Goule (3.5e Race)

Author: Leziad (talk) Date Created: 1st October 2019 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Goule

A goule is a type of undead which is a close cousin of the ghoul and zombie, these corporeal humanoids are the result of botched resurrection. Unlike most undead, a goule retain some kind of biological function, breathing and sleeping much like their mortal selves. A goule is a natural flesheater, while it can subsist on other source of food, the smell and taste of fresh raw meat is almost irresistible to them. The process of creating a goule is an involuntary one, usually the result of a raise dead attempt with a surgically reconstructed body that would normally be unable to be processed with such spell, or if the attempt is made in a heavily desecrated area.

A goule's metabolism allow it to act much like it human self, although they are unable to reproduce. The vast majority of goule see little to no alteration of their personality as their mortal souls are still lingering inside their now undead body (unlike the vast majority of undead). They are extremely tough, capable of reviving themselves over and over again.

Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution: A Goule is undead, much like a zombie or a ghoul, they possess great strength and toughness but suffer from partial rigor mortis. However unlike most undead they have resemblance to a metabolism, which grant them a constitution.
• Undead: While a goule show several signs of life, they are still ultimately undead animated by negative energy. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a goule has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Goule base land speed is 30 feet.  
• Darkvision: A goule can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a goule can function just fine with no light at all. 
• A goule is resistant to physical ability damage, she gain HADR 1 for her Strength, Dexterity and Constitution. 
• Feral Strike (Ex): A goule gain a undead bite Feral Strike, as seen below. 
• Flesheater (Ex): A goule crave raw meat, while she can sustain herself with other food she can extract high amount of vigor out of fresh meat. A goule may spend a full-round action devouring parts of a creature that was slain at most a minute ago, she gain a number of hit points equal to the creature's CR. Afterward she gain Rapid Healing equal to twice it CR for 24 hours. However if the goule is subject to compulsion (such as by suggestion) to eat fresh meat, she take a -2 penalty on the save and it count as one step more reasonable than it normally would be( unless it was against nature or obviously harmful). If the goule is starving she take a -5 penalty instead. 
• Partial Metabolism (Ex): A goule has a a metabolism of sort, they still breath and 'live' like most non-undead. A goule is subject to critical hits and nonlethal damage and do not possess an undead immunity to ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting effect, necromancy effect and effect which require a Fortitude save. Unlike most undead a Goule possess a constitution score and is not destroyed at 0 hit points, instead becoming dying but automatically stabilizing. Finally a goule need to eat and sleep, if she fail to eat for 1 week she become Staggered and gain a random major and minor Psychosis until she can feed. As long as she keep herself fed, the goule heal naturally like a living creature. Finally a goule need to breath to "live", if she is unable to do so she become inert until she is condition where she can breath again. Neither the asphyxiation or hunger inflict any points of damage to a goule. 
• Reanimation (Ex): A goule is capable of reanimating herself she is 'killed', after either 24 hours of being dying or after being killed she raise as the corpse reanimation spell. However she always count as poorly preserved with advanced decay. This does not protect the goule from dying for good if her body is damaged beyond the normal limit of the spell. 
• Resurrection Vulnerability (Ex): If a goule is targeted by a spell which bring a living creature back from the dead, such as raise dead, she must make a Will saving throw equal to the DC of the spell. If she fail she is slain and cannot be raised by her reanimation ability. 
• Stitched Body (Ex): A goule's body is full of surgical stitches and scars from it botched revival. This grant them additional resilience in the form a +1 Natural Armor Bonus to AC and a number of temporary hit points equal to twice her character level. A goule refresh her temporary hit points by redoing her stitches over the course of 10 minutes of work. 
• Undead Stench (Ex): A goule give off a strong smell of death, which cause all creature within 10 feet of her to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Constitution modifier) or become Sickened for as long as they remain this close and for 1d4 rounds thereafter. A creature with Scent is nauseated for 1 round on a failed save in addition to the normal effect. However this scent cause the goule to take a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks except Intimidate and reduce the DC of being tracked by smell by 10. A goule can carefully and thoroughly washes herself off over the course of 15 minutes, this require access to water and cleaning reagents, doing so suppress this ability for 24 hours.
• Automatic Languages: Common
• Bonus Languages: Any non-secret
• Favored Class: Any
• Level Adjustment: +1
• Effective Character Level: 2

Feral Strike

Undead Bite

Two-Handed Melee

Cost:	— gp
Damage (Small):	1d4
Damage (Medium)1:	1d6
Critical:	×3
Weight2:	— lbs
Type3:	Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing
HP4:	10
Hardness:	5

1. See Damage Increases by Size to calculate the damage for a weapon larger than Medium or smaller than Small.
2. Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much.
3. When two types are given, the weapon is both types if the entry specifies "and", either type (player's choice at time of attack) if the entry specifies "or", or each end of the double weapon is a different type if the entry specifies "/".
4. The hp value given is for Medium armor, weapons, and shields. Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.

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