Hyena
Medium Beast · · CR 0
- Beast
- Medium
- Tier 1
Hyena, CR 0, fills the medium beast role with unaligned disposition. Encounter regions: desert, forest, grassland, and hill. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 0
- Type
- Beast
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Hyenas roam savanna, grassland, and desert fringe in clans of 5–20. They are scavenger-predators: opportunistic on carrion but capable of bringing down prey larger than themselves through Pack Tactics. Their jaws crush bone — a hyena's stomach digests material no other predator can. They communicate over miles by whoop and cackle. Matriarchal society: females are larger, dominant, and lead hunts.
Behaviour
Cunning, vocal, opportunistic. Hyenas are far smarter than wolves in problem-solving tests. They watch other predators (lions, leopards) and steal kills. Their cackle is genuine social communication — different cackles mean different things. Forgotten Realms folklore considers a hyena's laugh ill omen; some say it imitates the Demon Lord Yeenoghu.
Origin
Hyenas are unaligned beasts but **gnoll** culture is built around them: gnolls hunt with hyena packs and revere the demon lord Yeenoghu as the Hyena King. A hyena that travels with gnolls eventually transforms into a gnoll itself, per Yeenoghu's curse. In the Anauroch desert, hyena clans following gnoll war-bands have been documented since the Year of Wild Magic.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Hyena
- What is the challenge rating of Hyena?
- Hyena is rated CR 0. The rating fits parties just starting out.
- What type of creature is Hyena?
- The bestiary type for Hyena is beast, medium size.
- Where does Hyena live?
- You'll find Hyena in Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill according to the bestiary entry.