This is part of the A-Z Blog Challenge. Herein I will be presenting a new monster that hopefully has not been seen before in any RPG game. These will be drawn from stories and mythologies found in a variety of real-world cultures.
Phi
As usual the rogue had avoided the brunt of the attacks and had patiently waited for the right moment to strike. The moment came a bit later than the wizard would have liked. The wizard had exhausted most of his spells and the fighter had taken a serious beating at the hands of the possessed man. The man had fought with abandon, not paying attention to the wounds they were inflicting on him. However, when the moment did arrive the rogue took it quickly. He drove both his daggers into the spine of the man, severing it in a second. The man twitched once then fell.
The priest began to enact the ritual that would permanently banish the ghost. But it was the wrong ritual for the wrong ghost. The wizard realized this when the rogue went stiff. The rogue then drove his dagger into the priest and turned to the wizard. Their information had been incomplete and they were about to pay the price of that mistake, a heavy price.
Phi is the Thai word for ghost. There are a multitude of them and they come in many variations. The majority of these ghosts inhabit specific places, but a few, such as the Phi Pop, inhabit people instead. Each of these is unique, with different powers for each and often different ways of dealing with them. Within Thailand there is an entire class of people whose job it is to expel these ghosts from their haunts. They are known as the Mho Phi, or ghost doctor.
Phi Graseu
Similar to the familiar Vargouille, this ghost’s form is that of a floating female head with the intestines hanging there from. It is always on the prowl for dead bodies and usually haunts cemeteries, though living bodies will do as well.
Abilities-Entangle, Flight.
Phi Hua-Kad
This is the ghost of someone who has been beheaded. This could have been intentional, such as during wartime or an execution, or as the result of an accident. These ghosts seek to inflict the same death on others.
Abilities-Damage to prone (neck exposed) targets, Thrown head.
Phi Pop
This ghost does not haunt places, but rather people. It takes possession of a body and then begins to eat it from the inside out. After it is done consuming the body it then moves onto another one. Thus it is very hard to get rid of and requires a special ritual to force it from the land of the living.
Abilities-Possession, Ongoing damage.
Phi Pret
This ghost is insatiably hungry. This hunger is manifested in a variety of avenues, not just food. It also desires copious amounts of money, power or sex. However, it is never satisfied and continually pursues its goal to the detriment of those around it. This ghost is easily recognized by its incredibly small mouth; it is the size of an eye of a needle. This may have something to do with its evil temperament.
Abilities-Increased damage if it hits the same target.
Phi Tai Hong
These ghosts died due to an accident of some sort, something not of their own fault and something sudden, such as being murdered or dying in a traffic accident. They remain as ghosts with the overriding desire to inflict the same pain on the living.
Abilities-Speed, Swift change of target.
Phi Tai Tong Glom
This is the ghost is a fusion of a woman who died giving birth and her baby who died as well. Sometimes it is also the ghost of a pregnant woman who has died. It is said this ghost is twice as powerful due to it consisting of two spirits.
Abilities-Double attacks.
Phi Ton Mai
These ghosts haunt trees. These ghosts are rather benign largely avoiding people. However, if their tree is ever in danger, such as nearby logging, the ghost will fight to protect itself. Some communities have taken to wrapping the tree of a Phi Ton Mai with cloth to mark it as the home of a ghost. Here you can see the Thai word for ghost and often these clothes had the symbol placed on them for further guidance.
Abilities-Entangle with roots, Multiple limb attacks.
Adventures
-A Phi Pop has been terrorizing the area, feeding on a new victim every two or three days. Nine people have been lost so far. The priest of the area claims there is a ritual that will banish the ghost but he does not know it. However, he does know there is a copy of the ritual in the ruins of an old temple. Of course, this ruin is inhabited by monsters and traps against the unfaithful.
-Rumors are spreading that a Phi Tai Hong is attacking a village. Apparently, a woman and her child were killed within the village a few months ago as they were suddenly run down by stampeding horses. However, all attempts to put the ghost to rest have failed thus far. Some suspect it may really be a Phi Tai Tong Glom and thus requires a different ritual to lay it to rest. In reality, it is the husband of the woman who is enacting revenge against the village that allowed this to happen to his family.
-A necromancer has made a deal with a Phi Graseu. The ghost keeps people clear of the cemetery and the necromancer promises to keep the ghost fed with fresh bodies. The necromancer is using this unrestricted access to the dead in the cemetery to build himself a small undead army. The party is tasked with removing the Phi Graseu, but will find a much larger problem on their hands.
