Al-Qadim question: the Ghul

[spacemonkey]

Anyone know where this moster first appeared? I'm reading through my old al-qadim stuff in preparation for a one-shot, and it mentions these several times, but I don't see the description/stats entry anywhere in either the Arabian Adventures or Land of Fate... I'm assuming it is either just the Zhakaran word for Ghoul, or maybe it was published elsewhere before Al-Qadim came about? Pointers would be appreciated.

 

[EricNoah]

This thread says Caravans, and/or the Al-Qadim monstrous compendium. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=227391

I don't know for sure if that's right.

 

[spacemonkey]

I did check the Al-Quadim monstrous compendium sheets (seemed a likely source but it isn't in there (does have a greater Ghul or similar I think). Didn't think to check Caravans, but I just did a quick skim and I don't see the Ghul entry there. It does have them in one of the adventure scenarios, but the book itself just lists quick combat stats, not the monster writeup entry I would like to see.

They may be in the regular Monstrous Manual, but I don't have my main 2nd ed books here (packed up in boxes for moving)..

 

[spacemonkey]

This thread says Caravans, and/or the Al-Qadim monstrous compendium. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=227391

I don't know for sure if that's right.

Thanks for the Al-Qadim monster list link though - that'll come in handy!

 

[Orius]

Some of the al-Qadim monsters were also reprinted in the MC Annuals as well; #2 has 2 ghul entries, as well as the coolest monster from the setting, the Yak-folk.

That list looks useful, don't have the al-Qadim MC, but I have a surprisingly large number of those entries, mostly from the 2e MM and MCAs 1 & 2.

 

[Echohawk]

I don't know for sure if that's right.

I'm fairly confident that pocket reference is correct .

The greater ghul first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (MC13), and the lesser ghul in Caravans.

Shameless plug: complete index of all D&D creatures ever published.

 

[Echohawk]

Didn't think to check Caravans, but I just did a quick skim and I don't see the Ghul entry there. It does have them in one of the adventure scenarios, but the book itself just lists quick combat stats, not the monster writeup entry I would like to see.

Both ghuls (lesser and greater) have a full write up on the back page of the booklet of player handouts in Caravans.

 

[der_kluge]

Apparently, the Al-Qadim Monstrous Compendium was somewhat rare, and hard to acquire. I remember folks on the Al-Qadim list back in the day lamenting it's lack of availability. I have one, though.

 

[Matt Black]

Don't know about al-Qadim, but the ghul is a creature from Arabian folklore. From memory it's a type of djinn, with the ears and legs of a jackal, huge saucer eyes, and it eats people. I suspect that the western myth of the ghoul comes from this.

 

[icarusfallz]

There's an interesting note her:

http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/ghul.html

and here:

http://original.britannica.com/eb/topic-232832/ghoul

yay!