Any spell casting spirits?

[marshmandr]

I am after any spirits that are player races or monsters that are able to cast spells.

Thanks.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Take a standard spectre and assign it levels in a spell casting class?

 

[Fanaelialae]

You could alternately take a caster (say the Mage NPC) and apply the traits from any spirit monster (such as ghost) to it. This might require an adjustment of the CR, as explained in the DMG section on creating monsters.

 

[CapnZapp]

Take a standard spectre and assign it levels in a spell casting class?

You could alternately take a caster (say the Mage NPC) and apply the traits from any spirit monster (such as ghost) to it. This might require an adjustment of the CR, as explained in the DMG section on creating monsters.

What both of you seem to be saying is "no, there isn't".

Let's focus on what the OP is actually asking.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think what we a both saying is "it is very easy to make one".

 

[Ath'kethin]

I suppose it also depends on what you mean by "spirits." The high elf and drow PC races come with cantrips. Any PC can be a wizard or warlock or sorcerer or eldritch knight or whatever. Never mind the Magic Initiate feat.

The Green Hag from the Monster Manual casts spells, as does the cambion, death knight,several demons/devils, drider variant, dryad, drow, empyrean . . . and I'm obviously just flipping through the book at this point.

To the OP: is there something specific you are looking for? What situation are you trying to solve?

 

[marshmandr]

To the OP: is there something specific you are looking for? What situation are you trying to solve?

Sorry I didn't provide more information. I won't go into too much reasoning but my character I would like to create is a lore Bard (for utility) and say the spells are not cast from him but a spirit creature. The character carries a tome that when opened conjures a spirit who defends the PC / tome with (Bard) spells.

Rather than try and suggest rules for this spirit I wondered if there were any existing spirit / incorporeal creatures that could cast spells.

I think someone in a reply said to use a wizard but attach the spectre keyword to it? This could be what I'm looking for.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Quite a few fey can cast spells, and could be considered "spirits" in that the can be conjured as familiars. Also true for many celestials and fiends (but many of those are very powerful). The Volo's version of Aasimar gives them a guiding spirit in their fluff, but it has no stats.

This background sounds like a Warlock with "Pact of the Chain" to me though. Maybe consider multiclassing? Choose Archfey patron, then Pact of the Chain: Sprite at level 3, then multiclass to bard.

Alternatively, there are a couple of feats that a variant human bard could use to give them a familiar from 1st level. You could fluff that as "casting the spells".

 

[marshmandr]

I found this from another forum:

"When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets."

So ghost it is then.

I will apply ghost rules to a creature. I guess it will have to use / share my PC's hit points but I'm sure I can make sense of that somehow.

 

[marshmandr]

This background sounds like a Warlock with "Pact of the Chain" to me though. Maybe consider multiclassing? Choose Archfey patron, then Pact of the Chain: Sprite at level 3, then multiclass to bard.

Yes I like the idea of Warlocks, they sound a cool class. I just wanted more of a 'skill monkey' mundane character but much prefer the Bard's spells.

I wouldn't want to play a spell caster but like the utility and fun that spell casters get.

I am not a dnd player, this will be my first game. Classes are good and flavorful but I would prefer to make my own really. Your multiclass idea sounds good but as I'm not that familiar with 5e rules I would rather reskin something than try and force character creation rules to fit requirements.

Having said that, I'm off to read about pact chain warlocks.