Library / Bestiary

Ghost

CR 7.00 Undead CE Medium HD 7

This spectral, horrifying figure glides silently through the air, passing through solid objects as if they didn't exist.

Back to Bestiary

Description

When a soul is not allowed to rest due to some great injustice, either real or perceived, it sometimes comes back as a ghost. Such beings are in eternal anguish, lacking in substance and unable to set things right. Although ghosts can be any alignment, the majority cling to the living world out of a powerful sense of rage and hatred, and as a result are chaotic evil—even the ghost of a good or lawful creature can become hateful and cruel in its afterlife.

More than most of the monsters in this book, a ghost benefits from a strong and detailed backstory. Why did this character become a ghost? What are the legends surrounding the ghost? An encounter with a ghost should never happen completely out of the blue—there are plenty of other incorporeal undead like wraiths and spectres to fill that role. A proper encounter with a ghost should be a climactic scene after a lengthy period of tension building with lesser minions or manifestations of the undead spirit. The sample ghost above is that of a human princess who was murdered by an unfaithful lover—after she confronted him, he murdered her by wrapping her in chains and throwing her into the castle well, where she drowned. The ghost's abilities were selected to fit this backstory, and it shows how potent a villain you can create with a simple NPC class. Applying the template to creatures with class levels or creatures with significant racial abilities can create even more powerful ghosts.

When a ghost is created, it retains incorporeal “copies” of any items that it particularly valued in life (provided the originals are not in another creature's possession). The equipment works normally for the ghost but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures, but any such attack deals only half as much damage (50%) unless it is a ghost touch weapon. A ghost can use shields or armor only if they have the ghost touch quality.

The original items remain behind, just as the ghost's physical remains do. If another creature seizes the original, the incorporeal copy fades away. This loss invariably angers the ghost, who stops at nothing to return the item to its original resting place (and thus regain the item's use).

Combat Stats

73 (7d8+42)

17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 deflection)

Init

Speed

fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Fort

Ref

Will

BAB

CMB

CMD

Melee: corrupting touch +6 (7d6, Fort. DC 18 half)
Immune: grappled, trip, falling damage, nonmagical attacks (from incorporeal)
Defensive Abilities: channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation
Racial Modifiers: +8 Perception, +8 Stealth

Ability Scores

str

dex

con

int

wis

cha

Proficiencies

Weapons: Simple

Special Attacks

frightful moan (DC 18)

Feats

Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness

Special Abilities

Universal Monster Rules

Channel Resistance (+4) Ex from Universal Monster Rule

A creature with this special quality (usually an undead) is less easily affected by channel energy. A creature with channel resistance adds its listed bonus on saves to resist the effects of channel energy, including effects that rely on the use of channel energy (such as the Command Undead feat).

Incorporeal Ex from Universal Monster Rule

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source. Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature. Force spells and effects, such as from a magic missile , affect an incorporeal creature normally. An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature's Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus). An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object's exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see beyond the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect. An incorporeal creature's attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor ) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight. An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Perception checks if it doesn't wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to its melee attacks, ranged attacks, and CMB. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Special Abilities

Frightful Moan (DC 18) from text

Rejuvenation from text

Feats, Traits & Items

Dodge from Feat

You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Calculated: +1 Ac

Improved Initiative from Feat

You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Calculated: +4 Initiative

Iron Will from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.

Calculated: +2 Will

Lightning Reflexes from Feat

You get a +2 bonus on all Reflex saving throws.

Calculated: +2 Ref

Toughness from Feat

You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).

Calculated: +3 Hp Bonus

Skills

Fly +9, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Perception +18, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +9

Details

Type: Undead
Alignment: CE
Size: Medium
Environment: any
Organization: solitary
Treasure: NPC gear
Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
Languages: Common
Source: Bestiary

Rules