Ghostwalk feats

[Big Mac]

There are quite a lot of Feats in Ghostwalk, and I want to have a look through them to see how they work...and how other Feats might be added to improve Ghostwalk. But Ghostwalk didn't come with an extension to Table 5-1 (from the PHB) so first I would like to create that, so I can get a picture of how the feats fit together.

Table 5-1 Expansion: Ghostwalk Feats

General Feats

• Circle Magic (Prerequisite: Divine spellcaster with Galadros as patron deity. Description: You know how to use your connection to Galaedros the Wood God to channel magical power to another spellcaster of your faith.)
• Corrupt Arcane Studies (Prerequisite: 3rd Level Sorcerer or Wizard, non-good alignment. Description: You have dabbled in strange magic that has increased your power but adversely affected your mind.)
• Divine Energy Focus (Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke undead, Cha 13. Description: You have a gift for channeling positive or negative energy.)
• Empower Turning (Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke undead, Cha 13, Extra Turning. Description: You can turn or rebuke more undead with a single turning attempt.)
• Extra Favored Enemy (Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus + 5, favoured enemy. Description: You select an additional favored enemy.)
• Extra Slot (Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 4th. Description: You can cast an extra spell.)
• Extra Wild Shape (Prerequisite: Ability to use wild shape. Description: You can use wild shape more frequently than you normally could.)
• Foe Hunter (Prerequisite: - Description: You have been trained in the methods of fighting various kinds of yuan-ti.)
• Forceful Staff Style (Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff). Description: You can stun people with your quarterstaff and push them around after you stun them.)
• Ghost Smiting (Prerequisite: - Description: You can use your smite ability to smite ghosts.)
• Green Bond (Prerequisite: - Description: You have an empathic bond with one of the spirit trees around Manifest.)
• Heighten Turning (Prerequisite: Cha 13, Extra Turning Description: You can affect more powerful undead with your turning or rebuking attempts.)
• Incorporeal Spell Targeting (Prerequisite: - Description: You know how to cast your spells so they're more likely to affect incorporeal creatures.)
• Incorporeal Target Fighting (Prerequisite: - Description: You know how to fight incorporeal creatures in melee.)
• Natural Spell (Prerequisite: Wis 13, ability to use wild shape Description: You can cast spells while in wild shape or shifted form.)
• Power Lunge (Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3, Power Attack. Description: Your ferocious attack may catch an opponent unprepared.)
• Quicken Turning (Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke undead, Cha 13, Extra Turning. Description: You can turn or rebuke undead with a moment's thought.)
• Resist Ghost (Prerequisite: - Description: You are resistant to the effects of ghost powers.)
• Wise to Your Ways (Prerequisite: Favored enemy. Description: You are particularly resistant to the unusual attacks of your favored enemy.)

Fighter Feats

• Dancing Blade (Prerequisite: Proficient in rapier, Perform (Dance) 1 rank, Base Attack Bonus +1. Description: You have an energetic fighting style modeled after traditional Salkirian dancing.)
• Foe Hunter (Prerequisite: - Description: You have been trained in the methods of fighting various kinds of yuan-ti.)
• Forceful Staff Style (Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff). Description: You can stun people with your quarterstaff and push them around after you stun them.)
• Incorporeal Target Fighting (Prerequisite: - Description: You know how to fight incorporeal creatures in melee.)
• Power Lunge (Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3, Power Attack. Description: Your ferocious attack may catch an opponent unprepared.)
• Saddleback (Prerequisite: Human raised in Thurkasia. Description: You were raised among people who are as comfortable riding as walking.)
• Twin Sword Style (Prerequisite: Raised among the elves of Sura-Khiri, Two-Weapon Fighting. Description: You have mastered a style of defense that others find frustrating.)

Ghost Feats

• Control Visage (Prerequisite: - Description: Your ghost body is shaped as if you were alive and unharmed, and you can control what your ghost body appears to wear.)
  • Improved Control Visage (Prerequisite: Control Visage, Cha 11. Description: You can change your ghost form's appearance.)
    • Haunting Appearance (Prerequisite: Control Visage, Improved Control Visage, Cha 11. Description: You can make your ghost body assume a terrifying appearance that can frighten observers.)
      • Frightful Moan (Prerequisite: Haunting Apperance, Cha 15. Description: You can unleash a moan that panics creatures near you.)
        • Frightful Presence (Prerequisite: Haunting Apperance, Frightful Moan, Cha 15. Description: Your very presence can cause others to be stricken with fear.)
      • Horrific Appearance (Prerequisite: Control Visage, Haunting Appearance, Improved Control Visage, nongood alignment, Cha 17. Description: You can blast creatures with your simple appearance.)
• Corrupting Touch (Prerequisite: - Description: Your touch can damage creatures.)
  • Agony Touch (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, Cha 11. Description: Your touch can damage creatures.)
    • Shriveling Touch (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, Agony Touch for the same ability score, Cha 13. Description: Choose one physical ability score. When you touch a creature, you can cause permanent drain to this ability score.)
  • Enervating Touch (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, non-good alignment, Cha 15. Description: Your touch can bestow negative levels upon creatures.)
  • Freezing Touch (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch. Description: Your touch is supernaturally cold.)
  • Nauseating Touch (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, Cha 13. Description: When you touch a living creature, you can make it nauseated.)
  • Rend Ghost* (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, Ectoplasm. Description: Your touch can maul the ectoplasm of another ghost.)
• Ectoplasm (Prerequisite: - Description: You can create ectoplasm, a gooey physical manifestation of base supernatural spiritual energy.)
  • Ghost Healing (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm. Description: You can transfer some of your own ectoplasm to another ghost to heal it.)
  • Witchlight (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm. Description: You can create witchlight, a harmless faint light, on yourself or an object.)
    • Greater Witchlight (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm, Witchlight. Description: Your witchlight can last longer, become hotter, or give off more light.)
  • Rend Ghost* (Prerequisite: Corrupting Touch, Ectoplasm. Description: Your touch can maul the ectoplasm of another ghost.)
  • Shape Ectoplasm (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm, Wis 11. Description: You can make equipment out of ectoplasm.)
    • Sculpt Ghost Body (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm, Shape Ectoplasm, Wis 11. Description: You can reshape your ghost body's ectoplasm to enhance one physical ability score at the expense of another.)
  • Temper Ectoplasm (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm, Shape Ectoplasm, Wis 13. Description: You can make durable equipment out of ectoplasm.)
• Fade (Prerequisite: - Description: You can make your ghost body more diaphanous and difficult to detect.)
• Full Manifestation (Prerequisite: - Description: You can manifest fully when you would otherwise be forced to be incorporeal.)
• Ghost Glide (Prerequisite: - Description: Your fully manifested ghost body can slowly fly.)
  • Ghost Flight (Prerequisite: Ghost Glide. Description: Your fully manifested ghost body can fly.)
    • Improved Ghost Flight (Prerequisite: Ghost Glide, Ghost Flight. Description: Your ghost body can fly rapidly.)
• Ghost Hand (Prerequisite: - Description: You can move small objects in a limited manner when you are a ghost.)
  • Improved Deflection (Prerequisite: Ghost Hand. Description: You are adept at deflecting things before they strike you.)
  • Poltergeist Hand (Prerequisite: Ghost Hand. Description: You can move small objects in a limited manner at a distance when you are a ghost.)
    • Improved Poltergeist Hand (Prerequisite: Ghost Hand, Poltergeist Hand, Cha 13. Description: You can move a large object at a distance when you are a ghost.)
    • Poltergeist Rage (Prerequisite: Ghost Hand, Poltergeist Hand, Cha 13. Description: You can throw heavy objects with the power of your mind.)
• Ghost Ride (Prerequisite: - Description: You can hide within the physical body of a living creature, perceiving the world through its senses, but without the ability to control the host.)
  • Corpse Malevolence (Prerequisite: Ghost Ride. Description: You can possess and animate dead bodies.)
  • Expanded Possession (Prerequisite: Ghost Ride. Description: You can ride or possess an additional type of creature.)
  • Minor Malevolence (Prerequisite: Ghost Ride, Iron Will, Cha 13. Description: You can possess a creature for a short while and control its actions.)
    • Malevolence (Prerequisite: Ghost Ride, Iron Will, Minor Malevolence, Cha 15. Description: You can possess a creature and control its actions.)
      • Grand Malevolence (Prerequisite: Ghost Ride, Iron Will, Minor Malevolence, Malevolence, Cha 17. Description: You can possess multiple creatures and control their actions.)
• Haunting Voice (Prerequisite: - Description: You can make your voice originate from another location.)
• Incorporeal Form (Prerequisite: - Description: You can become incorporeal even when you would otherwise be forced to manifest fully.)
  • Ethereal Sidestep (Prerequisite: Incorporeal Form, Wis 11. Description: You can teleport yourself a short distance.)
• Solid Visage (Prerequisite: - Description: Your ghost body appears solid and alive.)
• Touch Attack Specialization (Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +2 plus any touch attack that deals hit point damage, ability damage, or ability drain. Description: Choose one of your ghost touch attacks that deals hit point damage, ability damage, or ability drain, such as Corrupting Touch. You are especially good at using this touch attack.)

* = Rend Ghost requires both Corrupting Touch and Ectoplasm.

Metamagic Feats

• Ghost-Touch Spell (Prerequisite: - Description: You know how to tune your damaging spells to affect ghosts without harming other creatures.)

Monster Feats

• Improved Turn Resistance (Prerequisite: Undead. Description: You are better able to resist the channeling of positive or negative energy by clerics and similar classes.)

Racial/Regional Feats

• Diehard (Prerequisite: Raised among the barbarians of Bazareene, Endurance. Description: You can remain conscious after attacks that would fell others.)
• Education (Prerequisite: Raised in Tereppek. Description: In your youth you received the benefit of several years of more or less formal schooling.)
• Gift of Tongues (Prerequisite: Raised in Tereppek Description: You have an intuitive talent for learning languages.)
• Kihu-Sherem Guardian (Prerequisite: Male human member of a Bazareene noble family. Description: You are one of the Kihu-Sherem, magically altered in the womb to allow you to better protect the sorcerers of your homeland.)
• Militia (Prerequisite: Raised in Bazareene. Description: You served in a local militia, training with weapons suitable for use on the battlefield.)
• Saddleback (Prerequisite: Human raised in Thurkasia. Description: You were raised among people who are as comfortable riding as walking.)
• Sherem-Lar Sorcery (Prerequisite: Female human member of a Bazareene noble family. Description: You are one of the Sherem-Lar, magically altered in the womb to enhance your potential as a sorcerer.)
  • Sherezem-Lar Sorcery (Prerequisite: Sherem-Lar Sorcery, female human member of a Bazareene noble family. Description: You are one of the Sherezem-Lar, an elite group within the Sherem-Lar, head and shoulders above the others in power.)
• Survivor (Prerequisite: Raised in Thurkasia. Description: Your people thrive in a region that others find uninhabitable, and you excel at uncovering the secrets of the wilderness and surviving to tell the tale.)
• Twin Sword Style (Prerequisite: Raised among the elves of Sura-Khiri, Two-Weapon Fighting. Description: You have mastered a style of defense that others find frustrating.)

Special

• Fast Wild Shape (Prerequisite: Dex 13, ability to wild shape into a dire animal. Description: You can assume your wild shape faster and more easily than you normally could.)

[Tim Baker]

Wow, great work!

[Big Mac]

Wow, great work!

Thanks Tim.

It's actually taught me a couple of things, like the fact that Frightful Presence is such a hard Feat to qualify for. (Given that The Calling hits characters that have more Ghost levels than standard levels, I think a PC would need to be pretty close to 20th level (if not above 20th level) to gain the feat. I might actually try to work out the lowest level a PC could be and still qualify for it.)

I'm also finding the spread of Racial Feats interesting, as well.

[Tim Baker]

It's actually taught me a couple of things, like the fact that Frightful Presence is such a hard Feat to qualify for. (Given that The Calling hits characters that have more Ghost levels than standard levels, I think a PC would need to be pretty close to 20th level (if not above 20th level) to gain the feat. I might actually try to work out the lowest level a PC could be and still qualify for it.)

I recall that 3.x offered epic-level play. Does Ghostwalk explicitly support anything in that tier?

[willpell]

It's actually taught me a couple of things, like the fact that Frightful Presence is such a hard Feat to qualify for. (Given that The Calling hits characters that have more Ghost levels than standard levels, I think a PC would need to be pretty close to 20th level (if not above 20th level) to gain the feat. I might actually try to work out the lowest level a PC could be and still qualify for it.)

Wotco overrates Frightful Presence (the ability in general, not that specific feat) IMO. I belive the Samurai from Complete Warrior gets it as a 20th-level EX ability. Being able to cause a -2 debuff against anyone who blows a save, or even to cause low-HD enemies to flee, is hardly all that potent.

By the way, do keep in mind that the Calling is optional. The DM can say it doesn't exist at all, or he can just drop the HD-related aspect of it and simply say that it happens "at some point", meaning "when I say so". Thusly, he can prohibit people staying as Ghost just because it's more convenient, but allow a character to have more than half Eidolon levels without that character automatically being ruined.

I recall that 3.x offered epic-level play. Does Ghostwalk explicitly support anything in that tier?

There isn't really any specific content. They do present the True Afterlife as a high-level adventure zone, but not epic specifically. However, the Eidolon class does have 20 levels, even though it's impossible to have it at 1st level, so I would say that a Ghostwalk game ought to at least go a short distance into the Epic tier if it lasts long enough. It does not need to go heavy on Epic content, however (keep the Neh-Thalggu out of the Manifest Zone!).

[Big Mac]

It's actually taught me a couple of things, like the fact that Frightful Presence is such a hard Feat to qualify for. (Given that The Calling hits characters that have more Ghost levels than standard levels, I think a PC would need to be pretty close to 20th level (if not above 20th level) to gain the feat. I might actually try to work out the lowest level a PC could be and still qualify for it.)

I recall that 3.x offered epic-level play. Does Ghostwalk explicitly support anything in that tier?

Yes, but not from the Ghostwalk book.

Andy Collins wrote a article for the Wizards of the Coast website, called Epic Ghostwalk.

Andy created 10 Epic Eidolon levels, 10 Epic Eidoloncer levels, 10 Epic Arboreal Guardian levels, 10 Epic Deathwarden Chanter levels and 8 New Epic Feats. (I suppose I should copy information from the 8 Feats into the table in my top post.)

[Big Mac]

It's actually taught me a couple of things, like the fact that Frightful Presence is such a hard Feat to qualify for. (Given that The Calling hits characters that have more Ghost levels than standard levels, I think a PC would need to be pretty close to 20th level (if not above 20th level) to gain the feat. I might actually try to work out the lowest level a PC could be and still qualify for it.)

Wotco overrates Frightful Presence (the ability in general, not that specific feat) IMO. I belive the Samurai from Complete Warrior gets it as a 20th-level EX ability. Being able to cause a -2 debuff against anyone who blows a save, or even to cause low-HD enemies to flee, is hardly all that potent.

I suppose they do give the Frightful Presence ability to dragons. Maybe that's why they treat it as something powerful.

With the Ghostwalk version of Frightful Presence being the 5th Feat in it's chain, it does mean that a PC would need 8 levels in the Eidolon Class or 20 levels in the Eidoloncer Class.

By the way, do keep in mind that the Calling is optional. The DM can say it doesn't exist at all, or he can just drop the HD-related aspect of it and simply say that it happens "at some point", meaning "when I say so". Thusly, he can prohibit people staying as Ghost just because it's more convenient, but allow a character to have more than half Eidolon levels without that character automatically being ruined.

The Calling is indeed optional (as are most other D&D rules).

With the No Calling rule, a Eidolon PC would need to have a total of 9 Class levels and an Eidoloncer PC would need to have a total of 21 Class levels.

With the Calling our Eidolon PC would need to have 9 non-ghost levels to outweigh the 8 Eidolon levels. And our Eidoloncer PC would need to have 21 non-ghost levels to outweigh the 20 Eidoloncer levels.

17th level is high (not as high as the Complete Warrior option you mentioned) but 41st level is super-Epic. Maybe they put the No Calling rule in to help GMs run games where players can use more than 9 ghost PC levels.

I recall that 3.x offered epic-level play. Does Ghostwalk explicitly support anything in that tier?

There isn't really any specific content. They do present the True Afterlife as a high-level adventure zone, but not epic specifically. However, the Eidolon class does have 20 levels, even though it's impossible to have it at 1st level, so I would say that a Ghostwalk game ought to at least go a short distance into the Epic tier if it lasts long enough. It does not need to go heavy on Epic content, however (keep the Neh-Thalggu out of the Manifest Zone!).

The True Afterlife was not supposed to be included in the book. It was an idea they had dropped that only came back because of a promise the marketing department had made.

[Tim Baker]

Andy Collins wrote a article for the Wizards of the Coast website, called Epic Ghostwalk.

Very interesting. I enjoyed the concept of the Epic Tier in 4e (it was part of the core book and all class progressions), although combat would drag at those higher levels. I appreciated that 4e was created with epic play in mind from the get-go. It's something to keep in mind for anyone converting Ghostwalk over to 4e.

[Big Mac]

Andy Collins wrote a article for the Wizards of the Coast website, called Epic Ghostwalk.

Very interesting. I enjoyed the concept of the Epic Tier in 4e (it was part of the core book and all class progressions), although combat would drag at those higher levels. I appreciated that 4e was created with epic play in mind from the get-go. It's something to keep in mind for anyone converting Ghostwalk over to 4e.

4e also has three tiers of play.

Even before 3e went out of print I was wondering if 3e could be represented and divided up in a way more like BECMI, so that people who started out, didn't need to read any rules on things like Prestige Classes.

I'm not sure how this could be divided up with Ghostwalk. It would have to be about more than pure Character level.

Willpell is right in saying that dealing with the True Afterlife is more suited to Epic level play. You can come back from the True Afterlife, but the official rule is that you loose your memory of what is there.

There is a three-part mcguffin that can get people out of the True Afterlife without memory loss, but nobody knows it exists...yet.

At the low level end of things you probably have PCs getting killed (or some of them getting killed) and then having to do adventures to earn the monet needed to be brought back to life. At the low levels, they might not even be taking Ghost levels (and qualifying for Ghost Feats).

At mid-level, PCs might start to figure out that some of them would have more ability to carry out certain tasks while they were ghosts.

But with The Calling on one side and Life Epiphany on the other side, I can see PCs gaining and dumping Eidolon levels, as they advance. I'm not really sure how that would play out in the long term (especially with respect to Feats).

[Big Mac]

Table 5-1 Expansion: Ghostwalk Web Enhancement Feats and Epic Ghostwalk Feats

Ghostwalk Web Enhancement Feats

• Combine Turning [Divine] (Prerequisite: Able to turn or rebuke undead more than once per day. Description: You can combine multiple turn or rebuke attempts into a single, more powerful attempt.)
• Elfblood [General] (Prerequisite: Half-elf (nondrow). Description: The traits from your elven ancestry are particularly
  strong.

Epic Ghostwalk Feats

• Endless Malevolence [Epic, Ghost, Dominator] (Prerequisite: Cha 25, Ghost Ride, Iron Will, Minor Malevolence, Malevolence Description: You can possess creatures for an unlimited period of time.)
• Epic Enervating Touch [Epic, Ghost, Corruptor] (Prerequisite: Cha 23, Corrupting Touch, Enervating Touch, nongood alignment. Description: Your touch bestows a powerful surge of negative energy upon creatures.)
• Epic Horrific Appearance [Epic, Ghost, Haunt] (Prerequisites: Cha 25, Control Visage, Haunting Appearance, Horrific Appearance, Improved Control Visage, nongood alignment. Description: Your appearance causes tremendous impairment to those who view it.)
• Epic Witchlight [Epic, Ghost, Shaper] (Prerequisite: Ectoplasm, Greater Witchlight, Witchlight. Description: Your witchlight grows in duration, strength, and power of illumination.)
• Ethereal Leap [Epic, Ghost, Traveler] (Prerequisite: Wis 21, Ethereal Sidestep, Incorporeal Form. Description: Your teleports can cover a greater distance.)
• Extended Full Manifestation [Epic, Ghost, Traveler] (Prerequisite: Con 17, Wis 17, Full Manifestation. Description: You can manifest fully for an extended period of time.)
• Poltergeist Shield [Epic, Ghost, Poltergeist] (Prerequisite: Cha 19, Ghost Hand, Improved Deflection, Poltergeist Hand. Description: You can extend a shield of deflection around a nearby ally.)
• Rapid Ghost Flight [Epic, Ghost, Traveler] (Prerequisite: Ghost Flight, Ghost Glide, Improved Ghost Flight. Description: Your fully manifested ghost body can fly at great speed with unsurpassed maneuverability.)

I need to add these to the list in the top post.

[willpell]

With the Ghostwalk version of Frightful Presence being the 5th Feat in it's chain, it does mean that a PC would need 8 levels in the Eidolon Class or 20 levels in the Eidoloncer Class.

With the No Calling rule, a Eidolon PC would need to have a total of 9 Class levels and an Eidoloncer PC would need to have a total of 21 Class levels.

With the Calling our Eidolon PC would need to have 9 non-ghost levels to outweigh the 8 Eidolon levels. And our Eidoloncer PC would need to have 21 non-ghost levels to outweigh the 20 Eidoloncer levels.

17th level is high (not as high as the Complete Warrior option you mentioned) but 41st level is super-Epic. Maybe they put the No Calling rule in to help GMs run games where players can use more than 9 ghost PC levels.

It does allow for that, but it also just does away with an inconvenience to play purposes on the level of Encumbrance rules. The idea of having to carefully micromanage your resurrections and level trade-ins to avoid succumbing to the Calling is an obnoxious case of the system mechanics getting in the way of roleplaying.

It does make sense that Eidoloncers aren't able to get Frightful Presence in any reasonable timeframe, since that sort of ability is clearly meant to be a tool to make high-level fighter-types not suck as much, rather than a way to make wizards even more borken than they are, without having to so much as cast a spell. Ghostly mages who want to scare someone can just do Cause Fear or whatever, so it's not like they're missing out. The point of stuff like FP is to let a fighter-type do things without needing a spell.

The True Afterlife was not supposed to be included in the book. It was an idea they had dropped that only came back because of a promise the marketing department had made.

That's an interesting claim, and I'm not saying I doubt you, but I'm wondering if you have a source you can link, or if this is just hearsay. (I'm fine with hearsay, but it is good protocol to show our work once in a while, if we can manage it without too much trouble.)

It's something to keep in mind for anyone converting Ghostwalk over to 4e.

I'd say that converting it to 5E is more useful at this point. And epic play isn't really a thing there.

[Big Mac]

The True Afterlife was not supposed to be included in the book. It was an idea they had dropped that only came back because of a promise the marketing department had made.

That's an interesting claim, and I'm not saying I doubt you, but I'm wondering if you have a source you can link, or if this is just hearsay. (I'm fine with hearsay, but it is good protocol to show our work once in a while, if we can manage it without too much trouble.)

It's explained in the Ghostwalk Q&A sticky: Why did you write the True Afterlife, the way you did?

If the True Afterlife had been more integrated with the rest of the setting, there might have been one or two feats aimed specifically at the True Afterlife.