Strange-looking creature with a deer body, badger-like head, leonine tail, and bone ridges instead of teeth

The Leucrotta is a very strange-looking creature, having a body like a deer or stag with a head resembling a European badger and a leonine tail. Instead of normal teeth, the mouth of a leucrotta is lined with saw-edged ridges of bone. They are hateful predatory creatures who prefer intelligent prey. The leucrotta's kick attacks may only be directed at opponents behind the creature, and it cannot effectively bite and kick in the same round.

Born from couplings of gnoll and hyena, leucrottas take on the predatory cunning of their parents. More lightweight and lean than a hyena, with the long legs of a hunting dog, leucrottas are swift and silent. By some quirk of their demonic heritage, leucrottas have the ability to eerily mimic voices, which they will most commonly use to lure unwary travelers to their doom, or to split up and confuse a defensive force before an attack.

A leucrotta is what you would get if you took the head of a giant badger, the legs of a deer, and the body of a large hyena, then put them together and reanimated them with demon ichor without bothering to cover up the stink of death.

The first leucrottas came into being alongside some gnolls during the rampages of Yeenoghu on the Material Plane. While many of the hyenas that ate Yeenoghu's kills transformed into gnolls, others underwent more bizarre changes; leucrottas were the most numerous of these.

As clever as it is cruel, a leucrotta loves to deceive, torture, and kill. Creatures who venerate Yeenoghu—particularly his gnoll followers—view leucrottas with great respect. Although a leucrotta is unlikely to lead a gnoll war band, it can influence the leader and might agree to carry the leader into battle and offer advice during the fight. Followers of Yeenoghu also see leucrottas as a form of entertainment. They enjoy watching a leucrotta work almost as much as they like doing their own killing, since leucrottas are meticulous in their cruelty and able to draw out kills for better and longer sport. And when there are no victims to be had, a leucrotta can mimic the delightful squeals of a suffering victim.

A leucrotta is so loathsome that few outside of its own kind can stand to be around one for long. Its horrific, hodgepodge body oozes a foul stench. This reek is outdone only by the creature's breath, which issues from a maw that drips fluid corrupted with rot and digestive juices. In place of fangs, a leucrotta has bony ridges as hard as steel that can crush bones and lacerate flesh. These plates are so tough that a leucrotta can use them to peel plate armor away from the body of a slain knight.

A leucrotta's stench would normally warn away prey long before the creature could attack. It has two natural capabilities, however, that give it an advantage. First, a leucrotta's tracks are nearly impossible to distinguish from those of common deer. Second, it can duplicate the call or the vocal expressions of just about any creature it has heard. The monster uses its mimicry to lure in potential victims, then attacks while they are confused or unaware of the actual threat.

A leucrotta is what you would get if you took the head of a giant badger, the brain of a person who likes to torture and eat people, the legs of a deer, and the body of a large hyena, put them together, and reanimated them with demon ichor without bothering to cover up the stink of death.

Spawn of Yeenoghu

The first leucrottas came into being alongside the gnolls during Yeenoghu's rampages on the Material Plane. Some of the hyenas that ate Yeenoghu's kills went through different transformations rather than turning into gnolls. Among these bizarre results, leucrottas were the most numerous.

As clever as it is cruel, a leucrotta loves to deceive, torture, and kill. Because leucrottas are smarter and tougher than most gnolls, one could occupy an elevated position within a gnoll tribe. Although a leucrotta is unlikely to lead a group of gnolls, it can influence the leader, and it might even agree to carry a leader into battle and offer advice during the fight.

Gnolls see leucrottas as a form of entertainment, partly because a leucrotta can mimic the squeals of a suffering victim-a sound that always gives gnolls pleasure-even when no victims are to be had. Further, a gnoll is bloodthirsty and sadistic, but unable by its nature to prolong the fun of killing. Most leucrottas are consciously cruel, to the point of being meticulous about their savagery to draw out a kill into better and longer sport. Gnolls enjoy watching a leucrotta work almost as much as they like doing their own killing.

Foulness Embodied

The leucrotta is so loathsome that only gnolls and others of its kind can stand to be around one for long. Its horrific, hodgepodge body oozes a foul stench that pollutes anywhere the creature lairs. This reek is outdone only by the creature's breath, which issues from a maw that drips fluid corrupted with rot and digestive juices. In place of fangs, a leucrotta has bony ridges as hard as steel that can crush bones and lacerate flesh. These plates are so tough that a leucrotta can use them to peel plate armor away from the body of a slain knight.

A leucrotta's stench would normally warn away prey long before the creature could attack. It has two natural capabilities, however, that give it an advantage. First, a leucrotta's tracks are nearly impossible to distinguish from those of common deer. Second, it can duplicate the call or the vocal expressions of just about any creature it has heard. The monster uses its mimicry to lure in potential victims, then attacks when they are confused or unaware of the actual threat.