Sacred Watcher
When a character of great virtue dies while another person is in her care, she sometimes clings to a form of life as a sacred watcher. Not undead but deathless, a sacred watcher is very similar to a ghost. Rather than haunting the place of her death or otherwise harassing the living, however, a sacred guardian continues to watch over her ward until someone else can assume that responsibility.
Normally, a sacred watcher exists on the Ethereal Plane, where she can still watch over her ward but remain mostly out of sight. When the need arises, she can partially manifest on the Material Plane, enough to have some effect on her surroundings while remaining incorporeal. On the Ethereal Plane, a sacred watcher looks much as she did in life, except that she is surrounded with a softly glowing nimbus of silvery light. When manifested, she appears insubstantial and translucent, as though formed completely our of her silvery radiance.
Creating a Sacred Watcher
"Sacred watcher" is an acquired template that can be added to any aberration, animal, dragon, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or plant of good alignment (referred to hereafter as the "base creature").
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to "deathless." Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: All current and future hit dice become d12s.
Speed: Sacred watchers have a fly speed of 30 feet, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed, with perfect maneuverability.
Armor Class: Natural armor is the same as the base creature but applies only to ethereal encounters. When the sacred watcher manifests (see below) its natural armor value is +0, but it gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier or +1, whichever is higher.
Attack: The sacred watcher retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect non ethereal creatures.
Full Attack: The sacred watcher retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect non ethereal creatures.
Damage: Against ethereal creatures, a sacred watcher uses the base creature's damage ratings. Against non ethereal creatures, the sacred watcher usually cannot deal physical damage at all but can use its special attacks, if any, when it manifests (see below).
Special Attacks: The sacred watcher retains all the special attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect non ethereal creatures. The sacred watcher also gains a manifestation ability plus 1 to 3 other special attacks described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 sacred watcher's HD + sacred watcher's Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.
Manifestation (Su): Every sacred watcher has this ability. A sacred watcher dwells on the Ethereal Plane and as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a sacred watcher manifests it partly enters the Material plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material plane. The manifested sacred watcher can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. The manifested sacred watcher can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. The manifested sacred watcher can always move silently
A manifested sacred watcher can strike with its touch attack or a ghost touch weapon. If it has a weapon with at least a +1 enhancement bonus, it can use this weapon against material creatures, but any such attack has a 50% chance to fail unless the weapon is a ghost touch weapon (just as magical weapons can fail to harm the ghost). A manifested sacred watcher remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. Opponents on either the Material or Ethereal planes can attack a manifested sacred watcher. The sacred watcher's incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material plane, but not against foes on the Ethereal plane.
When a spellcasting sacred watcher is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting sacred watcher manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested sacred watcher's touch spells don't work on material targets.
A sacred watcher has two home planes, the Material and the Ethereal, and it is not considered extraplanar on either plane.
Positive Energy Touch (Su): A sacred watcher can make a hit with an incorporeal touch attack to infuse a target with positive energy. Undead foes (even incorporeal ones) take an additional 2d8+5 points of damage. The sacred watcher can channel this positive energy into living creatures as well, healing up to 2d8+5 points of damage. The sacred watcher can control its positive energy enough to avoid healing living foes (dealing only the base damage). This power can be used up to five times per day.
Special Qualities: A sacred watcher has all the special qualities of the base creature and those listed below, and gains the deathless type.
Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it's difficult to destroy a sacred watcher through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit often restores itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are often only temporary solutions. A sacred watcher that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its mission with a successful level check (1d20 + sacred watcher's level or HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to conclusively end a sacred watcher's existence is to ensure it fulfills the purpose that sustains it.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A sacred watcher has +4 turn resistance.
Ward (Su): A sacred watcher is constantly aware of her ward's precise location and status: whether he is unharmed, wounded, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, dead, and so on. She can move instantly to her ward's location as though using greater teleport, except that this ability allows her to cross planar boundaries. She can only transport herself and up to 50 pounds of ethereal objects. She can also scry on her ward at will (as though she had cast scrying), with no saving throw allowed and success guaranteed.
Abilities: Same as the base creature, except that the sacred watcher has no Constitution score, and its Charisma score increases by +4.
Skills: Sacred watchers receive a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Any good.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +5.
Sample Sacred Watcher
Sacred Watcher: Sacred Watcher.