Ouroboros Bracelet

Requires Attunement
The bracelet has 1 charge, which recharges every dawn. As an action, its wearer can use a charge to magically grant itself the ghostly condition for 1 minute. While ghostly, the wearer has advantage on all Willpower checks it might make to overcome physical limitations. The wearer can end the condition on itself at will. See A Grave Realization (page 3) for full details on the Ghostly Condition and Willpower mechanics.

New Condition: Ghostly

The longer a creature remains in the ghostly condition, the more memories and Willpower they risk losing. After several months, only an echo of themselves remain.

A creature with the ghostly condition has weakened ties to the physical world and the world reacts to them about half as much as normal. Their shadows fade, footprints grow faint, water barely splashes, sand slips through fingers. Things feel dreamlike and distant to a ghostly creature, as senses of taste, smell, and touch are diminished. Everyday objects such as door handles grow slippery and difficult to grasp or manipulate. To interact more fully with the world, a ghostly creature must succeed on a Willpower check (page 4).

Laws of physics don’t fully constrain ghostly creatures. In fact, the degree to which the physical world affects them reflects how the creatures believe it should. As an example, gravity tethers them, because they expect it to.  Overcoming one’s preconceptions is not easy, and also requires a successful Willpower check.

A ghostly creature feels expected sensations, without any lasting effect. For example, touching fire hurts, but leaves no burns, nor does it inflict damage. Drowning feels real, but causes no harm, and the creature remains dry.

A ghostly creature does not need to eat, drink, or sleep.

All clothing worn and gear carried by the creature when it becomes ghostly also gains the ghostly condition.

Creatures and objects with the ghostly condition interact with each other normally.

Interactions between ghostly and non-ghostly creatures are half as effective: ghostly and non-ghostly creatures have resistance against each others’ attacks, traps and spells. 

Spells and other magical effects which affect the environment must be paired with a successful Willpower check, or are half as effective. For instance, with shape water, only half the water moves, or the spell lasts half as long. 

Memories and details of one’s life grow fuzzy and unclear, spanning from forgetting your own name and loved ones’ faces to losing track of what you were doing moments ago.

New Stat: Willpower

Additionally, each player gains a new stat: Willpower. This stat is determined by adding together all 6 main stats (16 Strength + 14 Dexterity + etc.), then dividing the sum by 6. The result is a character’s Willpower. Use the standard Ability Scores and Modifiers table to determine every player’s Willpower modifier, then add their proficiency bonus to the modifier.

The GM decides how much of Willpower’s mechanics and abilities to reveal, but should at least read the following aloud.

When a creature’s link to the physical world is altered, its Willpower alone preserves its mind, memories, and ability to affect the material realm. This is often called a spirit’s “unfinished business,” as strong Willpower can both anchor or unmoor a ghostly creature to or from the physical world.

A creature with the ghostly condition is not truly dead. However, it can temporarily overcome the limitations of being ghostly by succeeding on a Willpower check. The GM sets the DC based on the task. Examples include:

  • DC 8-10, Easy: Opening a book or door, digging the sand, smelling the sea air, remembering what you ate yesterday.
  • DC 11-15, Moderate: Walking through a wall, hovering or levitating several feet above the ground, using magic to fully set a normal bush on fire, recalling events from a month ago.
  • DC 16-20, Difficult: Reaching into a safe to unlock it from the other side, hiding inside a solid wall, flying (uses your movement speed), recalling events from over 6 months ago.

It is impossible to reach into or through a non-ghostly creature.

When performing a prolonged task (such as flying), a ghostly creature must make a Willpower saving throw if it takes damage. The DC is 10 or half the damage taken (whichever is higher). On a failure, the effect ends immediately; disastrous if a flying creature suddenly becomes a falling creature. If the creature is partially or fully inside a solid object when this happens, it is expelled the way it entered, takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and falls prone.

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