Ghoul

Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil

---

Armor Class: 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 22 (5d8)
Speed: 30 ft., Climb 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)	1 (−5)	10 (+0)	1 (−5)

---

Saving Throws: Dex +4, Wis +2
Skills: Acrobatics +4, Stealth +6, Perception +2
Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
Languages: Understands Common but cannot speak
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus: +2

---

Traits

• Undead Fortitude: If damage reduces the ghoul to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the ghoul drops to 1 hit point instead.
• Pack Tactics: The ghoul has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the ghoul’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
• Keen Smell: The ghoul has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

---

Actions

• Frantic Multiattack: The ghoul makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws, attacking with wild abandon driven by an insatiable hunger.
• Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be infected with Ghoul Fever. On a hit, the ghoul’s eyes gleam with manic delight as it feels the warm blood flow.
• Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The ghoul becomes more frenzied as its claws tear into flesh, relishing the thrill of incapacitating its prey.

---

Special Actions

• Ghoul Fever (Infection):
  • Injury: Bite attack
  • Save: DC 11 Constitution saving throw
  • Onset: 1 day
  • Frequency: 1 day
  • Effect: 1d6 Constitution damage and 1d6 Dexterity damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. A humanoid who dies from ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight.
• Terrifying Feast (Recharge 5-6): The ghoul unleashes a horrifying screech that echoes with the pain of its cravings. Each creature of its choice within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. During this time, the ghoul’s eyes glimmer with a desperate longing for flesh.
• Insatiable Frenzy (Recharge 5-6): As a bonus action, the ghoul can enter a frenzy for 1 minute. During this time, it can make one additional bite or claw attack on each of its turns. However, after the frenzy ends, the ghoul becomes fatigued, imposing disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its next turn.

---

Tactics

• Ambush Predator: Ghouls prefer to attack from the shadows, where they can spring on unsuspecting prey with frenzied energy. Their desperate hunger drives them to strike at the first sign of weakness.
• Wild Pursuit: If a target flees, ghouls will pursue relentlessly, climbing walls or leaping through the underbrush in their frantic quest for flesh, often ignoring personal safety.
• Pack Coordination: In groups, ghouls coordinate attacks to overwhelm their prey, using Pack Tactics to ensure they have the upper hand. Their collective fervor makes them dangerously effective.
• Fear and Devour: Once they incapacitate a target, ghouls become wild with excitement, tearing into flesh with frenzied abandon. They are not just predators; they are driven by a compulsion to consume, often howling in ecstasy as they feast.
• Retreat if Overwhelmed: If heavily outnumbered or damaged, ghouls will attempt to retreat into the shadows, using their Stealth to escape and survive for another day.

---

Description

Ghouls are grotesque, ravenous undead that once lived as humanoids. Their existence is marked by a maddening craving for flesh, driving them to horrific acts in their search for sustenance. Emaciated and hollow-eyed, ghouls embody despair and frenzy, their very being consumed by the need to feed. In combat, they attack with manic energy, relishing each moment of feeding and exhibiting behaviors reminiscent of an addiction. Their surroundings reflect their twisted nature—abandoned graveyards and dark corners of civilization where the stench of decay and desperation reigns. Every encounter with a ghoul is a reminder of the thin line between life and the horrific existence of undeath.

Ghoul

This humanoid creature has long, sharp teeth, and its pallid flesh is stretched tightly over its starved frame.

Ghoul CR 1

XP 400
CE Medium undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2; Immune undead traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d6+1 plus disease and paralysis) and 2 claws +3 (1d6+1 plus paralysis)
Special Attacks paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 13, elves are immune to this effect)

STATISTICS

Str 13, Dex 15, Con —, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +6, Perception +7, Stealth +7, Swim +3
Languages Common

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Disease (Su)

Ghoul Fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 13; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast.

ECOLOGY

Environment any land
Organization solitary, gang (2–4), or pack (7–12)
Treasure standard

Ghouls are undead that haunt graveyards and eat corpses. Legends hold that the first ghouls were either cannibalistic humans whose unnatural hunger dragged them back from death or humans who in life fed on the rotting remains of their kin and died (and were reborn) from the foul disease—the true source of these undead scavengers is unclear.

Ghouls lurk on the edges of civilization (in or near cemeteries or in city sewers) where they can find ample supplies of their favorite food. Though they prefer rotting bodies and often bury their victims for a while to improve their taste, they eat fresh kills if they are hungry enough. Though most surface ghouls live primitively, rumors speak of ghoul cities deep underground led by priests who worship ancient cruel gods or strange demon lords of hunger. These “civilized” ghouls are no less horrific in their eating habits, and in fact the concept of a well-laid ghoul banquet table is perhaps even more horrifying than the concept of taking a meal fresh from the coffin.

The typical ghoul is assumed to have come from a Medium humanoid like a human, half-elf, dwarf, or elf. Yet some humanoids have remarkably different characteristics that make these ghouls more or less powerful.

Feats for Ghouls

The following feats are intended to be used by ghouls (including ghasts and lacedons), but could make interesting options for many other types of undead as well.

Brain Eater: You gain some of the skills and knowledge of a consumed foe by eating its brain.

Civilized Ghoulishness: Although undead, you can easily pass as living.

Warren Digger: You can burrow through soil and dirt.

Variants

Ghul (Undead Jann, CR 5)

Great Ghul (Undead Efreet, CR 6)

Larger Ghouls: A giant that succumbs to ghoul fever retains its larger size, its higher natural armor bonus, and all of its racial Hit Dice, but is otherwise treated as a ghoul advanced to its new Hit Dice and size.

Smaller Ghouls: Small humanoids who become ghouls have 1 HD and all of the appropriate bonuses and penalties for dropping from Medium to Small size (–4 Str, +2 Dex, +1 size bonus on attack rolls and to AC, reduced natural attack damage, etc.). A Small ghoul is CR 1/2.

Unusual Ghouls: Some humanoids transformed into ghouls have unusual advantages.

• Boggard, Merfolk: These races always spawn into lacedons.
• Bugbear, Lizardfolk, Troglodyte: These races always spawn into ghasts.
• Ettin: An ettin ghoul has two bite attacks, in addition to being advanced to Large size and 10 HD.
• Fire Giant: A fire giant ghoul gains the fire subtype.
• Frost Giant: A frost giant ghoul gains the cold subtype.
• Lycanthrope: While a ghoul cannot become a lycanthrope, a living lycanthrope who succumbs to ghoul fever could rise as a ghoul. In most cases, this transformation removes the lycanthropic curse, resulting in a standard ghoul, but in rare events the resulting monster is a true ghoul lycanthrope. To create stats for such a creature, simply apply the lycanthrope template to a ghoul—this is an exception to the general rule that you can normally only add the lycanthrope template to a humanoid.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Classic Horrors Revisited. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: James Jacobs, Rob McCreary, F. Wesley Schneider

GHOUL LORE

Originally posted by Eric Cagle

Evandar_TAybara of the Wizards Community forums.

On this Thread

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can learn more ghouls. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Religion)

DC	Result
12	Ghouls are undead who feast upon corpses and carrion. They are tough and intelligent creatures. This reveals all undead traits.
17	The bite of a ghoul infects the victim with a horrible disease called ghoul fever. Those who die from this disease rise again to become a ghoul themselves.
22	The bite or touch of a ghoul causes Paralysis in its victim.
27	There are other variations of ghouls, including the aquatic lacedon and the more powerful Ghast.