Base
Class Attack Fort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Track, sand-sight I 2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Sneak attack +1d6 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Desert adaption 4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Sneak attack +2d6 5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Sand-sight II 6th +4 +5 +5 +2 Sneak attack +3d6 7th +5 +5 +5 +2 Blade turning 8th +6 +6 +6 +2 Sneak attack +4d6
9th +6 +6 +6 +3 Howl of the winds, sand-sight III 10th +7 +7 +7 +3 Sneak attack +5d6
had taken on a dry, leathery, ruddy hue. Their eyes were black as night and they had thick, heavy braids of hair. They also had removed the traditional veils and light cloth that helped their former tribesmen survive in the desert. Instead they wore only simple, functional gar- ments and went largely bare-skinned in the dry desert heat.
The ghosts of the desert formed their own tribe. Though they were adapted to survive more readily in the harsh climate of the desert, they learned that they still required some supplies, including food and a little water. Animals were scarce, but the ghosts of the desert were skilled hunters. There were plants that provided the lit- tle water they still needed, but as the ghosts’ tribe grew, they discovered they needed more. To find it, they turned to what had been their former tribal lands.
When the ghosts of the desert appeared in the tribe’s lands and began foraging for food and water to supplement their own supplies, they were received as bandits. In the desert where food and water are scarce, there is always com- petition for resources. Upon seeing these strange people coming to take their food and water, the old tribe reacted with violence and a war began between the cousin-tribes.
From the conflict, the ghosts of the desert learned a new lesson. They, who had learned to survive the worst that the desert could offer, had a strong advantage in fighting during the heat of the day. They struck from sandstorms during the hottest part of the afternoon, and the old tribe could not fight back at such times. In the end, the old tribe was forced to surrender to the might of the ghosts of the desert. They gath- ered up what they could of their riches, their food, and their water, and they left their tribal lands. The ghosts of the desert expanded into the new territory.
Some members of the ghost tribe learned to love the spirit of the conflict. They continued to seek out new battles and made enemies of sev- eral surrounding tribes. The tribes of the desert recognized the ghost tribe as a threat to them all and united to put an end to them. The great war that followed nearly destroyed the ghosts of the desert, and it cost the other tribes dearly. In the end, though, the ghosts were forced to flee back to the deep desert, and there they have remained—where no others can hunt them.
The ghosts of the desert have remained in the deep desert since that time. When they require more water or food they strike out against the other tribes. They attack silently, coming out of dust storms and the oppressive heat of the day. They take what they need and disappear again. To the ghosts of the desert, this is simply how their life must be if they are to continue to live. Adapted as they are, they can survive in the worst of the desert climate but they still need a little more than can be provided by their home. They take only what they need. The ghosts of the desert are not greedy and do not seek the death or misfortune of others, but they have no pity on those that stand in the way of the sur- vival of the ghosts’ tribe.
The nomadic, predatory lifestyle adopted by the ghosts of the desert has earned them the label of brigands, bandits, and thieves of water. In the desert these are high crimes and the oth- ers would see them destroyed. To the ghosts it is simply the way of nature. To them, it is enough to know that they have mastered their home and are stronger than the tribes that hate them.
Campaign Integration
The ghosts of the desert can be easily added as a brigand tribe to any desert setting. Individual ghosts can make effective enemies in such an environment. Their ability to travel freely through inclement weather and deadly climate give them an advantage in desert campaigns. If an individual ghost of the desert is not enough of a threat, the ghost tribe as a whole can become a real challenge for an entire nation. Though they do not venture far from the desert, in their home they are almost unstop- pable. If a party must do battle against them, the PCs will find themselves hard-pressed to defeat their elusive foes.
If the party finds itself lost in the desert, the ghosts may also play the part of mentors. They could easily save the party from destruction by the environment and teach some of their num- ber the secrets of the ghost tribe. In this sce- nario, some of the PCs might be taught the secrets of the ghosts’ elite hunters, the windrid- ers.