Ghouls in gaming
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Many games use the term "ghoul" to describe undead beings or other kinds of cannibalistic and degenerate humanoids. Some notable examples follow.
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[edit] Dungeons and Dragons
[edit] Shadowrun
In the role-playing game Shadowrun, ghouls are a mutation caused by a virus known as HMHVV, specifically the Krieger strain. While they are not undead, they do exhibit the same vampiric behavior. Ghouls must consume about one percent of their body weight in raw human flesh each week. They also have a mild allergy to sunlight that inhibits them slightly but does not harm them. Though they are physically blind, they are endowed with an enhanced sense of smell and hearing, and have an astral and physical dual-nature that allows them to perceive the astral plane. Ghouls are especially sensitive to the presence of foreign substances within their bodies, which makes it difficult to use cybernetic implants on them. Their strength and body are greater than that of a normal human, but their intelligence and charisma scores suffer greatly. Finally, they are also completely immune to the VITAS plague.
Some ghouls regress to a feral state after the change, while others retain their sanity. Those who remain sane often undergo extreme plastic surgery to pass for human and usually replace their blind eyes with cybernetic implants to allow them to see.
[edit] Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Requiem
In the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, a ghoul is a human that drinks the blood of a vampire and consequently gains an extended lifespan and supernatural powers as a result. Vampires often take ghouls as servants, since humans quickly become addicted to vampiric blood. Additionally, a ghoul loses its mental resistance against the donater's commands, creating a bond of loyalty and affection towards its new master.
This terminology also carries over to Vampire: The Requiem, another roleplaying game by White Wolf, Inc.
[edit] Other games
- The Delta Green supplement for Call of Cthulu presents a sympathetic ghoul character whose unique abilities are exploited for forensic purposes. Ghouls are a prominent monster in many Call of Cthulu adventures.
- In the computer role-playing game series Fallout, a ghoul is a human mutated by exposure to massive amounts of radiation and an airborne strain of the fictitious FEV virus. They tend to have rather horrific radiation damage, usually manifesting in a near-complete absence of skin and complete sterility. However, they do possess an extremely large life span and are immune to further radiation poisoning (according to one such being, the presence of a poorly shielded nuclear reactor is thought of as being pleasantly warm).
- In the real-time strategy game Warcraft III, Ghouls are standard footsoldiers and lumber gatherers for the Undead armies. These are reanimated corpses that harvest lumber and devour other corpses (both friendly and not) for nourishment. These Ghouls return as a frequent enemy in World of Warcraft, an online RPG set in the same setting.
- In the turn-based strategy Disciples II: Dark Prophecy, even through the Ghouls are technically undead, they are not a part of the Undead Hordes. Instead, they can be encountered in neutral armies. They are close-combat fighters with each strike having a chance of paralyzing the target.
- In Diablo II as a stronger zombie.
- In the tabletop wargame setting of Warhammer Fantasy, Ghouls are not dead, nor are they near death. These are humans who suffer from hunger and resorted to cannabalizing the recently deceased. They have now developed a taste for the meat and will wait patiently for local townsfolk to die so they may feast. Because they only come out at night and of their unusual diet, they have pale white skin soaked with blood and vampirish forms. Though they can survive in the daylight, they are no longer accustomed and prefer the darkness. Ghouls serve as skirmishing units for the armies of the Vampire Counts.
- In the hybrid role playing/adventure computer game Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire, ghouls are presented as supernatural creatures of the undead which only come out at night and prey upon the living. The touch of a ghoul's claws has a chilling effect upon the victim similar to frostbite. If the ghoul is successfully defeated, its claws can be removed and sold to the local apothecary for use in the making of a poison cure pill.
- King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow has ghouls on the Realm of the Dead surface, who were the result of having their trauma unhealed for a long time (not being avenged, loved ones not cared for, etc.), and over time became what they became. Brushing up against them is instant death – their touch eats at Alexander (the playable character) like acid.
- In the Battle for Wesnoth it is a poisonous undead monster, which eats dead flesh of its enemies.
- In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Neville is trapped in the Muggle Studies room by a ghoul. In order to trap the ghoul, the player must use Ron to retrieve the Lumos spell, since the ghoul fears light.
- In the online computer game Ragnarok Online, ghouls are upgraded forms of zombies that can poison players. Any decent leveled character can defeat one. Usually found in Glast Heim (dungeon in game)
- In the popular MMORPG RuneScape, ghouls can be found in several graveyards throughout the vampire-ruled kingdom of Morytania. Not much is known about them; however, slaying many may yield a challenge to battle by the champion of the ghouls.
- In the game Tales of Symphonia, ghouls are a stronger version of the zombie enemy, they have lighter skin, blue eyes and seem to be a tad more decomposed. They are mostly found in Garoaccia Forest
- In the game Diablo, ghouls are blue zombie-like monsters who live in the crypt.
