Abyssal Ghoul

Abyssal ghouls are twisted undead creatures with fiendish characteristics. Their abyssal connections make them far more formidable opponents than common ghouls.

An abyssal ghoul looks similar to a common ghoul in that it is a warped humanoid figure with bestial features. Its skin is scaly and tough, and its fingers and toes end in fearsome claws several inches in length. Its teeth are equally fearsome, and a foot-long tongue dangles from its mouth, trailing into smoky incorporeality at its tip. Though an abyssal ghoul is blind, its other senses allow it to perceive prey around it.

Abyssal ghouls speak Abyssal.

Combat

An abyssal ghoul enters combat slashing with its claws. Its strange tongue allows it to suck mental energy from prey it has pinned.

Despite their apparent bestial nature, abyssal ghouls are quite intelligent, and they show considerable cunning in battle. In groups they always try to flank opponents and take advantage of sneak attack opportunities.

Disease (Ex): Any creature hit by an abyssal ghoul’s front claw or rear claws attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 18) or contract demon fever. After an incubation period of 1 day, the disease deals 1d6 points of Constitution damage. Each day after contracting demon fever, the creature must succeed on another Fortitude save (DC 18) or take the same damage. Each time it is damaged by the disease, the creature must immediately succeed on another Fortitude save (DC 18) or 1 point of the Constitution damage taken becomes Constitution drain instead. After making a successful Fortitude save against the Constitution damage on each of two consecutive days, the creature recovers.

Improved Grab (Ex): If an abyssal ghoul hits an opponent its own size or smaller with both front claws, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +15). If it gets a hold, it can attempt to pin and use its Wisdom drain ability on its next grapple check. Alternatively, the abyssal ghoul has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its front claws to hold the opponent (–⁠20 penalty on grapple check, but the ghoul is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals damage from both front claws.

Sneak Attack (Ex): Anytime an abyssal ghoul’s target is denied a Dexterity bonus, or when a target is flanked by an abyssal ghoul, the ghoul deals an additional 5d6 points of damage on a successful melee attack.

Wisdom Drain (Su): If an abyssal ghoul successfully pins a living opponent, it can drain 1d6 points of Wisdom with its smoky tongue on the same action. Each round thereafter that the pin is maintained, the ghoul automatically drains an additional 1d6 points of Wisdom. A creature reduced to 0 Wisdom by an abyssal ghoul becomes unconscious until at least 1 point of Wisdom is restored.

Deathwatch (Sp): This ability functions like the deathwatch spell, except that it is always active and an abyssal ghoul always knows how near death all creatures within 90 feet of it are. Because of this knowledge, it often pauses to kill creatures near death (those with 3 or fewer hit points remaining) before moving on to attack healthier foes.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): An abyssal ghoul retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class even when flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. In addition, it cannot be flanked except by a rogue of 20th level or higher.

Abyssal Ghouls in the Campaign

In the Forgotten Realms^® setting, Abyssal ghouls are minions of the drow deity Kiaransalee, god of undeath and vengeance. If you are using Book of Vile Darkness in your campaign, Abyssal ghouls would make excellent servants for the demonic King of the Ghouls, a vassal of Yeenoghu.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 12.