Ghosts, Calamities, and Merciful Response

[Palanan]

Is turning the only option when dealing with ghosts, poltergeists, etc.? Or are there spells, rituals, or some other option for dealing with restless spirits? Apart from direct damage from spells and magic weapons, I mean.

I was thinking about natural disasters and the immense number of ghosts they must produce. If the clerical orders of a region had to deal with a horde of ghosts after a calamity, is there a way they could lay them to rest without resorting to brute force? Something spiritually merciful, if you will, that would help the lost souls move on without simply destroying them. Are there any options along these lines?

[Psyren]

Laying a large bunch of spirits to rest (particularly ones that all died of the same cause) sounds like a plot problem rather than a typical encounter. I would give my deity a call for a suitable ritual, the ingredients/prep for which would likely involve more D&D-friendly tussles with smaller groups of undead.

[Palanan]

Okay, thanks. I was approaching this from an in-game perspective, rather than thinking in terms of encounter design. Naturally a horde of ghosts would be a bit much for most parties; I’m thinking more along the lines of how an entire religious order would respond to a natural disaster and its incorporeal aftermath.

What I’m wondering is whether there’s a spell or ritual that could encourage a ghost to pass on peacefully, rather than lingering and causing trouble for mortals. I’m guessing there isn’t anything specific, since you mentioned developing a custom ritual.

Assuming for the moment we just have a single ghost to deal with, what would that ritual look like? I was thinking some sort of calming spell, and then something to propitiate the ghost and convince it to let go. But what level of spell would you need to calm a ghost, and what kind of ritual would set it free?

[Psyren]

A single ghost would probably use the exorcism rules in Occult Adventures. There's a ritual called "Ritual Exorcism" that deals with a single ghost inhabiting a creature, object, or location.

[Palanan]

Perfect, thanks. That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.