Necromancer: Ghost Minions

[Captain Kablam]

Been kicking around an idea, but is it possible either in 3.5 or Pathfinder to create ghosts you can control or even make turn your familiar/animal companion into a spectral creature? I mean yeah, rule of thumb is to not raise undead that can think, but at the same time if you can get a spectre to work for you, say hello to one of the best scouts ever.

[ShurikVch]

Well, Create Greater Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/createGreaterUndead.htm) can make Spectres and Wraiths
Mastery of the Dead feat (Player's Guide to Eberron): creature (only one!) killed by [death] spell turn into Ghost controlled by you, which stays for 1 turn/CL (or until destroyed)
Putrefaction spell (Dragon #300): affected creature dies from old age in several turns, it's body animated as Zombie, and soul turns into a Ghost (both are under caster's control); maximal number of controlled Ghosts is Cha bonus

For Familiar: Dread Necromancer may get Ghostly Visage at 7th level, Swarm Familiars option (in Dragon #329) allow to get Ephemeral Swarm at 11th level, and Darkness Familiar feat (Dragon #322) have Shadow familiar option at from 9th level, and Wraith - at 14th

[Segev]

Command undead acts as a "charm" type effect on intelligent undead. Using create undead on vermin to make a ghost brute out of them probably yields mindless undead that are actively controlled by command undead. The feat Undead Leadership would let you claim a ghost or few as Followers if your score is high enough.

[ShurikVch]

Using create undead on vermin to make a ghost brute out of themPlease, excuse me, but since when you can, actually, create a Ghost Brute?
Because, the last time I checked, Ghost Brute was one of those "DM-only" Undeads, and there wasn't any way to create it (short of ritual from Savage Species, or Wish)

Also, since when Create Undead is able to make Incorporeal creatures (let alone - ethereal ones)?

[Boggartbae]

If you have your followers take the Demonic Obedience feat and serve Mestama (http://www.pathfindercommunity.net/demon-lords), then they can turn into ghosts upon achieving the second boon. The Demoniac PrC and the Diverse obedience feat can be used to access that boon faster.

[mostlyharmful]

The dragonlance 3rd party book Age of Mortals has a few interesting encroached options in it (the rest of the book's Derek but you can't have everything). The summon unread spells are reasonably balanced and the unread battery feat is colourful, but the bind spirit spell does almost what you're asking for, with the caveat that they're only around for a few decades and your control is linked to physical possession of their skull (which can be a bonus, one of my homebrew worlds had thriving trade in ghost minions for tyrants).

[noob]

So you can summon unread and use unread battery?
I guess you are a special kind of necromancer.
I know undead and undying but not unread.
Where can I find how to create unread?

[Segev]

Please, excuse me, but since when you can, actually, create a Ghost Brute?
Because, the last time I checked, Ghost Brute was one of those "DM-only" Undeads, and there wasn't any way to create it (short of ritual from Savage Species, or Wish)

Also, since when Create Undead is able to make Incorporeal creatures (let alone - ethereal ones)?

I thought create undead or its Greater brother could do ghosts. And since "ghost brute" is just "ghost, but applied to animals and vermin," it was a logical extrapolation from there.

Frankly, create greater undead should be able to make nearly any kind of undead. The number of undead without listed creation means is really irksome.

[noob]

I thought create undead or its Greater brother could do ghosts. And since "ghost brute" is just "ghost, but applied to animals and vermin," it was a logical extrapolation from there.

Frankly, create greater undead should be able to make nearly any kind of undead. The number of undead without listed creation means is really irksome.

Maybe it corresponds to the fact necromancers did not research how to create those particular kind of undead.
Undead can occur naturally.

[ShurikVch]

I thought create undead or its Greater brother could do ghosts. And since "ghost brute" is just "ghost, but applied to animals and vermin," it was a logical extrapolation from there.IIRR, create undead was able to make Ghosts in 3.0

[Segev]

Maybe it corresponds to the fact necromancers did not research how to create those particular kind of undead.
Undead can occur naturally.

And yet, so few even explain how they come about. I appreciate the ones that do!

I may not be able to use create undead to make a Slaymate, but I can probably orchestrate the horrific circumstances required. If I'm evil enough. And then just wait for one to actually arise from the abandoned, neglected, betrayed little corpselings. And use command undead to adopt it. >_> <_<

[ATHATH]

I think the Ghost Companion spell (from Ghostwalk, IIRC) might be exactly what you're looking for.

[Silva Stormrage]

As already noted Mastery of the Dead feat grants you the ability to spawn a ghost when you kill something with a death spell. There is some interesting arguments for comboing the Master of Undeath feat from Complete Mage. What Master of Undeath does is whenever you create an undead creature you don't count it towards your standard limit of undead and you gain control over it for 1 day/level after which it becomes hostile to you.

Now some people rule that Master of Undeath automatically extends the duration of Mastery of the Dead to 1 day/level and then makes the ghost permanent while others rule that the ghost simply fades after the normal 1 round/CL.

Another option is to simply use Mastery of the Dead wait for the ghost to fade away then use the spell revive undead on it. Some DM's might rule that the ghost isn't destroyed it simply "Fades away" but in that case you just have to kill it yourself within 1 round/cl. Not too hard. Do note that for revive undead the undead has to be willing which complicates matters.

[ShurikVch]

I think the Ghost Companion spell (from Ghostwalk, IIRC) might be exactly what you're looking for.Note: Ghosts in the Ghostwalk aren't Undead, but living Outsiders
If we mentioned it, then the Raise Ghost from the same book is worth mentioning too.

If we're looking for Incorporeal non-Undead stuff, then we also can make Sacred Watcher (Book of Exalted Deeds) with Create Greater Deathless (Eberron Campaign Setting)

Shadow Simulacrum (Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land) and Umbral Spy (Forge of War) are Constructs, but Incorporeal too

Spectral Hunter is a Monstrous Humanoid, but can turn Incorporeal at-will, so - if you have access to Call of Cthulhu d20 - Become Spectral Hunter (Sorcerer/Wizard 5, 1000 XP)


Or is it because of word "Ghost"?
OK, then Magebred Ghost Tiger is a 7th-level Animal Companion option in Breland