I haven’t forgotten the plight of Those Who Punch Ghosts. While juggling the holidays, family commitments, and — oh yeah, the release of the My Little Pony CCG — I’ve been pondering the metaphysics of the Ghost Punchers storyworld. After all, if we’re going to create stories of the supernatural, we need to establish how this stuff works.
Humans in Ghost Punchers have three aspects. The first is the physical, which is their flesh and blood all that other icky stuff sloshing around just beneath your skin. The second is the spiritual aspect, which is the “life force” that keeps us going, both physically and emotionally. The third aspect is mental — this is the seat of consciousness and thought.
Normal folks mostly deal in the physical and mental aspects of existence. They’re only aware of their spiritual side during times of high emotion… or extremely low energy. (“I really have to get off the couch and make my way to class, but… man, this couch. It’s just the best.”)
Ghosts only have two aspects: mental and spiritual. They can burn some of their spiritual essence to affect the physical realm if they really want to, but since this essence is all that’s keeping them from passing on, they don’t do it lightly. They mostly affect things via their spirit; when they haunt someone, they are attacking that person’s spiritual aspect.
When a ghost drains your spirit, you lose emotional range and some of the willpower necessary to make it through life. If it drains you enough, you become a listless drone, experiencing neither highs nor lows. You’re still capable of thought and you’re aware of what’s happening, but you don’t have the energy to do anything about it. If it drains you too much, you lose the energy to even live, and simply fade from life altogether.
Ghost punchers are very aware of their spiritual aspects, and can direct their spirit essence the same way normal people can control their physical bodies. Their “spirit selves” are stronger than most — which is both a blessing and giant bucket of suck. On the one hand, they’ve got more “spiritual hit points” than Joe Average, which they can use to fuel kewl powerz such as the ability to slap poltergeists. On the other hand, they light up in the spirit world like a neon sign for a Las Vegas buffet, attracting the hungry dead for miles around.
Finally, you may wonder if normal people can “pump up” their spiritual aspects to be on par with a ghost puncher. I wonder that too. I suspect they can — and that’s one way how new ghost punchers are made. Of course, if they reach this level of enlightenment, and then choose not to fight the dead, it raises philosophical questions like, “Why aren’t you punching ghosts?” and “No, seriously, what is wrong with you?”
