The curse bestowed by Anubis is a concept that originates from ancient Egyptian mythology. Anubis, the god of mummification and the afterlife, was believed to be responsible for cursing individuals who disturbed sacred tombs or desecrated the remains of the dead. The curse was thought to bring about misfortune, illness, and ultimately death to those who incurred the wrath of Anubis. According to mythological accounts, Anubis guarded the tombs of pharaohs and other important individuals in the Egyptian society. His primary role was to protect and guide the deceased into the afterlife. The curse was seen as a means of preserving the sanctity of the tombs and punishing those who violated this sacred space.
Anubis is the guardian of the law of death, he is a judge and Maat's Feather is the jury. He should be very calm and collected, even if he is violent.
Other cool options could include summoning high-level jackal minions, or allowing him to create better versions of spiritual weapons in the shapes of Khopesh. And most proper DEATH gods as opposed to undeath are just Lawful, not evil, because they don t really CARE about you, they just want life and death properly balanced arranged.
The curse was seen as a means of preserving the sanctity of the tombs and punishing those who violated this sacred space. The belief in the curse bestowed by Anubis was deeply ingrained in ancient Egyptian society. It served as a potent deterrent against potential tomb robbers and grave desecrators.
So I'm building Anubis
So I am running a campaign in which my players are investigating crypts below a string of pyramids. There is a summoner who is attempting to summon " one of the old gods". But to do this he had to summon Anubis in sections. These are now being modeled by golden organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver. When the party gets close I will begin the final stages of the process, being the actuall summoning of Anubis' body. To summon Anubis the summoner must give his own life. Once this is done Anubis will exist in a mortal form. I am assuming that since my players are good they won't let an angry God of death just walk out so I need to create an appropriate monster. He will start off at CR14 and as he collects the golden organs he will gain power. Any ideas on what kind of abilities to give him? I have decided he will weild a pair of Khopesh. Ideas please!!
Personally, I think a cool ability would be to have him point at someone and instantly mummify them(with a save of course). Other cool options could include summoning high-level jackal minions, or allowing him to create better versions of spiritual weapons in the shapes of Khopesh.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game SuperscriberAs a Kemetist, I can speak with authority: Anubis would be Lawful Neutral, MAYBE Lawful Evil if you assume he enjoys his duty.
Anubis is the guardian of the law of death, he is a judge and Maat's Feather is the jury. He should be very calm and collected, even if he is violent.
The way Riot portrays Nasus in League of Legends is a very, historically correct idea of Anubis.
Just some RolePlay ideas. Or something.
Thanks dragonflyer1243 and verellius! Other thoughts?
One of the nastiest things that occurs to me is that an avatar of death is not going to have any trouble coming back again after you kill it. Immunity to 'death effects' goes without saying, but you should also examine the abilities the phoenix and the lich have and decide whether you want Instant and Terrifying revivification, or Slow and Unsuspected. I'd also suggest looking at the curses associated with the linnorm dragons - a curse that blasts anyone who 'kills' him is a really nasty one-two punch when combined with spontaneously returning to life.
The idea that inflicting hit point damage will never, ever win them this fight is what I really recommend - to show why nobody else was ever foolish enough to call up this being. They're better off trying to destroy or conceal the power objects - or running away until they can get proper tools such as trap the soul or, at least, banishment prepared.
Set Anubis up with some nice signature ability - enervation or bestow curse both spring to mind - and consider the Quicken Spell-Like Ability feat. I'd also suggest that at least one of the power objects restore his ability to summon outsiders that answer to him (maruts suit his alignment and theme best, but adding multiple maruts to a fight is pretty dirty pool even by my standards.) Another of the organs might grant him the ability to temporarily revivify those he kills so they can defend their new lord - something like the juju zombie template with an automatic one-hour limit on their existence.
Addendum: If you're going with the classic LN representation of Anubis, be prepared for the possibility that your players will want to help him get his powers back. Few would overlook the potential benefits of a highly-placed friend in the afterlife.
Give him full on channel energy and the bonus feats for it. Both positive and negative.
Specific feats would be:
Extra Channel
Fateful Channel
Improved Channel
Selective Channel
Quicken Channel
Siphon Channel
Command Undead
Turn Undead
Virellius touches on something.
Anubis is hardly the sort of guy who would be a raging monster that needs to be put down. A cultist trying to summon him to nefarious ends would probably meet a pretty unhappy future, before anubis just goes back to whatever he was doing in the first place.
In the core pathfinder Pantheon, he's basically like Pharasma. I beleive the Mummy's mask AP also actually has some information for Anubis as a deity in GOlarion, cold be mistaken.
if you want an angry, dangerous, egypt-themed god? Go with Sakhmet. Essentially, the lioness-headed goddess of genocide. That'll keep people on their toes.
Osiris was the one who got cut to pieces and had to be reassembled, BTW. And most proper DEATH gods (as opposed to undeath) are just Lawful, not evil, because they don't really CARE about you, they just want life and death properly balanced/arranged.
But whatever, it's your cosmology, let's roll with the Evil Dead Dude.
First of all, he's all about the death and the negative energy and the cold grave. Cold damage, negative energy damage, and an unblockable "blasphemy" or "unholy" damage seem good.
Next, he's a jackal-headed evil guy, so he has a scavenger/cruelty-of-nature theme asking for summons or shadow creatures that are big (dire hyena/hyaenadon) and given advancements like sneak attack (they are "cruel scavengers" who flank and attack weakness).
He is a boss fight so things can get crazy and as a dual-wielder his armor class is probably not that amazing. Give him 4 giant (so, size of a dining platter) scarab constructs which magically fly and hover around him, blocking attacks like an animated shield (+8 shield bonus to AC total). They can be sundered (provokes unless you have the feat) and they can fly out (dropping his AC by 2) behind cover and let him bounce spells like Enervate off of them to attack the cleric hiding behind total cover. Use stats for Small Adamantine Shield when the Barbarian smashes them, and let them be adamantine treasure afterwards.
The heart used to be where the soul and thought were because people didn't understand biology at all, it is still an engine which can fuel anything from higher stats to spellcasting abilities to the dude's spell resistance. It was also never removed in mummification, whatever that means to you.
In mummification, the lungs were protected by Ha'pi, the baboon-headed god associated with speed (dexterity/movement speed?) and the direction North.
The Liver was Imset's, he was the favored family son with a human face, associated with the direction south and beauty. The liver itself is associated (in many cultures) with courage, energy, beauty, and forward-thinking. Bonus to initiative, attack, and an insight bonus to AC?
The Stomach and the East were protected by Duamutef, and is associated with vitality, bonus to con (or if he is undead, bonus hit points). Duamatef was not the favorite son, but he tried harder.
The intestines were protected by Qebehsenuef, the brother's cooler, and associated with the west, grisly disembowelment, and in the case of horrible undead monsters; making a grapple attack.
Other thoughts. he's associated with desert, sand, and dryness so he could cause dehydration (I don't remember the effects, but I don't think they're cured by restoration easily) or destroying potions (To Saaaaand!!). As a death lord he's going to drop a few save-or-dies. As a pyramid dude you need to decide if the pyramid comes into play (including but not limited to rising up like a Go'auld ship or fighting a running battle to the top where he can re-enter the heavens and cause the apocalypse). As an evil guy he can offer dark bargains. And as a resurrected god he can be impossible to kill unless some weird situations is met like making the heart of the Oracle beat again, bringing him out to the noon-day sun (but he has weather control), or reminding him of the love he died for by putting his heart (which he had ripped out) back into his chest.
He is a boss fight so things can get crazy and as a dual-wielder his armor class is probably not that amazing. Give him 4 giant (so, size of a dining platter) scarab constructs which magically fly and hover around him, blocking attacks like an animated shield (+8 shield bonus to AC total). They can be sundered (provokes unless you have the feat) and they can fly out (dropping his AC by 2) behind cover and let him bounce spells like Enervate off of them to attack the cleric hiding behind total cover. Use stats for Small Adamantine Shield when the Barbarian smashes them, and let them be adamantine treasure afterwards.
The fear of facing the wrath of Anubis and enduring the curse acted as a powerful psychological barrier, contributing to the preservation of the tombs for centuries. Although the curse bestowed by Anubis has its origins in mythology, it has captured the imagination of people throughout history. Numerous stories and legends have been spun around the alleged curse, with many attributing unexplained misfortunes and deaths to the wrath of Anubis. These narratives have been perpetuated through various forms of media, including books, movies, and even video games. In reality, the curse bestowed by Anubis is nothing more than a myth. The alleged curses have often been linked to more plausible explanations, such as microbial contamination or toxic substances present in ancient tombs. However, the allure and intrigue surrounding the curse continue to fascinate people, keeping the legend alive. Despite its mythical nature, the curse bestowed by Anubis holds a significant place in popular culture. It serves as a reminder of the power and mystery associated with ancient Egyptian mythology. Additionally, it acts as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of respecting and preserving historical and cultural heritage. In conclusion, the curse bestowed by Anubis is a fascinating concept that has captivated people's imagination for centuries. While rooted in mythology, the allure and intrigue of the curse continue to be perpetuated through various forms of media. However, it is essential to remember that the curse is a myth and not a real threat. Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder of the significance of preserving historical and cultural heritage..
Reviews for "From King Tut to the Mummy's Curse: Anubis' Influence in Popular Culture"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "The Curse Bestowed by Anubis" to be incredibly dull and predictable. The storyline lacked originality and the characters were one-dimensional. I felt no emotional connection to any of them, which made it difficult to invest in the plot. Additionally, the pacing was slow and the writing style did not captivate me. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. Emily - 1 star - "The Curse Bestowed by Anubis" was a complete letdown for me. The plot was confusing and disjointed, making it hard to follow along. The author introduced too many unnecessary characters and subplots that added to the confusion. Furthermore, the writing was full of awkward and cliché dialogue, which made it difficult to take the story seriously. I struggled to finish this book and was left feeling unsatisfied and unimpressed.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - While "The Curse Bestowed by Anubis" had an interesting concept, the execution fell flat for me. The pacing was inconsistent, with long periods of nothing happening followed by rushed, confusing action scenes. The character development was lacking, and I never felt invested in their outcomes. The writing style was also a bit amateurish, with repetitive phrases and awkward sentence structures. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and would not recommend it to others.
4. Mark - 1 star - "The Curse Bestowed by Anubis" was a complete waste of my time. The plot was convoluted and made no sense, leaving me feeling frustrated and confused. The characters were unlikable and lacked any depth or development. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the story. I regret picking up this book and would advise others to stay away from it.