If there's one monster who's portrayal in DnD has always frustrated me, its the mummy. Egyptian legends about the living dead or so rich and inspirational, its almost amazing how much it gets ignored. DnD's mummies have generally been of the Hollywood variety; slow, shambling zombies that eat brains and are animated by evil gods. Here is my own take on this misunderstood creature.
...
Some places are so important that there are those willing to defend it even after death. The vaults of the most sacred treasures and prisons of the most terrifying horrors are guarded by mummies; mortal men and women who underwent a necromantic process so they could defend their charges for eternity. Mummies spend centuries or milennia dead, their spirits inhabiting the afterlife while their bodies are protected from decay by chemicals and spells. When their tomb is disturbed, however, the ancient defenses activate, and the mummies' spirits return to their preserved bodies and reanimate them to deal with the intruders.
Unlike most undead, mummies are sound of mind while awake, and can be spoken to and reasoned with like any sentient being. Of course, anyone who would volunteer to become a mummy is bound to be extremely - perhaps fanatically - loyal to their cause, and talking such a being down is unlikely to be easy.
Mummy Lore (Religion, History)
DC 15: Some ancient, magically adept societies have left mummified corpses to protect places of great sanctity or danger. These undead are said to sleep for ages until someone violates their dwelling place, at which point they awaken armed with strange and otherworldly powers.
DC 20: The same spells that allow the mummy's spirit to defy the laws of life and death also grant it some amount of power over the forces of fate and creation. The touch of a mummy can cause misfortune to befall their enemies, and the more powerful among them can even bestow a rude semblence of life to inanimate objects. The spells that animate the mummies are so powerful, that they can continue reviving it unless the body is burned or dismembered. Unlike most undead, mummies are as sane and intelligent as they were in life, and speak the same languages that they knew before.
DC 25: While most mummies are made from willing volunteers, some can punish would-be invaders by turning them into lesser mummies and forcing them to aid in the eternal vigil. Ancient history speaks of some mummy tomb-kings who were eventually corrupted by their power over others, and rose from their sacred vaults to conquer empires among the living.
Mummified Beast (Level 9 Skirmisher) (400 XP)
Medium Immortal Beast (undead)
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Initiative +11
Perception +11
HP 88;
Bloodied 44
AC 23
Fortitude 21
Reflex 22
Will 20
Speed 7;
climb 7 (spider climb)
Resist necrotic and radiant 15
Immune poison
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Standard Actions
-
basic melee attack
Claw (at will):
One target within 1; +14 vs. AC; 2d8+5 damage and target receives a -2 penalty to Escape checks until the end of the encounter.
-
Pounce (at will):
If it hits with a charge attack, the beast knocks its target prone and grabs it.
-
Death from Above (at will):
If the beast is on a ceiling or wall directly above an enemy, it can drop down on it and make the following attack; +14 vs. Reflex; 3d8+5 damage and target is knocked prone, grabbed, and recieves a -2 penalty to Escape checks until the end of the encounter. If the attack misses, the beast lands in the nearest vacant square to the target.
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Immediate Actions
-
Revive (recharge 6):
If the mummy is reduced to zero hit points, make a recharge roll on its initiative each turn. If it rolls a 6, the mummy gets back up at bloodied. If the mummy is reduced to 0 hp by an attack that deals fire damage, or if it receives a
coup de grace while on the ground, this ability is lost. A
Religion or
Arcana check (DC 24) performed on the fallen mummy as a standard action can also prevent its revival.
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Alignment unaligned
Languages -
Str 16 (+7)
Con 16 (+7)
Dex 20 (+9)
Int 2 (+0)
Wis 14 (+6)
Cha 10 (+4)
Tame guard animals, such as hounds, apes, and large cats, are often mummified alongside their masters. These creatures are as loyal in death as they were in life, and are used by the smarter mummies to search out and ambush the intruders.
Combat
Mummified beasts prefer to move across the walls and ceilings until they get into position above the enemy, making Stealth checks to remain hidden until they can use
Death from Above in the surprise round. Once on the ground, they simply
Claw and
Pounce on the enemy, trying to tear it to shreds as quickly as possible.
Guardian Mummy (Level 11 Soldier) (600 XP)
Medium Immortal Humanoid (undead)
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Initiative +6
Perception +12
HP 93;
Bloodied 46
AC 25
Fortitude 24
Reflex 20
Will 22
Speed 6
Resist necrotic and radiant 15
Immune poison
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Passive Abilities
-
Aura of Foreboding
aura 5; enemies within the area must spend one extra square of movement for every square they move or shift away from the mummy.
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Standard Actions
-
basic melee attack
Cursed Slam (at will):
One target within 1; +16 vs. AC; 2d8+5 damage and target receives a -5 penalty to the next attack roll, skill check, or saving throw it makes. This effect is cumulative (if a character is hit by two
cursed slams, he receives a -10 penalty to his next roll).
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Immediate Actions
-
Revive (recharge 6):
If the mummy is reduced to zero hit points, make a recharge roll on its initiative each turn. If it rolls a 6, the mummy gets back up at bloodied. If the mummy is reduced to 0 hp by an attack that deals fire damage, or if it receives a
coup de grace while on the ground, this ability is lost. A
Religion or
Arcana check (DC 26) performed on the fallen mummy as a standard action can also prevent its revival.
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Alignment unaligned
Languages Common
Str 20 (+10)
Con 20 (+10)
Dex 8 (+4)
Int 12 (+6)
Wis 14 (+7)
Cha 16 (+8)
Most mummies were loyal soldiers and guardsmen in life, and continue to fight in an organized fashion with their undead powers. A guardian mummy is usually a large, imposing corpse, clad from head to toe in a thick layer of bandages and wrappings inscribed with divine script.
Combat
The mummy's
Aura of Foreboding prevents enemies from dancing around it, ensuring that the mummy can pound the miscreants with
Cursed Slam every round. Multiple guardian mummies will attempt to flank and focus their attacks on the most dangerous opponent, their cumulative
Cursed Slams causing fortune to turn against it and minimizing its threat. The mummies know that they can be endlessly
Revived, and are thus completely fearless.
Mummy Warrior (Level 11 Minion Brute) (150 XP)
Medium Immortal Humanoid (undead)
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Initiative +4
Perception +5
HP 1; a minion is never damaged by an attack that misses.
AC 23
Fortitude 24
Reflex 18
Will 21
Speed 6
Resist necrotic and radiant 15
Immune poison
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Standard Actions
-
basic melee attack
Cursed Slam (at will):
One target within 1; +16 vs. AC; 12 damage and target becomes
vulnerable 5 to the attacks of other Mummy Warriors until the end of its next turn.
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Immediate Actions
-
Revive (recharge 6):
If the mummy is reduced to zero hit points, make a recharge roll on its initiative each turn. If it rolls a 6, the mummy gets back up with 1 hp. If the mummy is reduced to 0 hp by an attack that deals fire damage, or if it receives a
coup de grace while on the ground, this ability is lost. A
Religion or
Arcana check (DC 26) performed on the fallen mummy as a standard action can also prevent its revival.
____________
Alignment unaligned
Languages Common
Str 20 (+10)
Con 20 (+10)
Dex 8 (+4)
Int 8 (+4)
Wis 10 (+5)
Cha 14 (+7)
Buried along with the greater mummies are a gaggle of criminals, slaves, or other such undesirables to serve as dumb canon fodder. These corpses are flimsily wrapped, with exposed bone and dry, leathery skin showing between their bandages. Mummy warriors are slow witted and servile; either their cut-price animation spells leave them muddled, or they were never very bright to begin with.
Combat
On their own, these undead dregs use little in the way of tactics, simply mobbing the intruders and focusing their attacks on one or two enemies at a time in the hopes of bringing them down with no regard for their own safety. Mummy warriors are very obedient though, and will obey the tactical commands of Guardians, Templars, and Tomb Kings. The presence of such a commander makes the warriors much more organized and dangerous; often, they are ordered to stand between the intruders and the greater mummies to shield the latter with their bodies, or to soften the enemy up with C
ursed Slams in advance of more powerful attacks.
Mummy Templar (Level 13 Controller (leader)) (800 XP)
Medium Immortal Humanoid (undead)
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Initiative +9
Perception +10
HP 106
Bloodied 53
AC 27
Fortitude 26
Reflex 24
Will 25
Speed 6
Resist necrotic and radiant 15
Immune poison
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Standard Actions
-
basic melee attack
Cursed Blade (at will):
One target within 1; +18 vs. AC; 2d10+7 damage and target receives a -5 penalty to the next attack roll, skill check, or saving throw it makes. This effect is cumulative (if a character is hit by two
cursed blades, he receives a -10 penalty to his next roll).
-
basic melee attack
Wrappings (at will):
Requires combat advantage; target must be bloodied; targets one enemy within 1; +18 vs. Reflex; target is
restrained and takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends). If the target fails its save, it is
stunned rather than
restrained. If it fails a second save, it becomes a Mummy Warrior and acts after the Templar's next turn.
-
Bestow Life Force (encounter):
Targets one adjacent ally; target spends a healing surge and regains one quarter of its maximum hit points.
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Move Actions
-
Flutter of Wrappings (at will):
The mummy templar or one of its allied mummies of the same or lower level within 10 squares becomes intangible, shifts 6 squares, and then becomes tangible again.
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Immediate Actions
-
Fluttering Retreat (reaction; when reduced to 0 hp):
The templar becomes intangible, shifts 6 squares, and then becomes tangible again.
-
Revive (recharge 6):
If the mummy is reduced to zero hit points, make a recharge roll on its initiative each turn. If it rolls a 6, the mummy gets back up at bloodied. If the mummy is reduced to 0 hp by an attack that deals fire damage, or if it receives a
coup de grace while on the ground, this ability is lost. A
Religion or
Arcana check (DC 28) performed on the fallen mummy as a standard action can also prevent its revival.
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Alignment unaligned
Languages Common
Str 22 (+12)
Con 20 (+11)
Dex 16 (+9)
Int 16 (+9)
Wis 18 (+10)
Cha 16 (+9)
Priests, paladins, and other such prestigious individuals are given more elaborate mummifications that grant them more power over the forces of life and death. Mummy templars are usually covered in gold and jewelry, and may wear elaborate armor or clothing over their wrappings. Unlike lesser mummies, they wield enchanted weapons into battle. A mummy templar is often the master of a small complex, or else the lieutenant of a Tomb King in a larger necropolis. Mummified beasts, warriors, and guardians recognize them as masters, and obey them. If one were to attempt diplomacy with the mummies, it is most often a Templar who speaks on the undeads' behalf.
Most importantly, mummy templars have the power to repair and reanimate other mummies who have been destroyed in battle; even ones who have been burned, disenchanted, or completely dismembered. This process requires several hours or days of work, and access to certain materials; the tomb complex will usually have a storehouse full of spare wrappings, magical inks, and divine relics that allow the templar to continually revive its underlings. Frighteningly, a templar can also transform its defeated enemies into additional mummy warriors, improving the defenses with each failed invasion.
Combat
The Templar wades into battle, commanding lesser mummies to mob and lock down the hardier opponents so it can quickly slay the more vulnerable ones and turn them into more Mummy Warriors with its
Cursed Blade and
Wrappings attacks. Whenever an enemy falls below bloodied, the Templar will approach it and use
Wrappings in hopes of converting it. When reduced to zero hit points, the Templar transforms into a flying swarm of cloth and bandages, making a
Fluttering Retreat away from the enemy so that it can
Revive in a safe position without fear of being
coup de graced. The templar will usually use
Bestow Life Force on a wounded beast or guardian, unless there are other templars or tomb kings on the battlefield.
Mummy Tomb King (Level 15 Elite Controller (leader)) (2,400 XP)
Medium Immortal Humanoid (undead)
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Initiative +9
Perception +10
HP 232
Bloodied 116
AC 31
Fortitude 30
Reflex 27
Will 31
Speed 6
Resist necrotic and radiant 20
Immune poison
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Passive Abilities
-
Material Aegis
Aura 10; enemies within the aura who have stolen something from the tomb lord's crypt receive a -1 penalty to all defenses.
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Standard Actions
-
basic melee attack
Cursed Scepter (at will):
One target within 1; +20 vs. AC; 3d6+7 normal and necrotic damage and target is
immobilized (save ends).
-
Destroy Him! (recharge 4, 5, 6):
Target must be
immobilized. +20 vs. AC; 3d6+7 normal and necrotic damage and target is pushed 2 squares. Any allied mummies adjacent to the target's new location then make a melee basic attack against it.
-
Judgement (encounter; recharge when first bloodied):
Close blast 3, targets enemies; +18 vs. Reflex; 3d8+7 radiant damage and target receives a -1 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the tomb lord's next turn. If the target has stolen anything from the tomb lord's crypt, it also takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage and is
blinded (save ends both).
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Minor Actions
-
Channel Life Force (at will):
A small object (usually a weapon, like a sword) floats up into the air and begins moving. The object has 1 hp and the same defenses as the tomb lord. As a minor action, the tomb lord can make it hover up to 6 squares, or command it to make the following attack; melee basic, targets one enemy within 1; +20 vs. AC; 1d10+5 damage. The object can also make opportunity attacks. If the object is destroyed, the tomb lord can animate another one on its next turn.
-
Renounce Life Force (once per round; at will):
range 10; +18 vs. Fortitude; target takes 1d10+5 necrotic damage and is
weakened (save ends).
-
Ressurect Minion (once per round; at will):
close burst 10; a slain, allied mummy within 10 squares recharges its
Revive ability and uses it immediately. This does not work on mummy's that have been killed by fire or
coup de grace'd.
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Immediate Actions
-
Guarded Slumber (reaction; when reduced to 0 hp):
An animated object (see
Channel Life Force above) appears above the mummy's remains and guards it from attackers. Any attempt by an adjacent enemy to harm the mummy provokes an opportunity attack from the blade. If the object is destroyed, another will appear at the beginning of the tomb lord's next turn.
-
Revive (recharge 6):
If the mummy is reduced to zero hit points, make a recharge roll on its initiative each turn. If it rolls a 6, the mummy gets back up at bloodied. If the mummy is reduced to 0 hp by an attack that deals fire damage, or if it receives a
coup de grace while on the ground, this ability is lost. A
Religion or
Arcana check (DC 30) performed on the fallen mummy as a standard action can also prevent its revival.
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Alignment unaligned
Languages Common
Str 20 (+10)
Con 20 (+10)
Dex 8 (+4)
Int 8 (+4)
Wis 10 (+5)
Cha 14 (+7)
The mightiest of all mummies, Tomb Kings were legendary heroes or rulers in life, and have been granted similar power in the afterlife as long as they defend their sacred charges. Clad in layers of ornate clothing, armor, and bandages of gold and gemstones, Tomb Kings fearlessly approach intruders and demand that they prostrate themselves before explaining what fool's errand brings them into the Tomb King's domain. Such individuals had best have a very good explanation prepared.
If a Tomb King can be befriended, it proves an invaluable ally. In addition to the armies of undead (and, in some cases, entombed riches) at its disposal, Tomb Kings are a wealth of knowledge about the ancient world they once lived in, and can provide all manner of little-known lore and information. Through a complex and difficult ritual, some Tomb Kings can even empower themselves and their minions to leave their sacred ward for a time and pursue objectives in the sunlit world of the living. Be warned, however; there's no telling how long its been since the Tomb King last awoke from its slumber, and it may be out of touch with modern society and more recent history.
Like their Templar lieutenants, the Tomb Kings can - with time and effort - restore even completely destroyed mummies to unlife.
Combat
Like any king, this undead monarch never fights without an army at its side. They immediately know, if anyone in their presence has stolen from their ward, and their
Material Aegis aura makes the robbers regret their decision. The Tomb King lays about with its
Cursed Scepter,
immobilizing any enemies within reach while spending its minor actions to use
Renounce Life Force on more distant opponents. Whenever
Destroy Him! recharges, the Tomb King will use it to knock an
immobilized foe into the midst of the king's minions, where the unfortunate individual is quickly torn apart. If possible, the Tomb King will find a place in the middle of the battlefield and stay put, so that it can use its minor and move actions to cast
Renounce Life Force,
Channel Life Force,
and
Resurrect Minion every round, making it impossible for the enemy to make any progress in the battle. Due to its
Guarded Slumber ability, even an unconscious Tomb King can defend itself until it
Revives.
Encounter Groups
Mummies are designed to form a diverse and interesting series of encounters on their own. However, one could easily imagine their ward's defenses incorporating other undead and constructs, all loyal to the Mummy Templars or Tomb King.
Crypt Things are a likely choice, being around the same level as mummies and having a similar purpose and disposition; in fact, Crypt Things are so conceptually similar to mummies that you might as well give them the mummy's
Revive ability and dress them in bandages themselves! Theoretically, any mindless undead or construct of upper heroic to low paragon level should fit in just fine in a mummy encounter.
