Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be 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.
How ghouls fight
A ghoul is a CR 1 undead eater of flesh, with 22 hit points and AC 12. It makes one attack a turn, and the one that matters is its claws: +4 to hit for 2d4 + 2 slashing, and a creature other than an elf or undead must make a DC 10 Constitution save or be paralyzed for a minute, repeating the save at the end of each of its turns.
Paralysis is what makes ghouls deadly. Attacks against a paralyzed creature have advantage, and any hit from within 5 feet is a critical hit. Once a character is paralyzed, the other ghouls switch to their bite (2d6 + 2) and crit on every hit: 4d6 + 2, about 16 a bite.
Running ghouls at the table
Come in numbers. Ghouls are pack hunters. One claw that lands is the opening; three ghouls on a paralyzed character is the kill.
Claw the healthy, bite the helpless. Use claws until someone is paralyzed, then bite them.
Bring a ghast. A ghast leads ghoul packs, and its stench poisons characters who come close.
Use graveyards and tombs. Ghouls haunt places with bodies to eat, and emerge from crypts, sewers and battlefields at night.
Common questions
Why are elves immune to ghoul paralysis?
The ghoul’s claws paralyze any creature other than an elf or undead. The stat block simply excludes them, a tradition from older editions of D&D, where elves were immune to ghoul paralysis. Half-elves aren’t mentioned, so whether they count is the DM’s call.
How long does ghoul paralysis last?
Up to 1 minute. The paralyzed creature repeats the DC 10 Constitution save at the end of each of its turns, ending it on a success. Lesser Restoration ends it too.
Are attacks against a paralyzed character automatic crits?
Any hit from an attacker within 5 feet is a critical hit, and every attack has advantage. That’s why ghouls switch to biting once someone is paralyzed.
How many ghouls for a party of four?
Ghouls are 200 XP each. By the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math, three ghouls are Deadly for four 2nd-level characters, Hard at 3rd and Medium at 4th.
Did the ghoul change in 2024?
Yes. The 2024 ghoul bites twice a turn, adding 1d6 necrotic to each bite, and its claw paralyzes only until the end of the target’s next turn instead of for up to a minute.
CR 1. Same challenge, and its poison also leaves a victim paralyzed.
How many ghouls for a fight?
A ghoul is worth 200 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many ghouls fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
1st
1
1
2
2nd
2
3
4
3rd
3
4
8
4th
5
7
10
5th
10
12+
12+
6th
12
12+
12+
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
How the ghoul compares at CR 1
Against the 24 other challenge 1 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the ghoul has more hit points than 4 of them, which makes it one of the frailest at its CR. See every CR 1 monster.
Statistic
Ghoul
CR 1 average
Armor Class
12
12.9
Hit points
22
28
Best attack bonus
+4
+4
Ghoul 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the ghoul, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) Piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) Necrotic damage.
Claw. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Slashing damage. If the target is a creature that isn’t an Undead or elf, it is subjected to the following effect. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 10. Failure: The target has the Paralyzed condition until the end of its next turn.
