Mummy (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
A mummy, in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, is an undead
creature whose corpse has been mummified
and animated, often through the power of an evil god of the Egyptian pantheon
such as Set
.
written by Gary Gygax
and published in 1977. Since then, the mummy has remained a fixture of the Dungeons & Dragons universe and has been represented in each subsequent edition.
Later versions of the game have presented mummy templates which can be applied to various creatures so that a Dungeon Master
can easily create, for example goblin
mummies, hydra
mummies, drider
mummies, or whatever.
(1974), where they were described as having a touch that causes a rotting disease.
#8 (August/September 1978). As part of his review, Turnbull comments on several monsters appearing in the book, noting that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics, and could now cause paralysis on sight (as a result of fear).
(1977), and Expert Set
(1981 & 1983). The mummy was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
The greater mummy first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991), and was reprinted in the Monstrous Manual.
The animal creature mummy and monster creature mummy were introduced in Monstrous Compendium Annual Two (1995).
The bog mummy appears in Requiem: The Grim Harvest
(1996) for the Ravenloft
campaign setting, and then in Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998). A different bog mummy appeared in Dragon #238 (August 1997), along with the ice mummy.
The mummy undead dragon appears in Dragon #234 (October 1996).
The greater mummy appears in Deities and Demigods (2001).
The mummy was detailed in Dragon #300 (October 2002), in the "Ecology of the Mummy". The mummified creature template appeared in the same issue of Dragon, and included the mummified ogre as a sample creature. This issue also featured the bog mummy, the clay mummy, and the ice mummy.
Savage Species (2003) presented the mummy as both a race and a playable class, and reprinted the mummified creature template.
The mummy was presented as a player character class in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead
(2004). The mummified creature template was again featured in this book, along with the mummified ogre sample creature.
The salt mummy appears in Monster Manual III (2004). The web mummy tomb spider template appears in Monster Manual IV (2006).
-like rotting curse called "mummy rot". They often inhabit great tombs or temple complexes, destroying would-be grave robbers. Mummies are usually lawful evil in alignment
.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, is an undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
creature whose corpse has been mummified
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
and animated, often through the power of an evil god of the Egyptian pantheon
Egyptian pantheon
The Egyptian pantheon consisted of the many gods worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians. A number of major deities are addressed as the creator of the cosmos. These include Atum, Ra, Amun and Ptah amongst others, as well as composite forms of these gods such as Amun-Ra. This was not seen as...
such as Set
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
.
Publication history
The mummy was included in earliest Dungeons and Dragons boxed games as well as the original Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
written by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and published in 1977. Since then, the mummy has remained a fixture of the Dungeons & Dragons universe and has been represented in each subsequent edition.
Later versions of the game have presented mummy templates which can be applied to various creatures so that a Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
can easily create, for example goblin
Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)
The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...
mummies, hydra
Hydra (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the hydra is a reptilian magical beast that has anywhere from five to twelve heads.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
mummies, drider
Drider
In the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game, a drider is an aberration that was formerly a drow . Driders are centaur-like creatures in the game, appearing as drow from the waist up, with their lower portions replaced by the abdomen and legs of immense spiders. They are most commonly found in the...
mummies, or whatever.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The mummy was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974), where they were described as having a touch that causes a rotting disease.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The mummy appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as an undead human that retains a semblance of life and seeks to destroy living things. The Monster Manual was reviewed by Don Turnbull in the British magazine White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
#8 (August/September 1978). As part of his review, Turnbull comments on several monsters appearing in the book, noting that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics, and could now cause paralysis on sight (as a result of fear).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the mummy, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic SetDungeons & Dragons Basic Set
The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...
(1977), and Expert Set
Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981 & 1983). The mummy was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)
The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons Game is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991....
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The mummy appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The greater mummy first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991), and was reprinted in the Monstrous Manual.
The animal creature mummy and monster creature mummy were introduced in Monstrous Compendium Annual Two (1995).
The bog mummy appears in Requiem: The Grim Harvest
Requiem: The Grim Harvest
Requiem: The Grim Harvest is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996....
(1996) for the Ravenloft
Ravenloft
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called domains brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark...
campaign setting, and then in Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998). A different bog mummy appeared in Dragon #238 (August 1997), along with the ice mummy.
The mummy undead dragon appears in Dragon #234 (October 1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The mummy appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).The greater mummy appears in Deities and Demigods (2001).
The mummy was detailed in Dragon #300 (October 2002), in the "Ecology of the Mummy". The mummified creature template appeared in the same issue of Dragon, and included the mummified ogre as a sample creature. This issue also featured the bog mummy, the clay mummy, and the ice mummy.
Savage Species (2003) presented the mummy as both a race and a playable class, and reprinted the mummified creature template.
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The mummy appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003), along with the mummy lord.The mummy was presented as a player character class in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead
Libris Mortis
Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead is a book which is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game...
(2004). The mummified creature template was again featured in this book, along with the mummified ogre sample creature.
The salt mummy appears in Monster Manual III (2004). The web mummy tomb spider template appears in Monster Manual IV (2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The mummy appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).Description
A mummy causes fear in the living by its sight, and any creature it touches is affected by a quick-acting leprosyLeprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
-like rotting curse called "mummy rot". They often inhabit great tombs or temple complexes, destroying would-be grave robbers. Mummies are usually lawful evil in alignment
Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....
.
Variant mummies and mummy-like creatures
- Bog Mummy - corpses preserved through the natural action of bogs or swamps and animated through evil magic
- Clay Mummy - Unlike standard mummies, clay mummies are vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons rather than fire.
- Greater Mummy:The Greater mummy of the Dungeons and Dragons game is an undeadUndead (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
mummifiedMummyA mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
divine spellcasterSpells of Dungeons & DragonsMagic of Dungeons & Dragons consists of spells used in the settings of the role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons . There is little if any similarity between these fictional spells and any actual historical mythology. D&D defined the genre of fantasy role-playing games, and remains the most...
, often a priest of an evil god of the Egyptian pantheonEgyptian pantheonThe Egyptian pantheon consisted of the many gods worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians. A number of major deities are addressed as the creator of the cosmos. These include Atum, Ra, Amun and Ptah amongst others, as well as composite forms of these gods such as Amun-Ra. This was not seen as...
such as SetSet (mythology)Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
. More powerful than a typical mummy, greater mummies are similar to lichesLich (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, as they are both powerful undead spellcasterSpellcasterA spellcaster in role-playing games refers to a creature capable of casting magic spells.See also:*Mage *Magician , a practitioner of magic as portrayed in works of fiction...
s. In appearance, greater mummies are typically indistinguishable from typical mummies except for their priestly garb which is often rich, though decayed, and usually including their divine patron's unholy symbol.
- Hunefer - the mummies of demigods whose power has not utterly departed to astral realms
- Huecuva - created from divine or oathbound creatures who have failed in their vows
- Ice Mummy - A creature that succumbs to an ice mummy's rot freezes and shatters, melting into nothing at the first thaw.
- Mummy lord - Mummy lords are often potent spellcasters. They are found as guardians of the tombs of high lords, priests, and mages. Most are sworn to defend for eternity the resting place of those whom they served in life, but in some cases a mummy lord's unliving state is the result of a terrible curse or rite designed to punish treason, infidelity, or crimes of an even more abhorrent nature. A mummy lord of this sort is usually imprisoned in a tomb that is never meant to be opened again.
- Crawling Apocalypse - a creature that resembles a giant mummified octopus
- Salt Mummy- ancient corpses of humanoids preserved by being buried in salt. Salt mummies were very evil when they were alive.
Additional reading
- Cagle, Eric, Jesse DeckerJesse Decker-Biography:Decker began playing Dungeons & Dragons in 1983 during recess at his elementary school. During the summer of 1996, he began doing "temp work" for Wizards of the Coast, before returning to finish college that fall. After finishing college, he returned to Wizards of the Coast, where he...
, James Jacobs, Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James WyattJames Wyatt (game designer)James Wyatt is a game designer and a former United Methodist minister. He works for Wizards of the Coast, where he has designed several award-winning supplements and adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
. Fiend FolioFiend FolioFiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2003).