Monster Focus: Ghouls (PFRPG) PDF

This pdf is 6 pages long, 1 page front cover, ~3/4 of a page SRD/editorial, leaving us with ~4 1/4 pages of content, so let's take a look!

The pdf kicks off with a short list of sample DCs to unearth information on ghouls before introducing us to 5 new feats:

-Grave Claws: Stagger foes with your paralyzing attacks even if they succeed at their saves. Okay, I guess - but not impressed.

-Mind over Muscle: Allows you to save again against paralysis each turn. Not a fan of this.

-Nauseating Stench: 1 round nauseated when subject to stench quality, even be sickened for 1 round on a successful save. Still not impressed.

-Resist Undead: Immunity to stench and +2 to saves versus e.g. energy drain etc. I dislike flat-out immunities granted by feats.

-Unholy Feast: Consume pieces of a corpse to get +2 to Str and 1d6 temporary hit points for 1 minute per HD of the consumed creature. I don't particularly like HD-metagaming effects like this.

We also get 5 alchemical items, though: From a satchel of herbs to help versus stench, a nail to enhance the ghoul touch spell, a tooth to enhance undead creation to make ghasts, flesh to enhance undead and a type of oil that punishes those seeking to bite those coated in it, these items universally are nice and thankfully come with relevant craft-DCs and gp-value. Nice ones!

Next up are 4 new spells, one to resist paralysis, animate undead as ghouls, hide behind a semblance of living or incite terrible, ravenous hunger. Nice spells, though I personally preferred the ghoulish spells provided by Legendary Games' Sepulchral Swaths of Tanoth-Gha.

The pdf also features 4 new magical items, one of which would be a blade to inflict painful wounds and sicken those hit with pain, a mask that nets you a bite attack that may paralyze foes, a mask that duplicates aforementioned spell to disguise undead nature as well as a scarab that allows the wielder to negate paralysis and the staggered condition by expending its limited charges.

We also get a new hazard - the ghoul's deadly feast that emits a terrible stench. Among the new creatures, we get a CR 5 Ghast Lord and two new templates, the gluttonous ghoul at CR +1 and a massive, charging ghouls called Leaping Ghouls that are particularly agile (also at CR +1).

The pdf closes with 3 nice adventure ideas.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to a printer-friendly 2-column standard and the pdf features hand-drawn b/a-artworks, which, while not superb, are really nice to get at this low price point. The pdf has no bookmarks, but at this length, that's still okay.

Honestly, the pdf was off to a bad start - the feats honestly didn't wow me and feel unfocused - not bad, but not exciting either and the undead-hunter feats feels strangely displaced in this pdf that is otherwise devoted to the ghoulish creatures. The spells, while not bad, also falls into this category, though to a lesser extent. The alchemical items and magical items, hazards and monsters as well as the templates, though, are actually really great, especially for the low price-point. While hence imho not perfect, this still remains a worthy addition to your gaming table. My final verdict will thus clock in at a solid 4 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

First of all, I loved the Knowledge skill breakdown. As a GM I'm fairly firm about metagaming, but I encourage Knowledge checks and my players make them all the time. Now, I probably didn't "need" one for the ghoul (because I have been playing since before Jason was born), I loved that it was in there. I think any 3PP author doing a dedicated monster product should include this feature or something like it.

The feats were solid, and in my opinion, well balanced. Many fall into the category of "Why didn't I ever think of that?" Which is good, because that means they're clear, straight-forward, and fit the theme. There are some which beneficial to those who fight ghouls, adding value to the PDF.

One feat that has been questioned allows one of two consequences—either the ghouls existing ability plays out as described in the Bestiary, or they can apply a condition for 1 round. This stacks and so continues as long as the target is hit by the ghoul and continues to make their saving throw. It does not compound upon the creatures special ability if the target fails their save. A feat that requires you to succeed on an attack, and then allows you to apply a condition for 1 round doesn't seem out of line to the Core Rules to me—specially when that condition is not helpless. Fighting monsters is dangerous, folks!

The alchemical items are imaginative but also quite practical.

(That is a theme throughout the PDF, this is stuff isn't gonzo, these mechanics are practical and yet imaginative.)

The spells are well balanced and what I would expect. One spell could be used to create or augment an entire encounter. Something a group of PCs would never expect. Kudos on that one in particular. There is an item which does something similar and makes a wickedly good addition to the game.

It is as if Jason has seen some issues with certain types of encounter design, and he's developed some solutions for them. Not in a contrived fashion, but with solid new mechanics.

To sum up, for two dollars this is a nice package of ready to use mechanics, creature variants, and items which will definitely add some spice to any campaign where ghouls will make an appearance.

I have been a huge fan of ghouls ever since I read The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath and take much delight when encountering something new about them!

I cannot add much more to what the other reviewers have already said but to say that Mr. Bulmahn has done it once again by putting together a great package that offers everything a GM needs to surprise players who think they know everything about ghouls they could know. However, don’t worry, as the tasty bits are just as useful to players!

All in all Monster Focus: Ghouls is a tasty product that would make Vincent Price cackle with glee!

This gem of supplemental rules dives right into the subject matter-- there's no bits of fiction or setting material, which is a nice touch and leaves campaign integration as an exercise for the reader.

The content is almost entirely for the GM, with the feats, spells, and items geared for giving ghouls a wider role in the game. Certainly, there are those necromancers and clerics who will want the new spells for player use, and I thought all of them were solid.

I especially liked the spellcasting implements and the hazards, as both immediately inspired ideas for their usage. The variant ghouls had readily apparent hooks available through the new spells and items to give them added roles within a game.

The art is low key, and entertaining, but the maze-as-trade-dress is, frankly, inspired. Editing and layout are straightforward, leaving the focus where it should be-- on the material. For the price, you can't go wrong; this is a welcome jolt to make your players sit up and pay attention to their foes when they may have thought they could sleepwalk through an encounter. If you're wondering about picking this up, stop. Go ahead and get it, you won't be disappointed.

Product Layout: 1 cover page and 3/4 taken up by OGL and writer information, with ~ 1/4 used by art you're getting 4 solid pages of rules for ghouls.

Skills: Section is much improved with information the GM can convey to players based on their roll.

Feats: For the most part these are well done, but there is one feat that I feel is a little too powerful. You'll have to decide for yourself but I wouldn't use it unmodified in my campaigns.

Alchemical Items: Useful and interesting items, 4 alchemical items and 1 spell component enhancement. Having an alchemical item that makes your spells more effective is very cool and I hope to see more items like this.

Spells: 4 spells with a mid level and two low level spells aimed at aiding the undead and one for fighting them.

Magic Items: There are 3 Wondrous Items and 1 Weapon in this section, priced for mid level adventures. While they are too expensive for lower level adventurers (the type to fight book standard ghouls), the items are very useful for a group facing the up scaled ghouls from this supplement.

New Hazard: Appropriately themed and a good addition to the GMs bag, the Ghouls Banquet is a good way to add danger to an adventure without directly damaging the players.

New Creature: The Ghast Lord is CR 5 and will make for an appropriate leader of a ghoul pack. The Gluttonous and Leaping Ghoul templates are +1 CR modifications that will prove a nasty surprise for any player that thinks they know what a ghoul/ghast can do.

Adventure Ideas: 3 adventure seeds that give you some idea how to use the material in Monster Focus: Ghouls.

Overall I think this product is a strong addition to the Monster Focus line, and the best one so far. While I do have misgivings about one feat I don't feel that's worth a star, as it is easily house ruled.