Ethereal

Ethereal, sometimes referred to as ghost form, is a type of status effect that makes affected units immune to all physical damage, grants them attack immunity, while also disarming them. It also usually - but not always - reduces their magic resistance, causing them to take additional magical damage. Affected units are able to control every other aspect of their character.

The magic resistance reduction of multiple ethereal effects does not stack, the one with a higher value takes priority, and it is defined as:

Ethereal Magic Resistance Reduction = (1 + MAX Ethereal Magic Resistance Reduction)

Ethereal units can be affected by abilities or spell damage, but physical damage does not apply to them. For example, Slithereen Crush cannot damage ethereal units, but still stuns and slows them. Entering ethereal form does not dispel anything.

Definition

Mechanic	Definition	Examples
Ethereal	Grants Attack Immunity and self disarms. Immune to all physical damage, but usually (though not always) reduces self magic resistance.	Decrepify
Non-targetable	Does not includes Hide sources. Grants Attack Immunity and Phased. Not selectable and does not have a Hitbox. Cannot be targeted by both allies and enemies.	Hitch A Ride
Misc Non-targetable	Can be selectable and still has a Hitbox. However, it cannot be targeted by either allies or enemies.	Smoke Screen

Sources

Ethereal Sources

• Ethereal Blade – Ether Blast
• Ghost Scepter – Ghost Form
• Leshrac – Nihilism
• Muerta – Pierce the Veil
• Necrophos – Ghost Shroud
• Pugna – Decrepify

Gallery

• 

  Ghost Scepter's Ghost Form

Version History

Version

Description

7.33
(2023-04-20)

• U
  Ethereal effects now fully stack with Debuff Immunity [?].

7.32e
(2023-03-07)

• ADDED
  new Pierce the Veil ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

7.28
(2020-12-17)

• ADDED
  new Nihilism ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

7.00
(2016-12-12)

• ADDED
  new Ghost Shroud ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

6.87
(2016-04-25)

• Units affected by Duel no longer ignore disarms and ethereal state.
• Ethereal now blocks in-flight attack projectiles fully, rather than just ones launched before entering Ethereal form. [?]

6.84
(2015-04-30)

• Turning Ethereal no longer removes Ensnare and various other root debuffs.
• Channeling a Town Portal Scroll no longer removes ethereal sources prematurely.

6.79c
(2013-12-12)

• Units affected by Duel now fully ignore disarms and ethereal state.

6.79
(2013-10-21)

• Can no longer orb-attack while attack restricted (such as Ethereal or under Frostbite).

6.72d
(2011-07-22)

• Fixed the following abilities' interactions with ethereal sources:
  • Culling Blade
  • Ice Blast

6.67
(0000-01-01)

• CREATED
  Ethereal Blade.

6.60
(0000-01-01)

• CREATED
  Ghost Scepter.

5.62
(2004-09-18)

• ADDED
  the Ethereal mechanic.
  • Decrepify is an ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

Patch History

Patch

Description

04 Feb 2011

• Fixed cases where units under Ethereal form could still take physical damage.