Ghosts can scare anyone within 3 tiles. This range is extended to 6 tiles if the ghost is very angry, which occurs only if the ghost's tombstone has been kicked in the last 24 hours or if the ghost's urn has been smashed.

When a ghost scares a sim, the sim loses 16 from from each of energy, comfort, hunger, hygiene and bladder. If the scared sim is older than a child and it is a livable lot, then it counts the number of motives which are -40 or below. It looks at all eight motives, including environment, and if four or more are low then the sim dies.

If the sim doesn't die and bladder is -20 or below, then bladder failure occurs.