View source for Ghoul


{{Creature
|name         = 
|image        = [[File:Ghoul05.png|200px]]
|caption      = A ghoul, depicted in the fifth edition ''Starter Set'', "Lost Mines of Phandelver" (22014)
|size         = 
|alignment    = Chaotic evil
|type         = [[Undead]]
|subtype      = 
|patron deity = 
|first        = ''Dungeons & Dragons'' "white box" set]] (1974)
}}


'''Ghouls''' are monstrous, [[:category:undead|undead]] humans who reek of carrion.

==Description==
A ghoul is said to be created on the death of a man or woman who savored the taste of flesh. They not only eat the dead, but also prey on the unwary living.  Likewise, a ghast is supposedly made while someone dies during the act of cannibalism. Ghouls can paralyze their victims with a touch, though [[Elf|elves]] are immune. Aside from the standard variety, a number of other forms of ghoul exist.

==Ghoul variants==

{{Creature
|name         = Ghast
|image        = [[File:Ghoul03 MM3e.jpg|250px]]
|caption      = 
|size         = 
|alignment    = Chaotic Evil
|type         = [[Undead]]
|subtype      = 
|patron deity = 
|first        = 
}}
===Abyssal ghoul===
These [[planes|extraplanar]] versions of the standard ghoul have [[Fiend|fiendish]] characteristics that make them far more formidable than their cousins.
===Ghast===

The ghast is similar to the ghoul, but is distinguished by its monstrously foul and supernaturally nauseating stench. It is also more powerful than a standard ghoul; even elves can fall victim to a ghast's [[paralysis|paralytic]] touch. It very closely resembles its [[Undead|undead]] cousins, but is far more deadly and cunning. Like ghouls, ghasts speak whatever language they did in life (usually Common). They are [[chaotic evil]] in alignment.

===Ghoulish and ghastly creatures===
These are creatures which possess the ghoulish or ghastly template, which in effect makes them non-human versions of ghouls and ghasts.

===Gravetouched ghoul===
These ghouls are said to have been blessed by the [[King of Ghouls]] upon their return from the dead, and are thus more powerful than common ghouls.  While standard ghouls lose all their abilities from their previous life, gravetouched ghouls retain most of their former selves, albeit enhanced by the transformation into an undead creature.

===Lacedon===
A lacedon is the aquatic version of the standard ghoul. Save for the fact that they are powerful swimmers, Lacedons are identical to standard ghouls.  They are said to lurk near reefs, waiting to prey on stranded vessels.

===Thoul===
A thoul is a sorcerous hybrid between a [[hobgoblin]], a [[troll]], and a ghoul.  It appears to be a hobgoblin, but paralyzes with a touch and regenerates.

===True ghoul===
A civilized form of ghoul, these creatures lack the savage nature of their standard counterparts, and often live together in underground cities which approximate human civilization. An example of such a society can be found in the ''[[World of Greyhawk]]'s'' version of the [[White Kingdom]].

==Publication history==
The ghoul is one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

===Dungeons & Dragons (1974–1976)===
The ghoul is one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the [[Dungeons & Dragons (1974)|''Dungeons & Dragons'' "white box" set]] (1974), where they are described as able to paralyze anyone they touch.<ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]], and [[Dave Arneson]]. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (3-Volume Set) (TSR, 1974)</ref>

The '''lacedon''', or aquatic ghoul, is introduced in Supplement II: ''[[Blackmoor (supplement)|Blackmoor]]'' (1975).<ref>[[Dave Arneson|Arneson, Dave]]. ''[[Blackmoor (supplement)|Blackmoor]]'' (TSR, 1975)</ref>

The '''Ghouls of Yanaidar''' appeared in Supplement IV: ''[[Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes]]'' (1976).

===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition (1977–1988)===
The ghoul appears in the first edition ''[[Monster Manual]]'' (1977),<ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]]. ''[[Monster Manual]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1977)</ref> where it is described as an undead creature, once human, who feeds on corpses.  The '''ghast''' is also introduced in this book, and is said to be indistinguishable from a ghoul except for its carrion stench which causes retching and nausea.

Several creatures similar to ghouls appeared in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #138 (October 1988), including the '''baka''', the '''black annis''', the '''callicantzari''' and '''great callicantzari''', the '''gelloudes''', the '''ghula''', the '''spirit-ghoul''', and the '''wendigo'''.

===Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1999)===
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the ghoul, in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set]]'' (1977, 1981, 1983).<ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]], and [[Dave Arneson]] [1974], edited by [[John Eric Holmes|J. Eric Holmes]]. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set]]'' (TSR, 1977)</ref><ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]], and [[Dave Arneson]] [1974], edited by [[Tom Moldvay]]. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set]]'' (TSR, 1981)</ref><ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]], and [[Dave Arneson]] [1974], edited by [[Frank Mentzer]]. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set|Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules]]'' (TSR, 1983)</ref> The ghoul was also later featured in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)|Dungeons & Dragons Game]]'' set (1991), the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia]]'' (1991),<ref>[[Aaron Allston|Allston, Aaron]], [[Steven Schend|Steven E. Schend]], [[Jon Pickens]], and [[Dori Watry]]. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia]]'' (TSR, 1991)</ref> the ''Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game'' set (1994), and the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game]]'' set (1999).<ref>[[Bill Slavicsek|Slavicsek, Bill]]. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game]]'' (TSR, 1999)</ref>

The '''vapor ghoul''' appears in the adventure ''[[Thunderdelve Mountain]]'' (1985), and later in the ''[[Creature Catalogue]]'' (1986) as the "vapour ghoul".<ref>[[Graeme Morris|Morris, Graeme]], [[Phil Gallagher|Phil Gallagher]] and [[Jim Bambra]]. ''[[Creature Catalogue]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1986)</ref> The '''elder ghoul''' appears in the ''[[Creature Catalogue]]'' (1986) and the ''[[Creature Catalog]]'' (1993).<ref>[[John Nephew|Nephew, John]]. ''[[Creature Catalog]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1993)</ref>

===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition (1989–2000)===
The ghoul, ghast, and lacedon appear first in the ''[[Monstrous Compendium|Monstrous Compendium Volume One]]'' (1989),<ref>[[David "Zeb" Cook|Cook, David]], et al. ''[[Monstrous Compendium|Monstrous Compendium Volume One]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1989)</ref> and are reprinted in the ''[[Monstrous Manual]]'' (1993).<ref>[[Doug Stewart|Stewart, Doug]], ed. ''[[Monstrous Manual]]'' (TSR, 1993)</ref>

The '''goop ghoul''' appears in ''Dragon'' #198 (October 1993). The '''ghoul undead dragon''' and '''ghast undead dragon''' appear in ''Dragon'' #234 (October 1996).

The '''true ghoul''' and the '''true ghoul noble''' are introduced in ''[[Dungeon (magazine)|Dungeon]]'' #70 (September 1998), in the article "Kingdom of the Ghouls."<ref>[[Wolfgang Baur|Baur, Wolfgang]]. "Kingdom of the Ghouls." ''[[Dungeon (magazine)|Dungeon]]'' #70 (TSR, 1998)</ref> The ghoul was detailed in ''Dragon'' #252 (October 1998), in the "Ecology of the Ghoul".<ref>[[Wolfgang Baur|Baur, Wolfgang]]. "Ecology of the Ghoul." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #252 (TSR, 1998)</ref>

The '''elevated ghoul''' appears in ''[[Return to White Plume Mountain]]'' (1999).

=== Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000–2003) ===
The ghoul, ghast, and lacedon appear in the ''[[Monster Manual]]'' for this edition (2000).<ref>[[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]], [[Jonathan Tweet]], and [[Skip Williams]]. ''[[Monster Manual]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2000)</ref>

A variant ghoul ('''jikiniki''') appeared in ''[[Oriental Adventures]]'' (2001).

The '''abyssal ghoul''' was introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] supplement ''[[City of the Spider Queen]]'' (2002),<ref>[[James Wyatt|Wyatt, James]]. ''[[City of the Spider Queen]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 2002)</ref> and then appeared in the ''[[Fiend Folio]]'' (2003).<ref>[[Eric Cagle|Cagle, Eric]], [[Jesse Decker]], [[James Jacobs|James Jacobs]], [[Erik Mona]], [[Matt Sernett]], [[Chris Thomasson]], and [[James Wyatt|James Wyatt]].  ''[[Fiend Folio]]  ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2003)</ref>

''[[Savage Species]]'' (2003) presented the ghoul as both a race and a playable class.<ref>[[David Eckelberry|Eckelberry, David]], [[Rich Redman]], and [[Jennifer Clarke Wilkes]]. ''[[Savage Species]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)</ref>

The '''ghoul creature''' [[Creature Template|template]] appeared in ''Dragon'' #307 (May 2003), and included the '''ghoulish harpy''' as a sample creature.

=== Dungeons & Dragons third (2003–2008) ===
The ghoul, ghast, and lacedon appear in the revised ''[[Monster Manual]]'' for this edition (2003).

The '''fleshvigor ghoul''' for the [[Ghostwalk]] campaign setting appears in ''Dragon'' #315 (January 2004).  The '''nether hound ghoul''' for the Forgotten Realms setting appears in ''Dragon'' #322 (August 2004).

The ghoul and ghast were presented as player character classes in ''[[Libris Mortis|Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead]]'' (2004).<ref>[[Andy Collins|Collins, Andy]] and [[Bruce Cordell|Bruce R Cordell]]. ''[[Libris Mortis]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2004)</ref>

The true ghoul reappears in ''Dungeon'' #129 (December 2005) in the adventure "A Gathering of Winds," as part of the "[[Age of Worms]]" [[Adventure Path]].<ref>[[Wolfgang Baur|Baur, Wolfgang]]. "A Gathering of Winds." ''Dungeon'' #129 ([[Paizo Publishing]], 2005)</ref>

=== Dungeons & Dragons fourth edition (2008–2013) ===
The ghoul appears in the ''[[Monster Manual]]'' for this edition (2008), including the '''horde ghoul''', the '''abyssal ghoul''', the '''abyssal ghoul hungerer''', and the '''abyssal ghoul myrmidon'''.<ref>[[Mike Mearls|Mearls, Mike]], [[Stephen Schubert]], and [[James Wyatt]]. ''[[Monster Manual]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008)</ref>

=== Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition (2013–) === 
The ghoul and ghast appear in the ''[[Monster Manual]]'' for this edition (2013).{{csb|MM5e|}}{{csb|Basic Rules ''(2014)'' |130}}

==Critical reception==
The ghoul was ranked fifth among the ten best low-level monsters by the authors of ''Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies''. The authors described the ghoul as "terrifying to low-level heroes because one scratch of a ghoul's filthy claws may cause even the most resolute heroes to freeze up in complete (but thankfully short-lived) paralysis".<ref name="Dummies">{{cite book|last=Slavicsek|first=Bill|authorlink=Bill Slavicsek|first2=Rich|last2=Baker|authorlink2=Richard Baker|first3=Jeff|last3=Grubb|authorlink3=Jeff Grubb |title=Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies|publisher=For Dummies|year=2006|pages=373|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNU7E01MCEgC&pg=PA361&dq=%22mind+flayer%22&lr=&as_brr=3&client=opera#PPA361,M1|accessdate=2009-02-12 | isbn=978-0-7645-8459-6}}</ref>

==Other publishers==
The ghoul is fully detailed in [[Paizo Publishing]]'s book ''Classic Horrors Revisited'' (2009), on pages 28–33.<ref>[[James Jacobs|Jacobs, James]], Rob McCreary, and F. Wesley Schneider. ''Classic Horrors Revisited'' (Paizo, 2009)</ref>

== References ==
=== Notes ===
<references group="note" />
=== Citations ===
<references />
=== Bibliography ===
{{Wikipedia|Ghoul (Dungeons and Dragons)}}
{{index}}


[[Category:Creatures]]
[[Category:Undead]]