The Aethervale

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npc

Ghost

Ghost
Ghost
CR 5
Medium humanoid (human), Chaotic Neutral
Reveal Stat Block
Armor Class
16 (Phase-Silk Suit)
Hit Points
78 (12d8 + 24)
Speed
30 ft., climb 30 ft.
str
10
+0
dex
18
+4
con
14
+2
int
15
+2
wis
14
+2
cha
12
+1

Saves DEX +7, CON +2, WIS +5, CHA +1

Skills PERCEPTION +5, STEALTH +10

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Common, Dwarvish

Traits

Oil-Slick Shimmer.While in dim light or darkness, attack rolls against Ghost have disadvantage as her Phase-Silk suit causes her outline to blur and warp.
Phase-Shifting (Recharge 5–6).As a bonus action, Ghost can tap into the Aether-canisters of her suit. Until the end of her turn, she becomes semi-incorporeal. During this time, she can move through other creatures and solid objects as if they were difficult terrain. If she ends her turn inside an object, she takes 5 (1d10) force damage and is immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space.

Actions

Multiattack.Ghost makes two attacks with her Phase-Blade. She can replace one of these attacks with her Pneumatic Grapple.
Phase-Blade.Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) force damage.
Pneumatic Grapple.Ghost targets a surface or a creature up to 40 feet away. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 40 feet toward Ghost. If the target is a structure or solid surface, Ghost pulls herself to the target without provoking opportunity attacks.

Ghost

"You look for the shadow to find a thief. You never think to look at the light itself, shimmering just slightly out of place."

An enigmatic figure whispering through the grand, gas-lit corridors of Kigum and the soot-choked alleys of Steamfort, the infiltrator known only as "Ghost" is a myth whispered among nobles and merchant barons alike. She is the ultimate security hazard—a phantom who leaves no footprints, triggers no arcane wards, and can bypass even the most complex clockwork vault doors.

Whether hired by the Gilded Hand to lift ancient relics from House Valerius, or contracted by rogue inventors to steal Aether-engine schematics from the Ironbeard Syndicate, Ghost operates with an elegant, clockwork precision that has made her a legend in the underworld.

Appearance

Ghost is a lithe human woman clad in a skin-tight suit of "Phase-Silk," an experimental garment that shimmers like oil on water. The miraculous fabric bends light and sound around her, allowing her to dissolve into any background at a moment's notice.

Over her suit, she wears a delicate utility harness of copper and brass, fitted with silent pneumatic pistons and miniature Aether-canisters that hiss softly whenever she activates her gear. Her face is obscured by a polished brass mask with clockwork lenses that click and rotate rhythmically, adjusting to track heat signatures, magical leylines, and mechanical pressure plates through walls.

Personality

Ghost is quiet, deliberate, and possesses a dry, mechanical wit. She views the world as a grand machine, and every lock, ward, or security detail as merely a gear that needs to be gently nudged out of alignment. She speaks in a low, rhythmic whisper that mimics the steady ticking of a watch. Though she works for gold, she harbors a deep, romantic appreciation for the artistry of both ancient elven magic and modern dwarven engineering, often leaving a single, polished copper gear behind at the scene of her most daring thefts as a calling card.

Ideals & Flaws

  • Ideal: Independence. "Every lock is a promise of freedom. No wall should ever stand between a soul and the horizon."
  • Flaw: The Thrill of the Impossible. "She is hopelessly addicted to the adrenaline of the heist. If a vault is deemed unopenable, she will risk her life to crack it, even if there is nothing of value inside."

Secrets & Lies

Secrets They Keep

  • She is actually the estranged daughter of a prominent Forge-Lord within the Ironbeard Syndicate. She stole the experimental Phase-Silk prototype during her daring escape from her family's high-security estate in Steamfort.
  • She is suffering from a mild form of "Pilot's Fatigue" caused by the Aetheric attunement of her Phase-Silk suit. If she goes too long without wearing it, her physical body begins to feel strangely untethered, as if she might fade away entirely.
  • She knows the exact vault code and location of the Syndicate's blueprints for their new "First Core" tracking array, but she refuses to steal it, knowing it would spark a devastating war between Steamfort and Kigum.

Reasons to Lie

  • To protect her identity: If her noble dwarven step-family discovers she is still alive and operating in Kigum, they will deploy the Ironclad enforcers to reclaim both her and the stolen Phase-Silk suit.
  • To manipulate clients: She often exaggerates the difficulty of a heist to demand higher fees, using the extra gold to purchase the rare, highly refined Aether-crystals needed to keep her suit's phase-generators functioning.

Combat Tactics & Abilities

In combat, Ghost avoids direct confrontations, preferring to escape into the rafters or behind steam vents. If cornered, she uses her speed, agility, and a range of technological gadgets to disorient her foes.

  • Phase-Shifting (Recharge 5–6): As a bonus action, Ghost can tap into the Aether-canisters of her suit. Until the end of her turn, she becomes semi-incorporeal. During this time, she can move through other creatures and solid objects as if they were difficult terrain.
  • Oil-Slick Shimmer: While in dim light or darkness, attack rolls against Ghost have disadvantage as her Phase-Silk suit causes her outline to blur and warp.
  • Pneumatic Grapple: Ghost carries a wrist-mounted, brass-plated grappling hook. As an action, she can target a surface or a creature up to 40 feet away, pulling herself to the target or pulling a Medium or smaller creature toward her on a failed Strength saving throw.