Love all of that! Might have to dig for a copy. Those exact sort of powers beyond just the stat block are what can make ghosts feel really distinct from other more mortal monsters.

Thanks so much Jotaro! Feel free to share the video around, it really helps the channel grow and getting more views on future vids.

Not gonna lie, I love this comment!

Noon Wraith and Plague Maiden design from Witcher 3 is intense! 😄 It's part of what makes them such evocative and terrifying monsters to hunt.

That's a great idea! I did a similar encounter where the party killed a bunch of foot soldiers, which then rose as specters there and then to fight the party again (a two wave combat).

It's a great question and I think it depends thematically on what you want the ghost to do. Most times the touch of a Wraith, Spectre, Banshee or other necrotic dealing undead is described as a touch or grab that physically drains the target. They grow gaunt, their skin becomes pallid, their veins and bones protrude. It's a sort of aging or withering effect. But it leaves no physical mark or scratch, except maybe a handprint. For more thematic attacks based on a specific ghost, however, I've described the touch of a spirit that drowned to cause the target to sputter up muddy water and struggle to breathe. I've had spectral weapons spread black tendrils beneath the skin from the point of contact, almost like a morgul blade. If the damage type is psychic, I've had victims have flashes of their worst memories that bring up a gout of emotions that make it difficult for them to fight on.

As a DM, I flavor my spirits attacking in 1 of several ways, depending on the being. 1) Possession/Poltergeist. People possessed jerk and twitch uncontrollably as they awkwardly attack a target. Demonic Possession includes the possessed will bleed/ooze out their openings. Weapons dance and fly as they spin and thrust wildly. Maybe the team archers arrow springs to life and hits a friend infront of them, inciting in-fighting. 2) Elemental, with freezing cold Fog, boiling Mist, or wind cutting you like a blade. Maybe the ghost is on fire and you have a flaming hand strike at you to spread the fire. Maybe the ghost consists entirely of a poisonous cloud. The first "The Suffering" game employed elemental ghosts representing executions like the Gas Chamber, Electric Chair and Witch Burning. 3) Every attack pulls what appears to be your soul and more damage pulls more of you as it tries to withdraw back into you. Think of the Dementors from Harry Potter or Hades soul stealing from God of War. Death applies when they tear you soul out completely. 4) Have them attack the victims Shadow and apply the effects onto the body. A knife buried into the shadows shoulder could have the body gush blood from a fresh stab wound on his own. This could also potentially bypass defenses they prepared in advance as that magic shield won't protect your shadow. Admittedly I stole this from Vampire Hunter D monster named Benge. He was an illusionist assassin that can slither and meld into shadows and killed a vampire hunter by stabbing his shadow. 5) Have the victim visibly wither away. Fighting dark spirits might reduce a lesser man to a mummified husk with a screaming expression frozen across their face.

I'm glad you're enjoying them, Danny, and they're helping spice up your Strahd campaign. Speaking of which, maybe we need to put werewolves on the list of creatures we cover? 🤔

Do as I do, not as I say… or the way that I say it. 😆