In the sword-and-sorcery tradition adapted for Castles & Crusades (C&C), the Empire of Thutothmes represents an ancient, dark relic buried in the subterranean reaches of the Inner Earth. Sitting beneath forgotten ruins and subterranean vaults—such as the outer levels of deep city-states like Vaar—the empire is a remnant of the primordial age when cold-blooded reptilians ruled the surface before humanity's rise.
Key Lore & Background
Origins & History: Millions of years before human civilizations took root, the Serpent Men (or Ophidians) dominated the world.
Driven underground into the lightless caverns of the Inner Earth, they built dark, vertical enclaves. The domain of Thutothmes serves as a bastion for their lingering power and high-sorcery alchemy. The High Priest: The empire is ruled and guided by High Priest Thutothmes the Venom-Tongued, an ancient sorcerer-priest dedicated to the slithering primordial deities (such as Set or Yig).
Ideology: The Serpent Men view warm-blooded humans as invasive, inferior "chattel," livestock, or candidates for dark biological experimentation.
Their ultimate ambition is to tear down human kingdoms above and reclaim their ancient global dominion.
Species Traits & Mechanics (Siege Engine)
When running Serpent Men in Castles & Crusades, their stats and unique mechanical traits emphasize stealth, mind magic, and lethal ambush tactics:
Ancient Hatred: +1 bonus on attack rolls against human targets.
Cold Blooded: Takes +2 additional damage per die from cold-based magical attacks, but is immune to natural heat and desert exhaustion.
Telepathy: Lacking functional vocal cords, Serpent Men communicate silently via telepathy with any creature within 60 feet, and with their own kind up to 120 feet away (even through solid stone).
Mental Fortitude: Receives a +4 bonus on all Saving Throws against illusions, charms, and sleep magic due to their alien brain biology.
Mask of Humanity (Illusion): Common Serpent Men can cast a powerful, natural illusion to disguise themselves as tall, stiff-featured humans (e.g., Stygian or Hyborian noblemen) to infiltrate surface settlements.
Serpent Men Castes
1. Serpent Man Warrior (Rank-and-File)
HD: 4d8 (18 hp)
AC: 15 (Natural Scales & Bronze Shield)
Attacks: Scimitar (1d8) or Shortbow (1d6), plus Bite (1d4 + poison)
Special: Poison (Target must pass a CL 2 Constitution Save or suffer 1d4 extra poison damage and be Slowed for 1d6 rounds).
2. Shadow-Stalker (Elite Assassins & Temple Guards)
HD: 7d8 (32 hp)
AC: 17 (Natural Armor & Bracers)
Move: 40 ft., Swim 30 ft., Wall-climbing
Tactics: Thinner, darker-scaled, and capable of moving across stone ceilings without checks.
They drop down onto unsuspecting targets while Warriors engage the party front line.
3. High Priest Thutothmes (Boss Encounter)
Role: High Sorcerer / Cleric of the Serpent God.
Lair Abilities: Can invoke altar effects (e.g., the Idol of Set breathing dim green poisonous haze across the room, forcing a CL 12 Poison Save or inflicting a -2 penalty on all attack rolls).
Structure of the Empire / Dungeon Layout
Unlike wide surface cities, the strongholds of Thutothmes in the Inner Earth are constructed as vertical "wells" of shadow designed to filter out the weak:
The Vestibule of Scales: The entrance hall, guarded by disguised serpent statues that spring to life unless greeted with a secret ritual sign.
The Hall of Whispers: A room filled with telepathic echoes meant to confuse minds and turn party members against one another through distrust.
The Pit of the Sacred Brood: Deep breeding pits filled with swarms of venomous vipers and giant constrictors used to recycle prisoners.
The Alchemical Laboratory: Centers for dark science where Serpent Men brew extracts (such as Black Lotus Extract), distill neurotoxins, and construct strange alien artifacts.
The Inner Sanctum: A massive subterranean cathedral featuring giant golden serpent idols, green flame braziers, and the dais of High Priest Thutothmes.
Alien Treasure & Relics
Treasures found within the Empire of Thutothmes do not resemble standard fantasy magic items. They lean heavily into high-science fantasy and strange alchemy:
Venom Distillers: Mechanical alchemical rigs that produce potent nerve toxins.
The Thinking Jars: Alien brain-preservation jars that answer dark questions in exchange for a sacrifice of fresh blood.
Serpent-Glass Weapons: Blades that never dull and carry built-in reservoirs for coating edge weapons in neurotoxin.
ere is a d100 Random Table of Custom Serpent Man Artifacts and Magic Items specifically designed for Castles & Crusades (using the SIEGE Engine framework).
These items reflect the alien science, dark alchemy, bio-wizardry, and high-sorcery of the Empire of Thutothmes. Many items come with dangerous side effects or corruption risks for "warm-bloods" (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.) who dare to wield them.
d100 Serpent Man Artifacts & Magic Items
01–20: Bio-Weapons & Ophidian Armor
01–02: Venom-Glass Khopesh. A crystalline blade made of hardened green obsidian (+1 weapon). Inside the spine is a hollow reservoir holding 3 doses of contact poison. On a critical hit, it releases a dose automatically (CL 3 Con save or 2d6 poison damage).
03–04: Serpent-Scale Mail. Crafted from the shed hide of a giant subterranean viper (+2 Scale Mail, max Dex +4, no spell failure for Arcane classes). Grants resistance to non-magical poisons.
05–06: The Searing Whip of Yig. A whip made from dried serpent intestines (+1 whip). On a hit, target takes 1d3 lash damage + 1d6 acid damage. Warm-bloods wielding it take 1 acid damage every time they miss an attack roll.
07–08: Shield of the Screaming Cobra. A bronze shield adorned with a golden cobra head (+1 Heavy Shield). Once per day, as a free action, the cobra uncurls and emits a terrifying hiss (CL 4 Wis save for all foes within 30 ft or be Feared for 1d4 rounds).
09–10: Fang-Dagger of Thutothmes. A curved sacrificial dagger made from a dragon-viper tooth (+2 dagger). When used to perform a coup de grâce or sacrifice, it restores 1d8 HP or 1 spell slot (up to 3rd level) to the wielder.
11–12: Helm of the Scaled Sovereign. A bronze helmet shaped like an open-mouthed pit viper. Grants darkvision 90 ft and thermal vision (detects heat signatures of living creatures through walls up to 30 ft).
13–14: Viper-Bite Gauntlets. Heavy iron gauntlets terminating in brass snake heads. Unarmed strikes deal 1d6 piercing damage. Once per short rest, the gauntlets can latch onto an enemy (CL 3 Str save to escape), dealing 1d4 damage/round automatically.
15–16: Living Snake-Whip. A writhing, scaly whip that acts as a +1 weapon. On a grapple attempt, it wraps tightly around the target (CL 5 Str/Dex save to break free). The target is restrained until released or the whip is destroyed (AC 14, 15 HP).
17–18: Mantle of the Hydra-Skin. A heavy cloak woven from fibrous green reptilian leather. Grants +2 AC vs. ranged physical attacks and full immunity to acid damage, but renders the wearer vulnerable (+2 damage per die) to cold attacks.
19–20: Bone Needle of the Shadow-Stalker. A needle-thin blowgun dart carved from fossilized serpent ribs. It ignores non-magical armor. Targets hit must pass a CL 5 Con save or fall into a paralyzed stupor for 1 hour.
21–40: Strange Alchemy, Potion-Jars & Elixirs
21–22: Elixir of Cold Blood. A thick, viscous black draught. When consumed, the user becomes invisible to thermal vision/heat sensing and immune to tracking by scent for 12 hours. However, cold-based damage deals +2 damage per die while affected.
23–24: Extract of the Black Lotus. A potent alchemical dust. When thrown in a 10 ft cone, all warm-bloods must make a CL 4 Con save or fall unconscious for 2d4 rounds, experiencing terrifying visions of primordial swamps.
25–26: Serpent’s Milk Potion. A glowing milky liquid that restores 3d8+3 HP instantly. Non-serpent creatures who drink it must pass a CL 3 Con save or suffer nauseating scaly rashes (-1 to all Prime checks for 24 hours).
27–28: Vials of Acid-Slime (3). Flasks containing green digestive fluid. Thrown as splash weapons (20 ft range). Direct hit deals 3d6 acid damage; splashes deal 1d6 acid damage to all adjacent targets. It eats through wooden doors/locks in 1 round.
29–30: Phial of Shedding. Drinking this causes the user to painfully shed their skin over 1 full round. Removes all active non-magical diseases, poisons, paralysis, and ongoing burn/bleed effects, but leaves the user with a -1 AC penalty for 1d4 hours.
31–32: Potion of Hypnotic Gaze. For 1 hour after drinking, the user’s eyes become vertical slits. Once per round, they can attempt to hypnotize one target within 30 ft (CL 3 Wis save or Charmed for 10 minutes).
33–34: Dust of De-Hydration. A pouch of fine grey salt. When thrown at an ooze, aquatic creature, or warm-blood, it deals 4d6 damage (CL 4 Con save for half). When thrown into water, it instantly evaporates 1,000 gallons.
35–36: Venom-Laced Incense. A burner with 3 cones of black incense. When lit, fills a 30 ft room with thick purple haze. Serpent creatures are healed 1 HP/round inside the smoke; warm-bloods take 1d4 poison damage per round (CL 2 Con save negates).
37–38: Tincture of the Inner Eye. Expands mental perception. Drinking it allows the user to cast ESP at will for 10 minutes, but permanently tints their irises golden yellow.
39–40: Mutagenic Slime Jar. A sealed clay jar of green broth. If applied to a weapon, it permanently turns the weapon into an organic bone blade (+1 acid damage, weapon becomes organic and cannot be broken by normal means).
41–60: Rings, Amulets & Personal Ornaments
41–42: Ring of the Tongue. A silver band shaped like a coiled snake. Grants fluency in Snake-Tongue (Ophidian), Draconic, and Abyssal. Allows telepathic speech (range 30 ft).
43–44: Amulet of the Serpent-God. A heavy gold medallion set with two emerald eyes. Grants +2 bonus on all saving throws against Illusion, Charm, and Mind-Affecting magic.
45–46: Talisman of Slithering. When worn, the user can squeeze through tight spaces (as small as 6 inches wide) without slowing down or making checks, moving like a soft-bodied reptile.
47–48: Ring of Venom Immunity. Grants total immunity to all natural and magical poisons. If worn by a human for more than a month, their hair permanently falls out and skin becomes dry/scaly.
49–50: Brooch of the Shadow-Passage. Once per day, allows the wearer to step into a shadow and teleport up to 60 ft into another shadow (equivalent to Dimension Door).
51–52: Torque of the Pit Master. A brass neck torque that allows the wearer to command non-magical reptiles, snakes, and giant constrictors as if using Charm Monster at will (CL 5 save).
53–54: Scarab-Snake Pendant. When the wearer drops to 0 HP, the pendant shatters, instantly stabilizing them and restoring them to 1 HP while casting an obscure cloud of black smoke (20 ft radius).
55–56: Band of False Warmth. Conceals the wearer's true thermal signature and aura. Makes undead or cold-blooded creatures appear warm-blooded to magical detection, and vice versa.
57–58: Earring of Hissing Truths. Whispers warnings to the wearer. Grants a +2 bonus to Surprise checks and Armor Class against backstab/flanking attacks.
59–60: Ring of the Basilisks. Once per day, the user can turn their gaze into a petrifying beam for 1 round. Targeted creature within 30 ft must pass a CL 6 Con save or be permanently turned to stone.
61–80: Bio-Mechanics, Brain-Jars & Eldritch Tech
61–62: Brain-Preservation Jar. A crystal cylinder filled with green nutrient fluid containing an ancient Serpent Man brain. It can speak telepathically and possesses deep lore (+4 to Arcana/History checks when consulted), but demands secrets or blood sacrifices in exchange.
63–64: Focus Rod of the Splicer. A brass rod studded with rubies. Used in dark biromancy to alter living creatures. Allows the caster to cast Polymorph once per day, but only into reptilian or monstrous forms.
65–66: The Mind-Crystal of Thutothmes. A floating purple crystal. When held, it acts as a spell focus (+1 to spell save DCs for Arcane spells). Non-serpent wielders must make a CL 3 Wis save every morning or suffer -1 Intelligence (lasts until rested).
67–68: Alchemical Bio-Graft (Eye of the Viper). A preserved yellow eye. Can be surgically implanted into a living humanoid socket. Grants darkvision 120 ft and the ability to see through magical darkness, but causes -2 Charisma due to eerie appearance.
69–70: Serpent Glass Prism. A triangular crystal. When light shines through it, it projekts a projection of the Inner Earth's map. When used against illusion magic, it instantly dispels illusions up to 4th level.
71–72: Telepathic Relay Rod. A copper rod topped with a snake skull. Allows two users holding identical rods to communicate telepathically across any distance, even between the surface and Inner Earth.
73–74: Biomechanical Parasite (Skin-Melder). A metallic leech-like device. When attached to the spine, it grants +2 Constitution and regenerates 1 HP every 10 minutes, but permanently fuses to the nervous system.
75–76: Stasis Pod Key. A heavy lead key with ancient glyphs. Unlocks primordial stasis chambers in the deep vaults of Thutothmes to release ancient Serpent Man warriors from millennia-long slumber.
77–78: Sonic Hissing Wand. A wand made of hollow serpent bone. Discharges a high-frequency cone of sonic vibration (30 ft cone, 4d6 damage, CL 4 Con save for half and to avoid being Deafened for 1d6 rounds). 3d6 charges remain.
79–80: Matrix of the Mask. A small metallic box containing glowing illusion threads. Allows a Serpent Man to project a human disguise, or allows a human to project the disguise of an aristocratic Serpent Man noble (CL 5 Illusion).
81–99: Legendary Relics & Major Artifacts
81–82: Scepter of the Snake Kings. A massive gold scepter topped with a carved emerald cobra. Grants the wielder the ability to cast Dominate Person (CL 6) 3 times per day and Cloudkill (CL 6) once per day.
83–84: The Book of Eibon (Fragmented Serpent Edition). Heavy lead-bound tome written in Ophidian runes. Contains forgotten 6th, 7th, and 8th level arcane and cleric spells. Studying it requires a CL 6 Wis save to avoid gaining a form of permanent insanity.
85–86: Idol of the Slithering God. A 2-foot tall jade idol of Set/Yig. When blood is spilled on its altar, it sumons 1d4 Giant Constrictor Snakes or 1 Serpent Man Warrior to fight for the summoner for 1 hour.
87–88: Crown of Thutothmes. A crown of woven bronze snakes with glowing ruby eyes. The wearer is completely immune to mind-reading, charm, fear, and illusion magic. All Serpent Men recognize the wearer as a High Authority figure (requires a CL 8 Charisma check for a human to command them without revolt).
89–90: Blade of the First Age. An ancient broadsword made of a unknown black metal (+3 sword). Ignores non-magical armor and natural hide armor completely. Deals double damage against humanoids.
91–92: The Emerald Tablet of Yig. A heavy stone slab carved with pre-human secrets of alchemy. Allows a wizard or alchemist to create any standard potion in half the time and at 25% of the normal gold cost.
93–94: Orb of Subterranean Darkness. An obsidian sphere 6 inches across. When activated, it radiates a 60 ft radius aura of absolute magical Darkness and Silence that lasts for 1 hour. The wielder can see through it normally.
95–96: The Staff of the Seven Vipers. A wooden staff capped with seven intertwined snake heads. Each head can cast a different spell once per day: Cause Poison, Hold Person, Summon Swarm (Snakes), Dispel Magic, Blight, Sticks to Snakes, and Flesh to Stone.
97–98: The Vessel of Warm-Blood Harvesting. A large brass urn. When a living creature dies within 10 feet of it, its life essence is trapped inside. The soul can be consumed by a spellcaster to instantly recover up to 5 spell levels of expended slots.
99: The Primordial Codex. A massive stone-bound tome containing the true history of the Inner Earth and the birth of humanity. Reading it unlocks +1 permanent bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom, but the reader’s blood cools permanently (takes double cold damage forever).
100: The Apex Artifact
100: The Serpent Eye of Thutothmes. A fist-sized, pulsating emerald that glows with faint green light.
Powers: Acts as a Palantír / Scrying Device that can peer into any location in the Inner Earth or surface world without detection. Once per week, the wielder can open a rift in space (Gate) to summon a Primordial Serpent Avatar.
Curse: Any non-Serpent creature holding or attuning to the Eye must make a CL 10 Wisdom Save every week. Failure causes their body to slowly mutate—first losing body hair, then developing scales, and eventually transforming into a mind-controlled Serpent Man loyal to High Priest Thutothmes.
How to Implement in Castles & Crusades (SIEGE Engine)
Challenge Level (CL): When saving against an item's special effect, use the target's relevant Attribute (usually Constitution vs. Poison/Acid, Wisdom vs. Illusions/Mind Magic, Strength vs. Grapples). The CL noted in the entries adds directly to the base target number (12 for Prime, 18 for Non-Prime).
Warm-Blood Corruption: Serpent Man magic is alien, ancient, and biologically attuned to cold-blooded reptiles. Using these items frequently in your C&C campaign should carry thematic consequences, such as strange dreams, cold skin, or physical mutation over time!
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