How do ectomancy spells from Ghostwalk interact with 3.5+PF material?

Question

In our 3.P game, our DM is allowing us use of WotC's Ghostwalk hardcover book (3.0) and its 3.5 Conversion Web Enhancement document. Our DM's campaign will feature a significant number of incorporeal undead creatures, Pathfinder haunts, etc. Hence his interest in opening up this potentially compatible sourcebook.

Since I'm playing a 10 level wizard PC, the spells with the [Ectomancy] descriptor interest me greatly. So I have a question for all of you:

Should I keep an eye out for [Ectomancy] spells interacting oddly with traditional 3.5 and Pathfinder rules (we use a hybrid system of both)? For example, PF's Ectoplasmic Spell metamagic feat?

Answer 1

The ectomancy descriptor has no effects of its own, but many of these spells rely on world rules specific to Ghostwalk. In particular:

1. All references to "ghost" refer to the soul of a humanoid who has died, not the undead creature of the Monster Manual.
   • The spells ghost bane weapon, charm person or ghost, detect ghost, dominate person or ghost, hold person or ghost, pleasant visage, raise ghost, and song of the calling specifically affect Ghostwalk ghosts. If your DM is not using that template, these spells are worthless.
   • If you are using Ghostwalk ghosts, any D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder spell about undead or ghosts will have no effect on these creatures, who are Outsiders. Conversely, they would be exceptionally vulnerable to the Pathfinder spell dismiss ectoplasm; D&D/PF tend to assume the player characters will not be made of ectoplasm.
2. When a humanoid is killed, their ghost appears on the Ethereal Plane. They may freely choose either to pass on, or to manifest in the Material Plane in a body made of ectoplasm.
   • The spells contingent spell lock, death lock, delay manifestation, and persuade to manifest have no effect unless your DM is using Ghostwalk free manifesting rules.
   • The spells ghost companion, ghost lock, and proper state can turn someone into a Ghostwalk ghost. This doesn't explicitly require the free manifesting rules.
3. Ectoplasm is a physical substance. It has the ghost touch property. It has numerous uses. Raw ectoplasm evaporates within ten minutes.
   • The spells anti-ectoplasmic shell, disrupt ectoplasm, ectoplasmic decay, ghost venom and repel ectoplasm affect any creature made of ectoplasm, including Pathfinder's Ectoplasmic Creature template.
   • The spells create ectoplasm, ectoplasmic web, hail of ectoplasm, preserve ectoplasm and wall of ectoplasm work perfectly well, with the additional benefit that ectoplasmic constructs affect incorporeal undead normally.
4. Ghosts in an ectoplasm body are incorporeal. However, within an area called the Manifest Ward, all incorporeal ghosts are corporeal and solid.
5. Undead can be made from ectoplasm (the Ectoplasmic Creature template from Pathfinder is one such example), but in general, undead are not made of ectoplasm otherwise specified. Zombies are meat bodies animated by negative energy, while wraiths are corrupted souls with no physical ectoplasm body.
   • The spells forced incorporeality, forced manifestation, ghost touch armor, and incorporeal disharmonics work against any incorporeal undead.
   • The spell dispel possession works against all manner of possession, charm and domination.
   • The Pathfinder feat Ectoplasmic Spell causes a spell to work against any incorporeal or ethereal creature. This naturally works against any incorporeal undead, as wall as any Ghostwalk ghost outside of the Manifest Ward.
6. Pages 40-42 of Ghostwalk describe how certain existing game rules interact with the Ghostwalk setting. This is mostly how ectoplasm interacts with spells, and how the Manifest Ward affects incorporeal undead.