A ghoul is the product of foul sorcery used to summon a spirit and bind it to the physical remains of a humanoid creature.
Description
A ghoul is created when a sorcerer summons the spirit of a formerly living human and binds it to the dead remains of a human or humanoid creature. The spirit can be that of the previous owner of the remains, or a different one entirely.
After the summoning and binding of the spirit, the ghoul will follow the orders of the summoning sorcerer. The ghoul will be extremely hungry and in pain after being brought back to life and bound to a decomposing body. It will have the same stats as the physical body did in life, with ST-4, DX-2, IQ-4 and MV-3. It will retain all skills and spells that the summoned spirit had in life. Ghouls can use any weapon they have the skill for, and wear any armor the summoner chooses.
If the ghoul kills a human or other human-sized creature, it will immediately attempt to feed on the victim’s remains, without regard to any other orders from the summoning sorcerer. The sorcerer is required to to pass another 3/IQ test to force the ghoul to stop eating and perform any other commands. If the sorcerer fails this test, the ghoul has broken loose of his control *.
As the ghoul feeds on a human or human-sized creature’s remains, it gains flesh and becomes more whole. After feeding on 1d6 remains, its stats increase to ST-2, DX-1, IQ-2 and MV-1. The ghoul is now mostly covered with flesh, but still has large sections without skin or with open, bloody wounds.
After feeding on 1d6+3 additional remains, the ghoul has become completely whole and has the original appearance it had in its former life. It has all of the original stats of its former self, MV+2, plus its original skills and spells.
After the ghoul has become whole, it will continue to gain in strength until it has reached STx2. It will increase at a rate of 1 ST for every 4 feedings.
It is dependent on these feedings, though, and will lose 1 point of ST every week unless it feeds. This will eventually reduce it to a shell of a ghoul, with ST 1. These creatures will eventually shed their flesh and become skeletons again, barely animated.
If the ghoul is killed, its spirit will return to wherever it was summoned from, leaving behind a dissolving pile of blood and tissue.
Note: The sorcerer must pass a 3/IQ test each week to maintain control over the ghoul.
* If the ghoul breaks free of its summoner’s control at any time, it will immediately attack him and attempt to feed on him. If it survives, it will continue to feed on victims wherever it may find them. Ghouls that have broken free of their summoner’s control are known as ghasts. Ghasts are extremely loathsome creatures, haunting dark places for victims to feed on. They are rightly feared as evil and unnatural monstrosities.
Ghouls are found throughout the Middle Lands. The desolate areas between the patrolled lands of the city-states are where they will most likely be found.
Stats
Encounter: 2d6-1.
ST: Varies.
DX: Varies.
IQ: Varies.
MV: Varies.
AR: Per armor.
DM: 1d6 (claws) or per weapon.
Size: 1.
TR: None.
Behavior: Aggressive (14).
Habitat: Arctic, Desert, Barrens, Marshes, Jungle, Forest, Hills, Forested Hills, Mountains, Plains, Underground, Urban, Shallow Ocean, Deep Ocean, Fresh Water.
Category: Undead.
God: Xho’al Quuz.
Element: None.
Special:
Undead. Ghouls are a member of the unliving. They cannot be targeted by mind control or altering magics, and does not have to eat, sleep or breathe.
Hunger. The intense need to eat drives ghouls. When in the presence of potential prey, they must pass a 3/ST test or attack and feed on the victim.
Special Diet. Ghouls have a special diet of blood. If one does not feed on its special diet within 1d2 days, it will begin to lose ST.
Other Info
Mood:
Omens:
1 –
2 –
3 –
4 –
5 –
6 –
Rumors:
1 –
2 –
3 –
4 –
5 –
6 –
Design Notes
Original Inspiration: Blades & Black Magic, C.R. Brandon; Heroes & Other Worlds, C.R. Brandon; Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, TSR; The Fantasy Trip, Steve Jackson Games.
Ghouls are great undead. They need to be played just right, though, to encourage the fear of the undead and make them more than just any other humanoid creature. The loathing of the undead is a critical part of that fear. In many ways, they are more like the fast-moving zombies of modern movies than anything else.
This version comes from an attempt to combine the skeleton, zombie, ghoul and ghast into a single creature. The idea is that they are simply different stages of the same undead monster. I got the idea of combining from another article I saw somewhere online, mixed with rewatching the Clive Barker movie Hellraiser.
The new necromantic spells that create ghouls come from Xho’al Quuz.
Features Design:
Undead. (2) The creature is a member of the unliving. It cannot be targeted by mind control or altering magics, and does not have to eat, sleep or breathe.
Hunger. (-1) The intense need to eat drives the creature. When in the presence of potential prey, it must pass a 3/ST test or attack and feed on the victim.
Special Diet. (-1) The creature has a special diet, such as blood. If it does not feed on its special diet within 1d2 days, it will begin to lose ST.
