Duration of Malevolence

[Variable Arcana]

The Ghost's ability "Malevolence" is described as being similar the the magic jar spell by a 10th level caster.

Such a spell would have a 10 hour duration.

However, most descriptions of ghosts *using* this ability describe it as a way to go on multi-week quests away from the place they haunt (in order to fulfill the condition which will let them rest). (This is *hinted* at in the description of one of the ghosts in Libris Mortis -- Taryn Darena, p. 149 -- but it's not explicitly answered.)

So... what's the duration? Are there additional saves every 10 hrs, every 24 hrs, never??

Second question: what's the experience of a possessed individual? What if they're sleeping when they are possessed -- on a successful save do they just wake up, or do they know what just happened? On a failed save, do they experience what their body does, or black out, waking up clueless in the morning? What if the ghost casts a suggestion at the end of the time, telling them it was just a bad dream?

I ask because I'm going to be DMing a PC with this power soon -- I'm perfectly willing to make arbitrary DM rulings (though I want to do so *now* before they actually arise) -- but if there are good answers out there, I'd like to start from those.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

The only exception from magic jar noted is that the ghost doesn't need a intermediate receptacle to go body hopping. I assume this means the duration is the same as a normal magic jar—10 hours, or more if the ghost has over 10 Hit Dice.

As for how aware a creature possessed through the use of a ghost's Malvolence ability—that's ultimately up to the DM. There is no RAW statement on that.

[Quietus]

Letting a character play a ghost is a mistake, IMO, since at a certain point they will ALWAYS reform. Of course, if they have a specific reason to continue as a ghost, and they're actively working toward setting that in motion, I imagine it would work out.

Personally, I'd say leave it up to the individual in question. Perhaps give them their will save to prevent the malevolence, and if they fail it by more than 5 they remember nothing (the sleeping option), and if they fail by 1-5, they remember everything in perfect detail, just as if someone had cast Dominate on them.

As for durations... that again would be up to you. I'd say, if they HAVE to return to the place they haunt after a failed attempt at malevolence, either let it be a permanent effect, or every 24 hours. If they can still hang around, either every 24 hours or every 10. Season to taste, sautee, grill, etc.

[DaMullet]

I would rule that "Like" magic jar doesn't mean "Is" magic jar, and a successfully Malevolent ghost can keep the body for a week or more.

[Variable Arcana]

Letting a character play a ghost is a mistake, IMO, since at a certain point they will ALWAYS reform.

That particular issue is well taken care of (the character's material remains are in the possession of the powerful necromancers she works for. They aren't likely to be terribly pleased with a failure -- even if they don't trap her soul and sell it to a harvester devil, she's likely to be reassigned to graveyard patrol (i.e. out of the campaign) if she keeps getting killed.

I'm more concerned about striking the right balance with her powers.