New Rules
The methods, materials, and magic of the gnolls focus on their pack mentality and their brutal, savage nature.
Gnoll Archetypes
The following archetypes are common among gnolls.
Bouda
These strange and often solitary witches have a strong connection to curses, the evil eye, and hyenas.
Alignment
Because of the dark nature of her magic, a bouda must be of an evil alignment. If a character with the bouda archetype ceases to be evil, she loses the ability to use all alternate class features granted by this archetype (but still retains all other witch class features), though she's still considered to be a bouda when taking further levels in the witch class. A bouda regains use of all archetype alternate class features if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell).
A bouda keeps a small fetish: sometimes a carved idol, other times a necklace adorned with teeth or bones. A bouda's spells come from the will of evil spirits residing in the fetish, and its ability to hold spells functions in a manner identical to the way a witch's spells are granted by her familiar. The bouda must commune with her fetish each day to prepare her spells and can only prepare spells stored in the fetish.
At 3rd level, a bouda can use her fetish to deliver touch spells a number of times per day equal to 1/4 her witch level (minimum 1). When casting a touch spell, as a free action she can use this ability. When she does, she can deliver her spell as a ranged touch spell within a range of 30 feet. At 10th level, she can deliver these spells within a range of 60 feet. At 15th level and higher, she can deliver these spells within a range of 90 feet.
This ability replaces the familiar class feature.
A bouda's gaze can bestow ill fortune on her enemies. This hex can affect a creature within 30 feet that the bouda can see. The target takes a –2 penalty on one of the following (bouda's choice): AC, ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. The hex lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the bouda's Intelligence modifier. A successful Will saving throw reduces the duration of the hex to 1 round. Once per day when the bouda uses this hex, she can impose two different penalties on the target instead of just one. If the bouda takes the evil eye hex, it increases the number of different penalties she can impose on the hex's target by 1. At 8th level, the penalties imposed by this hex increase to –4. This is a mind-affecting effect.
This hex must be taken as a bouda's 1st-level hex, and only a bouda can take this hex.
At 10th level, a bouda gains the ability to turn into a hyena or dire hyena and back again a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier. This ability functions as beast shape II, except for the following. The effect lasts for 1 hour per witch level, or until the bouda changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. At 20th level, a bouda can change her form at will. If a bouda dies while in hyena shape, she does not revert back to her true form.
The bouda does not lose the ability to speak while in animal form, and can communicate with hyenas and dire hyenas as if under the effects of speak with animals . Furthermore, while in this form, the bouda gains the benefit of the Natural Spell feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
This ability replaces the major hex granted at 10th level.
Pack Rager
Barbarian rages can be a thing of savage beauty, exhibiting a lethal grace. While such uncontrolled displays of carnage often disregard group tactics, there are those barbarians whose rages inspire and spur on their allies during the ferocious dance of death.
At 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the pack rager can take a bonus teamwork feat. This teamwork feat must also be a combat feat. This ability replaces the rage powers gained at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Raging Tactician
At 7th level, while a pack rager is raging, she grants a single teamwork feat she knows to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear her. She chooses the feat at the start of the rage, and cannot change it during the rage. An ally who moves more than 30 feet away from the raging pack rager loses access to the feat, but regains it again each time he moves back within 30 feet of the raging pack rager. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these teamwork feats.
At 13th level, the pack rager chooses two teamwork feats when she enters a rage, and grants her allies the use of both of those feats when they are within 30 feet of her.
At 16th level, the pack rager grants these teamwork feats as long as her allies are within 60 feet of her.
At 19th level, the pack rager chooses three teamwork feats when she enters a rage, and grants her allies the use of all three feats when they are within 60 feet of her.
This ability replaces the damage reduction class feature.
Gnoll Feats
Gnolls have access to the following feats, some of which enhance the tactics of gnoll packs.
Coordinated Reposition
You are skilled in coordinating combat positioning with your allies.
Prerequisite
Step-Up.
Benefit
Whenever an ally with this feat who is threatening a creature you are threatening takes a 5-foot step, you can move 5 feet as an immediate action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Disarm Partner
When your ally fails to disarm an opponent within your reach, you can try to disarm that same foe.
Prerequisite
Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit
When an ally with this feat fails a disarm combat maneuver check made on his turn against an opponent within your melee reach, as an immediate action you can attempt a disarm combat maneuver check against that foe.
You are ever the opportunist.
Prerequisites
Disarm Partner, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit
When an ally with this feat fails a disarm combat maneuver check made on his turn against a foe that's within your melee reach, you can make an attack of opportunity against that foe. If that attack of opportunity hits the foe, you can also attempt a disarm combat maneuver check against that opponent as part of that attack of opportunity.
Snapping Flank
You can make a swift bite attack against a flanked foe.
Prerequisites
Base attack bonus +9, bite attack.
Benefit
Whenever you are flanking with an ally who also has this feat, as a swift action you can make a bite attack against the opponent you and your ally are flanking.
Snapping Jaws
When enemies get too close, your jaws tear flesh and bone.
Prerequisites
Base attack bonus +1, gnoll.
Benefits
You can use your bite as a natural weapon. This is a primary attack that deals 1d6 points of damage.
Gnoll Equipment
The following weapon is a favorite of flinds, but is sometimes used by other gnolls who master its use.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 9 gp
Weight:
This one-handed weapon is similar to a nunchaku in that it consists of a pair of bars linked with heavy chain. However, a flindbar's bars are made of iron and are capped with a ring of spikes or studs. Since it's much heaver than a nunchaku, it is not a light weapon.
| Exotic Weapon | Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range | Weight | Type | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flindbar | 9 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×2 | — | 6 lbs. | B and P | Disarm, trip |
The following magic items are favored by gnolls and flinds.
Aura: faint transmutationCLl: 3rd
Price: 10,000 gp
Weight: -
This nose ring seems to be braided from five platinum strands. It grants its wearer the scent ability along with a +4 competence bonus on Perception checks involving smell and on Survival checks to track using scent.
Aura: moderate abjuration and necromancyCLl: 8th
Price: 11,000 gp
Weight: -
When wrapped around the neck and jaw, this swath of black cloth lets its wearer see normally in a sandstorm (her vision isn't reduced, nor does she take the –4 penalty on Perception checks) and avoid taking nonlethal damage from the storm.
Once per day on command, the shawl's wearer can emit a strange cackling. Enemies within 30 feet of the shawl's wearer who can hear the cackling must succeed at a DC 16 Will saving throw or become frightened for 1 round. Those who succeed at the saving throw are shaken for 1d4 rounds instead. Both of the cackle's effects are sonic mind-affecting fear effects.
Aura: moderate necromancyCLl: 8th
Price: 9,000 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
This braid, crafted from strips of pugwampi pelts, is 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches long. It can be carried in the hand like a riding crop or worn as an adornment.
Once per day with a command word, the owner of the braid can create a 5-foot-radius aura around the braid for 1 minute. Creatures other than the owner within the aura must roll twice and use the lower result whenever a situation calls for a d20 roll. This is a mind-affecting effect that does not work on humanoids with the gnoll subtype, animals, or gremlins. A creature under the effect of a luck bonus is immune to the aura.