The Tavern

Strong transmuters who die create weak player ghosts for high XP.

Transmuters rely on changing form. Transmuter Player Ghosts are cheated.

Allow Player Ghosts to transmute.

Sure, just take away their undead resistances first.

If you don't let them transmute, then it is optimal to start up a bunch of deep elf transmitters and splat them all over the early levels so you can kill their ghosts with your next character.

You can already create a host of weak ghosts if you feel like scumming. Transmuters at least should have some unarmed combat going for them.

I'd say the bigger issue here are ranged weapon users, who are nearly harmless in ghost form since ghosts are allergic to ammunition.

That seems harsh. I think the issue here amounts to the fact that different, equally viable character builds can result in player ghosts with vastly differing strength levels. The fact that transmuters can't transmute makes sense as they no longer have flesh exactly, but it still feels a bit like a melee character unwielding his weapon or a conjurer forgetting all his spells before death. As I personally am not a huge fan of player ghosts in general, it's not a major issue for me, but saying that a player trying to honestly run a Transmuter is equivalent to a dope with a sandwich is a serious stretch. Besides, look at draconians: when they die, they get their breath weapon replaced with horribly unpleasant negative energy breath. Characters with any Transmutations spell could have them replaced with a spooky ghost morph dealy, and characters who died with ranged weapons wielded could be given unlimited darkness barbs or something. It just seems that it's silly to replace a power in one case, and not in another.

It would be cool to let ghosts use a spectral variant of their abilities from when they were alive. Shooting spectral arrows(this might turn them into the most dangerous type of ghost), transmutating, maybe even god abilities. I don't know about this making sense or affecting the balance of the game, but that would be a lot more interesting.

yes but what is wrong with that

You wind up with opponents whose strength varies between Better-Than-A-Unique to Goblin-With-Too-Many-HP, both of whom are worth the same experience. Apart from the fact that it really feels like an unfinished part of the game when hunter ghosts lightly bop you, it seems like a quick fix would help player ghosts fill the role they're supposed to fill much better: that being, you encounter what those players were like in life.

Well, bread rations have been notably underpowered since being nerfed during food reform.

Actually, while I don't have any particular solution in mind for the Transmuters, how hard would it be to give any ghost wielding a launcher a stack of 50 appropriate ammunition using the same coding as the equipment of summons from Shadow Creatures? That way, whatever branded weapon they have would still function, and you wouldn't wind up with the awkward situation of ghosts dropping material possessions upon death.