Ghoul (monster)

Version 0.21: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

ghoul n
HP	97-196
HD	14
XP	1547
Speed	10
AC	4
EV	10
Will	80
Attack1	30 (claw: plain)
Attack2	30 (claw: plain)
Resistances	rC+ rPois+++ rDrown rMiasma rN+++ rTorm
Vulnerabilities	Holy
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Open doors
Holiness	Undead
Size	Medium
Type	ghoul, ghoul
Flags	Evil Unbreathing No zombie

A decayed cadaver, reanimated and accursed with a terrible hunger. It desires nothing but to feed on the flesh of the living, and will fell its victims with its vicious claws. “In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said, ‘Is it good, friend?’ ‘It is bitter — bitter’, he answered, ‘But I like it Because it is bitter, And because it is my heart.’” -Stephen Crane, _The Black Riders and Other Lines_. 1895.

Useful Info

Ghouls are one of the nastier threats in the Crypt. Their brutal melee attacks will damage even the most heavily armoured of characters, they tend to appear in packs, they can move at normal speed, and they have over twice the health of a skeletal warrior. Fortunately, they have no defences beyond their tremendous HP and the standard undead immunities.

Tips & Tricks

• Dispel Undead is an option, although it will take 4-5 casts to kill one on average. It may be better to simply use high-level Conjurations, especially if you can line the entire pack up in a hallway and hit several at once. Melee characters have a harder time of things, but can use weapons of holy wrath, choke points, and stair dancing to make the situation a little easier.
• Yredelemnul will eventually gift you allied ghouls as you worship him.

History

• Prior to 0.17, ghouls had a rotting attack.
• Prior to 0.15, ghouls could use weapons and armour.
• Prior to 0.13, ghouls would inflict rot twice as often.
• Prior to 0.8, ghouls had less health and lower damage.