A Barkgheist looks like a large black dog with fiery red eyes, but is actually the spirit of a person killed by a dog who is haunting the site of his death.

A barkgheist can turn invisible at-will but when doing so will produce a rattling chain noise as it moves and leaves no traces. It is a cunning creature, and will only attack when it senses favorable odds or to protect its treasure, which is usually in a hidden location it knew from its former life. It will hunt for isolated creatures it can kill and rob to add to its hoard.

The bite of a barkgheist paralyses as the touch of a ghoul, and silver or magical weapons are required to inflict damage on the fiend. As undead, it can be Turned by a Cleric as a wraith, and is immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells. It is unable to enter a dwelling if its owner is within, but can otherwise open a door as if using a knock spell. It cannot cross a running river, but it can walk over a bridge.

A barkgheist is a solitary creature and it is believed that two barkgheists in the same town would seek each other out and fight until death.