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[Dante]

Does the slab get a name+etc when created, or only when 'planted'?

Yep, you make generic slabs, then choose to engrave them into memorials, specifying the name when you do so.

So can animals become ghosts as well, or only Dwarves?

I haven't seen any, but I've only lost four so far.

None of my atom-smashed soldiers are showing up!

[Zidane]

Rock Slabs can be engraved at the craftsdwarf's workshop. They then say something like "Here lies Urist. 252-652. He was united with horn silver."

Not sure what that achieves.

United... with... horn... silver?

You know like "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"?

[NightmareBros]

None of my atom-smashed soldiers are showing up!

That's probably because haunting as several thousand tiny dwarf atoms isn't a popular pastime for the undead.

A bit off-update, but i wonder if there will be different kinds of haunting depending on what the Dwarf was like? For example, Dwarfs that died tantruming are Poltergeists and throw things around, dead soldier dwarfs go Jason and the Argonaughts on us and posses their unburried bodies to take revenge... that sort of thing.

[Internet Kraken]

I'm wondering if Dwarves that aren't residents of the fortress can become ghosts. If so, it might be more important to protect those merchants.

[monk12]

Build a mass drowning pit, and see whether the results are better than atomsmashing. Also see whether incinerated dwarves return.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Toss a dwarf in the magma sea and see if the ghost can survive spawning.

EDIT: Slabs and magma are going to be the most popular burial method, aren't they.

[Internet Kraken]

Toss a dwarf in the magma sea and see if the ghost can survive spawning.

If a ghost can be harmed by magma, that would imply that they could also be attacked. I'm guessing that they are invincible.

[Dante]

A bit off-update, but i wonder if there will be different kinds of haunting depending on what the Dwarf was like? For example, Dwarfs that died tantruming are Poltergeists and throw things around, dead soldier dwarfs go Jason and the Argonaughts on us and posses their unburried bodies to take revenge... that sort of thing.

Actually, I just noticed exactly this. Some of my ghosts are
"A restless haunt, generally troubling past acquaintances and relatives."
Others are
"A murderous ghost."
Exciting!

Build a mass drowning pit, and see whether the results are better than atomsmashing. Also see whether incinerated dwarves return.

Already working on it.

Oh hey, the first of my drawbridge ten appeared... but with no haunting message. Weird.
Maybe you only get the special message if they appear in a place you can see (rather than underground or something).

Argh, he was right on the drawbridge for a moment, but I didn't get there in time.

EDIT:
Ghosts can not be atom-smashed. The drawbridge goes right through.
More importantly,

[JacenHanLovesLegos]

So slabs are jus gravestones? I've been too busy playing adventure mode to even touch fortress mode. AWESOME MODE IS AWESOME!

[Dante]

Slabs lay to rest the undead as soon as you build them. Graves only lay them to rest when you get the corpse inside them. That's the advantage.

Interestingly, the ghost's victim didn't know him as even a passing acquaintance, and is listed in death as having his "upper body gone". That's presumably the default COD.

[Internet Kraken]

So wait, ghosts can kill people to?

Yep, I'm definitely glad they don't appear in old versions.

[JacenHanLovesLegos]

But they function as gravestones with the name, date lived, etc.

[Dante]

You can use the 'select from list' command to tell your military to kill ghosts   
Who you gonna call?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Doesn't work, though.

[JacenHanLovesLegos]

Wait a minute. We can now have a ghostum spiral. (Dwarf dies, ghost comes, ghost kills dwarf, step 1)

[NecroRebel]

Wait a minute. We can now have a ghostum spiral. (Dwarf dies, ghost comes, ghost kills dwarf, step 1)

That's a possibility, but probably not a 100% one. If you look at the two ghost descriptions we have, they are radically different. The first is described as "A restless haunt, generally troubling past acquaintances and relatives." Dante didn't record it killing anyone, and described it only as upsetting people. The second, however, is described as "A murderous ghost," and killed a victim.

It seems likely that ghosts have levels of murderousness, with murderous ghosts being dangerous and less angry spirits being mere annoyances. The questions we need to ask are: what determines how deadly a ghost will try to be, what levels of danger are there, what can we do to mitigate the danger of murderous phantoms while we're arranging their memorials, and how might we weaponize ghosts. The last question is obviously the most important, so get to SCIENCE!