Szass Tam
The leader of the Red Wizards of Thay attempting to destroy the world in 1478 DR.
Szass Tam is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. He is a lich, an undead necromancer, and the leader and most powerful of the Red Wizards of Thay, a group consisting of eight wizards with the title of zulkir who rule the country. Many creatures that serve him are undead.
- Role
- Leader and most powerful of the Red Wizards of Thay
- Affiliation
- The Red Wizards of Thay
- Origin
- Thaymount
- Status
- Active (as a lich)
- Domain
- Necromancy, Undead
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Szass rules Thaymount, though rumors suggest Larloch commands him while searching for artifacts. In the year of the Dark Circle (1478 DR), he attempted to destroy the world and create his own, but this plot was foiled.
In Their Own Story
Szass Tam appears in various works including Richard Lee Byers' Forgotten Realms: The Haunted Lands trilogy (2007–2009) and R.A. Salvatore's 2010 book Gauntlgrym. He is featured as a villain in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, portrayed by Scottish actor Ian Hanmore.
Reader's Guide
Key works featuring Szass Tam include Whitney-Robinson's The Crimson Gold (2003), Donovan's Villains' Lorebook (1998), Pryor's Spellbound (1995), Rabe's Red Magic (1991), and Steve Perrin's Dreams of the Red Wizards (1988). He is a prominent antagonist in D&D adventures, though his profile is not as prominent as liches Vecna and Acererak.
Did You Know?
- Szass Tam is the leader and most powerful member of the Red Wizards of Thay, a group of eight ruling zulkirs.
- In the year of the Dark Circle (1478 DR), Szass attempted to destroy the world to create his own, but the plot was foiled.
- Rumors exist that another lich named Larloch commands Szass Tam while searching for artifacts.
- Scottish actor Ian Hanmore portrayed Szass Tam in two scenes of the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
More in Characters & Heroes
Elsewhere in the Forgotten Realms universe
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