The Shackle Bound aka The Ghosts of Greed A Holiday Themed Monster For Victorious rpg, Amazing Adventures, And Castles & Crusades Rpg

 Shackle-Bound Spirit (Ghost of Greed)

Marley appears to Scrooge  illustration by Fred Barnard (1878)

Shackle-Bound Spirits are the miserable remnants of those who lived lives of avarice and self-interest, consumed by their desire for wealth and possessions. They are cursed to wander the material plane, forever bound by the chains forged from their own greed, seeking to hoard more wealth while lamenting their inability to use it. They appear as wispy, transparent figures, their features twisted by eternal misery and want, wrapped in heavy, clanking chains.

Attribute	Score	Prime
STR	8	P
DEX	12	P
CON	10	P
INT	14	M
WIS	15	M
CHA	3	M

Level: 4 | HD: 4d8 (average 18 HP) | AC: 14 (incorporeal defense) | Attacks: 1 x Chilling Touch (1d6 cold damage + special) | Move: 30 ft., Fly 60 ft. (hover) | Saves: P, M (add HD to checks) | Alignment: Lawful Evil | Type: Undead (Incorporeal) | Treasure: See Manifestation of Avarice | XP: 175+4

Special Abilities

Incorporeal: The Shackle-Bound Spirit can only be harmed by magical weapons, spells, or other incorporeal creatures. It can pass through solid objects, including walls and doors, but cannot move through areas of solid earth or rock. It is always silent unless it chooses to speak, its form is semi-transparent, and it gains an AC bonus reflecting its spectral nature.

Chains of Avarice: The spirit is constantly entangled in heavy, spectral chains. These chains can be used to attack or entangle opponents. A creature hit by the spirit's Chilling Touch must make a successful Physical save (d20+HD vs CL 0 + target's level/HD, base 12 for prime/18 for non-prime attributes) or be slowed (movement halved, -2 to AC and attacks) for 1 turn as spectral chains wrap around them.

Wail of Regret: As an action, the spirit can let loose a mournful wail, a sound of profound misery and lost opportunity. All living creatures within 30 feet must make a successful Mental save (d20+HD vs CL 0 + target's level/HD, base 12 for prime/18 for non-prime attributes) or become paralyzed by an overwhelming sense of existential despair and regret for 1d4 rounds. Creatures that save successfully are shaken and suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls and saves for the duration.

Manifestation of Avarice: When a Shackle-Bound Spirit is encountered, 1d4 mundane or magical treasure items from its former life manifest nearby, often in a scattered, chaotic pile (CK's discretion on specific items and value, likely coins, gems, or minor magic items). The spirit is psychically bound to this treasure. If the treasure is disturbed or removed from the spirit's presence, the spirit gains a +1 bonus to all attack rolls, damage, and saves until the treasure is returned to its vicinity. If the treasure is destroyed, the spirit is momentarily stunned (loses next action) but its bonuses become permanent until the encounter ends. The treasure disappears when the spirit is destroyed or the encounter concludes.

Spectral Senses: The spirit can see in darkness and has blindsight out to 60 feet. It is immune to sleep, charm, and other mind-affecting spells.

Ecology & Lore

Shackle-Bound Spirits are tragic entities, found in places of great past wealth, such as ruined manors, bank vaults, or buried treasure hoards. They are not born of malice in the traditional sense, but of a deep, unending self-interest that bound their souls to the material world. They seek to interact with the living only to warn them against their own potential fate, but they are often so consumed by their own torment that their attempts are confusing and frightening to mortals. They can sometimes be reasoned with if a character makes a successful Mental check (Wisdom base 12, CL 2) to understand their plight, potentially leading to a non-combat resolution where the characters help the spirit resolve its earthly attachments.