Ghost powers

[DShomshak]

One campaign I played in had a ghost PC, but the player found it frustrating. So many points went into just being a ghost (Persistent Desolid and Invisibility, bunch o' Life Support) that there weren't many points left for anything else. Though that was 4th ed.; it might be more feasible in 5th or 6th ed.

 

My "Supermage" playtest campaigns included a PC who did astral projection. That got me thinking about ghosts as creatures that work the other way: Their default existence is on the Astral Plane, and they need Powers to manifest on Earth. The writeup got a bit twisty, though, and it all depends on how much a GM is willing to develop the Astral Plane as part of the setting. If a ghost PC isn't going to interact much with other "mystical" stuff, it might be better to stick with Persistent Desolidification to represent a spirit that is normally intangible.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Christopher R Taylor]

With so many points to play with now, a ghost type character is more viable now, even a Kitty Pryde-type with affects solid strength and desolid on others.  You still have to focus more on utility than damage, do attacks that bypass defenses instead of big dice, etc though.  No desolid brick.

[steriaca]

You could also play a "Hatchet" type ghost. Victor Crawly, the serial killer in the Hatchet series of films is a solid, physical ghost. He can even be "killed"...till the next night when he formes yet again, crying for his father and killing everyone except his kin who enters his area of the swamp at night.

[Doc Democracy]

One campaign I played in had a ghost PC, but the player found it frustrating. So many points went into just being a ghost (Persistent Desolid and Invisibility, bunch o' Life Support) that there weren't many points left for anything else. Though that was 4th ed.; it might be more feasible in 5th or 6th ed.

 

I think this is one of the problems for people who come to the system cold (or who play a long time but still don't quite grok it).

 

Just because you say you want to be a ghost does not mean you need to go for the 'obvious' powers.  You need to think what you want to be able to do as a ghost character.  If those wants are satisfied by persistent desolid etc then cool.  Obviously, that was not this players wants and so he found it frustrating.  (I am teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, I know, but feeling pedantic today!)

 

I think it always bears repeating that it is worth challenging players' builds not only on their legality and playability but also on whether it does what the player wants it to.  You can achieve a lot of ghostly things without purchasing the obvious powers that not only saves you points but more closely matches the players ambitions for the character.  That means you sacrifice some of hte things the obvious powers give you but the conversation up front removes a great deal of the potential for frustration.

 

 

Doc

[steriaca]

Solid Ghost Powers

 

A massive Regeneration ability with Resurrection, but only when he is in the "ghost world", where he is automatically in when it is daylight or when his physical body is destroyed.

 

Extra Dimensional Travel, "ghost world" to "human world" and back, trigger (Body below 0 or daylight), No Concess Control (-1 level, as he can't trigger it himself).

 

Teleportation, Invisible Power Effect.

 

Complications

 

Physical Complication: Can't Leave Area He Is Bound To.

[Christopher R Taylor]

One campaign I played in had a ghost PC, but the player found it frustrating. So many points went into just being a ghost (Persistent Desolid and Invisibility, bunch o' Life Support) that there weren't many points left for anything else.

 

 

Incidentally, I had the same thing happen with a Multiform character.  He was a martial artist type who could change into elementals based on the classic five Japanese ones.  In 4th edition it was so expensive just to have the forms and for each form, that he was pretty weak compared to everyone else in the group.  He had a cool storyline and interesting background stuff but the character ended up disappointing.

[GCMorris]

I've had that issue before. Had a quirky detective guy once who had a lot of required stats and skills and minor powers but after I bought it all he turned out to be very weak in combat.