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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pinotage" data-source="post: 2706732" data-attributes="member: 15194">Masterwork Monsters: Rise of the Ghouls is a pdf product from Clockwork Golem Workshop, one of several in the Masterwork Monsters series. This pdf features a whole host of options for expanding ghouls, including a number of new templates, ghoulish magic and ghoulish feats. It's a 21 page pdf written by Adam Windsor, of which 20 pages are devoted to the content of describing the numerous options for creating different and flavorful ghouls. This pdf normally retails for $2.00.Initial Impressions:The Masterwork Monsters series is devoted to expanding on the options available for a number of different creatures. This particular one features the ghoul, one of the few undead creatures that mostly remains a threat only to lower level parties. This pdf attempts to address this by providing a number of different options to increase the power level of ghouls, so that the flesh craving undead can become a fearsome opponent to rival the vampire and lich. The pdf is well-written, with the layout in two columns and a few small pieces of art scattered throughout the pdf, courtesy of Jupiterimages. There were one or two minor writing errors, as well as several errors in the application of the ghoulish template to the sample creature provided (e.g. the ghoul's increased Dexterity is not considered in its AC), but these do not seriously detract from otherwise solid content.The Details:The pdf is divided into four sections - the ghoul template, ghoulish feats, ghoulish magic and ghoulish variants. The majority of the pdf is based on mechanics rather than flavor, although the descriptions provide ample visual imagery.The first section provides a ghoul template, as well as modifications required to create a lacedon or aquatic ghoul, and the more formidable ghast by applying an additional ghast template to the ghoul template. The ghoul template can be applied to most creatures, and a sample creature, a ghoulish choker, is provided. Ghouls created using this template offer the usual benefits in a template, such a variety in creature and challenge rating. The template is solid, giving DMs the chance to create a ghoul from almost any creature, though still not one that retains all the abilities of the base creature. That right is reserved for the high ghoul template.The second section takes a look at a number of ghoulish feats. These range from the more obvious ones such as Prolonged Paralysis or Ghastly Touch that enhance the ghoul's current abilities, to new feats focusing on the ghoul's desire to feast on flesh. Some of these appear to be variants of other abilities, such as Foot Rake giving a ghoul the ability to rake, or Gnaw which is a version of Improved Grab as a feat. There are some useful feats here that can expand on any ghoul despite the more familiar or expected ones. Breath of Death, for example, allows a ghoul to blast foes with a cloud of ghoul fever, while Feeding Frenzy gives a ghoul combat bonuses after making a successful bite attack. The next section details magic, starting out with a ghoul domain and following that with a number of new spells. If you want to be protected against a ghoul's paralysis, then elfskin will do, or if you want to create a ghoul then Create Ghoul will do the trick. For those enemy ghouls, particularly spellcasting high ghouls, there are Feast of Knowledge, Feast of Magic and Feast of Might that grant certain abilities after feeding on a creature's brain. Most of the spells presented have the Evil descriptor and are mainly necromantic spells. I felt some of the spell levels were a little off, such a plague, which inflicts disease in a 30 ft. radius being a 9th level spell and taking 1 minute to cast. It would probably have been better suited to something like 7th-level or even lower.The last section deals with a number of ghoulish variants in the form of five new templates. These include the bloated ghoul (a ghoul unable to consume the flesh it eats), a ghoul zombie (a zombie ghoul), a ghoulhound (an animal ghoul), graveweed (a plant ghoul) and the high ghoul (a ghoul that keeps all the abilities of the base creature, much like the lich or vampire). There are all done well and mechanically solid, although perhaps somewhat uninspiring. The bloated ghoul and the high ghoul offer something new, but the other three templates are just ghouls applied to different kinds of creatures. Having said that, it still offers a way to create interesting ghouls from, now, almost all creature types, thereby allowing the DM to create memorable ghoulish encounters.Conclusions:Masterwork Monsters: Rise of the Ghouls provides the DM with a number of templates, spells and feats to enhance or expand the standard ghoul into something more fearsome. It succeeds at providing a good number of options, although not always the most inspiring, some based on other well-known concepts converted into another form. It's a well-written pdf, and at a good price, so there's bound to be something useful to any DM in here interested in ghouls. Based on utility, solid mechanics, but some lack of really exciting material, I'd grade it with three and a half stars, rounding down to three stars.</blockquote>

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