Spirit
Animistic cultures believe nature is alive with non-material
forces, and the world itself is merely the body of a
great spirit. All creatures have a spiritual nature and
cast reflections in a parallel world near the Material Plane. Spirits
dwell in that other place, sometimes visiting our world when
called or when matters dictate. Many spirits are tied to specific
locales as guardians or manifestations of some metaphysical
relevance the place has.
This template can be used to create spirits races that
are all the same, or differing creatures of the same apparent type.
It is also an opportunity to introduce monsters to your world
that normally do not appear there, as some sort of otherworldly
beings. If the spirit world is actually a part of your game’s
cosmology, then a spirit should manifest from there, instead of
the Ethereal Plane.
Appearance ChangesSpirits look like their material counterparts when manifested
or encountered on their own plane. When the spirit is not
materialized, but is manifested, it looks translucent and parts of
it may seem misty or disembodied.
Creating a Spirit“Spirit” is a template that can be added to any creature other than
an outsider (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). After
assuming the template, the base creature’s type does not change,
but it gains the “Spirit” and “Incorporeal” subtypes. (Spirits are
not undead.) All other subtype information for the base creature
remains unchanged. Spirits use the base creature’s statistics and
inherent racial special abilities except as noted below.
AC: The creature’s natural armor bonus stays the
same, but is only applicable to other spirits and ethereal beings.
When the creature manifests (see Special Attacks below), it gains
a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma bonus, or +1,
whichever is better. Spirits capable of materialization have their
normal natural armor bonus to AC when materialized instead of
the deflection bonus.
Attacks: Spirits retain the attacks of the base creature,
but those attacks may only affect other ethereal beings unless the
spirit manifests or materializes (see Special Attacks below).
Damage: Spirits retain the damage of the base
creature, but may only affect other ethereal beings unless the
spirit manifests or materializes (see Special Attacks).
Special Attacks: Spirits retain the special attacks of
the base creature, but may only affect other ethereal beings unless
the spirit manifests or materializes. Saving throws against a spirit’s
special attacks have a save DC of 10 plus one-half of the spirit’s
HD + its Charisma modifier, unless otherwise noted. All spirits
have the manifestation ability and a number equal to its Charisma
modifier minimum 1 of the other abilities listed below:
Manifestation (Su): As ethereal creatures, spirits cannot
affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When
they manifest, spirits become visible, but remain incorporeal.
However, a manifested spirit can strike with any touch attack or
ghost touch weapon it possesses. A manifested spirit remains on
the Ethereal Plane but can be attacked by opponents on both
the Material and Ethereal planes. When a spellcasting spirit is on
the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material
Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a
spellcasting spirit manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal
targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the
spells rely on touch. A manifested spirit’s touch spells don’t work on
material targets.
Materialization (Su): By taking a full round action, the spirit
can become fully corporeal (losing the benefits of being incorporeal)
like a normal creature on the Material Plane. When it materializes, the
spirit has all of its normal physical attributes and interacts with the
Material Plane and its contents like a normal denizen of that plane.
The spirit also interacts with the Ethereal Plane as if the spirit were a
material being (ethereal beings are invisible and incorporeal). A spirit
can dematerialize, going back to manifested or ethereal, as a standard
action.
Possession (Su): As a full-round action, an ethereal or
manifested spirit can merge its body with a creature on the Material
Plane. This ability is similar to magic jar as cast by a sorcerer of the
spirit’s HD, except that it does not require a receptacle. If the attack
succeeds, the spirit’s body vanishes into the opponent’s body. The target
can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 10 + one-half of
the spirit’s HD + its Charisma modifier). A creature that successfully
saves is immune to that spirit’s possession for one day.
Spell-like Abilities: The spirit has one or more spell-like abilities
it can use a number of times per day you deem appropriate. The spells
are cast at a divine caster level equal to the spirit’s HD, and a spirit
cannot cast a spell of a level that exceeds this caster level (that is, a
3 HD spirit can cast 0-, 1st-, and 2nd-level spells). What these spells
may affect depends on whether the spirit is ethereal, manifested, or
materialized (see above).
Common spells for spirits include:
animate objects, bestow curse,
bless, curse, cause fear, confusion, contagion, dancing lights, deathwatch, dream,
emotion, etherealness, faerie fire, ghost sound, improved invisibility, invisibility, light,
open/close, seeming, sleep, suggestion, telekinesis, and
tongues.
Spirit Touch (Su): The spirit can attack material beings while
incorporeal (not ethereal), and may attack incorporeal beings while
materialized, adding its Dexterity bonus to the attack roll, and rolling
normal damage, replacing its Strength modifier with its Charisma
modifier. A spirit with this ability may also use its touch spells against
material beings while incorporeal.
'Ethereal Spellcaster (Su): One (or more, at your discretion) of
the spirit’s spells or spell-like abilities can be cast from the Ethereal
Plane to the Material Plane, and vice versa. The spell’s level cannot
exceed one-fifth of the spirit’s HD, and casting time is always doubled.
Less harmful spells are most appropriate for this ability (dancing lights,
ghost sound, open/close, and so on.)
Special Qualities: Spirits retain all of the special qualities
of the base creature in addition to those listed below (rejuvenation is
optional):
Detect Spirits (Su): At will, as a move-equivalent action, a
materialized spirit can choose to see other spirits in an area (including
incorporeal or ethereal undead, despite invisibility)—up to its line of
sight. The spirit cannot see other creatures under invisibility spells or
similar effects, only spirits.
Incorporeal (Ex): Incorporeal creatures can only be harmed by other
incorporeal creatures, by +1 or better weapons, or by spells, spell-like
effects, or supernatural effects. They are immune to all non-magical
attack forms. They are not burned by normal fires, affected by natural
cold, or harmed by mundane acids. Even when struck by magic or
magic weapons, an incorporeal creature has a 50% chance to ignore
any damage from a corporeal source—except for a force effect. The
physical attacks of incorporeal creatures ignore material armor, even
magic armor, unless it is made of force or has the ghost touch ability.
Incorporeal creatures move in any direction (including up or down) at
will—they do not need to walk on the ground and can pass through
solid objects at will, although they cannot see when their eyes are
within solid matter. They pass through and operate in water as easily as
they do in air, cannot fall or suffer falling damage, and have no weight
in a material sense. Incorporeal creatures do not leave footprints, have
no scent, and make no noise unless they do so intentionally. Corporeal
creatures cannot trip or grapple incorporeal creatures.
Rejuvenation (Su): (Optional) It’s difficult to destroy a spirit
through simple combat. The “destroyed” spirit restores itself in 2d4
days. Even the most powerful spells are often only temporary solutions.
A spirit that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts
with a successful level check (1d20 + spirit’s level or HD) against DC
16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a spirit for sure is to determine
the reason for its existence and destroy it. The exact means varies with
each spirit and may require a good deal of research.
Turn Resistance (Ex): The default assumption is that clerics
cannot turn spirits (unless the spirit is undead), while shamans can.
Perhaps druids and/or adepts can turn spirits as well (or instead),
making them slightly more powerful. If clerics or non-shaman
characters are allowed to turn any spirit, the spirit should have turn
resistance of up to one-half of its HD (your discretion). Consider
allowing clerics (and other characters capable of turning) to turn evil
spirits with positive energy, and good spirits with negative energy,
without adding turn resistance if the idea fits your campaign.
Abilities: Modify the base creature as follows: Charisma +4.
Skills: Spirits receive a +4 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and
Spot. They get +8 to Hide when manifested or ethereal.
Organization: Often the same as the base creature, but
otherwise solitary, pair, group (3-6), or horde (7-12).
CR: Base creature’s CR +1 + 20 %.
Treasure: Usually none.
Alignment: Often the same as the base creature, but
disparate individuals may be found.
LA: +3