The undead were once living creatures, returned to a horrific second life. Undead can be created through necromantic spells, profane curses, or even sometimes through divine decree. Such creatures are rarely bothered by the needs of their former life, instead craving something unique to their new form.
The Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault has 23 undead in its arsenal to pair with the multitude of monsters ready for conversion from the Creature Codex and Tomes of Beasts 1, 2, and 3. All these monsters are more narratively interesting and tactically dynamic than their counterparts in similar games.
The Need to Feed
While the lore for many undead speak to a certain craving, there are few mechanical implications for their hunger. By adding game mechanics to these undead, the Tales of the Valiant framework offers more nuanced foes to challenge the players—but all the more so, to tell more interesting tales for their valiant heroes.
Sucking the Marrow
Ghouls are a signature monster for Kobold Press, behind only the mighty kobold and the diversity of drakes. Their prominence is likely due to their titular role in Empire of the Ghouls—and available in print on demand through Amazon for those who like their treeware!
In the Tales of the Valiant RPG, the ghoul’s hunger is referenced in the monster stat block. However, this hunger involves the mere consumption of meat, and failure to eat a few pounds of meat daily means that the ghoul becomes subject to exhaustion and (re)death by starvation.
Instead of focusing on whatever raw meat the ghouls can source—ask the beggar ghouls in Tome of Beasts 1—let’s consider how ghouls might live high on the hog, so to speak. The ghouls want to crack the bones of their foes and suckle on the rich marrow trapped therein.
This is a by-the-book ghoul, from the Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault, except that instead of the ghoul’s normal Hungry Dead Nature trait, it has Marrow Consumption.
Ghoul CR 1
Medium Undead
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 34
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Perception 12 Stealth 14
Immune charmed | Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +0 | +3 | +0 | −2 | +2 | −2 |
Marrow Consumption. The ghoul doesn’t require air or sleep. In addition, it must consume marrow once per week from another creature that has died within the last 3 days. In the first 24 hours after it consumes marrow, the ghoul becomes a sated ghoul. After a week has passed since it consumed marrow, the ghoul becomes a ravenous ghoul.
Spider Climb. The ghoul can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Undead Resilience. The ghoul is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ghoul makes one Bite attack and one Claws attack. If both attacks hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or Undead, the target must succeed on a DC 13 CON save or contract ghoul hunger (see the Ghoul Hunger sidebar in Monster Vault).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature that isn’t a Construct or Undead, it must succeed on a DC 13 CON save or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
A hungry ghoul drops a few hit points, loses a climb speed, and its Spider Climb trait compared to a normal ghoul, but now it can Dash as a bonus action. While its DEX improves due to sheer desperation, its claws lose their paralyzing qualities as the ghoul focuses on survival.
Hungry Ghoul CR 1/2
Medium Undead
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 27
Speed 30 ft.
Perception 12 Stealth 15
Immune charmed | Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| −1 | +4 | +0 | −2 | +2 | −2 |
Marrow Consumption. The ghoul doesn’t require air or sleep. In addition, it must consume marrow once per week from another creature that has died within the last 3 days. In the first 24 hours after it consumes marrow, the ghoul becomes a sated ghoul. After a week has passed since it consumed marrow, the ghoul becomes a ravenous ghoul.
Undead Resilience. The zombie is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ghoul makes one Bite attack and one Claws attack. If both attacks hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or Undead, the target must succeed on a DC 12 CON save or contract ghoul hunger (see the Ghoul Hunger sidebar in Monster Vault).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Ravenous Rush. The ghoul moves up to 30 feet. If it ends this movement within 5 feet of another creature, the ghoul can make a Bite attack.
The sated ghoul luxuriates in its rich meal of marrow. In this state, the ghoul’s armor class and hit point maximum increases, and it exudes a gluttonous aura.
Sated Ghoul CR 1/2
Medium Undead
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 48
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Perception 12 Stealth 13
Immune charmed | Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +0 | +3 | +0 | −2 | +2 | −2 |
Marrow Consumption. The ghoul doesn’t require air or sleep. In addition, it must consume marrow once per week from another creature that has died within the last 3 days. In the first 24 hours after it consumes marrow, the ghoul becomes a sated ghoul. After a week has passed since it consumed marrow, the ghoul becomes a ravenous ghoul.
Gluttonous Aura. When a creature comes within 10 feet of the ghoul, it must make a DC 13 CHA save or have disadvantage on attacks and saves until the end of its next turn. On a success, the creature is immune to the ghoul’s Gluttonous Aura for 24 hours.
Limited Turn Immunity. If the ghoul fails a save against an effect to turn undead, it can instead choose to take 10 HP of radiant damage and ignore the effect.
Spider Climb. The ghoul can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Undead Resilience. The ghoul is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ghoul makes one Bite attack and one Claws attack. If both attacks hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or Undead, the target must succeed on a DC 13 CON save or contract ghoul hunger (see the Ghoul Hunger sidebar in Monster Vault).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature that isn’t a Construct or Undead, it must succeed on a DC 13 CON save or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Since I’m currently running Empire of the Ghouls I always appreciate additional undead options!