Interesting. I used page 4 and 5 of the MM and Gnoll is listed under Humanoid the same way Mind Flayer is listed under Aberation. I see your point about how it's listed in the table entry.
Hmm... the way that sidebar lists everything, lumping races and subtypes together, certainly opens up room to argue that races and subtypes are effectively the same thing. Of course, it's a list of
monsters by type (and subtype)- not a list
of types and subtypes. So it's certainly not a RAW basis for interpretation, but it's not that outlandish. At least it's an opening for the argument if your DM is on the fence about it.
On the other hand- the Ritual of Association does have bizarre limitations. You can gain the "gnoll" subtype of humanoid, but not the "elf" subtype. You can become a "goblinoid" but not a bugbear. What makes gnolls and bugbears so different that one is a parenthetical (subtype) and one isn't? Why is "halfling" excluded while "angel", "elemental", or even "undead" is not?
Anyway, my point (and I think I had one) is that what
is and
is not possible with the Ritual of Association is completely arbitrary. It seems clearly
intended to give one a RACIAL association and limiting it by the poorly grouped type and subtype definitions just makes it more confusing (Not to mention specifically excluding the PHB character races). Defining it by race would be much simpler. Of course all of this is moot as it all falls under "DM interpretation" and therefore can't have much place in a rules discussion. Unfortunately, the ritual IS limited by type and subtype (with a few arbitrary exclusions) AND type and subtype are clearly (if, again, arbitrarily) defined in the rules. Mind flayers are a race, not a subtype, so RAW only the Major Rituals can let you become one.
