Modified Ghost Template 3.5

[Let'sGetKraken]

Hey guys,

I'm about to start playing a campaign set in a traditional Gothic horror setting, beginning at 5th level, and my DM had the brilliant idea of me playing a ghost of some sort. Ideally, it would be a huge surprise for everyone else in the party - I'd be a full-plated crusader with all 'skin' hidden beneath armor. The 'haunted-armor' thing really appeals to me, but I haven't figured out a template that would work; ideally, I'd be manifested all the time.

Is there any sort of thing/good homebrew that would work? The level adjustment would ideally be no more than two or three at the most, and I'd be willing to sacrifice most of the traditional advantages of being a ghost for roleplaying value.

If anyone has any suggestions for a homebrew, or if anyone would be willing to point me in the right direction, that would be awesome.

[DJroboninja]

If you can wrangle a copy, there's a "Fetch" template in Dragon 313 - basically, it's like a half-ghost. LA is +5, but it has a lot of abilities - you could scale it back a bit to lower the LA. Otherwise, maybe check out Ghostwalk? It was a 3.0 book, but it was all about ghosts.

[Let'sGetKraken]

Thanks, will check out the fetch thing. I did take a look at ghostwalk, but the issue was mostly with the fact that the ghost template I saw of theirs was insubstantial almost all the time - something that wouldn't work if my crusader was to be constantly partially material.

[Dr. Azkur]

I know much less of what I should know about ghosts but this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) might be of good use to you.
It's for gaining templates-mid campaign so you don't suddenly get a boost of power that leaves your party behind and also never level up again. What it's good about it is that you don't need to take every level of it, just as many as you want, since it's handled exactly like a class.

You could take one or two levels as one of your starting 5, and then level up freely as you continue the campaign or simply leave it there and never come back.

[DeusMortuusEst]

Check out the Ghostwalk setting. It was designed to for ghost characters.

[OldTrees1]

1 level of the Ghost template class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) + the Ghostly Grasp feat = Ghost wearing armor for +1LA and 1 feat.

Don't forget the feat.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Check out the Ghostwalk setting. It was designed to for ghost characters.

I second this -so- hard.

The ghost template from that supplement is much better balanced for PC use. The book also has the soulshell manikin item, which allows the normally incorporeal ghosts to have a physical body that they can use for a measly 200gp. Then, if you like, you can pick up the classic ghost abilities via ghost feats and there's even a ghost-only class, eidolon, that gives you ghost feats as bonus feats.

[TiaC]

Use malevolence to possess a body.

[Jack_Simth]

Hey guys,

I'm about to start playing a campaign set in a traditional Gothic horror setting, beginning at 5th level, and my DM had the brilliant idea of me playing a ghost of some sort. Ideally, it would be a huge surprise for everyone else in the party - I'd be a full-plated crusader with all 'skin' hidden beneath armor. The 'haunted-armor' thing really appeals to me, but I haven't figured out a template that would work; ideally, I'd be manifested all the time.

Is there any sort of thing/good homebrew that would work? The level adjustment would ideally be no more than two or three at the most, and I'd be willing to sacrifice most of the traditional advantages of being a ghost for roleplaying value.

If anyone has any suggestions for a homebrew, or if anyone would be willing to point me in the right direction, that would be awesome.
The standard Ghost can do that by way of the Ghostly Grasp feat (Libris Mortis) if you ignore the expansion on the incorporeal type found in the Monster Manual III on page 214.

The Savage Progression for the Ghost (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) might be useful to you as well.