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Lichen-Ghoul - AI-generated fantasy Monster

Lichen-Ghoul

The Lichen-Ghouls are the primary workforce and guardians of the Shroud-Mother. Legends say they were once the priests who tended the ossuary, now eternally bound to guard the bones they once blessed. They are not truly dead, nor truly alive, but extensions of a singular necrotic consciousness.

Monsters
Medium undead · Medium · Uncommon

Lichen-Ghoul

A reanimated corpse covered in luminescent, necrotic lichen that acts as both a parasite and a hive-mind sensor.
AC13
HP39/39
CRMedium
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 13 · HP 39 · Medium

Lichen-Ghoul

Medium undead (fungal), neutral evil
Armor Class13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed
30 ft. walking,
30 ft. climbing
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexterity
SkillsStealthPerception
Damage Resistances
Necrotic
Immunities
Poisoned,
Exhaustion
Weaknesses
Fire
Senses
Darkvision 60 ft.,
Blindsight 30 ft.,
Passive Perception 13
Languages
Understands Common but cannot speak
ChallengeMedium
Misty Camouflage. While in fog or mist, the lichen-ghoul is invisible to any creature that relies on sight. It can take the Hide action as a bonus action while in mist.
Pack Tactics. The lichen-ghoul has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the ghoul's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Fungal Link. The lichen-ghoul knows the exact location of any creature touching the fungal growths or lichen within 60 feet.

Actions

Multiattack. The lichen-ghoul makes two Jagged Claw attacks.
Jagged Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 () slashing damage plus 3 () necrotic damage.
Lichous Spores (Recharge 5-6). The ghoul releases a burst of glowing spores. Each creature within 5 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 10 () necrotic damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn as the lichen grows over its eyes. On a success, it takes half damage and is not blinded.

Reactions

Misty Fade. When a creature misses the lichen-ghoul with a melee attack, the ghoul can move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks, provided it moves into an area of fog or mist.
Role
Ambush Striker
Built for
Level 5 (Pack of 4-6)

Notes for the game master

Prioritize Stealth over HP.
Use Pack Tactics to maximize Jagged Claw damage.
The necrotic damage represents the lichen instantly feeding on the wound.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    Start the encounter with the players surrounded by thick fog. The Lichen-Ghouls remain hidden until the party is split or a member wanders too far from the light.

  2. Mid-fight

    Focus fire on the target with the lowest AC, using Pack Tactics to ensure hits. If the mist is cleared, use Misty Fade to retreat to shadowed corners.

  3. End of the fight

    The ghouls attempt to drag incapacitated players away into the mist rather than finishing them off immediately.

  4. Retreat

    If the Lichen-Ghouls are reduced to one survivor, it retreats to find a larger pack or alert the Shroud-Mother.

How it fights

Always stay in the mist to maintain invisibility.
Use climb speed to attack from the ceiling or high ledges.
Prioritize targets holding light sources.

Who it attacks first

Light-bringers (Clerics, Paladins)
Isolated Ranged Attackers
Low-Constitution Wizards

Works well with

The Shroud-Mother can heal them or provide constant mist coverage.
Shambling Mounds can hide within the same fungal environment.

How to beat it

Gust of Wind or Control Weather to clear the mist.
Fireballs or torches to exploit their weakness.
Faerie Fire to negate their camouflage.

Ways to avoid a fight

A player with expertise in Nature could use certain herbs to mask their 'living scent' from the lichen.
Feeding the lichen with raw meat might distract them for a short time.

Ecology

These ghouls are skeletal remains fused with thick, blue-gray lichen that pulses with a cold, sickly light. Their eyes are replaced by pinpricks of bioluminescent fungal growth that shine through the heavy ossuary mist. Their fingers have elongated into jagged, calcified claws, and they often crouch low, their fungal coating blending perfectly with the rolling fog of the tomb.

Behavior

Lichen-Ghouls are collective hunters. They do not charge blindly; they move in silence, staying submerged in thick fog until they have completely encircled their prey. They communicate via subsonic fungal vibrations, allowing them to coordinate strikes with terrifying precision.

How it lives

Lichen-Ghouls are created when a corpse is exposed to the spores of the Shroud-Mother. The fungus replaces the muscle and nervous system, eventually consuming the soul to fuel its bioluminescence.

Lair

The Great Ossuary of the Shroud-Mother, specifically areas where necrotic moisture clings to the stone.

Habitat
The Ossuary, damp catacombs, misty graveyards.

Signs that it is near

Patches of glowing blue-gray moss on stone walls
A faint smell of ozone and rotting wood
Low-lying fog that seems to move against the wind
Subtle clicking sounds echoing from the mist

Tags

Pack,
Stealth,
Undead,
Ossuary

Lore

The Lichen-Ghouls are the primary workforce and guardians of the Shroud-Mother. Legends say they were once the priests who tended the ossuary, now eternally bound to guard the bones they once blessed. They are not truly dead, nor truly alive, but extensions of a singular necrotic consciousness.

What drives it

To expand the reach of the Shroud-Mother fungal network by dragging fresh biomass into the deeper chambers.

After the fight

Once defeated, the lichen on the ghouls quickly withers and turns to ash, leaving only a pile of brittle, clean bones. The surrounding fog thins slightly, but the distant clicking of more packs suggests the Shroud-Mother knows they are there.

“Legends say they were once the priests who tended the ossuary, now eternally bound to guard the bones they once blessed.”
From its lore

Variants

Lichen-Brute: Large size, CR 4, gains a slam attack that can knock targets prone.
Stalker-Lichen: Gains the ability to move through walls of stone like an Earth Elemental.

Hooks

Plot hooks

The city's cemetery is being consumed by a glowing blue fungus, and the guards refuse to enter.
A local alchemist needs a sample of 'Lichous Spores' to cure a necrotic plague.
The party finds a survivor covered in lichen who claims the 'Mother' is calling them back.

How to use it

An ambush in the Ossuary halls.
Guardians for a puzzle room where the players must stay in the light.
Stalking predators during a long rest in a misty graveyard.

Treasure

Bioluminescent Lichen (Can be used as a light source for 1d4 days)
Necrotic Spore Sacs (Crafting component for poison or potions)
Old copper coins from a forgotten era found in the ghouls' stomachs

Media

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