Homebrew Ghost Species Details
The most common undead spirit, ghosts are the spirits of the dead trapped in the realm of the living until they complete some unfinished business.
Becoming a Ghost
Any formerly living mortal creature whose body and soul are separate entities (such as most humanoids, but excluding creatures like elementals and fiends) can become a ghost by dying with unfinished business. This business is typically of great emotional importance to the dead creature, but the exact nature varies widely from ghost to ghost. It might be the defeat of some nefarious villain, the recovery of a prized possession, or witnessing a long-awaited event such as the blooming of a rare flower. Upon their death, at the Dungeon Master’s Discretion, the creature can be reanimated as a ghost. In this case, the creature returns as a ghost the following night at sunset close to the creature, object, or location which is the subject of their Haunt trait. Any non-magical equipment which the new ghost was wearing or wielding (such as armor, weapons, and spellcasting foci) appear on the ghost in ghostly form. These items function as normal for the ghost, but if the ghost willingly discards them them they turn to mist and are permanently destroyed. The real items remain wherever they were at the time of the ghost’s revival, as do any magic items which the ghost bore at the time of its death. Once a creature becomes a Ghost, it cannot be raised from the dead until it completes its unfinished business, or it has been destroyed.
Destroying a Ghost
Ghosts can be destroyed in two ways. First, by completing their unfinished business. This causes the ghost to immediately pass on to whatever fate would normally await their dead soul. The ghost may attempt to cling to existence by succeeding on a Charisma saving throw at the beginning of its turn. This save DC begins at 10 and increases by 1 every round. During this time, the ghost has vulnerability to all damage types, and if it is reduced to 0 hit points it is destroyed as described below. Second, the ghost can be destroyed like any other creature by “killing” it. This permanently destroys the ghost’s immortal soul, and it cannot be raised from the dead by any magic short of a Wish spell. In either case, the ghosts body dissolves into mist and vanishes. Any equipment which it retained upon being revived as a ghost (see above) vanishes. Any other items which the ghost acquired after being revived fall to the ground in the ghost’s space.
Creature Type
You replace your current creature type with Undead, but retain any subtypes.
Alignment
While becoming a ghost does not guarantee a change to your alignment, the circumstance of your death may affect your alignment. Many ghosts of good people return crazed and vengeful, while ghosts of villains might return remorseful and repentant. In either case, your alignment might also shift over time if you remain a ghost for a long time, as the horror of your existence weighs on you. Whether your alignment changes, how, and when are all determined by the Dungeon Master.
Size
You retain whatever size you were when you died.
Haunt
Upon reanimating as a ghost, you begin to haunt a creature, object, or location related to your death. The subject of your haunt is determined by the Dungeon Master. Whenever you take a long rest, you must do so near or inside of the subject of your haunt.
Unfinished Business
You are bound to undeath by some unfinished business, and memories of your former life haunt you. The exact nature of your unfinished business is determined by the Dungeon Master, but should be closely tied to the subject of your Haunt trait. Upon completing your business, you die permanently, and your spirit passes on (see “Destroying a Ghost”, above). However, until you do so objects of significance from your former life fill you with dread and make you more vulnerable. These objects might be favorite possessions, the instruments of your untimely demise, or even a person of great significance from your former life. These objects must be presented in a way which is specifically traumatic to you, such as torture implements laid out in a torture chamber, a former lover in the company of a rival, or a favored possession in the hands of a thief. Alternatively, a creature can spend their action to hold the object aloft, forcing you to suffer this vulnerability while they continue to do so. While vulnerable this way, you have vulnerability to all damage types. In addition, if you are reduced to 0 hit points, you are immediately destroyed (see “Destroying a Ghost”, above). If you are already at 0 hit points when you are made vulnerable, you are not immediately destroyed, but suffering any damage in this state immediately destroys you.
Credit to Tyler Kamstra and his Monstrous races guide for their template
Ghost Traits
Ghosts gain the following traitsFaded Memories
Ghosts suffer from some manner of discontinuity, an interruption of their lives or physical state that their minds are ill equipped to deal with. Their memories of events before this interruption are often vague or absent. Occasionally, the most unexpected experiences might cause sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back.
Rather than sleeping, Ghosts regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of peace, stress, or excitement, a ghosts gains a glimpse of what came before. When you desire to have such a dreamlike vision, roll on the Lost Memories table to inspire its details.
Lost Memories
| d6 | Memory |
|---|---|
| 1 | You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? |
| 2 | A memory brings tears to your eyes. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling it make you feel the same way? |
| 3 | You recall a childhood memory. What about that event or who you were still influences you? |
| 4 | A memory brings with it the voice of someone once close to you. How do they advise you? |
| 5 | You recall enjoying something that you can’t stand doing now. What is it? Why don’t you like it now? |
| 6 | A memory carries a vivid smell or sensation. What are you going to do to recreate that experience? |
Ability score increase
You gain a +1 to two abilities scores of your choosing
Ancestral Legacy
If you replace a race with this lineage, you can keep the following elements of that race: any skill proficiencies you gained from it and any climbing, flying, or swimming speed you gained from it.
If you don’t keep any of those elements or you choose this lineage at character creation, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
Among the Dead
You have escaped death, a fact represented by the following benefits:
- You gain Immunity to Disease and Poison
If hit with Radiant damage, it acts the same as Poison. Until you regain any Necrotic life force you suffer 1d8 radiant per turn. - You have advantage on death saving throws.
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.
Undead Nature
You have resistance to necrotic damage. You have vulnerability to radiant damage.
Ghostly Flight
All of your existing movement speeds are reduced to 0, but are not lost. You have a fly speed of 30 feet. You may replicate any movement type for which you have a movement speed (burrowing, climbing, walking, etc.) using your fly speed by pantomiming the motions of movement.
Horrifying Visage
As an action, you can twist your appearance into a horrifying visage to frighten other creatures. Any non-undead creatures in a 30-foot cone must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. This effect lasts up to one minute. You must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were casting a spell. If you lose concentration, the frightened condition ends for all affected creatures. After you use this ability
Possession
As an action, you may attempt to possess a creature within 5 feet that is of the same creature type which you were while alive. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw, or be possessed. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed saving throw, you disappear into the target, and the target loses control of its actions. The creature may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of your turns. You now control the body but don't deprive the target of awareness. You can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and you retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and class features. You otherwise use the possessed target's statistics, but don't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. You may possess a creature for up to 1 minute. You must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were casting a spell. You may prematurely end the effect as a bonus action. When the effect ends, you reemerge into an occupied space withing 5 feet of the creature. Any time that the creature takes damage while you possess it, both you and the creature take the damage (after applying any resistances which the creature might have, but ignoring any of yours). In addition, each time the creature takes damage it may attempt the saving throw again, ending this effect on a success. After you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.
Ethereal Presence
Ghosts are stuck in the veil between the physical world and the plane of the dead. Their Form may take their original shape but has no real presence in the Material plane. These lost figures wander as the veil warps, in some instances they may hold things and in other instances they may pass through a wall. Though they never know when they could drop such items or what is on the other side of the wall.a
- You have access to two forms starting at level at 1
- The first is your Natural form. In this form you can communication normally to others and are seen by all in a Semi-transparent Blue visage of your former self. You also gain the ability to pass through solid Objects, if the object is free standing and not an enclosed space as in a room or a closet then you appear out the other side. If it is an enclosed space then the DM can decide if you appear in that enclosed space or a random location of the DM's choosing.
In this form you cannot carry, push or pull any physical objects, items or creatures. As well you can not be grappled or restrained but you automatically fail all strength checks. As the objects fall through you. -
- The other is a physical Manifestation, as a bonus action for 3 times per long rest you can return to the Material plane. In this form you can interact with objects and creatures as normal. You walking speed becomes 30 and you lose all flight speed until you return to your natural form. Ghosts can assume this manifestation for 10 mins, doing so requires concentration. After the manifestation ends all objects or creatures held fall to the ground unless consumed.
- In your physical Manifestation you can consumed an object, your maw can transform as need be to fit the item down your gullet. Consuming a object allows you to equip it onto your natural form, taking the same ghostly visage as you do. A non-magical item disappears from the material plane as the transfer destroys all of its physical presence. When a magical item is consumed, you can equip or attune to the item as normal. Its physical form drops once you return to your natural form but as a mundane item.
- Consumption does come with its costs. With every item you consume you must replace it with either an item of equal value, items that total the value of the item being consumed or the value in Currency
- Currency, Spell casting materials (Unless described with a monetary value) and food are not affected by this cost.
Previous Versions
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11/6/2021 9:20:44 AM
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3
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2
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5e
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Coming Soon
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11/6/2021 10:41:44 PM
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5
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1
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Coming Soon
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