Gnoll (monster)

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Revision as of 09:19, 17 April 2018 by Slobodan (talk | contribs) (0.21 update. Reuploaded Gnoll.png as Gnoll_(monster).png to get it to display. Added a tip and link about gnolls being the most common cause of death in webtiles.)
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Version 0.21: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
gnoll gGnoll.png
HP 8-18
HD 2
XP 14
Speed 10
AC 2
EV 9
Will 10
Attack1 9 (hit: plain)


Resistances None
Vulnerabilities None
Habitat Land
Intelligence Normal
Uses Weapons & armour
Starting equipment
Open doors
Holiness Natural
Size Medium
Type gnoll, gnoll
Flags Speaks
Warm-blooded
A taller and better-equipped relative of goblins and orcs, somewhat doglike in appearance.

“Then he descended softly and beckoned to Nuth. But the gnoles had watched him through knavish holes that they bore in trunks of the trees, and the unearthly silence gave way, as it were with a grace, to the rapid screams of Tonker as they picked him up from behind — screams that came faster and faster until they were incoherent. And where they took him it is not good to ask, and what they did with him I shall not say.”
-Lord Dunsany, “How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon the Gnoles”. 1912.

For a list of all gnolls, see list of gnolls.


Useful info

Gnolls are brutish monsters found early in the game. They are usually found in groups and often wield dangerous weapons, particularly polearms. New adventurers should be wary of them, since they can hit for much harder than most enemies at a comparable depth. Sometimes they carry javelins for attacking at range or throwing nets to pin you in place.

Tips & Tricks

  • Unless you're still on the first floor, seeing one gnoll almost guarantees there are at least three more behind him.
  • Divide and conquer. Gnolls are typically asleep in packs when you first meet them. Don't let them all see you at once, or you'll have to fight all of them at once, or one after the other. Both ways are dangerous. Lure them away one at a time.
  • Using a corridor tactic with a gnoll pack can be dangerous as some spawn with polearms. Stair dancing is safe, however, though you may have difficulty luring the polearm-wielding ones up the stairs.
  • If you see them wielding halberds, expect high damage in melee combat.
  • Struggling free from nets might not be something you have time for. You can quickly free yourself from nets by blinking or teleporting away. Alternatively, Conjurers and Elementalists can blast enemies through nets and escape once they're safe (though this does not get you out of the net any faster).
  • Gnolls are the number one killer of player characters in the game, with more than 5% of all online deaths attributed to them. Treat them with respect!