll | |
---|---|
Difficulty | 20 |
Attacks |
Weapon 3d6, Weapon 3d6 |
Base level | 18 |
Base experience | 493 |
Speed | 12 |
Base AC | 5 |
Base MR | 10 |
Alignment | -5 (chaotic) |
Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
Genocidable | Yes |
Weight | 1800 |
Nutritional value | 100 |
Size | Large |
Resistances | None |
Resistances conveyed | None |
A gnoll:
| |
Reference | SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line2518 |
A gnoll, G, is a monster that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM as part of the gnome monster class. The gnoll, 9, also appeaars in SpliceHack as part of the gnoll monster class.
A gnoll is an an omnivorous humanoid that is the most basic form of gnoll encountered in the variants they appear in: they are large in SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, and medium in SpliceHack and Hack'EM. Gnolls can hide themselves, see invisible, possesses infravision, and will seek out gold, gems and various other items to pick up. A tame gnoll may turn traitor.
A gnoll has two weapon attacks. In Hack'EM, gnolls possess poison resistance.
A gnoll corpse is poisonous to eat.
Generation
Gnolls are only randomly generated in Gehennom, though they can also appear on other levels that generate G at level creation if the difficulty is appropriate. They are always created hostile, and are not a valid form for normal polymorph. A gnoll can grow up into a gnoll warrior.
Seventeen gnolls are placed around the lair of Yeenoghu at level creation.
In all variants except Hack'EM, a gnoll has a chance of being generated with the following: a 1⁄3 chance of an orcish helm, a 1⁄3 chance of an orcish shield, a 1⁄3 chance of studded leather armor, and a 1⁄3 chance of a spear.[1] In Hack'EM, a gnoll has a 3⁄4 chance of generating with either a flail (2⁄3 chance) or a stack of spears (1⁄3 chance) as their weapon, and will otherwise generate with a voulge (1⁄3 chance) or a morning star (2⁄3 chance) - the rest of their possible starting inventory is the same as in other variants.
Origin
The gnoll is a creature that appears in various types of fantasy media, and is generally portrayed as a human-hyena hybrid or a form of humanoid hyena. The term originates from 1912 short story collection The Book of Wonder by Lord Dunsany, with one short story titled "How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art upon the Gnoles".
The gnoll of Dungeons & Dragons is introduced in the first boxed set of the game, and gnolls are described in Book 2: Monsters and Treasure as a "cross between Gnomes and Trolls (...perhaps, Lord Sunsany did not really make it all that clear)". These early gnolls were stated to be similar to hobgoblins with +2 morale, while a gnoll king and his bodyguard fought similar to trolls without regenerative power. This may serve as the basis for gnolls being part of the gnome monster class in SLASH'EM and other derived variants.
The 1st Monster Manual for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and all subsequent material describe gnolls as aggressive desert-dwelling nomads that resemble humanoid hyenas, and actively raid and plunder other settlements; it also introduces Yeenoghu, the demon god of gnolls who many of them serve and worship.
Encyclopedia entry
SpliceHack
These bipedal hyenas serve Yeenoghu, and are almost unmatched
in combat.
Hack'EM
We are born and we die.
No one cares, no one remembers,
and it doesn't matter.
This is why we laugh.
[ The Gnoll Credo, by J. Stanton ]