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Thoul
Medium-size Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +5 melee; or longsword +5 melee; or longbow +5 ranged
Damage: Claw 1d3+2 plus paralysis; or longsword 1d8+2; or longbow 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Paralysis
Special Qualities: Fast healing (1), darkvision 60 ft., scent
Saves: Fort +5 Ref +5 Will +3
Abilities: Str 15 Dex 14 Con 18 Int 6 Wis 11 Cha 10
Skills: Hide +6, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Initiative
Climate: Any land and underground
Organization: Squad (2-5), band (10-20 plus 20% non-combatants plus 1 3rd level leader per 5 adults), troupe (3-12 thouls of 1st to 2nd level plus 1d6 hobgoblins of 1st to 3rd level plus 1 hobgoblin ?king? of 6th level or higher), or clan (20-80 plus 1 3rd level leader per 5 adults, 2 or 3 subchieftains of 5th to 7th level, and one chieftain of 10th level or higher)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Arcane experimentation by hobgoblin loremasters ages ago produced the bizarre hybrid race known as the thouls. It is assumed that the loremasters wanted to create a race of bodyguards that had the discipline of a hobgolin, the power and regenerative properties of a troll, and the paralyzing touch of a ghoul. What they got instead was a pitiful, pained creature that, although quite capable of filling the role of bodyguard, was nowhere near as powerful as the hobgoblin kings had hoped.
From a distance of greater than 10 feet a thoul closely resembles a hobgoblin; it takes a Spot check (DC 15) or previous experience with hobgoblins to tell the difference. A thoul?s skin is slightly greener and lumpier than that of a hobgoblin, and its nose is long and hooked?no doubt these features are holdovers from its trollish aspects. The eyes of a thoul have no pupils, giving them a stare that is most disconcerting to those not accustomed to them.
Thouls have no language of their own, and speak Goblin.
Some rare thouls know Orc or Common.
Combat
Although thouls can fight with melee weapons, most of them avoid doing so in order to make use of their paralyzing claws. If a thoul must enter melee with an elf, it uses a weapon since elves are immune to its paralyzing touch.
Paralysis (Su): Any living creature struck by a thoul must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be paralyzed for 1d6+2 rounds.
Fast Healing (Su): Thouls heal 1 hit point of damage per round.
Thoul Society
The secret to the creation of a thoul has been lost to history. Little has been seen or heard from the thouls for some time and indeed this race was thought to have died out long ago. Some rumor that the strange creatures were unable to reproduce and propagate, while others suggest that the hobgoblins realized the error of their ways and embarked on their own secret campaign to destroy them. The rumors of the extinction of the thoul are false, however, and in recent years more and more of them have been crawling up from the depths of caves and dungeons. It would appear that thouls can reproduce after all, and have been doing so in some secluded retreat far from all other races. Thouls have once again started to appear in the company of powerful hobgoblin warlords. The mistakes of the past are so quickly forgotten.
Much to the dismay of villagers and adventurers alike, the thouls are back.
Thoul Characters
The favored class of a thoul is fighter. Most thoul leaders are fighters or barbarians. The instinct for battle is so strong that most thouls rarely become any class that is not capable of combat.
1978 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in D&D Basic
