Monday 27 April 2020

GHOULS

This post is the bastard lovechild of the following blogposts:


...but especially this post from Cavegirl:


Liberally borrowing from the above material to fashion a disease, a monster, and a weird mode of lateral character progression (but not necessarily in that order).  

SPOILER: they're ALL ghouls.

FLESHEATERS

Eat human flesh. This is your ghoulish origin story.

Ghouls are humans transformed into hideous and bestial creatures that feed on human flesh—particularly the long dead. Their transgression, succumbing to dark appetites, transformed them into monsters.

Though feared, their connections to the dead and resemblance to loved ones—combined with their virtual immortality—sometimes sees them entombed at sacred sites and worshipped as spirits.

THE HUNGER

The Hunger has 2 triggers:
  1. Reduction to 0 HP by a Ghoul.
  2. Eating human flesh.

The Hunger: seeing human flesh, raw or cooked, save vs spells (12) to avoid scampering over and eating it —on a failed save the pariah may still resist by suffering 1d4 health damage.

CURSE TEMPLATE

Eating human flesh bestows an affliction, re-roll repeats. When a pariah gains all afflictions they become a monster under the control of the GM.



1d10
Affliction
1
Canines extend and jaw grows stronger: can inflict an additional bit attack in melee for 1d4 damage.
2
Skin begins to putrefy. They emit a foul stench, like death.
3
low-light vision of 60’. Eyes turn a sickly yellow colour.
4
Nails extend into claw: can make medium weapon attacks in lieu of hand weapons. 
5
All body hair falls out.
6
Can no longer receive sustenance from ordinary food, it’s human flesh or nothing, preferably rotting human flesh.Gums appear to be permanently bleeding. 1d4 CHA damage (permanent).
7
If they have the claw attack, they may now inflict paralysing agony. 
If not, this ability lies dormant until they gain the claw attack.
8
Eating human flesh heals 1d4 health or attribute damage.
9
Unable to cross a protective circle (see rituals).
10
Sunlight deals 1d4 damage per turn, can only see up to 60’ in daylight.

4 comments:

  1. Good use of 'scampering'.

    This is a Ghoul I can get behind.

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    Replies
    1. I sort of imagine someone afflicted by the hunger to be like a puppy: the just can't help themselves to a bit of rotting human flesh, so off they scamper.

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    2. I've got a very soft spot for Ghouls. And I suspect they provoke a little affection in a lot of people (I suppose they're Lovecraft's sympathetic other, rather than a monstering - even Pickman's Ghouls were happy to pose for art's sake).

      In the last session of our CoC game before lockdown, I finally cast the undescribed 'Bring the Children in from Their Playtime' which called Ghouls from the WWI French countryside and helped us prevent a Dr. Whovian resurrection of the Serpent People. I planned to retire my character in the next session (SAN 5) by casting the spell once more, stripping off and going to join them, happy and free in our corpse-eating frolics.

      If I get the chance, we'll be scampering.

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    3. RE: scampering see Atrnold Kemp's *Lair of the Lamb*...

      "Once alerted, she will loudly order Molina to accompany
      her while she investigates. Molina will complain and crack
      jokes. Both ghouls will behave intelligently and ravenously.
      Like all ghouls, they run on all fours."

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