NPC Profile: High Priest Thutothmes the Venom-Tongued
Thutothmes is a Lord of the Black Ring and a direct conduit to the will of Father Set. Unlike the brutish warriors of the cult, Thutothmes is a master of biological warfare, chemical manipulation, and the slow, psychological erosion of his enemies. He does not just kill; he unmasks the "inner serpent" within his victims. This blog post picks right up from here on the blog.
The Basics
Archetype: Stygian Sorcerer-Priest / Grand Inquisitor
Visuals: He is unnervingly tall and gaunt, with skin the color of polished mahogany. He wears robes of pleated black silk that move like liquid. His most striking feature is his eyes—gold with vertical slits—and the fact that he never seems to blink.
The "Tell": When he speaks, his voice has a dual resonance, as if a human and a cobra were whispering the same words in unison.
Combat & Abilities
Thutothmes avoids direct physical confrontation, preferring to use his "living environment" to fight for him.
Hypnotic Gaze: Once per encounter, Thutothmes can lock eyes with a target. The target must succeed on a Will/Wisdom Save (DC 17) or become paralyzed with a vision of a giant serpent devouring the world for 1d4 rounds.
The Serpent’s Breath: He can exhale a 15ft cone of toxic green gas. Those caught inside must save or be blinded and take ongoing poison damage.
Shadow-Step: He can dissolve into a pile of writhing vipers and reform up to 30ft away as a move action, making him incredibly difficult to corner.
Weapon: The Fang of Set — A sacrificial khopesh coated in a permanent paralytic venom. A single scratch can freeze a man's heart.
Personality & Goals
Motive: He is currently obsessed with retrieving the Emerald Scarab (or whatever relic the party has found). He views the party not as thieves, but as "sacrificial couriers" who have done the hard work of bringing the item to him.
Temperament: Cold, patient, and arrogantly polite. He will often offer the party a "mercy"—the chance to join the cult as slaves rather than being fed to the temple pits.
Secret: Thutothmes is terrified of fire. It is the only thing that reminds him of his mortality and the heat of the sun he has long since forsaken.
Dialogue Hooks
"Why struggle, little ape? Your skin is already tight, your blood already cooling. The Serpent does not hunt you... he simply waits for you to stop moving."
"You speak of 'morality' while you carry a heart of meat that will rot in a decade. I serve that which was here before the first star, and will be here after the last one flickers out."
In Castles & Crusades, the High Priest Thutothmes is a formidable adversary, functioning as a high-level Cleric (Priest of Set) with several unique "Sorcerous" traits typical of Stygian villains in the Hyborian Age.
High Priest Thutothmes the Venom-Tongued
Level 12 Cleric (Set)
Alignment: Evil
HP: 68 | AC: 19 (Bracers of Defense + Scale Mail of Shadows)
Move: 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 12 (+0) | 16 (+2) | 14 (+1) | 17 (+2)* | 18 (+3)* | 15 (+1) |
| *Denotes Prime Attributes |
Combat Stats
Attack (The Fang of Set): +11 To Hit (1d8+1 damage + Paralysis)
Saves: Physical 15, Mental 18 (includes level and attribute bonuses)
Special Attacks:
The Fang of Set: On a successful hit, the victim must make a CL 12 Constitution Save. Failure results in paralysis for 1d6 turns.
Hypnotic Gaze: Instead of attacking, Thutothmes can target one creature within 30ft. CL 12 Wisdom Save or be Stunned for 1d4 rounds by terrifying visions.
Serpent Breath (1/day): Exhales a 15ft cone of toxic gas. CL 12 Constitution Save or take 6d6 poison damage (half on success).
Special Abilities
Turn/Command Undead: As a 12th level Cleric, Thutothmes commands the dead (typically mummies and skeletons) with ease.
Shedding the Mortal Coil: When reduced to 0 HP, Thutothmes does not die instantly. His body bursts into a Swarm of Poisonous Snakes. If even one snake escapes, he can be resurrected via a dark ritual within 13 days.
Speak with Serpents: At will, as per the spell.
Spells Typically Prepared
(C&C Cleric Spell Slots: 6/6/5/4/4/2)
Level 1: Cause Fear, Curse, Darkness, Detect Good, Invisibility to Animals (Serpents only), Sanctuary.
Level 2: Hold Person, Enthrall, Darkness 15' Radius, Silence, Spiritual Weapon (appears as a ghostly cobra).
Level 3: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Speak with Dead.
Level 4: Fear, Poison, Tongues, Divination.
Level 5: Flame Strike (reflavored as Cold/Necrotic), Insect Plague (Serpents), True Seeing.
Level 6: Blade Barrier, Word of Recall.
Loot & Gear
The Fang of Set: A +1 Khopesh of Paralyzing.
Staff of the Viper: Functions as a Staff of the Adder (as per the C&C Monsters & Treasure guide).
Black Lotus Extract (3 doses): Can be applied to weapons or used to heighten spells (increases CL by +2 for one casting, but requires a Con save to avoid 1d4 Int damage).
Signet of the Black Ring: A heavy onyx ring that allows the wearer to cast Command (serpents only) at will.
Roleplaying Thutothmes in C&C
In Castles & Crusades, the "Challenge Level" (CL) is king. When the party faces him, remind them that his Challenge Base is 18 for Mental saves. He will use Silence to shut down enemy wizards and Hold Person to pick off the fighters, all while his serpent thralls provide a meat shield.
In the Howardian tradition, the Crawling Curse is less a disease and more a slow, agonizing transformation—the spiritual and physical reclamation of a mortal soul by the Father of Serpents. It is typically triggered by desecrating a shrine or stealing a "Sacred Beetle" (the Emerald Scarab).
The Crawling Curse
The victim begins to feel a phantom itching beneath their skin, as if thousands of tiny hatchlings are squirming through their veins. Over several days, their humanity sloughs off in dry, papery flakes, replaced by the cold, alien nature of the Great Serpent.
Mechanical Effects (Universal/d20 System)
Type: Curse (Magical/Biological)
Saving Throw: DC 15 Constitution or Wisdom (depending on if the character resists with grit or sheer will).
| Stage | Timeframe | Effect |
| Stage 1 | 12 Hours | The Itch: The victim suffers a -2 penalty to Dexterity checks as their skin becomes dry and brittle. They find themselves compulsively seeking heat and sunlight. |
| Stage 2 | 24 Hours | Cold Blood: The victim's heart rate slows. They take double damage from Cold, and their pupils begin to slit. They gain a -4 penalty to Charisma as they lose the ability to smile or show human emotion. |
| Stage 3 | 48 Hours | The Shedding: Patches of skin fall away to reveal fine, iridescent scales. The victim loses the ability to speak clearly (speaking only in sibilant hisses). They gain Darkvision (60ft) but suffer Disadvantage on all rolls made in direct sunlight. |
| Stage 4 | 72 Hours | Full Transformation: The victim's mind snaps. They become a Giant Poisonous Snake (or a Snake-Man NPC) under the control of the GM. They are now a loyal thrall of Set. |
How to Break the Curse
The Crawling Curse cannot be cured by standard medicine. To break it, the victim must:
Restitution: Return the stolen item to the specific tomb or altar from which it was taken.
Blood Ritual: Bathe in the blood of a freshly slain serpent of at least Large size while a priest of a rival deity (like Mitra or Ibis) performs an exorcism.
Sorcerous Intervention: Cast a Remove Curse or Restoration spell, but only after the victim has spent 1 hour in complete darkness, symbolizing their refusal to "see" Set's light.
"The skin on his forearm did not bleed when it tore; it peeled away like a discarded glove, revealing the shimmering, emerald scales of the thing he was becoming." — The Chronicles of the Serpent Tomb
