In the game ghosts are very inconsistent. Some are completely invulnerable, and can’t interact with the world around them. Some fight and can be killed exactly as if they were among the living, though what happens when they are ‘killed’ varies. Sometimes they behave differently still, like being seemingly invulnerable but needing a specific item, spell or action in order to banish or otherwise interact with them.
What is your approach in RP? Have any of your characters ended up ghosts?
Depends on the storyline and narrative really.
I suppose that there are just various types of ghosts, some tangible, some not. But then there’s the ones that are both able to physically hurt you and they are intangible and from there it’s just a total mess and I give up on trying to figure out ghosts.
Due to this confusion, I usually just RP ghosts as being weak, stabbable spirits.
Here is the real questions, Can you make out with a ghost? and How do you know if a ghost is actually a Woman, like, what if it just used Spooky Ghost powers to look like a woman but it’s actually a 50 year old Dwarf?
I’ve used them in various contexts - I think the one I use most often (and the one I’ve found most fun with as a DM) is that the ghosts are either spirits guarding some object, or they’re a “fragment of the past” style ghosts riled up by some event going on in the area.
I think the latest example I used was ghosts congregating around and recreating a site that during the Third War was used by the Burning Legion to create more fel orcs, as part of hunting down a Burning Legion spy.
Yeah some ghosts are a bit OP…
I tend to go with ghosts being generally able to ignore mundane weapons. If they are enchanted however, or forged from metals with innate properties in that vein? Or spells?
I ain’t afraid of no ghost.
My approach: Ghosts are magical. Your bog standard revenge/unfulfilled ghost can only be injured by magic or enchanted weapons. Disrupting their coherency with magic is enough to force the spirit to the afterlife in short order. They’re incorporeal and their attacks are magical, and thus able to affect the physical world.
Of course things like cursed ghosts tend to be a bit more resilient, and then you’ve got non-undead ‘ghosts’ like Wisps…
There are also cases like the Draenei ghost in Talador who serves you as a follower after you avenge him.
my personal take on the ghost problem is as follows:
life is like a large spider web, each thread is a life of a single mortal
when one dies, your thread is cut, however people such as necromancers can spin the thread in a very imperfect way leading to cut threads being tied together again but with an obvious seam or loop, this imperfection in the restoration of the life thread is what leads to the inconsistencies among the undead.
Here’s an extra thought: Are ghosts always the way they were when they died?
Few ghosts seem to be elderly and infirm, even from races who have been fortunate enough to have a fairly peaceful history.
My theory is that since ghosts have no physical body and their appearance and traits are determined solely by their soul, they appear as they were at their most prominent or distinguished, or otherwise the time when they left most of a mark on themselves.
So, Jedi Force Ghosts is what you’re saying
Most ghosts we see are withdrawn or disturbed spirits…
Which after being defeating, they most likely go to rest
YET
Depends on the ghost as well
A troll most likely goes to ol’ Bwonsamdi…
A demon’s or DH’s goes to nether…
And if killed in nether, maybe lays to rest in shadow lands…?
Most likely disturbed ghosts are drawn from their rest in Shadowlands and are disturbed…
Like Sorrow hill ones (graveyard around Uther’s tomb)
The duskwood ghosts -south- of raven hill…
In outland/ draenor, D’ore’s remains drawn draenei spirits to where he was buried… Which later known as a temple known as Auchindoun, and in AU Talador the spirits were disturbed, as Teron’gor and shadow council were causing disturbance…
Then we saw them as ghosts, perhaps because they were disturbed,or maybe their spirits is still in shadow lands but we see it
Although the draenej spirits were able to be summoned, like Yrel’s trial to become ans Exarch, which MAraad, Haturu and some other Draenei spirits were summoned to test her
K’ure also draws orc spirits to remains of Genedar, which later was known as Oshu’gun, mountain of spirits…
In AU Draenor Cho’gall was disturbing them alongside pales, who was also torturing poor K’ure, cause all of these, we saw restless ancestors and spirits, including Golmash’s, grom’s father…
But yeah they are usually angered and disturbed ones, or summoned, maybe tortured …
As we can see in Ashbringer artifact quest in Legion we pray and call upon Uther’s spirit, his spirit appears to us, and guides us…
And perhaps, goes back to his rest…
Ah also we see those of Admiral Taylor’s Garrison, including the Admiral himself who was cursed by Ephial, which later becomes follower and fights…
Perhaps later he was cured, and rests?
Also odyn’s val’kyrs draw worthy vrykul spirits from Shadowlands, ressurecting them as Valarjar… Perhaps drawing them from their rest in Shadowlands…
But as for RP, i belive spirits can be summoned to aid or guide us, which can be cool and epic in dire situations, or simply talking with the ancoestor for blessing, or w/e
or they be hostile who were angered and disturbed, and later are putted to rest…!
And also, perhaps the spirits of those connected to Emerald dream, most likely Druids and Ancients, goes to Emerald Dream… Like Elerethe Renferal after we kill Xavius in Rift of Aln… or Cenarius’, or Ursoc’s…
Ancients’ are known to be ressurected, but dunno about others, like if Elerethe can be ressurected from Emerald Dream or not…
Or even her spirit called upon and communed with… Or even able to be disturbed?
And many other possibilities…
DHs having an, to quote Illidan, ‘immortal demon soul’ is actually hella rare and only seen in Illidan and the DH Player Character. So, most of 'em just straight up die when they’re killed.
That last part was a weird sentence to write out.
Well, All DHs consumed a demon’s soul, then same can apply to them…
The dh PC wasn’t that different from others at that point, although i am not sure…
And last part was just assuming
Imagine having a heroic ancestor spirit/s to accompany you and your companions in their battles, Clan Angrund style.
Lots of story potential there.
I think the matter is fairly interchangeable as per your narrative and its requirements. Blizzard certainly plays fast and loose with these particular rules.
I don’t usually get to say this, but play it by ear! If it reads well and plays well, that’s a ghost done well.
excuse me do i look like a dwarf to you
Almost as short as one…
Undead dorf maybe eh
OCH!