Gnoll (monster)

Version 0.24: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

This page is about the gnoll monster. For the player race, see Gnoll. For a list of all monstrous 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 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!