3G: Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun

Another blast from the past – the ghoul adapted to be played as a character for 3.5E. This is just part of a much larger article that never made the cut for Dragon magazine. Enjoy!

The Ghoul/Ghast Monster Class
Whether by cannibalism, curse, or ghoul fever, chances are some character will be transformed into a ghoul or ghast at some point, in some game. However, all is not lost; with your DM’s permission, a character can still be played as one of the undead. Follow these steps to turn a character into a ghoul or ghast.
A character with the Humanoid creature type and 3 or fewer Hit Dice changes all her Hit Dice to d12s, loses all racial and class abilities, and loses all skill ranks, becoming a ghoul or ghast of a level with the appropriate number of Hit Dice. Don’t reroll hit points. A character with more than 3 Hit Dice retains any extra class levels, Hit Dice, and skill points above and beyond the ghoul/ghast class. If the character had more than one class before becoming a ghast, she can choose to retain extra levels from more than one class.

Level	Hit Dice	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skill Points	CR	Special
1	1d12	+0	+0	+0	+2	(4 + Int mod) x 4	1	+1 natural armor, +2 turn resistance, bite 1d4, feat
2	1d12	+0	+0	+0	+2	--	1	+2 Dex, 2 claws 1d3, paralysis (1d2 rounds)
3	2d12	+1	+0	+0	+3	4 + Int mod	1	+2 Int, +2 Wis, +2 natural armor
4	2d12	+1	+0	+0	+3	--	1	bite 1d6, paralysis (1d4+1 rounds)
5	2d12	+1	+0	+0	+3	--	1	ghoul fever
6	3d12	+1	+1	+1	+3	4 + Int mod	2	+2 Str, +2 Cha, feat, stench (1d4 minutes)
7	4d12	+2	+1	+1	+4	4 + Int mod	3	+2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha, ghast, stench (1d6+4 minutes)
8	5d12	+2	+1	+1	+4	4 + Int mod	3	--
9	6d12	+3	+1	+2	+5	4 + Int mod	4	Feat
10	7d12	+3	+1	+2	+5	4 + Int mod	4	--
11	8d12	+4	+2	+2	+6	4 + Int mod	5	--

Racial Traits

• Starting Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Str, -- Con, +2 Cha. Becoming undead makes a ghoul stronger than a humanoid and more arrogant; it has no Constitution score.
• Undead: Ghouls are immune to all mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning disease, death effects, damage to their physical ability scores (Strength and Dexterity), fatigue and exhaustion effects, and anything requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). They are not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. A ghoul is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
• Ghoul base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Ghouls can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and ghouls can function just fine with no light at all.
• Automatic Languages: Common.
• Favored Class: Ghoul/Ghast.

Class Skills
The ghoul’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:

• Strength: Climb, Jump
• Dexterity: Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently
• Intelligence: Craft, Search
• Wisdom: Listen, Spot

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ghoul/ghast monster class.

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ghouls are proficient with all simple weapons, but not with armor or shields.
• Bite: A ghoul has a bite attack that deals 1d4 points of slashing damage plus its Strength bonus (if any) at 1^st level. Bite damage increases to 1d6 points of slashing damage at 4^th level.
• Feat: A ghoul receives a feat at 1^st level and another at 6^th level. After that it gains feats normally every three levels, just like other characters.
• Natural Armor: A ghoul’s skin is tougher than it looks. It gains a +1 natural armor bonus to its Armor Class at 1^st level, which increases to +2 at 3^rd level.
• Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghoul is less easily affected by the turning ability of clerics and paladins. When resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempt, add the indicated bonus to the ghoul’s Hit Dice total.
• Claws: Beginning at 2^nd level, a ghoul has two claw attacks that deal the indicated amount of damage plus one-half its Strength bonus (if any).
• Paralysis (Ex): At 2^nd level, the bite and claw attacks of a ghoul have the chance of causing paralysis in addition to damage. An opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ ghoul’s HD + ghoul’s Cha modifier) or be paralyzed for 1d2 rounds. The duration of the paralysis effect increases to 1d4+1 rounds at 4^th level. Elves are immune to this paralysis effect.
• Ghoul Fever (Su): Beginning at 5^th level, a ghoul’s bite attack transmits a supernatural disease in addition to the chance for paralysis. An opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ ghoul’s HD + ghoul’s Cha modifier) or contract ghoul fever. The incubation period is one day, and the damage is 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. If a victim dies from ghoul fever, it rises as a ghoul 24 hours later. (Use either the Monster Manual entry or this monster class to calculate the victim’s new statistics.)
• Stench (Ex): Beginning at 6^th level, a ghoul emits a cloud of death and decay in a 10-foot radius. Any living creature within its effects must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ ghoul’s HD + ghoul’s Cha modifier) or be sickened for 1d4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same ghoul’s stench for 24 hours. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and those resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature. The duration of the stench’s effects increases to 1d6+4 minutes at 7^th level.
• Ghast: At 7^th level, a ghoul is now considered a ghast and its paralysis ability affects elves.

Takga, female ghast 11/fighter 5/ranger 5: CR 15; Medium Undead; HD 8d12 plus 5d10 plus 5d8; hp 140; Init +10; Spd 30 ft.; AC 24 (+6 Dex, +8 for +4 glamered chain shirt, +2 natural, -2 max Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +14; Grp +20; Atk +20 melee (bite 1d6+9 plus ghoul fever plus paralysis, 20/x2) or +25 melee (+4 battleaxe two-handed 1d8+13, 19-20/x3) or +21 ranged (masterwork composite longbow (+2) and +1 arrow 1d8+3, 20/x3, 110 ft.); Full Atk +20 melee (bite 1d6+6 plus ghoul fever plus paralysis, 20/x2) and +18/+18 melee (2 claws 1d4+3 plus paralysis, 20/x2) or +25/+20/+15 melee (+4 battleaxe two-handed 1d8+13, 19-20/x3) or +21/+16/+11 ranged (masterwork composite longbow (+2) and three +1 arrows 1d8+3, 20/x3, 110 ft.) or +19/+19/+14/+9 ranged (Rapid Shot and four +1 arrows); SA favored enemy giants +4, favored enemy humanoids (orc) +2, ghoul fever, paralysis, stench; SQ +2 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft., fire resistance 20, undead traits, wild empathy +7; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +12; Str 22, Dex 22, Con –, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17.
Languages: Common.
Skills: Balance +11 (+10 armor), Climb +15, Escape Artist +11 (+10 armor), Handle Animal +8, Hide +15 (+14 armor), Intimidate +8, Jump +10, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (nature) +10^s, Listen +7, Move Silently +15 (+14 armor), Ride +14^s, Spot +7, Survival +23 (+25 aboveground, hazards), Swim +11, Use Rope +12 (+14 bindings).
Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes^b, Endurance^b, Improved Critical (battleaxe)^b, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Quick Draw^b, Rapid Shot^b, Track^b, Weapon Focus (battleaxe).
SA – favored enemy (Ex): When attacking one of her favored enemies, Takga gains the listed bonus on damage rolls with a successful hit. She also gains the listed bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks involving her favored enemies.
SA – ghoul fever (Su): Takga’s bite attack transmits a supernatural disease called ghoul fever. An opponent must make a DC 22 Fortitude save or contract it. The incubation period is one day, and the damage is 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. If a victim dies from ghoul fever, it rises as a ghoul 24 hours later.
SA – paralysis (Ex): Takga’s bite and claw attacks have the chance of causing paralysis in addition to damage. An opponent must make a DC 22 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Even elves are affected.
SA – stench (Ex): Takga emits a cloud of death and decay in a 10-foot radius. Any living creature within its effects must make a DC 22 Fortitude save be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by Takga’s stench for 24 hours. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and those resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature.
SQ – undead traits: Takga is immune to all mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning disease, death effects, damage to her physical ability scores (Strength and Dexterity), fatigue and exhaustion effects, and anything requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). She is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. She is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, she is immediately destroyed.
SQ – wild empathy (Ex): Takga adds her ranger level as a bonus to Charisma checks when dealing with animals or magical beasts; dealing with magical beasts, however, imposes a -4 penalty.
Prepared spells (1; base DC = 11 + spell level): 1 – entangle.
Possessions: +4 glamered chain shirt, +4 battleaxe, masterwork composite longbow (+2), quiver and 20 +1 arrows, 5 javelins of lightning, ring of major fire resistance, potion of bull’s strength, potion of cat’s grace.

^bBonus feat.
^sSynergy bonus included.

 

[Shag]

I dunno, wouldn't animals shun a stinky Ghast?

 

[Southern Oracle]

I dunno, wouldn't animals shun a stinky Ghast?

I'm sure they would, but if you wanted to play a ghast, your DM could invest the time to come up with some feats allowing you to suppress your undead nature, disguise yourself as a living creature, etc, etc. It wouldn't be hard to adapt some existing feats for the purpose, like Suppress Flames from my Burn, Baby, Burn article. I'd do it thusly:

Suppress Stench[General]
You can prevent yourself from exuding a noxious stench.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+, Stench special attack.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can suppress its Stench special attack for a number of rounds equal to its Charisma score. While in effect the creature radiates no noxious odor. Activation is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This feat may be used a number of times per day equal to the creature’s Charisma modifier.

You can add additional feats to increase the duration to minutes, then hours, if desired.

 

[falcarrion]

a simple magic item would work. A amulet of perfume.

 

[Shag]

Jeeze, I wish some of my friends had that feat!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Charisma has to count for something - low score does not have to mean ugly but can mean; unwashed and stinky

As far as animals, don't think they would have too much issue, I have seen what a dog enjoys rolling around in. Matter of fact, the character may have issues keeping animals away from them, this could even be role-playing gold...dude, I just noticed that there are vultures circling you all the time...was that an opossum in your bed roll...rats look at you with hunger in their eyes?

 

[Shag]

I'm actually now using this class in my current game. One player is a 7th level Ghoul/2nd level Rogue, the other is a 6th Level Necromancer/3rd level Rogue Vampire. Staring to have a hard time finding good games though. 9-10th level seems kinda thin for good tomb/crypt/straight dungeon adventures.