Ghostly Domain

The realm of death is a mysterious one, indeed. When denizens of the ghostly realms interact with the physical realm, they appear translucent and intangible, and can manifest all manner of poltergeist weirdness as they penetrate the shroud between worlds in bizarre and unearthly ways. Sometimes these divine spellcasters are a form of specialized necromancer type in service to certain "death churches," but also there are many who obtain this power who are of a more shamanic bent. The Clerics of the deaths gods who utilize this domain are those who understand the shroud between both worlds and can interact with it in unique and special ways, causing all manner of spectral phenomenon, including some illusory aspects of spectres and other dangerous unliving beings.

Gods such as Hades, Mot, Osiris, Nergal, Scathach, Hel, and Dis Pater have all utilized the powers of this domain in history.

 

Ghostly Domain Spells

Ghost Touch

Also at 1st level, you gain knowledge of how to interact with the ethereal realms in a way in which you can tangibly affect them from the physical realm. Using a bonus action, you cause ghostly magic to surround your hands which allows you to be able to touch ethereal, intangible and ghostly beings as if they were physical, and allows you to do so with any weapons you wield in your hands. This bizarre touch can also cause non-construct, non-undead creatures to feel a strange sense of pending terror as their perceptions of the shrouds between realms become skewed. To do so, make a melee spell attack, and if successful, the target becomes shaken until the beginning of your next turn. Creatures that are immune to fear are immune to the shaken condition of this effect. If you are in the Border Ethereal realms, you may use this ability to affect the physical world in any way you could with one hand, including making one-handed weapon attacks. Once activated, this energy around your hands lasts for a number of minutes equal to your proficiency bonus. You may use this feature once before you must finish a short or long rest to use it again.

Channel Divinity: Form of Spirit

Starting at 2nd level, you learn to channel divine power to become somewhat ghostly yourself, assuming properties of a wraithly visage and form. Using an action with your holy symbol in hand and expending a use of your Channel Divinity feature, you assume a ghost-like form. Your image become pale and translucent, granting advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, you gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and you may squeeze through any space as small as 1 inch by 1 inch without using extra movement. These benefits last for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom bonus.

Ancestor Ally

At 6th level, you gain the ability to recruit your ancestor spirits to serve you as ghosts you can employ for your needs. You can use an action to summon a Ghost into an adjacent square which is friendly to you and your allies. It will perform services you ask of it except this ancestor spirit will not use its Possession ability for any reason while in your service and will attack if it is asked, but will only defend itself if it is attacked. Otherwise it remains passively waiting for your orders and remains for a number of minutes equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You may use this feature once before you must finish a long rest to use it again.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Phantom Essence

At 17th level, you learn a penultimate mastery of ethereality, becoming ghostly and intangible as you may need as you cross easily into the Border Ethereal realms. As an action with your holy symbol in your hand, you step into the border regions of the Ethereal Plane, in the area where it overlaps with your current plane. You remain in the Border Ethereal for the duration or until you use your action to dismiss the effect. During this time, you can move in any direction. If you move up or down, every foot of movement costs an extra foot. You can see and hear the plane you originated from, but everything there looks gray, and you can't see anything more than 60 feet away.

While on the Ethereal Plane, you can only affect and be affected by other creatures on that plane. Creatures that aren't on the Ethereal Plane can't perceive you and can't interact with you, unless a special ability or magic has given them the ability to do so.

You ignore all objects and effects that aren't on the Ethereal Plane, allowing you to move through objects you perceive on the plane you originated from.

This feature lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom Bonus (minimum 1), and when the effect ends, you immediately return to the plane you originated from in the spot you currently occupy. If you occupy the same spot as a solid object or creature when this happens, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy and take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved. You may use this feature twice before you must finish a long rest to use it again.

This feature has no effect if used while you are on the Ethereal Plane or a plane that doesn't border it, such as one of the Outer Planes.