A shimmering remnant of a soul tied to the world by an unfinished obsession, a betrayal, or a duty that refused to end with death. In these ruined domains, ghosts are not merely spirits; they are anchors of the past, holding specific locations in a state of spiritual stasis. This Ghost OSE conversion allows the undead to scale with your party, operating as terrifying remnants of fallen rulers and cursed landscapes.
- Armor Class: 11 [8] (Ethereal) / 19 [0] (Semi-materialized)
- Hit Dice: 3* to 10*** (See HD Progression)
- Attacks: 1 × Corrupting Touch (See HD Progression)
- THAC0: Based on HD
- Movement: 90’ (30’) Flying
- Saving Throws: Based on HD
- Morale: 12
- Alignment: Any (usually Chaotic or Neutral)
- XP: Based on HD + Asterisk (*) Bonuses
Special Abilities (By Hit Dice)
The ghost’s power determines which abilities it can manifest. Each tier is cumulative and adds an asterisk (*) to the monster’s Hit Dice for XP calculation purposes.
| HD | Special Abilities |
| 3 HD | Incorporeal & Undead*: Harmed only by magic/silver weapons; immune to mind-affecting magic, poison, and disease. |
| 6 HD | Supernatural Terror**: Seeing the ghost requires a Save vs. Spells. Failure causes the victim to flee in panic and age 10 years permanently. |
| 10 HD | Magic Jar***: Can attempt to possess a living victim once per turn (as the spell). |
The Soul’s Echo: Former Knowledge
A ghost in these ruined domains retains fragmented skills from its life. Roll 1d6 to determine its “Echo”:
| 1d6 | The Echo | Effect |
| 1 | The Tactician | +2 to AC and grants a +2 Morale bonus to any lesser undead nearby. |
| 2 | The Myrmidon | Attacks twice per round instead of once. |
| 3 | The Arcanist | Retains the ability to cast 1d4 random spells known in life (Levels 1–3). |
| 4 | The High Priest | Can “Reverse Turn” (Silence) Clerics of a lower level than its HD. |
| 5 | The Betrayed | Its touch causes an additional 1d6 cold damage. |
| 6 | The Sage | Knows the location of one Occult Relic or a secret password in the dungeon. |
Resting the Spirit
To permanently “kill” a ghost in these ruined domains, one must resolve its anchor to the mortal world. If destroyed by combat alone, the ghost reforms in 1d4 days. Common resolution methods include:
- The Burial: Recovering remains and interring them with specific rites.
- The Vengeance: Bringing the perpetrator (or their descendant) to the haunting site.
- The Restitution: Returning a stolen item or fulfilling a broken vow.
- The Restless Blessing: If pacified without violence, the ghost grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls for the remainder of the dungeon before fading away.
Combat & Tactics
Ghosts are bound to a specific feature—a cell, a throne, or a well. They use their ethereal nature to strike through walls and floors. A high-HD ghost will use Magic Jar to turn the party’s strongest warrior against the others before semi-materializing to wither the survivors.
Habitat
They are found in the patchwork of failed fiefdoms, specifically in places where a ruler’s ego caused mass death. They are the primary inhabitants of cursed landscapes like the Eternal Sandstorm, where they exist as living memories of the storm’s first victims.
Society
Solitary and obsessive. However, in regions where a Broken Seal exists, multiple ghosts may be linked, sharing a single tragedy (e.g., an entire crew haunting a sunken ship).
Ecology
They represent a tear in the natural order. Their presence drains the vitality of the environment; plants nearby might wither, or water may turn bitter. They are bound entities that must be resolved to restore the world’s balance.
Quick HD Reference
Note: The XP column represents the total calculated OSE experience points for that specific configuration, which combines the Base XP for the Hit Dice plus the Bonus XP for the accumulated asterisks (*).
| HD | THAC0 | Corrupting Touch Damage | Total XP (Base + Asterisks) |
| 3* | 17 [+2] | 1d6 HP | 50 |
| 6** | 14 [+5] | 1d8 HP + 10 years aging | 325 |
| 10*** | 11 [+8] | 1d4 x 10 years aging | 1,900 |
Featured In: Issue #0 – The Hollow Tower
The spectral mechanics presented here can be dropped directly into any dungeon crawl, but if you are looking for a fully realized, table-ready adventure, check out Issue #0 – The Hollow Tower.
