Fantasy NPC: Eternal Tenants, A Ghost of A Struggling Artist

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The Eternal Tenants, A Ghost Of A Struggling Artist

A translucent shape of pastel colors woven into an image of a young, somewhat scrawny man in worn cloths that used to be popular among artists a generation or two ago.

CR 5; 1,600 XP

CN Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 13 (+4 deflection, +4 Dex)

hp 59 (7d8+28)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +7

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee blinding touch +20 (5d6 plus blindness, Fortitude DC 17 partial)

Special Attacks conditional possession (DC 17)

Statistics
Str –, Dex 18, Con –, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 19

Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 23
Feats Ability Focus (Possession), Flyby Attack, Hover, Iron Will

Skills Fly +12, Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (local) +11, Perception +18, Profession (painter) +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +12

Language Common

Blinding Touch (Su) This attack deals 5d6 points of damage and blinds the touched target for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 17) halves the damage and renders the target dazzled for 1 round instead. Creatures blinded by this ability see the surrounding world as an incomprehensible collage of colors and shapes, as if looking at an unfinished painting. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Possession (Su) While within the boundaries of his lodging house, the Ghost Of Struggling Artist can attempt to posses a tenant or a lodger who is late with their rent as a standard action. A successful Will saving throw (DC 19) negates the attempt and makes the target immune to further attempts for the next 24 hours. The possession lasts until the next sunrise when the Ghost snaps back to his attic room, and the Ghost often uses the opportunity to leave the house and seek places to paint (and is often disrupted by sunrise when he tries to paint rising sun). The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Having a ghost in a lodging house is usually a problem. They are unruly, unresponsive to requests from the landlord and the tenants alike, they scare potential lodgers, and they don't pay for the space they haunt.

This expired lodger is all of that, and yet, his presence is not as unwelcome as it could be imagined, for his landlords found a use for him – always struggling, he died of sickness when he could not afford care and food because he paid his dues on time, and now he can possess those who are late with their rent – which is an excellent way of scaring the tenants into paying on time.

Well, aside of some enterprising art students, who deliberately get late with their rent to pass the paintings the Ghost makes in their bodies as their own at the academy...