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Ivius
2007-05-20, 06:58 PM
Does anyone have any tips for playing a ghost? Not just Feats/PrCs, but general combat strategy as well. My character's a battlefield control Psion, and I'm at a loss as to what special abilities to take (thinking of malevolence, Draining Touch, and Telekinesis).

goat
2007-05-20, 07:12 PM
Well, you've got a 50% miss chance on any attack against you, and your spells/powers are normal unless they involve touching.

Hide in a wall/floor, zap people.

Jack_Simth
2007-05-20, 09:26 PM
Those are three highly useful abilities, and good choices.

You don't have a Con score, but you've got d12 HD instead of your d4 HD - which is the equivalent of a Con bonus for HP only of +4 (on average - d4 averages 2.5, d12 averages 6.5 - a 4 point difference). You'll have a fair number of hit points.

See if your DM will let you take 10 on your Rejuvination rolls.

You kinda picked the wrong class - primary spellcasters HATE level adjustments (and a Psion is a different flavor primary spellcaster), but even ignoring that, you're not playing to your racial strengths - you want Charisma as your primary casting stat, not Intelligence, due to the +4 racial bonus and the manifested deflection bonus. A one-level dip into Monk, and that nifty feat that switches the AC bonus from Wisdom to Charisma (Aestectic Mage from Complete Adventurer) and you can end up with a Touch AC of "Don't even bother trying" for corporeal opponents.

You're simply immune to many monsters. Combat Brutes often can't do a thing to an incorporeal critter. Most the beasties that can do something to an incorporeal can only do so 50% of the time. Get a +1 Ghost Touch weapon. Just so you can sit opposite the Rogue for Flanking. The player will thank you. Use Telekenesis to grapple a lot (for the same reason).

Get a Psicrystal for channeling any touch powers you might have.

Get Plane Shift and teleport - as soon as the DM decides your character needs to be challenged, you may find yourself faced with something ethereal - and the rest of the party will have some difficulties helping you.

TSGames
2007-05-20, 09:27 PM
Does anyone have any tips for playing a ghost?
I have played far too much Starcraft...

The_Werebear
2007-05-20, 11:14 PM
I always like playing rogues. That way, you avoid the level adjustment. Get a ghost touch weapon so you don't have a miss chance. Go the the trees for spring attack as well. The main tactic is to pop out of the floor, sneak attack, then drop back in. Just keep flitting in and out until you have chased off or killed your target. Worst comes to worst, you can use Malevolence to steal a fighter body and let them take some punishment for you.

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-05-20, 11:30 PM
It doesn't really play to any of your strengths, but wielding a spiked chain in this case would be thematically awesome.

ClericofPhwarrr
2007-05-20, 11:50 PM
It doesn't really play to any of your strengths, but wielding a spiked chain in this case would be thematically awesome.

I'd prefer a chain with moneyboxes attached to it.

"Scrooge... Scrooge..." :smallwink:

JoeFredBob
2007-05-21, 12:29 AM
I have played far too much Starcraft...

QFT

I think it has to do with the fact that "ghost" was capitalized in the subject.

Closet_Skeleton
2007-05-21, 07:40 AM
Libris Mortis has feats with undead type and incorporeality as prerequisites. They're not optimised but can be fun and are usually unobtainable.

Mr. Moogle
2007-05-21, 07:54 AM
Well considering that if i was a ghost i would be a wizard with dominate person, and make a walking meat wall of possesed commoners who would give me all their gold before i sombified them... I think that the psion plan is good and all. But it is a ton more fun to get at least one level in master of the unseen hand for telekenisis ownage.

Person_Man
2007-05-21, 08:29 AM
1) Use the level adjusted version (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a). This way you're not stuck with the full +5 LA.

2) As Moogle suggested, pick up telekinesis and all 5 levels of Master of the Unseen Hand.

3) Stand in back and throw your enemies around like your playthings.

NullAshton
2007-05-21, 11:07 AM
There is the possibility of using Alter Self. There is no clause that Alter Self cannot be used on incorporeal targets, and allows you to turn into other undead creatures. HOWEVER, as incorporeality is a subtype, using alter self would thus change your subtype, as subtypes are general physical qualities(There was a few wizard articles on this). Thus, a valid target for polymorph.

This can allow you to turn into any 5 HD or lower undead, including incorporeal undead. And you can use polymorph to shift into higher HD creatures, just not incorporeal.

In addition, 5th level transmogrifist's alter self spells are permanent. That means you only have to use one or two alter self spells a day to stay in a polymorph able state indefinitely. With a sorcerer, you could get those five levels at about level 18 though.... still though, at that 18th level, you're a shapechanging sorcerer that's practically invincible.

puppyavenger
2007-05-21, 02:17 PM
Buy Ghostwalk

Fishy
2007-05-21, 06:47 PM
This was pointed out on the Assassin thread, but Necromantic Presence and Necromantic Might are cheesy things for an undead to have, possibly not your best use of a feat.

A Psicrystal would be a handy way to interact with the real world, but familiars and animal companions refuse to serve masters after they die. It's not explicit, but I'd assume you lose it when you kick the bucket, which is a shame, since that's a nifty idea on many, many levels.

An important consideration, though: How are you spending your share of the party gold? Ghosts can't really hold or wear magic items...

Ivius
2007-05-21, 07:02 PM
An important consideration, though: How are you spending your share of the party gold? Ghosts can't really hold or wear magic items...

Paying NPC Wizards to Ethereal Jaunt me equipment.

Ditto
2007-05-21, 07:36 PM
A Ring of X-Ray Vision grants the titular power, but slowly drains your Con score if you wear it continuously.

You have no Con score.

Have fun casting from inside walls without *ever* coming out. 20 ft. vision range, but once you dive under the middle of a battlefield it's not much of an issue.

The_Werebear
2007-05-21, 10:17 PM
As for the equipment: You can either do that Jaunt thing, or just have your party bring your remains with you and set it on those I believe according to how it is worded, a copy will appear on you as well.

Bagera
2007-05-22, 09:07 AM
A Psicrystal would be a handy way to interact with the real world, but familiars and animal companions refuse to serve masters after they die. It's not explicit, but I'd assume you lose it when you kick the bucket, which is a shame, since that's a nifty idea on many, many levels.

An important consideration, though: How are you spending your share of the party gold? Ghosts can't really hold or wear magic items...

I'm pretty sure psycrystals are different as they are a fraction of your personality rather than an animal recruited to you.

Ivius
2007-05-22, 03:18 PM
As for the equipment: You can either do that Jaunt thing, or just have your party bring your remains with you and set it on those I believe according to how it is worded, a copy will appear on you as well.

It seems I left out a few details. First of all, that would be impossible; it's a Ravenloft game, and I appeared there after death (If that doesn't make sense it's probably because I don't know a bit about Ravenloft). Also, everyone in the party is going to be some type of undead (I doubt many DMs would let me play a Ghost otherwise). It's PbP, and it hasn't started yet. The other party members are a Lich rogue, a ranger whose type I don't know, and someone else who I don't think has started his sheet yet.