Advent Ghost #19: The Searching Shade

Searching Shade 

Some say these ghosts are just silly stories shared around a roaring fire to scare children, but there are others who swear they are real entities.

Searching Shades think they are missing some part of their body and are trying to locate it. Those haunted by these ghosts hear a phantom voice echoing around them asking, "have you seen my _____? Where is my ________?" This haunting will cause growing stress and lack of sleep which interrupts healing and spell learning/requests each morning but will only persist until the the victims move out of range (level of shade x 30 miles). Successfully defeating the shade will end the haunting as well. Eventually a defeated Searching Shade will reform and return to the area where they died to resume this haunting with new targets.  

Missing body part?

1. Eye(s)
2. Hand(s)
3. Foot
4. Head
5. Finger(s)
6. Toe(s)
7. Nose
8. Ear(s)
9. Heart
10. Teeth
11. Arm(s)
    
12. Leg(s)

AC 6 [13]/4[15]/2[17] HD 3*/5*/7* (13/22/31hp), Att 1 × fist (1d6/1d8/2d6), THAC0 16 [+3]/14 [+5]/12 [+7], MV 120' (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (As Fighter of same level), ML 7, AL Chaotic, XP 50/300/850, NA 1 (1), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Can only be damaged with silver or magical weapons.

  

Advent Ghost #18: Famished Apparitions

 Famished Apparition

As drought and famine beset an area, those who die of starvation may return as Famished Apparitions. Impossibly thin with swollen bellies, and moaning for sustenance, these starving ghosts are one of the few non corporeal undead with a physical hunger. 

AC 2 [17] HD 4* (18hp), Att 1 × bite (1d6 + 2), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 120' (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 75, NA 1d4 (1d6), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Can only be damaged with silver or magical weapons.

Advent Ghost #17: Spirit of Contagion

 Spirit of Contagion

Whenever a disease ravages a location there's a good chance Spirits of Contagion will be created. As much a psychic collection of pain and suffering as an individual spirit, these minor ghosts manifest as an person afflicted with various diseases. During combat, they will start to lose form and begin turning into a sickly green blob covered in sores, scabs, and oozing wounds. 

AC 4 [15] HD 3* (14hp), Att 1 × fist (1d6 + disease), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 90' (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 11, AL Neutral, XP 50, NA 1d6 (1d8), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Disease: A Spirit of Contagion can spread diseases on a 1-in-6 with a successful attack.

Advent Ghost #16: Ghost-ridden Scroll/Ghost in the Spell

A Ghost-ridden Scroll

Sometimes a ghost is accidentally (or purposefully) transcribed into the very text of a spell. This traps the spirit until the spell is cast. If a wizard copies the spell into their spell book, the ghost is copied along with it.*

When cast for the first time, the ghost is released along with the spell. A Monster Reaction Roll is made to determine the ghost's behavior. If the PCs are in combat, the ghost could aid them on a positive roll, drift away on a neutral, or join the fight against them on a negative result of that roll.

The Ghost in the Spell

These ghosts appear as a semi-transparent human covered in magical sigils, runes, and text.

AC 2 [17] HD 6* (27 hp), Att 2 × touch (1d6) or Cast Spell, THAC0 14 [+5], MV 120' (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (6), ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 500, NA 0, TT NA 

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Mundane weapon immunity: only harmed by silver or magical weapons.
• Cast Spell: every other turn may cast the spell they were transcribed with. If the spell used is not one able to be used in combat, ignore.

If the spell was copied into a spell book*, what happens to the written spell when the ghosts escapes? Roll 1d8 to find out.
1-4 Ghost transcription is erased leaving just the spell.
5. Ghost transcription is erased and ruins the spell. It will have to be researched and relearned.
6. Ghost transcription is erased and the spell changes into another spell. (Randomly determined)
7. Ghost transcription is erased along with the rest of the spell.
8. Ghost transcription remains and summons a copy or the ghost every time the spell is cast.

*This might be more of a house rule thing and not RAW OSE.

Advent Ghost #15: Weapon Wraith

Weapon Wraith

Often a great warrior, dying with their favorite weapon in hand, becomes a Weapon Wraith. These spirits manifest as an independent, floating weapon. During combat the rest of the disembodied wraith will start to appear as a wispy, black funeral shroud if the area around the weapon is specifically attacked by a character (stated by the player) or area effect damage. With each hit landed in this manner, more of the body appears and the AC is adjusted as it grows easier to hit. If the just the weapon is attacked, the wraith doesn’t appear and the AC doesn’t change.

The weapon clatters to the ground when the wraith is defeated. It functions as a +1 magic weapon against the living for the next 1d6 weeks. After the allotted time, the next time the weapon is used in combat it turns into a black tendril of smoke and dissipates. 

Body part reappearing/adjusted AC
1st hit:     Right arm    +1  [-1]
2nd hit:    Torso           +2 [-2]
3rd hit:     Head           +3 [-3]     
4th hit:     Left arm      +4 [-4]

What weapon?

1-2 Short Sword

3-4 Hand Axe

5-6 Spear

7-8 Mace

9-10 Halberd

11-12 Battle Axe

13-20 Long Sword

AC 3 [16] HD 4+1* (22hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 120' (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (Fighter 4), ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 200, NA 1 (1), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Can only be damaged with silver or magical weapons.
• Damage Reduction: Takes half damage from silver weapons.

Advent Ghost #14: Mago Morto

Pat (@mountain_foot) has been taking my OSE statted ghosts and doing AD&D versions of them here on his Patreon over here: Foot of the Mountain Adventures AD&D stats of my Advent Ghost project. He offered a little assistance since I was dragging a little, and I said "sure" and was sent this entry. I'll come back around and just add some official OSE (and DCC) stats at a later point. Pat also did some awesome maps for the two adventures in the Forgotten Rites of the Moldering Dead by the way.

Mago Morto

(turned as Type 3)

Frequency: Rare 

No. Encountered: 1 

Size: M

Move: 120’

Armour Class: 9 

Hit Dice:  3-5

Attacks: 1

Damage: 1d4

Special Attacks: spell casting

Special Defences: Can only be hit by magical weapons, immune to mind-affecting spells like Charm, Sleep, etc.

Magic Resistance: Nil 

Lair Probability: 40%

Intelligence: High-Genius

Alignment: Neutral

Level/XP: varies

Name: AC 9; MV 120”; HD 3-5; hp 3-40; THAC0 17-15; #AT 1; D 1d4; SA spell casting as a 4-6 level Magic-user or Illusionist; SD Can only be hit by magical weapons, immune to mind-affecting spells like Charm, Sleep, etc.; SZ M;  Int High-Genius; AL Neutral; XP varies

Occasionally a magic-using adventurer will survive the rest of their party, only to die alone (and often in hiding) in a dungeon. (Roll a d10, on a 1-7 the mago morto will be a magic-user, on an 8-10 an illusionist.)

Their spirits remain, able to cast spells, paranoid, and defending their remains. They appear as a translucent image of themselves as they died. Their isolation and undeath leave them perceiving anyone encountered as monsters and they will attack calling for the “monsters” to die, or surrender. If the PCs attempt to parley, they may break through the mago morto’s misperception.

The ghost wants to have their remains (and treasure) taken to their heirs.  There is a 25% chance that those heirs are long dead.  If the party is able to fulfill the mago morto’s desire, it will inscribe a spell onto a scroll. This act will consume the last of its lifeforce and it will fade into the afterlife when the scroll is complete.

Advent Ghost #13: Expired Entanglement

Yeah, I'm really behind on these! I had to circle back to another writing project, and it took up much of my attentions. I'll try to catch up, and I might have a guest entry coming up. 

Expired Entanglement

Sometimes, upon death, a body doesn't "give up the ghost," and these strange conjoined undead keep walking the living lands. The ghostly form can be seen trying to twist from the rotting body, while tugging the shambling corpse along. 

Essentially these are two enemies and two targets, and they attack (and may be attacked) separately.

Corpse of Expired Entanglement

AC 7 [12] HD 3+2 (19 hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d8 or by weapon), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 90' (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 50, NA 1d4 (1d4), TT NA

• If the corpse reaches 0 hp, roll the Monster Reaction Roll again. On a 6+ the ghost will be released and fade away.
• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.

Ghost of Expired Entanglement

AC 3 [16] HD 4* (18hp), Att 1 × touch (1d8), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 120' (40’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), ML 11, AL Chaotic, XP 125, NA 1d4 (1d4), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Can only be damaged with silver or magical weapons.
• If the spirit reaches 0 hp, the corpse will be released and collapse.

Advent Ghost #12: Ghost of Ash and Char

The anger of a Ghost of Ash & Char is unmatched. Rightfully so; they were subjected to the most horrible of deaths. These minor ghosts almost take delight in inflicting pain and suffering upon their victims. 

There are many different forms of these vengeful spirits. The one thing they have in common is exploding upon their 2nd death as they try to take as many people with them as they can. 

AC 4 [15] HD 3+1 (16 hp), Att 1 × burning hands (1d8 + ignite), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 90' (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 100, NA 1d6 (1d4), TT NA 

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Ignite: 35% chance of the hit also starting the target on fire taking 1d6 damage per round thereafter until the flames are smothered.
• Will take double damage from cold spells.
• Liquid will cause 1d6 damage to a Ghost of Ash & Char
• When reduced to 0 hp, A Ghost of Ash & Char has a 70% chance of exploding in a fireball: 20' radius, 2d6 damage, save vs spells for half.

Appearance

1. Charred, black, crusty skin, red embers underneath
2. A being of pure flame
3. Normal with smoke rolling out of mouth, eyes, and nose
4. A being of pure smoke
5. Made up of whirling ash
6. A being of embers
7. Blackened shell with burning light within
8. Roll 1d4 times on this table

Advent Ghost #11: The Ghostly Wagon

 When I was a kid my parents had these books. The names escapes me, but they had all kinds of weird stuff in them like rains of frogs and fish, ghost trains, spontaneous human combustion accounts, and on and on. I loved pouring over them and getting too freaked out to sleep. I really enjoyed the weird ghostly trains and boats stories so this is kind of an homage. 

Ghostly Wagon

Everybody in these parts knows about the Ghost Wagon. First you see the swaying of the lanterns, then you hear the creaking of the wagon and the clomping of the horses. Then you see it and wish you had not witnessed the passing of the Ghost Wagon.

What is the Ghost Wagon and What How Does It Manifest

1. Wagon carrying dead soldiers back from a war/Ghostly soldiers ride in sitting on their torn bodies.
2. Funeral wagon hauling a fancy casket/The Gaunt Undertaker drives an elaborate black coach.
3. Death collecting souls/The Grim Reaper drives a coach drawn by skeletal horses.
4. A coach of orphans going to the orphanage/Glowing children with pitch black eyes stare out from broken glass windows.
5. Newlyweds gone over a cliff on their nuptials/Battered carriage with a pale, young couple looking sadly from their seat. 
6. The Butcher's cart/Dripping blood and entrails with human corpses hanging from the sides. 

What Should You Never Do?

1. Make eye contact with the Driver
2. Make eye contact with the passengers
3. Take any breath until it passes
4. Look away
5. Talk to anyone on the coach
6. Have a light shining as the coach passes

What Should You Always Do?

1. Make a holy sign to protect your party
2. Say a prayer for the souls on the wagon
3. Make an offering (1d4x100gp) to a religious institution or shrine when next near one
4. Whistle or sing a song

What Does the Wagon Do?

1. Save vs spells or lose 1d6 hp due to the cold surrounding the wagon
2. Save vs death or lose 1 point of a random attribute score permanently
3. Save vs paralysis or be unable to move for 1d6 hours
4. Save vs wands or not be able to sleep that night and not healing or gaining spells the next day

Advent Ghost #10: Scarred Paradox

 I thought I'd use The Forgotten Rites again to generate a ghost, but maybe spread out into other sections to change it up a little bit. If you don't have the book yet it is available from myself (leave a comment or shoot me a message on social media), Exalted Funeral, or Goodman Games. 

Ghoulish Look (from the Ghoul section. i wanted extra gross): loss of body hair. boils and sores. skin sloughing off showing muscle underneath
Ghostly Rewards: knowledge of future event
Other Ghostly Attack: invisible claw marks that leave permanent scars
Ghostly Desires: for their remains to be taken to holy ground
What Holy Ground? Water burial
What Remains: 9 toes

A Scarred Paradox (yeah, it's a stretch...)

When this minor ghost is first encountered it is human size and shaped but hairless and featureless. If combat is entered against it, strange things begin happening. As the Scarred Paradox hits PCs, the rents dealt upon their flesh instantly close up leaving weals and bruises (damage is still received) that will never go away. These same marks appear on the ghost and it begins taking on the facial and bodily features of the PCs being attacked. The PC(s) may even begin to feel like it is their own future self ghost(s). 

If they halt combat because of all this weirdness, the Scarred Paradox will request for it's toes to be found and given a proper water burial. (I'll bet the tables in The Lesser Key to the Celestial Legion could be used here to find the proper ceremonial dress, et al.) It can actually offer detailed knowledge of a future event the PCs will be involved in. Maybe it's information is a trap? Maybe location of a treasure? Maybe big bad location? They can probably just ask in a future session and get some information. It'll be fun? 

What if the PCs die before the event in question? How would a ghost of their future selves have knowledge of an event they never made it to? Yeah, it's a Scarred Paradox. 

AC 2 [17] HD 4+2* (26 hp), Att 1 × invisible claws (1d6 + minor xp drain), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 90' (30’), SV D13 W14 P13 B16 S15 (MU), ML 11, AL Chaotic, XP 200, NA 1 (1), TT NA 

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Minor xp drain: 1d6 x 10 xp drained with each successful hit.

Advent Ghost #9: Ethereal Projector

Ethereal Projectors are the ghosts of thieves who were betrayed during a job, backstabbed, and left at the scene. They haunt the location of their death and can't move more than 300 yards from the exact place of bleeding out. This death spot is marked by a dark, blood stain. Ethereal Projectors, when first encountered, will be standing in the puddle, with their back to whomever approaches (even if multiple people approach from different directions). A single, random target is backstabbed by a ghostly hand and knife appearing right behind them. 

Ethereal Projectors, after this first sneak attack, will turn and yell about their betrayal. If, a favorable reaction is rolled (or decided upon), the Projector can be convinced these people didn't betray them, and will even trade a hidden treasure location if the party agrees to help the ghost get a form of justice. (This can be killing their murderer, taking proof of the killing to someone in power, or selling out their murderer to a superior, etc.)

These minor ghosts have the skills of 4th level thief and will attempt to climb walls, hide in shadows, pick pockets, etc. 

AC 4 [15] HD 4 (17 hp), Att 1 × backstab (2d6), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 120' (40’), SV D13 W14 P13 B16 S15 (Thief 4), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 50, NA 1 (1), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.

Advent Ghost #8: Gaseous Horror

Glowing with green light, this minor ghost manifests as a floating, bloated torso and skeletal face. Gaseous Horrors are the soul remnants of wanderers led astray by Will-o'-wisps and drowned in the rotten waters of bogs, marshes, and swamps. The smell of the fetid waters and their decaying flesh projects from their non-corporeal remains. 

AC 1 [18] HD 3** (13hp), Att 1 × touch ( 1d4 + Constitution drain), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 90' (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 65, NA 1 (1), TT NA

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Constitution Drain: the Gaseous Horror's rotting touch drains 1 point of Constitution on a successful touch.
• Gaseous Cloud: a horrible smelling cloud projecting out 20' feet from the ghost. Every person within the cloud must pass a save vs death or fight with a -3 modifier.

Advent Ghost #7: Watcher in the Mirror

 Watcher in the Mirror

These ghosts can only manifest as a reflection which they use as a means of torture. Until they are defeated, a Watcher in the Mirror will appear behind the victim in every pool of water, polished armor, and any other reflective surface. This leads to jumpiness, lack of sleep, and maybe even longer psychological issues. Watchers occasionally have the means to kick, push, or pinch the person they're haunting, adding to the psychological toll. 

Watchers in the Mirror usually attach themselves to a victim and slowly wear them down over weeks. If the haunted is at the top of a stairs, or trying to do something carefully, a Watcher will try to push, or distract them to cause falling down or failing at whatever task the haunted is trying to accomplish. 

 AC 4 [15] HD 1** (4 hp), Att 1 × fist (1d4 + drain), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 90 (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 16, NA 1 (1), TT K

• Undead: Make no noise until attacking. Immune to effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to mind-affecting or mind-reading.
• Only appears in reflections requiring a mirror or other surface to hit them.
• Mundane weapon immunity: Requires a silver or magical weapon to cause damage to a Watcher in the Mirror.
• Drain: with a successful hit the Watcher drains 1d3 points of Charisma. If the target is reduced to 0 Charisma, their spirit will become a Watcher in the Mirror.
• When defeated in battle the above treasure appears in the pockets of the PC who had been haunted.

Roll 2d6 for a result and use one for the result and to establish if the face is behind the PC's reflection (even) or superimposed upon the PC's reflection (odd).

Watcher in the Mirror's reflective appearance

1. Rotting face 
2. Spectral face
3. Beautiful face with blood running down
4. Exaggerated comical features
5. Bestial, snarling face
6. The face of a loved one now gone

Chance of distraction each day/night (anything above 25% interrupts restful sleep leading to lack of spell memorization, healing, and negative modifiers to saving throws)

1. 80%
2. 60%
3. 50%
4. 25%
5. 10%
6. 5%

Form of distraction caused by Watcher in the Mirror

1. Whispers in the ear
2. Shoving
3. Pinch
4. Covering eyes
5. Slap
6. Loud, disembodied laughter
7. Singing off key
8. Crying
9. Tripping
10. Bumping arms/legs