Huh? So Ghosts aren't Spirits?

[Psychic Skeksis]

Gentlemen, please turn to page 274 of your copy of Urbana Arcana. There we are told the following about the Urbana Arcana/d20 Modern setting:

"There is no Ethereal plane, so ghosts (as D&D knows them) do not exist. However, spirits, which have many of the same properties as ghosts, are common in the mundane world with the rise of magic."

Er, so ghosts aren't spirits in d20 land? I don't have my Monster Manual 3.5 in front of me to look up "Ghosts", but on page 234-236 of Urban Arcana we are introduced to "Spirits" of the following types: Frightful (Apparition), Animating (Poltergeist), Groaning (Banshee), Possessing (Haunt), Weakening (Haunt).

So how are spirits not ghosts? Is the only difference the concept of the "Ethereal plane"?

 

[jaerdaph]

Er, so ghosts aren't spirits in d20 land?

Is the only difference the concept of the "Ethereal plane"?

Apparently so in the little corner of d20 land known as Urban Arcana.

"Spirits" would be the incorporeal dead in D&D, and ghosts are only one example of incorporeal undead. There are no rules for incorporeal undead in the d20 Modern core rules.

Don't confuse campaign settings (like Urban Arcana or Forgotten Realms) with core rules (d20 Modern or D&D). Campaign settings often use variant rules and definitions as part of the conceits that define that setting and set it apart from others. For example, in WotC's Ghostwalk campaign setting, ghosts aren't incorporeal undead but outsiders.

Hope this helps or even made sense.