Ghost (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Ghost
5th Edition Statistics
Type	Undead

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the ghost is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature. A ghost looks just as it did in life, thought it is hazy and translucent.

A ghost can be of any alignment, and usually retains whatever alignment it had in life. A ghost is incorporeal, and can harm living creatures with either a touch or a gaze.

Variant Ghosts

• Doomsphere - Ghostly beholders

• Frostfell Ghost - The spirit of a creature slain by arctic hazards, it appears caked in ice, rime, and snow.

• Ghost Brute - Spectral remnants of animals, magical beasts, and sentient plants.

• Ghostly Dragon - Ghost dragons gain a breath weapon that ages those it touches.

• Haunting Ghost - A haunting ghost lurks in foreboding, often deserted areas. Typically, it seeks to drive away all living creatures from its domain.

• Keening Spirit - Also known as a groaning spirit, this ghost of an evil female elf is known for its constant weeping and groaning.

• Sagacious Ghost - Some ghosts possess vast stores of knowledge, making them akin to an undead library. Depending on alignment, these ghosts might offer information freely or at a dire cost.

Ghosts in Ghostwalk

In the Ghostwalk setting, ghosts are one of the main playable character races. Ghostwalk ghosts have a semi-tangible body made of transparent ectoplasm. Ghosts are not undead, although they are often mistaken for undead creatures.

Ghosts in the Forgotten Realms

Faerûn hosts a number of variants ghosts.

• Selskar Watchghost: These spectral guards were created by human warriors by the Selskar wizards.

• Spectral Harpist: The spirits of Master Harpers who died while engaged in Harper service that is left unfinished.

• Watchghost: Also called "unsleeping guardians", these ghosts are created by powerful necromantic magic.

• Zhentarim Spirit: Vengeful spirits of Zhentarim wizards who hunt those they hold responsible for their deaths.

Ghosts in Oriental Adventures

• Acheri - The spirits of girls who died as a result of murder, accident, or plague.

• Akikage - The undead spirit of a ninja assassin who died while stalking an important victim.

• Bhut - Bhuts are vicious, flesh-eating ghosts most commonly formed from the spirits of those who are executed, commit suicide, or die accidentally, and do not receive proper funeral rites.

• Chu-u - A legless spirit of a mortal who was neither virtuous enough to be rewarded nor wicked enough to be punished in the afterlife. It wanders in agony seeking others to testify on its behalf to the judges of the dead.

• Con-tinh - The spirit of a maiden who died before her time--usually as the result of an illicit love affair that ends in murder. Its spirit is bound to a single fruit tree.

• Hanging Ghost - Spirits of those who committed suicide, who try to trick others into doing so via illusions.

• Kuei - A kuei, or phii ha, is the spirit of a humanoid that died by violence unavenged or with a purpose unfulfilled.

• Ubume - The "mourning ones" are the spirits of women who have died in childbirth or while pregnant. A ubume cannot rest until its child is "born" via a kind soul agreeing to hold the ghostly child.

References

• Baur, Wolfgang, James Jacobs, and George Strayton. Frostburn. Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
• Collins, Andy, and Bruce R. Cordell. Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
• Collins, Andy, James Wyatt, and Skip Williams. Draconomicon. Wizards of the Coast, 2003.
• Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. TSR, 1989.
• Cook, Monte, and Sean K. Reynolds. Ghostwalk. Wizards of the Coast, 2003.
• Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual. TSR, 1977.
• Moldvay, Tom. "Too Evil To Die." Dragon #210. TSR, 1994.
• Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual. TSR, 1994.
• Upchurch, Wil. "Forest of Blood." Dungeon #101. Paizo Publishing, 2003.
• Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual. Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
• Wyatt, James. "The Mahasarpa Campaign: A Web Enhancement for Oriental Adventures." Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
• Wyatt, James. Oriental Adventures. Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
• Wyatt, James, and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast, 2001.