--Gloria Anzaldúa
Ghosts, of course, are the pseudo-living (though some ectologists might use the term post-vital or even theorize that wraithly existence constitutes simply an oft-unrecognized additional stage of life) recurrence of a dead being. Well, objects can sometimes form ghosts, as well, such as the ghost ship phenomenon or the superhero Excelsior, the ghost of a sentient car from the future.
In almost every recorded instance, something or things have kept the ghost from dissipating or continuing on to some form of afterlife. Ectological databases list almost every imaginable thing as anchors for the dead; they might be tied to a particular object, person, time, or location, or there might be unfinished business or a promise they feel an undying need to fulfill, or even a particular unusual action to which they are metaphysically bound. Extreme mental states are also quite common in reports of interactions with ghosts. Many find their emotions continuously routed through depression or wrath as if by some psychic riptide, and memories might be tattered, with grand gaps, or restrictively short and cyclical. Some ghosts have been known to interpret whatever is occurring to them through the lens of their death or some memory related to their anchor(s). Simple confusion is rarer than one might imagine, but shows up enough to be a well-known possible symptom of PMPCS (post-mortem persistent communication syndrome).
As a result of the pioneering work done by the androgynous supergenius Professor d'Eon, ectomedical specialties have exploded in number and funding, though not always to positive effect. Ectodopamine was first discovered, and then extracted, in 1992. It has since become the foundation of numerous highly addictive, highly dangerous psychoactive substances ~ superdrugs ~ that often give their users temporary spectral superpowers. The first of these, known as smokes, was created in 2015, only to be followed by a veritable cornucopia such as bean seed, ralph, and a derivative of MDMA (ecstasy) called 2,3-methylene-ectodioxy-indolyl-aminomanteion (or MEDIAM).
"Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? I am sure that an unhappy or suspicious stomach, constricted and uneasy with worry, cannot digest properly. And if digestion is poor, the whole body politic suffers."--Julia Child
The reasons, mechanisms, and dynamics of the transition into an ectothanatopic state are wildly diverse, and result in a chaotic variety of expressions that are difficult to classify. The included template covers only the base commonalities of (most) ghosts ~ feel free to modify it to fit a specific ghost. This includes adding individual powers, such as telekinetic poltergeisting, skin-riding (which has been noted to correlate with an increase in the ghost's intelligence, though ectologists remain baffled as to why), illusory apparitions, flight, life-draining, and more. Relatively often, ghosts will have additional or greater powers when it comes to affecting their anchors. For the most part, this would be a -2 points per rank flaw, though a larger or broader anchor such as a widespread family line would be only worth -1 point per rank.
Furthermore, there are certain complex expressions that recur in greater numbers (usually with a similar cause or in a particular geographical or cultural context or with some other common origin), forming what are called ectotypic families, such as the bean sidhe/banshee, भूत, 幽霊, las lloronas, 餓鬼, cihuateteo, and others. Some ectotypic families, such as the imperial cult of ancient Rome, the ninunò, the 𓅜𓐍𓏲𓏛𓏥, or the lwa for example, have been known to partake in one or more colors of the infinite colors refracted from the Worldlight by the Green Glass Gods at the boundary of the atmosphere ~ that is to say, they partake of the rainbow of divinity.
"The earth, it has been said, is one vast graveyard, and man can nowhere put down his foot without stepping on the remains of a brother."--M. Schele de Vere
Ghost
PC PL 5 / NPC PL 0 / MR 5 / SK 13
STA — PRE +1
Powers
Anchored: Feature 1 (always know where your anchors are) • 1 point
Creep: Concealment 2 (normal sight); innate Enhanced Stealth +6 • 8 points
Dead: Immunity 38 (aging, critical hits, Fortitude effects, Sensory Affliction effects); innate permanent Insubstantial 4 (what affects the ghost differs among individuals) • 59 points
Memento Mori: Innate Enhanced Intimidation +4 • 3 points
Advantages
Fearless
Attributes -8 + Powers 71 + Advantages 1 + Skills 0 + Defenses 0 = 64 points
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