The Ghoul

[Weltenlaeufer]

In a lot of fantasy, ghouls have sharp claws that paralyze for a certain amount of time
if you get scratched. Then they can feed on you. Something about "the cold of the grave
seeps into your bones, chills your soul, and you freeze, unable to move."

That being said, here are the stats I came up with for a ghoul several years ago:
Ghoul
Move: 6 AD: 3 DD: 3 Body: 2 Mind: 0
Special: If attack causes at least 1 point of damage, character is paralyzed until
the Player can roll 5 or 6 on one red die.

Cool, love the freezing feature!

[Weltenlaeufer]

just sayin

[lestodante]

I think Skeletons are some kind of undead that is unable to think, they just follow orders some sorcerer gave them, to kill the heroes!
Zombies are instead some kind of wandering monsters. They attack the heroes because they have an instinct to bite everything that is alive.
It is normal to see an army of skeletons marching to attack someone, but you hardly see an "army" of zombies that is organized and planning an attack. I guess zombies obey to no one they just follow their instinct.
So what about Ghouls? do they obey to someone or are they more like zombies?

Ghoul
Move: 6 AD: 3 DD: 3 Body: 2 Mind: 0
Special: If attack causes at least 1 point of damage, character is paralyzed until the Player can roll 5 or 6 on one red die.

I think better to reduce their attack dice or they are too dangerous, definetely more than a mummy! Especially if they move in groups.

[Weltenlaeufer]

I think ghouls are more like zombies, fleshhungry and instinct driven but more intelligent than zombies and skeletons.

[torilen]

In my mind, ghouls are like fast zombies. They have some intelligence, so don't fall for stupid
tricks and can organize in groups to some small extent. But mostly, they just crave living flesh.
In some sense, they are a bit more dangerous than a mummy, especially if they are found in
a group.

As with a lot of my monster stats, they're based on D&D monster stats and behaviors. If you
read the first book of the Cleric Quintet (Canticle) by R A Salvatore, you get an excellent
picture of ghouls in action. They're horrible creatures.

[Weltenlaeufer]

Its hard to stop...



otherworld has some dope ghouls and ghasts (whatever that is) minis. Love their miniatures

https://otherworldminiatures.co.uk/shop/the-undead/ud4b-ghasts-3/

https://otherworldminiatures.co.uk/shop/the-undead/ud4a-ghouls-3/

[Daedalus]

Been digging in the graveyard where another Ghoul is lurking. First, a KISS version to bridge the Zombie-Mummy gap:

Ghoul Mv 7, At 3, De 2, BP 2, MP 0
Undead: not affected by Sleep or Slumber

However, I prefer a physically weaker Ghoul, which can be a good thing since it leaves an opening for yet another undead. I think a 2 BP Wight (Graveguard) can be added to fill between a 1 BP Ghoul and a Mummy.

So here's a more 'flavorful' alternative:

Ghoul Mv 7, At 3, De 2, BP 1, MP 0
Undead: not affected by Sleep or Slumber
Feast: If at least one black shield is rolled in a successful Ghoul attack, the Hero also loses 1 Mind Point. A Hero reduced to 0 Mind Points is in shock.

A Barbarian has good reason to fear this Ghoul.

[Kurgan]

Ghouls to me is another generic term for undead, but generally I think of zombies. This is fantasy, it can be whatever you want.

[Davane]

The "lore" on Ghouls is varied, depending on the setting and system.

In WFRP, and in other common forms of fantasy, the Ghoul is a living creature that acquires undead status by living off of dead, and sometimes undead, flesh. This is why it tends to bear similarities to the Morlocks from H. G. Well's Time Machine, as well as with Wights in certain settings (which are often also corporeal corpse feeders).

As such, Ghouls are often more hanger's on in crypts and tombs, rather than directly reanimated and/or controlled by magic. This makes them significantly more intelligent than Zombies, but depending upon how "corpsified" their bodies, are often faster, but weaker, than Zombies.

It's also worth noting that whilst Ghoul Paralysis is magical in systems like D&D, in WFRP, it's actually down to the venom that Ghouls often have on their claws, as a result of feasting off the dead and becoming Undead.

So, in general, Ghouls like to move fast, striking hard, but being physically weak.

Ghoul Paralysis could be represented by providing additional Mind damage per successful attack, or by having a successful attack have an additional effect like a Sleep spell. If you want to be really mean, make it a Tempest spell instead, but beware the dangers of "stun-locking" a single Hero.

Alternatively, you could have Ghoul Paralysis work as a penalty to ALL dice (minimum 0), so that most Heroes become unable to Move after 2 hits (1 with Plate Mail), become unable to Defend with 2 hits (More with armour equipped), and unable to Attack depending on their equipped weapons). In this case, the Ghoul could become a Wizard hunter rather than a Barbarian hunter. You may need to decide what happens with Spells, but it might be an idea to have the Wizard and the Elf be able to discard Spells to resist Ghoul Paralysis...

[Kurgan]

I totally forgot about the Wight existing in Lord of the Rings. Creepy, but very different than the stereotypical Romero zombie.