Once an outpost for the Serpent Men of Valsuria this kingdom evolved into the Serpent Men Empire of Thutothmes after thousands of years. This kingdom has become a major center of trade for the Inner Earth. Thutothmes sits on the outer levels of the Atlantian City State of Vaar. This picks right up from here on the blog. NPC Profile: High Priest Thutothmes the Venom-Tongued is right at home within Thutothmes.
In the Conan mythos (and Castles & Crusades), Serpent Men are the ancient, pre-human inhabitants of the world. While many sleep in hidden cities, those who serve Set are active infiltrators, sorcerers, and guardians.
Here are the stats for a standard Serpent Man Warrior and the more dangerous Serpent Man Shadow-Stalker.
Serpent Man (Warrior)
These are the rank-and-file of the ancient race. They often use a powerful illusion called the "Mask of Humanity" to walk among men, appearing as tall, slightly stiff-featured Stygians or Hyborians.
HD: 4d8 (18 hp) | AC: 15 (Scales & Bronze Shield)
Move: 30 ft., Swim 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 15 (+1) | 14 (+1) | 12 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 12 (+0) | 10 (+0) |
Attack: Scimitar +5 (1d8+1) or Bite +5 (1d4 + Poison)
Special - Poison: A character bitten by a Serpent Man must succeed on a CL 4 Constitution Save or suffer 1d6 points of Strength damage as their muscles go limp.
Special - Illusion (Mask of Humanity): Once per day, they can cast Change Self to appear human. This illusion is broken if they are touched by cold iron or if they are killed.
Saves: Physical.
XP: 120 + 4/hp.
Serpent Man Shadow-Stalker (Elite)
These are the assassins and temple guardians of Thutothmes. They are thinner, darker-scaled, and move with a terrifying, liquid grace.
HD: 7d8 (32 hp) | AC: 17 (Natural Armor & Bracers)
Move: 40 ft., Swim 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 14 (+1) | 18 (+3)* | 13 (+1) | 15 (+1) | 14 (+1) | 11 (+0) |
| *Denotes Prime Attribute |
Attack: Two Bone Daggers +10/+10 (1d4+1 + Poison) or Bite +10 (1d4 + Paralysis)
Special - Paralytic Bite: On a successful bite, the victim must make a CL 7 Constitution Save or be paralyzed for 2d6 minutes.
Special - Shadow Blend: In dim light or shadows, the Shadow-Stalker is effectively invisible. They gain a +10 to move silently and hide checks.
Special - Sneak Attack: If attacking from surprise or a hidden position, they deal an extra 3d6 damage.
Saves: Physical & Mental.
XP: 650 + 7/hp.
Serpent Man Traits for C&C
Ancient Hatred: They despise the "human cattle" that have inherited their world. They gain +1 to hit against humans.
Cold Blooded: They take +2 damage per die from cold-based attacks but are immune to natural heat and desert exhaustion.
Telepathy: Serpent Men can communicate silently with one another (and with snakes) within 100 feet.
Combat Tactics
In a Castles & Crusades encounter, Serpent Men rarely fight fair.
The Ambush: They use their Mask of Humanity to pose as merchants or guides, leading the party into a narrow canyon or a room with a pit trap.
The Reveal: They drop the illusion simultaneously (often accompanied by a terrifying communal hiss) to force a CL 4 Wisdom Save against fear.
The Strike: Shadow-Stalkers stay in the rafters or wall-cracks, dropping down only after the Warriors have engaged the party's frontline.
The Temple of Thutothmes (Dungeon Layout)
Universal Dungeon Features
The Smell: A cloying mix of black lotus incense and the musky, copper scent of a reptile house.
The Light: None, save for the green alchemical fires in braziers. Humans are at a severe disadvantage here.
The Floors: Polished obsidian. Move at half-speed or succeed on a CL 2 Dex Save to avoid slipping if running or fighting.
Area 1: The Vestibule of Scales
The entrance is a 20ft tall stone cobra head. The "tongue" is a red carpet leading inside.
The Guardian: 2 Serpent Man Warriors (as per stats above) disguised as Stygian statues. They only attack if the "Sign of Set" (a coiled finger gesture) is not given.
The Trap: A pressure plate in the center of the room triggers a ceiling vent that drops a Swarm of Vipers (C&C Monsters & Treasure) onto the party.
Area 2: The Hall of Whispers (The Social Filter)
A long corridor lined with mirrors that don't show reflections, but show the viewer's skeletal system.
The Hazard: A magical "Hissing" sound echoes here. Characters must make a CL 5 Wisdom Save or be affected by Confusion for 2 rounds as they hear the "voices of their ancestors" mocking them.
Hidden Door: A successful CL 6 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a loose brick behind a statue of a jackal leading to Thutothmes’ private study.
Area 3: The Pit of the Sacred Brood
The path turns into a narrow stone bridge over a 40ft deep pit filled with thousands of mundane but venomous snakes.
The Challenge: A Serpent Man Shadow-Stalker clings to the ceiling. It waits for the party to reach the midpoint of the bridge before using its Neural Whip to try and knock a member into the pit.
The Pit: Falling in deals 4d6 fall damage + CL 6 Con Save or die from 100+ tiny bites.
Area 4: The Alchemical Laboratory
A room filled with bubbling glass jars and the "Thinking Jar" (from the treasure table).
The Loot: 2 doses of Black Lotus Extract and a Venom-Distiller.
The Secret: If the party "feeds" the Thinking Jar a pint of blood, it will tell them Thutothmes’ secret weakness: Fire (he takes +1 damage per die from fire).
Area 5: The Inner Sanctum (The Boss Room)
A massive circular chamber with a 30ft golden idol of Set. Green fire burns in a central pit.
The Encounter: High Priest Thutothmes stands atop a dais, flanked by 2 Shadow-Stalkers.
Lair Action (CL 12): On initiative count 10, the Idol of Set "breathes," filling the room with a dim green haze. All non-setians must save vs. Poison or suffer a -2 to all attack rolls for 1 turn.
The Treasure: Behind the idol is a stone chest containing 500 Stygian Marks, the Emerald Scarab, and the Staff of the Viper.
C&C Adventure Hook: The Extraction
If the party is here to rescue a captive (perhaps a local noble’s daughter being prepared for "The Shedding"), she is suspended in a silk cocoon above the Pit in Area 3. Cutting her down requires a CL 5 Dex (Athletics) check, but doing so alerts the entire temple.
To reflect the ancient, pre-human heritage of the Serpent Men, these treasures lean into high-science-fantasy, strange alchemy, and "degenerate" luxury. In Castles & Crusades, these items should feel distinct from common magic items—they are alien and often dangerous to the touch.
D100 Treasures of the Serpent Men
| d100 | Item Name | Description |
| 01-10 | Minted Scales | 3d100 thin, hexagonal coins made of "star-metal" (electrum). They bear no faces, only geometric patterns that cause a headache if stared at too long. |
| 11-15 | Vial of Primordial Slime | A swirling green liquid. If poured on the ground, it creates a 10ft patch of Grease that is sentient and tries to trip specifically non-serpentine creatures. |
| 16-20 | Lens of True Form | A monocle made of polished yellow quartz. Looking through it reveals the true form of anyone using the Mask of Humanity or other illusions. |
| 21-25 | Wrist-Mounted Dart Thrower | A mechanical bracer that fires bone needles. (Damage 1d3, Range 20ft, can be loaded with Serpent Man poison). |
| 26-30 | Tablet of Valusia | A stone slab containing coordinates to a "Sleeping City." Worth thousands to a historian, or a death sentence if found by the Cult of Set. |
| 31-35 | Ever-Warm Egg | A heavy, stone-like egg that radiates heat in a 5ft radius. It never hatches, but it provides comfort in the cold Stygian nights. |
| 36-40 | Neural Whip | A whip made of metallic wire. On a hit, the target must make a CL 5 Intelligence Save or be Confused for 1 round as their nerves misfire. |
| 41-45 | Canister of "Breath of Set" | A pressurized bronze jar. When opened, it releases a 20ft cloud of thick smoke that grants Invisibility to anyone inside it, but smells of rotting lotus. |
| 46-50 | Globe of Sun-Capture | A glass sphere containing a trapped spark of light. It can be shattered to cast Daylight, but the user takes 1d6 fire damage from the release. |
| 51-55 | Sibilant Key | A key that looks like a fossilized finger. It only turns in a lock if the user can successfully mimic the sound of a desert cobra's hiss. |
| 56-60 | Cloak of Molted Shadow | A cape that looks like translucent skin. It grants a +4 bonus to Hide checks in rocky or desert terrain. |
| 61-65 | The Thinking Jar | A ceramic jar containing the preserved brain of a human scholar. It can answer 3 questions per day, but it is perpetually screaming in a telepathic frequency. |
| 66-70 | Venom-Distiller | A small, portable alchemical kit that can extract poison from any dead creature in 10 minutes. |
| 71-75 | Ring of the Cold Heart | A silver band that makes the wearer immune to Fear and Charm, but they can no longer feel "warm" emotions like joy or love. |
| 76-80 | Rod of the Earth-Shaker | A heavy rod that can cause a minor localized tremor (CL 8 Dexterity Save or fall prone) once per day. |
| 81-85 | Map of the Ley-Lines | A map of the Hyborian kingdoms showing where magic is strongest. Grants a +2 to Spell Resistance checks while held. |
| 86-90 | Box of Transmutation Dust | 1d4 pinches of dust that can turn 1lb of lead into gold for 1 hour before it reverts (perfect for the "Corrupted Merchant" archetype). |
| 91-95 | The Serpent’s Tongue | A literal dried tongue. If held under the user's own tongue, they can speak and understand any reptilian language. |
| 96-99 | Great Ancestor’s Skull | A massive Serpent Man skull plated in gold. Once per week, it can cast Animate Dead on 1d6 skeletons to serve as guardians. |
| 100 | The Crown of the First Age | An artifact that grants the wearer total control over all snakes within 1 mile. However, the wearer slowly begins to transform into a Serpent Man themselves. |
C&C Mechanic: The Taint of the Serpent
Many of these items (especially 91-100) are considered "Unclean" by the priests of Mitra or Ibis. If a Paladin or Lawful Cleric carries them, they may suffer a -1 penalty to their Prime Attributes until the items are cleansed or sold, as the alien vibrations of the Serpent Men interfere with their divine connection.
The kingdom is protected by a network of tunnels and a telepathic web of sensors created by the 'tunnel runner' class of serpent men. In the deep subterranean tunnels of Castles & Crusades, the Serpentmen (also known as the Ophidians) are a feared relic of a prehistoric age. Unlike common lizardfolk, these beings possess a cold, alien intellect and the ability to communicate across the void of silence using only their minds.
Serpentman (Ophidian) Tunnel Runner
Size: Medium
HD: $2d8+2$
AC: 15
Attacks: Scimitar (1d8) or Shortbow (1d6), and Bite (1d4 + poison)
Move: 30 ft., Swim 30 ft.
Special: Telepathy, Poison, Resistance to Mind-Affecting Magic, Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: P
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil
XP: 65 + 2/hp
Special Abilities
Telepathy: Serpentmen do not possess vocal cords. They communicate telepathically with any creature within 60 feet that has a language. They can communicate with their own kind up to 120 feet away, even through solid stone.
Poison: Any creature bitten by a Serpentman must succeed on a Constitution save (CL 2) or suffer an additional 1d4 points of damage and become Slowed (as the spell) for 1d6 rounds due to a numbing neurotoxin.
Mental Fortitude: Due to their alien brain structure, Serpentmen receive a +4 bonus on all saving throws against illusions, charms, and sleep effects.
Tunnel Runners: They are expert climbers and can move across rocky ceilings and walls at half their normal speed without requiring an attribute check, provided the surface is natural stone.
Ecology and Lore
The Serpentmen are a "fallen" race. Their empires once spanned the surface world before the rise of humanity, but they were driven into the lightless depths of the underworld centuries ago.
Tactics: They are ambush predators. They use their telepathy to coordinate silent pincer movements, often surrounding a party before a single blade is drawn. They prefer to "whisper" into the minds of their enemies to sow distrust or fear before attacking.
Culture: They serve ancient, slithering deities and are obsessed with regaining their lost heritage. They view all warm-blooded creatures as invasive "chattel" or, at best, experimental subjects.
The Tunnel Runner Caste: The specific "Tunnel Runner" variant is leaner and faster, often used as scouts. They coat their weapons in the same neurotoxin produced by their fangs, ensuring that any prey that escapes the initial strike won't get far.
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