Ghoul (CR +8)

"Ghoul" is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Ghouls are a form of undead known for their insatiable, ravenous appetite for flesh, both from the living and the dead. Ghouls retain their identity, memories, and experiences, but the transition into undeath, combined with the overwhelming and unending hunger has sinisterly twisted them, overriding any empathy for the living or previously held morals. Their torment is only briefly appeased upon consuming flesh, with the more living and intelligent sources providing greater satisfaction, but the hunger always returns swiftly. As undead, consuming flesh does not serve any biological function except for regenerating damaged body parts.

Creatures arise as ghouls either from dying as an evil creature that had willfully indulged in cannibilism and necrophilia on a regular basis, or succumbing from ghoul fever. Ghouls inflict their disease from their bites, and as long as either the head or torso of an infected corpse mostly remains intact, the creature will rise up as a ghoul at the next midnight, with missing body parts grotesquely regenerating. Ghouls instinctively cease devouring a body infected with ghoul fever enough to allow its undead rebirth.

Racial Traits

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Standard Traits

• CR: +8 (161 CP total)
• Hit Dice: The ghoul adds 8 Hit Dice (d8) to the base creature's total Hit Dice. These are the creature's ghoul HD. These HD stack with the base creature's HD to determine the number of ability score increases, feats, racial feats, skill proficiency increases, and any abilities or traits that scale off of the creature's total HD except for its base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and skill ranks (see traits below). (0 CP)
• Alignment: Any evil.
• Type: The creature's type changes to undead (augmented). It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind (such as giant). It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Do not recalculate the base creature's base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and skill ranks.
• Speed: The ghoul gains a climb speed equal to half of their base speed. If the base creature already has a climb speed, it is increased by 10 feet. (2 CP)
• Ability Score Adjustment: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma. Ghouls have no Constitution score, and instead use their Charisma score in place of it score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution. (3 CP)

Defense Racial Traits

• Channel Resistance (Su): The ghoul adds half of its total Hit Dice as a bonus to saves made to resist the effects of channel energy, including effects that rely on the use of channel energy (such as the Command Undead feat). (2 CP)
• Undead Immunities (Ex): The ghoul is immune to the following conditions: bleed, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, paralysis, sleep, and stunned. It is also immune to death, disease, mind-affecting, and poison effects and spells. It is also immune to ability drain, energy drain, nonlethal damage, and ability damage to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. It is not affected by raise dead or reincarnate effects or spells. Finally, the ghoul is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). (85 CP)
• Undead Saving Throws: The ghoul increases its base Will saving throw bonus by +6, and its base Fortitude and Reflex saving throw bonuses by +2. (2 CP)
• Undead State: The ghoul is immune to the disabled and dying conditions, and is destroyed at 0 hp. (-2 CP)

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Climb: Because they have a climb speed, ghouls gain a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks. This does not stack with the base creature if it already had a climb speed.
• Ghoul Skills: The ghoul gains the following as class skills: Climb, Disguise, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth. (6 CP)
• Skill Ranks: The ghoul gains 4 + Intelligence modifier skill ranks per ghoul Hit Die. (1 CP)

Offense Racial Traits

• Base Attack Bonus: The ghoul increases its base attack bonus by +6 (medium progression). (0 CP)
• Bite: Ghouls gain a bite natural attack that deals damage for its size. At 7th Hit Die, and every 7 HD after, the bite's damage increases by 1 size. If the base creature already had a bite attack, its damage increases by 1 size. (2 CP)
• Claws: Ghouls gain 2 claw natural attacks that deal damage for its size. At 7th Hit Die, and every 7 HD after, the claws' damage increases by 1 size. If the base creature already had 2 claw attacks, their damage increases by 1 size. (4 CP)
• Create Spawn (Ex): A living creature that dies from ghoul fever disease rises as a new ghoul at the next midnight. It is not under the control of any other ghouls. (1 CP)
• Ghoul Fever (Ex): Bite—injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 total Hit Dice + Charisma modifier; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. (10 CP)
• Paralysis: A ghoul's bite and claw attacks inflict paralysis for 1d6 rounds (Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 total Hit Dice + Charisma modifier). (27 CP)
• Stench (Ex): The ghoul gains the stench aura for 15 feet with a Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 total Hit Dice + Charisma modifier. At 7th Hit Die, and every 7 HD after, the aura's range increases by 5 feet. (4 CP)

Senses Racial Traits

• Carrion Sense: The ghoul gains the carrion sense. (1 CP)
• Darkvision: The ghoul can see perfectly in the dark for up to 60 feet. At 7th Hit Die, and every 7 HD after, this range increases by 30 feet. If the base creature already had darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet. (2 CP)

Other Racial Traits

• Consumption of Flesh (Ex): By spending a full-round provoke action, the ghoul can devour a creature's corpse or a helpless creature. At the start of its next turn, the ghoul gains regeneration (acid, fire). The amount of regeneration depends on the state of the victim. If the victim is still alive when the action is taken, the regeneration value is 5. The value decreases to 4 if the victim died within 1 round, to 3 if within 1 minute, to 2 if within 1 hour, and to 1 for longer. The regeneration lasts for a number of rounds equal to the creature's Charisma modifier. The corpse is no longer in an intact state for effects that require a complete corpse (such as raise dead). (5 CP)
• Flesh Addiction: The ghoul is addicted to consuming flesh. Save Will DC 15; onset 1 week; frequency 1/week; effect -1 penalty to Intelligence and Wisdom; cure none. (-8 CP)
• Powered by Negative Energy (Su): The ghoul is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy. (-1 CP)
• Undead Biology (Ex): The ghoul does not need to breath, drink, eat, or sleep unless doing so benefits it. (15 CP)