Szass Tam

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Szass Tam
Home	Thay
Gender	Male
Race	Lich, formerly human
Born	1104 DR [1]
Died	1159 DR (age 55) - achieved lichdom
Age in 1374 DR	270
Class 3.5 ed. rules	Necromancer 10 Red Wizard 10 Archmage 2 Epic 7 {{{9}}} {{{10}}} {{{11}}} {{{12}}} {{{13}}} {{{14}}} {{{15}}} {{{16}}} {{{17}}} {{{18}}} {{{19}}} {{{20}}}
Alignment	Neutral evil
Source: Anthony Pryor (1995). Spellbound. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-7869-0139-X., p. 127

Szass Tam is a powerful lich and member of a group of eight Zulkirs who rule the country of Thay. He is the Zulkir of Necromancy and commands huge legions of undead troops, which follow his vampire and lich generals. Szass Tam is the ruler of Thaymount; however, rumor says that he is under the command of Larloch, searching for ancient artifacts.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Recent History 2 Personality 3 Images 4 Appearances 5 References 6 Externals links 7 Notes

[edit] History

Szass Tam is the Zulkir of Necromancy in Thay, its most influential Red Wizard, and—observers say—the true ruler of Thay. A lich for the last two hundred-odd years, Szass Tam achieved his present power through great arrogance, the skills and preparation to back up his overwhelming ambitions, and the brilliant schemes of one of the most cunning and intelligent beings in all Faerûn.

[edit] Recent History

This section is a stub. You can help us by expanding it.

[edit] Personality

Like other Red Wizards, Szass Tam prefers to remain unseen, working through lackeys and servitor creatures (including vast armies of undead) while he plots and schemes. His own undeath gives him patience. He's quite prepared to abandon servants and attempts that fail, and simply try again later in a better way. Those who meet him (Or seemingly real magical images of himself that he creates and sends far across Faerûn) discover Szass Tam to be calm, cultured, and even pleasant. Tam is polite but blunt, and he can be plunged instantly into cold, controlled rage by insolence or deliberate defiance. On the other hand, he seems to admire those who cross or foil him by cleverness, as long as they treat him politely. He's always spinning more simultaneous intrigues than most Faerûnians have years in their lives, seems content to view existence as a great game, with plots and schemes as the playing pieces-or, if you prefer, weapons. ^[2]

[edit] Images

Art by Sam Wood

Art by Rebecca Guay-Mitchell

Art by Matt Wilson

[edit] Appearances

• Undead (2008)
• Unclean (2007)
• The Crimson Gold (2003)
• "Red Ambition", from the Realms of Magic anthology (1995)
• Red Magic (1991)
• Crusade (1991) – minor appearance

[edit] References

• Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.

• Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (July 2002). Epic Level Handbook, p. 297-298. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2658-9.

• Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, p. 207-208. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.

• Dale Donovan (July 1998). Villains' Lorebook, p. 54-56. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-7869-1236-7.

• Anthony Pryor (1995). Spellbound. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-7869-0139-X.

• Steve Perrin (Feb 1988). Dreams of the Red Wizards. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-8803-8615-0.

[edit] Externals links

• Perilous Gateways: Portals of Thay - The Undeath Portal, a free web supplement by Robert Wiese (2002).

[edit] Notes

1. ↑ Note that this conflicts with Szass Tam's history as described in the short story "Red Ambition" from the Realms of Magic anthology
2. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, p. 208-209. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.