Homebrew Ghost Species Details

Physical Description

Ghosts are flickering remnants of their past lives, appearing as they did before death, however they are now transparent and have a coloured tinge to them that drowns out all color of their body. This tint varies in tone for multiple reasons, From pure white of those that died peacefully to red of those dying in a fire, green if poisoned, blue if water was their ending or yellow if thunder.

 

Ghosts are very different from most of the undead: the difference to the lich is that they didn't ask for becoming undead, at least not directly. Mummies also have a mission to fulfill, but their corpse got conserved by some mean. Zombies lost their will and are forced to submit to other beings. Ghosts died and lost their body, but the will to fulfill their last pendant was so intense that death could not take their spirit: Ghosts are basically coming to terms with death and rejecting it, just to get a second chance.

Most ghost's appearance tends to reflect how it died. For example, a ghost that had drowned in a previous life may be dripping with glowing water droplets that disappear as soon as they hit the ground. A ghost that died in battle may still have the wounds it sustained in life- open and flowing with silver blood. A ghost that died while sleeping will keep its eyes closed, but will see perfectly.

Similarly, if the ghost instead is more transfixed by guilt or regret at its previous life it is instead wrapped in ethereal chains. This is because the image of a ghost is controlled by its own mental state and such transduction with death or regret manifests in its image on the Material Plane.

It is possible for ghosts to be completely free of regret or transfixed by its death, but it would mean that the only thing tying it to the Material Plane is the ghost's own willpower, which makes its bond to the Material Plane weaker than the other two types of ghosts. These ghosts tend to disappear soon after being formed.

History

Ghost have been present in the world since the earliest days of creation, especially around places where the influences of the Shadowfell are the strongest and there has been abundance of death. War zones, castles, sea tragedies, volcanic eruption sites... All these places have a good possibility of having at least 1 ghost.

Some societies even attempt to draw forth the ghosts of their ancestors for guidance in a sort of benign necromancy. However, in general ghosts have been feared more than revered as the reasons why a ghost lingers on the Material Plane may not always be considered good.

Society

Ghosts sometimes form societies in long-dead crypts or abandoned cities in an attempt to preserve what little feeling of life remains. When these societies are formed, they are usually full of many types of undead or shadowfell creatures. However, often those societies do not last long as either too many ghosts pass on from the Material Plane or the ghosts lose hope and wander away from the settlements.

In most haunted places, like forests, clears, and castles, tends to be at most one or two ghosts, usually related by either blood, ties or history. As they tend to be isolated places, most creatures living there adapt to the ghost or even cherish it, mainly hags and vampires. In some cases even, these creatures help ghosts to leave the material plane by chance, so most cark creatures coming into contact with ghosts try to learn the task the ghost has, then simulate to help them or tergiverse it enough to make the ghost a servant.

Ghost Names

Ghosts often take the name they had before their death. However, some take on the name of the goal they are trying to achieve in their new unlife.

Ghost Mission Names: Vengeance, Penance, Help, Light, Lament, Fear

Ghost Traits

Remnants of a past life that keeps regrets, ghosts are, by far, some of the most mysterious beings. Damned to walk the earth by the torment they cause themselves, they can only keep one thing in their heads: The mission they are here to accomplish.

Bloodless

Due to you being made of some sort of ectoplasm or ethereal winds, you do not take damage from any poision

Withering Touch

Your unarmed strike deals necrotic damage, as well as additional damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma or Wisdom score increases by 2.

Age

Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment

Trying to complete the pendant goal they have, most ghosts have a lawful neutral alignment. Anyway, it is not unheard of Chaotic ghosts. Although ghosts tend to retain the moral alignment they had in life, it is not rare that some of them change alignment into good or evil, especially those with goals with extreme moral charge, like domination of nations, the discovery of cures or important secrets; or vengeance

Size

Ghosts have no weight and are as tall as they were in life. Your size is usually Medium, although small ghosts are frequent.

Speed

Your speed is 30 feet. You always hover 1 foot over the ground, but can't fly. If you end your turn more than 1 foot over the ground, you start falling.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. 

Ghostly Nature

You do not require air, food, drink, sleep and you are immune to diseases. Your ghostly form still takes damage from various sources as it exacts a mental toll on you, making it harder for you to stay in the mortal plane.

Incorporeal Stride

Once per short rest, you may pass through up to 10 feet of physical barriers (treating them as difficult terrain) as a part of movement. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object or barrier, and are immediately ejected to the closest available space if within a barrier.