Ghoul Paralysis

Nothing stated before '77 (AD&D's MM allows a Save vs. Paralysis). Interesting to note that Wights also cause paralysis and in Chainmail, Zombies are said to be in that class!
I guess the moral is not to take written rules so literally, but to try and read between the lines.

My rule of thumb is that anything that has a column on the saving throw chart is allowed a save for either half damage or no effect unless otherwise specified.

So, you're reading the "All Wands -- Including Paralyzation and Polymorph" heading as meaning "All Wands, including Paralyzation and Polymorph effects from non-wand sources." That's always how I've read always it, too. It just occurred to me that it could be read as "All Wands -- Including Paralyzation and Polymorph Wands" (why it would be worded like that, I don't know, but not everything in the OD&D books is written with perfect clarity, which is part of the game's unique charm). ;D

That seems to be the interpretation implied by the Judges Guild Ref Sheets, too; they head the column with "All Wands".

After some reflection, I think I prefer this approach. I see paralysis as a fairly "low level" disaster, so I like using the easier saving throw column. In the case of ghoul paralysis I also see it as being physical, and therefore similar to resisting poison or death.

However, I'll continue to the use Wands column for paralysis from a wand, and the Spell column for something like Hold Person.

Ghouls paralyse any normal type they touch excluding elves. Implies that (1+1 HD) elves are otherwise normal-types.

Personally, I consider veterans to be normals too because fighters don't get heroic FC until 3rd level.

More generally figure types affected by the Charm Person spell can be a pretty handy indicator of some figures that could considered normal-types. Charm Person applies to: all two-legged, generally mammalian figures near to or less than man-size, excluding all monsters in the "Undead" class but including Sprites, Pixies, Nixies, Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs, (1+1 HD) Hobgoblins and (2 HD) Gnolls.

Veterans, elves, hobgoblins and gnolls are also explicitly grouped as "elite guard" troop types in S&S (p6). IMHO, the rank and file troop types are a pretty good fit for "normals".

Of course, every ref's campaign is a unique combination of these (and other) subtleties and that is part of the charm of D&D

Isn't p34 (3rd Ed.) telling us that an Elf, Hero, or Wizard can undo Wraith paralysis (which otherwise lasts indefinitely)?

We could assume that Elf, Hero, and Wizard figures can undo CM-Ghoul paralysis too but--unless I am overlooking something (which is always possible!)--this isn't stated explicitly in the descriptions of either CM-Elves or CM-Wight/Ghouls (or the Fantasy Reference Table).

The later statement in M&T (re: D&D-Ghouls) says: <<As stated in CHAINMAIL for Wights, Ghouls paralize any normal figure they touch, excluding Elves>>.

If this it is "stated" in the CM-wight/ghoul description I must be looking right through it. But even without pinpointing this statement, we could presume that CM-Wraith and CM-wight/ghoul paralysis are similar, and therefore the same figures who can remedy CM-Wraith paralysis (Elf, Hero, Wizard) can do the same for CM-Wight/Ghoul paralysis.

But the ability to remedy paralysis in others is still a bit different to having immunity to paralysis oneself.

Okay, so let's assume for a moment that the "Elf-Hero-Wizard-can-remove-CM-wraith-paralysis" rule also applies to CM-Wight/Ghoul-paralysis. Seeing that Ghoul paralysis lasts only one (combat) turn, an Elf/Hero/Wizard would have to be immediately nearby to lift the affliction in order to do so before it naturally expired. Presuming a Hero, Wizard, or elf with magic sword was immediately nearby, it seems likely they would want to melee the CM-Ghoul on the FCT and prevent it from attacking (and paralysing) normal men in the first place.

That still leaves a CM-Ghoul attacking a bunch of elves without magic weapons. In this case, presumably there would regularly be unparalysed elves immediately nearby to un-paralyse any afflicted elves, but that sounds like a bunch of fiddly status keeping for very little outcome. It's easy to see how that would quickly devolve into: "elves are immune to ghoul paralysis" at the table.

Interesting times

(and now someone is going to point out the line in CM which explicitly says elves are immune to ghoul paralysis...)

Okay, so imagine for a minute that ghoul paralysis applies to all players--excepting elves--with less than heroic FC (i.e., low-level). And don't forget they'll eat you or that man-types slain by ghouls become ghouls. That can be a pretty scary combo against a bunch of lowbies, but heroic-types have bigger fish to fry.

I agree this is the literal rule. Saving throws are only for effects specifically listed. Paralysis is not a listed effect, it's a word used to emphasize that even Wands that do not cause damage can have a saving throw apply.

Perhaps worth noting that CM was developed with 40mm Elastolin miniatures in mind, and that these don't have the uniform square or circular bases that many wargaming miniatures have these days. Instead they have a "minimal footprint" base that enables them to stand (on a flat surface) but doesn't intend to reflect the "space" the figure would occupy. Units comprise a bunch of figures placed in close proximity to one another but with small gaps between them (see photo at the beginning of CM, esp. in the 2nd Ed where the images are larger and clearer than in the 3rd Ed). IMHO the 1 inch touch range addresses the small (1") space immediately around a miniature which the figure notionally "occupies", and which other figures can't pass through without melee contact.

Agree that "touch" in CM-terms is (speculatively) equivalent to "engaging in combat" in D&D-terms, but I don't think melee contact necessarily has to imply that no hit is necessary. Engaging in combat could imply anything from (at least) coming within attack range, to actually attacking, to successfully hitting. E.g., Holmes requires the ghoul to hit and also allows a saving throw. The MM ghoul says touch but is not explicit that a hit is required; it also allows a saving throw. This seems like a good case for a ref's ruling in OD&D. "Coming within attack range" would be the most dangerous (but might best represent the "paralysed with fear" trope), whereas being hit is the least dangerous (but might best represent the "physical contact with venomous talons" trope).

Great catch that even normals are allowed one round of attacks vs ghouls in CM. Presumably this is in the context of effectively simultaneous attacks. In an initiative based combat system (like D&D?) one can imagine sneaking in an attack prior to being paralysed (with the advantage of initiative) or being paralysed before you had the opportunity to attack (without initiative). Be interested to hear what others make of this one...




This is a good idea, and could also be generalised to: you should always run away from any combat you are not confident of winning

They're literally just Tolkien's Barrow-Wights reimagined for a wargame, so I guess I'd just crib from Fellowship of the Ring?

The letter of the rules says it goes without a save, but surely the spirit of the rules suggests it expects one. Ghouls have inordinately-high punching weight otherwise, I think.

That's only Nazgul paralysis.

Ghouls are very easily turned by Clerics though. And if you have platemail it's only one attack you typically have to avoid.

It's certainly possible the de-paralyzation rule in the entry for "Wraith (Nazgul, etc.)" is meant to apply to Ghoul paralyzation as well.

Nazgul are described first in the text, so the author may have assumed that the fuller explanation was not need again. Also, if you look at the Fantasy Reference Table, both are listed as having the same power = "G - The ability to paralyze by touch". So it's certainly reasonable to interpret this power is the same for each, and that "Paralyzed troops remain unmoving until touched by a friendly Elf, Hero-type, or Wizard" is a general statement that applies to Paralyzation (Power G), whether it is from a Wraith or a Ghoul.

Also, Vol 2 of OD&D clearly indicates that paralyzation of Ghouls does not apply to Elves, even though this is not specifically mentioned in the text of Chainmail entry for Ghouls, but would be inferred if the de-paralyzation rule was applied to that entry.