Thoul
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Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (23 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
AC: 14 (+1 Dex, +1 natural, +2 leather armor), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+4
Attacks: Claw +5 melee (1d3+1 plus paralysis) or club +4 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d3+1 plus paralysis) or claw +5 melee (1d3+1 plus paralysis) and club +2 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Paralysis
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 3
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +1, Move Silently +2, Spot +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (claw), Multiattack
Environment: Cold hills
Organization: Solitary, pack (2-4), gang (5-10)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
This bony humanoid stands about 6 1/2 feet tall. It has hairy skin, thick, ropy hair, feral eyes and a flat nose and chin.
A thoul is a magical combination of a ghoul, a hobgoblin, and a troll.
A thoul looks almost exactly like a hobgoblin, though leaner and bonier. It is only when one approaches closely that distinguishable characteristics can be discerned. Its skin is a pale greenish color and rubbery. Their hair is brownish to black in color, and thick and matted. Their eyes are yellowish or dark brown, and their teeth are larger and sharper than a hobgoblins. They tend to dress in drab colors, often wearing animal hides or furs over leather armor.
Thouls speak Goblin. Those rare few that have Intelligence scores of 12 or higher also speak Common.
COMBAT
Thouls are undisciplined and lack complex strategies when they attack. It will use its natural paralysis ability to incapacitate as many foes as possible, allowing it to concentrate its attacks on those opponents that prove immune to its ghoulish touch. Their reliance on their healing abilities often leads thouls to underestimate their chances against any particular group of foes- usually leading to fatal consequences for the thoul.
Paralysis (Ex): Any foe struck by the thoul’s claw attack must make a Fortitude save against a DC 14 or else be paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds.
Fast Healing (Ex): A thoul heals 3 hit points every round, so long as it has at least 1 hit point.
THOUL SOCIETY Thouls are uncivilized and violent creatures. They exist on the fringes of humanoid society, feeding on the carrion and waste left behind by others.
Occasionally, thouls are taken into the service of hobgoblin tribes, to serve as bodyguards and shock troops. Under the militaristic discipline of the their "cousins", these thouls can prove to be very deadly foes. Thouls in these conditions often have very clean and high quality armor and weapons, and prove to have a keen strategic sense of mind.
THOULS AS CHARACTERS
Most thouls are barbarians or rogues. Thoul clerics (shamans) worship Thanatos. A thoul cleric has access to the following domains: Death, Destruction, or Evil.
Thoul characters possess the following racial traits:
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma.
Medium size.
A thoul’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Racial Hit Dice: A thoul begins with 3 levels of monstrous humanoid, which gives it 3d8 hit dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A thoul’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 6 X (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1 point). Its class skills are Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot.
Racial Feats: A thoul’s levels give it 2 feats.
+1 natural armor bonus.
Special Attacks (see above): Paralysis.
Special Qualities (see above): Fast healing 3
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A thoul is automatically proficient with simple weapons and light armor and shields.
Automatic Languages: Goblin. Bonus Languages: Common, Giant, Orc.
Favored Class: Barbarian.
Level Adjustment: +3
Also, I made up a Savage Species progression for the thoul (again, descriptive aspects of it need some work) and wrote that up as well.
The whole shebang can be seen on my Mystara page (direct link):
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/cthulhudrew/mystara/thoul1.html
It is one of the really classical Mystara creatures. I dont think any other setting has them. So they were also created by the Nithians?
IMC, I have Hogboglin Shamans using a ritual involving troll blood and Ghoul flesh which changes Hobgoblin babies to Thouls. (Perhaps they learned it from the Nithians?) Thouls are grim warriors of Hobgoblin society in many ways similar to Caribbean Zombies.
Perhaps this ritual could be used on other creatures aswell, such as Goblins (Lesser Thouls) and Ogres (Greater Thouls)?
Maybe this calls for a "Thoulish" Template?
Havard
That takes me back 14 years to when I first started playing. We were having a one-shot gaming session to celebrate one of the player's birthday.
A group of 1st level village-would-be-heroes set out to destroy a monster, which the village militia supposedly couldn't handle. Reports said the monster was "invulnerable" (seemed to be at least because of its regeneration) and very deadly.
When we finally tracked it, it nearly paralysed the entire party before the magic-user finally dropped it with a Magic Missile...
Oh, the days of sweet adventure... before we all knew every monster by heart
:-) Jesper
Btw, what would be the best name for such a template?
Thoulish? Thoulic? Thoulean?
Havard
Cool to have a 3e/3.5e version. I always like them. A template would be awesome!!!