GHAST – 5e stats

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13
Armor Class (suggested) 16
Hit Points 36 (8d8)
Speed 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)	8 (−1)

Saving Throws (suggested) Str +5, Dex +5
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the ghast must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the ghast’s Stench for 24 hours.

Turning Defiance. The ghast and any ghouls within 30 feet of it have advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack (suggested). The ghast makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
• Bite. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. The bite transmits the Ghoul Fever (see below)
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
  If the target is a creature other than an 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.
• Claws (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature other than an 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.

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DESCRIPTION

A ghast is a more powerful and intelligent variant of a ghoul, an undead creature that feeds on the flesh of the living and the dead. A ghast resembles a gaunt and pale humanoid with sharp teeth, claws, and a foul odor of decay. A ghast’s eyes glow with a red or green light, and its tongue is long and purple. A ghast can speak Common, and some can also speak other languages they knew in life.

COMBAT

A ghast is a cunning and vicious predator that prefers to hunt in packs with other ghouls and ghasts. It uses its speed and stealth to surprise its prey, then attacks with its bite and claws. A ghast’s bite can inflict a painful wound, while its claws can paralyze a creature with its venom. A ghast can also emit a stench that sickens nearby creatures, making them easier to overcome. A ghast is resistant to necrotic damage and immune to poison, as well as being unaffected by charm, exhaustion, and poison conditions. A ghast has an advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead, and it can also grant this benefit to any ghouls within 30 feet of it. A ghast can be struck by any sort of weapon, but cold iron inflicts double normal damage. Clerics can turn them beginning at 2nd level. The circle of protection from evil does not keep them at bay unless it is used in conjunction with cold iron (such as a circle of powdered iron or an iron ring).

HABITAT / SOCIETY

A ghast usually dwells in dark and desolate places, such as dungeons, catacombs, graveyards, or ruins. It avoids sunlight and fire, as well as holy symbols and places of worship. A ghast often leads a pack of ghouls, using its superior intelligence and charisma to command them. A ghast may also serve a more powerful undead master, such as a vampire, a lich, or a death knight. A ghast has no loyalty or morality, and will betray or devour its allies if it suits its hunger or ambition.

ECOLOGY

A ghast is an unnatural abomination that defies the cycle of life and death. It does not need to eat, drink, or breathe, but it craves fresh flesh and blood. A ghast can feed on any creature, but it prefers humanoids, especially those that are still alive. A ghast can also create more ghouls by killing and infecting living creatures with its venom. A ghast has no natural enemies, except for those who hunt it for its evil deeds or its valuable parts. A ghast’s claws, teeth, and tongue can be used to make weapons or potions that paralyze or poison foes.

Ghoul Fever

This disease can affect any Medium humanoid creature, except elves, that is bitten by a ghoul or a ghast. The infected creature must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the disease is cured. The poisoned creature suffers from violent coughing and fever, and has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Every 24 hours that elapse, the creature must repeat the saving throw, reducing its hit point maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. This reduction lasts until the disease is cured. The creature dies if the disease reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

A humanoid creature that dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid that becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 or higher Intelligence can resist becoming a ghoul by making a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw after it fails its saving throw against the disease for the third time. On a success, the creature’s body does not rise as a ghoul.

Zardock’s Journal: Pixie Dust: How Ghoul Fever Ravaged a Hamlet in Vestland
Entry #4
Date: 5th of Nuwmont, AC
Location: Hamlet near Norrvik, Kingdom of Vestland

Today I arrived at a small hamlet near Norrvik, in the kingdom of Vestland. I was accompanying a cleric and healer named Freya, who had been sent by the Church of Frey to investigate a mysterious outbreak of ghoul fever. The hamlet was called Bridleford, and it was the same place where King Ottar had defeated King Finnbogi of Ostland and secured Vestland’s independence. I wondered if the history of this place had anything to do with the current situation.

Freya and I were greeted by the local jarl, a man named Hrolf. He looked weary and worried, and he told us that the fever had started a week ago, after a group of hunters had returned from the Trollheim hills. They had brought back some game, but also some strange wounds that they claimed were inflicted by trolls. The next day, they started to show symptoms of the fever: coughing, sweating, and weakness. The jarl had them isolated in a barn, but it was too late. The fever spread quickly among the villagers, and soon there were more than fifty infected.

Freya asked to see the sick, and Hrolf led us to the barn. The sight was horrifying. The infected were lying on straw mats, moaning and twitching. Their skin was pale and clammy, their eyes were red or green, and their tongues were purple and swollen. Some of them had bite marks or claw wounds that looked infected. Freya examined them with her holy symbol, and confirmed that they were indeed afflicted by ghoul fever. She said that there was no cure for this disease, except for a remove curse spell or a dose of holy water or alchemist’s fire. She also said that if they died, they would rise as ghouls at midnight, unless they had enough intelligence to resist the transformation.

She also told me something that chilled me to the bone. She said that ghoul fever was not a normal disease, but a curse of supernatural origin. She said that it did not work exactly how common knowledge described it. She said that once a subject was infected, in some ways, the sickness managed to spread slowly and silently. She said that it could dormant for days or weeks, without showing any signs of infection. She said that it could also infect other creatures through contact, not just through bites or claws. She said that this explained why there were so many infected in this hamlet. She said that some of them might have been infected long before they showed any symptoms.

I asked Freya what we should do. She said that we had two options: either we tried to save them by finding some holy water or alchemist’s fire, or we killed them before they turned into ghouls. She said that the first option was risky and uncertain, as we did not know where to find such items in this remote area. She said that the second option was cruel and harsh, but it was the only way to prevent more deaths and suffering. She said that it was up to the jarl to decide.

Hrolf looked torn. He said that he knew some of these people personally, and he could not bear to kill them. He said that he would rather try to save them, even if it meant risking his own life. He said that he had heard of a dwarf settlement in Landersfjord, where they might have some alchemist’s fire for sale. He said that he would go there himself, and try to buy some. He asked us to stay here and watch over the sick until he returned.

Freya agreed to stay with me, but she warned Hrolf that he had little time left. She said that he had to be back before midnight, or else it would be too late. She also told him to be careful on the road, as there might be trolls or other dangers lurking in the woods.

Hrolf nodded, and mounted his horse. He took two guards with him, and left in a hurry. Freya and I watched him go, hoping that he would make it in time.

We then went back to the barn, and prepared ourselves for a long and dreadful night…

Ghast is employed as material component to empower the following spells:

• Ray of Sickness