Wealthwight

Wealthwight
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 6d12+8 (39 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, strangle
Special Qualities: DR 5/bludgeoning, fast healing 1, treasurebound, undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con -, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Intimidate +11, Perception +10, Search +10
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Toughness
Environment: Any land and undergound
Organization: Solitary
ECL: 5
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium)

Many great kings and warriors are buried with their wealth, so they can have it with them in the afterlife. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, "you can't take it with you." Wealthwights are those who were so attached to their wealth in life that they can't bear to be apart from it, and so they come back to enjoy it even in undeath.

Wealthwights appear much as they did in life, and most can even pass for living beings, though they are a little more gaunt, with sunken eyes and hands that have turned into claws. They are often dressed in fine, though tattered clothing. Their complexes are always well-hidden and well-guarded; the wealthwight itself is almost always found in the treasure room, gloating over its money.

Wealthwights are always solitary creatures, but they often employ guardians like golems and constructs or mindless creatures that require little upkeep, like gelatinous cubes. They are suspicious and paranoid by nature, and can seldom even hold a conversation with anyone without fearing that being is after its money.

Wealthwights can speak any language they knew in life.

Combat

Wealthwights almost never enter combat unless they or their treasure are threatened. If someone steals from a wealthwight's hoard, it will go to the ends of the earth to find the thief/thieves and recover the treasure (or its monetary equivalent, if the treasure in question is lost or destroyed), and will attack anyone who attempts to stop it. Wealthwights will sometimes use weapons - usually a shortsword or dagger - but they usually simply attack with their hands, clawing or seeking to strangle the thief until he dies or gives up the treasure. The wight will immediately snatch the treasure up and, if there is no more missing, return to its lair with all haste, totally ignoring the thief (if he is still alive). Wealthwights are not above using permanent magical items from their hoards, though they will never use one-shot or charged items like scrolls, potions, or wands, unless the situation is dire.

Fast Healing (Ex): As long as even a copper piece remains in its treasure room, the wealthwight heals 1 hit point per round and will even reform if it is destroyed. The only way to completely destroy one is to remove all the treasure from its hoard and cast remove curse or dispel evil on the loot to break the bond, then reduce the wealthwight to 0 hit points; otherwise, it will rise in 24 hours and track down those who have stolen from it.

Improved Grab (Ex): In order to use this ability, the wealthwight must hit with a claw attack. A successful attack means it can attempt to start a grapple as a free action.

Strangle (Ex): A wealthwight who makes a successful grapple attack can lock its hands around the victim's neck, inflicting 2d6+6 points of crushing damage per round until the thief dies or drops its treasure. It never uses this attack unless the target is someone who has stolen from its hoard.

Treasurebound (Su): Wealthwights are inextricably bound with their hoards - they know to the last copper piece how much treasure they have and can sense where and how far away everything is in their hoard. If anything is missing, they can track down thieves unerringly, following them to the ends of the earth if necessary, though this ability does not span planes.

They also gain strength from their wealth. For every full 1,000 gp worth of treasure a wealthwight owns over 4,000 gp, it gains 1 HD (to a maximum of 3 times its original HD total). For every 1,000 gp that is lost or stolen, it loses 1 HD, though it can never drop below 6 HD.

Turn Resistance (Ex): Wealthwights have +4 turn resistance; while the bond is in place (see above), they cannot be turned in their lairs.

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