Thulsa Doom

[The King]

Just a question: if you'd have a guy like Thulsa Doom in your game (the one from the Kull stories, not from the Conan movie), how would you define him?
As a demon sorcerer or more like an undead, say a lich ?(something like Acererak from the AD&D Return to the tomb of horrors campaign).

 

[Majestic7]

Lich would make a nice reoccurring villain, as killing him would not be enough - he'd just reassemble after a period of time near his phylactery. Somehow I've been thinking of a twist for Thulsa Doom - it is mentioned that he has face of a skull. What if the "real" Thulsa Doom is a skull-like mask that possesses body of the human being that wears the mask? That could be an interesting way to add continuity and reoccurance to the character, while not using something as fantasy cliche as a lich.

 

[Trodax]

What if the "real" Thulsa Doom is a skull-like mask that possesses body of the human being that wears the mask? That could be an interesting way to add continuity and reoccurance to the character, while not using something as fantasy cliche as a lich.

That's a cool idea that I'll probably steal sometime!

 

[B_Steele]

Or...start the villain off as a normal sorcerer. Have the PCs off him dramatically, then have him RETURN as a demonic host!




-Bry

 

[Majestic7]

What if the "real" Thulsa Doom is a skull-like mask that possesses body of the human being that wears the mask? That could be an interesting way to add continuity and reoccurance to the character, while not using something as fantasy cliche as a lich.

That's a cool idea that I'll probably steal sometime!

It is even more fun when a player characters picks up the mask and ends up being possessed - especially if you then let the same player play Thulsa for a while, so that the other guys don't realize so soon what has happened. I guess he would need to be weakened for some time after a new possession to give a reason for him to tag along with the group for a while.

 

[thulsa]

if you then let the (...) player play Thulsa for a while

Nooooo!

- thulsa

 

[The King]

It is even more fun when a player characters picks up the mask and ends up being possessed - especially if you then let the same player play Thulsa for a while, so that the other guys don't realize so soon what has happened. I guess he would need to be weakened for some time after a new possession to give a reason for him to tag along with the group for a while.

This is more an Earthdawn plot that one Conan one.

 

[Aholibamah]

Not necessarily. Cursed magic happens in some of the tales. It would be an Earthdawn plot if the rest of the campaign were about a creeping doom that fed upon the growing terror of the group and everyone they met.

 

[The King]

I didn't meant because of cursed magic but rather because of the PC group infiltrated by an evil mind.

 

[Majestic7]

I didn't meant because of cursed magic but rather because of the PC group infiltrated by an evil mind.

Umm, so a Valusian snakeman eating one of the characters, taking his form and his place would not be Conan? I must disagree. However, everyone plays and leads their games as their wish. Arguing over what is "Conan" and what is not is fruitless.

 

[The King]

I didn't meant because of cursed magic but rather because of the PC group infiltrated by an evil mind.

Umm, so a Valusian snakeman eating one of the characters, taking his form and his place would not be Conan? I must disagree. However, everyone plays and leads their games as their wish. Arguing over what is "Conan" and what is not is fruitless.

As I said we were talking of mind rather than physical foe (even if he has a mind). Moreover there is a sentence that has much effect against serpentmen that many knows.

 

[Strom]

Arguing over what is "Conan" and what is not is fruitless.

It's not fruitless. There are debates all the time on what is Conan. Mongoose has demonstrated the ability to capture what is Conan in an RPG based on REH's Conan stories. It's okay to say - that's not Conan. Tolkienites do it all the time, dismissing what doesn't work with Middle Earth - yet the Hyborian Age can't be as distinctive? Some things work, some things don't - just like in Middle Earth. Or Babylon 5. It's okay to realize that. :wink:

BTW - I agree your cool Thulsa idea would be a great Hyborian Age adventure, especially if you worked Kull into it indirectly from an old Atlantean scroll/book. 8)

 

[VincentDarlage]

Just a question: if you'd have a guy like Thulsa Doom in your game (the one from the Kull stories, not from the Conan movie), how would you define him?
As a demon sorcerer or more like an undead, say a lich ?(something like Acererak from the AD&D Return to the tomb of horrors campaign).

At the very least he is a very Corrupt sorcerer, if not actually undead.

I think Thulsa Doom could easily be "alive" in the Hyborian age. IIRC, in the Kull story, he disguised himself as Kuthulos. He is described as having "a bare white skull, in whose eye sockets flamed livid fire."

In the more modern-day story, "Skull Face" by Howard, the skull-faced character goes under the name of Kathulos (similar to Kuthulos, yes?). The skull-faced villain later insists he is not from Egypt, but from Atlantis... He is also described as having livid fire for eyes. Skull-face, IIRC, does have parchment-thin skin, but still is essentially a skull. Still, I think a connection could be drawn if one wants to do it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a relic from one of his past-history series appeared in his more modern tales (Thoth-amon's ring reappears in Howard's "The Haunter of the Ring," for example).

The neat thing about connecting "Skull-Face" with Thulsa Doom is that it allows more insight into his sorcery, his personality and how he is so long-lived.

Of course, Howard also had an affinity for reusing names he liked, even if the characters were not related, so this idea isn't exactly iron-clad - how many times did he use Almuric/Amalric to represent different characters?

 

[Strom]

Hey Vincent! Wonder where you have been - good to see you are back and hope you are doing good!

 

[The King]

At the very least he is a very Corrupt sorcerer, if not actually undead.

I think Thulsa Doom could easily be "alive" in the Hyborian age. IIRC, in the Kull story, he disguised himself as Kuthulos. He is described as having "a bare white skull, in whose eye sockets flamed livid fire."

In the more modern-day story, "Skull Face" by Howard, the skull-faced character goes under the name of Kathulos (similar to Kuthulos, yes?). The skull-faced villain later insists he is not from Egypt, but from Atlantis... He is also described as having livid fire for eyes. Skull-face, IIRC, does have parchment-thin skin, but still is essentially a skull. Still, I think a connection could be drawn if one wants to do it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a relic from one of his past-history series appeared in his more modern tales (Thoth-amon's ring reappears in Howard's "The Haunter of the Ring," for example).

The neat thing about connecting "Skull-Face" with Thulsa Doom is that it allows more insight into his sorcery, his personality and how he is so long-lived.

Of course, Howard also had an affinity for reusing names he liked, even if the characters were not related, so this idea isn't exactly iron-clad - how many times did he use Almuric/Amalric to represent different characters?

I read skull-face but didn't make the link but yes, it is very possible.

G. Gygax created a lot of monsters from reknown writters and I wonder if he didn't think of Thulsa Doom when he created the lich.

On the other side, he could belong to some elder race as the former giant-king which are also described as having specific aspects.

Anyway this sorcerer is all the more impressive as he infiltrated the court of the king.