While I agree with all your points, I would like to say, regarding ghosts and aging and players not caring.
Putting a ghost near my players was like a wolf in the hen coup.
Back in 2nd edition a ghost touch aged you 10-40 years. While the elves didn’t care, the humans in the party were f***ing terrified. Not only because you died at 90 or so, but also because if you hit 45 years old you became middle aged and started to lose stats Str and Con (and Con is the basis for surviving a resurrection spell).