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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8771523" data-attributes="member: 6915329">Tom Moldvay’s next undead is the ghulah, the original ghoul of Arabian legend. Ghulah, he notes, is actually the feminine version of the word ghul, which he chose since “so many ghouls are female in Arabic folklore”. I think it’s also possible he chose ghulah because then it wouldn’t be easily confused with either ghoul or gull. I will keep the name for pronunciation reasons, but feel free to assume they are of either sex and use ghul if you like. They differ from standard-issue ghouls in that they’re effectively undead djinn and have an assortment of powers instead of the ability to paralyze.Moldway also reminds us of the connection that they have with Lovecraft’s ghouls, although sadly doesn’t expand upon it all that much. I would have loved to have seen his stats for a Lovecraftian ghoul. (Are Lovecraftian ghouls even undead? I can't remember.)Ghuls (called great ghuls) were printed in the Al Qadim Monstrous Compendium and later in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume 2, but it’s unclear how much of Moldvay’s ghulah they contained within them. MCA #2 also had ghul-kin, which were more powerful than ghuls. As usual, I’ve going to grab elements from all the versions.GhulahThe Ungrateful Dead, Dragon Magazine #138Created by Tom MoldvayWhen genie or similar powerful elemental creature is slain by necromantic magic, the elemental matter is destroyed and the animating life force, corrupted by the necromancy, sometimes rises as the undead known as a ghulah. Gaunt things that can stand over nine feet tall, ghulah have cold, clammy skin and smell faintly of rotten flesh. They have sharply-clawed hands and their legs are strangely blunt and misshapen in a way so as to look as though they end in hooves, not feet, and their jaws jut out and are filled with oversized teeth. Ghulah usually have some part of them reminiscent of their elemental heritage, such as webbed ears or flaming eyes, but this reminder serves to fill the ghulah with rage and sorrow at what they have lost.Hidden Forms. Remembering the beauty they once had as pure elemental matter, ghulahs are deeply ashamed of their appearance. They spend much of their time shapechanged into attractive humanoid form, draped in fine clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics, and they wear perfumes and burn incense to hide their rotten smell. Their shapechanging is imperfect, however, and their feet always appear to be hoof-like. Ghulah typically wear long robes or carefully constructed boots to hide this from casual viewers.Lonely Lives. Many ghulah attempt to lead relatively normal lives—normal for them, at least: many genies led lives of luxury in their elemental palaces, surrounded by entertainment and servitors, and ghulah wish to continue that life. They usually take on highly attractive appearance in order to gain associates and paramours. But their smell, tendency to hide from the light, and dietary habits prevent them from doing so for long before they’re found out. Because of this, most ghulah dwell in abandoned ruins on the outskirts of settlements, close enough that they are not truly cut off from food, travelers, and amusements.Followers of the Old Gods. Separated from both mortal civilization and their elemental homes, desperate to reclaim their old lives (or at least the power they once had), and surrounded by the knowledge left behind in the ruins they inhabit, many ghulah become historians, scholars, and priests to ancient elemental gods. While most of these ghulah make these pacts solely for power, a few actually become devoted worshipers and raise cults.Carrion-Eaters. Ghulah are no longer able to sustain themselves on elemental matter as they used to when they were alive and now require the spark of life within humanoid flesh. They can’t eat freshly-slain meat, however, as the life is too strong for them, but neither can they eat meat that is too rotten and completely bereft of nourishment. A corpse several days old is the ideal meat for them. Like their spiritual cousins, the ghouls, they are always hungry, and are not above kidnapping travelers and holding them prisoner until the ghulah wishes to eat.Legends and LoreWith an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Ghulah are corpse-eating undead, similar to but more powerful than a ghoul.DC 15. Ghulah are a form of undead created when an elemental such as a genie is killed with necromantic magics. They can shapeshift into humanoid and animal form, curse people, control their minds, and turn invisible.DC 20. Many ghulah make warlock pacts with eldritch beings and gain powerful magical beings and form cults around those beings.Ghulah EncountersTerrain: desert, hill, mountain, ruins, settlementCR 5-10 Ghulah; ghulah and 1d4 ghouls; ghulah mageTreasure: 550 gp, 780 sp, copper necklace with multicolored jade beads (worth 500 gp), 2 eldritch tomes (worth 50 gp each), 5 blocks of rare incense (worth 10 gp each), scroll of conjure elementals, book of storing containing gathered information and sympathetic components on a local noble in the secret compartment, robe of eyes.CR 11-16 Ghulah mage, dust mephit or quasit familiar, 1-2 ghasts, 1d4 ghouls, 1d4 cult fanatics, and 2d4+2 cultistsTreasure: 250 pp, 100 gp, 4,000 sp, idol carved from dragon horn (worth 250 gp), matching gold armlet and two rings (worth 250 gp each), freshwater pearl necklace (worth 500 gp), 2 vials of faerie dragon euphoria gas (worth 250 gp each), book that leads to the discovery of a rare 3rd-level warlock spell, magic mirror (handheld), potions of gaseous form and resistance, staff of the python.Signs1-2. The smell of rotting flesh.3. With a DC 15 Perception check, the sound of low chanting.4. An NPC known to the party suddenly is very nosy; they are being dominated by the ghulah, who is trying to find out information about the party.5. A half-devoured human corpse. With a DC 15 Perception check, strange hoofprints lead away.6. Idols and symbols to an elemental Great Old One.Behavior1. In humanoid form; throwing a party but not eating anything.2. In humanoid form; attempting to befriend or seduce a rich and powerful individual.3. Acting as a hyena; stealing freshly-killed prey from another predator.4. Engaging in a depraved ritual to their patron god.5. Pouring through ancient texts.6. In true form; throwing a party where the food is all humanoid flesh.GhulahLarge undead (shapechanger)Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)AC 17 (natural armor)HP 85 (10d10+30; bloodied 42)Speed 50 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft.STR 18 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)INT 15 (+2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 17 (+3)Proficiency +3Maneuver DC 14Skills Deception +6, History +5, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5Damage Resistances damage from nonmagical weaponsDamage Immunities poisonCondition Immunities charmed, fatigue, paralyzed, poisoned, unconsciousSenses darkvision 60 ft., passive PerceptionLanguages Common, PrimordialInnate Spellcasting. The ghulah’s spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can cast the following spells, requiring no material components.     3/day each: bestow curse, dominate person. Both spells have a duration of 8 hours and do not require concentration.Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight has disadvantage on attack rolls as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.Undead Nature. A ghulah doesn’t require air or sleep.ActionsMultiattack. The ghulah attacks once with its claws and once with its bite.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) damage of an additional type, depending on what sort of elemental the ghulah used to be: cold (water elemental), fire (fire elemental), force (earth elemental), or lightning (air elemental).Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+3) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes a level of stride and its hit point maximum is reduced by the amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies, and its corpse rises the next dusk as a ghoul under the ghulah’s control.Shapeshift. The ghulah magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium humanoid, a Large giant hyena, or a Medium hyena. Equipment it is carrying isn’t transformed. When in humanoid form, it retains its hoof-like feet. It reverts to its true for when it dies.Bonus ActionsInvisibility. The ghulah magically turns invisible, along with any equipment it carries. The invisibility ends if the ghulah makes an attack, falls unconscious, or dismisses the effort.CombatGhulah try to avoid combat, preferring to take on an attractive or innocent-seeming form and using dominate person on a creature to use as a living shield. Then, it relies on its Withering Touch to weaken powerful foes before biting and clawing. When bloodied, it flees while invisible.Variant: Ghulah Dark ArtistMany ghulah turn to magic, becoming arcanists and cultists while worshiping ancient elemental gods. Using their shapeshifting abilities, they sometimes even raise true cults dedicated to these gods. They often have mephits as familiars and scouts.A ghulah dark artist is CR 7 (2,900 XP) and has 127 (15d10+45; bloodied 63) hit points. Its Intelligence is 19 (+4), it gains a fly speed of 30 feet, has telepathy to a range of 30 feet, is proficient in Arcana and Religion. Detect thoughts is added to its Innate Spellcasting trait, and it can can cast three times per day, and it has the following new traits:Spellcasting. The ghulah dark artist is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting trait is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It has 12 spell points and regains all expended spell points after a short or long rest. It knows the following warlock spells:     Cantrips (At Will): dancing lights, friends, minor illusion     Spells Known: arcane riposte (2 pts), charm person (2 pts), dream (6 pts), enthrall (3 pts), fear (5 pts), hallucinatory terrain (6 pts), hold person (3 pts), major image (5 pts), ray of enfeeblement (3 pts)The ghulah dark artist also has the following additional actions and reaction:Multiattack. The ghulah dark artist attacks twice with its Eldritch Scythe.Eldritch Scythe. Melee Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) force damage artist plus 2 (1d4) psychic damage artist, and one additional creature within reach takes half as much damage artist.Eldritch Severance (Recharge After a Short or Long Rest). The ghulah dark artist releases eldritch energy in a 60-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d10×3 force damage artist on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.Hold Person (2nd-Level; 3 pts.; V, Concentration). One humanoid the ghulah can see within 60 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. It can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.Ray of Enfeeblement (2nd-Level; 3 pts.; V, S, Concentration). Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: The target is deals half damage artist with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target may make a DC 15 Strength saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.Arcane Riposte (1st-Level; 2 pts., V, S). When a creature attacks the ghulah with a melee attack, the ghulah can use its reaction to make a melee spell attack against that creature, inflicting 3d6 acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder damage artist.</blockquote>

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