Ghost
Medium Undead · · CR 4
- Undead
- Medium
- Tier 1
Ghost is a medium undead of neutral alignment, CR 4. Found in underground and urban. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 4
- Type
- Undead
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Underground, Urban
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Ghosts are the spirits of mortals who died with unfinished business, unable to pass to the afterlife. They linger in places of significance: homes, battlefields, and graves. They feed on emotional resonance from the living, especially fear, grief, and recognition. They cannot truly reproduce but occasionally awaken nearby spirits through emotional outbursts. They persist as long as their unfinished business remains; resolving it grants peace, while ignoring it allows them to grow stronger over centuries.
Behaviour
Ghosts replay their deaths or emotional traumas, often haunting specific objects or people. They recognize descendants, friends, and enemies of their mortal lives. Some are violent; others are pleading. They cannot be reasoned with as living beings; they exist in cycles of obsession. Possession of the living lets them briefly experience life again, though it damages the host. They fade into the Ethereal Plane to recover when wounded, returning hours later. Their voices echo in dreams.
Origin
Ghosts arise wherever death is violent, unjust, or laden with regret. Some are bound by curses or magic. Others linger because their bodies were not properly buried. Theological views vary: some faiths see ghosts as souls trapped between planes, others as echoes of identity persisting after the soul has departed. Necromancers can deliberately create ghosts via ritual, though such practices are universally taboo. Most ghosts dissipate naturally within a generation, but some persist for centuries.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Ghost
- What is the challenge rating of Ghost?
- Ghost's challenge rating is 4. A party in this band fits levels 1-5.
- What type of creature is Ghost?
- The bestiary type for Ghost is undead, medium size.
- Where does Ghost live?
- Ghost is typically encountered in Underground, Urban.