(Circa "The People of the Black Circle")
Medium-sized human male
Wizard/Black Seer of Mount Yimsha
Level 8/8
Hit Dice: 16d4+48 (96 hp)
Initiative +2 (+2 dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 12 (dex)
Attacks: Unarmed +11/+6 melee, or +11 melee
Damage: Unarmed 1d4+2, or 1d4+2 plus Stun
Special Attacks: Stunning Touch, Spells
Special Qualities: Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Inner Strength, Knowledge of the Secrets of Reality, Timeless Body, Magical Might, Silence
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +17
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 21, Wis 18, Cha 14
Skills: Alchemy +24, Concentration +20, Knowlege (Arcana) +26, Knowlege (Planes) +24, Scry +24, Spellcraft +24, Intimidate +18
Feats: Skill Focus (Knowlege-Arcana), Iron Will, Spell Focus (hypnotism), Improved Unarmed Strike, Combat Casting, Empower Spell, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Improved Critical (unarmed strike)
Climate/Terrain: Mount Yimsha, Vendhya
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 16
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By Character Class.
Khemsa loved a girl named Gitara, who was one of Yasmina's servants, who convinced Khemsa to break with his masters and use his considerable magical powers for his own goals.
Khemsa had a magical girdle that he used. It provides him with SR 20.
Khemsa generally fights with spells and summoned creatures, but, with the aid of magic, he certainly can stand toe to toe with warriors with his unarmed strikes. He felled Conan with his stunning touch, and was able to avoid being struck by Conan.
Stunning Touch (Ex): Khemsa knows pressure points of the body and can strike out, stunning a victim who fails a Fort save (DC=10+Seer's Cha bonus+class level in Seer). This attack is taught so well that, despite it being an unarmed attack, it does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity. It takes concentration and is the only attack the Seer can make that round.
Inner Strength: +1 Bonus to Will Saves
Secrets of Reality I: Khemsa understands illusions so well that illusion school spells no longer need material or verbal components to function. Casting time remains unchanged. Illusion spells that operate with only a material or verbal component now require a somatic component.
Secrets of Reality II: Khemsaunderstands the morphic nature of reality exceptionally well. Alteration spells no longer need a material component. Casting time remains unchanged.
Timeless Body: Khemsa no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. (Any penalties already suffered remain in place). Bonuses still accrue, and the seer still dies when his time is up.
Magical Might: The difficulty class for all spells cast by the seer is increased by 2.
Silence: All spells no longer require verbal components. Any spell with only a verbal component requires either a somatic one or a mental one (DM's call). Casting time is unchanged.
Khemsa is a character from Robert E. Howard's story, "The People of the Black Circle." This story was first published in Weird Tales as a three part seriel in the September, October, and November issues of 1934. The story can also be found in the Ace/Lancer paperback "Conan the Adventurer"; the Berkley/Putnam hardbound collection, "The People of the Black Circle," the Donald M. Grant Limited Edition "The People of the Black Circle", and the Gnome Press collection "The Sword of Conan". Marvel Comics adapted the story into comic form in "The Savage Sword of Conan" issues 16-19. All of these are out of print, but are usually available on eBay.
This story is the first Conan story I ever read, and is one of the best. It is certainly my favorite. Fritz Lieber characterized the story as the best story of the entire Conan saga.
