Ghoul
Medium Undead · · CR 1
- Undead
- Medium
- Tier 1
Ranges across swamp, underground, urban, and ruins; Ghoul lists at CR 1 as a medium undead (chaotic evil). Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 1
- Type
- Undead
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Swamp, Underground, Urban, Ruins
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024), Flee, Mortals!
Ecology
Ghouls infest graveyards, sewers beneath cities, and any place where the dead are easy to reach. They feed on corpses and living flesh, preferring the latter when available. They breed by infecting fresh kills with their bite, reanimating victims as new ghouls within days. A single neglected catacomb can spawn dozens of ghouls before discovery, becoming an underground swarm of nearly identical pale corpse-eaters.
Behaviour
Ghouls are cunning but feral, capable of basic ambush tactics but driven entirely by hunger. They communicate through hisses and gestures, never speaking. They cannot resist the urge to feast on a fresh kill, often pausing battle to gnaw at a fallen victim while the fight continues nearby. They fear sunlight and bright magical light, retreating to deep shadow whenever exposed.
Origin
Ghouls are humans, halflings, gnomes, and elves who in life committed cannibalism, breaking ancient taboos. The first ghouls were cursed by a death god, transformed into eternal corpse-eaters as punishment. The curse spreads through the bite, but only to corpses; the living die normally from a ghoul attack and rise as new ghouls only if the body is not destroyed. Some priests cleanse them with sanctified salt.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Ghoul
- What is the challenge rating of Ghoul?
- Ghoul's challenge rating is 1. A party in this band fits parties at the start of their adventuring careers.
- What type of creature is Ghoul?
- Ghoul is classified as a undead in D&D 5e, medium size.
- Where does Ghoul live?
- The published habitats for Ghoul: Swamp, Underground, Urban, Ruins.