Homebrew Ghoul (best edition) Species Details

Ghouls
With razor sharp teeth and jagged claws, ghouls roam the night in packs, driven by an insatiable lust for humanoid flesh.

Physical Description
A ghoul appeares as an emaciated, roughly humanoid creature with an almost-hairless mottled, decaying hide stretched tight over its bones. It has the sharp teeth of a carnivore and sunken eyes that burn as if they were hot coals

Biology
Ghouls are best known for their wickdly sharp paralytic claws which are extensions of their finger nails curved inward and coming to a point, this claws function almost like knives and spoons to cut up their victim and scoop up their flesh. The paralytic property can be attributed to the grave dirt and grime underneath the nails which houses the magical paralytic property. Another dangerous feature known about the ghouls is their sharp teeth containing pointed spear like teeth in the front meant to rip the victims neck or other vital points to kill them, while in the middle there are canines to chew and gnash flesh and bone and strong molars in the back to crunch and bone to get the bone marrow out. What most people don't know about ghouls is their tongues extremely cat like, able to rend flesh and sinew from bone and lap up puddles of blood and bring it to the back of their throats. Another attribute unknown to most is that ghouls have surprisingly powerful nose which can whiff out and distinguish both live and dead humanoids about 30ft away or 10ft below ground.

History
The first ghoul was an elf known as Doresain, who was an avid worshiper of Orcus and to show this devotion he commited acts of cannibalism against his own elven brethern and in return for this show of devotion Orcus imbued him with his divinity and made Doresain the king of ghouls and invited him to rule over his own layer of the abyss where he turned some of Orcus existing servants into the first ghouls. Later Doresains layer would be invaded by Yeenoghu, the Gnoll Lord, Orcus did not interven and help Doresain so in desperation he turned to the elf gods for help. The elf gods took pity on Doresain and aided him and ever since then elves have been immune to ghouls paralytic claws. 

Society
Ghouls rarely form groups larger than a pack of 8 or so and if they do its usually as a religious cult to Doresain the king of ghouls, Or in rare cases they join existing communities of undead such as a necromancers army.

Ghoul Names
Ghouls rarely have names since they are solitary and usually forget the name they had in life but when they do it is usually a title given to them by terrified villagers who want them out of their graveyard. Rarely, but not unheard of other ghouls will give eachother nicknames if they are in a pack together.
Examples: Wendigo, Rake, Babayaga, Nosferatu, Leech, Bone, Carrion, Jackal

Ghoul Traits
Carrion scavengers and apex hunters
Ability Score Increses. Your Constitution score increases by 1. Streangth of Dexterity increases by 2.
Age. Ghouls are undead and thus live forever as long as they are not destroyed or starved.
Alignment. Ghouls are usually chaotic and evil, though some are neutral and mind just their own stomach matters.
Size. Ghouls are whatever size they were in life though most were human.
Speed. Your speed is whatever it was in life including swimming, flying ect but as most ghouls were human its usually just a walking speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Undead Nature. Your creature type is undead so you are immune to any spell that does not target undead such as hold person or charm person, however, spells that specifcally target undead such as turn undead function on you. You do not need to breathe, or sleep, but you still need to sate your hunger with flesh, be it fresh or carrion and you need to sate your thirst with blood. You are vulnerable to radiant damage, but necrotic damage heals you. You are also immune to all diseases and poisons unless they are explicitly stated to work on undead and you may be a carrier of diseases.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in Common, and what ever languages you knew in life.
Dead Immortality. Given time, the necromantic energies that sustain you will heal most wounds you take at approximately the same rate as a mortal, and your hit dice function as normal.
Restless. As an undead, you never tire. You are immune to exhaustion, unless the exhaustion is from denying to sate your hunger with flesh or sate your thirst with blood. In addition, instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state that resembles death for 4 hours when you wish. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal. This is equivelent to a long rest.
Unholy. like other undead, you cannot be restored through normal healing magic. You can be healed by any sort of necrotic damage or spell that specifies it uses negative energy. Spells that do not exclude undead, like goodberry or regenerate function normally.
Natural Weapons. You possess both claws and fangs, either of which you can use as an unarmed strike. Your fangs deal piercing damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier, while your claws deal slashing damage equal to 2d4 + your choice of either your Strength or Dexterity modifier. In addition, you can use Dexterity in place of Strength for attack rolls made with your claws.
Feeding. You are compelled through a dark curse to feed on flesh, preferably a sentiant creatures flesh. As an action when you are adjacent to a dead or prone creature that is not a construct, elemental, ooze, or plant, you can render your-self prone as well and attempt to feed on them. If the creature is alive, make an unarmed strike attack with your fangs, dealing damage on a hit as usual. If this attack hits, or if the creature is already dead, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your total character level. Once you successfully use this ability, you can not use it again until you complete a short or long rest. You still feel hunger, and can feed on flesh without regaining hit points, however.
Curse of Doresain. Ghouls were created to feed, and suffer a compulsion to do so. If a creature you can see drops to 0 hit points and you have not used your Feeding ability since your last long rest, you must attempt a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 15 - half your total character level, rounded down, unless that creature is of a creature type that can not be fed upon. If you fail this saving throw, on each of your turns you must move to the creature by the shortest possible distance, using the Dash action if necessary. Once you reach the creature, you are compelled to use your Feeding ability with it as the target. You can repeat this Wisdom saving throw on each of your turns, This compulsion ends when you succeed on this saving throw, or after you have successfully fed upon the triggering creature.
Paralytic Claws. When you hit a creature that is not a construct, ooze, plant, undead or an elf with an attack using your claws, you can attempt to paralyze them. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. If the creature fails, it is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Ghoul (best edition) Traits

With razor sharp teeth and jagged claws, ghouls roam the night in packs, driven by an insatiable lust for humanoid flesh.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Undead Nature

Your creature type is undead so you are immune to any spell that does not target undead such as hold person or charm person, however, spells that specifcally target undead such as turn undead function on you. You do not need to breathe, or sleep, but you still need to sate your hunger with flesh, be it fresh or carrion and you need to sate your thirst with blood. You are vulnerable to radiant damage, but necrotic damage heals you. You are also immune to all diseases and poisons unless they are explicitly stated to work on undead and you may be a carrier of diseases.

Restless

As an undead, you never tire. You are immune to exhaustion, unless the exhaustion is from denying your hunger for flesh and blood. In addition, instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state that resembles death for 4 hours when you wish. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal. This is equivelent to a long rest.

Unholy

like other undead, you cannot be restored through normal healing magic. You can be healed by any sort of necrotic damage or spell that specifies it uses negative energy. Spells that do not exclude undead, like goodberry or regenerate function normally.

Natural Weapons

You possess both claws and fangs, either of which you can use as an unarmed strike. Your fangs deal piercing damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier, while your claws deal slashing damage equal to 2d4 + your choice of either your Strength or Dexterity modifier. In addition, you can use Dexterity in place of Strength for attack rolls made with your claws.

Feeding

You are compelled through a dark curse to feed on flesh, preferably a sentiant creatures flesh. As an action when you are adjacent to a dead or prone creature that is not a construct, elemental, ooze, or plant, you can render your-self prone as well and attempt to feed on them. If the creature is alive, make an unarmed strike attack with your fangs, dealing damage on a hit as usual. If this attack hits, or if the creature is already dead, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your total character level. Once you successfully use this ability, you can not use it again until you complete a short or long rest. You still feel hunger, and can feed on flesh without regaining hit points, however.

Curse of Doresain

Ghouls were created to feed, and suffer a compulsion to do so. If a creature you can see drops to 0 hit points and you have not used your Feeding ability since your last long rest, you must attempt a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 15 - half your total character level, rounded down, unless that creature is of a creature type that can not be fed upon. If you fail this saving throw, on each of your turns you must move to the creature by the shortest possible distance, using the Dash action if necessary. Once you reach the creature, you are compelled to use your Feeding ability with it as the target. You can repeat this Wisdom saving throw on each of your turns, This compulsion ends when you succeed on this saving throw, or after you have successfully fed upon the triggering creature.

Paralytic Claws

When you hit a creature that is not a construct, ooze, plant, undead or an elf with an attack using your claws, you can attempt to paralyze them. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. If the creature fails, it is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Ability Score Increases

Constitution + 1, Strength or Dexterity + 2.