Disease. Creatures damaged by an abyssal ghoul’s claws must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or contract a magical disease called Demon Fever. The diseased target loses 1 point of Constitution every hour as its essence is drained by the Abyss. The disease doesn’t advance while the target is in sunlight or the area of a Daylight spell; don’t count that time. When the target’s Constitution becomes 0, it dies and its soul is consumed by the Abyss. Creatures killed in this way can only be brought back to life by a Wish spell. Casting Remove Curse, Greater Restoration, or a similar effect that removes curses or diseases undoes the Constitution loss and cures the target of Demon Fever.
Magic Resistance. Abyssal ghouls have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Sneak Attack (1/Round). An abyssal ghoul deals an extra 17 (5d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally who is not incapacitated and the abyssal ghoul does not have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Multiattack. An abyssal ghoul makes four attacks: 2 with its front claws and 2 attacks with its rear claws. If it is grappling an enemy, it can use a tongue attack in place of one of its attacks.
Front Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) slashing damage plus disease and the target is grappled (escape DC 17).
Rear Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) slashing damage plus disease.
Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target the abyssal ghoul is grappling. Hit: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or its Wisdom score is reduced by 1d4 as it is exposed to the insanity of the Abyss. The target dies if this reduces its Wisdom to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, it rises up as an abyssal ghoul 1d4 hours later.
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker the abyssal ghoul can sense hits it with an attack, the abyssal ghoul can halve the damage against it.
Description
Abyssal ghouls are even more hideously monstrous looking than normal ghouls and ghasts. Their fingers and toes are longer than they should be and tipped with vicious claws. Their tongues protrude from their mouths, looking like a two foot long ropy tendril that vanishes into a foul smelling smoke at the tip. Their eyes are blind, milky white orbs, but abyssal ghouls seem to possess extremely keen senses as they dance around attacks with almost playful ease.
Their most striking feature is their tongue, a long, ropy tendril that dangles from their mouth. It smokes and writhes constantly, almost as if it had a will of its own, and vanishes into nothingness after about two feet. Perhaps their tongues are actually a form of self-contained portal to the Abyss, because anyone unfortunate enough to have been licked by it but lucky enough to have survived describes its touch as being the stuff of nightmares made flesh.
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