Encounters with the most intelligent CR1 monster [Archive] - Wizards Community

Encounters with the most intelligent CR1 monster [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cmrscorpio
10-12-05, 08:35 AM I'm talking about encounters with Ghouls. At an Int of 13, they are the most intelligent CR1 creature in the MM1. How intelligent do these monsters appear in your games?

I'm asking because I started to design a Night of the Living Dead style adventure with them and noticed that they are listed as much more intelligent that I've been playing them up to this point. I had been playing them with intelligence on par with Romero's zombies and the zombies that have appeared in the numerous zombie flicks I've seen over the years. Now I realize that I probably should be playing them at the same intelligence as the zombie in "I, Zombie" rather than all those zombie apocalypse movies.
The Vorpal Tribble
10-12-05, 12:35 PM Well, they aren't exactly zombies, so I'd just play them with an int of 13.

Btw, I'm not sure about the other books, but the Blue from the Expanded Psionics Handbook has an Int of 15 and its a CR 1.
eagleye
10-12-05, 12:48 PM Well they are indeed a tad smarter. From the SRD:

"Ghouls try to attack with surprise whenever possible. They strike from behind tombstones and burst from shallow graves."

So I guess there main tactic would be to surprise its victims, and try to paralyse them.
dok
10-12-05, 04:24 PM Romero zombies (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (original), Land of the Dead): Mindless zombies as you'd expect per the MM. (I'd also include the zombies from Sean of the Dead as welll)

Post-Modern zombies (the remake of Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, 28 Days Later): Ghouls & ghasts. Fast, cunning, attacking in groups with pack tactics. Still not very smart, but tactically cunning.
cmrscorpio
10-12-05, 06:24 PM Post-Modern zombies (the remake of Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, 28 Days Later): Ghouls & ghasts. Fast, cunning, attacking in groups with pack tactics. Still not very smart, but tactically cunning.

But I really don't see those zombies as any more intelligent than Romero's zombies. Basically the only difference is that they move faster. Romero's zombies moved in groups and when one in the group started moving toward a target, the other zombies also looked for and then homed in on the target. Each zombie goes after the nearest sighted target, regardless of what the zombies around it are doing.

And most of the time when the MM says that a creature is "cunning", the creature has above average Wisdom. The PHB says that Wisdom represents the ability to be aware of surroundings and use intuition, which is what "cunning" and pack tactics are based on. Intelligence is the ability to analyze information, to learn and reason. If anything, Romero's zombies were *more* intelligent than the zombies of those other movies, due to their ability to learn, analyze the situation and create basic plans. Romero's zombies would have very low Wisdom because they were not very aware of their surroundings, whereas those other zombies would have "average" Wisdom.

So, the basic question is: Based on their ability scores, how intelligent *should* ghouls be roleplayed as?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cmrscorpio 10-12-05, 08:35 AM	I'm talking about encounters with Ghouls. At an Int of 13, they are the most intelligent CR1 creature in the MM1. How intelligent do these monsters appear in your games? I'm asking because I started to design a Night of the Living Dead style adventure with them and noticed that they are listed as much more intelligent that I've been playing them up to this point. I had been playing them with intelligence on par with Romero's zombies and the zombies that have appeared in the numerous zombie flicks I've seen over the years. Now I realize that I probably should be playing them at the same intelligence as the zombie in "I, Zombie" rather than all those zombie apocalypse movies.
The Vorpal Tribble 10-12-05, 12:35 PM	Well, they aren't exactly zombies, so I'd just play them with an int of 13. Btw, I'm not sure about the other books, but the Blue from the Expanded Psionics Handbook has an Int of 15 and its a CR 1.
eagleye 10-12-05, 12:48 PM	Well they are indeed a tad smarter. From the SRD: "Ghouls try to attack with surprise whenever possible. They strike from behind tombstones and burst from shallow graves." So I guess there main tactic would be to surprise its victims, and try to paralyse them.
dok 10-12-05, 04:24 PM	Romero zombies (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (original), Land of the Dead): Mindless zombies as you'd expect per the MM. (I'd also include the zombies from Sean of the Dead as welll) Post-Modern zombies (the remake of Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, 28 Days Later): Ghouls & ghasts. Fast, cunning, attacking in groups with pack tactics. Still not very smart, but tactically cunning.
cmrscorpio 10-12-05, 06:24 PM	Post-Modern zombies (the remake of Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, 28 Days Later): Ghouls & ghasts. Fast, cunning, attacking in groups with pack tactics. Still not very smart, but tactically cunning. But I really don't see those zombies as any more intelligent than Romero's zombies. Basically the only difference is that they move faster. Romero's zombies moved in groups and when one in the group started moving toward a target, the other zombies also looked for and then homed in on the target. Each zombie goes after the nearest sighted target, regardless of what the zombies around it are doing. And most of the time when the MM says that a creature is "cunning", the creature has above average Wisdom. The PHB says that Wisdom represents the ability to be aware of surroundings and use intuition, which is what "cunning" and pack tactics are based on. Intelligence is the ability to analyze information, to learn and reason. If anything, Romero's zombies were more intelligent than the zombies of those other movies, due to their ability to learn, analyze the situation and create basic plans. Romero's zombies would have very low Wisdom because they were not very aware of their surroundings, whereas those other zombies would have "average" Wisdom. So, the basic question is: Based on their ability scores, how intelligent should ghouls be roleplayed as?