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A ghost takes possession of a humanoid. Humanoid possesses a Ring of Spell Storing. The ghost uses the Ring of Spell Storing that contains at least one Find Familiar spell. The ghost-humanoid combination now has a familiar (congratulations)!

Ghost leaves / ends possession / then goes to the Border Etherial, as per RAW

Who does the familiar follow? Does it stay with the physical humanoid / ring combo-duo or does it go with the ghost that first leaves the body and then goes off to another plane of existence?

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The ghost cannot cast spells stored into a ring of spell storing attuned to a creature they are possessing because that ghost is not the one attuned to the ring.

From DMG page 138 on attunement: "Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its non magical benefits, unless its description states otherwise". Since the ring of spell storing requires attunement, the ghost cannot use the ring without first attuning to it.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Can a ghost attune to the ring? Darn it... do i need a new Stack Exchange question to find out? Am i allowed to edit my question above? I really do not have deep interest in all the exciting ways to stop a ghost from casting spells. I want to know if the familiar bonds to body or souls. I suspect the latter. This is a surprisingly difficult question to ask. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 16, 2020 at 5:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ Any creature could attune to a magic item, although it's up to the DM to choose so depending on the monster's ability to effectively wear/wield the magic item in question. A ghost might not be eligible for attuning to a ring due to its incorporeal nature, but it might be able to attune while possessing a corporeal form. And even if the ghost attuned to the ring and cast the spell from it, the spell would not end because of ending attunement. See this question about familiars and attunement: rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/107328/…. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 16, 2020 at 9:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ @TimofTime this is what we call an XY Problem here. You have a question you want to ask, but you keep asking about possible solutions. If you ask what you want to know about, not possible ways to make it happen, you will probably get better results. Make a new question, say what you want the outcome to be, mention if you are the DM or not, and let answers come in that may actually solve your problem, instead of shutting down all your ideas of ways to make it happen. \$\endgroup\$
    – Tal
    Nov 16, 2020 at 13:28
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I would say that the familiar would follow whoever was attuned to the ring when the spell was cast. If the ghost took the time to attune to the ring first (and the DM decided that was possible), then the familiar would belong to the ghost, and would follow it. Not being able to go ethereal, the ghost would have to dismiss the familiar, go ethereal, and resummon it (again, subject to DM ruling on whether he can open its pocket dimension on another plane).

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