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Vengeful Spirit

Vengeful Spirit

AX.GH.13.08.05

A ghost with enough focused emotion, rage, grief, fear, betrayal, to manifest physically and harm the living. Distinguished from gentler haunts by the intensity of its attachment and its willingness to act on it.

Type: Undead (Incorporeal Spirit)

Threat Power Package: Standard

Size: Medium (incorporeal)

Attributes

  • Body: 0D (incorporeal, cannot be harmed by physical attacks; Body used only for Spirit Manifestation effects)
  • Speed: 3D
  • Wit: 3D

Talents

  • Supernatural Power (Manifestation): 3D
  • Notice: 2D
  • Resolve: 3D

Combat Statistics

  • Health: 33 (20 + Body 0 + Standard modifier 10 + Spirit Resilience +3)
  • Defense: 3 (Speed 3, incorporeal, most physical attacks pass through; effective Defense 3 against attacks that can harm it)
  • Armor: Incorporeal, immune to physical damage from non-iron, non-silver, non-salt weapons

Saves

  • Body Save: 0D (Spirit Resolve Save used instead: 6D)
  • Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D)
  • Wit Save: 6D (Wit 3D + Resolve 3D)

Attacks

  • Telekinetic Strike: Wit 3D + Supernatural Power 3D = 6D vs Defense, 3–5 damage typical (hurled objects, environmental force; this is physical damage that affects corporeal targets)
  • Touch of the Dead: Speed 3D + Supernatural Power 3D = 6D vs Defense (Touch range only), 2–4 damage typical; target must make Wit Save vs Threshold 3 or become Frightened until end of their next Turn

Undead Traits

  • Incorporeal: Immune to physical damage from mundane weapons. Iron, silver, and salt-loaded weapons deal normal damage. Radiant damage deals normal damage. Blessed weapons deal +2 damage.
  • Unliving: Immune to poison, disease, exhaustion
  • Salt Barrier: Cannot cross a solid, unbroken line of salt without a successful Wit Save vs Threshold 3. Failing this Save causes 1D3 damage to the Spirit and it cannot attempt to cross again for one Turn.

Special Abilities

  • Haunt: The Spirit can affect its environment without a roll: flickering lights, dropping temperature, moving small objects, making sounds. These effects are always active when the Spirit is present and agitated. In investigation contexts they function as clues; in combat they function as atmosphere that the GM can use to impose −1D on Notice and Wit rolls for characters in the space.
  • Possession Attempt: Once per scene, Primary Action, Touch range. Contested Wit + Supernatural Power vs target's Wit + Resolve. On success, the Spirit attempts to possess the target. Target is Incapacitated for 1D3 Turns as the Spirit establishes control. A Mediumship or Sacred Fire practitioner can interrupt this with an opposed roll. If the possession fully establishes, treat the target as a Possessed Civilian (see cursed-or-possessed category).

Tactics

Vengeful Spirits fight in the space they haunt. Their attachment to a location or object gives them advantages in familiar territory (GM may grant +1D on all rolls while the Spirit is in its anchored location). They use Telekinetic Strike at range and advance to Touch of the Dead against isolated or already-frightened targets. Possession Attempt is used when a Spirit has identified a target whose body would serve its purpose, not purely tactical, but driven by what the Spirit wants.

Lore & Ecology

Vengeful Spirits were people. They are defined by what they experienced at death and what they were unable to complete or accept. The rage that powers a Vengeful Spirit is real and was real before death; this is not a monster in the simple sense. Mediumship practitioners who work with Vengeful Spirits regularly develop the professional conviction that most hauntings are situations rather than threats: the Spirit is doing the only thing it knows how to do, and the solution is addressing what it cannot let go.

Destruction

A Vengeful Spirit cannot be permanently destroyed by combat alone. Reducing it to 0 HP dissipates it temporarily (1D6 hours before it reforms). Permanent resolution requires addressing the root: burning or respectfully interring the Spirit's remains (if they were not properly handled); resolving the unfinished business the Spirit is anchored to; using a full Quiet the Unquiet application (Mediumship, Threshold 4–5) to facilitate the Spirit's departure. Salt and iron damage the Spirit and can buy time; they do not resolve the situation.

Scene Materials

  • The Spirit's remains or significant personal objects (resolution focus)
  • Evidence of the original incident (what happened, who was responsible)
  • EMF readings and audiovisual documentation (Aldersham value: $200–400)