Hmmm....how to put this. Ok. Try this. Step out of your DM shoes, walk around the DM Screen and sit down at the table. Now, from the perspective of a PLAYER, think of how "the DM" would describe a Hill Giant Ghoul. Got it in your mind? Ok, great. Now still from the perspective of a PLAYER, what would hammer home the "ghoulishness" of the giant? When fighting it, what attacks would scream out 'ghoul' to you? What would you expect in terms of defenses? Etc, etc.
With that in mind, step back into your DM shoes and get behind the screen. Now write down "Hill Giant Ghoul" as you envisioned it as a player. Lastly, think about something 'odd' or 'special' that would distinguish a Hill Giant Ghoul from, say, a regular old Human Ghoul. Add that in. Now sit back and admire your creative genius and smile at the thought of your players peeing themselves when they encounter it.
I personally couldn't be happier that there are no real 'templates', so to speak, for monsters. And I hope we never ever see them in 5e core rules. The feeling that comes from the MM and DMG is more "Here's a blank canvas and unlimited paint. Go!"...and a lot less like "Here's a paint-by-numbers and 8 colours. Fill it in".
To me, thinking of "templates" in 5e doesn't make much sense when looked at from a design goal standpoint that 5e embodies. Look at the actual Ghoul, for example. It's not "Heres a human set of stats, and we added Ghoul template stuff". It's "Here's a Ghoul". Look at the "Cultist" for an even better example. They didn't take "Base Human", and then add "a level of Cleric". They thought about what a cultist would look like and what would scream "Cultists!" to the players when they encounter them. Then they just stated it up as they envisioned it. No consulting templates, or class abilities, or adjustments for race, etc. Just a nice, happy "Here's your canvas. Paint".
IMHO, how Monsters and NPC's are created in 5e is something that the designers got spot on perfect.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
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