Gnoll

Basic Information

The gnoll is one of the more obscure fantasy beastmen, usually consisting of a fusion of human and hyena - although various, mostly canid things seem to be substitutable in a pinch, depending how good the artist is at drawing hyenae. As a result, they tend to have an above average interest in scavenging and, given traditional perceptions of hyenae, are generally cruel, cunning, lazy and mostly amoral. Very few versions bother to explore the interesting gender dynamics found in the spotted hyena … possibly due to a general ignorance that such things exist. For those keeping track the hyena aspect seems to have been introduced by Gygax himself … prior to this they might have been more human, or might have resembled a Jerusalem artichoke¹.

For reference, the gnolls of Discworld (per. Terry Pratchett) are, by contrast, largely shapeless things composed of miscellaneous organic matter and perhaps related to soil as his trolls are to rock².

The anthropophagous carrion eater role also puts them in competition - or possible in league - with ghouls³, and probably similar critters such as wendigo and tamanous.

Sources

Ursual Vernon's "Digger" - mostly about a wombat, but one of the few versions that uses the gnollish⁴ gender dynamic.

Bibliography

1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

• "That RPG" places the gnolls and ghouls as allies for theological reasons - the conflict option is just as possible.
• Vernonesque female dominated gnolls could be an interesting departure for a setting.

Footnotes

1. Presumably the tuber rather than the plant itself, but this is Dunsany at work, so who knows…?

2. Some of the older ones may even become host to growing plants and become grassy. This is what would be described, in context, as "a punne or playe onne words" … although no-one on Discworld could be expected to know that.

3. Of course the fantasy gnoll and the Lovecraftian ghoul are similar looking critters…

4. Of course, they don't actually call them gnolls…