Mightiest of the beast-kin, the former rulers of Alm
Almish Gnoll Heritage Traits
Game rules for the Almish gnoll are identical to the gnoll race detailed in the D&D 4e official rulebooks, except as noted below.
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution or Strength
Languages: Bestial and Common.
Primal Beast: Your ancestors were amongst the many beast-kin who once ruled Alm. You are considered both a beast and a humanoid for the purpose of effects that relate to creature type. For the purpose of effects relating to beast form, you are considered to always be in beast form.
Pack Tactics: You gain a +2 heritage bonus to damage rolls against enemies that are adjacent to two or more of your allies. This replaces the Pack Attack feature.
Bestial Might: You gain your choice of either the bestial charge or bestial surge power. This choice replaces the ferocious charge power.
| Bestial Charge | Gnoll Heritage Power |
|---|---|
| You lunge toward the enemy with all of your considerable might. | |
| Encounter | |
| Standard Action Personal | |
| Effect: You charge and deal an extra 1[W] on a successful attack. If you are bloodied, double the extra damage and gain an equal number of temporary hit points. | |
| Bestial Surge | Gnoll Heritage Power |
|---|---|
| You are revitalised by the scent of impending victory. | |
| Encounter | |
| Free Action Personal | |
| Trigger: You bloody an enemy or reduce an enemy to 0 hit points. | |
| Effect: Spend a healing surge. If the amount healed would exceed your maximum hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to the excess. | |
In Alm’s distant past, the lands were shared by countless beast-kin tribes of all types. The most powerful of these were the gnolls, whose strength and numbers allowed them to dominate less powerful folk for millennia. Arrayed in matriarchal clans from one side of Alm to the other, these brutal warlords lost their absolute dominance only after the Calans came to power. Even after centuries of war between the two empires, it took the mythic hero Brayden Bloodmane—and the combined might of the bannyri clans—to finally break the gnolls.
Though the pride of conquerors still burns in them, the gnolls are now an empire in decline. The territory of Beasthome is their final stronghold, the only land where they still enjoy complete dominance. Increasingly, their leaders are beginning to understand that if they are to have any place in their changing world, they must begin to form relationships with other cultures.
As it stands, most gnolls are still hostile toward other races. Outsiders are no longer treated as prey, but they are still foes in a war that is ultimately unresolved. The typical gnoll still lives fast, bleeds often, and dies surrounded by their enemies.
Any active advocate for peace can expect to be cast out of their clan, most likely to face a future of scorn and fear. These few often become adventurers—hard-bitten survivors, seeking to rise above their totalitarian history. Many remain outcast to the end, but others make genuine efforts to repair past ills, laying the trail for slow but inevitable progress.
Almish gnolls are perceived as… Savage, proud, unforgiving, warlike, decisive, spiritualistic, domineering, capable, standoffish.
Names: Blackheart, Bladeclaw, Bloodburn, Bonesaw, Deadscar, Denward, Godhand, Longtooth, Redfang, Stonefist, Warcry.
Gnollish names are given in bestial, largely unpronounceable to foreigners. However, to make their achievements known to their enemies, most translate their names into common as well.
New Gnoll Feats
The following feats include this heritage as a prerequisite.
Blood Fury
Prerequisite: Gnoll
Benefit: The first time you bloody an enemy during an encounter, you gain a +1 bonus per tier to damage rolls until the end of the encounter.
Blood Hunt
Prerequisite: Gnoll, Warlord
Benefit: Whenever an ally taking advantage of your commanding presence feature misses all targets, that ally regains an Action Point at the end of their turn and may spend it during this combat.
Blood Magus
Prerequisite: Gnoll
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus per tier to attack rolls with arcane powers. When you are bloodied, you gain an additional +1 to attack rolls and +2 to damage rolls per tier with arcane attack powers.
Brutal Display
Prerequisite: Gnoll
Benefit: When you reduce an opponent to 0 or fewer hit points, each enemy who can see you suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and damage rolls until the beginning of your next turn. This is a fear effect.
Definitive Might
Prerequisite: Gnoll or Equitarn; trained in Intimidate
Benefit: You use your Strength modifier in place of your Charisma modifier on Intimidate checks.
Hounding Harrier
Prerequisite: Gnoll, Leader
Benefit: Whenever an ally misses all targets with a basic attack granted by you, you can make a basic attack against one missed target as a free action.
Howl of Command
Prerequisite: Gnoll, Warlord, brash assault power
Benefit: At the end of a charge, you can use brash assault in place of a melee basic attack.
Savage Hunt
Prerequisite: Gnoll or Wilderskin
Benefit: If a bloodied enemy is threatened by you and at least one ally, you gain combat advantage against that enemy.
Savage Scion
Prerequisite: Jotun or Gnoll; Paladin
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to your healing surge value. The bonus increases to +4 at 11th level and +5 at 21st level.
Your paladin powers and paladin paragon path powers are primal as well as divine.
Shield of Blood
Prerequisite: Gnoll, Paragon Tier
Benefit: At the beginning of your turn, you can choose to take 10 damage which cannot be reduced in any way. If you do, you gain resist all 5 until the start of your next turn.
Thirst of the Beast
Prerequisite: Gnoll
Benefit: The first time you become bloodied during an encounter, you regain the use of your ferocious charge power.