Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 libbalou Nov 19, 2010 17:36:18	I'm running a new campaign set in Hammerfast, and one player wants to play one of the Dwarf ghosts in the city, which I think is a fun idea.  I think it's probably too much to allow him to be insubstantial, but want to add something to go with the flavor. I had considered giving him an extra +1 CON, but taking away Stand Your Ground. Is that enough? Is it fair?  Should I give him an encounter utility power that allows him to be insubstantial for one turn? Appreciate any suggestions! Thanks.
#2 Novacat Nov 19, 2010 17:39:04	Personally, I would say no. However, if you really want it to happen, I would suggest you look up the stats for the Shadar-Kai as a guide, and remember that, even though it may be a dwarf ghost, the physical attributes of a creature have no bearing on its attributes when it has no body.
#3 Neutronium_Dragon Nov 19, 2010 19:05:10	Odd ability modifiers are never used in 4E. Pushing his racial bonus even higher is also inappropriate. If you want to swap out Stand Your Ground for a more thematically-appropriate ability, that's fair. Going insubstantial for one turn isn't too bad, as long as you remember that phasing is a separate quality (one that he doesn't get), and it doesn't grant him any unusual movement modes. If it's "during this turn" (rather than for a round) then it's mainly useful as a mobility-enhancer (reducing damage from OAs, falls, or other hazards). -- "Ghost Walk" (encounter; move) Effect: You move your speed. You gain insubstantial during this movement. -- I'd call that a reasonable option for a Stand Your Ground replacement - although I could just as easily see it as a feat power.
#4 MechaPilot Nov 19, 2010 19:21:06	I would start by reflavoring the character's AC and Reflex defenses as insubstantiality (e.g. The sword blow doesn't skip off his armor, instead it just passes harmlessly through him).  It doesn't change the balance at all, but it helps evoke that spectral feel. Another option is to create your own bloodline feat (like the "Vampiric Heritage" dhampyr bloodline feat) only with a ghostly theme.  The power Neutronium_Dragon described would be a good feat power to go with it.
#5 johnnii Nov 20, 2010 1:24:44	I'm surprised that Revenant wasn't the first response to crop up.
#6 Paraxis Nov 20, 2010 1:40:15	You could make insubstantial and just cut his H.P in half.  Then trade whatever racial encounter power he has (in this case -second wind as minor action) into minor action Phasing until end of next round. I would let him keep his normal healing surge amount because some attacks do full damage against insubstantial so half h.p isn't perfect.
#7 Krusk Nov 20, 2010 10:02:17	Id let him keep normal dwarf stat changes, and skill boosts, but let him swap his dwarven powers for Immune to poison Doesn't sleep 1/encounter can turn insubstantial and pass through objects for 1 round. Makes a little more work for DMing when someone can go through stuff, but that also seems like the point of playing a ghost.
#8 alitain Nov 20, 2010 12:38:45	Or just have him be dwarf, and like someone mentioned above with giving them a racial power but make the racial power something like insubstantial and phasing for a round.  Not exceedingly overpowered considering, off the top of my head, a druid can with a utility gain phasing and insubstantial whenever shifting to beast form for an encounter.
#9 Fedosu Nov 20, 2010 12:49:31	How powerful is phasing on its own? This thread has sparked me to create a ghost race, but I don't really know how powerful phasing actually ends up being if separated from insubstantial. The racial feature in question is this: Slipping Away: You gain phasing while you are bloodied. In addition, you gain insubstantial while you are below 0 hit points. It's the only real feature I gave the race, the others let them count as another race and gain that race's racial power. So is that overpowered? Oddly, I've never encountered phasing in actual gameplay, so I have no clue. EDIT: I made a thread for it, comments over there.
#10 Krusk Nov 20, 2010 14:15:09	Phasing all the time sounds really really good. (or just once bloodied, forever.) Much better than "I can pop through a single door once every 5 min or so".
#11 Fedosu Nov 20, 2010 14:56:23	Reply in the other thread.
#12 Damon_Tor Nov 24, 2010 12:54:42	I'd do it legit, no special rules for PC ghosts.  Ghosts are what ghosts are: GHOST TEMPLATE *You are undead, and are no longer living *You are insubstantial, but have half your normal hitpoints *You are immune to disease and poison *You gain phasing *You hover at your normal speed *All untyped damage you deal is instead necrotic *You cannot gain levels Phasing and Hover are awesome benefits.  Immunity to poison and Insubstantial (even with halved HP) are nice.  Being undead and immune to disease are minor benefits at best.  Necrotic is most likely a drawback for a PC.  Being unable to gain levels is what kills it.  But that's what ghosts are, unchanging shadows of their former selves.  Many ghosts also have other severe drawbacks, like the inability to leave an item or location they haunt. Ultimately, ghosts as PCs are bad ideas.