X the Mystic

X the Mystic
Race	Human
Class	Wizard
Alignment	Lawful good
Gender	Male
Age	Unknown
Home	Unknown
Firstappearance	Dwellers of the Forbidden City (1981)

"No one carves statues of frightened warriors. If you see one, keep your eyes closed and your ears open."

— X the Mystic's 4th rule of Dungeon Survival

X the Mystic is a male human wizard perhaps best known for his Rules of Dungeon Survival.

Appearance and personality

X is a typical male human, though of above-average physical build. As wizard, he wears no armor.

He is highly intelligent, as is common among wizards, and particularly charismatic. His Rules of Dungeon Survival are widely quoted by adventurers.

X is of lawful good alignment.

Abilities

A powerful wizard, X has mastered 9th level arcane spells.

Publications

Rules of Dungeon Survival

X the Mystic is perhaps best known for his Rules of Dungeon Survival, which distill years adventuring experience into easily-remembered key sentences. These give some clues as to his adventuring experiences. Among the most widely known are:

• Rule 1: "Trust a flumph." Flumph are wise and lawful good in alignment.
• Rule 2: "Before you drink from a fountain or pool, toss a copper into it. It's a small price to pay for your life." This refers to elemental water creatures such as a water weird, which inhabits fountains and other bodies of water.
• Rule 3: "Sometimes a chest is just a chest, but don't bet on it." This rule warns of the mimic, a shapechanging creature which often assumes the form of a treasure chest.
• Rule 4: "No one carves statues of frightened warriors. If you see one, keep your eyes closed and your ears open." This references creatures with petrification gaze attacks, such as the basilisk. The medusa also has this ability.
• Rule 6: "Keep a few gems in your pocket. A hungry xorn is a helpful xorn."
• Rule 7: "Before opening a sarcophagus, light a torch." This appears to reference the undead mummy, a bandage-wrapped undead which is particularly vulnerable to fire.

X the Mystic's rules have inspired many fan-created entries, such as a Rule 5. However, this list only includes canon entries. Please do not make additions to this list unless it appears in a first-party Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook and you can provide a source.

Other

X also wrote X the Mystic's Arcane Grimoire, a book containing spells of 7th to 9th level.

History

Early in his adventuring career, as a mere 7th level wizard, X the Mystic explored the Forbidden City. He carried no magic items on his adventure but a single potion of healing, and a single scroll containing the spells mirror image, ice storm, and slow.

He went on to master the highest level arcane spells, and published X the Mystic's Arcane Grimoire, a spellbook containing spells from 7th to 9th level.

Publication history

AD&D 1st edition

X the Mystic was a random character on an NPC list appearing in I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City (1981), p.28.

D&D 5th edition

X the Mystic was later cited in the D&D 5e Monster Manual (5e) (2014), p.24, and Tomb of Annihilation (2017), p.188.

Reception and influence

X the Mystic's Rules of Dungeon Survival have inspired many fan-created additions to the list, with several such entries collated in X the Mystic's Rules of Dungeon Survival at the Dorod Obsidian Portal wiki.