D&D 5E How would you go about creating a ghost familiar?

[Hawk Diesel]

So I've been toying with the idea of creating a necromancer character. It's a twisted character that has a ghost familiar (specifically the ghost of a stillborn human fetus) named Echo. I have a couple of ideas regarding how this might be implemented, but I thought I'd crowd source some help with this. One way I thought could work would be to just use the stats of a raven (giving it a flying ability) and ignoring that ghosts are normally incorporeal (as I can see how that might be abused). But that also cuts down a bit on the fun. Are there other ways that this might be attempted that wouldn't be broken and a DM might see fit to allow a player to try?

 

[WarpedAcorn]

If it were my game, I'd remove all the combat effects from the Ghost including Frightful Presence and Possession. I would keep the incorporeal though, even though it might be abused by constantly phasing through walls and looking around. I would probably counteract that by saying that the Ghost isn't invisible, so if anyone saw it they would freak out and become alarmed (thus preventing sneaky approaches).

Basically, I would try to make the Ghost as much of an RP-only familiar as possible. And that includes the negative effects of walking around with a floating human fetus ghost.

 

[jaelis]

Is this supposed to be a special familiar like an imp or a quasit, or a standard familiar like a cat or an owl?

 

[Hawk Diesel]

Basically, I would try to make the Ghost as much of an RP-only familiar as possible. And that includes the negative effects of walking around with a floating human fetus ghost.

Yea, that's the main purpose of the familiar, to just add to the creep factor.

Is this supposed to be a special familiar like an imp or a quasit, or a standard familiar like a cat or an owl?

Well, it wouldn't be a Pact of the Chain Warlock, as they don't really have abilities to raise dead or be effective necromancers. Though I suppose there could be a multiclass Chainlock/Necromancer, but I'm looking primarily at normal type familiars or balanced homebrew stuff that might allow for what I'm looking to accomplish. At the moment this is all a thought experiment until I can find a game that such a character might fit in.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

A ghost would be too powerful for a chainlock familiar anyway (spectre is more reasonable). I like WarpedAcorn's idea.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

A ghost would be too powerful for a chainlock familiar anyway (spectre is more reasonable). I like WarpedAcorn's idea.

Actually, a spectre is pretty comparable to an imp or quasit if I were to go Chainlock/Necro. But that also requires a minimum of 3 levels of Chainlock, meaning I'd miss out on 9th level spells and Spell Mastery, which is quite a steep price to pay.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Actually, a spectre is pretty comparable to an imp or quasit if I were to go Chainlock/Necro. But that also requires a minimum of 3 levels of Chainlock, meaning I'd miss out on 9th level spells and Spell Mastery, which is quite a steep price to pay.

I would let a chainlock player get a spectre as a familiar. You could homebrew a new patron for a warlock that makes him/her more necromancer-y, but that would defeat the point of playing a necromancer. The only thing that really sells the homebrew to me is that the necromancer isn't particularly good with incorporeal undead, and some cleric spells could easily be reinterpreted that way (and added as the pact spells to a homebrew warlock).

 

[mellored]

Fly 30', blind, deaf, blindsight 10' (fetuses can't see well), incorporeal movement.

Immune to non-magical weapons.
No language.

Stats:


Action
Cry of the unborn:
Each creature within 5' must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 thunder damage.

 

[Lanliss]

I would let a chainlock player get a spectre as a familiar. You could homebrew a new patron for a warlock that makes him/her more necromancer-y, but that would defeat the point of playing a necromancer. The only thing that really sells the homebrew to me is that the necromancer isn't particularly good with incorporeal undead, and some cleric spells could easily be reinterpreted that way (and added as the pact spells to a homebrew warlock).

There is a Necromantic patron in the SCAG, called the Undying. Should work great for this.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

There is a Necromantic patron in the SCAG, called the Undying. Should work great for this.

Actually, I really hate that patron. Compared to the other warlocks, the Undying is rather lame IMO.

But I did realize that the Wizard Archetypes and Warlock Patrons get their abilities at the same level (minus the first one). So I was realizing it really wouldn't be that hard to make a Necromancer Warlock Patron (Maybe something like the Lich King).

I would keep Dark One's Blessing from the Infernal Patron and reflavor it as Swallow Their Souls or something like that. Then I'd reword the Undead Thrall ability as follows:

At 6th level, you can cast the animate dead spell using a warlock spell slot. Once you have done so, you must complete a long rest before doing so again.

Whenever you create an undead creature, it has additional benefits:
• The creature’s hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your warlock level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.

I'd keep Inured to Death and Command Undead the same. I'd give them the following expanded spell list:

Lich King Expanded Spells
Spell Level - Spells

1st - Inflict Wounds, Ray of Sickness
2nd - Darkness, Silence
3rd - Vampiric Touch, Fear
4th - Blight, Death Ward
5th - Antilife Shell, Contagion

Finally, I'd give them the ability to choose the following spells in addition to the normal Warlock list through Mystic Arcanum: Create Undead, Finger of Death, Harm, Circle of Death, Magic Jar, and Clone.