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.

Most Ethereal effects do not stack with debuff immunity. If the affected unit is debuff immune, they lose the attack immunity and physical damage immunity, and do not have their magic resistance reduced.
Some Ethereal effects do not stack with spell immunity, resulting in their effects being dispelled.

Definition

MODIFIER_STATE_DISARMED
MODIFIER_STATE_ATTACK_IMMUNE
MODIFIER_PROPERTY_MAGICAL_RESISTANCE_DECREPIFY_UNIQUE

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, removes Selection Box. Cannot be targeted by both allies and enemies.	Hitch A Ride
Misc Non-targetable	Can be selectable and still has a Selection Box. 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 Veil¹
• Necrophos – Ghost Shroud²
• Pugna – Decrepify

¹ Pierce the Veil's ethereal effect is not prevented by debuff immunity.

² Ghost Shroud etehereal effect is dispelled by spell immunity.

Gallery

• 

  Ghost Scepter's Ghost Form

Version History

Version

Description

7.39e
(2025-10-02)

• Ethereal effects are now disabled while the affected unit is debuff immune. [?]

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
(2026-06-03)

• CREATED
  Ethereal Blade.

6.60
(2026-06-03)

• CREATED
  Ghost Scepter.

5.62
(2026-06-03)

• 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.