MONSTER BRIEFING: Ghouls don't paralyze in Pathfinder! They do MORE. Plus other Level 1 monsters

[@TheRulesLawyerRPG]

ADDITIONS/ERRATA: Burrow Speed says "Burrowing doesn’t normally leave behind a tunnel unless the ability specifically states that it does." So a ghoul CAN burrow as its last action as an intelligent way to avoid attacks! The distinction from Earth Glide is actually that Earth Glide allows movement through solid rock. Burrow lets you burrow through "the ground" (that I assume is not solid rock) 2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2348&Redirected=1 -Because it has a fly speed, the Darkmantle could use a reaction to Arrest a Fall (DC 15 Acrobatics to prevent fall damage, which also means it doesn't fall prone). However, it isn't given an Acrobatics score (sigh another oversight in this statblock imo), and its DEX bonus is only +2. I would just give it a special ability to automatically succeed on this check.

[@lucamonticelli267]

I mean, Ghouls do have stealth but at same time thet are so stinky that they make you sick so i like the idea of their hiding spots needing to be in a place where their stench don't allarms creatures.

[@EnchantingEnfina]

Like under ground

[@link090909]

Or somewhere with non-undead corpses

[@devin5201]

Hey, wanna go to this totally rad spot in the landfill? All the ghoul I mean cool kids hang out there?

[@link090909]

@@devin5201 tell an average adventurer there's some cool loot and/or XP to be had... listen, I'm not saying my players are dumb, but their manipulation levers are obvious to me as their GM 😂

[@jeffmacdonald9863]

Stealth is still useful if you know they're around, but can't find exactly where they are.

[@h2ksup3rm4n]

This series really does a great job of highlighting one of the things that pf2e has over 5e which is interesting monsters. Just having monsters on a higher elevation can be huge in a fight. Which if you give your players the opportunity to see an ambush and have a secondary way to approach it can turn a very difficult encounter into a much easier one. I really enjoy how this makes players be on their toes during exploration as well as in combat.

[@christopherg2347]

3:03 The reason it is that scant, is because it is a template/theme. Other creatures become Ghouls. And whatever creature was ghoulified decides the most about the base behavior. 5:48 Objection: "Burrowing doesn’t normally leave behind a tunnel unless the ability specifically states that it does." 7:30 Interesting: Linguistic. That means the curse can't easily cross language barriers. A Ghoul that can't talk would be a less dangerous Ghoul. A foreigner Ghoul would be safe, until they learn common. Do people cut the tongues from corpses to make sure they don't share Whispers after death? A Animal Ghoul would be exceptional, but also probably not generally infective on their own. 10:54 However they don't have Tremor Sense. They would need a above ground scout or alert to inform them when the targets are in position. So it is more a hiding or escape tool. Only a ambush tool for smart ones.

[@TheRulesLawyerRPG]

I accept the correction on Burrow The benefit of Tremorsense however is usually gives to give you an imprecise sense that lets you pinpoint the location of and follow the movement of creatures. However, a creature under layer of dirt, like a human listening through a door, should have a vague sense and be able to hear creatures. So I'd say it's still proper for an ambush.

[@JasonSeal]

oh and keep this series going. Your a pleasure to watch. Very edifying and interesting

[@f1r35p1n]

"and despite their intellience they are compulsive by nature..." well damn you don't have to call me out like that lol

[@RexfelisLXIX]

The Darkmantle could use a Reaction to 'Arrest a fall'.

[@SoulsongPlays]

ooh, I remember playing in a maagambaya campaign where there was a swarm of some kind of insect along with a few giant insects- that might be a good selection of monsters to show off weaknesses/resistances, swarms as a concept, and persistent damage from poisons and such! arachnophobe's nightmare though...

[@ostravaofboletaria1027]

Love this series. We GMs need more content, and an overview of monsters is greatly appreciated!

[@thehumanflyyoustube3987]

Ronald, I absolutely love this video series!. It is probably one of the main reasons why I enjoy and keep coming back to your channel. Because you make content for Game Masters. Please keep on keeping on because this is arguably one of my favorite series that you do.

[@PhoenixFH]

Thanks for the video! This ghoul design is interesting, and it might even allow for a powerful ghoul to disguise themself as living to deceive a party. It's good to bring up and explain how darkness works! I don't know if this is intentional or an oversight on the Darkmantle, but if they had a better/trained acrobatics modifier, they could consistently use the Arrest a Fall reaction to create darkness, Release to fall, Arrest a Fall, and attack in their first turn. Maybe this would make sense when adjusting for a higher level?

[@noobmuffin3985]

Thanks for continuing this series. I was bummed when I watched the first two videos and realised there wasn't any more.

[@ShizaanSil]

little request for you, could you do a "monster equivalent" for d&d monsters, like, monsters that fill that niche, like the big monster final boss that the beholder is, or the evil mastermind behind a whole bunch of weird stuff like the mind flayers are, i really wanted to make a campaing inspired by the idea of what mind flayers are in my campaign but i gave 'cause i haven't found any mind controling big bads.

[@nobleradical2158]

Mechanically, mind flayers’ game plan is stunning, paralyzing, and intelligence saving throws. Not sure how that would work in pathfinder, I think they would have to be mechanically very different.

[@nobleradical2158]

However have you heard of the denizens of Lang? They might be similar enough

[@KaitoKurogami]

in the case of mind flayers, i think the alghollthu Master (Aboleth) and Veiled Master (Vidileth) are the creatures that fill that niche. that and the dominion of the black maybe

[@dqakanic]

A lower level monster to review could be the cockatrice, which at level 3 can make a pretty terrifying boss monster for a group of level 1 players. It's simple with only one attack and ability but that one ability is pretty gnarly.

[@Elosva]

The Gliminal at level 9 is probably my favorite creature in pathfinder It attacks people by healing them till they explode, really turns combat on its head

[@Valdreag17]

The first werecreature in PF2e is the level 2 Wererat. Another classic with fun variety.

[@autumndidact6148]

You were right in the first place saying level for incapacitation on a creature ability. The rules text about rank for incapacitation only applies for spells.

[@sterlinggecko3269]

someone was reading my new campaign notes. I've either used or planned to use those creatures for some scenarios, and the campaign backdrop is about the darkness. (plus, I took away everyone’s Darkvision).

[@dmpunks]

The Ghoul's Graveyard Knowledge (and other changes) seem to put them more in line with mythological sources (or in this case, the Lovecraftian Mythos, where ghouls have featured in several short stories, like Pickman’s Model and The Dream- Quest of Unknown Kadath.

[@mitchhaelann9215]

On Ghouls: I would absolutely run them in a lovecraftian fashion, making their madness the key to learning dark secrets or magical spells the players want. On Darkmantles: There was a magical item/potion back in ADnD 2e that was basically bottled darkness. Could be used as an ink, drunk to turn your skin pure black for 8 hours (bonus to hiding in shadows), or thrown to create small 5-foot radius darkness orbs that snuffed/blocked light. I'd bring those back, and make the darkmantles the source. Suddenly, a library needs a new source of ink and/or thief guild needs an edge, and the players are hired to go milk the darkmantles, but not kill them. Nonlethal combat is always harder than fights to the death.

[@Stephen-Fox]

I don't know if they're what you're looking to showcase, but since you stuck to more conventional D&D-analogues at level -1, I'd definitely enjoy seeing you cover the Tooth Fairy Swarm for level 3.

[@thraknar3363]

I think this is generally too much for a low level creature, but I am also fine with it. Personally I prefer classic legacy ghouls, but I don't see why a game couldn't essentially have both as different strains. Having a well thought out reimagining of a creature just means more tools for the toolkit, so I appreciate that.

[@thedungeonmastermind]

Thank you :) I can definitely steal some mechanics for other RPGs :)

[@jediprotector216]

Undead cravings, dhampirs and skeletons would ignore these effects as they are also void healers. Ghoul archetype in Book of the Dead is available to those who died to a Ghoul.

[@jeffmacdonald9863]

Glad they got rid of the paralysis for ghouls. At least the way it was set up. Incapacitation is kind of broken as a monster mechanic. I ran an adventure with ghouls a while back and the party was 2nd level. They tromped all over the standard ghouls and then got destroyed by the higher level leader. The shift between the paralysis working only on a crit fail and working normally was just too huge a jump for one CR difference in monsters.

[@justinchrstnsn]

I love rthese monster videos

[@NerdyLiches]

Thanks. I much prefer these videos

[@Ghostdesuu]

I find it hilarious that ghouls got the exact same treatment as vampires. Original slavic myth vampires were basically dnd ghouls that would bite your head off and drink blood out of it, then they were westernized into gentleman bloodsuckers when Dracula came out.

[@thedagit]

A monster that teaches counteract would be nice. Maybe through globe of invulnerability or something like that.

[@luisgusta]

The new ghoul feels a lot to me like book Dracula. Unlike Bella Lugosi inspired charming monster that preys on you Dracula, book Dracula was a complete weirdo. He would crawl on walls, hide on holes and barely act enough like a person for you to think you can talk to it, and more like really feel like he was a monster trying to convince you it is a person. And he would also make you mad. The art of the new Ghoul looks a lot like the book Dracula description and the way they can burrow and whisper maddening stuff to you and barely act human enough kind of give me book dracula vibes.

[@Gristoufle2]

Loved it

[@mikelundun]

Could you get around the grab skill check by treating them as though they had something like the 'combat grab' feat? They are monsters after all.

[@ce5122]

Yea I’ve been waiting for this video

[@Freeze014]

that Ghoul soldiers picture looks.... off... like how is it holding that sword???

[@jonmimir]

It looks like a walking cane

[@DanateDMC]

I zoomed in and it seems that the end of the handle is the same colour as the ghoul's hand, making it look as if the hand phases through it. Not gonna lie, it's a weird piece of art.

[@jonmimir]

Duh I saw the picture you mean 😂

[@thechamber9]

thx!

[@JasonSeal]

For level 2 how about a gnagrif - a curios fey, serpentfolk are interesting and zrukbat remi nd me a lot of the mimics in prey, can be terrifying

[@yuven437]

Notable: darkmantle doesnt have climb speed, nor athletics, so you will probably only find it on the ground of a cave 😂

[@Streetsam]

Great!

[@ΒασίληςΒράζας]

Great video! I would like to ask you, are you planning on covering WoI content? Will there be a preview?

[@MrNegetZ]

Do chokers for lvl 2? They actually still have an ability that autograbs(technically even though they didn't pass through the remaster yet) since it's not the Grab ability.

[@marcusreading3783]

Just out of interest, do dead should count as 'fresh for the consume action? I wouldn't call an undead fresh since they are already dead, but I'm curious as to whether there's a rule there. Also, does anyone know where one might go to find a Pathfjnder game as a complete beginner? I want to get into the system, but I can't seem to find anything.

[@boris_bulletdodger9109]

Positive comment

[@Kiaulen]

Ghoul's swift leap says it's half their move speed. But their move speed is 25ft. Would they get to leap two squares, or three?

[@tinytanaka8779]

From what I know, you usually round DOWN (so 10 ft). However if a player said "since my speed is halved, I'll spend double the actions to reach 25 ft" I think that's acceptable. After all if one movement action gets you half of 25 two movement actions should be 25.

[@kingomnicide698]

Leprechauns for level 2 100%; There's nothing for hilarious to me as a DM than playing keep away with the party over a free magic item just for them to finally get it and realize it's fake.

[@RexfelisLXIX]

An innnteresting monster needs an innnteresting hairdo.

[@befuddlerx8670]

iZombie ghouls

[@Dereliction2]

These new ghouls are not satisfying. They now occupy a space traditionally in the realm of vampires, and lose their own "branding" in the process. Note that the 'branding" is something derived even from folklore, not just previous editions of PF or D&D. Further, the new ghoul "curse" would have been much more fitting for lycanthropy and doesn't follow logic associated with ghouls. And whispering is supposed to be more terrifying and memorable than paralysis and ghoul fever?! No, no ... I really don't think so. Beyond, earlier editions had no problem narrating ghouls in a societal existence, so it's not like PF2E contributes new territory here. 4th Edition, by way of Bruce Cordell's "Kingdom of the Ghouls," proved epic in narrative and level of play, and taps deeply into new and existing ghoul lore established by Wolfgang Baur in 2nd edition with Doresain and his White Kingdom. I'm not saying that Pathfinder needed to follow this lore, only that there's nothing really novel or satisfying with this new version -- it's much more like some sort of ravenous creepy vampire instead, but has a stench that counteracts its ability to even interact they way they're portraying. It's just bad design and bad narrative wiping away something that was literally iconic. But that's just one opinion. Let ghouls whisper whatever you want into your ear!

[@LastFootnote]

If you’re going to showcase three monsters, why in the world would you pick two legacy ones, one of which needs a significant rework for the remaster (which as a D&D creature it will never receive)? There are a lot of options right there in the Monster Core.

[@TheRulesLawyerRPG]

I went through the Monster Core Level 1 monsters and they were too vanilla, and one goal is to teach new mechanics. Plus, one of the challenges of running PF2 monsters is dealing with pre-Remaster monsters, a lot of which are really cool and it would be a shame to not know how to use them.

[@tafferinthedark]

Let me guess... they give -1's. And every -1 matters. Every time they crit they celebrate it as a group thing.