Dungeons with a consistent ‘undead’ theme are a popular choice – especially around Halloween, of course, but also year-round. They’re easy to justify in-universe, very atmospheric and remove the awkwardness of meeting a mixed band of kobolds and zombies, or similarly implausible combinations.
That being said, I’ve always felt that RPGs tend to undersell the concept of ghosts and spectres, by focussing too much on the physical and stat-draining aspects, and too little on the devastating emotional impact that apparitions from beyond the grave* should have on the living. Something that no amount of level-grinding, or hoarding relevant special items, could diminish.
Naturally, I was spoiled for choice when it came to emotionally scarring spectral entities from fiction, but ultimately I settled on Menma from Anohana. Less unsettling than most others, but still absolutely guaranteed to get you sobbing – after all, I didn’t want to really traumatize K’ip. Or you.
But still, both K’ip as well as Si’ri are severely affected…Si’ri even more so, I think, if you compare the volume of her shed tears to the volume of her whole body. >_> They’re also both ded now, but don’t worry – ‘ded’ isn’t ‘dead’, it’s typically only temporary. (Not that ‘dead’ is necessarily permanent in a RPG…but, ‘ded’ is even less so.)
More on Thurs…uh, Monday.