I need your help! (Ghost Hunter Class)
Added 2025-03-18 20:38:49 +0000 UTCSo,
This is what I've come up with for a Ghost Hunter Class in Shadowdark RPG.
I'm satisfied with the current abilities and what it does. But I feel like it's missing something. I don't want it to be a spell caster but I believe the Ghost Plasma could become an essential part of the class.
So, like the Ras-Godai and its Black Lotus skills, what could the Ghost Hunter do with the Ghost Plasma?
There are no wrong answers here, feel free to comment on what comes to mind.
Comments
This is great to be honest, it removes a lot of the situational downsides.
Elven Tower
2025-03-21 20:23:43 +0000 UTCI loved Jacob's comment! Ghost-artificer kinda vibe. Wanted to add that I like the idea this class be more INT/WIS class than STR/DEX. Use captured beings to produce engineering devices that empower you. You can't have more that specific amount of creations on you because as any genius engineer you're getting bored with having same device for long. You can build on the Wizards talent that lets you create magic items from SD core rule book. Since it specializes in ghosts, it can also have some sort of resistance to fear or being petrified, like your checks against effect are always 9 or smth.
Pavlo Vasylkov
2025-03-19 17:38:29 +0000 UTCChange the name to "spirit hunter" this removes the stigma of needing to hunt "ghosts". With spirits as the focus, it can be any of the laundry list of beings out there: fey, celestial, demons/devils, undead, etc. Heck call it "Soul Hunter" if you want to go that route as blood hunter is covered. Everything has a 'soul' basically. Also for the Random talent part you could even add in there "Add the following Monster Type to your list: [list here]. If all are taken you get +2 to damage when attacking that creature type"
Johann Weise
2025-03-19 14:10:01 +0000 UTCThanks for the input, these are definitely great ideas, I'll try to make these work.
Elven Tower
2025-03-19 14:00:33 +0000 UTCI like the concept of using all the plasma at once to cause an effect, thank you!
Elven Tower
2025-03-19 13:59:59 +0000 UTCi feel the ghost plasma could do different things depending on the subclass you do and as a base and ability innate to the class should be to do damage with it, maybe with the added effects of restraining a creature like some sort of necrotic ooze attack, and for the subclasses like one could focus on using it as healing, another one could chanel the spirit to summon ghost companions, another could focus on even more damage, another could be to focus on using the ghost plasma to power more machinery, another could be using the ghost plasma to curse enemies
Rayopaw
2025-03-19 12:32:23 +0000 UTCNo worries. Glad you like it. I wasn't sure it'd work since i've yet to run Shadowdark (I was already running a5e when SD came out).
Jacob Vardy
2025-03-19 06:37:56 +0000 UTCThinking abstractly for a moment- restless ghosts may be thought of as balls of raw emotions, mostly frustration. therefor I'd give the hunter an emergency option to release these bottled emotions on an attacking enemy which might be driven to berserk rage, fleeing or even suicidal attempts.
Ran Schvartz
2025-03-19 04:21:22 +0000 UTCThank you very much for your ideas, it all works great!
Elven Tower
2025-03-18 23:53:00 +0000 UTCI really dig this approach. I'll try to translate all this into mechanics. Thank you for taking the time to write your thoughts :D
Elven Tower
2025-03-18 23:52:42 +0000 UTCHmmm…. Ghost essence: longevity type potions/abilities, heal time damage, items or things of fright, open gateway to land of the dead/plane travel, warding magic against same level of undead, healing essence for undead. Just a thought. See if I can think of something amusing….
Sid
2025-03-18 23:19:55 +0000 UTC"... I don't want it to be a spell caster..." Good. One thing that breaks rangers is them needing hunters' mark, so they have to be a spell caster. One of the things i like about a5e design is the attitude that a "must have" spell isn't a choice, so don't make it one. Make it a feature. Like ghost plasma. I'd run with the mad science aspect of ghost hunting. They use ghost plasma for Science! They build weird technological devices. Mechanically, these are common magic items but reskined as engineering. They do not require attunement but they can not leave your person for more than a minute. Even for Shadowdark, i think needing to capture a ghost to use your special ability is too low magic. I'd let them have a number of devices equal to their proficiency bonus or make it a talent you can take multiple times. Actually capturing a ghost lets you make an uncommon magic item. For fluff, say there are fey, ghosts, small gods, and other spirits everywhere. To paraphrase, "the universe is full of people, only some of them have bodies". The ghost hunter is constantly capturing little spirits as "pest control". Of course, shamans, spirit talkers, and anyone else in the habit of consulting the spirits consider ghost hunters to be monsters.
Jacob Vardy
2025-03-18 22:58:34 +0000 UTC
