Homebrew Ghoul Folk Species Details

There are very few places a corpse can call home. The Ghoul-folk are a race of undead people who have retained the intelligence they had in life, even as their mummified bodies decay slowly over time. Ghoul-folk go through great lengths to hide their horrific visage from the living peoples of the world. They wear elaborate masks, wraps, and perfumes as a courtesy to the living they interact with as they wander the land.

An Ancient War

Over a millennia ago, a powerful human civilization conquered the known world. They subjugated people from all the surrounding lands, and pressed them into servitude of the empire. After they had conquered every city state and hamlet their armies could march to, they began conquering even the wild places of the world. They tore down forests and dammed the rivers. They hunted the creatures of the wild into extinction; that is until they awoke the spirits of the forest. The forest itself awoke and attacked, tearing down all the great cities. As the borders of the kingdom shrank, they gathered all their greatest minds to determine how to stop the endless onslaught of vines, trees, and the creatures of the forest who were winning this deadly war.

The Super Weapon

In the last city stronghold of men, a weapon was invented that would end the war. Surrounded on all sides by the awakened forces of nature, the humans were desperate. They created an artifact that would create a blast of , necromantic energies. They opened a portal to a plane of shadow, and allowed this deadly energy to spill into our world. The portal bathed the city and its surrounds in necrotic energy, killing the spirit of the forest itself and stopping the invasion, but dooming all the denizens of the city. Many of the people of that great city were killed, but some were transformed into the undead. Some of the remaining undead denizens of that ancient culture stayed and tried to rebuild their civilization, but too few of them remained. Many more of them wandered the world searching for a new life. 

Ages of Wandering

Ghoul-folk have long since lost their ancestral home to the ravages of time. They rarely gather in enclaves of their own kind, due to the scrutiny of other races who mistrust them. Most are either hermits, hiding from civilization, or travelers, hiding their true forms behind masks as they act as peddlers or merchants who travel from city to city. Because they are long lived, some more ambitious ghoul folk are able to enact more long term ambitions, however mistrust and xenophobia often lead to a swift end to these machinations.

Living Dead

Being a living corpse has its ups and its downs. Ghoul folk see the arc of history differently than other races, and can wax nostalgic with elves about the turning of time, but other races find their perspective disturbing, when they choose to share it. Metropolitan ghoul folk will wrap their dead flesh, and stuff themselves with aromatic herbs to preserve their bodies and improve the smell. They craft elaborate masks that hide their visage from those they might interact with.

Ghoul Folk Traits

Ghoul folk have the following traits.

Alignment

Despite being animated by the dark force of necromancy, the curse of undeath was granted to the ghoul-folk without them actually dying and being reanimated. They retain their souls and thus, their alignment before death. 

Size

Ghoul folk, like the humans they were made from, stand between 5 and 7 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. 

Languages

Ghoul-folk have learned and re-learned the lingua franca of each age as civilizations have come and gone. They speak common, and choose 2 additional languages they have learned over the ages.

Undead Fortitude

Once per long rest, If damage reduces the ghoul-folk to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the ghoul-folk drops to 1 hit point instead.

Disgusting Presence

You have disadvantage on Charisma checks and Charisma based skills with living creatures when you are not wearing a mask or disguise that covers your face.

Dark Energies

Your life force is fueled with dark energies, rather than the light. You have damage resistance to necrotic damage, and vulnerability to radiant damage.

A ghoul folk's undead flesh is also immune to poison and its effects.

Ancient

Any living Ghoul folk have been around for a century, and have seen first hand the passing of time. They have proficiency in the History skill.

Darkvision

You have Darkvision up to 60 feet.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2. The long years of your unlife have taught you many things and you can choose to increase either Wisdom or Intelligence by 1

Age

The cataclysm that gave them unlife and ruined their civilization happened over a millenia ago, and therefore there are no Ghoul-folk younger than 1200 years old. Ghoul-folk will live until they are destroyed.