Ghost Powers

one) against the new ghost’s attack. If the attack fails, the new ghost fails to possess the body. If the attack succeeds, the new ghost and the current inhabitant make opposed Wisdom checks. The loser is ejected from the body (as if it left voluntarily) and the victor possesses it.

Spells

Mind-influencing spells (such as hold person or ghost) affect the ghost, not the physical body. Thus, unless they affect outsiders, they don’t work. Physical spells, such as ray of enfeeblement, affect the body; they work even if they wouldn’t affect a ghost (such as a critical hit or a sneak attack). Force effects, such as magic missile, affect the body even though they would normally affect incorporeal creatures. Attack spells such as disrupt ectoplasm that affect ghosts but not living creatures have the normal 50% miss chance to affect an incorporeal creature (feats such as Incorporeal Spell Targeting can affect this).

Spells in effect on a ghost before the possession stay with the ghost during and after the possession, while spells that affect the possessed body remain with the body. Therefore, a ghost sorcerer that casts haste on himself and then possesses a body is hasted, whether a free ghost or possessing, for the spell’s duration. Conversely, if a ghost sorcerer cast haste after possessing a body, the spell would be attached to the body, and the ghost would not be hasted when he abandoned the host.

Protection from evil (or from any other alignment) or protection from possession prevents a ghost from possessing a body, but does not force a ghost out of a possessed body. If cast on a possessed body, these spells do not prevent the ghost from leaving the body or possessing a different unprotected creature.

GHOST POWERS

No two ghosts are the same. One might be able to create ectoplasmic armor, another can drain Strength from a target with a touch, still another can possess a dead body and make it walk, while yet another can move objects at a distance. These abilities are commonly referred to as ghost powers and are represented by feats with the [Ghost] descriptor. As with ordinary feats, some characters are dilettantes and choose a wide variety of ghost feats, while others select multiple feats in a specialized area. These areas of specialty are called the paths.

The Paths

There are six paths of ghost powers, each representing a similar kind of ability or a progression of power along a particular theme. Each path has certain symptoms that are evident when the user is in his ghost body; these symptoms often allow observers to identify what path a ghost has chosen. Ghosts with advanced powers in a path have larger and more obvious symptoms. Symptoms never harm other creatures or provide any bonuses or penalties on die rolls, although individuals may have personal aversions to those who follow certain paths.

A ghost can suppress its symptoms if it makes a Concentration check (DC 5 if there are no other distractions). The symptom is treated as if it were a 0-level spell for the purpose of determining Concentration check DCs for more distracting circumstances.

Path of the Corrupter: This path is the study of the relationship between a ghost body’s ectoplasm and the bodies of other living things or ghosts. It allows a ghost to harm the bodies or ghost bodies of others with a touch. The symptoms of this path are a constant pale blue, black, or gray aura around the hands of the ghost and temporary alterations to objects contacted by the hands. For example, a corrupter ghost tends to leave condensation-outlined handprints on objects she touches.

Corrupter Feats: Agony Touch, Corrupting Touch, Enervating Touch, Freezing Touch, Nauseating Touch, Rend Ghost, Shriveling Touch, Touch Attack Specialization.

Path of the Dominator: This path is the study of the powers of the mind and how a ghost body can mesh with a foreign physical body, usually for the purpose of controlling the target. The symptoms of this path are a dark-colored aura around the ghost’s head and a hollow echo when the ghost speaks.

Dominator Feats: Corpse Malevolence, Expanded Possession, Ghost Ride, Grand Malevolence, Malevolence, Minor Malevolence.

Path of the Haunt: This path is the study of manipulating a ghost’s ectoplasm and aura to change the ghost’s appearance or scare others at a distance. The symptoms of this path are black eyes, or eye sockets that appear empty and black.

Haunt Feats: Control Visage, Fade, Frightful Moan, Frightful Presence, Haunting Appearance, Haunting Voice, Horrific Appearance, Improved Control Visage, Solid Visage.

Path of the Poltergeist: This path is the study of space and weight for the purpose of moving objects at a distance. The symptoms of this path are visible swirls of dust around the ghost and even minor shaking of larger unattended objects (no larger than a dagger) within arm’s reach of the ghost.

Poltergeist Feats: Ghost Hand, Improved Deflection, Improved Poltergeist Hand, Poltergeist Hand, Poltergeist Rage.

Path of the Shaper: This path is the study of creating and manipulating ectoplasm for various purposes. The symptoms of this path are frequent manifestations of residual ectoplasm on objects that quickly fade to nothingness. Ectoplasmic objects handled by a Shaper ghost sometimes experience a temporary color or texture change.

Shaper Feats: Ectoplasm, Ghost Healing, Greater Witchlight, Sculpt Ghost Body, Shape Ectoplasm, Temper Ectoplasm, Witchlight.