Ghoul & Ghast

The Ghoul; a staple of fantasy tabletop gaming for probably as long as the zombie has been a staple of the horror genre. This classic creature at its base can serve as a early challenge for a beginning party. What it lacks in damage it more than makes up for with some debilitating abilities.

Swift Leap, though limited in use, can serve as a reminder to the party fighter that the ghoul is not a mindless creature, as it does not trigger reactions. Consume Flesh doesn't explicitly state that a ghoul can't feast on its fallen allies, and I do recommend doing so when you run it. This tactic adds to the desperate, cannabalistic gruesome behavior that sets them apart from other undead. Ghoul Fever can be a significantly harmful condition, especially given that low level parties are already somewhat strapped for healing; cutting that in half can at the very least severely slow the players down. The added benefit, from a story perspective, is that low level parties may face off against fallen compatriots should they face off and lose against a ghoul pack.

Paralysis is straightforward and, more fortuitously, is something that can make it easier to critically strike players, thereby making up for low innate damage dice.

Combine these factors and the ghoul can be a formidable opponent up through level three. Better yet, the ghoul comes with optional rules for creating ghouls from any living creature. Should you find yourself wanting for options, take a swing at creating a ghoul (or ghast) out of something scarier such as a giant. Perhaps you wish to terrify your players and remind them that your world is not always fun and games. Make a whole ghoul troop or ghoul swarm akin to something out of that scene from World War Z! Terrible movie, awesome inspiration.

The ghoul provides some lasting utility in addition to serving as a great entry level creature to an undead-hunting campaign. Mix and match them with classics like liches and zombies for maximum effect.

Hook 1 (Max) - Ghastly Tragedy

A great tragedy had befallen the local mining town, their shafts collapsed trapping many workers inside. It's been over two weeks and the community still hasn't managed to open the closed passageways; the only sign of life from their efforts is occasionally uncovering a crushed, unrecognizable corpse.

As everyone started to lose hope in the survival of the trapped miners, shadowy figures started stalking the night. Graves in the cemetery have been found dug up at dawn. People are terrified.

What is actually happening? The miners have found a way out, although this was only after nearly succumbing to hunger, thereafter they resorted to desperate measures. They still do not completely grasp the full extent of their transformation, although they are fully aware that they are indeed no longer fully human and, as such, they wish to spare their loved ones from any pain they would no doubt feel upon seeing them in their current state.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Creature of Weissendorf

Entire herds of sheep have been disappearing overnight from the far-off colony of Weissendorf. Those brave enough to follow the massive tracks leading away into the hills easily find the perpetrator; a massive, ghoulified cyclops. While the undead giant is a massive threat on his own, fresh claw marks clearly show that whatever infected him with ghoul fever was at least twice the size. How such a massive predator could hide on the tiny, rocky island Weissendorf lies on is a mystery in and of itself.

Hook 3 (TJ) - Crisis in Haverdale

Nobody in the town of Haverdale knows what to do. Raet, the town surgeon, is deathly ill and will not make it through the night. The bite on his hand has festered rapidly, growing rot at a rate that no one has yet seen. As the men of the town attempted to wrangle the mangy dog menacing Haverdale's streets, several of them, including Raet, were bitten. While some of them recovered, the rabies treatments Raet tried on himself and two others has not improved their condition, and they are now too ill for Raet to devise anything else. The mayor has sent to Kingsport for another surgeon with all haste. Come nightfall, however, it will be too late and Haverdale will have more than a sickly surgeon to worry about...

Ghost Mage & Ghost Commoner

Ghosts, in my opinion, are incredibly straightforward with regards to how they are supposed to be used: They always, always, come with a mystery attached. How that mystery plays out, and how the ghost itself manifests, leave a lot of room for creativity, but the basic setup remains the same.

Further pushing this highly individual approach to ghosts is the fact that they aren't a single stat block - though we are given the commoner and mage variety, ghosts come with a monster making template attached, giving GMs a wide variety of options for making a ghost's stat block a perfect thematic fit for the mystery they come attached to. They are also one of the few creatures that come with alternate conditions to "beat" the encounter baked in; Rejuvenation notes that a ghost only is permanently destroyed when it has been lain to rest. Bear this in mind when utilizing the ghost.

Hook 1 (TJ) - The Stalker of The Dunnhills

Following a particularly catastrophic fire, the trees of the Dunnhills Forest are nothing more than stumps and soot. As for the wildlife, those that could not escape the blaze perished as well, their lingering fear and anguish adding to the oppressive atmosphere of residual heat and devastation. If your path takes you through the scorched remnants of the Dunnhills, you might notice a flicker of movement here and there; ghostly rodents are still going about their previous lives, finding places to hide that exist only in their memories, seeking shelter in canopies that no longer stand. Over several trips, you might notice that the number of these apparitions is dwindling. With the lack of movement underfoot, the forest of yesterday is quiet as a graveyard. All this seems quite natural.

But this is no longer a natural place.

You may no longer see any movement, but the ghostly revenant of a mountain lion, stalking paths only it knew, is running low on mice and rabbits to eat.

So, while you do not see it; it certainly sees you.

Hook 2 (Max) - Unfinished Business

The Jermainn merchant family just can't seem to catch a break. Not long ago their patriarch, a man of considerable skill and wisdom, succumbed to a mysterious illness, only to be followed by an unfortunate accident that struck his only male heir who suffered a substantial blow to his cranium.

Since then the young man changed, considerably so. He has been acting more erratic and, at least according to his mother, far too much like his late father.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Finnick's Finale

Finnick the Fickle was a gnome sorcerer who was long ago imprisoned by the mad dero. For a full year he was experimented on with little regard for his life or well-being. Finally, he gave in, and tried to end the agony he was in, using the last reserve of magic left in his body to burn the entire laboratory-prison he was in to the ground, taking his own life in the process.

Alas, it was not to be. Three days later, he rose as a ghost. While the mage has long since slain all of his captives, three copies of the journal accounting the Grand Alchemist's experimentations were passed down to his grandchildren, each of whom now serve as Grand Alchemists of their own conclaves. The spirit will not go to rest until those books are burned down, though a more morally dubious finder might realize those could be pretty valuable to scholars of anatomy or even necromancy...

Ghaele (Crusader Azata)

Ghaeles occupy a weird thematic niche because they are both knights and azatas. On one hand, their knightly demeanor means they are rather likely to join forces with the players against the forces of evil. On the other, their chaotic outsider nature means they are as fickle as fey and their motivations may seem erratic, which can often conflict their mortal, more grounded allies' goals.

In combat, a ghaele's gimmick is essentially "making one specific dude's life living hell", adapting to their enemies weaknesses on the fly and specializing in both dishing out extra and taking less damage all at once. Notably, it has some powerful spells (Chromatic Wall) which it can use in tandem with its Free Blade ability to lay down some control without necessarily hampering its offensive abilities. The innate fly speed in combination with other utility can make the ghaele a powerful ally or adversary, depending on its whims.

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Down with Tyranny

The current uprising against the tyrannical Emperor Exewald, led by a dozen or so dukes who were brave (or foolish) enough to stand up to the deranged monarch, is going well. A big part of the rebels success is due in part to one man only - a mysterious knight wearing green and silver armour who seemingly appeared out of nowhere at the outset of the conflict.

Unfortunately, when the pragmatic council of dukes starts negotiating vassalage to a foreign ruler, the strict but just King Ladislaus, the Knight and his elite allies somehow catch wind. Dropping their disguise as mere humans, they go on an indiscriminate rampage against any and all landed men of the area in the name of "freedom".

Hook 2 (Max) - Brave Ser Claydon

The tiefling of the party is experiencing some unexplained anxiety, as if they are being watched. Days go by and they start seeing a figure in beautiful plate armor in the distance, though no one else seems to spot the stalker. This may go on for an extended period of time; visions soon accompanied by nightmares of the misdeeds done by the tiefling's fiendish progenitor, writings on the walls spelling impending punishment, driving the character to be more and more unsettled. This comes to a head when they are alone and suddenly attacked by brave Ser Claydon, the fae knight. Ser Claydon states that he enacts judgement upon the "vile fiend" he has been tracking to prevent any devilish schemes it may develop.

Hook 3 (TJ) - The Cerulean Pass

The Cerulean Pass was the most scenic byway from Rendford to Kurst. After Rendford fell to the fiendish hordes, the road has fallen into disrepair; opportunists and slavers willing to treat with the demonic entities now holding Rendford have taken the Pass as their own. Escapees have begun returning to Kurst recently, speaking of a knight from nowhere freeing them from their captors. Each captive he frees tells the same story: immediately after being saved, the knight began asking them pointed questions about the current state of Rendford and a fiend he named as Oxblood Regent before sending them on their way.

Gelugon (Ice Devil)

Any devil is bad news. The Ice Devil is even more so, likely indicating you'll have a Hell invasion of some sort on your hands should you happen upon one as they are unlikely to set out from their hellish layers and pause their machinations save for when they must see an assault through.

Insectoid in appearance, they are no doubt amongst the most cunning fiends, serving as Hell's military commanders in its many conquests. They have a penchant for a good challenge should they meet a worthy opponent in battle. Because of this, it is not unlikely for them to offer a game of strategy to see determine who the better leader may be. In the unlikely event of losing, Gelugon will try its best to employ the services of said commander.

The Ice Devil is a great way to show your players the importance of positioning. On their own they still pose a considerable threat, though when a Gelugon has several allies alongside it, you will truly put the fear of god (hell?) into the party. Its Tactician of Cocytus action allows an Ice Devil to reposition all of its allied devils on the battlefield. Oh, your wizard is safe in the backline? Well now he's got two Fury Devils on top of him. The fighter broke through the line and is advancing upon the Gelugon? Guess again, here are some Bearded Devils to make his life more interesting; all while the Ice Devil keeps chucking his ice spears from a safe distance. Add to that its Slowing Frost, some useful spells, and its Frightful Presence? You've got yourself one nasty encounter.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Madness of Maharn

Captain Maharn was renowned for his pragmatism, never one to pick a fight he wasn't sure to win. Things changed in the last few months, when foreign raiders appeared at the kingdom's border. They seem to take great pleasure in making their opponents suffer before disposing of them and so far have eluded any attempts to stop them. Maharn decided to lead a party to meet the foe in battle, where some of his men claim to have seen an insectoid creature twice the size of a man commanding the enemy forces.

It was following this battle that the captain changed. His officers often hear him muttering something about winning "the game" under his breath. The glint of madness present in his eyes is palpable to any that see him.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Gate of Souls

Your inhuman luck, skill, and courage have led you over the ice wall.
Your quick tongue and light feet helped you slip unnoticed between the legions of Frost Giants and follow the icy river.

Before you stands another icy wall stretching taller and wider than the eye can see. Encased in the wall are what appear to be thousands of human figures, some of them vaguely familiar. At the base of the wall, appearing almost tiny by comparison despite its full twelve feet of height, is an insectile being holding an staff encased in frost. In an eerily calm and collected voice, it addresses you.

"Greetings, Traveler" states the monster, lowering the staff as it regards you with discerning, alien eyes.

"Welcome to the Gate of Souls, the Path to the Afterlife. Having come this far, I assume you are here for a reason, and know who you want to bring back? I also assume you know the price is your soul, to serve me as a frost drake for all eternity? Unless, of course, you wish to raise the stakes..."

Hook 3 (TJ) - The Master of Games

The Master of Games oversees the casinos on the Eastwallow Wharf. He is cunning, clever, and constantly on the lookout for cheaters and crooks trying to manipulate the games at his tables. The man is credited with the invention of most every card and dice game played in modern parlors the nation over. Easily distinguishable on the game floor by his cold steely gaze and watchful hawkish eyes, the Master of Games is ever-present when visiting his establishments. Some suspect an enchantment that allows him to be every place at once. Unlucky cheaters and scoundrels he catches have the chance to win escape from their punishment by beating him in a game of strategy, not chance. Every third full moon, he holds an incredible festival of games in a night of debauchery and vice unparalleled in the surrounding area. On these nights, the Master is nowhere to be seen. Requesting his presence on these evenings will get you a firm "No" from all of the staff. On these eves, in the back corridors where he keeps his office (and his vaults), a trail of frost lingers. Draw close enough to his door and one might hear the rhythmic clack of game pieces on a board, the low murmurs of inhuman conversation punctuated only by the guttural laughter of something... Other.

Gelatinous Cube

The Gelatinous Cube is a simple creature. It's just mindless block of ooze, shuffling around looking for something to eat. Some days I can empathize. In my mind, a gelatinous cube is more of a classic dungeon-crawling "gotcha" than really something interesting to encounter. Found usually for no good reason other than "you're in a dungeon," the gelatinous cube doesn't pose much threat to a prepared party. It's very slow, has nothing for a Reflex save, and despite having low AC, ooze immunities make it impossible to crit, removing the largest penalty PF2e would give it based on the crit rules. It's a sack of hit points that tries to eat you, nothing new here.

The mindless trait implies to me that gelatinous cubes are predictable; they will always move in the direction of food and will not make snap decisions about who is attacking them or what the biggest threat is. This means that gelatinous cubes might be best used either in groups or in service to a smarter beast that can exploit them. A maniacal wizard dropping gelatinous cubes from traps in the ceiling? Sure. A kitchen using a gelatinous cube as a primeval garbage disposal? Ship it.

This is also a great monster to make sure you understand PF2e's incapacitation trait. Any creature more than double the level of the gelatinous cube treats its saving throw against the cube's Paralysis ability as one degree of success better. This puts an upper limit on how effective the cube can really be when using it as a minion of sorts. You could also use it intentionally as a minor roadblock at higher levels, integrating it more fluidly with traps. Are the PCs mostly going to succeed their saving throws based on the Incapacitation trait? Sure. But critical failures still exist, and they might just show up at the most inconvenient time.

Hook 1 (TJ) - Secret Ingredient

The sous-chef of the Gilded Goose is in desperate need of some assistance. The regent of Haliford is making his bi-annual visit and will undoubtedly be stopping by for his favorite gelatin dessert. If you're willing to take a vow of silence and a bag of gold for your troubles, the sous-chef has the key for the cellar where the secret ingredient is kept. As long as you're confident you can subdue (but not kill!) the largest gelatinous cube you've ever seen, you'll have the sous-chef's gratitude, and perhaps an audience with the regent.

Hook 2 (Max) - Ancient Armory

In the old ruins south of the town, it's well known that beneath the keep is a small, dark chamber that once served as an armory. Most of the armaments lay in disrepair, though one set of beautiful armor remains untouched by the passage of time; an ornamental plate, pure black with golden embellishments. Its visor is up, revealing it empty. A keen eye, however, might spot a tinge of movement as if flowing water fills the ancient armor.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Labyrimpthian

While following an insane, teleporting imp, a group of demon-hunters reach a deviously crafted dungeon; a labyrinthine realm composed entirely of mirrors, expertly placed pit traps, and several roaming gelatinous cubes. The imp seems to know the realm like the back of his hand, but letting him escape is not an option. Luckily, he seems to be enjoying the hunt a bit too much...

Gargoyle

 _**Editor's Note:**_ _We normally keep to one hook for each of us on any given creature, but I didn't have the heart to cut one of TJ's hooks. As you can tell by the length of today's intro, he **really** loves gargoyles._

In fantasy, we are given all sorts of interesting creatures inspired by real-life counterparts. When looking for one inspired by architecture and religion, look no further than the gargoyle. Originally an ornate alternative to unsightly drainpipes on buildings, at the table the gargoyle fits the niche of an urban ambush predator. Given the jumpiness and suspicion of most players, you'll likely only get the satisfaction of having a humanoid statue come to life as an adversary a single time. After that, every statue is an enemy in the player's mind. This is where the gargoyle separates itself from other statue-like earthen creatures.

Whereas most golems, constructs, and other creatures with inanimate objects as their conceptual impetus are mindless guardians set to a task, the same is not true of thinking, breathing gargoyles. You might use this in some interesting ways. Is that just a statue, or is it a gargoyle informant? Use their chameleonic tendency to mimic stone (usually architecture) around them in other places. A bunch of unusually wide stalactites? Gargoyles roosting from the ceiling, wrapped in their wings. The Bestiary defaults them to chaotic evil and makes them seem relatively unintelligent, but if 90s cartoons taught me anything, that definitely isn't a standard you have to stick to.

As far as abilities are concerned, the gargoyle statblock doesn't stand out when attacking. Its offensive abilities aren't that significantly different than most of the bird-like creatures that fill the Bestiary. What you really came here for was what makes a gargoyle a Gargoyle; hiding in plain sight. With its Statue ability, the gargoyle is an excellent creature to check your understanding of the concentrate trait and the nature of checks vs. DCs when it comes to being perceived or deceiving someone else. If the PCs are seeking, they use the Gargoyle's DC. If the Gargoyle is actively hiding against someone else's Perception DC, use the check. The result is the same either way (32) but this helps you get into the habit of when to use what.

Give the gargoyle a try! Increase its intelligence! Give it a water spout ranged attack as an homage to its origins! Put gargoyles in every environment! Make gargoyle societies! Homebrew gargoyles as a playable ancestry! ~~Devote your entire life to chasing the nostalgia of the 90s!~~ Or run it Rules-As-Written; it's your game.

Hook 1 (TJ) - Textbook Larceny

The first years at the University of An'Zar are under investigation for a string of thefts of some of the more ancient tomes from the An'Zar Athenaeum. Bleary eyed students studying late might think that the movement they saw from the periphery of their vision was simply an artefact of staring too long, or a magelight flickering from a colleague nodding off at a neighboring reading desk. Even for a mage's college, the truth of a scholarly gargoyle swooping from the rafters of the Athenaeum to gather tomes for daytime reading would be a bit far-fetched. That is, until one of the missing tomes comes plummeting down from the upper pillars in the middle of finals week.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Edifice of Death

For the past three months, a gargoyle has appeared at the roof of St Argus' cathedral every Monday at the sixth toll of the day bell.

The gargoyle, nicknamed the Signifier, has a body resembling a heavily scarred angel. He remains recognizable, though his face changes each time he appears, taking on the likeness of a member of the republic's senate. Without fault, said senator had been found dead the following day, killed in a different and often needlessly elaborate manner.

While the gargoyle isn't mute - and indeed, striking conversations with him reveals an incredibly deep and nuanced understanding of anarchistic philosophy - he outright refuses to acknowledge the murders in addition to his own mutable disposition. Most of the city's population seems apathetic at best; with how corrupt the senate is, that comes as no surprise. That indifference, however, is abruptly turned on its head when two other gargoyles appear, each sporting the face of artists and craftsmen of the city...

Hook 3 (TJ) - Civic Surveyors

The nation of Ordrea is a nation of conquerors. Slowly engulfing each and every poleis around them and subsequently integrating them into their culture has made the architecture of the Ordrean capital, Ordreanapolis, very eclectic. Analyze what you will about the subtle nuances and changes in cultural identities of those that now live within its walls. The more glaring change, however, is in the appearance and culture of the gargoyles that dwell there.

As new tenements rise up from the dirt, wings of local gargoyles claim the new territory. The varied architecture styles have made the gargoyles that choose to roost equally so, to the point where the separation in districts in Ordreanapolis are more recognizable by the appearance of the gargoyles in the eaves than the cultures of the ground-dwellers below.

Ingratiating yourself with a wing is the best way to have your safety assured while travelling in that district, but it has an equal and opposite reaction in other sections of the cities, as the wings of gargoyles fight back and forth, squabbling over unknowable things.

Gancanagh (passion azata)

Heavily inspired by the gean cánach of Irish myth, the Gancanagh is essentially a benevolent spin on the incubus archetype. While brief and baffling in their quantities, a gancanagh's romances come from a place of honest desire.
However, other than their partner's wishes and maybe the will of gods, there's not much holding a gancanagh in check - they will straight up ignore laws and societal norms in their pursuit of free love. This often puts them at odds with those who might see promiscuity, revelry and hedonism as sins.
Interestingly, the bestiary notes that, as shapeshifters, gancanaghs do not give much thought to the idea of gender, presenting depending on spur of the moment rather than some deeply rooted idea of their own preference.
The stat block confirms the gancanagh's status as primarily a social encounter creature - its spell list lends itself to diplomacy more than anything else.
If forced into combat though, the best bet the passion azata has is supporting their allies through invigorating passion, before it gets relegated to competent but somewhat limited rapier swinging.

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Plain Joe

Plain Joe is the administrative clerk who gets assigned to most adventurers' banking business. While eerily unremarkable in almost every way imaginable, he catches the eye of the Thriceborn Three with his friendly and somewhat strangely spontaneous actions. As the friendship grows deeper, Plain Joe becomes more and more obviously uncanny in his mannerisms and behaviours.

If the adventurers catch wind of something being wrong, an investigation involving the dark and shady magical underground of the Gilded City will reveal to them that Plain Joe is actually a passion azata cursed by a jealous witch-ex-lover to be forever stuck in a single, unremarkable body.
Should the adventurers manage to lift the curse (no thanks to the bitter, obstructive witch), they will gain a lifelong ally and companion.

Hook 2 (Reece) - Passions of Revolution

Something is afoot in the brutally dictatorial city of Coalwick. The Coalwickers are dissatisfied both by their leaders and the terrible working conditions of the mine that employs over half the town. They have begun to speak of The Man of Many Faces, one who is reportedly hard at work to free the people from their gray and unsatisfactory lives. While no one seems to know who he is, it is widely known that his lavish (and illegal) parties are stirring revolutionary sentiments amongst the commoners.

These passions are an inconvenience to the Coal Baron and, as his go to enforcers, you've been sent to put a stop to them. Perhaps, however unlikely, this could instead be the spark that lights the wick of rebellion; for you, or for the whole city.

Hook 3 (Max) - An Oracle's Quarrel

While it is a somewhat well guarded secret, there is purportedly a contract out to kill somebody in town. Ghiarma, the old oracle believed by some to be an actual hag, has an unforeseen competitor in her field. Now all the young men and women who once came to her for advice on how to win someone's love go to another; a young fellow known only as Archibald.

He arrived a couple months ago and from the outset became a favorite amongst the adolescents as he was more welcoming and forthcoming than the old fortune teller. Archibald, or as townsfolk began to call him, "Archie", offers friendly (and nine out of ten times correct) guidance to anyone who finds themselves in emotional turmoil. Some are saying that he himself is looking for his one true love, but that's just teen gossip.

Despite his popularity, the prize on his head is quite good, should anyone be willing.