Thouls

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Labyrinth Lord recreated the Thoul as the Throghrin, so at least that is OGC.

Arguably a better name.

 

[havard]

Thoul's appeared in 3E format in the Dave Arneson's Blackmoor CS and for 4E in the Dave Arneson's Blackmoor: The First Campaign (The Black Book).

IMC, Hobgoblin Shamans have a special unholy ritual that they perform on selected Hobgoblin babies, involving ghoul flesh and troll blood, turning the babies into Thouls.


-Havard

 

[Alzrius]

Arguably a better name.

I don't know, it strikes me as sounding rather thoulish.

 

[Barastrondo]

Arguably a better name.

I think my players would immediately say "Throw Grin where?"

I have a weak spot for thouls. Since I do the goblinkin races as very fey in appearance and nature (there's a lot of Brian Froud to my hobgoblins), hm -- there's really no reason that a thoul can't be some sort of horrid fey bogeyman, like a warped goblin that quiets up his little abduction victims (paralysis) and is hard to kill unless you know his weakness (regeneration). Take away the mad wizard hybridization and make it like something out of a creepy fairy tale, set up some rumors of "the Thouls of Tumbletooth"...

...yeah, I'm off to stat that sucker up now.

 

[Sorrowdusk]

No, not the same. Those are stats for animated objects, which could be anything. The BECMI living statues had some cool unique traits, such as the rock statue being able to fire magma from his finger-tips and having magma blood that could leak on an attacker. Yes, you could add and create the creature using 3E templates with a little work, but that could be said for anything the imagination possesses.

Well for starters there are the Caryatid Column's in FF, as for the burning blood there are some creatures that have acid blood as well as the (Magma?) golem. It wouldnt be hard to add that feature I think.

 

[Orius]

Always liked thouls myself. Makes a great addition to groups of hobgoblins with their abilities.

I did some partial conversions of some of the living statues, even had the crystal ones in a dungeon in one of my 3e campaigns.

 

[hutchback]

I worry about these thouls. Thomebody thould thave them from thatan.

 

[fireinthedust]

There are stats for living statues in 3rd edition.

As for thouls, I've thought of putting them my campaigns somehow, but haven't yet mostly because I'm not sure how to stat them. I've considered having them be some kind of prestige class for hobgoblins.

1) Gravetouched Ghoul (Libris Mortis page 103-4): it's a template added to any critter, making them ghoul. The example is a 6th level monk-turned-ghoul.

2) Dread Ghoul (Advanced Bestiary p. 76-77(Green Ronin)) and Dread Ghast (p. 70-1, same). Not only is your critter/NPC a ghoul or ghast, but they can command other undead (likely specifically their form of undead).

3) Half-Troll template (Fiend folio p.93): your critter gets regeneration.

Dread Ghoul Half-troll Hobgoblin Fighter: The troll and the hobgoblin got it on, had a baby. It had regeneration and green fur but looked otherwise like a Hobgoblin... until it was bit by a Ghast and got Ghoul fever, and rolled a 1. It died, but the fever reacted strangely to his power and turned him into a Dread Ghoul. 4+4+4=n cr12 good foe for a low level party.

 

[grodog]

EGG's comments about the original thoul from Castle Greyhawk:

BTW, I did find some notes on the "thoul" in my old GH dungeons stuff, ran a bunch in the dungeons, and they met up with a whole throng of them on the 6th level. Both the m-s in the party were paralyzed, so with an influx of about 30 ghouls came, that ended the adventure...and the undead feasted...

I gave the thouls the following stats added to this base:
4+2 HD
AC 6
Regenerate 1 HP/round
Not harmed by holy water.
Sunlight harms at 1 HP/round, not regenerated, healed at 1/day

Paralyze by touch, one attack per new opponent/success 21-40 rounds.
Turn as ghasts +1
Damage 2 x 2d4 for claws

Full thread @ Dragonsfoot • View topic - Monster & Treasure assortment

 

[Barastrondo]

So I did stat a thoul up for 4e, in the sense of "freakish fey bogeyman," though I don't have access to the stats right now. Here's a system-agnostic variant, though, for those who might find it inspirational:

5th level monster (lurker). I had it as fey.

Regenerates, but regeneration can be negated by radiant or thunder damage (positive energy or sonic, perhaps?); it's a thing of darkness and silence, so supernaturally intense light and sound disrupt it.

Paralytic touch/claws. Technically it comes from its saliva (I intend to stat out a thoul poisoner archer who licks his arrowheads in the future). Done in 4e as a slow/immobilze on failed save/stunned on another failed save.

To add some of that extra movement/forced movement spice that I like about the 4e system, gave it a "bolt from cover" move at-will -- allowing it to shift 4 squares if it begins its turn with concealment. Also a drag ability (I believe it was on a recharge) that allowed it to make its claw attack and then shift three, pulling its target to an adjacent square (on a successful attack versus Fortitude). So ideally this guy will be leaping from hiding and dragging player characters off toward a dire fate.

I'll post the full statted version over in the appropriate format when I get a chance, but hopefully this'll offer a little extra inspiration regardless of favored game system.