For your considferation: Ghouls

[malchidael]

Hmm....

Would Ghoul-meat be edible by those who are immune?

Imagine a decadent city, deep in the Southern Lands. Wealthy nobles rule with their concubines and slaves. But strangely, no grazing lands and little agriculture.

The ranches are all "underground", and the city is entirely cannibalistic (would it be cannibalism to consume a Ghoul, even if it used to be human?)

Those who displease the nobles are sent to the "ranch" to work for the rest of their days....

[JLV]

Didn't David Eddings create some creature that sort of was similar to this? Ghoulish, cannibal-like things that weren't undead, but were instead some kind of twisted man-forms that pursued "fresh meat" tirelessly? I think he called them "Reavers;" which is hardly a copyrighted term. You could use that term, or some name based off of it for them if you feel strongly about re-naming them. Though "Ghoul, Mark II" fits in nicely with the already proposed "Mana, Ready to Exploit" term used elsewhere...

[malchidael]

Originally Posted by JLV

Didn't David Eddings create some creature that sort of was similar to this? Ghoulish, cannibal-like things that weren't undead, but were instead some kind of twisted man-forms that pursued "fresh meat" tirelessly? I think he called them "Reavers;" which is hardly a copyrighted term. You could use that term, or some name based off of it for them if you feel strongly about re-naming them. Though "Ghoul, Mark II" fits in nicely with the already proposed "Mana, Ready to Exploit" term used elsewhere...

Raveners - had to look it up - it's been quite a while since I've read Eddings.

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by malchidael

Thoughts out of the blue (I should be working, but it's lunchtime, and that got me thinking about Ghouls for some reason...)

It's a bit of a complication, but I would allow a Physiker or Master Physiker make the 2nd save (4/IQ for regular or 3/IQ for Master) instead of the victim - allowing medical treatment to help.

I'd also have the victim lose ST per hour and change over when they die, then build ST back up to their Ghoul-Max over time. So, the parasite basically does a "revival" on the victim, just with the parasite in control after that.

This allows a wealthy victim to suck down healing potions until they get to a Physiker or a Wizard with the Cleansing spell.

Add in some Ghoul-modified internal organ being valued for Alchemists (Ghoul Pituitary gland, perhaps), and I can see a city where the poor are plagued by Ghouls, and the elite allow it (and even promote it) so the organs can be harvested. Especially if the city is divided into a well-protected "wealthy" section and a larger section for the lesser mortals.

And there could be Ghoul Infection Parties so the nobility and their favorite slaves/craftsmen/concubines can become immune.

Except the banished alchemist has found a way to remove immunity, and needs a group of adventurers to sneak into the city and pour his concoction into the reservoir....

I like this very much.

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by JLV

Didn't David Eddings create some creature that sort of was similar to this? Ghoulish, cannibal-like things that weren't undead, but were instead some kind of twisted man-forms that pursued "fresh meat" tirelessly? I think he called them "Reavers;" which is hardly a copyrighted term. You could use that term, or some name based off of it for them if you feel strongly about re-naming them. Though "Ghoul, Mark II" fits in nicely with the already proposed "Mana, Ready to Exploit" term used elsewhere...

GhoulA1E3, one horde.

[malchidael]

Originally Posted by KevinJ

I like this very much.

Thanks! Bits and pieces borrowed from Lovecraft and other sources, coupled with my own fevered imagination.

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by malchidael

Thanks! Bits and pieces borrowed from Lovecraft and other sources, coupled with my own fevered imagination.

I'm very familiar with Lovecraft and the Call of Cthulhu game. The concept of dying slowly just makes everything more creepy when they come back.

[JLV]

Originally Posted by malchidael

Raveners - had to look it up - it's been quite a while since I've read Eddings.

Obviously the same is true for me! ;-) (Thanks for looking it up!)

[KevinJ]

Newest revision:

Desc: These are individuals who have been infected with an alien parasite. They appear to be rotting corpses that shamble around in the darkness and underground looking for more hosts for the parasite. Ghouls carry weapons and wear armor that they were wearing when they transformed, they will not pick up weapons or don armor out of the blue, though a weapon using ghoul will pick up a weapon if disarmed.

Anyone bitten by a ghoul must make a 4/ST save immediately or be infected by the parasite. If they fail the save, other ghouls immediately stop attacking that individual. The individual gets one more 4/ST save after 1 hour, success means that their body rejected the parasite and it dies (the character is now immune to future infection and Ghouls ignore the character as above). Failure means they start the transformation process and the infected character loses 1 ST per hour as the parasite makes its way to the brainstem and attaches itself. When they reach 0 ST the victim ‘dies’ from the infection. It takes 8 hours after death for the full transformation to take place, then the Ghoul regains ST up to the new max before the Ghoul becomes active.

If a Physiker or Master Physiker can treat the infected character before they die, allow a 2nd save (4/IQ for Physicker or 3/IQ for Master) by the physician instead of the victim - allowing medical treatment to help. Healing potions will also delay death by one hour each, giving the victim or his friends to get the character to medical or magical assistance. Cleansing will kill the parasite, stopping the infection or freeing the individual, though the individual may die afterwards from damage taken in an attack or while infected. A Cleansing will also kill a parasite, and the Ghoul, if cast after the Parasite has fully taken control.

The new Ghoul has the stats of the original victim with the following modifications. ST+2, DX-2, IQ-4, MA-2. They are nearly immune to thrusting/stabbing/piercing attacks, but cutting and crushing attacks do full damage.
After one month, the parasite reaches maturity and it now a potent ingredient for Telepathy potions (double duration if a mature ghoul parasite is used). The Ghoul also becomes contagious and can pass the parasite on to others.

It is rumored that a prominent city allow (and even promote) the working poor, who are segregated into a large ghetto, to be plagued by Ghouls so mature parasites can be harvested for making telepathy potions. There are also rumors that the elite of the city hold Ghoul Infection Parties so the nobility and their favorite slaves/craftsmen/concubines can become immune for those times when they MUST interact with lesser beings. In another city it is said that a banished alchemist has found a way to remove immunity, and needs a group of adventurers to sneak into the city and pour his concoction into the reservoir...