So I was trying to come up with ways to make the world feel a little b it more scary for one of my PC's who is a homebrew ghost race. In doing so I got kind of carried away last night and created my own spirit busting team that has set up base in Vallaki. I typed it all out in a word document and tried my best to format it for reddit. Give it a read if you like and let me know if you like it or if anything seems broken or any suggestions. I'll probably be running them this sessions so I'll let you know how it pans out.

Origins: 20 years before our story takes place (the campaign I'm running), a team of adventurers found themselves trapped in Barovia. These heroes included warforged artificer E-G0N, Vedalken Wizard Wave Sitz, Tiefling Bard Petra Venkonovich, and human Ernie Hudson. At this time, the land was dealing with an infestation of ghosts, specters, and wraiths. By the time the group had arrived in Vallaki, the Burgomaster Baron Vargas Vallakovich, had just assumed leadership after the untimely death of his father Vargon. Eager to put his citizens minds at ease, and assure them, “All will be well,” he hired the adventurers to deal with the ghost problem inside the walls of Vallaki. The team set up a base of operations inside one of the towns abandoned shops and began to work on a solution to the ghost infestation.

Tools of the Trade: E-G0N and Wave were able to enchant weapons with a modified version of the spell lightning lure. These weapons, when used on ghosts, specters, or wraiths, were able to freeze these undead in place, even in the ethereal plane. Coupled with a small box with wheels enchanted with the imprisonment spell (minimus containment), ghosts were able to be trapped away in a tiny gemstone placed in these small boxes. E-G0N also developed a pair of goggles of see invisibility. These allowed team members to see into the ethereal plane to track spirits as they tried to flee. Finally, the crowning jewel of their artificing was the SCU, the Spirit Containment Unit. This massive construction takes up about a quarter of the space within the shop. On the outside is a receptacle in which the team places the gems containing spirits. Once inside the SCU the gems are broken and removed from the SCU to be recycled for further use. The spirits however are trapped in a special spectral prison. Wave describes this place as, “a demiplane within a demiplane.” Escape from this plane is next to impossible but has happened in the past with one or two exceptionally strong spirits.

Game Mechanics:
• Sword of Spirit Snaring: Statblock of standard 1 shortsword with the following additions.

o Does an additional 1d8 lightning damage on a standard attack.

o As an action can point the sword at a target within 15 feet. The target must be either a ghost, specter, or wraith. The user must make an attack roll with the weapon.

 Spirits in the ethereal plane can still be targeted with this attack.

 Upon a hit, the spirit is grappled and takes 1d8 lightning damage and exits the ethereal plane.

 The spirit may attempt to escape on their turn with a contested strength/dex check.

 If two or more swords of snaring are used on the spirit, the spirit has disadvantage on the check.

 If the spirit is grappled, the user of the sword can spend an action to do an additional 1d8 lightning damage on their turn.

 As an action the user can attempt another strength contest to move the spirit 5 feet in any direction. They do so with advantage if another sword has the spirit ensnared.

• Box of Spirit Entrapment: A small lead box with a lid and wheels. Inside is a small gemstone.

o As an action the box can be rolled up to a distance of 30 feet.

o The user must make a DC 12 strength check to make sure the box lands directly under the target.

 On a success, the box lands right under the target.

 On a roll of 8 to 11 the box lands 5 feet away.

 On a roll of 4 to 7 the box lands 10 feet away

 On a roll of 2 to 3 the lands 15 feet away.

 On a nat 1 the box falls at the users feet upside down and must be used again on the next turn.

o As an action the box can be activated to begin absorbing the spirit into the gemstone.

 The spirit must make a dex or strength save to resist the trap. On a success they break free from the trap and all swords of snaring. On a failure they are trapped in the gemstone and the box closes.

 The DC changes based on the spirit HP.

• From half to full health the DC is 12

• From less than half to 1 HP the DC is 15

• At 0HP the trap works automatically with no save.