Spectral Scion

A spectral scion looks much as it did on the day it died, only faded and see-through like a ghost. Its age, face, clothing and bearing are unchanged, as are its alignment, languages, proficiencies and memories. It walks or drifts just above the ground, and can vanish or reappear at will.

The ghost arises from blood-theft: a hero with a divine bloodline is slain with a bloodsilver weapon, letting the killer seize that bloodline's powers. Few such victims return, and the ones that do relive the loss each day, searching forever for rest. Most haunt the waking continent or the shadowy faerie realm. A scion can talk with the living but avoids it unless forced.

Whatever its alignment, a scion fixates on the thief of its heritage, meaning to drain the stolen power back out before killing. Good and neutral scions fight their own descendants or old allies only to protect themselves, unless those people were traitors.

A weapon clutched at death becomes part of the ghost and is used in battle; otherwise each of its hands deals 1d8. Every hit also temporarily saps 1d4 Constitution. At 0 Constitution the target falls unconscious for an hour, and if blooded, the scion feeds, taking 1d6 bloodline points each turn (never reducing the score below 1). After 4d6 points it is sated and leaves. Feeding leaves it exposed: even normal weapons then deal half damage to it.

The victim wakes at 1 Constitution and regains 2 points per hour. Losing at least 90% of a bloodline strips away every blood ability. Recovery is possible: a victim who personally destroys the scion inside a week regains some of the stolen strength, minus 10% for each day that has passed (four days later, 60% returns). If the ghost fed on anyone else first, that earlier loss is permanent.

Since a bloodsilver blade killed it, such weapons cannot hurt a scion, and it tries to wrench one away and destroy it. Poison, paralyzation, cold-based spells and sleep, hold or charm magic all fail against it. Holy water deals 2d4 damage to an evil scion. It is turned as a vampire.

Sorrow clings to these lonely ghosts, and many keep old routines, returning to favorite places and pastimes. Evil scions, ruled by hunger, stalk living blooded heroes to drain them. Good and neutral ones tend to visit descendants with warnings or pleas for vengeance.

Grief for a stolen birthright sustains a scion, so it often lingers in lands it once ruled. It is not bound there, and readily roams when it sees a chance to avenge itself.