After the Great War, necrophages generally grew bolder and multiplied in the Northern Kingdoms. Ghouls are the most common corpse-eaters and usually roam around in packs. For a ghoul, a living human is raw material that must be processed before it can become a meal. Shredded to pieces with fangs and claws, the human corpse should then be left to age.
A horrible, low, and nasty beast, this abomination nests in cemeteries, old burial mounds (kurgans), necropolises, and on battlefields. Disgusting in form and character, it emerges to feed usually during the full moon, and well-rotted corpses are a delicacy for it. When driven by hunger, the ghoul will not hesitate to prey on the living. Only by fire, silver, and bright light can they be harmed. For this reason, it hunts only at night.
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"Ghouls are said to have been humans who were once forced into cannibalism and, after many years spent in dark crypts, underwent a horrifying transformation. Only human flesh can satisfy their eternal evil hunger, so they kill people and store the remains in the recesses of their lairs."
In English, during the Prologue, Lambert claims the Fast Style is best to use against ghouls, but the conversation does not result in a bestiary entry. His suggestion contradicts the official bestiary's entry above, which claims the Strong Style is best against ghouls. Considering that originally (in Polish) he mentions barghests and ghosts as ideal victims of Addan Aenye, this is most likely just a translator's mistake.
"Ghouls creep and crawl at night,
Eating everything in sight
In a snap they'd eat you too
Chop you up for ghoulish stew.:
-Children's Rhyme found in Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt.
Developer CD Projekt's characterization of the ghoul taken from the monsterbook, which was enclosed with the Collectors Edition of the computer game The Witcher for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic:
Ghouls, like drowners, appear often in the game. Geralt frequently has the opportunity to practice his silver sword techniques on this monster. Since the drowner became grotesque, we made the ghoul both scary and a bit pathetic, without rendering him humorous. As a foul scavenger, he has all the necessary attributes: deadly pale, spotted skin, a nose-less head resembling a skull, and a strong jaw capable of cracking open any bone. At bit of artistic trickery and clear connotations went into creating the model for this rather dumb, hideous creature.
The ghoul is no joke — it is stocky, and ready to attack. It loves feasting on human cadavers, but has nothing against fresh warm meat. When it grabs its prey with its apelike arms, there is no escape.
Ghouls creep and crawl at night Eating everything in sight
In a snap they'd eat you, too'
Chop you up for a ghoulish stew!
— Children's rhyme
Ghouls and graveirs are hard to describe. In part, they resemble humans – yet on the whole, they are the utter negation of all that is human. Though they have arms and legs like men, they walk on all fours like dogs or badgers. Though they have eerily familiar faces, one searches them in vain for any sign of sentiment, reason or even a spark of consciousness. They are driven by one thing and one thing only: an insatiable craving for human flesh.
Combat tactics
A key strategy to make fighting a group of ghouls easier is to keep moving around until one ghoul gets separated. When this happens circle the ghoul and try to kill it. Do small attacks now and then, but keep dancing around.
If a ghoul is low on health and starts snarling loudly, this is a sign that the ghoul is becoming enraged. Make this ghoul your priority to kill, as otherwise it will regenerate most of its health. When enraged the ghoul's behavior grows more aggressive; the Axii sign works well for stopping the effects of enrage.
Gallery
Gwent card art
Gwent card art
Gwent card art
Journal image (first game)
An early concept art of the ghoul
This drawing was the basis for the model, the ghoul has evolved considerably
