Ghoulish alternatives

[Tonguez]

Greetings,

When I devised the ghoul for the D&D game ...

The negative energy of the ghoul is the rason for its paralyzing ability. Elves, having great positive energy, are thus immune to the effect.

Happy New Year,
Gary

This is the reason the creator gave for why a ghouls touch causes paralysis
in this thread I want to take the idea of 'the negative energy of the ghoul' and think of alternative abilities that might arise from it.

An example might be a Nausea effect (Ghast stench?) affecting all those who come within - radius of the ghoul

so what else can you come up with...

 

[Nifft]

Fort save or Fatigue -> Exhaustion -> Sleep

Dexterity damage

Will save or suffer a cumulative -1 Fear-based penalty to attack, damage, and skill checks

Cheers, -- N

 

[Fifth Element]

I'd suggest energy/level drain, if I didn't hate that concept so much.

Are we saying that elves would be immune to any other effect we come up with?

 

[Rechan]

Will save or suffer a cumulative -1 Fear-based penalty to attack, damage, and skill checks

That would take forever tho.

How about this:

Aura of the Welp: All those within 10ft of a ghoul must make a Fort save per round or take 4 points of (STR or Dex damage; I feel either is appropriate, but stick with it once you decide). Multiple auras do not stack - you only make one save per round, period.

Caress of Blindness - touch causes fort save or become blind. Ghouls proceed to cut into their targets tauntingly.

Touch of Terror - each time you are touched, you go higher up the ladder of fear effects (Shaken, frightened, panicked, etc). This usually results in swarm tactics against one person at a time (often the heavy hitters) so they flee; ghouls often give chase, or overwhelm the frailer ones left behind.

(Also, I heard that Elves were given immunity to Ghoul paralysis because in Chainmail, a pack of cheap ghouls could take out elven infantry, or somesuch like that).

 

[Tonguez]

I'd suggest energy/level drain, if I didn't hate that concept so much.

Are we saying that elves would be immune to any other effect we come up with?

Yeah I thought level drain too but hated the idea
and if we can think of cool abilities that shaft elfs I'll be happy ie I thought the elf note was interesting but will leave it for another thread so as not to sully this ghoulish banquet of cranial excess mwahahaha!

 

[SteelDraco]

I've always described ghoul paralysis as a kind of supernatural disease, kind of a super-fast version of tetanus. You don't freeze in place as much as you start convulsing. Then all your muscles lock up, straining against each other, and you're forced to lie there, twitching occasionally.

I do this because, IMO, the theme of ghouls has always been disease. They're dirty, filthy things, and their shticks are rot, decay, and savagery. Tetanus is a disease you get from that kind of an environment, and it made sense to me that they spread it.

Er. I suppose... elves don't get tetanus in my games? I never really thought about that.

 

[Rechan]

I've always described ghoul paralysis as a kind of supernatural disease, kind of a super-fast version of tetanus. You don't freeze in place as much as you start convulsing. Then all your muscles lock up, straining against each other, and you're forced to lie there, twitching occasionally.

I like more that it's a matter of malevolence. Ghouls are like serial killers, or predators, and it's about paralysing you so they can taunt you, eat you slowly, or chase your friends.

 

[Nifft]

Okay, here it is, shafting Elves like no-one's business:

If a ghoul strikes you with a natural attack, you must make a Fort save or contract Ghoul Shakes. You need only save once per round in the case that you are struck multiple times.

Ghoul Shakes Disease (supernatural); Incubation time: 1 round.
Penalty: You lose your Dexterity bonus to AC, your movement speed is reduced by 10 ft., and you may not make attacks of opportunity.
Every day that you are infected, you must make another Fort save or suffer 1d4 points of Dexterity damage.

It's bad for Elves (low Fort, high Dex), and it's bad for heavy armor dudes (low movement).

Cheers, -- N

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Some nice ideas.

I think I might put them together into a template like the Ghost template. ie an individual ghost gets to cherry pick those powers suitable for it. Only with ghouls I'd cherry pick for different packs rather than individuals.

 

[Drowbane]

I've often wondered why Elves were immune... after reading the OP above I took a pen and crossed that line out of my MM. Its a minor cow, but it'll taste great on the barby