Power, ranks and Hierarchy

Stragglers come in a range of powers that are effected by a spectrum of influences. They can be made strong or weak from any source but tend to be stronger when coming from an already powerful or driven source. (As in, supernatural beings make strong spirits, but so do willful or strong-souled humans. They can be equal.) They all start off a bit stunted from their final strength, but will grow into it as their body settles. It can take many years of growth before they reach their cap. (And they all do have a cap guys. They can’t become like, gods.) They can start so pathetic that they can’t even make contact with the human world without concerted effort but will always grow with time. This can be sped up with strong emotions like rage and pain, but those risk turning a spirit into a Ghoul very quickly.

-Specters are the weakest type when they’re alone. They can be stuck at a low level or can rise to combat lesser Ghouls. However, more often than not, they are attracted to one another, clumping in groups. United, they feed off each other’s collective strength. As a group, they become formidable to any kind of foe and also are individually strengthened by the presence of the group as well. (For example, a little spirit is so wussy that it can easily be brushed aside. It gets in a group. Even when the group is all out of commission, if they are still existent and nearby, the little spirit gains enough strength that it can fight on its own. If they were to be removed from the premises though, away from the other spirits, then it would revert to normal.)

-Ghouls can be quite dangerous and have a wide range of power. They can be just unsettling presences that give nightmares and cut your flesh but can’t kill you all the way up to a giant, horrifying monster capable of crashing through walls, tearing out hearts, and destroying any creature that comes hunting for it. There’s really no telling how powerful any one Ghoul will become. Some Ghouls cluster together with similar Ghouls, but it’s not common. They usually are solitary when they get powerful because they cannibalize Specters and lesser Ghouls by destroying their essence and absorbing the fragments.

-Kobolds tend to stand head and shoulders above most other Stragglers but start lower than their full potential, like any other. There will likely always be Ghouls that are stronger than they are, but they grow stronger and can usually handle most Specters if they’re not in a large group.

Not every Straggler will grow to be incredibly powerful and some will cap out as a little more than a weak mage.  Plenty will grow to give any species a run for their money, though. It doesn’t matter /what species/ confronts them. There is likely a Straggler that can go toe to toe with them. They’re not weak by any means. There’s a reason they are hunted and feared, cut down as early as people can manage to halt their growth. Any level of Straggler can also hypothetically go against any other level, given the right circumstances. SO, while Kobolds tend to be the top dogs, they can also be bested by a particularly strong Specter or Ghoul as well. There’s no absolute dominance. 

(That being said, when making a character, do not outright state that your character is SO powerful that they could take on the best Hell Vampire, Werewolf, Dragon, etc. It is not assumed that those species will automatically be better than a Straggler, so the reverse is also true. Equal footing here. It’s a whole different ball game.)