r-

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Introduction ...................... 4 Chapter IV:Vulnerabilities ............ 48
Ordinary Vulnerabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter 1: Types of Ghosts ............8 Holy Water ....................... 48
Magnitudes of Power .................. 8 Turning Undead ................... 49
Physical Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Holy Symbols .................... 50
Physical Appearance ................. 13 Extraordinary Vulnerabilities .......... 51
Origins of Ghosts ................... 16 Allergens ........................ 51
Anchors ........................... 22 Magical Spells .................... 52
Triggers . . . . . . . .............. 24. Personal Effects ................... 59
Conclusion ........................ 25 Special Weapons .................... 60
Forged Weapons .................. 60
ipter 11: Ord y Powers ..........
26 Enchanted Weapons ............... 60
.nsubstantiali.. ..................... 26 Specially Constructed Weapons ...... 61
Invisibility ......................... 28
Rejuvenation ....................... 28 Chapter V: Speak with the Dead ........ 62
Immunity .......................... 29 Types of Mediums ................... 62
Magic Resistance .................. 29 Focus Mediums ................... 62
Biological Spells .................. 29 Guide Mediums ................... 63
Unique Immunities ................ 31 Host Mediums .................... 63
Racial Abilities ..................... 31 Regression Mediums ............... 64
Class Abilities ...................... 31 Sympathetic Mediums .............. 65
Creation of Undead .................. 31 Trance Mediums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
False Mediums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Chapter 111: ExtraorA%ry Powers ......
32 Locating and Hiring a Medium ......... 70
Through Recommendation .......... 71
Accelerate Aging ................. 32
Cause Despair ...................... 33 .By Reputation .................... 72
CauseFear ........................ 34 Through Advertisement ............ 73
Cause Paralysis ..................... 34 By Sensitivity .................... 73
Cause Revulsion .................... 35 Sources of a Medium's Power .......... 74
Causewounds ...................... 36 Studied Abilities .................. 74
Charm Animals ..................... 36 Incidental Abilities ................ 75
Charm Persons ..................... 37 Lifestyles of Mediums ................ 78
Command Undead .................. 37 Aloof ........................... 78
Create Illusions ..................... 37 Calculated ....................... 78
Dominate Victims ...................38 Morbid .......................... 79
Drain Abilities ...................... 39 Nomadic ........................ 79
Drain Energy ....................... 40 Reclusive ........................ 80
Drain Memories .................... 40 Unworthy ........................ 80
Entrance Victims .................... 41 TheVistani ... .................... 81
Inhabit Bodies ......................
Inhabit Objects .....................
42 VI: Investigating a Haunting ....84
Keen .............................
42
44
1 he Phantom Army .................. 84
Picking Up the Scent ................. 87
Lure Victims ....................... 44 Stalking the Beast ................... 88
Perform Telekinesis .................. 46 Making the Kill ..... ..........90
Resist Magic ....................... 46
Conclusion ........................ 47 DM's Appendix ................... 92
 should seek their every lair and see to it that
written records, the comings and these monsters were destroyed. I did not
goings of spirits have been noted. understand the scope of my quest then. To
Some are described a s lights or track down and destroy all the vampires in all
recognizable shapes in the the worlds that I now know of is an impossible
darkness. Others seem to be real, task-but I have never hesitated.
but are nothing more than images No single man can do all that I have set forth
of light-as incorporeal a s they are to do. It is my hope, however, that, by placing
unliving. They come in all manner what I know in a series of books, I will aid those
of shapes and sizes. They who would follow me on my quest. If you have
undertake macabre missions and seen the eyes of death looking at you, if you
have any number of motivatioh. have heard a feral hiss in the darkness, if you
Most are evil, some indifferee and have known the terror that awaits, then you
a few good and kind. know the importance of my work. I offer you
In this work, I shall exami my heart, my prayers, and-most
them all. I shall share with importantly-my knowledge.
In the three decades that have passed since
the death of my wife and child, I have traveled
may be enough to keep you much. 1 have seen horror in all its shapes. I
then I pray even more that have faced monsters that could only have
issued forth from the deepest pits of evil. In
every case I have been tempered by the
meeting. Those I destroyed filled me with the
energy to continue in my holy work. Those that
escaped my vengeance left me the wiser for
each such encounter. (Never again, I vowed,
lave lived a lon&flfe.%j would I be as short-sighted in a future meeting.)
iot end soon. 1 a m Those that defeated me-and there have been
- all the storms I hav many despite my undeserved reputation for
that the black shroud of invincibility-have left me stronger for the
across me. When it doe wounds inflicted upon me.
a life that was long and How many times have I been driven to
rewards. I have done much g deaths door by the creatures of darkness? I
certain. I shall face the grave cannot say. But in every instance I was
determined to battle back from the injuries 1
suffered and to have my revenge. I am a
peaceful, merciful man, but such vengeance is
sweet indeed.
Erasmus and then murdered my dear wife
Ingrid, I vowed I should devote myself to the
utter annihilation of all his diabolical kind. The Thundering Carriage
The sorrow, of course, is that I have become ow did I, a devoted vampire hunter, come
what I have become at the cost of losing my
family. At that time, however, I was a much
younger man. I meant only that I should battle
H to be an enemy of the incorporeal undead
a s well? The inclusion was not a difficult
one. It began on a cold autumn night in
the dread vampire in all his shapes-that I Lamordia. I was close on the trail of a vile
creature that I call the child vampire. The details
of my encounter with that dark beast are
presented elsewhere (see RRl,Darklords), so I
shall not dwell on them here. While researching
the creature, I happened upon a lonely country
inn, the Thistle C Bonnet. The place was so
charming and the darkness approaching so fast
that I bade my companions stop. We discussed undaries which divide Life from
the matter briefly, and then decided to spend at best shadowy and vague.
the night. WQshall say where one ends, and
The innkeeper, a cheerful fellow with the other begins?
unlikely name of Bellikok, saw to our every
need. He presented us with a great feast of a - Edgar Allan Poe
dinner, saw to it that our glasses were always “The Premature Burial”
full, and never seemed at a loss for some clever Tdes of Mystery and Imagination
comment or anecdote to move the I .

conversation along at a merry pace. In all, a

perfect hosteler.
All that changed, however, as the gleaming
copper clock on his mantle rang ten. No sooner
had the last chime died than a look of concern
crept across merry Bellikoks face. I feared that
he had grown ill and moved to comfort him. “I
am a physician,” I said. “Is there anything I can As the sound drew nearer and nearer, he
do for you?” became more agitated. “That conveyance bears
For an instant he seemed taken aback by my ,” he hissed. “No,
concern. Then he allowed a wry smile to cross rides forth from the
his face and let out a short laugh. “Would that ss itself. I know not
you could, kind sir,” he breathed. ut I know what comes
Seeing that my companions were as curious move to the windows.
a s 1 about the cause of his sudden change of
spirits, I bade him continue. Dropping his head
so that he looked only upon the floor and not
upon our faces, the innkeeper did a s I
suggested. saw an eerie glow
“Do you hear the sound of that carriage, sir? toward us. It seem
Low and distant, like thunder looming on the incredible speed and
horizon?” such as I have on1 on ships at sea that are
I cocked my head and, a s he had said, I did wreathed with St.
indeed hear the sound of a coach in the Suddenly the horrific conveyance was upon
distance. Still, there seemed nothing unusual us. It flashed past our window at a speed I
about it. Indeed, thinking that it might promise would not have thought possible. I had only the
another customer for the night, I offered him briefest of looks at the thing, but its impression
that consolation. “Surely you have room for is forever set in my mind. The wagon was large,
another guest?’’ as bulky as any merchant’s coach I’ve ever
 seen. It was drawn by a team of four great still draped in flesh, they reached out at us
horses from whom all flesh and tissues had through windows barred with bones. Their faces
been removed. At every step of these skeletal were pitiful, etched with agony and torment. In
steeds lighting flashed when hoof struck earth. the second that they were before me, I felt all of
The ebon wood of the coach-carved and the suffering and anguish that radiated from
etched with evil runes and dark figures-was their tragic faces. These were the damned.
illuminated clearly by a shower of azure sparks Then, even before I saw it was upon us, the
that sprayed away from the wheels a s the coach conveyance was gone-racing away down the
rolled along the road. highway at a speed beyond my comprehension.
As shocking a s this macabre vehicle was, its I was about to speak, seeking to voice my
occupants were even more memorable. ThC 1 horror, when the innkeep motioned for silence.
coachman was a gaunt and skeletal fellow, well Instantly the sky erupted in thunder. Huge
suited t o the team he drove. As he passed, I saw sheets of lightning raced from horizon to
him strike at his horses with a whip, the lash of horizon, shedding a brilliant blue light across
which was composed of pure lightning. When it the countryside. Rain fell upon us in a mighty
snapped above the beast, a great crash of cascade, battering the windows with the
thunder roared out and the animals seemed ferocity of a hurricane and turning the road
moved to even greater speed. outside into a morass of mud. The storm, more
Through windows set in the co savage than any I had ever felt before, lasted
could see the grim passengers af only for a few minutes, and then it was gone.
nightmarish wagon. Gaunt and th "My God," was all 1 could say.
$

i
.. . .
. ...... .

encounter one that did not have some

Overview vulnerability that could be exploited in combat.
n this book, I shall attempt to put fort In this chapter, I detail the types of

I that I have learned about the incorpo

undead. I shall attempt to discuss the
creation, their habits, their physiology, a
vulnerabilities that one is likely to
uncover-and how to take advantage of them.

their weaknesses. All of this information w Chapter W Speak with the Dead. One of the
hope, help others who have chosen to battle t l p most valuable tools in the battle against ghosts
forces of darkness on every front. ,i- is information. The old adage that knowtedge is
I have organized this information into the power was never more true than when dealing
following chapters: with these ethereal horrors. In this chapter, I
shall discuss the spiritualists one is likely to
Chapter I: Types of Ghosts. In the first require, guidelines on locating them, and tips
chapter of this book I will discuss a series of on how to spot those who would deceive ghost
broad categorizations I have made regarding .hunters and make claims of powers they do not
the origins of ghosts. It is my belief that such have.
tools enable us t o keep better track of the
horrors we must face in this world. By battling Chapten VI: Investigating a Haunting. In this
them with both the keen sword of ancient chapter, I shall outline the steps I advocate
knowledge and the powerful arquebus of following in the stalking and destruction of
modern science, I believe we can triumph over ghosts. I use my experience gained from a most
the incorporeal undead. unusual mass hunting to illustrate techniques.
It is my belief that failure to follow these
Chapter 11: Ordinary Powers. Before one can .. .
guidelines will inevitably result in death or
hope to prevail against the forces of darkness, worse.
one must have an understanding of their
nature. In this chapter, I detail the common ~~

abilities of ghosts and provide some cautionary Editor’s Note:The reader will find
notes on how one might hope to battle against informatjon directly pertinent to a
this supernatural enemy. RAVENLOP campaign set aside in
text throughaut this book. In additbn,.tkere
Chapter 111: Extraordinary Powers. While all of $his&de solely
ghosts have some things in common, a s
discussed in the previous chapter, many are
unique. Ghosts gifted with special powers can RAVENLOFT sampqign; &Q included are a
be deadly and must be stalked with great care. number of helpftd twkniques for writing
In this chapter, I shall examine those powers ghost-based adyentures.
that make ghosts truly deadly adversaries.

Chapter IW Vulnerabilities. It is a good thing

for us all that even the most powerful of ghosts
is certain to have its weaknesses. While some
ghosts are among the most powerful of horrors
it has been my misfortune to meet, they are all
hindered in some way by their past. In my years
of battling these creatures, I have yet to
 hosts, spirits, apparitions-call power of a ghost.
them what you will. They come in The instant of a ghost’s creation is intense.
many, many varieties. I have Just as the shock of birth is overwhelming to a
devoted a great deal of research to child, so too is this sudden plunge into the
understanding them and the frigid, black waters of unlife. The intensity of
supernatural laws that govern their this shock is based wholly upon the emotional
creation, existence, and and karmic energies of the transformation. In
destruction. In this chapter, I shall other words, the stronger the emotional state of
share with you what I have le those present at the ghost’s creation, the more
about the origins, natures, a powerful the spirit that arises.
abilities of ghosts. Thus, the level of power attained by a ghost
If I were less stern about is not haphazardly made. Two ghosts, created
to know all that I can about in similar manners, will be of roughly similar
undead-if I were less power levels. True, their exact powers are likely
my need to uncover the M&’abou t to be very different, but the actual danger they
the supernatural, I might long ago1 pose-their resistance to physical harm, their
have qiven up my west. It &en ability to resist a holy person’s attempts to
drive them away, or the strength of their special
convinced I know all tha attacks-will be analogous.
these incorporeal creatu I have chosen to classify ghosts according to
resented to me and I musk- six categories: magnitude of power, physical
appearance, physical consistency, origin,
anchor, and trigger. Please note that there are
une- some ghosts who will have aspects that qualify
Before them for all six categories, whereas others may
only fit in a few categories. Note, too, that the
distinctions between some of the categories are
very fine and may seem confusing to the
layman, but this classification serves a purpose
numerous and will be helpful to the devoted ghost hunter.
The following text elucidates the terms I use
and should prove helpful in any quest to rid the
world of ghostly fiends. At the end of this
chapter is a simple outline delineating the
categories and subcategories by which ghosts
may be classified.

Magn*hdusof Power
of time, but from le first category by which I classify ghosts
n. At the exact .s based on their levels of power, which I
spirit is transformed into call magnitudes. All ghosts, regardless of
strength is set and locked whatever other categories they may fall into,
surrounded it. I call this have a magnitude and can be classified by
lingering energy lcarmic resonance. Thus, the such. (In my previous work, I did much the
passing of time does nothing to increase the same with vampires, which I classified
according to their age. A ghost’s magnitude, in As an example of this type of spirit
this instance, is roughly similar to a vampire’s present the Loud Man of Lamordia-a spirit I
age: The greater the magnitude, the more *’foundmost amusing.
powerful the ghost; the older the vampire, the When I was young, I traveled to a small
more powerful it is.) village along the coast. While there, I learned of
The edges of this category are blurred, but 1 a spirit who haunted a lake outside town. It
have done my best to describe the magnitudes seems that those who fished in that lake were
in a way that will make them useful to those occasionally troubled by a ghostly fisherman-
who hunt creatures of the night. a ghost who talked to them about the fine spot
he had found for bass, the sudden changes in
recent weather patterns, and other trivia. His
first Magnitude conversations were so monotonous that it was
The least powerful of the incorporeal undead, said to be impossible to avoid falling asleep.
these creatures are created when there is just Escaping the spirit’s babbling, it seems, was
enough emotional energy available to empower likewise impossible, for the Loud Man would
the transformation. This is, fortunately, the follow the fishermen wherever they
most common type of spirit. by leaving the lake, and thus aband
Ghosts of the first magnitude are created the bringing home the evening meal, cou
same way a s are other ghosts, but they tend to escape this specter. Those who att
have less dramatic origins. In fact, I have often drive off the fellow found that they
considered first-magnitude ghosts to be almost easily, but any fish they pulled from
boring-their power is weak, their afterlife for the next few months would s
passive, and their evil subdued. could be eaten.
 Third Magniide
T h e cold stone of the ancient tomb loomed If a ghost’s creation places it in the third
before us. Lifting our lanterns high to light the magnitude of power, it is a much more
way, we moved into the crypt. The going was dangerous foe. Such ghosts are often outright
slow, for even the brave dwarf, Geddar evil and malicious. Their powers are generally
Ironheart, was reluctant to intrude upon the such that they can resist much conventional
resting dead of this ancient place. Bantu, as harm, even from magical spells. Often they can
cripple or kill opponents with ease.
In order for a ghost of the third magnitude to
form, a person must die while in a highly
emotional state. Take, for example, a man who
is forced to watch his beloved family be cruelly
slain by brigands and is himself then killed while
Kevlin 5 boots, the clanking of still in the grip of his overwhelming anguish.
mail, and the occasional crunch of a The karmic resonance of this tragedy might be
spider beneath Bantu’s shoes-seeme strong enough to create a third-magnitude
ws around us. I ghost. Similarly, someone who is in the throes of
passion or who is truly horrified at the point of
death might attain this status.

fourth Map*kude
Among the most powerful of apparitions,
Ghosts of the second magnitude are more ghosts of the fourth magnitude are created only
powerful than their lesser kindred, but they still through scenes of death that involve great
a r e usually little more than a nuisance. In emotional stress or energy. Spirits of this type
addition, they are more aggressive and more are generally warped by the power of their
easily angergd. emotions, becoming highly aggressive, evil,
In order for a ghost of this type to form, the and cruel. They are almost impossible to drive
dying person,must be in a state of some off or destroy via conventional means,
emotion. The emotion need not be overly requiring special care on the part of those who
consuming or Qf great duration, a s is necessary would eliminate them.
for the more powerful spirits to form. For Rare indeed are the circumstances
example, someone who dies during a spousal surrounding a person’s death powerful enough
quarrel might h w e enough emotional energy t o to create a ghost of this type. In my travels, I
attain the second magnitude of unlife, as might have encountered only a half dozen or so of
a n artist who is working on a painting that these evil and dangerous fiends. In each of the
m e a n s a great deal to her. It is sometimes even cases 1 came across, the ghost had once been a
possible for a man who knows he is going to person who had either 1)embraced death with
die-by the hangman’s noose, for example- great fervor or 2)felt himself so powerful that
t o become a second-magnitude ghost. death could hold no sway over him.
The good spirit of the paladin Katen’ The first may be illustrated by the evil
Shadowbom, who is said to haunt a little-visited General Athoul, one of the incorporeal leaders
island domain, is, I believe, an example of of Darkon’s dread Kargot. It is said that his
second-magnitude spirit. devotion to Azalin was so great that even death
only meant a new manner for him to serve his When one thinks of ghosts, one often
beloved commander. assumes that they are intangible things. Indeed,
The second is perhaps best illustrated by the this is most often the case. However, those who
infamous Martgr of the Moors, a man who assume that it is a strict rule are setting
sought death a s the ultimate step in his themselves up for a most horrible surprise.
devotion t o a dark and evil deity, only t o find The subcategories below describe the
that he had been cursed with an eternal uolife. re o€ghosts. I must warn the
As an aside, the reader might be interested to classifications are broad and,
note that the spirit, Lord WilfredGodefrey of ,~ in s o w % a x a g u e as the ghosts they
Mordentshire, falls into this category.
., .A

f'lfth Magnitude
- I .. ,

The thought alone of these cr

to make any sane man tremble with fear.
Fifth-magnitude ghosts are so p no physical exisfence
know of not a single case in whi
destroyed through conventiona
Without exception, ghosts o f t no man can secure a hold on them. Indeed,
who have been destroyed wer they are immune to all manner of physical
some special means of elimination ,, , harm-swords and daggers do not bite them,
The emotional intensity needed t , ~ create a and arrows and quarrels pass right through
ghost of this power is so rare that it happens them. However, magical weapons of lesser or
but once in a very gr greater enchantment seem able to injure ghosts
that whole centuries of this type, a s do occasional arms of unique
rrqnufacture such as a silver sword.
Such manifestations can obvi t
through living beings. In most c
domain of Keening, is ill effect from such an encounte
know who falls into th sense of coldness or appreh
the dread Phantom Loo uncommon. In rare cases, h
prey upon those poo incorporeal essence may h
lost someone belove

aware of its special w

uery few of this magnit
the hero who seeks t o
spirit has certainly tak
that the weakness is ne
(Weaknesses are discussed i
I my careful plans, I knew,
ainst this fiend. I was a
Phgsical Consistuncg ror, I turned and fle
he second category into which I classify an an hour later before

T ghosts is that of physical consistency. Like

the preceding category, all ghosts may
also be classified according to their consistency.
the effect of the ghost’s passage was not more Obviously, this is not a hard and fast rule. I
dreadful-for I have seen the corpses of those have encountered creatures that did, in fact,
less fortunate than 1. seem partially solid. It may be, however, that
they were simply better able to manifest this
physical force. Whatever the case, these fiends
did not seem able to step through solid objects
A specter (such a s the bizarre Strangling Man of like truly incorporeal ghosts.
Gun&&) might be seen whose body is largely The ethereal nature of this type of ghost is
incorporeal, but Who has aspects that are such that magical weapons or those of special
seemingly solid. My experience has proven that manufacture are required to inflict any wounds
the sotid areas are not, in most cases, actually upon the creature. It may be that a blow to a
firmer than the surrounding ethereal body. solid area of the ghost would injure it, but such
Rather, the ghost seems able to exert some attacks are usually too precise for the average
conscious or unconscious willpower in an combatant to make in the chaos of melee.
almost telekinetic manner. Thus, while a victim
of the Strangling Man surely felt the forceful
hands of her attacker on her throat, this was a Corporual
manifestation of a paranormal force and not. Like ghosts in the shape of inanimate objects,
the actual grip of some solid hand. Were the corporeal spirits are far less common than their
hands truly substantial, however, the creature intangible counterparts. Through mental will or
would not have been able to pass through walls supernatural ability, these creatures have a
and doors, a s we know it did. solid and complete body. Often, the body
resembles exactly the one they had when alive. Evidence in the case has led me to conclude
How then, one might ask, do I justify the otherwise, but the point is worth noting.
claim that these are ghosts and not zombies or It has been my experience that ghosts who
some other form of undead? The answer is seem to be of a corporeal nature are, in fact,
simple: I have seen such creatures myself. mutable. They seem freely able to assume an
I attended the funeral of a lovely young ' incorporeal state at will. The fact that there are
woman whose resting form was secure in the exceptions, however, merits the division of
coffin when a ghost, one who looked exact%* these creatures into separate and distinct
she had, confronted me. We battled fiercely but categories, as noted above.
I held the apparition at bay. Throughout our id, I' ~ 1.1.3

clash, it was clear to me that this nightidarish

creature was a s solid and complete a-beirrifWl
Phgsicl Appuaranre
myself, for my enchanted dagger bit he third category by which I classify ghosts
flesh a s cleanly a s it would have cut y&
In the end, when I triumphed over the@
creature, the "body" of the ghost
""' T is that of physical appearance. Like the
preceding categories, magnitude of power
and physical consistency, all ghosts, too, may
that of the girl in the coffin, for I c be subjected to this classification. A ghost's
broke down into an elemental mkt. physical appearance must fall into one of the
transformation was such that it p following subcategories: vaporous, spectral,
of a vampire. But when a chilling%in@howled humanoid, bestial, monstrous, object,
through the drifting vapors, bre preserved, corrupted, distorted, or beauteous.
and scattering them freely, I wa In my travels and attempts to battle the evil
had indeed faced something new. of the undead wherever it may stand, I have
I have since encountered but one other encountered so many unusual ghosts that it
corporeal spirit, so thankfu seems impossible to think of them a s variants
be rare. I can only assum olva single theme. In most cases, a ghost will
mental fortitude is requir look as it did in life or, more precisely, as it did
manifestation of the apparit at the time of its death. In some cases, however,
the ghost's appearance is transformed-perhaps
by becoming vaporous or spectral.
Mutablu I have found that the incorporeal undead
I would be remiss in my accounting if I did not come in a great variety of shapes and sizes.
draw the reader's attention t o a type of ghost I While the typical image of a "ghost" is that of a
can only describe a s "mutable." Spirits of this translucent creature of more or less human
nature seem able t o shift from one form to visage, it is dangerous to expect this. Yet, for all
another with ease. In many cases, this change is their dissimilarities, I have found that ghosts
only in the state of the apparition. For example, share a number of physical characteristics.
a ghost who has proven itself to be intangible Thus, 1 have been able to categorize most
by walking through the wall of a tomb might apparitions in the ways I describe below.
then become corporeal and lash out at those
exploring its coffin.
In many cases, the difference between this
uaporous
type of spirit and its various cousins is very Many ghosts lack the power or desire to
subtle. It could well be, for example, that the assume a recognizable physical shape. They
aforementioned Strangling Man was able to often appear a s a misty cloud or swirling fog. In
transform from a semicorporeal state to an some, features can be discerned while in others
incornoreal state-making it a mutable spirit. there is nothina so recognizable. Most often,
those who come into contact with this type of was-to say the least-ghastly. My best guess,
ghost describe it a s cold or damp. although I have never encountered the creature
Ghosts of this type may have special abilities itself, is that this is a humanoid ghost who has
associated with their form. I recall one man an ill-defined face. I can only assume that some
who told me the tragic tale of a vaporous form facet of its creation accounts for its unusual
that descended upon his family one evening in appearance and behavior.
their home. As the mists engulfed them, the air
became infused with a foul essence that was
unfit to breathe. Gasping and choking, the man Bustial
dragged himself clear of his home before losing We have all heard stories of phantom hounds
consciousness. When he awoke, he found that that roam fens and marshes in search of mortal
only he had survived. prey. This example illustrates yet another type
of ghost-the bestial. I have heard stories of
ghost sharks that prowl the Sea of Sorrows,
Spuctral wolf spirits that stalk the woods of Kartakass,
Some ghosts appear as a point of brilliance that and other manners of beastly spirits.
looks not unlike a will 0’ wisp or magical light In some cases, bestial ghosts seem to have a
spell. These points can vary greatly in intensity, kinship with like creatures of mortal nature.
although I do not believe one can always ga6ge The aforementioned wolves, for example, have
the power of the creature by the magnitude of been reported leading a pack of true canines.
light it gives off. In some cases, the emotional Whether these animals followed the creature of
state of such ghosts is reflected by the hue of their own volition or out of some magical
the light. dominance I cannot say.
Ghosts of this type are often accompanied by
a telltale sound such as a whistling or
humming. I have heard tell of spectral Monstrous
phantoms that were accompanied by a most It is not unreasonable to believe that there are
singular ringing said to be much like the ghosts who stem not from humans or
tinkling of crystal bells. demihumans, but from monsters. Indeed, I have
recorded in my journals a number of encounters
with such creatures. Without exception, a
Humanoid monster who is transformed into an undead
lieved by many to be the spirit is even more horrible than it was in life. In
id spirits look much a s many cases, they not only retain their past
re clearly of humanoid powers and abilities, they gain new ones
ways fully defined. Such because of their horrible metamorphosis.
le, might have a well-defined The most frightening creature of this type that
ms but have legs that trail I have encountered was a gruesome medusa; I
had vowed to help a friend who found it lurking
Stories are told in hushed tones by the beneath the mountains of Tepest. We had sought
inhabitants of Staunton Bluffs of a faceless out the creature, believing it was a s mortal a s
horror that roams the streets on those nights any of us. By the time we discovered our
when thunder rumbles across a cloudless sky. It mistake, half of our party was slain-either
is said that this horror kills its victims and turned to stone by its deadly gaze (which it had
steals their faces to ease the eternal agony it retained from its mortal form) or drained of life
suffers. I have seen the body of one of its by its chilling touch (which it had gained upon
victims, and the sight of the faceless corpse becoming a ghost).
 Unprepared for a battle with such a fiendish
creature, we were forced to withdraw. In the . Ove by one, we examined the caskets
in the recessed burial chambers.
months that followed during which we
exception, each and every one of
regrouped t o prepare ourselves for another
assault on the ghost, it began to venture out of t&m had been defied bg grave robbers.
its lair and strike at the innocents of that t$$vlin muttered a holy vow under his breath,
region. By the time we were able to dqstpy t&
for such sacrilege weighed heavily upon his
phantom, nearly two dozen people had 6een - heart. As he lifted his head from a silent prayer
killed-many of them close friends. It was‘a for the dead, Geddar cried aloud.
hollow victory indeed.
L

Object
As impossible a s it may seem, I have c exit from the tomb.
across objects that are, a s far a s I c&d,viw~ -
actually ghosts. To say the least, the$
rare. I believe that ghosts of this &ype;hai( 1 9 4 nd ethereal ere
formed when an individual is g
to or associated with a physica
the individual’s death, he is a m h solved themselves into more familiar
object so strongly that the object i & d f i & ~ l ~ * 1 3 Bantu cursed under his breath and then
transformed into a ghostly state. * avuf sf!? 1:
1

In half of these cases. the ahost eMx?tdkbns

Y

physically transformed so that it information, we were able to overcome the

countenance of the individual. N e enace and put this unsettled soul to rest.
this can be a difficult type to id
cases, the object itself appears
As an example of the latter kind,.
Phantom Axe of Gildabmn. S o m e e most common state of an
ago, a series of murders occurred in a n. Ghosts who are in a presewedst
dwarven community in Darkon. I was om their appearance at the
area and joined the investigation. We cases where the ghost’s living
found that the murders were being co obtrusive means (poison, a
by what seemed to be a magically animat I spell, and the like), the ghost
battle axe. s’it did when alive. Violent death
With the aid of a talented spiritualist, e sword wound or similar
however, we were able to unco isible. In extreme cases,
This weapon was imbued with result of an overwhelming
dwarven warrior named Gildabarren. host may be horribl
Gildabarren had been exiled from his
community a s a young man, and he had
returned to haunt it upon his death. His spirit
ad focused its energy on the axe, which was an
eirloom of great importance to his family. The
armic resonance surrounding his tragic
rowning death was so strong that the axe itself
,became, in effect, Gildabarren’s spirit. With this corpse as
ghost will begin to look rotted and decayed, I cannot account for the strange shape of this
just a s the body does. Corrupted ghosts are c r e a t u r e 4 merely recount its tale. Its origin
often so horrible to look upon that they inspire remains a mystery to me, as does its fate, for I
fear and revulsion in the strongest of men. I don’t know if it still exists or if some brave
have seen many of these creatures in my travels adventurers have been able to dispatch it.
and can assure the reader that this effect does
not lessen with time-there is something
utterly macabre a ese unearthly, rotting
Beautmus
Some ghosts assume an appearance that is
almost angelic in its innocence and seeming
passivity. They take on the guise of the most
beautiful of women, the most handsome of
men, or the sweetest of children. In most cases,
distant land of Har’ the ghost can still be recognized by those who
from the body of a mu riest when the knew it in life. The creature’s appearance,
rituals surrounding his deat however, is more perfect than it could ever have
not correctly completed. Th&ghost was been in the natural world. All of its less
mistaken by many adventurersyor a admirable qualities are softened or replaced in
mummy-an error that cos ways that make it endearing and alluring.
lives. Only through the effo I remember when I first encountered such a
was the true nature of the creat creature and it opened its arms to me. It came
The ghost was returned to a restful death upon in the form of a lovely girl who had raven hair
completion of the proper rituals and and the dark complexion of the tropics. In a
sacraments. voice so sweet that even now it sends shivers
through my body to think of it, the fiend invited
me to embrace it. It whispered to me of its
Oistortud desire for me and its love for me. A part of me
Some apparitions have their physical knew that it lied, but I could not resist. Had it
appearance twisted and distorted in ways that- not been for the intervention of a close friend,
can hardly be described. These creatures are the thing would have killed m e that night.
nightmarish reflections of what they were in Such ghosts are uniformly evil, using their
life. I have heard it said that they are aspects of veil of illusion to lure victims close so that they
the madness that must surely exist in the may lash out at them. In many cases, spirits of
tortured mind of a ghost. Whatever the cause, this type are able to charm those who knew
they are horrible to look upon. them in life.
Many examples come to mind, but I think
that none is perhaps more awful than the
dreadful B a r n Hound of Willisford.This foul
Origin, of’ Ghosts
creature looked, from a distance, to be a great he fourth category by which I classify
mastiff or hunting dog. When examined more
closely, however, the hound was really a man
whose body was warped so that it resembled
T ghosts is through their origins. Although
most ghosts will fit into one of the
subcategories I discuss below, other means of
that of a great canine. The transformation origination should not be discounted.
seemed to cause it pain, for it let out such cries I have, over the years, collected hundreds of
of agony that they were mistaken by the locals documents that detail (or profess to detail) the
for the frightful howling that gave the creature origins of numerous ghosts. In many cases, I
its name. have been able to assemble a number of papers
 or accounts detailing the creation of a single I have come-across eight methods or
apparition. One might think that so many motiv&ions through which ghosts seem to
references could not help but provide a clear o ~ W & b death, n dedication,
and insightful view of the events leading to th'e ngeance, reincarnation,
creation of a ghost. Rather, the converseis There are likelv to be
quite often true. which ghostsmay
In those instances where two or more eem the most common.
chronicle the details by which a specifit
bhaunting has occurred, I have foun
eonfronted with conflicting facts, o
theories, and assorted conjectures a
that cloud the matter as surely a s t h e d W W Q ~
b g s of autumn hide the face of
Still, putting aside the doubtf
reliable accounts, there does e
pattern. Based on this pattern,
to classify most ghosts accordi@
b f g i n s . In some cases, this inv r that is hostile to the living worl&amt&d@h!m
@ % h eperson's physical death: 3 or they slip helplessly into madness.
ds upon the events of Consider the case of the infamous Laughing
ionally, events that oc Man who is said to haunt the Valachan
play a part. countryside. I have no fewer than five accounts
of his “death.” While they alldiffer in details,
the important points match.perfectly.
Dedication
The Laughing Manywas@thwnterwho often Some ghosts are drawn from beyond the grave
out of devotion to a task or interest. A learned
scholar who has spent her life researching
ancient tomes in an effort to decipher a lost
language might return to haunt her old library
of this, the hunter if she died before completing her studies.
with several of his Dedicated ghosts are almost always anchored
belief that there would be (a term I discuss on page 22) to a specific place
0hamight;lthe gmup or item. This is similar to ghosts who are
a n d ~ s e t l l ddourn t o a n w i f h i i d s t o r i e s stewards, a s noted below.
around the campfire. Whilethe4$@er was
consumed with laughter fdkwingtthe telling of
a joke by one of his companiotis,,gi @Up of
Stuwardrhip
bandits attacked them. The hu&r was clain by Among the most fascinating spirits are those I
a single arrow that struck the>ba&&his=head. call stewards or sentinels. These ghosts are
Magical conversations with the spirit of t$e seldom truly evil, and they seek only to protect
Laughing Man reveal he did not know,what something that was important to them in life. In
happened to him by the fire. H e wat.&ed the almost every case, these spirits are anchored to
massacre, unable to affect anythingitwhy way, a specific person, location, or object-although
as thebandits swept down and killed hisfriends. I have heard reports of wandering spirits that
Only in the end, it is said, when he turned and seek to guard over travelers in general or some
body lying at the ed P other less clearly defined group. (See the
awful truth become clear tu him. classification on page 22 for information about
anchored spirits.)
. . . The apparitions before us seemed to Stewards are quite adamant about their desire
come from all walk of life. mere were to protect the thing to which they are anchored.
common folk (transparent and vague but . In general, their power is greater than that of
other ghosts, for they are strongly dedicated to
their task and seem to draw energy from their
no idea how long they bond to the material world. I cannot help but
the vandals gave them pity the rogue who attempts to loot a family
crypt that is protected by a sentinel spirit, for it
oly symbol, a gleaming will bend every bit of its will against him and
emed to gwe offa faint seek to destroy him utterly.
n and beseeched his god for Among the most common stewards are those
restless spirits. Somehow who appear to guard an ancestral estate. This
nough. This was their type of spirit is often at the root of many
d for the dead-we “haunted house” stories, for they can be quite
over them here. violent when confronted with trespassers or
called Bantu. “Beginyour other unwelcome (by them, that is) guests.
old them for as long It is seldom possible to remove a spirit of this
type except by destruction of the thing that it
in my defense, I opened the guards. In the case of a building or an object,
we had recovered from the this is often possible with some effort-
although the ghost will obviously lash out
sharply in an attempt to thwart this endeavor. In
a less manifest focus, such as when a ghost is Uongoanee
determined to watch over its descendants, this Perhaps the most common type of ghost is the
can be almost impossible to accomplish. vengeful spirit. This is the unresting soul of
someone who suffered a great wrong in life.
Unable to avenge himself in the mortal world,
Justicu this apparition rises from the grave to harass or
I have come to the conclusion that this destroy those who maltreated him in life.
category is distinct from the following one, The desire for revenge burns strongly in suc
vengeance, for several reasons. Perhaps the creatures-eventually turning their minds tc
most important of these is the fact that ghosts evil. It seems, in fact, that the desire for
who seek justice almost uniformly were good revenge is so corrupting that even those who
people prior to death. Additionally, these ghosts seek an understandable vindication grow evil.
never act upon imagined wrongs and, for the It matters little, I believe, whether the wrong
most part, are satisfied with the correction of a that has caused such a spirit to rise from the
wrong-even if this means that those who dead is real or imagined. Indeed, in many cases
wronged them go unpunished. In short, this the most evil and powerful of these spirits
type of ghost has a certain nobility a s opposed thrive on the belief that they have been slighted
to those who seek only to wreak revenge. when no evidence of prejudicial treatment
To make this distinction clear, consider the exists.
well-known case of the Headless Gypsy. Here A perfect example of this type of ghost can
we have a man who was cast out from his be found in the domain of Tepest
people, the Vistani, for a crime he did not several years ago, I ran into a mo
commit. When he returned to them in an effort spirit whom I recounted in my. .jou
to plead for reconsideration, he was sentenced Reflection of Evil.
to death and promptly beheaded. That night, It seems that there was a young woman
his spirit returned in the shape of a swirling named Keni who was prone to jealousy
cloud of sparkling, shimmering dust. This whenever her husband Drakob even spoke to
vaporous apparition was able to move freely another woman. I have never found anyone who
about the camp and seemed to take great would even begin to suggest she had cause for
delight in mischief, for it was able to this, for Drakob was as devoted and loving a
manipulate physical objects to some extent. spouse as any woman could want.
As time passed, this ghost became more and Her jealousy became so consuming, however,
more troublesome to the Vistani-valuable that she was unable to stand the thought of his
objects would vanish or break, horses and dogs being gone from their home for more than a
would be released and then frightened into few hours at a time. One day, while Drakob was
flight, and so on. In an effort to stem this tide going about his business in the town of Viktal,
before it could become dangerous, one of the a fire broke out in their home. Unable to escape
elder women of the band used her prophetic the sudden, horrible blaze, Keni died.
powers to contact the spirit. Under the Headless As the months passed, Drakob mastered his
Gypsy’s guidance, she uncovered evidence that grief. H e eventually wooed a young woman
cleared his name of any wrongdoing. As soon named Zjen and, more than tw fter the
as this was done, the ghost vanished and was death of Keni, he remarried.
never seen again. On Drakobs wedding night, the
How sweet life would be if all such hauntings image of his first wife appeared in the mirror on
could be so easily ended and all restless spirits a dressing table. The frantic newlyweds
so quickly stilled. he one
they replaced it with was pro? told me that he was still being haunted by the
the same apparition. Over and image of Keni and that he dared not make
discarded or destroyed mirrors another attempt to drive it off for fear that
drive this phantom from their 11 matters would become even worse. I do not
they were forced to flee from t know what has become of him, but I left him in
every reflective surface began to a state of mental exhaustion that was as close
image of the dead first wife. to death a s any living man can bear. My heart
The couple’s nevi house seemed a safe goes out to him, but he made me swear not to
enough refuge for the first few weeks,%ut soon interfere, and I could not refuse him.
it was being haunted by the jealous
Keni. When Drakob beseeched a pri
local church to drive the restless s p Reincarnation
its grave, matters grew worse. The This manner of apparition is extremely rare and
edraged the spirit and, if anything, magnified is absolutely distinct from the others described
its-er. On the night after the attempted in this book. Although I have never
banishment, as Zjen looked down and saw the encountered such a creature, I have it on the
refl&ion of the dead girl in a bucket of water, a most reliable of accounts that they do exist.
1 hand lashed out at her. Although it A reincarnation, or descendant, spirit can
seemedJuht38le to touch the flesh-and-blood occur when an ancestor of exceptional
woman, it left a horrible scar upon Zjen’s face. willpower chooses to return to ‘‘life’’by
The wound was unsesponsive to medical care, usurping the body of a descendant. The victim
and Zjen soon sickened and died. of this assumption must be a direct relation,
When last I spoke with the widower, Drakob and the importance of blood ties in this
 diabolical relationship cannot be overstated. resedrch indicates this is the spirit of a wealthy
Once the ghost has gained control of the and powerful man who had been miserly and
host’s body, it utterly dominates the his life. When he passed away, no
descendant’s spirit. Unlike other forms of ted the loss of such a cold, cruel
ghostly control, however, the victim is not the anniversary of his death, the
instantly killed by the domination. He may CdllHtin@% was seen wandering the streets
linger on for some years before finally ’
succumbing to the evil within him. Yet ther‘e
hope, for the removal of the intruding spftit i i C
frees the body to return to return to its ndtblrW iffie;spiffi%cup (which
owner. Usually, a dominated individuat W;rill@&e l d i C dble to catch and hold
no memory of the events that took pl Those who did
he (or she) was dominated.

Curses
Ravenloft is a land of the accursed:,+ BY
with certainty how it came t o betM9;iarsHbut tt Dark’Palet,
is so. There are those who say &a%mh of us The final method by which ghosts can be
lives under the looming shadow dark formed is something that I shudder to mention.
curse. For myself, I can think-& er But the truth is that there are those who trade
weight to bear than the rnemorlm away their humanity for the eternal life of the
beloved Erasmus and dear depw&&hgrid. undead. They make a pact with the dark side.
Some inhabitants of RavenloftAhowever, are It is my belief that, without exception, these
oursed in ways unimaginable to the&mmon people cannot even begin to understand the
man-they are shackled by yunlife scspe of their thirst for immortality. The
Ghosts of this type may be ramifications of this desire to survive beyond’.
that is external in origin. FIX exampie, a man one’s own death are staggerin
may offend an ancient and powerfht Vistani with the weight upon one’s mi
woman who chooses to retaliate with the centuries of ghostly life th
, dreaded evil eye of the gypsies. Under the heavy €orany man t o bear. I
power of such a spell, the offender might be and destruction loornupito
i condemned to live out eternity at the spot barter his life away in so v
where his misstep was made until the gypsy cheat the master mf.death,
takes pity and releases him from the curse. Of course, enterhlg intwarp&t;with’some
,.Ghosts may also be forged by a curse being or force is diffiaulb fbecreatwes capable
bmught upon them by wrongs committed of bestowing the @ft>(brcurse, rathkr) of
during life. These curses are far more horrible immortality in any%fm a m rare. Most
than those laid on by an outside party, for there commonly, thesepacts are made with the vile
o quick solution by which the victims may creatures that lurk inthe Outer Planes. Those
released from their suffering-suffering they who seek to strike a bargain with these forces
selves caused. Further, those who of the supernatural must first locate such
mn themselves in this manner are beings and attract their attention. This in itself
rmly evil and seldom repent in the is a dangerous and foolhardy thing to do. In I

almost eve@ case, dealing with such powerful,

illustrate the latter type of curse, consider evil creatures results only in tragedy and death.
e mysterious Counting Man of Barovia. My Once someone makes contact with a creature
capable of granting his wish for immortality, he s e t l w t t o contact the only man who seemed a
must offer some payment for the “boon.” In le mentor to him-the dreaded Azalin.
many cases, this favor will take the form of a or friend seemed hesitant t o say the
service, as material wealth means little to slow in telling me of the foul
fiends of this power. Often, the task will do he swore to the dark lord.
nothing t o further the goals of the beast, but onths under the guidance of
will instead provide the fiend with chaotic figure. All the while, he learned
amusement. ore-not only about magic, but
In order t o illustrate this type of origin, I must himself. It was through my talk
recount a story that causes me much I learned the horrible truth
heartache-for Darkon’s true nature.
was a boy, I kne did not know, however, was
named Eldrenn eaching him powers he could
childhood friends, b ntain. In the end, those powers
his parents moved t onsuming his flesh and
elsewhere. Years later, agical power he had
At first, I did not r e him. He was e. Tragically, death was
gaunt and pale, lookin n. The powerful oath he
eaten since last 1 had s m to the servitude of
dark and seemed t o n beyond death itself.
when he spoke. The when Eldrenn looked
this shell of a man an ow, and into the distance. I
known could not have been greater. The fact turned3ankhawthat he was entranced by the
that he was now a sparkliw, transparent ghost distant spires of Azalin’s castle. He bade me
seemed of only secondpry importance. farewell, for his master was calling him, and he
We talked. As the hguwpassed, he told me began to floet slowly toward the castle. As he
of his life. H e explainad-that his family had moved, he faded from sight and was gone. It
settled not far from Q &f Oarkon’s largest was several hwrs before I was able to compose
xi
cities and that he had. n raised in an
atmosphere of h a p p h m a n d prosperity. As hd
myself ahdLforce my mind from the dreadful
tale I had been told.
entered his teen yeara&iss mind began to d!,l
wander and he leaked beyond his father’s
tinsmithing business, , i ”yr
H e explained that his senses had seemed to Fifth category in which ghosts may be
him shallow a d i y x m p l e t e , except for the 1 classified is whether they are anchored.
ability ta seesornethidg more than what was Many spirits are tied to a specific person
there. 1n@d@ $tar Lhad heard of this yearning or place. Some are found haunting a singular
from otkc&btnrae called to the magician’s item. I call these anchored spirits, for just as a
,born with the blood of ship’s anchor keeps it in place during rough
veins, but the mystical fire of weather, so do the bonds that these ghosts feel
for certain things prevent them from ranging
Overthetourse of the next few years, he afar. In some ways this is a blessing. Finding a
began to stiidy wizardry. His powers grew slowly spirit who is known to be anchored t o a specific
at first, but he found he had a natural affinity house, for example, is far easier than finding a
for the working of magic. Eventually, he ghost who roams the countryside seeking
became quite powerful. In fact, he found he revenge for its death.
could learn nothing more from his studies and Anchored spirits can, however, be more
 e than their wandering c o u n t e r p a t s
an anchored ghost is far more ... Geddar brought his axe down in a long,
nd t o be extremely aggressi gweeping arc. His blade passed through two
ing territorial and of the ghosts, causing them to cry out in pain.
or object to which In retaliation, one of the other spirits surged
tscanbeanchoredbyoneo forward and reached out its f i i e r s to brush
across the brow of the dwarf. He seemed
unaffectedat first, but then a look of horror
spread across his face such as 1 had never
seen in a dwarven wam’or. Geddar fell,
hor connects a spirft clutching his chest, and 1 knew in my heart
e cases, a ghost’s relat that we would never hear his booming laugh
dversarial, in ot again.
e occasions- As 1placed the last of the amulets back in
the coffins,Kevlin began to pray,ag+,
called upon his deity to return thrq
to the peaceful sleep of the dead. ,
ful servant’s death is, Too late for our beloved Gedh,,.we
is transformed intwa watched as the phantasms began to fa
sight. Then the evil of this place vanished. .i,I

ISthat of stewar - Dr. Rudolph Van Richten

Private journals

region they defend will anger them; in other

w‘ords, those seeking to pass through the area
will not be troubled so long a s they show
proper respect. In rare instances, the mere act
of trespassing upon the soil protected by a
unt the woman who
specific spirit is enough to earn its wrath-and
then transfer it possibly the trespasser’s death.
In the distant and elusive land of Har’Akir, for
example, each and every tomb is said t o be
watched over by the spirits of those who are
interred there. Grave robbers who disturb their
sleep, it is believed, will bring death and
be that this is the mos destruction upon themselves for the crimes
or at least the most w& they are committing against the dead.
g us has not heard tales dfwhBurlDlbv ni While I have never been able to prove this, I
where none dare travd a€ttetrthWrMa~ had occasion once to speak with an ancient ~

warrior who, although he claimed to be but ;

not heard of a house said W b e M d t o tiie
g spirits of the family w seventeen years old, was on the verge of de&h
ost cases, spirits who are a from the frailty of many decades. H e as$% &,
e stewards. T h y W m & h x v me that the rumors told of Har’Akir’s g&f
of the region in W M thytide. spirits are true-and I must say I feit 1 6 0 x 8
cts of violence again&tbkm. accept his testimony.
 Sometimes, however, a trigger is involved
that links the ghost to appearing at a certain
Perhaps the rarest form of anchor is that of a event, time, or under certain conditions. i
spirit’s attachment to a singutar item. I have Triggers can be thought of a s temporal anchors, i

personally never encountered duyh a spirit, but if one wishes, for that is essentially what they
I have heard the tales and rbail‘the ‘&counts by
~

are.
sources whom 1 consi
include these ghosts I !
In order for a spirit Time
object, that object musth Ghosts who are triggered by the passing of time ,
significance for the person can be troublesome to track down and destroy,
best illustrates this, at lea for one seldom knows where to begin looking.
tragic yet fascinating tale For instance, if a ghost rises every 100 years
Invidia. from a certain tomb, the origin of its curse is
This woman seemed tieif soon lost to memory. Furthermore, a ghost
she wore constantly. I beli&‘l%&ch had hunter might feel he has destroyed the
been given to her by her apparition when, in reality, it has simply gone
birthday gift. But the into “hibernation” for another century.
accident that very day, A natural phenomenon may trigger the
fixed upon the item as a l a d appearance of some ghosts of this type. For
child. example, the night of the full moon might bring
When the woman forth the spirit of a slain constable who makes
will requested that the trinket Wburied with his lonely rounds just as he did on the night he
her. Her sister, however, had al&@scoveted the died. And the return of a blood-red comet to
pretty brooch, and she rem0 the skies above a harbor town might herald the
body just before the ca appearance of a ghost ship.
mohths that followed,
and death by the spirit o f t
Things did not end t Action
cameo changed hands Some ghosts are triggered when a certain
each instance, it bro action is performed. In a sense, the guardian
Eventually, a young spirits of Har’Akir might be regarded this way,
discerned the focus of the for they are harmless unless their tombs are
it that the Gray Lad violated. Disrespect of the dead is the most
harm was at la common trigger for a ghost.
r. Once the coffin w Generally, the arrival of an action-triggered
ghost is violent and immediate. Let us take, for
example, the case of a steward ghost who
returns to haunt anyone who defiles the home
in which it lived. The descendants of the ghost
he sixth and final category I will discuss is sell the house to a man who wishes to destroy it

T that of triggers. Generally, once a ghost

has been created it becomes a permanent
inhabitant of the world. It will remain in
in order to make room for a larger structure. As
soon as the first of the demolition workers
begins to practice his art, he finds himself
existence until its goals are accomplished, it is confronted by the misty, howling shape of the
laid to rest by the actions of mortals, or it is house’s steward. Hardly a typical day’s work,
Cyclic
Cyclic ghosts are an uncommon type of spirit.
They seem, for whatever reason, to be trapped Her lips were red, her looks were free,
in a repeating loop of time. Their actions are
forever dictated by this repetition because they
Her locks were yellow as gold:
pursue a course in time a s unbreakable a s the
Her skin was white as leprosy,
mightiest chain. The tragic bussengeist, a The nightmare Life-in-Deathwas she,
tortured spirit forced to witness one horrible Who thicks man’s blood with cold.
disaster after another a s the years go by, is a
perfect example of a cyclic ghost. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
On a much less dramatic scale, I once read of Rhyme of the Ancient Manner
a spirit who climbed the same set of stairs in a
church’s clocktower every time the clock
chimed twelve. His walk would begin just a s the I
first bell sounded, and he would reach the top
step just a s the last one ended, only to fade Semicorporeal
away once he had completed his journey. This Corporeal
apparition was more a curiosity than anything Mutable
else a s long a s it was left alone. Those who 111. Physical appearance
interfered with its climbing, either purposefully Vaporous
or accidentally, met with a gruesome end: The Spectral
creature’s merest touch caused flesh to run like Humanoid
water from their bones. Bestial
Monstrous
Object
Conclusion * Preserved
s the reader will surmise after reading the Corrupted .

A above information, classifying ghosts can

be a time-consuming task. However, the
ghost hunter who has done the requisite IV.
9 Distorted

Beauteous
Origins
research will be equal to the challenge of Sudden death
returning spirits t o their proper resting place. Dedication
One such task is understanding as much a s Stewardship
possible about the type of ghost, its origins, Justice
and its manner. Vengeance
The following outline may help the reader Reincarnation
classify any ghosts he or she encounters. Curses
Darkpacts
1. Magnitude of power V. Anchors
First Relationship
Second Place
Third Item
Fourth VI. Triggers
Fifth Time
11. Physical consistency Action
Incorporeal Cyclic
 for granted that all worlds are spherical. She
found my belief that our land is a flat surface very
amusing. I must say, however, that I have traveled
from the coast of the Sea of Sorrows in Mordent
due west until I came to the easternmost regions
of the twisted Nightmare Lands-and I am certain
our world is not a sphere.
It seems our land is immediately surrounded
by a belt the sages call the border ethereal. This
border is a transient thing that permeates our
land. It is, in fact, a s much a state of being a s it
is a place of existence. It functions a s an
intermediary between the land of Ravenloft and
the Ethereal plane.
Ghosts (and other incorporeal beings) in
Ravenloft become nonsolid by entering the
border ethereal just a s they would a normal
world. Curiously, however, they are unable to
reader. However, much take the step from the border ethereal into the
difficult (if not impossi Ethereal plane itself. It seems that there is
believe. but I must bea some mystical force at work that prevents them
truth. For many years 1 pt: from moving beyond the border.
what I am about to rev I cannot account for this effect nor even
presented to me bega define it clearly. We are all, I believe, prisoners
Over the years, I hav of some greater force in Ravenloft. What
something that, at f motivates or maintains this force, I cannot say.
concern. Interviews But enough discourse on the conjectures of
sages. The background the reader now has
should provide a reference point for the
our land is not following “ordinary” powers of ghosts:
is it a world in t insubstantiality, invisibility, rejuvenatfon,
outsiders think, I immunity, racial abilities, class abilities, and
this odd fact, but creation of undead. Although all ghosts have
the first four ordinary powers, the remaining
three are dependent upon the individual ghost.

Insubstantialitw
ghost’s most well-known power is, without

u s t o the point at A doubt, that of its ethereal nature. Being a

nonsolid creature, the ghost is not
restricted by physical barriers and can come
o enchantment and go a s it pleases. Its movement is limited in
brings one back to *at point? The answer, if some cases by an anchor or a magical border it
one pauses t o think about it, is fairly obvious: cannot cross, but for the most part a ghost
These other worlds are great spheres. cannot be constrained physically.
The traveler to whom I spoke seemed to take it In its insubstantial form, a ghost is immune
 .-

to harm from normal weapons. Even the

mightiest dwarven axe or the purest elven
sword will not cleave that which is ethereal. No, the young woman moved toward Alanik, 1
only magical weapons can harm the ethereal raised my crossbow to warn her off The light
creature. In addition, those enchanted weapons of the fmplace danced on the silver quarrel; I
effective against a lesser ghost may have no felt confident in its power.
power against a greater one, for the spirit’s
resistance to attack is directly based upon its
magnitude.
I must warn the reader, however, that I have but the eviden
encountered some spirits who seemed more moved nearer
resistant to harm than I would have expected plainly in the way the mo
from their apparent magnitude. Either these through her body-s
ghosts had some sort of additional protection, She reached out in
or their true magnitude was cleverly concealed. Alanik in her v@ embrac
The ghost’s intangible state is, I believe,
proof that it exists primarily in the border
ethereal. If one were able to enter that
mysterious realm and confront a ghost on its As it bwied’itself in
own territory, I speculate that it would seem as in the siloer quarrel was shattered. I hew that
solid a s you or I. It might even be possible to no earthty weapon could protect us. . . .
battle the creature with nonmagical weapons
and to destroy it just a s one would a mad dog.

Mutable and Semicorporeal Spirits

Mutable spirits are able to become ethereal or
tangible at will. As soon a s these creatures
assume a corporeal state, they become
vulnerable to physical weapons.
I would be remiss in my charge to instruct
would-be ghost hunters, however, if I did not
warn the reader that this is not always the case.
On more than one occasion, I have heard of the
death of someone who found that his
nonmagical blade was useless against a truly
corporeal spirit. Similarly, those mutable or
semicorporeal spirits-who seem able to
become partly corporeal while retaining a
primarily incorporeal state-do not become
vulnerable to mundane weapons.
As I described earlier in Chapter I, these
spirits do not actually become partially solid.
Rather, they seem able t o focus their energies
in such a way that they can affect their physical
surroundings without becoming a part of them.
 P”“‘
.___ ’ ., ... .. .:.. ... i _ 3. . . . . . . i , ;_.
_ d .. ......

without such tools stand little chance of

lnuisibilitg harming, let alone destroying, ghosts.
nother power of a typical ghost is its ability Even if one has the physical ability to harm

A to become invisible at will. Creatures

moving about in the border ethereal are not
readily visible to those on the Prime Material
an incorporeal spirit, however, the task is only
half-completed. Most ghosts are able to strike
down a mortal with but a few blows thanks to
plane or the demiplane of Ravenloft. Invisibility their special powers. Conversely, it usually
seems to be a side effect, if you will, of the requires a great effort on the part of many
ghost’s ability to exist within the border ethereal. individuals to inflict enough harm to a ghost to
There are numerous ways to detect a ghost drive it off or destroy it. I have heard tell of
who is not yet visible, although they are almost apparitions who were beset by a team of
all magical. The most common means adventurers and managed to not only survive
employed is the use of a detect inuisible or the attack, but to utterly annihilate the party.
similar spell. I am also told that there are some This is partly due to a ghost’s ability to
persons who are able to sense the presence of regenerate itself, though ghosts do not
ethereal creatures by means of innate psionic regenerate in the way that vampires and certain
abilities. And it is said that the Vistani can other creatures do. This is not to say that a
always sense the presence of the incorporea!, ghost who is badly injured in a skirmish today
although this may be an old wives’ tale. will be whole and hardy on the morrow-quite
In most cases, a ghost must become visible the reverse. Rather, there is an important
(if not tangible) to attack those in Ravenloft. difference in the ways in which a ghost is able
Only the most powerful and deadly of ghosts to heal itself of injury a s opposed to the ways in
are able to attack without revealing their which other creatures recover from damage.
presence to their victims. To heal themselves, ghosts are able to
Nonmagical means of detecting invisible and employ a process I call rejuvenation. Unlike
incorporeal creatures are generally of no use. For regeneration, which implies a healing of
example, scattering a fine layer of dust or flour wounds at a greatly accelerated rate,
across the floor of a room might well cause a rejuvenation allows the ghost to absorb the
corporeal being who is invisible to reveal itself essence of the Ethereal plane that surrounds it,
through the making of footprints. An incorporeal thus restoring itself to full vigor.
creature, however, would leave no such sign of This process is taxing and demands the ghost
its passage. Similarly, attempts to discern the do nothing for some time after the assumption
presence or location of an incorporeal creature of ethereal matter, rendering it vulnerable
by making sweeping passes with a weapon or should it be forced to rejuvenate during a
other object will generally fail. An incorporeal combat situation. As a rule, a first-magnitude
spirit can be detected in this manner only if the ghost can heal any injuries sustained at any
object or weapon used to probe the area is time, but it is then helpless to act for an hour
magical and its enchantment strong enough to afterward. The duration of this “resting time”
actually strike the ghost. lessens with the power of the ghost until, at the
fifth magnitude, a ghost need only rest for ten
minutes after rejuvenation.
Rujuuunation As a word of caution, I must advise the reader
s strange as it may seem, it is possible to

A
that I have, on rare occasions, encountered
drive off a ghost by physical combat. ghosts who seemed able to heal themselves
Doing so, however, often requires a more rapidly, perhaps by a process I can only
magical weapon or spellcasting abilities. Those liken to regeneration.
--..--

I
 Bs Useless Against Ghosts Power word, kill
ction* Power word, stun
Sink
Sleep
Slow
Vampiric touch

Priest Spells Useless Against Ghosts

Finger of death Animal growthlshrink animal*
Haste Cause blindness
Hold animal Cause deafness
Hold monster Cause disease
Hold person Hold animal
Irritation Hold person
Magic jar Regeneratelwither.
Otto’s irresistible dance Restorationlenergy drain*
Polymorph any object Speak with monsters
Polymorph others * These spells are the reversed versions of
Power word, blind their more common counterparts.
Unique Immunities . . . Seeing that my quarrel had not slowed
In some cases, a spirit’s resistance to magic is the phantom, Alanik Ray backed away, pulled
based upon its origins. For example, I have his leather satchel to him, and began to
heard tell of the ghost of a young woman who rummage through it in search of something
died when an avalanche of snow swept away her unbeknownst to me. The phantom beauty
mountain chalet. This ghost was immune to turned toward me, confident in the impotence
harm from all spells that did not employ cold, of our defenses. Its slende6 pale hands
ice, or the like a s a part of their magic. reached out for my throat, and I found myself
Normally, spirits who are immune to some unable to look away from that angelic face.
type of magic are more vulnerable to others. In Suddenly, Alanik Ray shoved me roughly
the example presented above, the apparition of aside. I slipped and fell. As I watched in
the alpine girl was more greatly affected by a stunned silence, unable to move, the foul
spell such a s cone of cold than would normally ghost spread its arms and took my companion
be expected. In extreme cases, it might be instead in its deadly embrace.
*
impossible to drive off or destroy the spirit To my surprise, the great detective seemed
unless the magic to which it is vulnerable is unharmed. Indeed, the ghost threw back its
employed. head and let out a scream of agony-Alanik
Ray had impaled it on a shaft of gleaming
crystal.
Racial Abilities - From The Life of Alanik Rail
lthough ghosts acquire new abilities from

A
a s noted by Arthur Sedgwick, Physi
their undead status, a number of spirits
also retain the natural abilities of their
racial origin. The ghost of a dwarf, for example, Creation of Undead
might retain its natural infravision a s well a s its
n approximately half of all ghostly cases, an
resistance to spells.
Not all spirits retain these abilities, but enough
do so that it is important to note this possibility.
Racial abilities most likely retained seem to be
I apparition has the ability to cause those it
kills to rise as some form of undead, not
necessarily the form of another ghost.
If the ghost also has the ability to command
those intrinsic to an apparition’s new life.
undead, then these newly created fiends fall
instantly and totally under its control. The type
Class Abilities of undead spawned by a given ghost differs
he knowledge that a ghost possessed when greatly from ghost to ghost, but the new

T alive is seldom lost to it in the

transformation to unlife. Thus, many of
them retain the abilities of the profession they
undead almost always share something of their
creator, notably its powers and abilities.
In general, a ghost is only able to employ this
power when it slays someone with its primary
pursued in life. In the least of these cases, this
might include such common skills a s cooking special ability. Thus, a ghost capable of
or carpentry, both of which have little draining life energy might have this power in
importance to the incorporeal apparition. Far addition to the drain life energy ability. If so,
worse, however, are those spirits who retain those who died from this ghost’s special
their knowledge of formidable magic, ability-that is, who died from having their life
innovative battle tactics, or even the mysterious energy drained away-would rise again as
powers of the psionic mind. lesser forms of undead.
 aspect of it.
&mmon to most spirits. In this Some ghosts seem able to manifest this
chapter, I will discuss the destructive power by a simple touch. The
paranormal powers I have general effect is a rapid acceleration of
encountered only in specific biological functions such that the victim
ghosts. instantly ages many years.

I i Over the years, I have battled or

researched more ghosts than I care
to remember. Often, these
creatures were unlike any others I
have encountered. Thus, despite
As one might imagine, accelerated aging can
be deadly to those of us who are, well, we shall
say “less young” than others. I myself have
been cursed by an aging attack on one
occasion, and I believe I was fortunate that the
my attempts to classify them, I blow dealt was not more severe and the effects
must confess that each and every more deadly.
ghost is unique. One might Other, more powerful ghosts are able to
encounter one hundred wolves in induce this aging in those who merely look
the forest, and although each is upon them. This effect is fiendishly lethal
different from its brothers in because the ghost is protected by this power
coloration, size, and temperament, while at a distance, safe from many forms of
these differences are nothing when compare$ attack. A mitigating factor is that sometimes
with the radical differences I have found in this power requires the potential victim t o
ghosts. make eye contact with the ghost. Discovering
On the pages that follow, I have recorded the difference between the two, of course, is
twenty-one of the more extraordinary powers fraught with difficulty. Thankfully, ghosts of this
and abilities of the incorporeal dead. (They are type are very rare!
arranged alphabetically.) 1 take heart in the idea
that any single ghost usually has no more than
one or two of these powers, but bear in mind
that there are those who have more. On one
truly horrifying occasion, I was forced to
confront a spirit who had no fewer than siu of -
these extraordinary powers. I barely escaped
that encounter. Four of my closest friends were
not so lucky.

Actuluratu Asins

s ome ghosts are able to cause an unnatural

acceleration in the aging of their victims. I
%&reseen this process in action-watched
a s someone’s hair turned from brown to gray to
silvbr. seen wrinkles stretch across a previously
taut face, heard the cries of pain a s arthritis
spread through now-fragile bones-but I cannot
explain it.
This is, I believe, similar to an ability drain,
but this unnatural aging affects the victim’s
entire physiology rather than some specific
‘ A
ome spirits are able to cause those near
them to lose hope and to become
convinced that the cause for which they
are working is lost, whatever the truth of the
situation. Persons under the effect of this aura
,generally become lethargic and depressed.
In some cases, people affected by this power
Abnik Ray raised his hand and called for us
become frustrated and prone to violent
to stop. He turned slowly, looking around the
outbursts. I have seen more than one party of
inside of the crypt carefully. One by one, he
adventurers fall to bickering and fail their turned his scrutiny on the members of our
quest, despite the fact that success seemed in party. Every attempt at conversation was
their reach. instantly met with a c y for quiet by the
In almost every case, this power functions as detective. At last, he turned to face the y W g
a simple aura that affects all those within a mortician, Bartonwood.
given area. Fortunately, removal from the “Weneed explore this darlc matter no
proximity of the ghost mitigates this despair. further,”he announced “Themurderer is
Adventurers quickly return to normal among us, is he not, Bartonwood?”
stout-heartedness. 1 was shocked by A M ’ s accusation. 1 had
known the wort@ Bartonwood for many
years; he was no more capable of so brutal an
act than I.
I turned to speak on his behalf, but
Bartonwood collapsed. A thin stream of white
vapor poured from his open mouth, rising 4p
to take a misty human form. It was clear now
that Ray had been correct, but what peril now
stood before us?. . .
I
A the power to inspire a

Cause Paralgsis
ome ghosts are able to render their victi
immobile. Whether this is due to some
supernatural manipulation of the victim
nervous system or the generation of an aura
magical terror, I cannot say.
The paralysis induced by these creatures
generally of a temporary nature. Those affe
by it will be unable to move even slightly fo
brief period of time. When the paralysis w
off, it generally does so quite quickly, al
the muscles and nerves of the victim mi
tingle or ache for a long time afterward. been crushed by the fall of a heavy crate in the
Generally, the ghost must lash out and strike hold. The crew was certain the cargo had been
its victim in order t o induce this effect. Some well secured and were at a loss to explain the
apparitions, however, are said to radiate an aura tragedy, claiming it must have been an
that causes all those who look upon them to accident. I, however, suspected it was not.
become frozen in motion. In either case, this My suspicions were confirmed when, the next
debilitating power can be truly deadly, for it night, another accident occurred. This time, a
leaves the victim vulnerable to any other form fire broke out near several barrels of black
of attack the spirit might employ. powder in the cargo hold. Had I not been on
hand to smother the blaze, the entire ship
might have been destroyed.
As I dampened the last flame, I found myself
in the company of a bowlyn, the dread spirit of
the seas. Upon seeing that I had thwarted its
pldn to destroy the ship, the creature swept
toward me with a cry. I raised an open vial of
holy water and splashed the contents upon the
ghost. To my surprise, this did not harm it.
The creature swept past-no, through-me.
As soon a s its misty form came in contact with
my flesh, I staggered backward. A wave of
intense nausea swept through me. So intense
was this feeling that I fell to my knees. When
the crew heard the noise and found me, they
had to carry me back to my cabin.
I dire say that, had another accident not
occurred the next night while I was still
incapacitated, I might have been blamed for the
mishaps and been forced to face the captain’s

Cause Revulsion

s ome spirits, particularly those of corrupted

appearance, are able to induce a feeling of
disgust and revulsion in the living. Often,
this is so powerful a revulsion a s to cause the
victim to become physically ill.
I encountered a spirit of this nature while
traveling aboard the Wailing Maid, a small
merchant vessel that ran from Martira Bay to
Mordentshire. We were just out of port when
night fell. With the rising of the moon, there
came a cry of pain from below deck. Dashing to
investigate, I found that one of the sailors had
 The stronger the karmic resonance of a
ghost, the more powerful is its ability t o wound.
r to all attack rolls, saving In the most powerful of ghosts, this attack can
and horror checks), be lethal.
s. Any healing spell, Those who are injured by a ghost employing
&my, will cancel thii attack will find themselves singularly
regardless of the marked by it. Without exception, the
supernatural power of the ghost leaves a
blazing red welt upon its victim. In time, the
color of the wound will fade, but a wicked scar
Causu mounds will remain. I myself am not without these

s e ghosts have the ability to wound at a

uch, for the power is a simple
anifestation of the deadly energies that
seethe within them. In order to cause wounds,
the ghost simply strikes at someone in the
marks of death upon me.

same way it would have in its past, when it was

alive. If the blow lands, a portion of the target‘s
life essence is dissipated by the ghost. In effect,
the victim dies just a bit. It seems to matter
little if the ghost is corporeal or incorporeal, for
this ability crosses the line between the planes
of existence.

.
. . The misty apparition rose into the air
and flew about, twisting and contorting as it
went. The entire room became deathly cold
and an eerie wailing clawed at our hearts.
Suddenly, I saw the earthen floor of the tomt
shift and bubble.
Hands, much decayed and long dead, brol
through the soil to grab at us. Even as I moor
to avoid this new menace, ghastly, animated
corpses began to pull themselves free of the
spii We were ou&urnbered three to one by t&

-1
as if from a great distance, I heard
“These creatures are not
them no heed, for they Charm Animals

no longer see tkm.

,and knowing him to be
one is likely to fmd, I ben
k b f ignoring these hideous
&nds, they faded until I cou
.. .
s e spirits are able to exert considerable
fluence over the beasts of the world. The
ature of this dark talent is such that most
lowly creatures are unable t o resist the ghost’s
will; they must obey its every command.
 ...1spa -. - Create Illusions
person spell, save
nimals and can be used a
Dice of animals that
one time by a ghost
three times the Hit Dice
In

P power to shape images out of nothing is

angerous indeed. Just as some wizards
re capable of making others see whatever
they want, so,too, can some spirits alter the
perceptions of their victims and thus fill the
However. some aDoaritions mav have lower I senses with lies.
The power of illusion ranges greatly in scope
and intensity. At its weakest, it is the ability to
make simple sounds echo from nowhere or
lights flicker hauntingly in the night. At its
OStS greatest, however, it can drive victims t o the
over edge of madness as the conviction grows in
them that nothing they see is real or
trustworthy.
For the most part, gho have the
power of illusion are able to produce effects
that mimic the spells cast by wizards. There are
important differences worth noting, however.
For example, these spirits have no need t o
invoke the magical rituals magicians often
must use, and thus can cause the effects they
desire to spring instantly into being. As one
might expect, the more powerful the ghost, the
more'convincing the illusion.
It is important that the reader underxand the
me spirits have the ability to command

& her undead creatures to do their bidding.

us, it is possible for a ghost to surround
itself with a legion of lesser horrors that will act
difference between illusions. which are created
by bending light or manifested by actual sound.
and phantasm, which are unreal and QCUW
only in the mind of the victim. Fort~mald
on its behalf. These lesser undead are slaves to have heard tell of only one ghost who ya
the creature that commands them, and they are to manifest the latter power, so this entry
freed from their bond only upon the destruction defines only the former.
of their master.

The number of senses (sight, sound, smel

uch, taste) that an illusion can affect is
rectly related to the power of the ghost.
3r each magnitude that the ghost has
tained, its illusion may appeal to one sens
ime ISusua enses affected are determined by the DM
hen defining the ghost and do not change.
For example, a first-magnitude ghost
light only be able to create illusionary
 .

spirit from the body of its host. When this happens,

or when the ghost abandons control of the body
for whatever reason, the host is generally able to
recover fully from the trauma. Thus, in the example
above, over the course of time the victim would
probably recover his ability to move.
isunderstand Dominated individuals
o move and act normally. It is, I have
possible to tell from a simple surface
ation whether a person is under the
of a spirit. The spirit does not, however,
ries of the victim. Thus,
can often reveal the

Dominate Uictims
his power is similar in nature to the ghdtly

T ability to inhabit bodies (see below). It is,

however, less vile, for it does not mandate
the destruction of the target. It is possible for
the victim of such an attack to be subdued and
the dominating spirit driven from his body.
Use of the domination ability enables a spirit
to assume complete control over the actions of
its host. In general, however, there is some
special condition that must be met before a
ghost can dominate a person.
For example, some ghosts may be
empowered with the ability to slowly paralyze a nexpected but pleasan
mortal. Gradually, the ghost’s victim becomes ation of Control: This
less and less agile, his dexterity impaired. After
several attacks, he is no longer able to move at ed control ov
all. With the victim utterly helpless from the
insidious nature of the ghost’s paralysis, the
nto the body and dominates it. Note
r for a ghost to dominate a person,
t be in a state of reduced
tal ability. Only the most
s can seize control of a fully

body is attained whenever

is able to come into
direct physical contact with a victim who is in
the required physical state. However, a number
of magical spells are able to drive a dominating
 . . . With the illusoy dead no longer a threat
to us, Alanik Ray sprang to aid Komgan, the
priest. He helped the woman to her feet and
told her something I could not hear above the
howling and shrieking ofthe misty spirit before
us.
As they set about preparing for what I COUM
only assume would be an attack
specter, my attention was drawn
Bartonwood. The mortician w
stir. Despite the presence oft
above him, I felt consumed wi
aid him. I went to his side,
stay back from Alanik and
No sooner had I reached

air above me.

powerful spell at the
m e m o y of Alanik’s
was cut short when
 Fortunately, some individuals are able to
regain their-memories with the aid of magical
st horrible attack or psionic healersibut Iknow of no cqie p o r e
d creature is its mundane for so potent an attack. R is'saidthat
the mind flayers of Bluetspur d n r e w r e a
man's past to him if they cange persuihed to

to seek treatment from them.

ghost must touch him;

are unable to assume a

and the minimum

ascribed in the

ome spirits, though thankfully very few,

are able to rob a man of his memories via
touch. People have lost their recollections .

I of the past few minutes, hours, or even days.

 I'
htrance Uietims
ome spirits, especially those of a spectral

is
$%state
nature, can cause those who look upon
them t o become entranced. Persons in this
are helpless to defend themselves against
cks by the ghost or its minions. This paralytic
cination with the ghost retains its hold over
$the victim until the ghost leaves his sight.
There are some who claim that the trance is
simply a hypnotic effect. As such, they insist, it
is not truly magical. My research indicates this
belief to be incorrect. 1 have found that the
a h o s t is able to entrance its victims by tapping
' into their inner fascination with death. All

L creatures, whether they are aware of it, have a

morbid interest in these matters, and the ghost,
with its magical powers, is able to evoke that
appeal.
 ,the spell cannot work. I need not
they are obviously wsong on the

employ this power instantly SI

that it is used upon. I am told
painful way to die than having bn
ripped free df one’s body in this fas
learned this from a ghost who had died
been formed in just this way, and 1 a n n

the ghost has been able t o destroy the

its prey, it enters the now vacant shell
swooping toward
difficult to quantify, but
rehend. In essence, it is t
e ghosts to enter a physica
it to become mobile. The
haunts of Krynn are an
ISpower, a s is a living s c a r e r o
that may arise if a farmer returns to avenge

ru4e. I have found that most spirits ten

it and animate objects that were
important or familiar to them in life. Because o
ghost, it does drive it back into the open where
 , v.. .
., a.

this, it is necessary to differentiate a spirit using

this ability from a ghost who is anchored to an
object. Anchored spirits, a s described in Chapter
II, are fixed and permanent, whereas those spirits
who use this power are free to come and go a s
they please. Generally, a spirit is restricted to ’
inhabiting only a single type of object. For
example, if a ghost inhabits a suit of plate mail
and that armor is then battered into scrap metal,
the spirit may flee to another suit of armor.
This power is most commonly encountered
in ghosts who inhabit humanoid-shaped objects
(scarecrows, armor, or statues, for example) and
cause them to come to life. Occasionally,
however, a ghost may inhabit another type of
object-often turning something mundane into
a deadly hazard. Examples that occur to me
include haunted carriages or ships, houses or
castles, and miscellaneous pieces of art such a s
portraits or statuary.
In almost every case of this type that I have
f
encountered, the shape of the inhabited object
slowly changes to give it the semblance of an
., evil face. Most, however, will find this change
t too subtle to notice until the true nature of the
haunting is revealed to them. . . . I was unconscious for several hours. My
first recollection was a sensation of great pain
in my chest and a pounding headache. I
opened my eyes slowly, fearing I might still be
in that horrible tomb. To m y surprise, the
grinning face of Alanik Ray filled my vis
“Excellent!”he cried, taking my hand
“Youare awake and all is well.”
“Youhave defeated that vile crea
words came out in a croak, for m y
sorely inflamed.
“NotI so much as ow good frie
Her magic was more than a match for that
apparition, once its true nature was revealed
to us.”
I sighed with relief and felt m y eyes close
again. I remember hearing my companion
urging me to sleep. I gladly complied. ,
- From The Life
a s noted by Arthur Sedgwi
 approach the child.
Seeking to find comfort, the tortured spirit
would embrace its would-be rescuer and draw
his or her life force. Perhaps this attack did
ti provide it with some manner of comfort, for the
* spirit was said to fade after claiming the first
)' person who approached it.

ver means are

t ~..
..I .

!.
 Perform Telekinesis
soon as I slipped the silver chain over my ome apparitions are able to focus their
head, the world changed. Before this
rmation, I had been surrounded by the
sights and sounds of my companions and the
S energy on an object and cause it to move.
The amount of force that a spirit can exert
in this way is limited, although I know of a few
horde ofgoblyns we were battling. All this cases in which ghosts were able to lift men into
faded away into vague, ethereal images. Not the air and hurl them quite some distance.
only was my vision dimmed, but my hearing In many ways, this power is similar to the
was muffled as well. I felt swathed in a telekinesis spell employed by wizards. The
grayness that dampened my heart and soul. arcane nature of the spirits who employ this
Conversely, the grinning shade that had power is such that the spirits are instantly able
commanded these dark legions became to manifest these effects and are not hindered
suddenly clear and crisp in my sight. My eyes by any manner of invocation.
focused on him hungrily, for here was a It is not uncommon for an object moving
source of light and vision to soothe my under the influence of this power to become
surrounded with an aura of pale blue light
..
My strange transformation drew his similar to that known a s St. Elmo’s fire.
attention, for he turned to me, leaving his
minions to battle my friends without his aid.
“You have the amulet of etherealness!” he

atures grabbed their

e ground. Obviously, his
pets meant nothing to him if he could gain
possession of the silver man I wore abouZ
my neck.
As the shade drew close, I raised my sword.
The gleam of its magical edge seemed to pain
the apparition, for he stopped his approach
and let out a low growl of rage. He stood
motionless for a moment with his hand Resist Magic
outstretched. To my horror, a sliver of
o some extent, all spirits are resistant to
blackness formed in his grip. Before I could
act, he held before him a sword of purest
T magical spells. This is manifested a s an
immunity to specific types of spells (as
described in Chapter It). In some cases,
- Anani Mahss however, this resistance is even more powerful.
Private journals For ghost hunters, there is nothing so
daunting a s an apparition who can turn aside
spells a s easily as it ignores arrows and
daggers. In less powerful spirits, this is often
little more than an annoyance. When one casts ary. powers-was a most rare
a spell upon such a ghost, one can be fairly I praythat those of you who read my
certain that the spell will function normally.
chance of a mishap is dangerous, to be Sur&
but it is typically small enough to be counter a short outline listing the
rs Of a
)r
resistant to all manner of spells that '.'x* ; ' w
adventurers who depend solely upon I

in combat will be more of a bane tha I

-'.i&
$rain memories
12. Entrance victims
13. Inhabits bodies
14. Inhabit objects

16. Lure victims

17. Perform telekinesis
18. Resist magic
. . ..
Conclusion

can simply choose the powers best suited for

st the adventure. As a rule of thumb, the DM '
heart quake at the pros&,ct d
who might have, say, three
abilities listed here. Fortu fourth-magnitude ghost is planned
(even those of high
have a few of these
mentioned at the beginnin
chapter-the one who had
 have some special
r vulnerability that, if
Ordinarg Uulnerabilities
perly, can be used shaU begin my discussion of ghosts'
when attempting to
o a place of rest.
vulnerabilities are usually
I w e a k n e p s with information about those
vqlnerabgities that seem, for the most part,
rnQ8g,eneral or ordinary.,Just a s the ghostly ,
@ Iorigin of the creature or
to the u n ~ e a & j q p certain
s~ ordinary and
nature. e x t r a o r d i p q powers, so,too, do they possess
In this chapter I intend to discuss b o & , @ m a n d extraordinary weaknesses 01
some of the weaknesses I have
uncovered through travel and abilities are sometimes the onl)
research; in addition, I will h s e fiends. Often, the
elaborate on weapons that may rJl?akes them dangerous
prove useful. their destruction. Those
I cannot help but remind the
reader that this information should undead creatures
be considered neither absolute nor
binding. Irrational adherence t o the
techniques described herein will invariably fead
to the destruction of the ghost hunter, for it will
not be long before an exception t o the rules
omam.
One cannot discuss the subject of ghosts ist, particularly w
without considering thefr place in the universal
scheme of things. For iritanek, spirits are
mentioned in every culture and religion known
tq me. Indeed, in some religions ghosts or
apparitions are a crucial component-a useful weapon of all for t
component without which the very fabric of the s a vial of holy water
people's faith would be greatly frayed, if not without a ready su
simply torn apart. iquid. The numinous
As such, the reader will find, ghosts are wonderful fluid enable it
susceptible to the power inherent in simple age upon the undead even in their
a t h a n d not necessarily the physical
tion of that faith. That is, a person: Unfortunately, some powerful spirits seem,
nctity of a holy place hgs &yelopan immunity over time to the effe
f holding off a spirit by h@y water. Thus, a newly formed
n one who presents his ~r fdlffth-magnitude ghost may be vulnerab
&@y water, but a ghost of the same mag
-.
years might not be. A ghost of the
fifth-magnitude, regardless of its age, is .a
fa
immune t o holy water.
It is important to note that holy water m
be splashed upon a ghost for it to be eff
In most cases, this means the vial must
 . 1 ,

' :-. . '

ened and the contents hurled at the target. it away will be. The most powerful of all ghosts,
ply tossing a stoppered vial at a spirit will in fact, are immune to this ability. The only
harm it; the vial will pass unresisted saving grace is that these ghosts will be unable
gh the body of the ghost and shatter to attack a cleric who might normally be able to
lessly on the ground behind it. drive them off.
ISpossible to splash a ghost with holy
urling the vial at its base and thus
it upon impact with the ground. In
1 cases, the resulting splash will bring
into contact with the holy water.
there is a margin for error with this
or the chance exists that the vial may
break. The seconds necessary to throw yet
ther vial-this time unstoppered-may be
hat is left of your life.

OW many Hit Dice

2
January 15th

w e began our ascent of the greats

today. The wind was cold, cutting in
dwfng the whole of the climb. By
mid-morning, however, we had reached
ly the most faithful of priests and paladins first plateau and paused to rest.
any sway over ghosts. Their holy symbols We had not been there for more than a few
no threat to these undead creatures, but minutes when one of the guides cried out. We
all turned to see what had alarmed him-and
ke other forms of undead, ghosts can be found he was dead. His face was drawn up in
ed away or even destroyed by a priest. The an expression of terror such as I cannot
itual energy of a cleric's faith can be so describe. His dark skin was dry and wrinkled
helming that it causes the apparition his hair shot with white, and his fingers
nse pain and anguish. The ghost is forced clenched as if in pain.
from the area or risk annihilation. In some While the others searched for signs of soml
,the surge of holy radiance a cleric sends bizarre attack, I did not. I knew in my heart
h is enough to destroy a ghost instantly. that they would find nothing. Instead, I turnec
my gaze to the slender lighthouse that stood
only the weakest of ghosts can be
ed this way. Further, the more powerful atop this mountainous island.
We would find our answers there.
I
ghost, the less effective an attempt to turn
I
i f
norg qmuols from the physical realm of man that t h
symbols of man's faith no longer have power
In my previous work, a study of vampires, over it. i

discussed the possibility of holding certain I believe this theory has merit. For example, *
types of undead at bay by the mere why a holy symbol will not keep a
presentment of a holy symbol or some m ut a faithful priest or devout
of blessed object. Unfortunately, this doe ill turn away the apparition
work with ghosts and similar apparitions. through an effort of will.
As a rule, symbols or objects hold no great Although I have never encountered a gho
sway over the ranks of the incorporeal undead. e kept at bay simply by a holy
, Although they are often harmed by contact r t a h that there are those who
y them. In such cases, I believe,
Id be similar to that of an
ugh sanctified lands, or harmed by extraordinary vulnerability, which I
the following section.
in why this is, but my s ISs,o often the case in dealing with the
with the connections a ere are always exceptions. '
life. In the case of vulnerable to holy symbol
they are almost always bur
them, just a s if they had been '
.j
oly water. In such cases, it
y symbols are able to strike the t
apparition even when it is in an incorporeal '
is so removed ;b
state."
I:
 While it is true that almost every spirit is
aordinarg Uulnerabilitius repelled or held at bay by some allergen, the
y definition, “extraordinary” means that item may be is a difficult
mcommon or exceptional. The or even impossible task. Once again, the exact
vulnerabilities I describe in the next few nature of an allergen is based upon the origin
s (allergens, magical spells, and personal or past history of a ghost.
ts) are quite rare and specific. While many ing rose in the example above
e grouped together in certain categories, effective against the ghost of a
as allergens, the exact nature of a given rosarian or the spirit of a young woman
ss generally differs from ghost to ghost. betrayed by a lover who sent her roses. Against
ook upon the examples I present here as the pilot of a ghost ship, however, the rose is
nes only. Be aware that these types of likely ta b$ useless. One may find that sea salt
ties exist, but never assume a ghost or the ringing of a ship’s bell can keep this
these specific weaknesses until spirit at bay.
earch performed supports a hypothesis.
h e s q t i p g an Allergen
In general, a spirit is unable to approach
sorneppeaho is presenting an allergen. Mind
y previous work on vampires, I discussed k%,here is presentment. In the case of
mportance of various items in battling the ing rose, for example, it is generally
undead. Just a s with the dread vampire, there nat e n m g h for the victim to simply hold the
e items that an ethereal phantom cannot bear it must be held toward the apparition
see or touch. Called allergens, these items in a cleay, direct, and courageous fashion.
e useful when fighting ghosts, though seldom The effect of an allergen is, as I have said, to
e the items as effective against ghosts as are keep a spirit from approaching. In general, the
he allergens used against vampires. distance at which a spirit will be kept at bay is
Unlike the vampire, who is almost always based qn-its magnitude. The least of spirits
gly repulsed by items such as garlic and back a distance of some 50 or
ors, the ghost is a more subtle creature. bust spirits are able to move
e cannot apply a steadfast rule in using closer to an allergen, with some powerful spirits
ens to keep spirits at bay because each being wholly unaffected by any form of a ward.
t is absolutely unique. For example, one For those who hunt ghosts, keep in mind that
t may not be able to enter a room in which it is impossible for a spirit to take direct action
there is a blooming rose, but most other ghosts against t w o l d e r of an allergen. But be
ould not be so restricted. forewarn@: If confronting a truly dangerous
What constitutes one ghost’s allergen will ghost, make certain your research is
almost assuredly not be another’s. Because aller- comprehensive enough to ensure that you have
$ens are so closely related to either a ghost’s discover4 thecorrect allergen, the ghost’s one
origin or its nature, they can be nearly anything a party has come to grief upon
imaginable and as such are truly difficult to t the ghost whom they are
&quantify.The ghost hunter must research his confronting is not in the least deterred by the
prospective prey’s past so that he can identify a chosen allergen.
suitable allergen. I myself have used items as
varied as clove oil, pheasant feathers, a teacup, Using Allergens as Barriers
and a continuously chiming clock as allergens. It is possible tu protect an entire
In each instance, the allergen held some special area with an allergen. When doing the item
’significance to the ghost. is spread about the perimeter oft
 -.
-
fotms a barrier through found it was unable to look away from a newly
W m t pass. In some rare minted coin.
r6 &esenke
' bf the object is Indeed. coins seemed to have so pronouncec
irit out a room. For an effect on this creature that I was able to use
o enjoyed the warmth of a this fascination with them to my advantage in
n alive might be unable to its de(rtnrction. Through my research, I
where a fire has been kindled surmised the creature could be slain by the
memory of the enjoyment and smoke created from burning its countless
could be too painful for the ghost volumes of fiscal records. In order to ensure ib
exposure to these vapors, I lured the spirit into
cases, however, the presence of the the basement of the counting house and held
ergen alone is not enough to ensure ' out to it a gleaming platinum coin. Instantly,
protection. Special steps must be taken to the spirit froze. I t s eyes, smoldering pinpoints
extract the full value of the allergen. This is of silver light, fixed upon the coin and would
best explained through example. not turn away. Past experience had shown me
Let us consider a ghost whom 1 encountered that this effect was transient, and that I had bui
some three or four years ago, the Valachan a few seconds to do my work.
Miser. This spirit was all that remained ofp In the end, I barely escaped the blazing
large and powerful man who had, over thk counting house myself, but the spirit was
course of his life, brought great suffering to consumed along with its ledgers. I later
many people. He was a merchant noted for recovered the half-melted coin and had it
greed and treachery in his business practices. fashio'ned into an amulet. I made a gift of it to
When he died, his tortured spirit continued to my yohrlg assistant, Claudia, who had been
stand by the counting house where he had instrumental in the solving of this problem.
conducted his business in life. So strong were
his ties to this establishment that no magical
force seemed able to expel him from it.
In the course of my investigations, however, I The pdver of a wizards incantation or a priest'
was able to uncover some crucial facts. Among invocation cannot be discounted in matters of
the most important of these was the power 6f the s-rnatural. There have been many spells
money to this spirit. Not only was the creature created for the express purpose of battling the
fascinated (a term I describe below) by a newly undead, While the majority of them are
minted coin, it was unable to cross a line of designed for use against corporeal undead,
such objects. Thus, to protect myself from many are effective against apparitions as well.
attack by the spirit while I researched its In the next few pages, I will discuss selected
origins, 1would seal every door, window, and spells that function (or do not function) in
vent with a line of coins. Three times this spirit unusual ways when employed against ghosts.
at the door and twice beyond Note that those spells specifically intended for
,only to cry out in rage when it use in the presence of undead generally
fotmdit kould not reach me. function normally on ghosts. Thus, spells such
as detect undead are not listed here.
(Ising Allergens to Cause Fascination
On the whole, allergens are repulsive to spirits.
w i d spells
In some cases,however, they can create a sense
I am not a spellcaster myself. I have, however,
of fascination id the ghost. This effect can only
associated with many a wizard in the
be likened to the &ect a flame has on a moth.
past-both willingly and under duress. Some
In the case of thevalachan Miser, for example, I
 have been i n t e k l i i t

The information I present I write this beside a small fire that does little
following pagesU
have learned fram
ugh the night, anxious to escape the thing
killed our guide on the plateau. Our efforts
without cost, however, for two more
k AlarmrEventhem any died during the ascent. I can
art in the belief that we all would
ve perished if we had remained on the
ide dwing the night.
eeing the dread tower from its own level
as an unsettling experience. It seems bent
d twisted in an impossible manner. I stood
the darkness trying to make sense of this
not

Our quest will end there, I am certain. I

Contagionr This spell, like doudlclll. presents

no danger to the walking dead, for it is
dependent upon the living nature of its targets.
4
dispelled. Note that a corporeal spirit who is Haste: This spell, which speeds the metabolism
disintegrated will often return a s a wholly of its target, has no effect on ghosts.
incorporeal ghost. Needless to say, this can be
quite a surprise to the wizard who thinks he has Hold (Animal, Monster, Person): Undead, even
utterly destroyed a spirit. those who resemble the lowliest of beasts,
cannot be affected by these magics. They set
Energy Drain: Unfortunately, all manner of up an unnatural physiological paralysis that
undead, corporeal and incorporeal, are immune cannot be employed against the unliving.
to this spell. Would that we, too, were immune
to this treacherous attack! Hold Portal: While a physical barrier is
generally no obstacle to the passing of an
Finger of Death: This spell has no effect on the ethereal ghost, this spell prevents them from
undead. After all, how can one smother the life passing through an enchanted door. This does
force of a thing that is no longer alive? not, however, mean that they cannot slip
through the wall in which the door is set.
Force Cage: All manner of incorporeal spirits Furthermore, very powerful ghosts can shatter
are fully contained by the casting of this spell. this spell.
Those who are unusually resistant to magic,
however, may be able to break free of the cage Imprisonment: This spell works only on
with some effort, occasionally with spectacular corporeal spirits, for the wizard using it must
results. A companion of mine once caged a physically touch the target. If used by an
spirit who escaped-and returned in triplicate.
ethereal wizard o r m t p e t b ~ b Otiluke's Resilient Sphere: CZhosts and other
functions nor incorporeal beings can be trapped within or
an the Ethere kept out of this scintillating globe.

Infravision: It is irn Otto's Irresistible Dance: In addition to the

aadiate no heat and am fact that this spell is one of charming (atype of
detectable by means oftt magic to which all ghosts are immune), this
normal infravision, such spell depends upon biological h m t h n s t h a t
elves, does not reveat simply do not take place in tke bodyof the
incorporeal undead d dead. Thus, the spell is useless on ghosts.
3

Irritation: This spell h a s b Polymorph Any Object: T h e p d k r i'motefor

the polymorph others spell ap
Legend Lore: This
$&ination! 1 ca Polymorph Others:This spen cann&
it has revealed employed against ghosts. Ev
have hunted. I w d spirits have an innate resista
@corporeal undaa
who knows s u c h s Power Words (Blin4 Kill, Stun): The undead
are immune to all words of power.

Prismatic Sphere: Ghosts and other undead

are prevented from passing through this
sphere, even in ethereal states.

Prdtection from Evil: This spell will keep

aversion to light,, ghosts at bay, for they can not pass through the
magical barrier. However, many spirits
have special abilities that will enable t
corporeal state. ''q!
reach those hiding behind this shield.
,,

Limited Wish:It is n Protection fromEvil, IO'

functions under the same restrictions as its
greatly hamper it counterpart (above).
mutable spirit mi
Eorporeal for the
Ray of Enfeeblement: This spell is unable to
L u s rendering it
affect ghosts who are incorporeal. It is
sometimes possible to use it against
Magic Jar: While i semicorporeal spirits, however, and fully
corporeal ghosts are subject to its effects.
mune t o the eff
Reincarnatlom If the corpse from which a
specific ghost has risen can be found, this spell
can be used to eliminate the ghost by restoring
rdenkainen's Dit&n its body to life. In the case of anchored spirits,
have any effect up0 however, this spell is useless. Such apparitions
 b:aiirn.t&for this Symbok None of the magical symbols I have
urpose in encountered have proven effective against
ghosts. I believe the reason for this is simply a
ghost's basic resistance to all manner of
mind-effecting spells. The unliving nature of
I the ghost's mind protects it from these spells a s
surely a s it does against charm or sleep.

Telekinesis: It is impossible to manipulate an

incorporeal spirit with this spell. Telekinesis can
be used on semicorporeal ghosts with
haphazard results, and it is generally effective
against those spirits who are fully corporeal.

T i $ bSO& This spell can be used with great

qffq&3reness against ghosts of all types. In
q-mgfijtlaalasnecase, I have seen it used to
resistant t o the eastslpr c&m&iirrP epirit who was too powerful to destroy
~ ~ h ~ ~ could ~ be~ uncovered
t j that o n
w@@&&y&to be dealt with permanently.

incorporeal or se This barrier is so potent that no

creatures pass throug ugh it. To a ghost, the wall of
they are the common solid a s a similar
e would be to you or me.

owerful spell can, if carefully

e used t o wish a ghost out of
There was only one entrance to the tower, i*we. It can also be of tremendous value in
stout wooden door. We gave it our shoulders ducing the vulnerabilities of a given spirit.
and it splintered inward, rotten and brittle aft re must be taken, of course, for this spell is
years of disuse. A s soon the portal was clear, notoriously dangerous.
a vile odor poured out upon us. The air in the
tower was heavy with the smell of death and Wizard Lock This spell makes an effective
decay. I cannot say I looked forward to rier against ghosts, just a s holdportal does.
exploring it, but I knew that we must. Unlike that lesser spell, however, wizard lock
The six of us moved in and lit our lanterns. cannot be broken by powerful spirits.
As the darkness faded away, I thought I "

detected an unnatural movement to some of WraithfomThose under the influence of this

the shadows. Examination, however, revealed spell are freely able to combat ghosts who are
it was nothing more than a trick of the light. in an ethereal state. It is important to
I was relieved by this discovery. When I remember, however, that this exposes them to
turned back to my companions, however, all direct attacks by the ghost as well.
feeling left me. Each and every one of my
friends was dead-slain by some unknown Priest Spells
force of evil.
1 As I saidbefore, I am not a spellcaster, though I
confess if I were to become one it would be a s a
priest. Although I have felt the calling, I believe or returning to the area in which the spell wa@
it is my duty to continue my more or less cast a s long as its power remains in effect. In
solitary existence to combat evil in its undead rare cases, this spell is actually powerful
gorm. To that end, I have found the enough to destroy a ghost utterly.
companionship of a good cleric both helpful
and heartening. Without these faithful Forbiddance This spell functions normally
companions and the power of their faith, I when-applied to the undead, even those of
would not have survived many an encounter. incorporeal or ethereal nature.
The reader can rest assured that the notes
regarding the following spells are based on * It is possible for a priest to
much diligent research by good friends of that is specifically designed to
mine. ad. If the conditions on the
the approadhing ghost, the
A b J w : This very useful spell can be employed
$toforce a mutable spirit into its corporeal or
semicorporeal state.

iAnimal Growth: This spell and its reverse have lis similar in its applicat
$no affect upon ghosts, even if in animal form.
f
the va&msmm spells described in the previous
column.
onement: In some cases, this powerful spell . 8.

enough t o return peace t o a restless spirit. It Hold (An- Person): Undead animals are a s
often difficult to tell, however, if this spell will immune to hold spells as are undead men,
fully effective before it is cast unless a making these spells useless.
ugh investigation of the ghost's origin has
Wmk The power of a holy word is indeed
great. In.fact, this spell can sometimes be used
hual Light: My comments about the light to destrqy a ghost. As with the atonement spell,
apply to this enchantment a s well. this power.may or may not work in any given
case, In order t o ensure its effectiveness, the
(critical Wounds,Light Wounds, priest must carefully research the origin of the
us Wounds): These spells, and their ghost.
es, will function normally a s long a s the
using them is able to physically touch the Light: Unless the ghost has some direct
.With corporeal spirits, this is easy
t o do. With incorporeal or
aversion t o light, this spell will not drive it
away. Furthermore, it is impossible to blind a I
poreal apparitions, however, this can be ghost with this spell unless it is in a corporeal
ite tricky to arrange. state.
7
ic: As I mentioned earlier in the Moonbeam.Just a s this spell's lunar radian&
ion of wizard spells, this spell does not can cause lycanthropes to transfo
he presence of the undead. bestial selves, so too can this radi
those ghosts who are tied to the moo
ik This spell can sometimes be used example, a spirit who ris
ghost from an area and force it into of a castle whenever the
rporeal state. Further, it can act a s an might well manifest itself i
lent ward, keeping the spirit '--- --A--:--
upon the keep it hau-'
Plane Shift: This spell can be used to enter the notes I have provided for the reincarnate spell
border ethereal and combat ghosts on their above.
own ground. It can also be used to force a ghost
t o enter that plane itself if it is a mutable spirit Speak with Dead: Like the priceless legend lore
capable of entering an incorporeal state. spell, this bit of necromancy is a wonderful tool
when dealing with ghosts. If the body from
Protection from Evil: This spell will keep which a spirit has sprung can be found, this
ghosts at bay, for they can not pass through the spell will often enable a ghost hunter to learn
magical barrier. However, many spirits may much about the nature of the apparition. I have
have special abilities that will enable them to been able to use information acquired in this
reach those hiding behind this shield. way to drive a ghost back into its grave and to
help it sleep in peace thereafter.
Protection from Evil, 1 0 Radius: This spell
functions under the same restrictions as its Speak with Monsters: This spell does not
counterpart (above). permit the caster to speak with undead
monsters. However, the above speak with dead
Raise Dead: This necromantic spell can often spell will allow such communications.
be used t o destroy an undead creature. It p a
truly potent weapon in the war against evil. Spell Immunity: This spell can be used to
protect against special attacks from ghosts and
Regenerate: This spell and its reverse are similar undead creatures. In order to be
unable to affect the undead in any way. effective, however, the priest using it must be
able to clearly identify the type of attack the
Reincarnate: This spell can sometimes be used ghost will employ. Furthermore, the priest must
to thwart a ghost by forcing it to return to its have been affected by this attack previously in
body and then giving the body new life. I have his or her life.
found, however, that the reincarnated creature
in such cases is universally psychotic. The Sunray: This powerful spell is a lethal weapon
shock of its sudden transformation to undeath when employed against the undead. Even
and then revivification is too much for any ghosts who are not normally vulnerable to
mind t o bear. sunlight are often pained or even destroyed by
this powerful demonstration of faith.
Remove Curse: Only in the rarest of cases can
this spell destroy a spirit or allow it to rest in its Symbol: None of the priest’s holy symbols is
grave. Generally, this happens only when it is effective against ghosts. It may be, however,
cast upon a minor ghost, say of first- or that a special symbol could be researched and
second-magnitude, by a powerful spellcaster. I created that is of special potency against
am told it is as difficult to lift the curse of unlife apparitions of a particular nature. This spell is
from a ghost a s it is to cure a lycanthrope of his useful only on a highly singular basis.
affliction.
Wyvern Watch: This spell will not function a s a
Restoration: This spell and its reverse (energy ward against the approach of a ghost unless
drain) are useless in battling the undead. cast by a priest who is ethereal at the time of
casting. When so cast, the spell will detect the
Resurrection: This spell can occasionally be presence of a looming apparition, but not that
used to remove the threat of a ghost. I would of a corporeal menace such a s a wolf, a bandit,
caution the reader, however, to refer to the or a zombie.
 c I
example. I was once called
Personal Effects e detective Alanik Ray in an
As I have said at numerous points in this f no fewer than a dozen brutal
chronicle, it is vitally important to carefully string of killings was identical in
research the background of the ghost one a series of crimes committed
confronts. Any group of heroes who charge into earlier. It became clear that we
combat with their weapons drawn and their wits th the ghost of the man who had
sheathed is certain to meet a horrible fate. earlier series of murders.
While the final resolution of any haunting often man had been hung for his
involves the judicious use of enchanted or holy ected the gallows might have
steel, steadfast devotion to such tactics is deed, when we confronted
foolish in the extreme. Only an understanding aniks assistant, one Arthur
of the origins and motivations of a spirit will le to toss a noose over the
supply the important edge needed for victory. espite the fact that the creature
My research into an individual spirit has was semicorporeal in nature, the sturdy hemp
often left me with evidence indicating a weapon bound it securely. From the instant the loop
unique to that spirit. Because these objects are touched it, the creature began to choke and
almost always things that were of great claw at it. Its eyes rolled back in its head, a
importance to the ghost when it was alive, I bloated tongue slipped from between its lips,
group them under the broad heading of personal and its body melted away in a cloud of inky
effects. Although they are much like allergens black mist. It was never seen again.
(described above), personal effects may be used I can offer but one guideline when decidin
to destroy and not merely ward off a ghost. to hunt the ghostly dead: Begin the
investigation with an examination into the Why is it that silver is so deadly to ghosts? I
creature’s death. That traumatic moment was
perhaps the most important of the ghost’s life. natural property that
Surely, an event so charged with karmic rtion of the ghost’s
resonance as to create a ghost cannot help but Yhen, the keapon might be
be a good starting point. From there, the rod. I have heard other
hunter will be led down an often twisted path to nnot disprove any of
the truth. valid as mine.
II be encountered
e other metal. In most
Special hapons exact nature of the
thissection I examine the use of physical

L eapons against ghosts. As one might

agine, this is generally a futile endeavor.
Even the mightiest dwarf wielding the family’s
Indeed, I once battled

centuries-old axe will probably not harm the

most minor ghost. The weapon will pass
harmlessly through the spirit, leaving the dwarf metal to fashim an arrowhead that, I am glad
vulnerable to whatever foul attacks the ghost to say, laid the #mst to rest.
might wish to employ. Truly a grim It is also not unheard of for a spirit to be
predicament. vulnerable to areapons fashioned from material
The reader should take heart, however, for it other than metat. I have crossed swords, as it
is often possible to use weapons against the were, with at least two spirits who proved
incorporeal undead. Indeed, it is even possible vulnerable only to weapons carved of yew wood
to destroy them if the skill of the wielder and and one apparition that could be harmed only
the power of the weapon are equal to the task. by blades fashioned from seashells.
In general, there are three ways in which a Discovering the type of material to use when
weapon can be made useful against ghosts. The crafting such weapons is a difficult and
first, and less reliable, is to forge it from some timeconsuming endeavor, but it is often
special metal or material that is deadly to a necessary if a ghost is to be battled effectively.
specific spirit. The second, far more sure,
method is to have one’s blade enchanted in
some way. (Even the most powerful apparition
fears a magical weapon, for it can often injure By far the weapon of choice in any combat
or even destroy a ghost. Still, some of the most situation, an enchanted weapon can make all
powerful spirits are so resistant to harm-even the difference in a fight when used against a
by magical arms-that they look with disdain ghost. The aura of power that surrounds and
upon those who would wield them.) The final permeates these weapons enables them to
method is through special construction. strike directly at creatures who are wholly or
partially ethereal.
The problem with magical weapons, however,
is that it is often impossible to say whether a
The most common material used in weapons given blade has a strong enough enchantment
designed to battle ghosts is silver. Indeed, to harm a specific ghost. Some spirits are so
almost every spirit of the first- or powerful that lesser blades pass through them
second-magnitude is vulnerable to such blades, as harmlessly as nonmagical ones.
so the use of silver weapons is much warranted. I can offer no solid advice on this matter,
ve that it is better to underestimate the pgwer
one's weapon than to overestimate it,To ., I
1 January 18th
the latter mistake may cost one his life-
Praise be, the night is almost ended.
My exploration of the tower is complete. I
know now why so many ships have broken
themselves on the rocks below. This place h
league with the darkest forces. It is a focus f;
all that is evil in the sea. At this very momen
the foul spirits of the damned are circling me
kept at bay only by the flickering light of my
campfire.
I know that I shall not leave this island alii
Once my stock of wood fails me, the shadoi
.will claim me for their own. I cannot make tl
descent alone, for the fsul thing that killed
Ecjjard on the slopes would surely have me,
too.
My mind is made up. I shall place the last
few pages of thisjournal in a stoppered flasl
At dawn, as the tide recedes, I shall hurl it
over the cliffand into the sea.
Then, I shall follow it.

- Unsigned jour
ISsometimes possibl found by a sai
eapons that have spm
s could be anythiig
death, before we happened upon the correct
n to the locatio
tool. The fact that no fewer than four of my
companions were gravely injured in our
research is a testimony to both the hazards and
nt his wife, a woman,
importance of such preliminary investigation
hen the time ca
t we discovered we c

luck would have I

d who have simila

is almost certain t

nted with =vera

h seemed a logical choi
iculars of the blacksm
 U
his cnapter examines a most Once a focus object has been inhabited, the
rmeious class of people-mediums. medium can present questions to the spirit. The
These rare individuals are able to spirit responds by causing some reaction in the
break through the barriers binding object, This reaction can be almost anything
mortal life and make some manner and is generally different for each medium.
of contact with those who have I know of a medium who has constructed a
passed beyond. spesiat compass for use in her seances. The
When battling ghosts, the orth indicates a neutral
medium can be a valuable source ions refer to more
of information. Those able t o coax ber of runes are
information from the dead can a circle, indicating possible sources
reveal the weaknesses of a particular er. When she channels a spirit
spirit, the reason it has been unable and asks it questions, the
to find eternal rest in the grave, able t o swing the needle
and the motivation that drives it to irections and runes,
roam the land of the living. With al state and its probable
such an ally, a ghost hunter can be
A
assured of a much more favorable s that each medium of
outcome in any clash with the undead. greatly from individual
of them select a focus
significance. The woman
Tupes of Mediums ss, for instance, had a
he way in which a spiritualist’s power fasci-n with loadstones that dated back to

T manifests itself is very different from the

way in which a wizard might cast a spell.
While the two may attain similar results, the
hen she began to feel her
within her, it seemed only
o build something that was
medium’s efforts are generally longer and more se bewitching stones.
draining on his or her constitution than the The M n s by which a spirit communicates
magician’s. wi& a focus medium varies with the nature of
Over the course of this section I shall detail ployed. I have encountered many
the most common types of spiritualists and mples of this in my travels,
give a brief overview of their abilities and I om a medium who employed a
characteristic traits. Arrange all that changed color in answer to her
for the reader’s convenience, ‘quekflons to an elvish hermit who could cause
discussed here include focus, spirit6 to enter the flames of his cooking fire
’ and gesture or dance at his command.
se mediums for last.

concentration by
 Host Mediums
Host mediums are similar to trance mediums in
that they allow their bodies to be used a s a
conduit through which a ghost can
communicate with the living. The host
medium, however, gives up absolute control of
the body to the visiting spirit. For the duration
Guide Mediums of the ghost’s stay in the host’s body, the ghost
A guide medium is a unique and powerful effectively replaces the host.
individual. These people are actually able to Host mediums are useful when the ghost or
enter the spirit world, the border ethereal, and spirit to be dealt with has some corporeal need
communicate with a ghost on its home to be met that requires a physical body. For
territory. My research indicates this is done in a example, I was once called upon to look into a
manner similar to a wizards astral traoel spell. haunting at a popular Kartakan inn. I
Often, the guide medium must craft some discovered that the spirit belonged to a woman
manner of portal or gateway through which he who had been slain by wolves in the
will enter the spirit world. Some manner of countryside nearby. Her death occurred on the
ceremony is held, during which the medium day of her wedding, and she and her new
goes through a series of steps designed to husband were traveling to the inn for their
“open” this portal. When all is ready, the mystic honeymoon.
(and a handful of other people) can step
through the gate and into the border ethereal.
Once in the spirit world, the medium has a
natural understanding of what he encounters
there. While I found the entire voyage utterly
bewildering and disorienting the one time I
traveled with a guide medium, she was never
put off by the weird landscape of the spirit
realm. When we encountered the spirit whom
we sought, it was all I could do to offer even the Prognostics do not always prove
slightest aid to the medium battling him. prophecies-at least the wisest
prophets make sure of the event first.
- Horace Walpole
in a letter to Thomas Walpole
February 19, 1785
 The spirit longed to embrace her husband, clients, these talented individuals are able to
fetid his kiss but once, and know the bliss of his help a person recall the details of his or her
1- before it could rest in peace. With a little past lives.
effort,I located a host medium who allowed the I have never been bold enough t o undergo
woman’s spirit to control her body. The this process myself. I suppose that something
husband and his wife were then reunited, and in my inner nature refuses to accept that I was
the ghost was able to rest in peace afterward. ever more or less than 1 am now. This is not to
Like trance mediums, host mediums run the say that I do not have faith in the skills and
risk of domination if they are unable to throw powers of regression mediums-on the
off the spirit that possess them. A host medium contrary! Rather, this is an indication of my own
must be careful to avoid a sudden shock to his desire for uncertainty. I have no interest in
system while a spirit is in control of his body. knowing who I might have been in a past life.
Any major unanticipated circumstance, such as Another talent of the regression medium is
an attack upon the spiritualist, has a chance of the ability to take a person back to previous
allowing the visiting essence to seize times in his current life. This I have
permanent control of the medium’s body. experienced.
I was asked to watch the dancing flame at the
heart of a fine crystal lamp while the medium
spoke to me in a calm and relaxing tone.
Before I knew it, I apparently fell into a trance
and was under his power. With only his voice a s
a guide, I went back into my own past to relive
an encounter with Desmiand I’Strange, a minor
vampire in Valachan.
I was convinced the vampire was destroyed in
our first encounter, but I had recently seen him
moving about in the city of Levkarest. When I
was able to experience the scene again from an
objective point of view, I saw the means of the
vampire’s escape. Further details from the
scene made clear an a s yet undiscovered
weakness of the monster, which I then used to
utterly destroy him a s he fled from me into the
woods of Borca.

Rqression Mediums
Some mediums deal not with the spirit world,
but with the inner world of the psyche. They
believe that we have all lived before and that
much of the information that we possessed in
our previous lives is buried deep within our
minds. By inducing a mesmeric trance in their
 le are not actua
the sDirit world or to manifest any form o
power over the undead. Rather, they are able to
sense the psychic vibrations that surround
objects and places.
In rare cases, these mediums can even sense
things about people or other living creatures,
but their talent functions primarily with
inanimate objects.
Every emotional event that takes place n
ves it with a small
his energy fades o
time, eventually varikhi ether. The more
powerful the em0
this resonance b

When a sensitive is exposkdttbthese ~

vibrations, he is able to feel the emotions that

Sumpathetic Mediums linger in a given area. In most cases, this is
Among the most common types of spiritualists manifested simply a s an awareness of what has
are those call : mediums. o( red.
 . . .,..

1 9 explored
~ a ruined castle with a
sensitive named Hildegren. As we moved into
tb%building, she became somewhat nervous
and looked about with great anxiety.
ri
Many people have fought and died here,”
she said. “Death and pain linger in every stone.”
As we moved deeper into the castle, her
trepidation became more and more
pronounced. When we finally reached the heart
of the keep, which was dominated by a massive
obsidian throne, she collapsed. This chamber
was the seat of power for an evil creature from
another plane that had been trapped in our
world. So foul and vile were the acts of this
depraved fiend that even I could sense the
darkness of the deeds that had been done in
this place. For Hildegren, who could read the
nature of such vibrations clearly, it was enough
t o drive her unconscious.

k w your head, Van Richten, forth

goodness of fair Paladine has given me t
knowledge you seek.”
“Praisebe.” h‘
“Doyou have the murder weapon?”
‘7 do, wise one. Here it is.” [Passes spiked
spur1
f&se] “Thereis much anger within this
a hunger here, too. A crimson
ers of vital blood could not

ne. Can you see a face?”

“Indeed.A dark and sinister face that hides
from the furious truth of the sun. The killer is
not of this realm. He is darkness.”
ibrati
 These individuals take on all of the macabre
false Mediums and mysterious mannerisms that they can
The last type of medium I shall discuss is the imagine. Further, they attempt to drum up
foul charlatan-those people who take on the business by posting advertisements and
guise of a medium in an attempt to lure distributing handbills that promise incredible
unsuspecting people near so that they can steal services at minimal charge. It is not uncommon
from them. I wish I could say that these people for them to hire someone to tell others of their
were rare, but the truth is that there are more so-called skills and powers.
false mediums than there are real ones. If one has dealt with these vile people before,
The type of people who commonly seek out a one can generally spot them with some ease.
medium are those who have some need or Still, there are a number of tricks that they are
desire to speak with a deceased friend or prone to use in the pursuit of their ill-gotten
relative. A widow about to remarry might desire gains. A careful observer can spot the leading
to know if her dead husband approves of her questions, research, false prophecies,
new love, for instance. These people are stagecraft, and props and devices for what they
generally so emotionally involved with the are: items in the charlatan’s bag of tricks.
issue at hand that their logic, which might
enable them to spot an imitation, fails them. Leading Questions
Thus, the false medium is able to persuadefhe One of the most common deceptions employed
client to pour more and more money into his by false mediums is the asking of leading
coffers while supplying a string of promises and questions. This tactic is simple enough to spot
suggestions that “more will be made apparent and defeat, but it can be enormously effective
at our next meeting.” when dealing with the uneducated or

2 . , !%--- . .a
unsuspecting. The key here is to demand The type of research that a false medium
specific information from the medium. If he might do can encompass a number of
cannot supply it in any manner, then he is most possibilities. Among the most common, and
certainly a fraud. despicable, is the practice of watching the
I present you now with an example of the way death announcements for a large town and then
in which leading questions are employed. contacting new widows and widowers with an
offer of help in contacting the loved one they
Medium: I sense that you are married. have just lost. The depths to which these fiends
Victim: No, I’m not. will sink is appalling to me, for I can think of
Medium: Ah, yes, I see that now. But there is a nothing so vile as the misuse of something so
woman whom you are very fond of. sacred as mourning.
Victim: Yes. There is. Another foul practice of these swindlers is
Medium: I sense that she is well-to-do. the learning of secrets and little-known facts
Victim: Well, she’s quite poor, actually. that they claim to have been told by the
Medium: So she is now, my friend, but she will deceased with whom they are in contact. If the
not always be. information they have obtained is specific and
seems to be authentic, the victim will often
As you can see, the medlum employs leading believe that there is no way for the fraud t o
questions to get the victim to believe that he have learned this fact if not to have been privy
knows things he does not. In to a voice from beyond the grave.

False Prophesies
the medium sensing the The making of predictions has long been a
cornerstone of the false medium business. In
order to appear gifted and clairvoyant, the
medium makes some prediction about coming
even’ts. This can be done in one of two ways.
The first and most common of these tactics is
to make a prediction that is so vague and
unspecific that it will seem to come true no
matter what happens. For example, the
customer might be told that he musf carry a
married,” simply agree! silver coin in his hand whenever he goes about
humbug will weave whe in public or a horrible fate will befall him. If the
advice is followed and no great trauma occurs,
nature-and may be enterta the mystic will take full credit for the
warrant the loss of gold. customer’s safety. If a calamity does befall the
customer, however, the medium can almost
Research always talk his way out of the guilt for it.
The second means by which a prediction can
information, so too is the false medium fond of be made to appear true is more difficult, but far
special knowledge. Not only does this-eliminate more convincing. This tactic relies upon the
the need to use leading gu medium making a very specific prediction
with customers, it also sup about an upcoming event and then making surf
medium with a solid point that it comes to pass. For example, the mystic
exploiting the fears, weaknesses, or desires of might warn of a robbery in the victim’s fqtvre
“
his victims. and then hire a thug to rob client, splitting
the take with the medium. In some cases, this
can be quite an elaborate hoax, for some
swindlers are truly artists at their vulgar
profession.

Stagecraft
Another very convincing process by which
customers can be lured away from their cash
and into the clutches of the false medium is by
the simple acting ability of the fraud. A false n one of these extraordinary 2

mystic who manages to make a living at his be a most difficult and

craft must, by definition, be a masterful actor. task. True, in some places t h q
Often these people could earn a more honest
wage on the stage, but they are, for some
reason, loathe to give up the criminal life.
This section will
h o p s and Devices
In addition to his acting ability, the false
medium can create a number of mechanical
devices that enable him to mimic the powers of
a true mystic. Any number of mechanisms can
be employed to deceive the unsuspecting.
For.example, the false medium might craft a m p l e corrupted by
hollowlcryskl ballithat he can cause io fill with
swirling vapors “when the spirits are present.”
Another common tactic is the use of stage
magic t o cause a table or some other object to
rise into the air or jump and bang about.
Strange noises (often produced by a
compatriot) are another common tactic. *
Smokes and vapors (created when powders,
herbs, and chemicals are mixed or tossed onto
a fire) are another common trick. I know of one lieves his services are
such individual who always insisted that he and a client’s mission aqd
is client drink from the same glass of wine of recourse exists
efore each session. The wine was drugged prices may reflect
narcotic to which the medium had built I have heard tell af more
rance. Under its influence, the victim ediums demanding a veritable

the medium. When etimes possible to haggle wit

only too ready tu when money is not available i
e had been in the presence price. The best thing to offer sue
period of service. Frequent15 a
II have w m e investigationJhat he
s undertaken, for even their pnwe,rs
Through Rucommundation
Perhaps the most reliable way to locate a
qualified spiritualist is through the
recommendation of a trusted friend. In my own
profession, I have established contacts with
many adventurers and ghost hunters over the
years. If I am in a certain domain, I need only
contact someone in that area who knows me
and tell him or her what services I shall require.
As this perscnis i iably more familiar than I
am with the resgurws locally available, this
works quite well.
For those who have (iot bqsn fortunate
enough &I estaMsksuch B so&# netyork of

thieves' guild car se

and allies. Care must be taken, however, in

trust one can place in

itselt? No. But to the mo

umed, yes. It calls itself

ne, are you certain?

well known and
hereabouts. I cannot take action
without alpotute cause!"
''Paladlrk does not deceive, Van Richten."
not. But can I rely upon your
I# of all that you sense to be

ve come to me if you
any dQubtT
 If no manner of professional or fraternal
can be found, there is always the clergy to 611 Rqutation
consider. A somewhat less reliable means of locating a
It is often possible to locate a church that, medium, although one still not utterly devoid
although possibly not representing the exact of merit, is by the medium’s reputation. An
faith one follows, will be sympathetic to the individual who is talented in the art of
cause for which we are fighting. If this communication and who chooses not to
relationship can be forged, then trustworthy practice his or her skills in secrecy will
advice is often forthcoming. eventually become known. In some cases, this
I have had occasion to deal with some of the reputation can spread far and wide, crossing
priests who devote themselves to the gods of even the borders of a domain.
Har’Akir. While my own faith is very different A word of caution is vital here, however. In
from theirs, we nevertheless quickly found a rs of travel I have encountered many,
common belief in ice and the sanctity of the udulent spiritualists whose claims far
tomb that was abl- .-bridge the gap between ouweighed their purported mystical abilities.
our cultui In almost every case, these individuals had
I am derignted to say that a long and true ir reputation that was built around
friendship arose between myself and several st successes they themselves had
of the local holy men. Indeed, on at least ’*
three separate occasions the actions of these r ih this chapter I discussed such false
wonderful companions saved my life. With- n more detail. Remember that it is
be able to write this to note that tracking down a medium
l i her reputation alone lends itself to this
kind of deception more than any other method. power to each of these three sources.
Care is warranted. Allow me to present an example. I was
traveling with a pair of companions through the
strange domain of Sanguinia. My comrades
Through Aduertisement ~,
were the fierce and savage desert warrior,
,. d ; @ @
It is oossible to seek out a medium bv- Dostma
. - Arametrius, and the stern and mysterious
handbills and hiring callers t o expresswxm’s ranger, George Weathermay.
desire to employ a such a person. Thishas the Arametrius was a man of secrets, to be sure.
distinct disadvantage of alertingall thbzd~ He was clearly a traveler from another land, one
interested in fraud and deceit t o the.p&s&nCeof unfamiliar with much of what he found in our
:a possible target for their trickery T b 8 w v e n if travels. That his native land was one of deserts
someone responds to the advertiaembrRrho is and hot sun was obvious, for his skin was
qualified and worthy of attention, h W 6 h e is tanned, and the chilling winds of Sanguinia
often mislaid while the potential m p b y e r were almost more than he could bear. H e
seeks to sort out the genuina spSr;ituWi&wfrom seemed taken aback by the metal objects we
the talented fakers. used in our daily life. As he did not speak any
I have been forced to resort tcwM&ianue of language I knew, I was never able to understand
hiring only once in my life. T ‘ w m e , the the wonderment with which he beheld such
first applicant for the positbn a simple things a s iron tools or steel weapons,
the first of my notices was b but I believe the root of his attitude to be
brief interview, I learned s religious in nature-perhaps his people used
that a stranger had c o m e metal only in the fashioning of holy objects.
she sensed, “in need of gui&m?$&’t*EWsrshe Arametrius was also sensitive to the presence
kept a careful watch on the of the undead or those connected with them.
center of town and responde On three occasions, he awoke in the dead of
seeing my leaflet. nigtp crying out in fear and grabbing for the
I dare say she would bone axe from which he never strayed. Without
had not posted my notices, buWmnnat be exception, such nightmares were followed by
certain of this. Over the com&%&the;next few an encounter with the undead. I was convinced
days, a s she provided mswitbaWi&&he that this was a valuable gift.
information I needed t o s o h W&&er at When it became obvious to us that our
hand, I was faced with a cons&mWr~khof company would require the services of
pretenders and charlatans svhcr’all claimed to be someone capable of communicating with the
the genuine article. Doubtlese o n a w two of spirit world, the task fell to Arametrius. H e set
them might have had some Minolsgifk for his powerful mind to work on the matter and,
prognostication, but most w&e&nply talented within a few minutes, was able to sense the
actors trying t o land a profitaWRdelec6ne that presence of a supernatural influence. We
might have cost me more thansrnwsgcdd. sought out the woman whom he had sensed-a
charming young lady named Claudia
DeShanes-and asked for her help.
To our surprise, we found she had no idea
I have heard tell that there are some people what we were talking about. Indeed, she was ,
who can actually sense the preseme-df a certain Arametrius was mistaken, for she swo&
spiritualist in a given locality. Whether this she was not a mystic. I was able to persuade,hfr
phenomenon is magical, psychii, or.divine, I
cannot say. I have seen evidence to indicate
to attempt some simple experiments under m
guidance, and her powers quickly manifested T
that it might be possible to attribute such a themselves.
 We learned her mother had been sensitive to abilities. The second group seems to come
the vibrations of the spirit world, a s had her upon their calling in a more haphazard fashion.
grandmother. Claudia was not only gifted, she I term these groups studied and incidental.
was among the most accurate and powerful
spiritualists with whom I have ever worked.
After our adventure in Sanguinia ended,
Studied Abilities
Claudia joined me in my battle against the Mediums who fall into this group have spent
forces of evil. We traveled together for little years or even decades in the pursuit of
more than a year before her death in the dread knowledge and power so that they might be
land of Lamordia. able to contact and control the spirit world. In
the eyes of many adventurers, these individuals
are the easiest with which to deal, for they are
Sources of a Medium's Power often kindred spirits who seek to lay the dead
n this section I shall discuss the ways in to rest. These mediums derive their power via

I which a medium might acquire his or her

powers. It is important to me, a s a man of
science, that these distinctions be drawn, for
magical, divine, or psionic means.

Magical Powers
they help quantify that which is mysterioys and Persons who draw their power from a magical
unknown. source include all manner of necromancers,
I do not claim to have divined each and every diviners, and others who depend upon the
type of medium. I present here only those types weaving of spells for communication with the
that have made themselves known to me undead or spirit world.
during the course of my travels. I know of several magical spells that have
Spiritualists seem to come in two broad been created expressly for use in obtaining
groups. The first represents all those who have information from and about the dead. Among
set out t o deliberately master their art's the most common and most useful of these
spells are detect undead, legend lore, contact
other plane, sending, demand, and foresight.
Magical means of communicating with the
dead are quite reliable, but are not typically
found within the general public. As a rule,
individuals who have these powers will be few
k knew the anguish of the marrow
The ague of the skeleton;
and far between. Assuming that an adventurer
or one of his or her companions has no ability
to cast these spells, a ghost hunter's only
No contact possible to flesh access to these abilities will be through a hired
Allayed the fever of the bone. wizard. Knowing these mysterious and powerful
beings as I do, I can state that finding such an
- Thomas Sterns Elliot individual and convincing him or her to aid one
Whispers of Immortality can be a long, often hazardous, and frequently
expensive process.

Divine Powers
If I had to select the type of spiritualist for
whom I have the greatest respect, it would be
those who draw upon their powers from the
worship of a deity. As a rule, these individuals my body. I dare say I would have been horribly
have access to highly effective and reliable mauled or even slain by the nightmares that
spells that enable them to draw forth she drew forth from the spirit world if I had not
information and to exercise a level of confirol stumbled upon a small party of local clerics,
over the undead that no magician can match. led by a powerful cleric of their own faith.
The drawback to this is that sometimes these Seeing my peril, they came to my aid. As I
individuals are in the service of a dark power. described earlier, we soon found a common
As such, they can be among the most ground and joined forces against the dread
dangerous and formidable foes an adveaaturer is Kharafek.
likely to face. The request of communication
with the spirit world coupled with these priests’ Psionic Powers
control of the undead can be channeled into a Some people are able to draw upon their own
mighty weapon, the likes of which few ghost mental powers to establish contact with the
hunters can survive. spirit world. Such individuals are rare, certainly,
Earlier, I wrote about my trip to Har’Akir and but they are often quite powerful. Among the
my fondness for several members of the local powers at their disposal are such useful talents
clergy. There is more to that story, however, and as object reading, precognition, sensitivity to
I have saved it to illustrate this paint. One of psychic impressions, danger sense, spirit sense,
the first people 1 met in that land of sun and probability travel, summon planar creature,
desert was a tall, slender woman with skin the astral projection, and incarnation awareness.
color of polished ebony. She was a priest of Some of the informational powers employed
some sort, although her faith was omknown to by this type of person are truly wonderful. The
me then. She extended what I. thmght was the first time I saw someone employ the incarnation
hand of friendship to me a awareness ability, for example, I was stunned.
domain I did not know I The information we received was accurate,
days, all seemed well. decisive in the resolution of a
kept an ample supply
available for me, and made
learn my language. She’exp s are almost unheard of within the
my works and seemed eager
defeating a withered spirit th
across the dunes. Before long
discovered that this kindness
charade. less reliable here than in their
I learned that this priest, K m.I can only assume that some
name, no force of light
darkness and evil. Her only pu a l t h o w I cannot provide any manner of
me well was to acquire information explanation fer this most unusual phenome
spirit I had been battling. It was
control this ancientevil and use
her effort to crush the temples of m
righteous gods. I learned of her pla
for she had already seized control o
withered shade. I was forced to flee ko hem granted to or thru
temple in the dead of night.
As I ran, Kharafek bent her every mdre potent than
mine. Spirits rose from the sands t ut of dedicated study. This
notrcseemfair, particularly to someone who has origin. Like many of his race, Koa1 had spent
the study of arcane lore and years laboring in the mines that surrounded the
city in which he lived. One day, however, an
ywlile these powers are generally more explosion occurred in the tunnels, causing a
effective in their specific role, an individual collapse. The shower of rock that fell around
gifted with incidental abilities will generally be Koa1 knocked him unconscious and left him
limited to only a few. Thus, they are typically pinned beneath a heavy layer of stone.
very restricted specialists who have only one When Koa1 awoke, he found himself in the
avenue of expertise, a s opposed to those who company of three of his fellow miners. Like
have studied abilities. himself, they had been trapped in the collapse
and were unable to move. Thus, the quartet was
Accidental Powers forced to wait until help arrived. They passed
Some spiritualists have only the hand of fate to the time In conversation and, a s dwarves are
thank for their powers. They did not seek out a wont to do, complaining.
special ability through study or similar means, Two days later, help arrived. Koa1 was freed
and they have no hereditary claim to such gifts. and, luckily,. his injuries proved to be minor. To
Although powers of this type can his surprise, however, he found that his
spontaneously awaken in a person, it is fay companions had all been killed in the initial
more likely that they are triggered through an collapse. The past $&hours had been spent, he
accident or period of great stress. was forced tg admit, in the company of three
~ +haye met one individual, a dwarf who now ghosts.
WWsaw&&e name of Koa1 Shadowforge, From khat point on, Koa1 found himself able
&s+mm$etraced to an accidental to converse k e l y with the spirits of the

I
recently dead. With the help of a magician in help but see into the spirit world. His or her
my native Darkon, I was able to test Koal's karmic aura is in tune with all that transpires
ability. Our conclusion was that he was nearby, and this can be most dangerous. With
effectively able to employ the spell holy men all of this spiritual energy swirling about, an
call speak with dead at any time. He had no untrained medium acts a s a lodestone to pull
need for rituals or incantations, his race's ghosts, shades, and spirits into the world
natural resistance to magic did not hinder him, around him or her.
and he made no conscious effort to employ his Often this infuses these mediums with a
power. H e was simply able to converse with feeling of dread and paranoia. They sense the
them as you or I might chat with a traveling looming energies about them and panic. For
companion. some, this oppressive karmic weight is too
In some cases, power acquired in this way much to bear and they succumb to death. In
can be fleeting in nature. On one of my own others, the stronger ones, a psychosis grows in
adventures, I encountered a small child whose their minds. They feel hunted and pursued by
father had been beheaded for a crime he did the ghosts around them. They flee. Sometimes
not commit. When the wronged man's spirit they seek isolation in the wilderness, becoming
returned t o exact vengeance on the people who hermits who dwell at the heart of some
had falsely accused him, the daughter was able haunted, dire forest.
to freely converse with the apparition. More frequently, however, this medium never
No one else was able t o do this without the settles down. Rather, the medium becomes, in
aid of powerful magical spells. Further, when essence, a mystical plague carrier who travels
the ghost had completed its task and returned from town to town in an effort to stay ahead of
to a peaceful rest in the grave, the girl was the spectral forces that gather around him or
unable to communicate with other spirits. To her. Everyone the medium encounters runs the
the best of my knowledge, she now lives as risk of exposure to supernatural presences. It is
happy and normal a life a s anyone in Darkon. not-uncommon for a dozen or more hauntings
to ipring up following the passage of such a
Hereditary Powers tragic figure.
The most powerful of spiritualists are those With the proper training, however, these
who have descended from a long line of people can be a great boon to those who would
similarly gifted persons. Most Vistani mediums battle the ranks of the evil undead. While the
are of this type, for the powerful magic of the way in which such a medium's power manifests
waking dream runs strongly in family lines, itself varies from individual to individual, one
passing almost without exception from mother can almost always count on a hereditary
to daughter. medium to be a powerful and reliable source of
Those who have this power are often trained information. If cooperative, he or she can prove
by their parents in the use of their talent. Thus, to be a valuable weapon in one's endeavors.
they are extremely reliable when called upon to
undertake a spiritual task. They have a good Induced Powers
understanding of their abilities, their Some mediums, particularly those from lesa 2 I

limitations, and the risks involved in any advanced cultures, require an outside s t i r n u 1
endeavor. to awaken their mystical powers. GeneFzbHpAb f
It is very rare that someone who has stimulus takes the form of a ritual c e r e m w t p
hereditary powers does not receive training that surrounds the imbibing of a magictdflonrs '
from an ancestor or a mentor. When this concoction. 1'' %4C56
happens (or, rather, fails to happen), a perilous The information one receives fri3rn~t#Wib'.
focus is created. A hereditary medium cannot individuals is usually reliable, but-f W @42
somewhat random nature. Although a general I know of one woman, for example, who
quesy.ien can be put to such a person, it is claimed to be able to see the world exactly a s it
sehQ1amfekt by the contacted spirits a s more was. When I asserted my own belief that I could
t h m a suggestion. Thus, an answer may be do the same, she laughed at me. I soon found
gihren that is wholly accurate and correct or, that she was correct to do so. Her power was in
more frequently, of a puzzling or only her sight. She saw the shifting winds
half-useful nature. themselves, not simply their effects upon trees.
I do not mean to discount such individuals. If Nothing could hide from her keen
the only type of mystic around is someone who senses-not even those items under a magical
depends upon a magical tincture or poultice to shroud of invisibility, for she saw such things
make contact with an apparition, then, by all normally. Illusions and phantasms were
means, seek out this person and make use of instantly obvious to her, and she could tell
his or her gifts. I am only saying that some whether someone was telling the truth or lying
degree of caution is warranted in the in the simply by studying the aura surrounding them.
wording of questions and in the interpretation She was an amazing woman.
of answers. Such keen senses, however, made it
If one thinks in broad terms when dealing impossible for her to live as we do. She could
with induced mediums, the reader will ..
generally be safe enough. Ask about the origins
tell at a glance the innermost secrets of
everyone she met. Even the famed detective
of a spirit or its overall wants and desires. If the Alanik Ray, whom I have worked with on two
reader attempts to pin down a specific point, occasions, could not match her perception and
bwever. he or she will almost certainly be skill at deduction. She knew that all those
misinformed or disappointed. around her feared her and her power. They
could not stand to be near her, for all of their
personal secrets (both benign and malignant)
LiPostyles of MedOums were known to her. I consider myself an
he life of a medium is seldom similar to. understanding and fair man, but even I was

T that of a normal person. They perceive the

world in a different way than you or I d?.
Often, they can sense things that we cannot.
taken aback by her powers when we first met.
Individuals who have the aloof personality
are seldom wholly good or evil. Rather, they are
This section discusses six characteristics truly oppcrtunistic individuals who place their
(aloof, calculated, morbid, nomadic, reclusive, own well being and comfort above that of
and unworthy) toward which mediums seem anyone else. They desire only the best and
to naturally gravitate. This information will insist that those around them, the lesser ranks
prove useful when attempting to locate a of humanity, provide it for them.
medium.
Calculated
Aloof Some mediums adopt the same mannerisms
S@ne mediums choose to remain among one might expect from a master crafter. They
mankind, but they retain the feeling of make no attempt to hide their powers or to
alienation that marks the nomadic and disguise them in any way. In fact, they often
reclusive spiritualists. In order to remain advertise their abilities and let their past
among the living and stay in one place, they accomplishments be known. They may open a
adopt an understandable philosophy: An shop or an office, and they often make a fair
.
absolute belief in their own superiority over living by telling fortunes, 'helping people who
those who have no supernatural powers. come to them with questions about the
unknown, and answering the occasional are trapped in the living shell of their body
question from a worried band of would-be through some mysticism or curse. In a strange
ghost hunters. way, this mirrors the mentality of many undead
They generally take no notice of the feelings creatures who believe themselves to be truly
others have toward their abilities. They are alive, but cursed with death.
what they are and seldom regret the powers
that fate has put in their hands. Such mediums
tend to form a close circle of trusted friends
Nomadic
around themselves, and this becomes the whole Similar to hermits in their belief that they have
of their social life. They are often perceived as no place in mortal society, this type of medium
cold, calculated, and caring for only what might travels from place to place. Generally, they
profit them. I believe they foster this notion as a devote their life to the study of the supernatural
sort of defensive method against those who do and seek to master their own inner gift. From
not understand them. time to time, this type of medium becomes a
traveling ghost hunter who uses his or her
abilities for the betterment of all mankind
Morbid without actually taking an interest in any given
Perhaps the most disturbing lifestyle town or individual.
commonly found among mediums is that which
I term morbid. These individual feel a strong
kinship with the dead because of their powers.
As time goes by, these ties grow stronger. The
mediums begin to find things relating to death
and the dead aesthetically pleasing. In most
cases, these individuals live i
begin to look as much like a
mausoleum as they do a livi
domicile.
Individuals who have this Deep into that darkness
have a fatalistic view of their peering, long I stood there
the living, themselves incl wondering, fearing,
things. We are all, they be Doubting, dreaming dreams
things that life and the living ar no mortal ever dared to
aside in the vast scope of the dream before.
listened to their viewpoints an
strangely compelling. It may be that - Edgar Allan Poe
beings have a trace of this morbid fa The Rauen
(as I hypothesized in Chapter 111 regar
entrance uictim power), or it may be that my
own encounters with death and the undead
have left me particularly vulnerable toathis
fatalistic outlook. Whatever the cause, I con
assure you that these people are most
disturbing.
In the most extreme cases, these spiritualists
begin to believe that they themselves are dead
or undead. They become convinced that they
 c

Just a s often, however, these individuals actually become violent if forced into meetings
become drifting minions of evil. Their powers with them.
combine with their resentment toward the It is always a good idea to approach such
living to guide them down a path of darkness mediums cautiously, for they can be quite
From which Few have the strength of willpower dangerous. In addition, they often place traps
to return. In such cases, wandering spiritualists or other wards around their lairs. The most
can become an adversary a s deadly as any powerful among them will actually call upon
ghost or vampire. the spirits of the dead to watch over their
isolation.
Reclusive
Many people who have the gift of spiritual
Unworthy
powers quickly become convinced that they Some mediums find the weight of their powers
have no place in the land of the living. While greater than the strength of their will. They
they do not develop an affinity for all things begin to Feel a sense of depression and anxiety
dead, they do become detached and somewhat over their abilities.
resentful of those who are still a part of society. Such individuals see their gift a s a
Once this attitude is adopted, this medjwn burdensome responsibility and rapidly come to
will often leave behind the civilized lands of believe they are not worthy of it. They become
living men and seek out some wilderness to call more and more depressed and apprehensive a s
his or her own. This person will find some dark time goes by. As a rule, the greater their power,
glade or twisting complex of caverns and the more rapid the pace of their mental
seclude him- or herself at its heart. collapse.
I have even heard of cases where the In the end, these mediums are often
would-be hermit sought and obtained overcome by depression and sink into the
admission into a monastic order, granting him inescapable mental disintegration of insanity or
the solitude he desired while allowing him to complete despair. Those who fall into the latter
remain somewhat in the company of other category are generally found in either a
men. With strangers and visitors being rare,-the comatose or catatonic state, with no will t o live.
mystic was left free to explore the limits of his As might be expected, they often succumb
or her own powers and establish a good rapport utterly to their mental weakness and die. In rare
with the minions of the spirit world. cases, under the care of a talented hand, they
There is a major advantage to this way of life. may be nursed back to sanity and, with luck,
Recluses spend so much of their time in will adopt a more stable demeanor in the
contemplation and inner study that they are future.
able to harness every last fraction of their Those who find the strength to avoid despair
mystical abilities. They learn the subtle and cross over the line into lunacy can be
nuances of their talents and become a s terrible and frightening. For some reason that I
knowledgeable in following the paths of the have a s yet been unable to discern, they
undead a s any ranger might be in the tracking generally become more powerful upon
of game. As a rule, recluses will be in much reaching madness. My speculation is that these
better control of their powers than any other people find the ability to draw upon their full
type of medium. reserves of power once they abandon their
The drawback to all of this is fairly obvious feelings of inadequacy, but I cannot prove this
a s well. Recluses sever almost every contact to be the case.
with the outside world. They often despise the Such mediums become tools of death and
people whom they have left behind and may darkness. They have much in common with
those who are morbid, but they are utterly study them and learn something of their ways, I
devoid of compassion for the living. They remain mystified by them.
regard life a s an aberration and may do all in Vistani women are all gifted with at least a
their power t o end it. As one might expect, so trace of mystical power, I believe. They seem
vile a mentality is dangerous beyond words in able to sense things that normal folk cannot,
any case; when linked with the power of a and they live their lives as if they were in
skilled medium, an almost unstoppable enemy constant possession of a sense I cannot define.
is created. There are those who say that the Vistani are
more than mortal, but I cannot confirm that. I
have seen them die a s certainly a s you or I
The Uistani might, and I believe they are a s mortal a s we.
have no love for the gypsie The Vistani have a word for their unusual

I land. It was their treachery

taken from m e and made i
night-stalking vampire. Because of them, both
sensitivity to the supernatural: karatakasta. This
translates into my own language a s the waking
dream. This expression describes all manner of
my beloved child and my dear wife are now extrasensory perceptions and supernatural
dead. My advice in dealing with the Vistani is senses. To the Vistani, these mysterious talents
simple: These wild people are so commonplace a s to be taken for granted.
any time.
Still, my discussion of
would not be complete withoug The Uistani Plan
of the Vistani. These nomadic people have long There are those who say the Vistani work
been an enigma t o me. Though 1 have tried to toward some greater purpose. These people
claimthat all the things the gypsies do are Still, I do know that it is often possible to hire
carefully plotted and have some ultimate aim a Vistani medium for brief periods of time. As a
that we cannot fathom. Perhaps this is true, rule, they will provide one or two card readings
although t cannot support the idea. The belief or similar prophetic sessions for a person
thatIan entire race of .people
. could undertake a before ending contact with him.
project demanding absolute secrecy and When a Vistani does agree to help, their
subtlety on the part of all its members seems vision of the world is truly remarkable. The
absurd (and, at the very least, unlikely) to me. karatakasta is a most incredible tool for the
If this is the case, then I must believe that the gathering of information about the present, the
great chaos into which my life was hurled past, and the future.
following the death of my wife and son is all a I must again repeat my warnings, however. I
part of some grandiose gypsy scheme. I have do not trust the Vistani. They are too
tried to examine this hypothesis with the cool mysterious and secretive for my taste. If they
and calculating mind of a scientist, and I can do have some master plan according to which
find nothing in it to make me believe that it is they live, we have no assurance that it is a
true. I must put this entire idea down as wishful scheme for the good. Might it not just a s easily
thinking on the part of those who would find a be evil?
romantic side to these chaotic wanderers. +A

I will admit, however, that the idea of a grand

Vistani plan is appealing, even to me. I would
like to think that the death of my son served
e Ifreaterlpurpose. True, it did set my feet
on thepath divampire hunting and lead, in the
1
(
undead have%ekii;W@
all mankind. ,‘+’
r k
Does this show that t
from the start? I think n
the company of the gyps
family from me and who
so out of a love for the gold promised the%by
the foul vampire Baron Metus. 2 %

to time, the Vistani seem

*
helping adventurer
aid with saving my
ee occasions.
ind no steady and reliable
r help might be obtained.
Vistani have worked
d by them. Thus, I
psy is not generally
available for the asking. If they desire one’s
help, they will seek out that person.
 uring my years as a ghost hunter, I
have encountered many unnatural Tho rnantom Arrng
and terrifying spirits. In this he origin of the Phantom Army dates back
chapter, I shall relate the details of
ne of the most unusual hauntings
haveevercomeacross.In
T decades. Nearly half a century ago, a pack
of twisted mongrelmen from the dread
domain of G’Henna fled from their native land
ddition, I shall also use this story and entered the southern reaches of Darkon.
to illustrate the techniques by Here, they did their best to melt into the forests
which a haunting is typically best
investigated (I have set aside these ugh those who lived near the
illustrations in boxes). These mongrelmen knew of their existence and
techniques stress the need for avoided them, the mongrelmen kept to
caution and careful preparation themselves and did not harass the common
when investigating any folk. The locals feared the mongrelmen,
supernatural occurrence, and I however, for there were stories that told of their
trust the reader will make due note inhumane treatment of prisoners and wild,
of them. cannibalistic feasts held under the light of the
full moon.
Army for this purpose because it In time, the mongrelmen became the masters
of their recently claimed land. They came to
know every aspect of their wooded refuge and
e common bond were able to move quickly and quietly through
the trees and brush. Some even said they had
mastered the power of invisibility and could
render themselves unseen.
Eventually, the dread Kargat took an interest
in these intruders. A legion of Darkon’s most
fearsome warriors journeyed south from II Aluk
and came, at last, t o the woods of the
mongrelmen. The leader of the legion was a
magnitude. dark and sinister man, a fellow known a s Karuk
Any successful investigat Abjen. His men feared him and trembled at the
stages (“picking up the scent mention of his name.
ast,” and “making the kill’ Abjen ordered his men forward into the
ntains a number of steps. forests. They found no sign of the mongrelmen
in the outskirts of the forests, and they pressed
inward. They did not know that the mongrels
were watching their every move, waiting t o
invite death . .. or worse. learn what these armored men wanted in the
n t o tell you the story of this woods they called their own.
ar investigation, allow me t o relate the As night fell, one of the scouting parties
origins of the Phantom Army. Bear in mind that happened upon a lone mongrelman and
I knew only a small part of this story at the start captured him. The prisoner was brought before
of my investigation, so some of what I did may Abjen and brutally tortured for information
seem, in retrospect, illogical. By learning the about his kindred and their purpose in Darkon.
background beforehand, the reader will better Abjen ranted and accused the pitiful creature of
understand the investigation process. being a spy sent by Yagno into Darkon to learn
the secrets of Azalin’s power. In the end, the lingering traces of the mongrelmen, but never
mongrelman died from the abuse. did they actually come across one.
At the instant the creature’s body stiffened As the pink glow of sunrise spread across the
and went slack, the last vestige of life drained sky, Abjen and his men returned to camp. They
from its broken form, and a long and terrible had lost not a single man, but neither had they
howl went up from the woods surrounding the found a single body or seen so much as one
camp. It lasted for many minutes, echoing like mongrelman. To their horror, they found no
the lingering cry of some great, wounded beast. sign of the dozens of men they had left behind.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the cry The camp was deserted. Abjen chose to believe
stopped. A sullen, ominous silence fell across the mongrelmen had struck again, for he had
the Kargat legion. vowed to kill any man who deserted him.
Abjen ordered his men to stand ready for As Abjen ranted and raved at the dark woods
battle. All that night, the watches waited around him, another of the mournful cries
eagerly in hope of earning favor with their vile rolled out through the trees. Morale among
commander by being the first to spot the Abjen’s men collapsed utterly. They scattered
mongrelmen massing for attack. Dawn came, and ran, hoping to find some safe passage
but still there was no sign of the beastly men through the ranks of the mongrelmen.
who had made the pitiful howling. Abjen himself was captured by the mongrels
The Kargat commander called his men he had vowed to destroy. It is said that they
together and gloated before them. Abjen cried tortured him for days before he finally died.
out that it was fear of the Kargat and its great Those who lived near the woods of the
lord Azalin that kept the mongrelmen in check. mongrelmen reported that his cries of pain and
They would not dare to attack, he said, for none suffering were heard all through the night, and
who challenged Azalin’s powers could survive. that his sobbing pleas for mercy and death
Finally, Abjen ordered a company of his men to filled the days. None moved to help him.
move into the woods and set it afire-the In the years that followed, the mongrelmen
mongrelmen and the forest they had defiled grew more protective of their forest home than
would be reduced to cinders. ever before. Those who ventured in simply
As the troops dispersed, the mongrelmen failed to leave. Azalin either lost interest in the
attacked. But they did not attack in sweeping pitiful creatures or decided that he did not want
waves of the horribly twisted creatures; instead to lose more men in eradicating them. In either
they attacked in silent strikes against case, the Kargat never returned to bother them.
individuals. The company of men sent to light Several months later, a merchant named
the fires vanished, never to be seen again by Corin led her caravan past the edge of the
their companions. mongrelmen’swoods. As the sun set in the
At sunset, another ringing cry went up from west, her party heard the tortured cries of a
the mongrelmen. Their echoing howl drifted man in agony coming from the domain of the
through the woods, stilling all conversation and mongrelmen. Those who were more curious
sapping the morale of Abjen’s legion. His men and brave followed Corin to investigate. When
were on the verge of panic, but the fiendish they neared a clearing in the wood, they began
Abjen would not let them flee. He took to come across the bodies of countless
command of a second company and forced mongrelmen. Even their frightening
them into the woods to discover what had deformities were nothing when confronted with
happened to the first company. All night long the looks of horror and pain on their inhuman
they moved about, searching for their lost faces.
companions. At every step, they were met with When the merchant and her people turned to
flickering shadows, sounds of movement, and retrace their steps and report what they had
 them, but it was short-lived A dark and
ominous figure stepped before them-Abjen
had found them.
The company was surrounded by moaning,
suffering spirits. Corin, her people, and the
mongrelmen pleaded with Abjen to let them
pass, but the ghastly general would hear
nothing of their entreaties. He announced that
they would all be tortured, even a s the
rnongrelmen had tortured him. When only one
person remained alive, that one would be
been slow, however, for the spirits of released to tell the world that this forest was
LAbjen’s army were combing the woods looking now Abjen’s and that the phantom army would
for them. After some initial distrust, Corin and allow none who entered it to leave.
the refugees agreed to work together to escape Corin’s spirit proved strongest, and she was
the haunted woodland. freed two nights later. Her wounds were horrible
For nearly a week, they moved through the and her trauma great, however, and she spent
darkand evil trees. One by one, their numpers many months on the edge of madness. When
dw&#&+s the ahosts claimed their victims. she recovered from her ordeal, she did a s Abjen
a hqnpful left alive, the group had instructed, warning people about the
e,-thqJhaunted forest and the dangers of the cursed forest and its gruesome
I & m relief washed over inhabitants.
Picking Up the Scunt Confirmation
learly, the first stage in confronting a ghost At this point in your investigation, it is time to

C is discovering that the creature exists. This

would seem an elementary deduction, but I
list it because of the three crucial steps that
determine the general nature of the haunting. If
the witness who first brought the spirit to your
attention seems credible, then begin there.
comprise this stage. Listen carefully to the person's story and ask
for clarification about things that seem unclear.
first Report Once you have finished with this witness, move
Often, one learns about the presence of a spirit on to another. Although this may seem
through secondhand accounts or reports. Only repetitive, particularly if there are a number of
twice have I ever begun an investigation witnesses, the truth at the core of each person's
because I happened upon the ghost. Thus, it is story will provide a solid base from which to
safe to assume that you will not be the first begin a successful investigation.
person to see a given spirit. .If, in the course of this study, you are unable
With this in mind, consider those who have to find a firsthand witness, you are probably on
seen the spirit before you a s sources of a false trail. If you cannot find a credible person
information. Remember that the average person who can present you with a personal account of
is not a s intelligent a s one might hope. Nine in his or her meeting with the ghost in question,
ten times, a reported ghost proves to be nothing drop the investigation. You will find nothing-
more than a natural creature or phenomenon. lore fiendish than superstition.
Thus, before any serious investigation is
begun, consider the c . . .The tale was one of terror, for it was the
it seems reasonable (0 story of Corin's escape from the Phantom
or she is telling the tru Army through the very woods /proposed to
understanding of wha trmel. Although much of it was disjointed, no
proceed with your stu doubt from the trauma CorinS mind had
of yet, you have no solid p r d t h a t you are suffered, the fear behind the words seemed
-dealing with the supernatural. - genuine.
When the innkeeper finished, I voiced my
own horror at the thought of those woods
I first heard of the Phantom Army while being filled with such fiendish spirits. But I had
traveling southwest through Darkon toward heard temTying tales before that had turned
Falkouia. I had stopped at a small inn for a bit out to be but stories, and so I asked the pair
of supper and a warm bed, for the night how reliable was their warning.
outside was growing cold. I told the hostelers Corin did not immediately answer, but
my plans to cross through the woods on the lowered her head. Talid put his hand on her
morrow. I could not help but notice the unease shoulder, and she seemed to draw strength
of the innkeeper, a quiet, older man named from his touch. She nodded once, swiftly, ai
Talid, and his wife, a silent, watchful woman Talid gently eased her blouse offher shoulde
named Corin. and showed me his wife's back. Her skin
I inquired about their distress, offering my still livid with the horrid scars Abjen ha&
services as a physician if needed. The woman upon her those dark nights so lo
simply turned away from me and said I twned away, shocked and o
nothing. Her husband sat before me, thanked anyone, let alone a woman, sho
me for the offer,and then told me a tale that
made my blood run cold. ...
 Resuarth
The last step in the first stage of an Begin your hunt with pure, analytical thought
inwstigation is perhaps the most crucial of the and careful research. Learn all that you can
initial inquiry. Once you have gathered enough about the ghost before you. Uncover its past
evidence to wholly convince yourself that you and relive its life. Find out the cause of its
are, indeed, in the presence of the supernatural, death, for therein lies the tale of its origin, its
you must decide whether you have the desires, and its powers. The more information
dedication necessary to continue the quest to you amass now, the better your chances later.
destroy this unnatural creature.
Do not answer rashly. The road down which I
have traveled has been a long and difficult one. Hgpothesoin
I have either seen many beloved friends slain or Once you have completed your interviews with
been forced to destroy them myself after they witnesses, researched the ghost’s past, and
became things of darkness. I cannot promise learned as much a s possible on your own, take
you success or even a sense of accomplishment time to draw or speculate on some conclusions
for your efforts. Indeed, you should expect only Consider the ghost’s origin and try to decide if
misery and hardship. t any weaknesses or powers are suggested. It is
If you are like me, however, you will find typically impossible to examine a large pool of
yourself unable to halt once you have stepped evidence such as you have presumably
upon this path. The desire for knowledge will collected at this point without one or two clear
be too great, the call of vengeance too facts presenting themselves.
g to rid the world of Now is the time to begin classifying the ghos
istance. If you feel a s according to the categories delineated in
Chapter 1. At this step, you will want t o make a
guess at its magnitude and possible origins.
You should, however, be able to determine
whether it is an anchored or a triggered spirit.

. . . I spent the next day pouring over the

information that Corin and her husband had
given me. I decided that the phantom army
had no obvious weaknesses, based on Corink
account, although the nature of the torture
that Abjen was subjected to at the hands of
the mongrelmen suggested a possible
allergen.
Corin and her comrades had suffered from
daggers heated by fire and then pressed
against their flesh like branding irons. It
seemed logical that Abjen would have tortured
I ng the second stage of an investigation the mongrelmen the same way they had
I the supernatural, there are five abused him, so I decided to act on that
rtant steps to take. Others may assumption.
employ a slightly different approach, but I Over the course of the next few days I
believe that the elements outlined below are gathered the equipment I thought I would
crucial to any prudent hunt.
 need and, in the company o f Corin and her
husband, headed into the woods. ... until nightfall. We kept a bright fire burning-
a fire in which our blades rested until they
were red hot. . . .
Sighting
When you have acquired a solid basis in fact
and a supply of ready theories, it is time to view Preliminarg Encounters
the ghost for yourself. Of course, only a fool After you have observed the ghost, noting its
would rush into such an encounter !.without patterns of behavior and its abilities, it is time
taking some precautions. If you have‘theories to test your skills against it. Note that it is
about the ghost’s vulnerabilities or weaknesses, seldom wise to move in for the kill right away.
make sure you can act upon them1 Too much will remain unknown about the
Your mission in this first sighting is not to abilities of the spirit. Rather, set up a series of
battle the ghost, but to observe it. Ifbpossible, spFrring encounters. Have a quick escape in
arrange to see the ghost so that-it is unaware of mind and then challenge the ghost with
your existence. All too soon you will be something that may hold it at bay or harm it.
standing before the creature and ‘hbping to After each of these preliminary skirmishes,
destroy it before it destroys you-don’t let this examine what you have learned. In all
confrontation happen until yodrelready. likelihood, you will be able to finish classifying
Watch the ghost’s behavioc R o e s & s h w the ghost according to the categories noted in
weaknesses or vulnerabilities that*youmight be Chapter 1. Furthermore, the means with which
able t o act upon later? What sortsd’special you will finally destroy the ghost will likely
powers does it appear to have? Isit reveal itself during these skirmishes.
violent or more passive?
In the end, try to further c1assif.rthe ghost . ,. .When darkness fell, Abjen appeared
according to the categories noted in Chapter 1. before us. It recognized Corin instantly and
Perhaps you will still have to guessat Ps was enraged at her return to the forest. In
magnitude, but you will almost certainly be fact, so great was its wrath that it all but
able to note its physical appearance and ignored Talid and me. A s Abjen moved
consistency by viewing it, toward Corin to “reward”her insolence, I
slipped on a thick gauntlet and took my
Observe sword from the fire.
If possible, make several The blade glowed white-orangefrom the
ghost. On each occasion, heat of the blaze, and it left a trail of steam
questions you did the first time behind it in the damp woodland air. The ghost
you progress, you might wish t saw the blade before it struck, and Abjen left
suspected allergens at places w out a cry of alarm. A s I had thought, the
likely to appear. By observing its reaction to heated weapon affected the ghost as if it were
these items, you can often discover a valuable as mortal as 1.
weapon to use in later combat. Abjen cried out in pain when the blade
struck its semicorporeal form; the ghost fle
into the woods. I feared that this would see
attacked by the minions of its ghoulish a
but the injury to their leader seemed to have
left them without the will tome* . .-------
.<! ~ 1. tr
 be able to arrange this to your advantage. If it is
how long a reprieve we would uncomfortable in bright light, then attack
r husband, and I hastily
during the day. If it spends the night howling
and weeping, then attack while it is so engaged
ew the means by which I could that it may be caught off guard.
en, but I would need more help. I
sen&xrumer with an urgent message to a
The Place
f o m r traveling companion who now lived in
the town of Zhukar in G’Henna. . . .
As with timing, the place at which you will
confront the ghost is often not a matter of your
own choosing. If the clock tower ghost men-
tioned earlier never strays from the park in front
Making the Kill
-- p until this time, the third stage, you have of the tower, then you must confront it there.
While there is some validity t o the belief that
been frustrated by the slowness of the this places you on the ghost’s soil and gives it
w investigation. You have longed to face this an advantage, this is seldom an important
nightmare creature in combat and see it consideration. In most cases, knowing exactly
destroyed. Righteous anger burns within you, where you will be fighting the battle gives you a
waiting for release. Everything that is goqd and more important advantage because it allows
holy in you has been restrained, held back for you to prepare that area ahead of time.
ment. Take care, for the time of If the ghost tends to roam or wander, it may
be hard to pin it down. In these cases, you must
do the best you can to “herd’ the ghost toward
an area that will give you an advantage over it.
Do not depend upon chance for this-make
to this point has liberal use of the creature’s affinities and
taught you how to devise a workable plan for allergens t o force its hand.
the destruction of the ghost. As B cautionary
note, remember the spirit’s special abilities and The Weapons
have some means of countering them at hand. Never go into combat against a ghost unless
Keep in mind the ghost’s psychology. If you‘ you are fully confident of your weapons. The
know what attracts it and what repels it, you are purpose behind the preliminary encounters you
a long way toward ultimate triumph. staged earlier was, of course, to test your
Perhaps the most important thing to consider weapons. If the enchantment on your magical
when drawing up your plan for fighting the sword wasn’t strong enough to harm the ghost
spirit is teamwork. Make sure each member of during those duels, then you should have
your party understands what he or she must do obtained a more powerful blade in the interim.
in the heat of battle. Everyone must know that Every item that you employ against the
they can count on each other to perform their ghost, from holy water to magical spells and
appointed tasks. weapons, must have been tested against the
ghost earlier. Never use a weapon against the
The Time ghost for the first time during this encounter. It
In many cases, the time of your encounter will is folly to do so, for if it does not function a s
be predetermined by the ghost. If a spirit you anticipate, you will be killed.
appears each night when the clock strikes one
and vanishes when it chimes two, you have only The Escape
that hour in which to make your attack. Any sensible ghost hunter will have an escape
If the ghost’s appearance is Prrqtic, you may ready before confronting the spirit. There are
so many things that can go wrong in this war
against the supernatural that nothing can be
precautions similar to those that had driwn it
taken for granted. If you are ready to flee from
offbefore. Thus, we lit no fire.
At dusk, the foul apparition returned.
the scene when the battle takes a turn against
you, you can use the information you gain from
saw us and vowed our deaths would be slow
and painful. The spirit did not draw near itself.
the abortive attack to make plans for a newer,
however, but instead ordered its legion to
more dangerous assault on the morrow. Do not
attack. Fearing we would have no better
mislead yourself into believing that retreat is a
chance to strike, I called to my companions,
cowardly act: on the contrary, your wariness
instructing them to put our plan into action.
and discretion will keep you alive to continue
Corin responded quickly, for she was thirst-
your fight against the undead. That alone
ing to avenge herself We opened several vials
requires almost a daily act of bravery.
of holy water and hurled the contents on the
spirits between us and Abjen. The water had
Act Quicklg! the desired effect,and the shades drew back.
Perhaps the most important piece of advice I . Seeing his opening, Emilion sprang into
can offer you about your final conflict with a action. He charged forward,drew his s m d
and uttered a word of ancient power. Instantly,
ghost is this: Everything in yourplan must
the blade of his weapon was sheathed in
proceed as swiftlg as possible. Any delay
increases the chance of failure on your part, for
flame-the metal turned white hot. In a single!
it gives the ghost time t o adjust to your tactics
gigantic leap he bridged the gap between
and weapons. Remember, while you have been
himself and the vile Abjen.
With a great effort,Emilion swung the
studying the ghost, it has been studying you.
Now, I do not mean to say that you should
heavy blade in a wide arch and struck the
rush headlong into the fray. Far from it. If some villain in the neck, instantlg beheading it. As
element of your attack causes a delay or pause, the ghostly head landed on the ground, the
do not charge forward. Do not move at an mduth opened and a cry of absolute sJfering
imprudent pace, but do not waste any time
emerged.
either. I have seen too many fellows slain when With the death of its master, the Phantom
they paused, from fear or mercy or-foolishly
Armg was no more. Each spirit dissolved intQ ~

enough-to gloat, before they could deliver

vapor. A chill breeze swept through the ,
the death blow.
clearing and carried it away.
Our work was done. Corin had aue
herself and her f d e n comrades, and
defeated the evil in these woods.
Lacousto, anive
I had sent to the
When the shouting is over and the wou
have been tended, there is a last task that
be completed before you can claim victory! '2:

'hesitation,Emilion verifying the kill.

Often, there is some physical
associated with a ghost-a port

for its next few appearances. If it does not

appear, your task is, at long last, complete.
 n traditional horror, there are few
creatures as prevalent or Tragedg
interesting a s the ghost. While Perhaps the most important element of a ghost
vampires and werewolves are story is tragedy. Consider the classic works in
this genre and you will almost always find that
horror, ghosts are-often overlooked the ghost is a sympathetic figure. In recent
Masters a s a basis for years, this tradition has often fallen by the
wayside, with ghosts being nothing more than
The reason for this, perhaps, is spectral axe murderers. In a gothic campaign,
that the former creatures are easily however, the classic tragedy is paramount t o
defined. We all know that a the tale.
vampire is traditionally destroyed The tragedy in a ghost story can stem from
by the driving of a stake through many sources. Most often, this depends upon
its heart. There are variatio the way in which the ghost is to be perceived by
the players.
If the DM desires the ghost to be perceived a s
a lamentable figure, then the circumstances of
icicle or shaft of silver), the creature’s death or the events of its life can
main theme and premise &maln the sa be heartbreakingly sad. If the DM wishes to
make the ghost’s victims seem tragic, then the
classifications. Their b r ghost itself can be perceived a s cold and evil
and weaknesses are n while its victims are weak, helpless, and
pitiable.
In the case history Dr. Van Richten presented
to use in adventures, fo in the previous chapter, there were two groups
of tragic figures. The first group was the
mongrelmen who fled from persecution in their
native land, only to find alienation and eventual
monster. By the same token, however, tMs destruction in their new home. The second
group consisted of the poor fellows who
followed Abjen into the woods. It is certainly
campaign setting. hard to feel anything but sympathy for them
because of the way in which their leader treated
them, the pitiful way in which they died, and
Uriting Ghost Adventures their inability to escape from Abjen’s rule even
here are four basic elements that make a in death.

T ghost adventure unique: tragedy, romance,

history, and symbolism. Each is equally
important and, like the ghost itself, can be
If the DM wanted to portray the ghost in that
story a s a sympathetic figure, then the
mongrelmen could easily have been painted a s
dealt with in many different ways to make the true villains. They could have been depicted a s
story different and exciting. Before a Dungeon savage animals that slaughtered a legion of
Master begins to work on a scenario involving brave and noble troops.
ghosts, each of these elements should be Of course, it would be difficult to depict a
considered and their importance to the story unit of the Kargat in that light, so the DM would
weighed. With just a little extra time and effort, probably have had to change the background of
the talented DM will quickly create a the story a bit to make the army into “good
masterpiece of terror. guys.”
 . .

. .

returning to warn the man who is abo

Romance become the next victim of this diabol
In many ghost stories, there is an element of In this case, what at first appears to be a d m - y
romance that is missing in many other types of and true romance between the fiance and t l w -
horror. Consider the classic story of wuthering widow would turn out to be a cruel lie. '2
Heights, for example. It would be hard t o say As the above examples illustrate, the idea of
whether this was more of a ghost story or a love romance and tragedy often go hand in hand. In
story. most cases, it is impossible to incorporate
It is important t o contrast this with the often romance into a ghost story without also adding
passionate and sensual nature of modern some manner of tragedy. Further, the nature of
vampire fiction. The vampire, which is most the tragedy is often suggested by the way in
often depicted as having retained its physical which the romance is structured or resolved. Be
form, lends itself well to these more tangible alert for possibilities to incorporate these
moods. Thus, the vampire can often be elements into any ghost adventure you write.
portrayed a s a creature of more carnal desires
and appetites than the ghost, which is generally
perceived a s intangible and ethereal. Because tiistoru
of their phantasmal natures, ghosts can be Another important element in many ghost
subjects of love and affection, though not stories is that of history. Because the secrets of
physical desire. The difference, while often a ghost's life often define and foreshadow
subtle, is important. aspects of its death and damnation, its history
In designing an adventure, the romance can is crucial. Romance and tragedy can be built
come from many sources into the history of the ghost with great subtle&
common one, but the vict making them even more effective tools in the-
are equally viable. Consid case of a widow design of an adventure. a
who, having found It is almost impossible to create a go
seeks to remarry. I addnture without having a solid unders
haunted by the spirit of the events that made up the ghost's life
there are two poten brought about its death. Similarly, thew
If the DM desires which a ghost can be combated and d
sympathetic figure, or laid to rest are often rooted in t
remembers his kind A solid history behind a ghost s
fondness and is being important because of the research c
her will. It might eve must often undertake before he
her husband so that confront a ghost. If the DM has
for himself. Converse1 and logical history together the
depicted a s evil and attempts to uncover clu
revealed that the de resolved. By handing o
and overly jealous, vowing that no man should lore in response to inqu
ever have the lovely woman whom he left mystical scrying, the DM ca
behind. players the satisfaction of p
An even more unusual twist, but certainly an puzzle and uncove
interesting one, would be to postulate that the adventure themsel
villain in the story is the widow. Perhaps she accomplishment and t
killed her husband t o gain his wealth and associated with it are
property and now plans to do the same to her than any accumulation
fiance. The murdered husbanA might be treasure.
 appearance, are often drawn from both its
history and the important symbolism of its life.
of Jacob Marley from Further, the motivations and desires of a spirit,
’ classic;A Christmas Carol. In which are crucial in the resolution of almost
m a s bound with chains, and he any encounter with a ghost, are often
en of cashboxes. “I wear represented with symbolism.
life,” he tells the stunned * Consider the example of Marley’s ghost in

RAVENLOFT” game terms. If a group of

mean Marley spent his free time turers was seeking to drive off this spirit,
se ghastly bonds and that his could look to the symbolism shown in its
a s buried with them draped about me and history. Clearly, Marley was a
t at all. Rather, it points out the erhaDs it miaht
“ be Dossible t o keer, his
#mportance of symbolism-in the traditional sp%itf&~%ekering an are: by ringing it Gith
ghost story. (Another excellent source for g d d coik. %rhaps the creature could only be
demonstrations of appropriate symbolism is s made from precious
I Dante’s Inferno, in which the damned are forced h u m sword doing its normal
ents reflective of the sins they

we can examine the

I
life. He was clearly repentant and lamented the metal objects that can destroy him), the basic
joy he had passed up in life by being a miser. In MC entry takes on a whole new character.
an effort to ease his suffering, Marley was If this sort of short cut is used, it is important
compelled to visit Scrooge and convince him to to maintain the illusion that the ghosts the PCs
change his ways. It might be that Marley is are encountering are still wholly unique. DMs
freed from his curse the moment Scrooge is should still cling to the old Ravenloft ideal of
changed. Thus, a group of players could never calling an orc an orc. If the phantom
conceivably return the ghost to its grave army is described as “an army of wights led by
peacefully by merely assisting the ghost in its a wraith,” it loses much of its impact. The
mission to help Scrooge recognize the errors of players would be instantly aware of the nature
his ways and abandon the path of greed and of the creatures they face and would take
avarice he has followed for so much of his life. appropriate steps to battle them. If the DM
refers to the army as apparitions in one
sentence and ghosts the next, the players will
Creating New Ghosts not know exactly what they are facing.
nce the gist of an adventure has been laid

0 out, there are a number of important

elements to consider when creating the
ghost who will be at its heart. Depending upon
from Scratch
The alternative to using the Monstrous
the desires of the DM, different responses to Compendium series as a source for ghost “kits”
these considerationswill be appropriate. is to create the spirit from scratch. This takes
longer, but the DM has much more control in
creating a spirit that matches perfectly with his
Using the or her vision for the adventure.
Monstrous Compendiums The guidelines presented in the first few
chapters regarding powers and vulnerabilities
The various types of ghosts presented in TSRs
are intended to give examples of the sorts of
Monstrous Compendium series can be valuable things that should be considered when
starting points in the design of a ghost. By
designing a ghost. They are simply guidelines
simply selecting one of the incorporeal spirits
and are not intended to be used as a rigid
detailed in these volumes and customizing it,
system of categorically defining ghosts.
the DM can quickly create a new and unique
Because of the unique nature of these spirits,
villain with which to confront players.
DMs should not classify ghosts as “third
For example, let’s return to the characters
magnitude” or describe them to players in the
from the previous chapter of Abjen and his
analytical terms Dr. Van Richten employs.
army. His men might be given the same Rather, they should be used to create a
characteristics as shadows or wights, save that
Monstrous Compendium-style entry for each
they are not freewilled but slaves to the more
ghost to be designed.
powerful Abjen. Their commander, however, is
The DM will want to keep a file of the ghosts
clearly a more fofmidable foe. He might be
that have been created for past adventures
created with the same basic statistics and
because they can then be used as “kits” from
abilities of a wraith, spectre, or ghost. By giving which new apparitions can be created.
Abjen a unique power (perhaps his mournful
wailing causes those who hear it to make a fear
check), a singular weakness (his vulnerability to
hot metal), and a unique personality trait (he
death wi+l. +5esa-- +..h
66
w hat are ~ o doing
u on the streets? It will be dark soon and with
- comes the moon and madness! Run for uour home!"
nightfall
t nightfall Ravenloft is
a land of mists, dan-
I

pits. There a r e nine o t h e r

I
such lands, friend, so be
ger, and unexplained warned.
horrors. Buy Islands of Terror, and
T h e land is de- you may open t h e portal to
tached from ours, yet locked your darkest nightmares!
in perpetual dread like ours. It is now available a t hobby
And its islands a r e filled with and b o o k s t o r e s everv-
wickedness. Take t h e land of where!
Timor. where t h e lord is the
Hive Queen of t h e marikith,
who dwells deep within the
sewers. And Nosos, a land of
deformity and stinking filth
ADVANCED DUNGEONS 6 DRAGONS IEa registered tiademark owned by TSR Inc
RAVENLOFT and the TSR logo are trademarksOwned by TSR Inc
1992 TSR lnc All Rights Resewed
 J
ffidal Game Accessory

Van Xichten? Guide

to Ghosts
eware the darkness, for it is alive with Dr. Van Richten tells all that he has
6 the dead! Now, the nights of Ravenloft
are more horrifying than ever. You’ll
find out why in the pages within.
discovered about the incorporeal undead.
He explains their origins, the passions that
draw them back from beyond the grave,
Follow Dr. Rudolph Van Richten, and the horrible powers bestowed upon
Ravenloft’s leading authority on the them in unlife. In addition, he offers his
supernatural, as he reveals how to hunt the wise counsel on the ways in which these
ghosts that lurk in the blackest shadows of fiends can be stalked, confronted, and
midnight. For countless years, Van Richten destroyed.
has traveled the misty roads of Ravenloft on Be careful, for these ghosts are not
a mission to destroy the undead wherever simple, moaning spirits of darkest night.
they might be. Now, your characters can These are the ghosts of Ravenloft.
join him on his courageous quest.

96 pages-Recommended for All Character Levels

by William W. Connors

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