D&D 5E (2014) ghost vs Hideous Laughter? Immune or roll the save

[jasper]

Since a ghost is immune to charm, is immune to Hideous laughter?
And what other spells would be consider charm spells?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Ghosts are immune to the Charmed conditon, but Tasha's Hideous Laughter doesn't doesn't apply Charmed so it can affect ghosts.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

The charm keyword doesn't come up at all (as in, not even once) in the spell write up for Tasha's Hideous Laughter. So it's not a charm spell. Done.

As for what other spells are charm spells? Do they have the word charm in their write up? Do they cause the charmed condition?

If the answer to both of those questions is no, they're not charm spells. Done.

 

[LordEntrails]

THL is an enchantment, it does not say it is a charm. I'm not aware of any rule that says an enchantment is a charm.

IMO, I don't see why a ghost ghost would not be affected.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The charm keyword doesn't come up at all (as in, not even once) in the spell write up for Tasha's Hideous Laughter. So it's not a charm spell. Done.

Y'know, the keyword 'keyword' doesn't come up in the SRD, at all. But, yeah, there's a 'charmed' condition, FWIW.

How does a given spell affect a given creature? Ultimately the DM is free to rule how he likes. If he feels a ghost shouldn't be affected by a specific spell, for the same fluff reasons that it's explicitly immune to a general condition, he's entirely within his rights to do so.

Since a ghost is immune to charm, is immune to Hideous laughter?

As Jack mentions, above, there's no 'charmed' condition involved, so not unless you rule that it should be.

You could rule that a creature immune to an enchantment that makes it like you is also immune to one that makes it laugh - Hideous Laughter is a one-off, there isn't a ROTFLYAO condition for monsters to be immune to - or not, and the ghost laughs just like a living, corporeal creature.

And what other spells would be consider charm spells?

You could review any Enchantment spell and make a ruling as to whether the monster in question was immune. Ask yourself why the ghost is immune to Charm? Is it because it no longer has emotions? Because it has only negative emotions? Because it's malevolence makes it impossible for it to regard anyone like a friend? Because it isn't really aware, just endlessly re-playing the past?

The answers could even be different for different ghosts.

 

[flametitan]

I looked at the SRD for Hideous laughter and sleep. Sleep has a specific line, "Undead and creatures immune to being charmed aren’t affected by this spell." Hideous laughter does not.

Ergo, RAW, you can affect a ghost with hideous laughter.

 

[jasper]

Thanks this came up in my last session. I ruled the ghost was affected but after the game some gamers said it should not be.

 

[Tormyr]

Honestly, the though of a ghost emitting hideous laughter strikes me as really creepy even if it is incapacitated. Since it is immune to prone, it still hovers in front of everyone while cackling. As a fun effect, a DM could give a free trigger of Horrifying Visage for the ghost.