How do you trap a ghost? (9th Level) Pathfinder

[Drake2009]

So I'm currently a 9th level cleric, and my group is investigating a tower of an old wizard/technologist. He is currently haunting the place, and every time we fight, he runs away. I have already figured out ways to fight him, but we can't kill him, if he just runs! We found 3 spell-books and are hoping that he runs out of spells, and is forced to make a stand. We have gone through his tower, now we found some underground structure. (Which I assume is where his body will be.) I'm assuming we are supposed to find his tomb, and kill him there, but I kind of want to kill him early.

[Gallowglass]

If you really want ideas you'll have to provide more information.

What is your party make up? What kind of spell-casting, cleric abilities do you have at your disposal?
What special ghost abilities has the ghost already exhibited?
You say you've figured out ways to fight him. what have you figured out?

Keeping an incorporal thing from running away when they can go through walls, floors and ceilings with any move action (or even a 5' step in most cases) is almost impossible. You need some high level magic like http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/resilient-sphere which, in theory, your wizards or sorcerers may have at their level. But if they don't have it... you are going to have to A-Team it by looking through the wizard/technologists stuff and hope you have a lenient and creative DM who is willing to work with you to build or find something that will help. All the low level "keep things from running away" are mostly mind-affecting so they all fail on a ghost.

[Drake2009]

Right, Team makeup is as follows.

Goblin Sorcerer, Android Fighter, Human Cleric (me) and Elf Gunslinger.
I've been using Ghostbane Dirge, so that we can hit him, then I use force attacks, Such as Weapons Storm. (3rd party spell). Basically, force attacks are my go to for him. He is a wizard, I am unsure of his exact level, somewhere around 12th? Maybe higher. He seems to favor Vapor spells, like stinking cloud, or cloud-kill. He somehow modifies them, so they do negative energy damage, which he uses to heal himself. I can do some pretty serious damage myself, and the gunslinger literally misses ONLY with a natural 1, and does a minimum of 36 damage to people. My domains are pretty useless for this. Earth (Metal) and Artifice or something. They are good for Robot killing. Killing robots is what I do. Ghosts.... not so much.

[Geddy2112]

Second a force effect like resilent sphere, although your sorcerer might not have it.

At level 9, you have a few spells to at least barrier yourself from the ghost, like anti-incorporeal shell and undeath ward. Can't be used offensively, but might be able to deny some area of the battlefield/around you.

Ghosts are ghosts for a reason-the key to stopping one is to find out why they became a ghost in the first place. Probably something in the tomb you gotta destroy. If you want a quicker answer, I would prepare the spells ancestral memory and commune-these give you legal ways to metagame and basically probe the DM for solutions. I doubt you will get a direct easy answer, but it should give you hints on how to better fight the ghost considering these spells commune with your ancestors, or your deity.

Your domains are not totally useless-if there are natural earthworks, soften earth and stone can bypass some of the rooms and dungeon crawlness, and you can always force doors and locks with artificers touch. In a pinch, the metal fists ignore hardness so you and the fighter can help bash down the door. So if he runs, try and chase him.

[Sapreaver]

If you're allowed to grab some stuff from 3.5 and have points in umd there is a line of spells from wu Jens that deal with spirits exclusively

[Starbuck_II]

Well, you can trap him...

Technically, you can put him into a flask.
The reason is a ghost is no longer of the material plane. There are considered Ethereal plane (when they manifest on material plane).
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#ironFlask
Very expensive 170K gp.

A simpler way, Bead of Force (deals 5d6 force damage) then traps in a resilient sphere.

Until the ghost manifests, it is just ethereal:
Unlike an incorporeal creature, an ethereal creature doesn't have to stay adjacent to the object's exterior when it enters the object, so it can pass through an object of any thickness.

But as soon as it manifests, it must stay adjacent to object's exterior when it enters an object.

[Slithery D]

Entrap Spirit (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/entrap-spirit), but it's only for Occult spell casters.

[Psyren]

Strictly speaking you can't "kill" a ghost due to their Rejuvenation ability. What you have to do instead is find out what his purpose is and help him fulfill it or otherwise render it unnecessary/irrelevant, otherwise even if you somehow defeat him he'll keep coming back.

As far as trapping or containing him, high level magic like Trap the Soul can do this but that may not be helpful for you at your level. You may instead want to check with your GM and see if there is an NPC that can help like a Medium, and then escort/protect them into the tower so they can join hands with you and do their thing. There are other rules in Occult Adventures for dealing with haunts and it is freely available online.

[Toilet Cobra]

So I'm currently a 9th level cleric, and my group is investigating a tower of an old wizard/technologist.

I know that wizard! As a DM can I just say how much fun that was. One of my favorite NPC's in ages!

[Slithery D]

Also, it sounds like you're playing the third volume of the Iron Gods AP. There is a given way to put him to rest finally, but it's complicated and involved, assuming your GM didn't tweak it.

[Drake2009]

Right, I guess i just have to be patient. We have been fighting him in his tower, and he just fades into the walls. It's REALLY annoying. We have managed to piss him off quite a bit. As I mentioned, we stole his spell-books, and our gunslinger SOMEHOW managed to SHOOT his magic ring (Something about absorbing and shooting force attacks) off, so that it actually FLEW straight to his hand. It was hilarious...

[Genth]

Come on, no one?!

You cast a calling to 1-800-555-2368 of course!