General Rules: Monsters - Hammerstruck Creature (Template)

Hammerstruck Creature (adapted from Hammer & Helm: A Guidebook to Dwarves)

The hammerstruck are wasted beings who have failed the test of Wünd. Taking the test is usually voluntary, the only exceptions being the condemned whose crimes have harmed an entire city of dwarves. Such wretches usually end up as hammerstruck.

The test varies with each one who undergoes it, but it always ends with a mighty blast of divine power from Wünd's hammer. Those who fail the test suffer a violent blow that leaves them physically and mentally smashed. The hammerstruck creature's limbs become featureless stumps and other physical features become flattened and muted. The eyes change to globes of a blank gray sheen without iris or pupil. Hair and fur become patchy and stringy, often sloughing off in large patches. After a few years, a hammerstruck creature is completely hairless and almost featureless.

"Hammerstruck" is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature with an Intelligence score greater than 3 that has undergone and failed the test of Wünd, hereafter referred top as the "base creature". The creature's type does not change.

Hit Dice: Same as the base creature.

Speed: Same as the base creature.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +2.

Attacks: Hammerstruck creatures pummel foes with their fists. The base creature gains two slam attacks if it did not already have them and loses all other attack forms other than bite attacks. The attack form that deals the greater damage is the hammerstruck creature's primary attack. In the event of a tie, the slam attacks are the primary attack.

Damage: If the base creature does not normally have a slam attack, use the damage values given on the table to the right. Otherwise use the values on the table or the creature's value, whichever is greater. A hammerstruck creature applies its full Strength modifier only to its primary attack. secondary attacks add only one-half the creature's strength bonus.

Special Attacks: A hammerstruck creature loses any special attacks such as rend that depend on natural attack forms other than its bite or slam (if any). It also loses any special attack that requires wielding a weapon. Hammerstruck creatures can never prepare spells, and they cast spells and use spell-like abilities only when commanded to by a dwarf.

Size	Slam Damage
Fine	1
Diminutive	1d2
Tiny	1d3
Small	1d4
Medium	1d6
Large	1d8
Huge	2d6
Gargantuan	2d8
Colossal	4d6

Special Qualities: A hammerstruck creature retains all of the base creature's qualities and gains the following:

• Dwarf Thrall (Su): Hammerstruck obey verbal commands from any dwarf. If a hammerstruck creature receives conflicting commands from two dwarves, it takes no action in the round.


• Dwarfsense (Su): A hammerstruck creature always knows with perfect accuracy whether any creature within 60 feet is a dwarf.


• Mindless (Ex): The hammerstruck are immune to mind-affecting effects.

Saves: Same as the base creature.

Abilities: Change from the base creature as follows: Strength +4, Constitution +4, and Charisma -6. Hammerstruck creatures are mindless and have no Intelligence score.

Skills: Hammerstruck creatures lose all skills based on Intelligence. They suffer a -4 racial penalty to Climb and Balance checks.

Feats: Same as the base creature with the following exceptions: Feats that require active thought such as Combat Expertise or metamagic feats are lost to the mindless hammerstruck.

Climate/Terrain: Dwarven cities and underground.

Organization: Solitary or accompanying dwarves.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1. However, a hammerstruck creature will not fight or disobey dwarves, and presents no challenge to them.

Treasure: None.

Alignment: Always neutral.

Advancement: None.

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