Ghul Lord Ghul Lords were strange wizard s from Zakhara who used the Negative Energy plane to fuel their spells . Requirements . Their close association with the Negative Energy plane attracted wild and ruthless individuals to become ghul lords . The rigorous strains of dealing with negative energy precluded all races save humans from becoming ghul lords . Role . These individuals often carried the stigma of being sinister people who tampered with the dead . This was not entirely true . Ghul lords were simply wizards who chose an abnormal path toward power that most conventional wizards shunned . Ghul lords tended to choose one of two paths based up their reputation . The first was to act as a speaker for the dead , even though they couldn ’ t actually communicate with the dead . The second path embraced their sinister reputation , often becoming hunters of other wizards where their unique abilities suited them rather well . Possessions . Ghul lords were unique among wizards in that they could use a variety of swords . However , like all other wizards , they never wore armor . Benefits . Given their close association with the Negative Plane , ghul lords could use this energy to directly power their spells . The presence of negative energy gave their magic a wicked “ feel ” while also slightly changing some of the effects . Each ghul lord actually had their own " special effect " that accompanied any spell they cast . Witnesses to these spells could instantly tell that something was different about the magic at play . The number of possible effects was nearly endless , but all served to distract or frighten many who saw them . Some examples are listed below : Established ghul lords learned to understand the powers that animated the dead , granting them the ability to take control of corpses that were animated by someone else . This ability could also be used to turn the undead away from the ghul lord . Manipulations . Ghul lords were able to manipulate the negative energy they used into spell - like abilities . Every manipulation that a ghul lord learned belonged to one of the following categories : attack , defense , informative , and movement . A manipulation could be very similar to any regular spell available to other wizards , or the ghul lord could adjust the effects , range , etc . of the spell to suit their needs . However , increasing the strength of the manipulation also increased the amount of life force needed to power it . Manipulations were easy to use but did require a temporary portion of the ghul lord ’ s life force based upon the power of the manipulation . Since negative energy was involved in the process , a ghul lord could not use a manipulation that healed or created anything , since the very nature of negative energy prevented this . There was a chance of a violent reaction , usually in the form of an explosion , when a regular spell and a manipulation collided . Hindrances . Ghul lords could only cast spells from the school of necromancy without having to use their own life force to call energy from the Negative Plane to power the spell . Most ghul lords were not personable individuals . Spending so much time with the dead often left them lacking personal hygiene and normal social skills . Close association with negative energy also had its effect upon a ghul lord . A ghul lord ’ s physical strength and health began to deteriorate as they gained power , eventually leaving them resembling a walking corpse . Ghul lords could only use magical items that were specifically crafted for their kind . The constant presence of negative energy within their bodies made using conventional magical items impossible .