D&D General Ghostly player?

[toucanbuzz]

Last session, a character got pushed into lava. It wasn't really avoidable. The monsters were intelligent and it was in their nature, and I don't pull punches in my games, and he was standing next to the lava. He instantly died.

I'm all about the "rule of cool," and one of the house rules we're using (from Dragon Age) was that he was a necromancer, and at a level where if he died, and there were enough souls around him to draw upon (a HP number at or higher than his max HP), he could restore himself to life in a few days. The problem was...he's in lava and the ruleset was simply that he comes back to life, which would stink if there was anything left to raise given he fell into lava.

So, I chatted with the player and we agreed mutually to continue the character in that his will was so strong (about a particular backstory issue he's got and developed) that he restored himself but with no body. A specter of sorts. He agreed. Everyone loved it.

After the hullabaloo about rising from the dead, which isn't normally an option in this setting (hardcore), I was on the fly about what rules to use for a necromantic specter mage. So, need to brainstorm some grey areas before next session (and perhaps beyond as we wing it):

1. Body & Powers? On the fly, I thought he'd use a specter block but keep his other ability scores except Strength (and maybe Dexterity). In my setting, incorporeal is more powerful, giving immunity to non-magical attacks. Should he be able to improve this form as he gains levels, such as gaining more HP, or be locked into a more fragile HP? Am I going to have real problems later (group is level 8) with a form that can fly through walls and fly period, especially a caster? One of my other gamers, also a mage, is interested in researching ways to make his body corporeal from time to time, or permanently, if it can be done at all.
2. Equipment? I thought his will was strong enough that he manifested his existing magical items into his new form. No one else can ever use them. They're more his will manifesting a belief, fueled by the souls he consumed. But, can he ever get new items, and if so, does he absorb them into his form permanently, or does something else happen?
3. Casting? Should his casting be affected at all?
4. Stuff I'm missing? I haven't begun to think it all through! I just went with the "rule of cool" and thought he's already able to raise himself from the dead given enough corpses, and we were coincidentally in the middle of a small war in an ancient underground city with dozens of fresh bodies.

I'm particular intrigued about powers as he gains levels, but not so extreme that if I give him powers for advancing as a mage, that I'm double dipping and impacting the other players.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

1. Maybe look at poltergeist. Maybe a check to manifest?

2. Does he need any? probably not. Having items that he can use when he possesses someone would be useful. See #4.

3. Only magic missile would work if he's incorporeal - and any other 'force' spells. Unless he manifests and becomes corporeal. It might work better if he casts as a sorcerer. Also, components will be an issue. I'd allow him to have an arcane focus that is manifested as part of his spirit so he doesn't need bat guano and stuff. Expensive material components will still apply but, if he has to be manifested to use most spells, it should be fine. He may need a familiar to keep some of those possessions for him when he's not manifested. He could also use the familiar ability to deliver touch spells to bypass some of the downsides of not being manifested.

4. What about being able to possess people? Maybe look at the spell "magic Jar". With the help of the other spellcaster, they can make a receptacle that he can live in and then use it to force people into the the jar. Then he can use the rules for Magic Jar: keep his class abilities along with his mental stats but take the physical stats of the victim.

Not having a body takes away a lot of the risk of magic jar (for example, if your body or the Gem is too far away when the spell is dispelled or destroyed, the body of the caster dies.) Maybe have the penalty be that he loses some of his life force that allows him to stay 'alive'. Each time the spell fails (if he's in a body and it dies and the gem is too far away), reduce his charisma by 1d6. When it reaches 0, he can't hold himself together any longer and dies permanently.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I agree with the magic jar idea, in part because it means you don't have to worry about making up a ton of crazy rules. I would say that he has a physical object, though. Maybe it's some object that has meaning that he left behind before he went into the lava, like the necromancer's favorite scrimshawed skull or something.

 

[Bohandas]

What edition? Because in 3e or 3.5e you might want the rules from the Ghostwalk setting

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What edition? Because in 3e or 3.5e you might want the rules from the Ghostwalk setting

Man, that book was done dirty by being released during the 3E/3.5 transition.

 

[sevenbastard]

Man I thought you had found a ghost that wanted to play D&D....... I guess a ghost haracter is cool too.

 

[Kobold Stew]

1. I would instead be looking at Gaseous Form as a model of how the character interacts wit the rest of the world. That form has strengths and liabilities, and would be a much more substantial (heh) RP challenge/opportunity for the player.

2. I would say the equipment is gone. That, too, is an opportunity. As the player learns to live in the new form, it will discover what it needs and can use. You as DM can provide that with low barriers, but let there be some cost to having been burned in lava.

3. As a caster, Gaseous Form normally can't cast. You could adjust, and say it wouldn't be able to cast Touch spells, and possibly concentration would be needed for any non-instant spells... at least to start.

4. As for stuff you're missing... The first thing that came to my head is you have a REAL REASON for someone to have Reincarnation cast. I love this spell, and I haven't seen it in play since 5e came out. Raise Dead is always simply better... except here. If there's a follicle of hair on someone else's clothing, or a nail clipping from campfire the night before, the character can eventually be reincarnated. I like the idea of a random body, but I am not wild about the flavor of the table as given (PHB species only).

If corporeality is desired eventually, that's the way to go: first, keep the hair/clippings. Have someone cast Gentle Repose on it every 9 days. That gives time to explore spritual form. If the character does choose to Reincarnate, player can choose to roll on the table as given, or may propose 3 or 4 species from PHB or MOTM (and anything else you want to add), including the possiblity of staying the same as they were. If you wish, you could add one further possiblity into the mix (the species of the caster for example... I think a Lizardfolk Druid should have a chance at always producing a Lizardfolk in reincarnation), and the player rolls on that more limited table. Player can choose character sex once they see the result.

Whatever you choose... enjoy!

 

[toucanbuzz]

What edition? Because in 3e or 3.5e you might want the rules from the Ghostwalk setting

I'll port in whatever rules seems best, will have to poke through my old stuff.

 

[toucanbuzz]

If corporeality is desired eventually...

It's been a complicated campaign, to say the least. This character got artificially aged by a necromancer (stealing youth) during character creation, so he's been a 15-year-old trapped in a geriatric body, pretending to be an archer (mages in the setting are heavily moderated and not allowed just to roam about) and someday aiming to learn enough necromancy to steal his life back from that guy.

He is totally infatuated with a random encounter barmaid (who flirted with him in order to get out of her dead-end village) and it's been his life goal to win her over (because deep down he's an infatuated 15-year-old).

So (awesome roleplayer), the player was overjoyed when he died because his ghost form allowed him to manifest as his youthful self. Now that he's young and hot again, he firmly believes the barmaid (who secretly despises him for reasons way too complicated to put in this post) will totally be into him if he can just get a body.

 

[J.Quondam]

It's been a complicated campaign, to say the least. This character got artificially aged by a necromancer (stealing youth) during character creation, so he's been a 15-year-old trapped in a geriatric body, pretending to be an archer (mages in the setting are heavily moderated and not allowed just to roam about) and someday aiming to learn enough necromancy to steal his life back from that guy.

He is totally infatuated with a random encounter barmaid (who flirted with him in order to get out of her dead-end village) and it's been his life goal to win her over (because deep down he's an infatuated 15-year-old).

So (the player is an awesome roleplayer), the player was overjoyed that when he died because his ghost form allowed him to manifest as his youthful self. Now that he's young and hot again, he firmly believes the barmaid (who secretly despises him for reasons way too complicated to put in this post) will totally be into him if he can just get a body.

Best. Romcom. Ever!