Ghost (Dungeons & Dragons)
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In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the ghost is an undead creature. Like a Dungeons & Dragons vampire, it is achieved by applying a template to a base creature, of the races existing for playability within the canon.
Description[edit]
A ghost looks just as the creature did in life, though its appearance is hazy and translucent.
Beginning with third edition, a ghost can be of any alignment, and usually (at the Dungeon Master's discretion) retains whatever alignment it had in life. A ghost is incorporeal, and can harm living creatures with either a touch or a gaze.
Publication history[edit]
The ghost was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)[edit]
The ghost first appeared in the official newsletter of TSR Games, The Strategic Review #3, August 1975.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)[edit]
The ghost appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977),[1] where it is described as the spirit of an evil human who was so awful that it has been rewarded (or cursed) with undead status.
The lesser ghost for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting appeared in Lords of Darkness (1988).[2]
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)[edit]
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the ghost, which first appeared in the module Palace of the Silver Princess (1981). The ghost was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Companion Rules set (1984),[3] and the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991).[4]
Several variants of the ghost appeared in Dragon #29 (September 1979).
The immature desert ghost and mature desert ghost appeared in Creature Catalogue (1986),[5] and the Creature Catalog (1993).[6]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)[edit]
The ghost appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989),[7] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[8]
The watchghost for the Forgotten Realms setting first appeared in the Ruins of Undermountain boxed set (1991).[9] The Pasocada ghost appears in City of Gold (1992). The spectral harpist first appeared in Code of the Harpers (1993). The Zhentarim spirit first appeared in the Ruins of Zhentil Keep boxed set, and in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996).[10]
The ghost mount for the Al-Qadim campaign setting appeared in Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992),[11] and the lesser ghost mount appeared in Dungeon #51 (January 1995).
The bear animal ghost, the wild boar animal ghost, the wild horse animal ghost, the mountain lion animal ghost, the stag animal ghost, and the wolf animal ghost appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994).
The casura ghost and the ker ghost appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Two (1995).
The ghost pack appeared in the Shaman supplement (1995).
The lacunae ghost appeared in Dragon #265 (November 1999).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)[edit]
The ghost appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000) as a template,[12] including the human ghost as a sample creature.
A number of variant ghost templates for the Forgotten Realms setting appeared in Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun (2001), including the spectral harpist, the watchghost, and the Zhentarim spirit.[13]
The domovoi (ghost) appeared in Dragon #290 (December 2001).
A variation on the ghost template appeared in the Ghostwalk campaign setting (2003), using the dwarf ghost as a sample creature.[14]
The ghost brute template appeared in Dragon #300 (October 2002), and included the ghost brute cat as a sample creature. The ghost brute template appeared in Savage Species (2003), which also included the ghost hound.[15]
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)[edit]
The ghost appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003), including the human ghost as a sample creature.
The Selskar watchghost appeared in the adventure "Forest of Blood" in Dungeon #101 (August 2003).[16]
The frostfell ghost template appeared in Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow (2004), including the human frostfell ghost as a sample creature.[17]
The ghost brute template appeared in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (2004),[18] which included the ghost brute hound as a sample creature. This book also included the haunting ghost and the sagacious ghost. The ghost brute lion later appeared in the module Red Hand of Doom (2006), along with the ghost dire lion.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)[edit]
The ghost appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the phantom warrior, the traphaunt, the wailing ghost (banshee), and the tormenting ghost.[19]
Variant ghosts[edit]
- Doomsphere - Ghostly beholders
- Frostfell Ghost - The spirit of a creature slain by Arctic hazards, it appears caked in ice, rime, and snow.
- Ghost Brute - Spectral remnants of animals, magical beasts, and sentient plants.
- Ghostly Dragon - Ghost dragons gain a breath weapon that ages those it touches.
- Haunting Ghost - A haunting ghost lurks in foreboding, often deserted areas. Typically, it seeks to drive away all living creatures from its domain.
- Keening Spirit - Also known as a groaning spirit, this ghost of an evil female elf is known for its constant weeping and groaning.
- Sagacious Ghost - Some ghosts possess vast stores of knowledge, making them akin to an undead library. Depending on alignment, these ghosts might offer information freely or at a dire cost.
Ghosts in Ghostwalk[edit]
In the Ghostwalk setting, ghosts are one of the main playable character races. Ghostwalk ghosts have a semi-tangible body made of transparent ectoplasm. Ghosts are not undead, although they are often mistaken for undead creatures.
Ghosts in the Forgotten Realms[edit]
Faerûn hosts a number of variants ghosts.
- Selskar Watchghost: These spectral guards were created by human warriors by the Selskar wizards.
- Spectral Harpist: The spirits of Master Harpers who died while engaged in Harper service that is left unfinished.
- Watchghost: Also called "unsleeping guardians", these ghosts are created by powerful necromantic magic.
- Zhentarim Spirit: Vengeful spirits of Zhentarim wizards who hunt those they hold responsible for their deaths.
Ghosts in Oriental Adventures[edit]
- Acheri - The spirits of girls who died as a result of murder, accident, or plague.
- Akikage - The undead spirit of a ninja assassin who died while stalking an important victim.
- Bhut - Bhuts are vicious, flesh-eating ghosts most commonly formed from the spirits of those who are executed, commit suicide, or die accidentally, and do not receive proper funeral rites.
- Chu-u - A legless spirit of a mortal who was neither virtuous enough to be rewarded nor wicked enough to be punished in the afterlife. It wanders in agony seeking others to testify on its behalf to the judges of the dead.
- Con-tinh - The spirit of a maiden who died before her time—usually as the result of an illicit love affair that ends in murder. Its spirit is bound to a single fruit tree.
- Hanging Ghost - Spirits of those who committed suicide, who try to trick others into doing so via illusions.
- Kuei - A kuei, or phii ha, is the spirit of a humanoid that died by violence unavenged or with a purpose unfulfilled.
- Ubume - The "mourning ones" are the spirits of women who have died in childbirth or while pregnant. An ubume cannot rest until its child is "born" via a kind soul agreeing to hold the ghostly child.
Critical reception[edit]
The ghost was ranked eighth among the ten best mid-level monsters by the authors of Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies. The authors described the ghost as "the perfect example of an incorporeal monster - a creaure that simply doesn't have real substance on the Material Plane, and thus can move through walls, doors, and other obstacles". The authors also note that ghosts "also have the advantage of being infinitely configurable".[20]
Other publishers[edit]
The ghost is fully detailed in Paizo Publishing's book Classic Horrors Revisited (2009), on pages 22–27.[21]
References[edit]
- ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
- ↑ Greenwood, Ed, Deborah Christian, Michael Stackpole, Paul Jaquays, Steve Perrin, Vince Garcia, and Jean Rabe. Lords of Darkness (TSR, 1988)
- ↑ Mentzer, Frank. Dungeons & Dragons Set 3: Companion Rules (TSR, 1984)
- ↑ Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
- ↑ Morris, Graeme, Phil Gallagher and Jim Bambra. Creature Catalogue (TSR, 1986)
- ↑ Nephew, John. Creature Catalog (TSR, 1993)
- ↑ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)
- ↑ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
- ↑ Greenwood, Ed. Ruins of Undermountain (TSR, 1991)
- ↑ Pickens, Jon, ed. Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (TSR, 1996)
- ↑ Baur, Wolfgang and Steve Kurtz. Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (TSR, 1992)
- ↑ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
- ↑ Wyatt, James, and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun (Wizards of the Coast, 2001)
- ↑ Cook, Monte and Sean K. Reynolds. Ghostwalk (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
- ↑ Eckelberry, David, Rich Redman, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. Savage Species (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
- ↑ Upchurch, Wil. "Forest of Blood." Dungeon #101 (Paizo Publishing, 2003)
- ↑ Baur, Wolfgang, James Jacobs, and George Strayton. Frostburn (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
- ↑ Collins, Andy and Bruce R Cordell. Libris Mortis (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)
- ↑ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
- ↑ Slavicsek, Bill; Baker, Rich; Grubb, Jeff (2006). Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 373. ISBN 978-0-7645-8459-6. Retrieved 2009-02-12. Search this book on
- ↑ Jacobs, James, Rob McCreary, and F. Wesley Schneider. Classic Horrors Revisited (Paizo, 2009)
Additional reading[edit]
- Collins, Andy, James Wyatt, and Skip Williams. Draconomicon (Wizards of the Coast, 2003).
- Moldvay, Tom. "Too Evil To Die." Dragon #210 (TSR, 1994).
- Wyatt, James. Oriental Adventures (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
- Wyatt, James. "The Mahasarpa Campaign: A Web Enhancement for Oriental Adventures." (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
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