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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardPhantom Beast

The River of Souls, alongside the souls of dead sapient humanoids, also carries the spirits of monsters, animals, and other creatures. Likewise, it draws souls from across reality, and thus human and elf souls mingle with those of far stranger creatures from untold worlds. Like any others, these far-flung spirits of strange creatures sometimes wash up on the shores of the Ethereal Plane, becoming phantoms far removed from the humanoid forms typically associated with ghosts and other undead.

The phantom below is one such entity: a strange beast from a distant world, echoing their behaviors from life as they search for their postmortem fate. Their unfamiliar appearance might lead observers to assume they're a monstrous being and attack, finding the phantom beast entirely willing to fight back. More compassionate adventurers might instead seek to help the phantom find their way back to the River of Souls to complete their spiritual journey.

Recall Knowledge - Ethereal (Occultism): DC 26
Unspecific Lore: DC 24
Specific Lore: DC 21

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Phantom BeastCreature 8

Uncommon Medium Ethereal Incorporeal Phantom Spirit 
Source Monster Core pg. 263
Perception +18; darkvision
Languages telepathy 100 feet
Skills Diplomacy +16, Intimidation +18, Occultism +14, Thievery +18
Str -5, Dex +6, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +6
Walk the Ethereal Line [two-actions] The phantom walks the thin line between the Ethereal Plane and the Universe in order to exist on both planes simultaneously. They can shift back to solely the Ethereal Plane by using this ability again.
AC 26; Fort +13, Ref +18, Will +16; –1 status penalty to all saves vs. death effects
HP 120; Immunities bleed, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision; Resistances all damage 8 (except force, ghost touch, or spirit; double resistance vs. non-magical)
Susceptible to Death Though phantoms aren't alive, neither are they undead, and they are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of death. A phantom whose Hit Points are reduced to 0 as a result of a death effect (such as from a spell like execute) is immediately whisked away to the River of Souls, where their soul resumes the usual path to the afterlife.
Speed fly 35 feet
Melee [one-action] phantom horn +18 [+14/+10] (agile, finesse, magical), Damage 2d8+8 piercingOccult Innate Spells DC 28, attack +20; 4th phantom pain, sleep, spiritual armament; Cantrips (4th) daze, telekinetic projectile
Grab Item [one-action] The phantom beast attempts to Steal one item of up to 1 Bulk from a creature, even if the creature is in combat, though the object still must not be one that is actively in use. If they succeed, they carry the object along with them telekinetically.Phantom Touch (spirit) Each time they make a Strike, a phantom can choose to deal spirit damage instead of the normal physical damage type.

All Monsters in "Phantom"

NameLevel
Phantom Beast8
Phantom Knight4

Phantom

Source Monster Core pg. 262
The typical trajectory for souls passing to the afterlife is fairly straightforward, according to most theologians. When a mortal dies, their soul enters the River of Souls and eventually reaches the Boneyard, where it is judged by Pharasma. The judged soul moves onto its appropriate domain of final rest— Heaven, Hell, Abaddon, and so forth—where it becomes a shade.

Complications arise, however, when a soul in queue for judgment prematurely departs from the River of Souls and is shunted into the Ethereal Plane. Whether as a result of nefarious interlopers like daemons or hags, malignant planar magic, or even fate, these souls become dislodged from the natural order of life and death and linger in a sort of purgatory. Unlike petitioners, these ethereal phantoms retain memories of their life before death, and unlike spirits such as ghosts, phantoms aren't tinged with the foul influences of undeath—at least, not at first, though the threat of corruption hangs heavy over a phantom's existence. Some eventually succumb to that fate, while others eventually rejoin the River of Souls. Until then, these wandering souls are a kind unto themselves—one without a true home, agenda, or purpose.

Many phantoms have no desire to remain in their strange state of purgatory, either because they seek to continue their journey through the River of Souls or because they fear the corruption of undeath. In order to complete the natural spiritual cycle and become judged so they can continue to the afterlife, a phantom must find a way back into the River of Souls. Such a quest is no easy feat, however—the hazy mists of the Ethereal Plane can befuddle even the most experienced traveler, and numerous predators prowl the realm in search of stray souls to bind or devour.

Creating Phantoms

Phantom creatures have statistics similar to those they held as physical beings. You can turn an existing living creature into a phantom by trading their usual traits for the ethereal, incorporeal, and spirit traits. Their Strikes gain the magical trait (and the finesse trait, for melee Strikes) and the phantom gets the phantom touch ability. Phantoms gain immunity to bleed, disease, paralyzed, poison, and precision damage and resistance to all damage (except force, ghost touch, or spirit; double resistance vs. non-magical) from being incorporeal. Many phantoms gain occult innate spells or special powers related to the Ethereal Plane, such as those described in the stat blocks on these pages. If you give a phantom more than one new ability, consider increasing their level and adjusting their statistics to match.