In some locations, the walls between the worlds of the living and the dead are thin. For the inhabitants of these areas, it is more important than ever to perform proper burial rites, for the smallest mistake could give rise to a guiguai.
Lifelike Appearance. If a guiguai does not look a living creature in the eye, it is indistinguishable from how it appeared in life. Once the ghost’s gaze meets a living creature’s gaze, its ghostly nature becomes apparent.
Sins of Life. While most ghosts result from the improper burial of a body, guiguai arise due to funeral rites that do not properly atone for the dead individual’s unique sins in life. Restitution to the gods must be made to negate the weight of a person’s sins pulling them back to the world of the living.
Undead Nature. The guiguai doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Guiguai
Medium undead, any alignmentArmor Class 13
Hit Points 45 (10d8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 (-2) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 17 (+3) |
Skills Deception +5
Damage Resistance acid, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages any languages it knew in life
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Ethereal Sight. The guiguai can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa.
Incorporeal Movement. The guiguai 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.
Peachwood Weapons. Guiguai are particularly vulnerable to weapons made from the wood of the peach tree. When the guiguai is hit by a weapon made of peachwood, it takes damage as if the weapon was magical.
Sunlight Vulnerability. While in sunlight, the guiguai has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and it loses its resistance to nonmagical weapons.
Actions
Multiattack. The guiguai can make one withering touch attack or two necrotic bolt attacks.
Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Necrotic Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Etherealness. The guiguai 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, with the exception of peachwood weapons.
Manifestation
When creating a guiguai, you must choose how the guiguai manifests. Each guiguai manifests in a way unique to the sinful life it led before it died. A manifestation adds one or more features to the base guiguai or adjusts its current features. Each guiguai must have at least one manifestation, but it can have more. Increase the guiguai’s challenge rating by 1 for each manifestation you add to it beyond the first manifestation.
Bagui, Drought Ghost
This manifestation occurs in humanoids who lived lives filled with greed, lust, and gluttony. In death, they seek to scour that which they once consumed with their scorching wind. A bagui retains its statistics except as noted below.
New Action:
Desiccating Wind (Recharge 5-6). The bagui exhales a breath of burning wind and choking dust. Nonmagical liquids within 30 feet of the guiguai that aren’t being worn or carried immediately turn to dust. Each creature within 30 feet of the bagui that isn’t a construct or an undead must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and 11 (2d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Plants, oozes and creatures with the Amphibious, Water Breathing, or Water Form traits have disadvantage on this saving throw.
Meigui, Trickster Ghost
This manifestation occurs in humanoids who caused great disorder during their lives. In death, they exist to spread chaos. A meigui retains its statistics except as noted below.
New Action:
Cause Chaos. The meigui chooses up to three creatures it can see within 30 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or behave as if affected by the confusion spell for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the meigui’s Cause Chaos for the next 24 hours.
New Action:
Change Shape. The meigui magically polymorphs into a Tiny or Small beast commonly found on a farm that has a challenge rating no higher than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the meigui’s choice). In the new form, the guiguai loses its Incorporeal Movement and Necrotic Aura traits and its size changes to that of the new form. Its statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form, except any class features or legendary actions of that form.
Gudugui, Venomous Ghost
This manifestation occurs in humanoids who were hateful to others during their lives. In death, they are compelled to spread their hate like a poison. A gudugui retains its statistics except as noted below.
New Action: Poisonous Touch.
The gudugui replaces its Withering Touch with the following action:
Poisonous Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
New Action:
Insect Scream (Recharge 5-6). The gudugui spews insects out of its mouth in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) piercing damage and 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Xiqigui, Spelleating Ghost
This manifestation occurs in humanoids whose lives were consumed with the search for arcane power. In death, their appetite continues, compelling them to seek out and consume spell energy. A xiqigui retains its statistics except as noted below.
Resistances.
The xiqigui no longer has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical attacks. Magical weapons made of peachwood ignore these resistances.
New Trait: Spell Absorption Aura.
The xiqigui replaces its Incorporeal Movement trait with the following trait:
Spell Absorption Aura. When a spellcaster within 20 feet of the xiqigui casts a spell, or when the xiqigui is the target of a spell, the spell fails and has no effect if the spell is 3rd level or lower, and the xiqigui regains hp equal to twice the level of the spell.
Laogui, Elder Ghost
If a guiguai has 3 or more manifestations, it becomes an elder ghost. The laogui has the following action option in addition to the other statistical changes it earns from its other manifestations:
New Action:
Call Lesser Guiguai (1/Day). The laogui magically calls 1 shadow. The shadow arrives in 1d4 rounds, acts as an ally of the laogui, and obeys its verbal commands. The shadow remains for 1 hour, until the laogui dies, or until the laogui dismisses it as a bonus action.