Whelm

a lawful neutral hammer +3 (+5 for dwarves), intelligence 15, ego 18. Purpose: kill all trolls, giants and goblin-types (including bugbears and hobgoblins). It can be thrown and will return from up to 150' thrice per day (dwarves only). It also acts as a hammer of stunning: once per day, when struck upon the ground, It will send forth a shock wave stunning up to 45 hit points of enemies up to a distance of 60' for d4 rounds If they fall to save vs. spells. Whelm also detects gold, gems, and the presence of goblins. A drawback Is that the bearer of this weapon will come under the Influence of a severe case of agoraphobia (fear of wide, open places), and will fight at -2 when not inside a building, at night, or (best of all) underground. Whelm Is obviously a dwarven weapon.
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WHELM Whelm is a plain, unadorned warhammer with a haft made from the golden wood of the gingko tree. When the weapon is wielded, its steel head glows with a soft, silver-black light. Nonlegacy Game St a t i s t i c s : +1 warhammer; Cost 2,312 gp. Omen: Whelm glows more brightly when you endeavor to assess items of value—the more valuable the item, the brighter the glow. This effect grants you a +2 bonus on Appraise checks. History The hammer known as Whelm appeared most recently about twenty years ago in a dwarven community beset by ogres, though no report of its creation by those dwarves exists. Wielded by a dedicated dwarf soldier named Ctenmiir, the weapon proved quite powerful against the clan’s enemies. Ctenmiir later left his ancestral home to become an adventurer, and he and the weapon promptly disappeared from sight (Knowledge [history] DC 15). Long ago, Dagnal Mightyhammer was a skilled weaponsmith of the Dankil clan. She labored at a time when her clan had suffered grievous losses from a large band of vicious trolls. When her husband and shieldmate, Traubon, decided to lead a counterattack against the trolls, Dagnal created a mighty warhammer (which had no name at the time), putting all her love for her husband, her commitment to her clan, and her devotion to Moradin into it. Traubon and his warriors proved victorious, and Dagnal’s weapon was much praised. (Knowledge [history] DC 20; Against the Giants ritual; see below). In the years of prosperity that followed, Dagnal imbued the warhammer with the ability to sense gems, gold, and other riches, so that it might become a valuable tool in both wartime and peacetime. Many years later, the dwarves were threatened by hordes of goblins led by bugbears. Dagnal, now an old woman, again sought to improve her masterpiece so that it might help vanquish the current threat. Traubon, though he was old and in less-than-perfect health, insisted on going out with the vanguard of the counterattack. The dwarves were again victorious, but Traubon was mortally wounded in the fight. The weapon was returned to the clan with its owner for burial. Overcome by grief, Dagnal threw herself on her husband’s corpse and promptly died. The two dwarves and the weapon were interred together in a single grave. At the time, many said that the three had shared one spirit, and that Dagnal and Traubon had put so much of themselves into the weapon that it had become much more than just steel and wood (Knowledge [history] DC 25; Against the Goblins ritual; see below). Legacy Rituals Two rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Whelm. Against the Giants: You must knowingly and willingly enter an encounter with a creature of the giant type in which the EL exceeds your party level by 1–4 points. The ogre mage encounter (area 27) in White Plume Mountain fulfills this qualification. Cost: 1,500 gp; Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Whelm). Against the Goblins: You must seek out a group of goblinoid marauders with 30 or more Hit Dice collectively and permanently end their foul existence. As part of this act, you must defeat in personal combat a hostile creature with the goblinoid subtype and a CR that equals or exceeds your character level. Cost: 13,000 gp; Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Whelm). Wielder Requirements Whelm is a quintessentially dwarven weapon. Barbarians, fighters, and rangers are the most likely to benefit from its abilities, though militant clerics, especially of Moradin, can also be effective wielders. Whelm Wielder Requirements Dwarf Base attack bonus +3 Weapon proficiency (warhammer) Legacy Item Abilities All the following are legacy item abilities of Whelm. Sense Giants (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, you can detect any creature with the giant type within 60 feet, as if using the detect evil spell (caster level 5th). Locate Object (Sp): Three times per day on command, you can use locate object as the spell. Sense Goblinoids (Sp): At 8th level, you gain the ability to detect any creature with the goblinoid subtype within 60 feet, as if using the detect evil spell (caster level 5th). Intelligent Legacy (Su): When you attain 10th level, Whelm’s sentience awakens (see Intelligent Items, Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 268), and it gains the ability to communicate with you telepathically. Whelm speaks Common, plus Dwarven, Giant, and Goblin, and it can see to a range of 60 feet using darkvision and hear to the same range. It has Intelligence 16, Wisdom 16, and Charisma 10, and its Ego score is as given on Table A–3: Whelm.

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