Sat May 23, 2026 5:27 pm  
On Ghouls

Sam “Samwise” Weiss posted this on the CF Discord and in line with the Zavoda Principle (don’t let good stuff be lost the the endless scrolling) I post it here. This came before On Shadows just posted, but was more fragmented and so took longer to collate:

The Flavors of Ghouls

A bit of research reveals there are three general types of ghouls in D&D: genies, demons, and humans. All of them are related in origin, but all of them are distinct in game play.

Genie derived ghouls, known as ghuls, appeared in the Al Qadim line. They are the source of the name, and effectively the base for the other versions commonly known in lore and the game. While corpse eating and man eating creatures show up throughout the legends of most cultures, it was the translations of the A Thousand and One Arabian Nights that gave the name and attention to the creature. Ghuls were originally just a type of jinn, the generic category of creatures called genies in D&D. Ghuls in Al Qadim are specifically undead jann, a type of genie composed of all elements and native to the prime material plane. They are foul, nasty, and ugly, live in graveyards, and eat corpses, everything that makes a ghoul. They are different because of their genie origins, which give them additional magical ability. Jinn in original lore are a type of spirit, effectively being demons rather than the elemental creatures they are in D&D.

Demon derived ghouls are defined in the AD&D Monster Manual, where the stronger version, the ghast, is created by demon lords from manes, the souls of evil mortals. Originally, it did not say that those slain by ghasts became ghouls. This was added in 2E to have a connection between them and ghouls. (Those slain by ghouls become ghouls as normal.) Although undead, the demon origin manifests in ghasts and ghouls taking extra damage from cold iron weapons.

Human ghouls developed in European folklore. They are living humans who eat human flesh, usually living, but sometimes corpses. An offshoot, generally popularized by Lovecraft, overwhelmingly eat corpses. They are, however, not true humans, but something devolved and mutated from normal humanity.

This shows a clear progression. From supernatural spirits like demons splitting into demon creations and a variety of elemental spirit, to the focus on the corpse eating and degeneration of humanity. They have the same origin but go in different directions and end up in different places.

Lankhmar Ghouls are, aside from the name, a completely different class of creature, with no functional relation to the other ghouls.

The ghuls of Al Qadim had two basic types, the great ghul and the lesser ghul, with the great ghul having a sort of offshoot, the ghul mage. The lesser ghuls were actually humans killed by great ghuls that were transformed. They later added two ghul-kin variants, the witherer and the soultaker, which are notably more powerful. And they had a ghul lord wizard kit which is effectively a major variant class, but which opens the potential for a more complate human connection.

The AD&D ghouls got some expansion in 2E with the ghoul lord in Ravenloft, adding another way to create ghasts, as well as making a "powered up" version for slightly higher level play. Ghouls received more expansion in 3E, with the extremely potent abyssal ghoul, and the gravetouched ghoul template, which provided for full PC-equivalent ghouls. Other options lurk about, including a ghoul/ghast monster class, some other undead prestige classes, and a variety of feats and spells for getting your undead body and ghoul feasting on. Notably, the 3PP 3E Ravenloft has an interesting feat for humans to eat flesh and get power ups then turn into a ghoul lord when they die.

The Lovecraftian human ghoul, aside from those feats and spells does not really make an appearance until very late. Paizo has a Leng Ghoul, but they make it undead. Right before PF1 ended, Sandy Petersen did a PF Call of Cthulu adaptation which features fully non-undead ghouls.

Overall, having both the genie ghuls and the demon ghouls is fairly easy, as is justifying them being turnable even if they would not technically be "true" undead. They have that otherwordly spirit element, which should leave them vulnerable to clerics throwing about holiness.

The harder part is integrating the living human ghouls, whether full Lovecraftian, general horror, or otherwise.

Especially when it comes to eating people.

It could, of course, provide some interesting regional flavor, as it were, for Greyhawk.

Ghuls in the Baklunish lands, demon ghouls in most places, and human ghouls in a few out of the way places, like among the Amedi or the Flan.

Of course, one could also distinguish the Dreamlands ghouls from mundane human ghouls as well, and have distinct subtypes for each human race.

Or, perhaps, associate the Dreamlands ghouls with the demihumans, and have them be something for the dwurrow and olve to unleash on humans.

would Dreamlands ghouls be more appropriate for the Oerids or the Suel?

Wolfgang Baur did try to get a more Dreamlands ghoul with the True Ghouls of the White Kingdom.

Yes, that is the origin of Doresain, who was later made just the demon lord of ghouls.

From reviewing "The Charnel [Power]" again, CAS's Mordiggian is not, perhaps really on the same level as a demon lord, Doresain or otherwise

Mordiggian is not psycho evil per se, it just likes eating corpses.
Make a deal with Mordiggian, feed it all your dead, and Mordiggian's followers, who might just be human ghouls, the text is not particularly clear, will leave you alone.

And Mordiggian only hangs out in that one city anyway.

As for Doresain, originally the True Ghouls disdained mundane undead ghouls and the stinky ghasts. Later, Doresain gets all the ghouls, and the True Ghouls wind up rather forgotten until brought back in Age of Worms for a guest appearance.

Yes, there is a key thing.
Ghouls are demonic and evil.
Ghuls are not-as-demonic-sort-of. They are evil, but they can be negotiated with.
Dreamlands ghouls are like Mordiggian and just want to eat corpses. Leave them along and they will not prep you before your time.
Human ghouls hypothetically do not have to be evil, they could just be starving, but they wind up evil sooner rather than later.
Especially if they get their favic green at a Wendy's Chewable Potions To Go like Curtis does.

So, ghouls, ghouls, ghouls. All types of ghouls, but really just demonic and human.