musings of Ghost-dom..."Body-Snatcher"

[turok124]

This has probably already been done, but I haven't seen anything for it.  So until i do see it, I'm going to share what I've come up with  


So i've been working on some builds that involve the Ghost template and after checking out the "ghost guide" and and the Ghost Template Class, i've come up with a few thoughts.  I dunno if this would ever become a PC, especially since i'm seeing a lot more potential for BBEG.  I may have stretched the understanding of a few rules, so that's why I'm presenting this to see what you all think.

off the bat, my overall preference would be:  

Race:  Gray Elf

Class:  Lurk 13/Ephemeral Exemplar 3/Ghost Template Class 4

Stats at 20  (assuming starting stats of 16/14/14/12/10/8)
Str 18
Dex 26
Con -
Int 34
Wis 22
Cha 28


Ghost Abilities:  

Corrupting Touch
Malevolence


Relevant Feats (no particular order):  

Quick Manifestation
Flyby Attack
Lurk Augment, Extra
Ability Focus (Malevolence)
Ghostly Grasp

Possible Feat:
Overchannel,
Body Fuel


The idea:
Obviously the "Body Snatcher" is all about making Malevolence work.  Preferably ALL the time.  So build is all about making the Malevolence DC as high as possible as well as using the Lurk Augments: Mental Assault and Stygian Weapon to lower their will saves.

Execution:
I picture him doing this in one round starting in Ethereal form.  He uses Flyby Attack to fly towards the enemy, manifesting as a free action, attacks with corrupting touch with the lurk augments to lower the will save, then completes the flyby by entering into the enemy, activating Malevolence to take over the body.

Salt on the Wound (this is PARTICULARLY where the rules get iffy):
When he is finished with the body, he uses Body Fuel to drain the body's physical stats until one of the stat reaches 0, refilling some of his power points.


i hope the format was legible enough.

thoughts?

[Havok4]

I would recommend against lurk for the save lowering, binder is better for that and enhances the cha synergy. You can bind focalor and chupoclops to give every creature you are next to a -4 to all saves.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

If you can properly stack the type changes (I recommend a kobold with dragonwrought), winter unseelie fey is an easy way to hinder the save.

[turok124]

I would recommend against lurk for the save lowering, binder is better for that and enhances the cha synergy. You can bind focalor and chupoclops to give every creature you are next to a -4 to all saves.

my first idea was going for binder for the synergy, but it was only recently when i had access to Tome of Magic, so i didn't know it well enough to figure out that nifty gem.  I'll look into that some more

Lurk appealed to me because i thought the abilities (augment, int to initiative, decent powers and skills) meshed well will the "sneaky shifty ghost" concept.  Not to mention the psionic aspect if the "body fuel" idea is considered legal

If you can properly stack the type changes (I recommend a kobold with dragonwrought), winter unseelie fey is an easy way to hinder the save.

not a huge fan of stacking up templates for this build.  otherwise, would have done the "template class buy-off" trick instead of keeping the LA +4

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Unseelie fey is LA+0 (probably it's an editorial oversight that it has a LA).  The dragonwrought feat then changes your type back to dragon, which can then become a ghost.

[Havok4]

I do not think the body fuel trick is legal as the feat says it only works in your own body.

[jojolagger]

thoughts?

You left out malevolence best ability. It doesn't allow for SR like Magic jar does. Golem with magic immunity? go ahead, posses it.

[turok124]

I do not think the body fuel trick is legal as the feat says it only works in your own body.

hence, "iffy on the rules"

it says IN your own body...not ON your own body.  that's why one could make the argument that since you're still in your own body...just inhabiting someone else, it could still work.

but yeah, i can definitely see the other side of that as well

[Bozwevial]

...but you're not in your own body. You're a ghost, so your body is dead, and you're a spirit floating around and jumping into someone else's body.

In any case, only living creatures can use Body Fuel, so the point is moot.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

...but you're not in your own body. You're a ghost, so your body is dead, and you're a spirit floating around and jumping into someone else's body.

In any case, only living creatures can use Body Fuel, so the point is moot.

Ghosts have a body. 

It's hanging out on the ethereal plane.  Bein' corporeal.

[Bozwevial]

...but you're not in your own body. You're a ghost, so your body is dead, and you're a spirit floating around and jumping into someone else's body.

In any case, only living creatures can use Body Fuel, so the point is moot.

Ghosts have a body. 

It's hanging out on the ethereal plane.  Bein' corporeal.

Hmm. Fair enough, I suppose. I'm not going to argue with you about ghosts, after all.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Yeah.  It's both an advantage, liability, and horrible rules snarl.

For example, let's say a ghost's manifested, and a cleric buddy hits him with a plane shift to mechanus.  Then the ghost uses astral projection.

How many ghost bodies are there?  I mean, you have your original dead body and your body on the astral plane, but you also might have a body in the ethereal plane and a body in mechanus.  And many of these planes aren't synched up like the prime material and ethereal are, so if you then take your astral projection from the astral plane to the ethereal plane, do you meet yourself? 

[Havok4]

Yeah.  It's both an advantage, liability, and horrible rules snarl.

For example, let's say a ghost's manifested, and a cleric buddy hits him with a plane shift to mechanus.  Then the ghost uses astral projection.

How many ghost bodies are there?  I mean, you have your original dead body and your body on the astral plane, but you also might have a body in the ethereal plane and a body in mechanus.  And many of these planes aren't synched up like the prime material and ethereal are, so if you then take your astral projection from the astral plane to the ethereal plane, do you meet yourself? 

It would be much easier just to consider them incoporeal creatures. Why in the world did they set up the ghost like they did.