Louis the Rogue
First Post
Author's Note: First presented in the now-ancient adventure Tomb of the Overseer, the ghoul lord struck me as a pricelessly useful monster. There have been numerous attempts to create "advanced" ghouls since the creation of the d20 system; anything from revitalizing the ghoul as a template (gravetouched ghouls) to entirely new monsters based on them (abyssal ghouls). However, the ghoul lord excels at, and epitomizes, the way of the ghoul; they not only exist by devouring other monsters, but are better for it. Presented below is my 3.5 version of the Ghoul Lord.
GHOUL LORD
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 6d12+3 (42 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus paralysis and ghoul fever and life transfer)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus paralysis and ghoul fever and life transfer) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+1 plus paralysis)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ghoul fever, improved stench, life transfer, paralysis
Special Qualities: alternate form, darkvision 60 ft., fire vulnerability, undead traits, +2 turn resistance
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 19, Con -, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +9, Disguise +6 (+16 when using alternate form), Hide +10, Jump +11, Move Silently +10, Spot +10
Feats: Multiattack, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), or cult (1 plus 2-4 ghasts and 7-12 ghouls)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2 (in addition to ghast's LA; total LA +6)
As the harmless fellow you sensed walking behind you steps out of the lantern light, and into the darkness, he takes on a much more menacing form; an emaciated, bruised looking humanoid with feral red eyes, vicious teeth, and hoof-like feet.
It is said that a ghoul is created on the death on a living man or woman who savored the flesh of people. If there is any truth to that legend, it is embodied in the ghoul lord; one would be hard pressed to find a creature more given to morbid debauchery.
Though initially hunters, the tactics of a ghoul lord have evolved to favor stealth over savagery. Ghoul lords have an easier time masking their presence than their lesser kin, and this presents many new oppurtunities for feeding. Worse still, while common ghouls feed on and infect the living, a ghoul lord actually becomes stronger for doing so.
COMBAT
Ghoul lords are stealthy, oppurtunistic opponents. They are usually first encountered either from a perephiral position (hiding amongst a population of the living), or on the defensive when a clever but luckless hero sees through their disguise.
Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease-bite, Fortitude DC 17, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. The save is Charisma-based.
Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghoul lord's bite or claw attack must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Elves not immune. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Improved Stench (Ex): Creatures within 10 ft. of a ghoul lord must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same ghoul lord's stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison recieve their normal bonus on their saving throws. The ghoul lord can supress this ability at will. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Su): A ghoul lord may assume the guise of any humanoid of the same size as himself as a standard action. This form must always include hoof-like feet (although the hooves will not show through footwear later placed on the disguise). A ghoul lord gains a +10 on Disguise checks when using this ability.
Life Transfer (Ex): A ghoul lord can drain life with a debilitating bite by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains energy, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. On each successful attack, the ghoul lord gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for up to 1 hour. Paralyzed foes take all the normal penalties for opposing a grapple check.
Fire Vulnerability: A ghoul lord takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire attacks.
GHOUL LORD SOCIETY
Ghoul lords, far more than their lesser kin, associate among living creatures. Whether out of habit or neccessity, they are drawn to lighted cities, where they may put on a parody of their former lives while discreetly hunting victims. A ghoul lord may exist among a community of fellow humanoids for years and never be discovered for what it really is.
Also, more than most other ghouls, ghoul lords are drawn to religion. They typically venerate Doresain, and serve as his effective mouthpieces in the Material Plane, initiating twisted cults in the name of the King, and working to increase the race's numbers accordingly.
GHOUL LORD CHARACTERS
A ghoul lord's favored class is rogue, although more than a few take levels of cleric. To become a ghoul lord, a character must have been of evil alignment in life at their time of death, and committed at least one particularly abhorent crime against society. Only the truly loathsome become ghoul lords.
GHOUL LORD
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 6d12+3 (42 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+7
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus paralysis and ghoul fever and life transfer)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+3 plus paralysis and ghoul fever and life transfer) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+1 plus paralysis)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: ghoul fever, improved stench, life transfer, paralysis
Special Qualities: alternate form, darkvision 60 ft., fire vulnerability, undead traits, +2 turn resistance
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 19, Con -, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +9, Disguise +6 (+16 when using alternate form), Hide +10, Jump +11, Move Silently +10, Spot +10
Feats: Multiattack, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), or cult (1 plus 2-4 ghasts and 7-12 ghouls)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2 (in addition to ghast's LA; total LA +6)
As the harmless fellow you sensed walking behind you steps out of the lantern light, and into the darkness, he takes on a much more menacing form; an emaciated, bruised looking humanoid with feral red eyes, vicious teeth, and hoof-like feet.
It is said that a ghoul is created on the death on a living man or woman who savored the flesh of people. If there is any truth to that legend, it is embodied in the ghoul lord; one would be hard pressed to find a creature more given to morbid debauchery.
Though initially hunters, the tactics of a ghoul lord have evolved to favor stealth over savagery. Ghoul lords have an easier time masking their presence than their lesser kin, and this presents many new oppurtunities for feeding. Worse still, while common ghouls feed on and infect the living, a ghoul lord actually becomes stronger for doing so.
COMBAT
Ghoul lords are stealthy, oppurtunistic opponents. They are usually first encountered either from a perephiral position (hiding amongst a population of the living), or on the defensive when a clever but luckless hero sees through their disguise.
Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease-bite, Fortitude DC 17, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. The save is Charisma-based.
Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghoul lord's bite or claw attack must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Elves not immune. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Improved Stench (Ex): Creatures within 10 ft. of a ghoul lord must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same ghoul lord's stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison recieve their normal bonus on their saving throws. The ghoul lord can supress this ability at will. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Alternate Form (Su): A ghoul lord may assume the guise of any humanoid of the same size as himself as a standard action. This form must always include hoof-like feet (although the hooves will not show through footwear later placed on the disguise). A ghoul lord gains a +10 on Disguise checks when using this ability.
Life Transfer (Ex): A ghoul lord can drain life with a debilitating bite by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains energy, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. On each successful attack, the ghoul lord gains 5 temporary hit points, which last for up to 1 hour. Paralyzed foes take all the normal penalties for opposing a grapple check.
Fire Vulnerability: A ghoul lord takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire attacks.
GHOUL LORD SOCIETY
Ghoul lords, far more than their lesser kin, associate among living creatures. Whether out of habit or neccessity, they are drawn to lighted cities, where they may put on a parody of their former lives while discreetly hunting victims. A ghoul lord may exist among a community of fellow humanoids for years and never be discovered for what it really is.
Also, more than most other ghouls, ghoul lords are drawn to religion. They typically venerate Doresain, and serve as his effective mouthpieces in the Material Plane, initiating twisted cults in the name of the King, and working to increase the race's numbers accordingly.
GHOUL LORD CHARACTERS
A ghoul lord's favored class is rogue, although more than a few take levels of cleric. To become a ghoul lord, a character must have been of evil alignment in life at their time of death, and committed at least one particularly abhorent crime against society. Only the truly loathsome become ghoul lords.
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