NPC Ghost

[PhoenixV]

For the game I am running I would like to have a ghost NPC that the characters can receive guidance from / get quests from. My question is what are the limitations of how a ghost interacts with the material world. The rules seem a bit vague in the monster manual. My main gripe is that the monster manual seems to only be geared to ghosts that are mindless killing machines. Not intelligent beings who could potentially have meaningful communication.

Specifically the parts I want clarification on are these...

Sound - the ghost was a bard before it died, if it plays the instrument it still has as a ghost could the players characters hear this at all? (this is on the material plane while the ghost is manifesting). I know speaking is out of the question but what about this? Is there a difference between when they are on the material plane and when they are on the ethereal plane? Could the ghost actually speak to them on the Ethereal plane?

Spells - If the ghost cannot speak can it still cast a spell requiring a verbal command? I know spells requiring touch would not affect characters but what about a spell like ray of frost for example, would that still act as normal?

Manifesting - is this something that is on cool down or can a ghost simply pop into and out of the material plane at will whenever it wants?

[Elxir_Breauer]

I would look into the Ghostwalk book and its web supplement. It deals with all kinds of different undead creatures and how to make them playable or otherwise usable as anything besides enemies.

[Surpriser]

Why should the ghost be unable to speak while manifesting? The clause about incorporeal creatures making no sound has the important addition "unless they decide to make noise". The ghost template itself only speaks about "moving silently" (a wholly redundant sentence in my opinion).

Even so, touch spells are specifically called out in the template as not working against targets on the material plane. Other spells, including ranged touch spells, work fine. From the SRD:

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.

Of course, while it is not manifesting, nothing it does will affect the PCs on the material plane at all. This includes spells, music and even speech.
If the party moves to the ethereal plane though, the ghost is corporeal for them and they can interact normally as with any other NPC.

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm curious... where did you get the idea that ghosts cannot make sounds? They can totally speak, cast spells, and play their ghostly lute or whatever just fine!

[PhoenixV]

From the reading of the description and other things I was under the impression that the only way a Ghost had to communicate was using the ghost sound ability which would not allow for communication in sounds that are clear enough to be actual words or music.

If the lute or some instrument would work just fine then what about a ghost wielding a sword that it took into the afterlife with it? Wold that still function as normal?

Sorry if I sound like I don't have a clue. I am a very green DM and in the games i have played over the years we never did anything with the other planes of existence or creatures that lived there.

[Surpriser]

Even Ghost Sound (the spell) is capable of producing normal speech.

Concerning the ghost's equipment, there are 3 cases to distinguish:
- Mundane items simply pass through any corporeal object or creature without effect.
- Magical items have a 50% chance of working normally, with two exceptions:
- Force effects and Ghost Touch equipment always work against corporeal targets, without miss chance.

All this is just as valid in the reverse case of corporeal objects interacting with the ghost.

EDIT: There is an asymmetry for spells, because spells cast by a ghost work normally against corporeal targets (except touch spells), but spells cast with the ghost as target only have a 50% chance of affecting it (except force spells).

The music of a ghostly instrument is not subject to any miss chance - sound and vision apparently are not corporeal effects in D&D.

[PhoenixV]

Seems very odd to me that the Ghost can touch you as an attack but cannot touch you to perform a spell? Whatever I will roll with it.

I did understand how a PC can attack a ghost (50% miss chance with magical weapons etc). How about the reverse? If a ghost has a +1 magical long sword and is manifesting on the material plane does he have a 50% miss chance against PC's what if his weapon is non-magical?

[Surpriser]

Seems very odd to me that the Ghost can touch you as an attack but cannot touch you to perform a spell? Whatever I will roll with it.
This is because a ghost's "touch" attack does not require bodily contact, it is more a magical draining of life force. Also note that not all ghosts possess the Corrupting Touch ability.


I did understand how a PC can attack a ghost (50% miss chance with magical weapons etc). How about the reverse? If a ghost has a +1 magical long sword and is manifesting on the material plane does he have a 50% miss chance against PC's what if his weapon is non-magical?
As is explained above, the miss chance applies if the weapon is magical. If it is mundane, the weapon has no effect on corporeal targets.