High Ghoul
High-Ghouls, also called Kagune, are a race of demihumans who bear certain qualities of undead. Despite their name, they are unrelated to ghouls or other undead, except in their taste for human flesh. High-Ghouls, like their vampiric cousins, prey on human flesh to survive. However, unlike the magical curse of vampirism, A High-Ghoul is born of other High-Ghouls, as a human would be, and their bodies lack the magical energies that flow through other sentient undead. Ghouls refer to themselves as "Kagune," after their hunting organ of the same name.
Almost Human
Ghouls resemble humans in nearly all respects, and can disguise those aspects that give away their dangerous nature. They live among their prey, almost always in disguise. To a Ghoul all food save for human flesh tastes foul and rancid, and most drinks besides water (and, oddly enough, coffee,) are similarly received.
Ghouls' bodies are made of a modified human flesh that is, for all intents and purposes, stronger and more adaptable than standard human. This has led the few scholars on the subject, many ghouls themselves, to postulate that Ghouls are a mutation of humanity, and that their bodies' are actually made by converting human flesh. Regardless of origin, Ghoul skin, bone, and muscle are more durable than finely crafted leather armor, and their bodies apt to incredible feats of strength. Ghouls have incredible regeneration ability, being able to recover astonishingly fast from lost organs, limbs, and from wounds that would be fatal in most other races.
Ghoul eyes naturally have red irises and black sclera, though they can shift their eye's appearance to resemble that of a humanoid. The Ghoul's most distinguishing feature is their kagune, a hunting organ for which Ghouls have named themselves. The kagune is an extra amorphous appendage resembling liquid muscle, extending from somewhere on the Ghoul's back. kagune rarely have the measured precision to act as proper limbs, but send their owners into animalistic predators, shedding any false appearances of humanity. This weapon takes a natural shape based on the peronality of the Ghoul, and has a strange iridescence to it.
Bitter and Anguished
Ghouls are, for all intents and purposes, culturally identical to the human population of their area, though the Ghouls of an area often form small, underground subcultures in which to socialize. Due to the pain and violence living as a ghoul necessitates, most Ghouls are understood to be remorseless killers. This would be a safe assumption. Ghoulish population rarely The few Ghouls who live with a smile on their face often do so through a care free attitude and carefully crafted acting skills.
When Ghouls do act as their race, to avoid recognition and subsequent execution they will wear elaborate masks to identify themselves as Ghouls. This mask says something about the individual underneath. Mask-Makers are highly respected artists in Ghoul Subculture, as a ghoul's mask is considered by many to be its "true face."
Though Ghouls can derive some sustenance from other demihumans and high-ghouls, the taste is even more foul than normal food. Despite this, the consumption of Ghoul, specifically the Kagune, has been known to improve the combat abilities and savagery of the eater.
God-Forsaken
Perhaps due to the Ghoul's anti-human nature, it is unable to conjure or use any magic. Effects of alchemy and spells, such as potions, charming, or enchantment, have no effect on a ghoul. In Ghoul lore it is believed that this is due to a unanimous adandonment of their kind by all deities. As such, almost all ghouls worship no gods.
However, it is rumored that those Ghouls who have found faith, in a higher or lower power, were capable of using their patron's magic, so long as it was none of their own. Ghouls do not expect an afterlife upon death, and though necromancy can determine no soul in the High-Ghoul one report from a traveling telepath insists otherwise.
High-Ghoul Traits
Your Kagune has a number of features in common with other Kagune.
Ability Score Increase. your strength score increases by one.
Age. High Ghouls naturally have the same life span as humans, but are almost always killed in Young adulthood. Most never see 30.
Alignment. All Ghouls are heavily inclined towards evil, as a result of their killing, but are naturally no different in disposition from humans. A rare few Ghouls could be considered neutral, with almost none who might be called good.
Size. Kagune stand between five and six feet tall on average, just like Humans. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 Feet.
Unwilling Cannibals. A High-Ghoul must eat approximately one body's worth of human flesh per month. If ghouls go for more than a month without eating, they take a level of exhaustion for every week overdue, and cannot use their Undead Healing.
Picky Eaters. High-Ghouls are unable to ingest any potions, drink, or food without becoming ill. Potions and other magical or alchemical ingestions do not affect Kagune. If a Kagune eats human food (besides water or coffee) they are affected by the illness condition until their next long-rest.
God-Forsaken. Kagune are unaffected by all divine magic, and healing necromancy. Kagune cannot use magic, but are capable of using magic granted by a higher power, such as a deity or warlock patron.
Undead Healing. Whenever a high-Ghoul would gain a Hit Die from Class Levels, it gains an additional Hit Die called an RC die that is not added to the Ghoul's Maximum HP. A Ghoul can use RC Dice as Hit Dice during Short Rests and for Racial Abilities. An RC Dice is always a d4.
At 10th level, a Ghoul may, as a full action, spend and roll up to 2 RC dice to gain an equivalent amount of HP. This limit increases to 4 RC Dice at 15th level, and 6RC Dice at 20th level.
Subrace. Kagune expand from a sac-like organ in the back called a kakuhou, which contains highly dense compressed cells. The Kakuhou's location determines the consistency and form of the kagune, as well as a few physiological features in the High Ghoul. This creates subraces within the Ghoulish race, based on their use of their kagune.
A Kagune has 1/8 of its owner's HP, minimum one, and is immune to slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage from nonmagical weapons. All High-Ghouls are proficient in the use of their Kagune as weapons. If a kagune erupts from a High-Ghoul's back while it is wearing armor, the armor is broken instantly, and it takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Ukaku
Extending from the Shoulder, and possessing a fanned, feather-like structure, an Ukaku specializes in combination attacks and speed. Ukaku-type Kagune can fire their crystalline shards at enemies as projectiles.
Wings of Freedom. Your dexterity score increases by one.
Feather-Dart. As an attack action, you may fire a volley of small projectiles from your expanded ukaku dealing 1d6 piercing damage at an enemy within 30 feet of you and within your line of sight.
Koukaku Weakness. You are vulnerable to slashing damage.
Koukaku
Extending from just beneath the shoulder blade, The Koukaku resembles flexible bone more than muscle. Koukaku are heavier, naturally suited for defense, and often grow along the arm to be better used.
Your Own Shield. Your constitution score increases by one. While your Koukaku is expanded, you gain a +1 racial bonus to AC
Your Own Sword. As an attack action, you may attack an adjacent opponent with your expanded Koukaku for 1d8 slashing damage.
Rinkaku Weakness. You are vulnerable to bludgeoning damage.
Rinkaku
Extending from the lower-back, a Rinkaku is the most amorphous and flexible of kagune. Often taking the form of tentacles, or more imaginative monstrosities, Rinkaku resemble liquid, and are easy to break. However, Rinkaku Ghouls have superior regeneration and excell at slamming opponents with brute force.
Raw Power. Your strength score increases by one.
Consectutive Tentacles. As an attack action, you may attack an adjacent opponent with your expanded Rinkaku for 1d10 bludgeoning damage.
RC-Dense. You have one additional RC Die.
Bikaku Weakness. You are vulnerable to piercing and slashing damage
Bikaku
Extending from the tailbone or coccyx, A Bikaku often resembles a tail, and has a more precise level of control. This control lets the user alter the consistencty of the kagune, giving it a natural balance of offense, defense, and speed.
Balance. your strength, dexterity, or constitution score increases by one.
Versatile. As an attack action, you may stab, slash, or smash with your expanded Bikaku to deal 1d6 of slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage.
Ukaku Weakness. You are vulnerable to piercing damage.
Optional Feat
Kakuja
Prerequisite High-Ghoul, must have consumed at least one kagune from another High-Ghoul.
Upon consuming or generating enough RC cells, Ghouls have been known to have their kagunes evolve. These forms, called kakuja, can envelop the Ghoul in a solid armor, and boost their ghoulish abilities.
Evolved Healing permanently gain two additional RC dice.
Evolved Kagune You may spend and roll one RC die as a free action. The next time you attack with your kagune, it gains the result as a bonus to hit and damage. all such bonuses end after the attack.