Homebrew Ghost Species Details

 

...And i found it there, a citadel of graves and the spirits of the dead welcomed me with ethereal arms. Never before had i see such activity from the dead, it shook me to my core. I spent the next year studying these spirits and found that they are willed guardians and protectors of our lands, the citadel of souls protects the living world....

— Ghosts and Spirits, Drafin Welep

 

Ghosts are the spirits of the dead that have enough will to return to the material plane that their spirits take semi-physical form. They are dedicated to a mission they have set themselves, often the continuation of their life's work. 

Ethereal and Deathly

Ghosts appear as they were prior to their death except they have a light blue glow to them, producing dim light in their immediate surroundings. Ghosts can choose to appear as their corpse if they wish, using it to scare travellers and protect their homelands most often. Ghosts who have inhabited the material plane for a long time have more control over their appearance, some even join living society taking the visage of their alive selves, These ghosts often have the strongest willpower. 

Ghosts are often seen using magic items to suppress their ghostly visage and removing the bad effects of being a ghost, rings and necklaces of the ghostly will can be used to gain more control over power and visage. Not everyone can perceive ghosts, if people have a strong will not to see them, they wont; this will may be subconscious or an ever-present active thought, either way it is the ghostly nature that they will not be observed if people wish not.

An Eternal Will

The longevity of ghosts is based solely upon their willpower, a weak willpower will make a ghost dissipate quickly whereas a strong willed ghost can live for millennia, Some ghosts have been reported to have been aeons old protecting the planet with their eternal will. Willed ghosts look upon the world favourably protecting its peoples dead or alive, whereas Scourge ghosts are filled with a hate for the world or its inhabitants. Scourge ghosts usually pass on after exacting their revenge or lust for death.

Some societies revere ghosts, trying to help them pass on or paying tribute to them as eternal protectors, and many myths and legends revolve around real ghosts who aid heroes and travellers or hinder ne'er-do-wells 

...it was there that i met him, the ghostly captain, shepherding ghouls from Pliny to Levui...He was able to keep his old form, perceived as human as any but after showing him the blade his form shifted to the truth...He explained that he has been the captain for 792 years without a wish to stop protecting the dead and the living...

                               - Ghosts and Spirits, Drafin Welep

 

 

History of Ghosts

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. Some ghosts protect the ones they loved in life as a sense of eternal duty to them.

 

Naming convention

Ghosts often hang onto their original name as long as they can but soon their name will devolve into simply names of legend or names of mission. Names of Legend are the names given by living people to the ghosts that inhabit burial sites, war sites and castles; They are usually monikers or epithets and very rarely actually relate to the origin of the ghosts. However, Names of Mission relate directly to the will of the spirit and what they are around to do; They are often given by the ghosts to themselves and are one words.

Examples of mission names: Revenge, Guardian, Death, etc

Subrace

 There are two versions of ghosts, those who come back with revenge or hate in mind, and those who return for the good of people.

Scourge ghosts are stronger in battle through their hate whereas Willed ghosts gain the innate ability to use some of their spiritual power to heal those that they returned for.

Ghost Traits

Your ghostly form grants you a variety of abilities fitting of your ethereal nature.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1

Your constitution increases by 2

Age

A ghost can "live" for a very long time as they can remain on the Material Plane as long as their willpower allows them, though they usually pass on after they fulfil a goal they could not accomplish in life. Essentially they are immortal for as long as they have the will to stay

Size

Ghosts usually hold the same size that they were in their life. Ghosts range from 4 to 7 foot tall

Ethereal Form

Thanks to your ethereal form, certain advantages and limitations have been granted to you. You may now move through any creature or object as if it were difficult terrain, taking 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or object

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You hover 1 feet off the ground at all times unless you will to walk.

Darkvision

Your ghostly form emits a light that aid your eyes in seeing far into the dark and dim. You gain 60 feet of Darkvision seeing all dark areas in a light blue hue

Spooks

You use your great and ghostly presence to cause enemies to make a Wisdom Save against your spell save DC or Become Frightened for one minute. You can use this once per long rest

Ghostly Nature

Ghosts are immune to poisons and diseases, you do not need to sleep, eat, drink or take any exhaustion levels. 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.