The spectres (Session 23)

Stub-class article · First seen: s23 · Last seen: s24
The spectres (Session 23)
Portrait of The spectres (Session 23).
Character
StatusDead
First seens23
Last seens24

The spectres are two ghostly creatures that came out of the walls of the ridge temple at Father Thomas in session 23, just after a voice in the stonework told its “darlings” to deal with the party [1][13][3]. Their touch does necrotic damage and takes off maximum hit points, 8 from Father Thomas and, in session 24, 6 from Kole, and force hurts them more than thunder [27][21][20]. Father Thomas’s staff, still under Shillelagh, destroyed both in session 24, and each vanished into smoke [17][18]. The DM’s words are “specter” and “ghosts”; “the spectres” is this wiki’s title [13][9].

Overview

The spectres are two ghostly creatures that came through the walls of the ridge temple in the second fight of session 23, soon after the voice in the stonework ordered its “darlings” to deal with the visitors [1][13][3]. The DM’s words for them are “specter”, “Spectre” and “ghosts”; “the spectres” is this wiki’s title [13][14][9]. The players also say “wraith” [15], a description that has nothing to do with The Wraith.

The DM gave no number in session 23. In session 24 he put Father Thomas “stuck in a room with two ghosts”, and Father Thomas destroyed both [16][17][18].

Appearance and demeanour

Their look is not described in words; a picture was shared with the table in session 23 [19]. In session 24 the weaker of the two was “in and out of um existence” [16]. They come out of a wall and fly through it again, and the first to die was seen to “evaporate into a cloud of smoke” [13][14][17].

Abilities as played

  • Through walls. One came out of a wall at Father Thomas, a second followed, and one later flew past him through the wall to reach Kole [13][3][14].
  • A touch that drains. The attack is a hand run through the body. It cost Father Thomas 8 necrotic damage and 8 off his maximum hit points in session 23, and Kole 6 necrotic and 6 off his maximum in session 24: “You feel its hands run through your innards.” The DM agreed that the session 23 loss returns on a long rest; Kole’s was not asked about [4][5][20].
  • Hurt by force. Force damage from Father Thomas was “relatively effective” and the thunder that came with it “a little less effective”; Kole’s Eldritch Blast “removed a good chunk of its essence” [6][21]. Father Thomas’s Shillelagh blows destroyed both in session 24 [17][18].

Relationships

  • The voice: they came just after it said “Deal with them, my darlings.”; the DM confirmed only that “darlings” is plural and does not say these are the darlings [1][22].
  • The greatsword skeletons (Session 23): they fought in the same melee as the second and third skeletons [23][24][9].
  • The faces in the mist: the mist hall showed “three faces” in session 23, and its faces struck for psychic damage in session 24, after both spectres were destroyed; the DM links neither to the spectres [25][17][18][26].
  • Father Thomas: their first target and the killer of both [13][27][17][18].
  • Kole: shot the one behind Father Thomas in session 23 and was touched by the other in session 24 [28][29][20].

Disposition towards the party

Hostile. They do not speak. One decided that Father Thomas was stalling for time and flew through the wall to Kole instead [14].

Notable quotes

“next on initiative is this specter that comes out through the wall” — Nick (DM), [13]

“You take 8 necrotic damage and your max HP is reduced by 8.” — Nick (DM), [27]

“You hear from within the cells that Father Thomas is being molested by ghosts” — Nick (DM), [9]

“you see this specter just kind of evaporate into a cloud of smoke.” — Nick (DM), [17]

“You feel its hands run through your innards.” — Nick (DM), [20]

History in the campaign

Session 23: The Changeling in Manacles

Main article: Session 23

After Father Thomas struck the sealed door, a voice ordered its “darlings” to deal with the visitors, and he ran through a door and shut it behind him [30][1][31]. Two spectres came through the wall after him. One touch cost him 8 necrotic damage and 8 off his maximum hit points, which the DM said a long rest restores [13][3][5]. Kole opened the door and shot the one behind him, and Father Thomas’s force damage was “relatively effective” [28][21]. One flew through the wall after Kole as the session paused, both still up [14][8].

Session 24: The Knight of Smoke

Main article: Session 24

Play resumed with one spectre on Kole and the other with Father Thomas in “the cells” [9][16]. Father Thomas’s quarterstaff, still under Shillelagh, hit the first, which was seen to “evaporate into a cloud of smoke” [17]. The second ran its hands through Kole’s innards for six necrotic damage and six off his maximum hit points, until the same staff made it “vanish into smoke” [20][18]. Both spectres were destroyed by Father Thomas.

Status

As of session 24. Both are destroyed, each by Father Thomas’s staff [17][18]. Not stated: what they were, whether they were the voice’s “darlings”, where they came from, whether the room the DM calls “the cells”, where Father Thomas had shut himself in, is the cell block of session 21, and whether Kole’s 6 lost hit points return on a long rest [1][32][9].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 23, line 1748: The voice through the stonework: "Deal with them, my darlings.".
  2. ^ Session 23, line 1758-1761: Father Thomas runs through a door and shuts it; "this specter that comes out through the wall".
  3. ^ Session 23, line 1766: A second: "the specter that's going to come through the the wall".
  4. ^ Session 23, line 1835: The attack is a touch: "it's going to run its hand through your back".
  5. ^ Session 23, line 1855-1857: "You take 8 necrotic damage and your max HP is reduced by 8."; a long rest fixes it: "yes".
  6. ^ Session 23, line 1869: Kole's Eldritch Blast: "You've removed a good chunk of its essence.".
  7. ^ Session 23, line 1890-1894: One flies through the wall after Kole; force "relatively effective", thunder "a little less effective".
  8. ^ Session 23, line 1902: The session pauses mid-initiative with both up.
  9. ^ Session 24, line 77: Play resumes: "Father Thomas is being molested by ghosts"; one has flown out of the wall at Kole.
  10. ^ Session 24, line 153-157: Father Thomas is "stuck in a room with two ghosts"; his staff destroys the first, which seems to "evaporate into a cloud of smoke".
  11. ^ Session 24, line 230-233: The second touches Kole: six necrotic damage and six off his maximum hit points.
  12. ^ Session 24, line 289-290: Father Thomas's staff destroys the second: "you make it vanish into smoke".
  13. ^ Session 23, line 1761: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 23, line 1890: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 24, line 259: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 24, line 153: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 24, line 157: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 24, line 290: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 23, line 1828: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 24, line 233: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 23, line 1894: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 23, line 1757: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 23, line 1761-1766: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 23, line 1871: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 23, line 1590: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 24, line 473-479: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 23, line 1855: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 23, line 1868-1869: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 23, line 1897: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 23, line 1690: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 23, line 1758-1760: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 23, line 1758: Inline citation.
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