Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts
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Sample file jnore hornDie rfffosharinn? Credits Design: William W. Connors Editing: Dori "the Barbarian" Watry Product Coordination: Timothy B. Brown Cover Art: Robin Wood Interior Art: Robert Klasnich & Stephen Fabian Typesetting: Gaye O'Keefe Production: Sarah Feggestad ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and AD&D are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. SampleRAVENLOFT an dfile the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. ISBN 1-56076-351-5 TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom A Introduction 4 Chapter IV: Vulnerabilities 48 Ordinary Vulnerabilities 48 Chapter I: Types of Ghosts 8 Holy Water 48 Magnitudes of Power 8 Turning Clndead 49 Physical Consistency 11 Holy Symbols 50 Physical Appearance 13 Extraordinary Vulnerabilities 51 Origins of Ghosts 16 Allergens 51 Anchors 22 Magical Spells 52 Triggers 24 Personal Effects 59 *,:* Conclusion 25 Special Weapons 60 vM Forged Weapons 60 Chapter II: Ordinary Powers 26 Enchanted Weapons 60 Insubstantiality 26 Specially Constructed Weapons 61 Invisibility 28 Rejuvenation 28 Chapter V: Speak with the Dead 62 Immunity 29 Types of Mediums 62 Magic Resistance 29 Focus Mediums 62 Biological Spells 29 Guide Mediums 63 Unique Immunities 31 Host Mediums 63 Racial Abilities 31 Regression Mediums 64 Class Abilities 31 Sympathetic Mediums 65 Creation of Clndead 31 Trance Mediums 66 False Mediums 68 Chapter III: Extraordinary Powers 32 Locating and Hiring a Medium 70 Accelerate Aging 32 Through Recommendation 71 Cause Despair 33 By Reputation 72 Cause Fear 34SampleThroug fileh Advertisement 73 Cause Paralysis 34 By Sensitivity 73 Cause Revulsion 35 Sources of a Medium's Power 74 Cause Wounds 36 Studied Abilities 74 Charm Animals 36 Incidental Abilities 75 Charm Persons 37 Lifestyles of Mediums 78 Command Clndead 37 Aloof 78 Create Illusions 37 Calculated 78 Dominate Victims 38 Morbid 79 Drain Abilities 39 Nomadic 79 Drain Energy 40 Reclusive 80 Drain Memories 40 Unworthy 80 Entrance Victims 41 The Vistani 81 Inhabit Bodies 42 Chapter VI: Investigating a Haunting .... 84 Inhabit Objects 42 The Phantom Army 84 Keen 44 Picking Up the Scent 87 Lure Victims 44 Stalking the Beast 88 Perform Telekinesis 46 Making the Kill 90 Resist Magic 46 Conclusion 47 DM's Appendix 92 0, NT 4 or as long as mankind has kept should seek their every lair and see to it that written records, the comings and these monsters were destroyed. I did not goings of spirits have been noted. understand the scope of my quest then. To Some are described as lights or track down and destroy all the vampires in all recognizable shapes in the the worlds that I now know of is an impossible darkness. Others seem to be real, task—but I have never hesitated. but are nothing more than images No single man can do all that 1 have set forth of light—as incorporeal as they are to do. It is my hope, however, that, by placing unliving. They come in all manner what I know in a series of books, 1 will aid those of shapes and sizes. They who would follow me on my quest. If you have undertake macabre missions and seen the eyes of death looking at you, if you have any number of motivations. have heard a feral hiss in the darkness, if you Most are evil, some indifferent, and have known the terror that awaits, then you a few good and kind. know the importance of my work. I offer you In this work, 1 shall examine my heart, my prayers, and—most them all. I shall share with you importantly—my knowledge. what 1 can of my sparse knowledge In the three decades that have passed since and pray with all my heart that it the death of my wife and child, 1 have traveled may be enough to keep you alive. If it is not, much. I have seen horror in all its shapes. I then I pray even more that this knowledge shall have faced monsters that could only have be enough to allow you to rest in true death and issued forth from the deepest pits of evil. In not to rise and haunt the night as an apparition every case I have been tempered by the in our darkened land. meeting. Those I destroyed filled me with the energy to continue in my holy work. Those that escaped my vengeance left me the wiser for My Life Among the Dead each such encounter. (Never again, I vowed, have lived a long life. If I amSample lucky, it shall file would 1 be as short-sighted in a future meeting.) not end soon. 1 am in good health, despite Those that defeated me—and there have been I all the storms I have weathered. Still, I know many despite my undeserved reputation for that the black shroud of death will one day fall invincibility—have left me stronger for the across me. When it does, I will look back upon wounds inflicted upon me. a life that was long and hard, but not without its How many times have 1 been driven to rewards. 1 have done much good—of this 1 am death's door by the creatures of darkness? 1 certain. I shall face the grave with no regrets cannot say. But in every instance 1 was and but one sorrow. Let me recount it for you. determined to battle back from the injuries 1 My first encounter with the undead was with suffered and to have my revenge. I am a the horrible vampire who called himself Baron peaceful, merciful man, but such vengeance is Metus. When that fiend stole my beloved son sweet indeed. Erasmus and then murdered my dear wife Ingrid, I vowed I should devote myself to the utter annihilation of all his diabolical kind. The Thundering Carriage The sorrow, of course, is that 1 have become ow did 1, a devoted vampire hunter, come what I have become at the cost of losing my to be an enemy of the incorporeal undead family. At that time, however, I was a much H as well? The inclusion was not a difficult younger man. I meant only that I should battle one. It began on a cold autumn night in the dread vampire in all his shapes—that I Lamordia. 1 was close on the trail of a vile creature that I call the child vampire. The details of my encounter with that dark beast are presented elsewhere (see RR1, Darklords), so I shall not dwell on them here. While researching the creature, 1 happened upon a lonely country inn, the Thistle & Bonnet. The place was so charming and the darkness approaching so fast that I bade my companions stop. We discussed The boundaries which divide Life from the matter briefly, and then decided to spend Death are at best shadowy and vague. the night. Who shall say where one ends, and The innkeeper, a cheerful fellow with the where the other begins? unlikely name of Bellikok, saw to our every need. He presented us with a great feast of a — Edgar Allan Poe dinner, saw to it that our glasses were always "The Premature Burial" full, and never seemed at a loss for some clever Tales of Mystery and Imagination comment or anecdote to move the conversation along at a merry pace. In all, a perfect hosteler. All that changed, however, as the gleaming copper clock on his mantle rang ten. No sooner had the last chime died than a look of concern crept across merry Bellikok's face. I feared that he had grown ill and moved to comfort him. "I am a physician," I said. "Is there anything I can As the sound drew nearer and nearer, he do for you?" became more agitated. "That conveyance bears For an instant he seemed taken aback by my no guest I'll have in this place," he hissed. "No, concern. Then he allowed a wry smile to cross Sampleindeed. Thafilet carriage rides forth from the his face and let out a short laugh. "Would that gaping maw of blackness itself. I know not you could, kind sir," he breathed. where she travels to, but I know what comes Seeing that my companions were as curious with her passing. Here, move to the windows. as I about the cause of his sudden change of You'll see what I mean. ." spirits, 1 bade him continue. Dropping his head With that, he blew out the lights in the inn so that he looked only upon the floor and not and gathered us all about the large window that upon our faces, the innkeeper did as I looked out upon the road. In the distance, we suggested. saw an eerie glow moving down the highway "Do you hear the sound of that carriage, sir? toward us. It seemed to be moving at an Low and distant, like thunder looming on the incredible speed and to be giving off a light horizon?" such as I have only seen on ships at sea that are I cocked my head and, as he had said, I did wreathed with St.