Poltergeist

## Evidence

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> „*One of the most famous ghosts, the Poltergeist. Known to manipulate objects around it to spread fear into its victims.*”
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—The Journal

The **Poltergeist** is a type of ghost in *Phasmophobia*. It is known for its constant disturbance of the environment around it, throwing items around with great force.

## Behaviour

### Activity

In general, the Poltergeist is more likely to throw items. During a hunt, the Poltergeist will always throw an item every 0.5 seconds, instead of only having a 50% chance to do so.

Occasionally, the Poltergeist will throw an item with a "force" value of 2 - 6, instead of 1 - 3 with other ghosts.

### Ability

The Poltergeist will occasionally use an ability that allows it to throw multiple nearby items at once, creating an EMF level 2 reading (the thrown items themselves generate EMF 3). This will decrease the sanity of all nearby players in line-of-sight with the EMF 2 location by a percentage equal to the number of items thrown multiplied by 2. The ability and associated sanity drain works even when the lights are turned on.

If there are no items near a Poltergeist, it is unable to use its ability. This does not influence its behaviour towards initiating a hunt.

## Evidence

* Spirit Box
* Ultraviolet
* Ghost Writing

## Strengths and weaknesses

These are the strengths and weaknesses as listed in the journal:

*Strength: **Poltergeists** can throw multiple objects at once, and with great force.*

*Weakness: With nothing to throw, **Poltergeists** become powerless.*

## Strategies

### Identification

Taking advantage of the Poltergeist's abilities, one can scatter multiple objects around in its room. If one object is seen being flung with force across the room, or multiple objects are thrown at once, then it is probably a Poltergeist. Note that there is some overlap of how hard regular ghosts can throw and how hard a Poltergeist can throw; this trait is harder to discern in small rooms.

* It is generally better to build multiple small piles spread out rather than one large pile; if the Poltergeist is not near the pile, it will not affect the pile at all.

It's important to be prudent when suspecting a Poltergeist, and not simply immediately guess it from inconclusive behavior; while it is generally quite active in regards to constantly throwing items, the largely random nature of interactions can cause other ghosts to toss items frequently, matching the activity levels of the Poltergeist at times, especially with more active ghost types like the Oni and Thaye. Likewise, low activity should also not discount the possibility of a Poltergeist.

* Remember to turn *off* the lights to increase activity.

The Poltergeist can also be identified during a hunt. By scattering multiple objects in the investigation area, one can witness the ghost's throwing frequency. Witnessing a throw every 0.5 seconds may indicate a Poltergeist. This strategy also helps in seeing if the ghost can make more powerful throws.

## Trivia

* A poltergeist is a type of ghost known for causing physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Although claims of supernaturally-caused disturbances date back to the 1st century, references to poltergeists specifically became more common in the early 1600s. The word *poltergeist* comes from the German language words *poltern* ("to make sound" and "to rumble") and *Geist* ("ghost" and "spirit"), and the term itself translates as "noisy ghost", "rumble-ghost" or a "loud spirit". A synonym coined by René Sudre is *thorybism*, from Greek *thorybein* ("to make noise or uproar; throw into confusion").

## History

 14 April 2020
 0.9.4.0 | Ghost writing books can no longer be thrown by a poltergeist ability

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist