Hello

Brief Background:
We are playing a long merc campaign in Africa. At some points, my players met and got to fight ghouls. I played them terribly like regular humans. At the end of that mission, we discussed together (player and GM): we said that if we meet again ghouls, players would have to feel what ghouls really are, their powers, their nations behind them etc. Here we are, some time later, and they might meet ghouls again... And I still have no clue on how to play them! Please help me!

So the question: How would you play ghouls coming from Assamondo in Africa neighbourhood? What points should I pay attention when playing them?

1) Weakness to sun? Should this prevent them to act during daylight? Or covered?
2) Equipment? Assamondo is supposed to be rich and well equipped. How would you equip merc ghouls?
3) Out of borders ghouls: Should ghouls be often out of Assamondo? At least as mercs? Armies? Which ghouls can cross borders, how and when?
4) Behavior? What would a ghoul do that would be different from regular metahumans? apart eat flesh.
5) Dual nature: how do you play this for a whole team of NPC?

Any other comments is welcome. Let's make those ghouls a real threat and inspire fear of ghouls in the campaign!

Thanks
Olivier

I'm taking this from what was written about Lagos and the nearby ghoul nation as you noted it was in that area of Africa.

1. They'd prefer to be active after dark, that doesn't mean no activity. Ferals would just go to ground on instinct, the intelligent ghouls however would be kind of like a human on nightshift, a ghould mage might even have an alleviate sun allergy spell.

2. They'd have no cyber, but would probably favor equipment that encourages close quarters night time combat.

3. Lagos has a large ghoul population. Just keep in mind that most ghouls are feral.

4. Strong desire to eat meta-human flesh. Probably looks at every meta-human as a potential snack. Some will probably treat non-ghouls as cattle because of this. If any meta-human becomes a slave/prisoner, they most likely will get eaten if they aren't co-operative. Many would be indignant if having to deal with metas that could put up a fight.

5. Depends on how many are adepts or spell slingers. Astral scouting is tricky for the opposition because of this--they would be easily spotted. But with most being limited to their meat bodies, the scouting mage could get away unless there was a ghoul mage present..

Hi Warlordtheft

Thanks for your answer!
From what your saying, if I understand well, it seems that you would not play them

1) I like the idea of "alleviate sun allergy spell" or equivalent.

3) I'm playing campaign in Benin which is between Lagos and Asamando. The plot involves that the ghoul they get in touch would not be feral, but I'll keep in mind that they could also meet ferals ghouls if they go more deeply in their nations/cities.

Any other ideas (gameplay speaking) to play NPC ghouls?

Nosferatu, the 14th SR Novel, written by Carl Sargent & Marc Gascoigne has a chapter which takes place in Asamando. During the course of that chapter, the protagonists accompany an Asamando patrol to investigate a site within Asamando's borders.

Hi Shaidar,

I'll try to find that novel.
Just by any chance do you remember some specific behaviors of the Asamando ghouls as seen by the author?

Hi Mist-e-Fire,
You will find some answers in the SR4 Runner's Companion, with the rules for Ghoul PC.

1) They will act covered during daylight with minimum exposition and be fully operationnal at night. Remember that they barely see nothing but have a very good sense of smell.
Just imagine how you will play if your character have Allery (Sun, Moderate). Their almost blindness can be filled by cyber eyes.
2) Depend of the skills/renown of the mercs. I imagine they will be equipped like military unit (military or security armor, assault rifles, heavy weapons and vehicules).
At night (for better control) they can patrol with feral ghouls (with collar and chains like dogs), ready to unleash the beasts. By their natural weapon, they are good at close combat.
They can have cyber, but just an essence of 5.
3) Don't know
4) +1 Warlordtheft. Plus remember that they have astal sense and good smell sense. "You are afraid of me. I can see and smell it...Makes you more desirable..more tasty...I'm hungry"
5) +1 Warlordtheft

Hi Kuyden!

Right, I forgot their blindness.

1) So any "regular ghoul merc" firing a gun should be equipped by cyber eyes I suppose? There is no other way that a blind ghoul would shoot accurately with a gun.

Thanks for your advice, it helps a lot to build a NPC team of ghouls.

They do astrally perceive...

Technically, they suffers a -6d on any action that is stricly visual (which can be prevented by cybereyes). The malus does not occure when they shoot someone becasue, as Tymeaus Jalynsfein said, they perceive in astral.

I don't remember if dual creatures have malus for being in astral perception like mage or if they not.

So you mean they could shoot with a gun on a target they astrally perceive at the same time?

They are ALWAYS astrally perceiving... It is not an action for them. And I do not believe they suffer the -2 for Astrally perceiving since it is their native state.

Right, good point!

So shooting would be done without any malus? Is there any inaccuracy due to the astral perception instead of the "normal" perception? I mean, I can't apply malus for light and so on. But astral is colorful, emotionfull, etc. What about accuracy?

It seems like caves would be a coveted sleeping place, as most anywhere else they would be vulnerable to astral predators. If nothing else, they wouldn't sleep outside, if possible. They'd want to be somewhere that nothing could mess with them without coming withing arms reach.

Mercs would definately have cyber-eyes.

On a related note, would the phys-ad power Improved Senses let them get their normal sight back without using cyber? The thought being it can be used to give other senses, like thermal vision or improved sense of smell, why not normal vision to some one who doesn't already have it?

I can't answer to you question, but thanks for your help

I'd personally rule it'd only work if the player also "bought off" the Flaw/NegQuality substituting the Power's cost for the attendant Nuyen cost for the buy off.

IIRC, the ghouls used mainly standard military-style tactics (even including guard duty for their above ground encampment) until the first enemy fell when things got savage. Their unit even included a Drone Rigger. They particularly favored hit-&-run tactics at night attacking those on the fringes out of the darkness and returning to the dark afterward, this would also allow them to steer and disorient their adversaries away from defensible positions.

Not that I wouldn't play them like other metas. The non-feral gouls yeah, they would behave just like another merc unit for the most part (except for the points you asked about). Being dual natured means that they would probably skip the smartlinks and laser sights equipment wise. They also would favor close quarters fighting at night. This is all my opinion though. Even though they can have cyber, I would imagine being in Africa that is rare. You're more likely to to have adepts and mages. Typically these merc units would also be into slave trading--delivering captives to Asmondo.

Thanks! I think that's the way I see them now