River Ghost

River Ghost is an Acquired Template that can be applied to any Humanoid who has drowned in a river. This is based on old Swedish folklore of ghosts that try to drag people under the water, but
I'm kind of winging it as I can't find any English language sources. The ghost wants to cross the river or fjord, and will insist people crossing the river carry them, often drowning them in the process. Some ghosts will explain to targets how to send them on to the afterlife, but often in only the most cryptic of terms.

Size and Type: The base creatures type changes to undead with the Incorporeal Subtype. Do not recalculate the base creatures base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice become d12's.

Speed: The base creature gains a Swim speed equal to it's land speed.

Armor Class: Natural armor is the same as the base creature’s but applies only to ethereal encounters. When the ghost manifests (see below), its natural armor bonus is +0, but it gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier or +1, whichever is higher.

Attacks: A ghost retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not ethereal.

Damage: Against ethereal creatures, a ghost uses the base creature’s damage values. Against nonethereal creatures, the ghost usually cannot deal physical damage at all but can use its special attacks, if any, when it manifests (see below).

Special Attacks: Retains all Special Attacks of the base creature, plus gains the following:

Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets.

A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.

Psychic Grapple (Su): The River Ghost can 'ride' people or animals, making them feel as if a great weight has descended upon their back and shoulders. They do this to creatures who are crossing the river. This is a Standard Action that can target any living creature that is adjacent to the ghost. The creature must be swimming or walking across the river for this ability to work. Each round the target is subjected to this ability it must make a Strength Check (1d20 + 1/2 HD + Str modifier) opposed by the Ghosts Charisma (1d20 + 1/2 HD + Cha modifier). If the target succeeds, it moves normally. If it fails, it's movement speed is halved. If it fails another check it also becomes Fatigued. Should it fail a fourth check, it becomes Exhausted. Should it fail a fifth time, the target slips underwater and must hold it's breath or begin drowning. The ghost will target this creature each round with this ability until it crosses the river or drowns.

Invisibility (Su): A River Ghost can become Invisible as per the Greater Invisibility spell at will.

Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a ghost must succeed on a Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ghost’s horrific appearance for 24 hours.

Special Qualities: Retains all Special Qualities of the base creature, plus gains the following:

Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace (usually crossing the river in this case, or righting whatever wrong it did). The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghost has +4 turn resistance.

River Imprisonment (Ex): A River Ghost cannot step out of the river it died in.

Saves: Unchanged.

Abilities: +4 Cha, being Undead it has no Con score.

Skills: Ghosts have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, Spot, and Swim checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line

Feats: Unchanged.

Environment: The river it died in.

Organization: Same as Base Creature, usually Solitary now.

Challenge Rating: +1

Treasure: Unchanged.

Alignment: Any.

Advancement: n/a

Level Adjustment: ---

Example of creature using template here:

Old Man Kallan (Fighter4/River Ghost template)
Medium Undead (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 4d12 (26 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 Deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: ---
Full Attack: ---
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Manifestation, Psychic Grapple, Invisibility, Horrific Appearance
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance, River Imprisonment
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con -, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Climb +2, Handle Animal +8, Hide +9, Intimidate +8, Jump +2, Listen +9, Ride +6, Search +7, Spot +9, Swim +10
Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Cleave (B), Great Cleave (B), Improved Initiative (B), Power Attack (B)
Alignment: Neutral Evil


"Kallan was a cavalry man who retired after the Great Northern War. His retirement was not an easy one. He'd acquired a great deal of wealth in the war, some say by theft, and lorded it over the rest of us. The mayor may have run the town, but he was Kallan's toady. He let Kallan get away with murder. There were darker things attributed to Kallan as well, but only in whispers. The older he grew, the worse he got, and finally word made it's way around that he'd hired a Haxa to give him eternal life in exchange for God alone knows what."

"We'd had enough. We killed the witch and burned the body a fortnight away from the village. She cursed us with her dying breath, but we paid her no mind. We would've put paid to Kallan too, but when we returned we'd learned he drowned while bathing in the river. Odd given that he'd always been a good swimmer. We just assumed someone had beaten us to the punch. But the witch had given him eternal life of a sort, just not the manner he wanted it to be. Old Kallan still 'lives' in the river, and that is why we avoid it. We've called upon you to lay him to rest. He is the witches curse given form, and he won't leave until we're all dead or find someone who can exorcise him."