- Armor Class
- 11
- Hit Points
- 45 (10d8)
- Speed
- 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
- Challenge
- 4 (1,100 XP)
- Proficiency bonus
- +2
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 7 (-2) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 17 (+3) |
- Damage resistances
- acid, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage immunities
- cold, necrotic, poison
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages
- any languages it knew in life
Traits
Ethereal Sight. The ghost can see 60 ft. into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa.
Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Actions
Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Etherealness. The ghost enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane.
Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 ft. of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 × 10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this ghost's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring.
Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the ghost can see within 5 ft. of it must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the ghost; the ghost then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The ghost now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The ghost can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.
The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the ghost ends it as a bonus action, or the ghost is turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the ghost reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of the body. The target is immune to this ghost's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
How ghosts fight
A ghost is a CR 4 undead spirit with 45 hit points, AC 11 and a flying speed of 40 feet. It passes through walls and creatures, resists most elemental damage and nonmagical weapons, and is immune to cold, necrotic and poison damage. Its Withering Touch deals 4d6 + 3 necrotic, but its real weapons are fear and possession.
Horrifying Visage frightens every non-undead creature within 60 feet that can see it (DC 13 Wisdom save), and anyone who fails by 5 or more also ages 1d4 × 10 years. Possession (recharge 6) takes over a humanoid within 5 feet that fails a DC 13 Charisma save: the ghost vanishes into the body and uses it as its own, and can’t be targeted by anything except effects that turn undead or drive it out. And with Etherealness it can step into the Ethereal Plane, where the party can’t reach it at all.
Common questions
How do you get a ghost out of a possessed character?
Reduce the body to 0 hit points, turn the ghost with a cleric’s Turn Undead, or force it out with Dispel Evil and Good. Protection from Evil and Good prevents possession in the first place, and a creature that’s been possessed is immune to that ghost’s Possession for 24 hours afterwards.
Can the ghost’s aging be reversed?
Yes, with Greater Restoration, but only within 24 hours of the aging. After that it’s permanent.
Can you hit a ghost with a normal weapon?
Yes, for half damage: it resists bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons. Magic weapons and radiant or force damage work fully.
How do you permanently destroy a ghost?
The stat block doesn’t cover it: reduce it to 0 hit points and it’s destroyed. The Monster Manual’s lore says a ghost only finds rest once its unfinished business is resolved, so many DMs have it return until then and make laying it to rest part of the adventure.
How hard is a ghost fight?
A ghost is CR 4, worth 1,100 XP. For four characters, that’s Deadly at 2nd level, Hard at 3rd, Medium at 4th and Easy at 5th by the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math.
A ghost is worth 1,100 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many ghosts fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
Against the 14 other challenge 4 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the ghost has more hit points than 0 of them, which makes it one of the frailest at its CR. See every CR 4 monster.
Ghost 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the ghost, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
- Speed: 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) → 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover).
- New in its stat block: Multiattack and Horrific Visage.
- Gone from it: Horrifying Visage.
- Armor Class
- 11
- Hit Points
- 45 (10d8)
- Speed
- 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
- Challenge
- 4 (1,100 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 7 (-2) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 17 (+3) |
- Damage resistances
- acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, slashing, thunder
- Damage immunities
- necrotic, poison
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages
- Common plus one other language
Traits
Ethereal Sight. The ghost can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane.
Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through other creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) Force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Actions
Multiattack. The ghost makes two Withering Touch attacks.
Withering Touch. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 19 (3d10 + 3) Necrotic damage.
Etherealness. The ghost casts the Etherealness spell, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability. The ghost is visible on the Material Plane while on the Border Ethereal and vice versa, but it can’t affect or be affected by anything on the other plane.
Horrific Visage. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 13, each creature in a 60-foot Cone that can see the ghost and isn’t an Undead. Failure: 10 (2d6 + 3) Psychic damage, and the target has the Frightened condition until the start of the ghost’s next turn. Success: The target is immune to this ghost’s Horrific Visage for 24 hours.
Possession (Recharge 6). Charisma Saving Throw: DC 13, one Humanoid the ghost can see within 5 feet. Failure: The target is possessed by the ghost; the ghost disappears, and the target has the Incapacitated condition and loses control of its body. The ghost now controls the body, but the target retains awareness. The ghost can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that specifically target Undead. The ghost’s game statistics are the same, except it uses the possessed target’s Speed, as well as the target’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution modifiers. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 Hit Points or the ghost leaves as a Bonus Action. When the possession ends, the ghost appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target, and the target is immune to this ghost’s Possession for 24 hours. Success: The target is immune to this ghost’s Possession for 24 hours.
