RPGBOT.Podcast13 Nov 2025

GHOSTS (RPGBOT.Bestiary) - Unfinished Business and Undead Bad Decisions

Ad Free Listening on the RPGBOT Patreon

Want more episodes like this, plus early access, live recordings, or ad-free listening? Join our Patreon at patreon.com/rpgbot and help us keep the mics on (and the ghosts at bay). Every little bit helps us roll with advantage!

Show Notes

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the crew dives deep into Ghosts in tabletop RPGs—both as monsters and as masterful storytelling tools. From the mechanics of possession and rejuvenation to the raw narrative potential of ghost encounters, Tyler, Randall, and Ash explore how ghosts have changed across editions of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder 2e, and what makes them so uniquely haunting at the table.

The RPGBOT crew kicks things off with a hilariously chaotic session involving the Deck of Many Things—complete with birthday gifts, legendary armor, spontaneous Feywild portals, and even a Strahd ventriloquist doll that summons a sorrow sworn. From there, they dive into what exactly defines a ghost in RPGs, how it differs from related undead like poltergeists and banshees, and how various game systems handle them. The hosts break down 5e's ghost mechanics, including the often-overlooked possession rules, wisdom saves against horrifying visages, and the now-removed aging effect. They also contrast ghosts in Pathfinder 2e, touching on templates, telekinetic assaults, and rejuvenation mechanics that bring them back after destruction. Along the way, they explore how to homebrew ghost encounters, emphasizing NPC potential, unfinished business as story hooks, and the role of safety tools when handling possession and tragic backstories.

Key Takeaways

Ghosts are more than incorporeal monsters—they're great vehicles for storytelling and emotional stakes.
Possession is a powerful narrative and mechanical tool, but requires trust, consent, and player agency.
Ghost rejuvenation mechanics in PF2e make them durable story elements rather than one-and-done foes.
Using ghosts as NPCs or tragic quest-givers deepens the campaign world and encourages non-combat solutions.
Cosmic horror, ghostly bargains, and unfinished business can dramatically raise the stakes of your story.
Try dScryb for Ghostly Flavor!

Looking to bring your ghost encounters to life—or unlife? Check out dScryb.com for rich, system-neutral descriptive text and soundscapes that make every haunting feel real. Use code RPGBOT at checkout for 5% off your first subscription and unlock the narrative power of evocative boxed text. Perfect for your next possession scene or haunted house crawl!

Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.

Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.

Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.

Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.

Meet the Hosts

Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.
Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.
Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.

How to Find Us:

In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net

Tyler Kamstra

Ash Ely

Randall James

Producer Dan

@Lzr_illuminati

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(695)

PROJECT_LAMORDIA REVIEW - Frankenstein Had Better Workplace Safety Standards

What happens when you take Frankenstein, replace the lightning with artificial intelligence, and let a morally bankrupt tech CEO run the whole operation? You get Project Lamordia, where death is optio...

2 Nov 46min

2024 D&D PHB Character Creation (Remastered): What if I told you there were 3-ish types of feats?

Creating a D&D character used to be simple. Pick a race, choose a class, roll some dice, and invent a tragic backstory involving dead parents. But the 2024 Player's Handbook has other plans. Now your ...

31 Okt 1h 1min

HOW TO PLAY SHADOWDARK 1 - CONCEPTS AND THEMES: I can promise you two things, there will be shadows, it will be dark.

What happens when you take old-school D&D, remove darkvision, put your torches on a real-world timer, and make every spell a potential disaster? You get Shadowdark, a game where poor planning kills yo...

29 Okt 57min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY - AP FINALE: I just wanna see the machine do the big shiny explosions

The fate of La Gorge hangs in the balance. An army is approaching, the ancient defenses are broken, and the only thing standing between civilization and total destruction is a guy who can't roll above...

26 Okt 1h 2min

2024 D&D PHB WEAPON MASTERY BREAKDOWN (Remastered): If you attack something, you're going to do damage

For years, martial characters in D&D have had one job: hit things until they stop moving. Wizards rewrite reality, clerics summon divine power, and fighters get to swing a sword. Again. Well, the 2024...

24 Okt 1h 10min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY - ACTUAL PLAY PT2: Pay attention, kids. Sometimes weird traditions are good.

Last time, we opened a door that had been sealed for thousands of years, murdered a dinosaur, adopted its baby, and turned a crank we probably shouldn't have touched. Now the village is flooding, the ...

22 Okt 58min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY: Actual Play 1 - I don't know what horses do, but they seem shifty...

What happens when a mysterious cowboy rides out of a deadly desert, introduces himself, and immediately falls off his horse? Naturally, you trust his god, open a door that's been locked for thousands ...

19 Okt 1h 6min

HOW TO GM ROMANCE (Remastered) w/ Sebastian Yūe and Friday Strout - Building Meaningful Relationships in TTRPGs

You've slain dragons, defeated liches, and saved the kingdom. But now an NPC is flirting with you, and suddenly everyone at the table is making death saves against awkwardness. Romance in D&D can be t...

17 Okt 42min