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Prospectors Warhammer 808

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 831 of Geode Vein

This versatile tool and weapon appears to be a masterfully crafted, one-handed warhammer. One face of the hammer is a flat, heavy block of steel for delivering crushing blows, inscribed with the Granite Spiral, a sacred symbol of Gravok. The other end is a sharp, hardened geology pick, perfect for chipping away at rock formations or piercing armor. The weapon’s true purpose is revealed in its construction. The haft has been hollowed out and contains a free-floating, uncut crystal suspended in a thick, shock-absorbing gel. When Marn strikes a surface—be it a stone wall or an enemy’s helmet—the crystal resonates with the impact. By attuning to the vibration through his natural Anuran senses, Marn can analyze the feedback from the crystal to learn about a material’s density, composition, and structural weaknesses. It is the perfect weapon for an explorer whose primary mission is to find new mineral deposits but who must be prepared for the dangers of the wild.

Lore

This is not a weapon of war, but the traditional tool and badge of office for a licensed member of the Anuran Prospector’s Guild. It embodies the dual nature of a prospector’s work: the hammer face, inscribed with Gravok’s sacred spiral, represents the pragmatic force needed to shape the world, while the pick end represents the precision required to unearth its hidden treasures. The weapon is bestowed upon an apprentice only after they have completed their training, symbolizing their readiness to not just break the stone, but to listen to it.

The true secret of the hammer is the uncut, free-floating crystal within its haft. Anuran philosophy teaches that a cut and faceted crystal has been “taught a specific song,” making it ideal for focused enchantments. An uncut crystal, however, is a raw, untamed singer, capable of mimicking any song it hears. Suspended in a unique, shock-absorbing alchemical gel, this raw crystal resonates with the impact of any blow. The gel translates the raw, chaotic vibrations into a “language” that an Anuran’s natural vibrational senses can clearly interpret. To strike a new rock face with this hammer is called “asking its name,” and the feedback from the crystal reveals its nature, its flaws, and its worth.

Item Values

  • Tier 1 Stats:
    • Weapon Type: Warhammer
    • Damage: 1d8 Bludgeoning or 1d8 Piercing (see Versatile Head).
    • Properties: Versatile Head. When you make an attack with this weapon, you can choose to use either the hammer face (dealing bludgeoning damage) or the pick face (dealing piercing damage).
  • Skills Gained:
    • Geology: The user is considered proficient in Geology (or a relevant Nature/Investigation skill). If they are already proficient, they gain Advantage on any check made to identify minerals or analyze the composition of stone or earth.
  • Passive Magics:
    • Resonant Analysis: Whenever the user successfully hits an object, a structure, or a creature with natural armor (such as a golem, elemental, or insectoid), they receive a flash of intuitive insight. The user immediately learns one piece of useful information about the target’s physical nature, such as a Damage Vulnerability, a Damage Resistance, or its current hit point total.
    • Sacred Inscription: The Granite Spiral of Gravok is imbued with a minor blessing. The weapon is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.
    • Prospector’s Utility: The pick end of the hammer is perfectly shaped for geological work. The user has Advantage on any check made to carefully excavate a fossil, extract a mineral sample, or chip away at a rock face without causing a collapse.
  • Activatable Magics:
    • Focused Resonance (3 uses per Long Rest): As an Action, you can gently tap the hammer against a surface and concentrate on the feedback. You can ask the GM a single, specific question about the material composition, structural integrity, or magical properties of the object you are touching, and you will receive a truthful and detailed answer.
    • Shatter-Point Strike (1 use per Short Rest): When you successfully hit a creature or object with the warhammer, you can use your Bonus Action to activate this ability. You have analyzed its structural flaws in the instant of impact; the attack is automatically considered a critical hit.
  • Specific Slot:
    • Weapon Slot (Main Hand).
  • Tags: Weapon, Warhammer, Bludgeoning, Piercing, Anuran, Prospector, Guild-Issue, Magical, Diagnostic, Utility, Single-Target, Precision, Analysis, Information-Gathering, Critical-Hit, Versatile-Damage, Mining-Tool, Symbolic, Resonating, Gel-Cored, Balanced, Explorer

The Prospector’s Warhammer is a specialized professional instrument. Its value is perceived very differently depending on the market; a warrior sees a fine warhammer, while a geologist or artisan sees a priceless diagnostic tool.

The Anuran Prospector’s Guild Outfitters (Abbeville)

  • The Shop: This is a clean, organized, and guild-sanctioned outfitter, likely connected directly to the Prospector’s Guild hall in an Anuran city. The shop smells of new leather, clean steel, and polishing oil, and its shelves are neatly stocked with high-quality climbing gear, mapping tools, and other professional equipment.
  • How It Is Acquired: This is the only place to legally purchase a new, perfectly calibrated Prospector’s Warhammer. The sale is a straightforward but restricted transaction. The buyer must present a valid, up-to-date Prospector’s Guild license. The sale is officially recorded, and the unique resonant frequency of the hammer’s crystal is registered to its new owner in the guild’s ledgers.
  • Cost: 30 Rhodium (300 Platinum). This is the standard, non-negotiable guild price for a new, professionally certified instrument.

The “Rock Bottom” Pawn & Trade (Major Port City)

  • The Shop: A cluttered and dusty pawn shop in the rougher district of a major port city. The air is stale and thick with the smell of old rust and desperation. The warhammer would likely be found in a dusty barrel alongside a dozen other mundane axes and maces.
  • How It Is Acquired: The shopkeeper would have acquired the hammer for a pittance from a down-on-his-luck Anuran prospector who had to sell his most valuable possession. The owner, lacking the knowledge to see its true function, perceives it only as a “well-made hammer with a weird, rattly bit in the handle.” A knowledgeable buyer could get the deal of a lifetime if they can identify the item and haggle without revealing its true value. The transaction is a direct cash sale.
  • Cost: The tag on the handle reads 5 Rhodium (50 Platinum). An observant and charismatic buyer might even be able to talk the price down, especially if they point out the “strange, useless rock” in the haft.

The Alchemist’s & Surveyor’s Emporium (Scholarly City)

  • The Shop: An academic supply shop in a city known for its grand university and artisan’s colleges. The shop is quiet, orderly, and smells of old parchment, rare herbs, and the faint ozone of magical devices. It caters to scholars, alchemists, enchanters, and surveyors.
  • How It Is Acquired: The proprietor is an expert in diagnostic and arcane instruments. They would have acquired the warhammer specifically for its analytical properties, valuing it far more than any pawn broker would. The sale would be a professional consultation, with the shopkeeper gladly demonstrating how to interpret the resonant feedback from the internal crystal. They are selling a scientific instrument, not a weapon.
  • Cost: 45 Rhodium (450 Platinum). The price is high, reflecting the item’s rarity and its immense value as a tool for a scholar or high-end artisan. The buyer is paying for guaranteed quality and the shopkeeper’s expert instruction on its proper use.

The Prospector’s Warhammer is a weapon of insight. Its roleplay in combat is not about wild, powerful swings, but about deliberate, analytical strikes that diagnose and exploit an opponent’s weaknesses, turning knowledge into a weapon.

Defensive & Tactical Roleplay

In a defensive capacity, the hammer is used to provide critical intelligence, negate an enemy’s strengths, and reshape the environment to protect the party.

Against Creatures (Wilderness, Dungeons)

When fighting living things, the hammer’s diagnostic power is used to guide the party’s tactics.

  • Roleplay Example: The party is struggling to damage a massive beast with a thick, armored hide.

Marn would make a probing attack, striking the creature’s flank. The blow might not deal much damage, but the passive Resonant Analysis gives him a flash of insight. He would shout to his allies, “Its hide is like layered plates! Slashing won’t work! We need crushing blows to break it!” He defends the party not by killing the beast himself, but by identifying its Damage Resistance, allowing everyone to fight more effectively.

Against Constructs (Ruins, Forges)

This is where the hammer shines, turning the enemy’s own nature against it.

  • Roleplay Example: An ancient, magic-resistant stone golem is advancing on the party.

Marn would be the first to engage it. As his hammer rings against its stone body, Resonant Analysis would give him its secrets. “It is a creature of stone, but its core is a crystal!” he would call out. “It is vulnerable to thunderous sound!” He has diagnosed its Damage Vulnerability, giving the party’s spellcaster the exact information needed to shatter it.

Against Structures & Environments

The hammer’s primary function can be used to create defensive fortifications on the fly.

  • Roleplay Example: The party is being pursued and needs to block a stone corridor.

Marn would ignore the enemies and use his action for Focused Resonance, tapping the ceiling’s support pillar. “He would ‘listen’ for a moment, then point. ‘There! A hairline fracture runs through the keystone! If we can bring that down, the whole archway will collapse!’” He uses the hammer’s diagnostic ability to turn the dungeon itself into a defensive trap.

Offensive Roleplay

Offensively, the hammer is about patience and precision, culminating in a single, devastating blow that capitalizes on a discovered flaw.

Against Creatures

The hammer allows Marn to fight like a surgeon, finding the perfect point to strike.

  • Roleplay Example: After trading a few blows with a heavily armored mercenary captain, Marn has been using Resonant Analysis with each hit.

A look of understanding would cross his face. He has found the flaw. He would change his footing and say, “Your breastplate was forged too quickly. The temper is uneven on the left side.” He then swings and activates his Shatter-Point Strike. “The blow isn’t necessarily harder, but it is perfect. It strikes the one spot on the armor with a hidden structural weakness, bypassing its strength entirely. The resulting critical hit crumples the breastplate and ends the fight.”

Against Constructs

The hammer can be used to dismantle an enemy, not just break it.

  • Roleplay Example: Fighting a complex, hissing steam-construct.

Instead of attacking its torso, Marn would use Focused Resonance to tap one of its legs. “The vibrations tell him not just that it’s metal, but that a key pressure valve runs through the knee joint. ‘A machine is only as strong as its weakest gear!’” he’d bellow. He then uses Shatter-Point Strike on that exact spot. “The critical hit doesn’t just deal damage; it ruptures the valve, causing the construct’s leg to seize up as it vents steam, crippling its mobility.”

Against Structures & Environments

The hammer can be used for offensive demolition with surgical precision.

  • Roleplay Example: An enemy archer is perched on a tall stone statue, using it for cover.

Marn would take a moment to use Focused Resonance on the statue’s base. He would get a clear mental image of a flaw within the marble. He would then point. “An army can bring down a fortress, but a single, smart blow can bring down a king.” He walks up and uses his Shatter-Point Strike on the identified flaw. “The critical hit sends a fracture racing up the statue’s leg. With a groan of stressed stone, the entire structure topples, bringing the archer crashing down.”

Perception of Activation:

The perception of activating the Prospector’s Warhammer 808 differs greatly depending on which of its two magical abilities is being used. One is a subtle, analytical state, while the other is an instantaneous, violent flash of insight.

Activation 1: Focused Resonance (Analytical Scan)

This is the hammer’s primary utility function, used for detailed, non-destructive analysis.

User’s Perspective (Marn)

  • Physical Sensation: After gently tapping a surface, a deep, rhythmic hum travels up the haft, vibrating pleasantly in his hand and arm. The uncut crystal within the haft emits a gentle, palpable warmth. The feeling is one of connection and listening, as if he’s taking the pulse of the object.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Vibrational Sense: His normal vibrational sense is focused and amplified a hundredfold. It feels as if his consciousness is flowing into the stone, perceiving its internal structure not as a picture, but as a complex symphony of resonant frequencies. A solid section is a deep, steady bass note; a hidden flaw is a sharp, dissonant chord; a pure vein of ore is a single, clear, high-pitched tone.
    • Ley Line Attunement: He feels the hammer’s crystal gently aligning with the local ley lines, using their stable energy as a carrier wave to send his query into the stone and receive the answer.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Visual: The user becomes very still, resting their hammer against a surface in a state of deep concentration. The only visible sign of activation is the uncut crystal suspended in the haft, which begins to pulse with a soft, internal emerald-green or sapphire-blue light.
  • Auditory: Anyone standing very close might hear a faint, low-frequency hum, like a distant, perfectly struck tuning fork.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Magical Sense: A magically attuned observer perceives a sustained, gentle “beam” of divination magic flowing from the hammer into the object being studied. It is a quiet, analytical, and non-threatening magical signature.
    • Empathic Sense: An empath feels a powerful state of deep, analytical concentration from the user, a mind focused entirely on listening and understanding.

Positives

  • Discreet and Non-Threatening: The activation is so subtle it is unlikely to cause alarm, allowing for detailed analysis in sensitive situations. It projects an aura of scholarly expertise.
  • Deep Information: The sensory experience for the user is incredibly detailed, providing far more information than a simple visual inspection.

Negatives

  • Vulnerability: The deep concentration required for the scan leaves the user completely unaware of their immediate surroundings, making them highly vulnerable to ambush.
  • Time-Consuming: The process is not instantaneous, making it impractical to use in the middle of a chaotic or time-sensitive situation.

Activation 2: Shatter-Point Strike (Combat Insight)

This is the hammer’s combat function, used to turn a normal hit into a devastating critical blow.

User’s Perspective (Marn)

  • Physical Sensation: The moment of impact feels perfectly clean. There is no wasted energy, no jarring vibration, only a feeling of absolute, solid connection. The crystal in the haft gives a single, sharp jolt, like a tiny internal hammer strike, confirming the activation.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Psionic Sense: He experiences an instantaneous flash of insight. The cacophony of combat vanishes, replaced by a single, high-pitched “shattering” note in his mind. It is a moment of pure, intuitive certainty that tells him exactly where and how his blow landed to cause catastrophic failure.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Visual: The impact is accompanied by a brilliant, golden flash of light that erupts from the Granite Spiral symbol on the hammer’s face. The crystal inside the haft flares with a matching, intense light for a split second. Faint, golden, fractal-like lines of energy may be seen spider-webbing across the target from the point of impact before vanishing.
  • Auditory: The sound of the blow is unnaturally sharp and resonant—a powerful CRACK that sounds less like a weapon hitting flesh or armor and more like a massive boulder splitting in two.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Magical Sense: A magically attuned observer perceives an instantaneous, focused spike of divination and force magic. It is a violent, targeted burst of energy designed to find and exploit a weakness.
    • Empathic Sense: An empath feels a sharp spike of absolute certainty from the user, immediately followed by a wave of systemic shock and structural failure from the target.

Positives

  • Decisive Confirmation: The dramatic flash and sound provide a clear and intimidating confirmation of a critical, armor-piercing, or structurally devastating blow.
  • Morale Boost/Shock: The effect is a potent morale booster for allies and a shocking display of power for enemies, who have just witnessed their defenses being perfectly negated.

Negatives

  • Overt and Unmistakable: The activation is loud, flashy, and makes the user’s attack the absolute center of attention.
  • Reveals a Trump Card: It clearly signals the use of a powerful, limited ability. An intelligent opponent will now know the user’s “super-move” has been expended and cannot be immediately repeated.

Schematic: Guild-Issue Resonance Hammer

This blueprint details the standard process for crafting a Tier-1 Resonance Hammer, the versatile tool and sidearm of the Anuran Prospector’s Guild. The construction requires a blend of smithing, woodworking, and alchemy to create a weapon that can both break stone and listen to its secrets.

Materials Needed:

  • Structural Components:
    • 1x High-Carbon Steel Ingot (for the hammer head)
    • 1x Log of Dense, Straight-Grained Ironwood (for the haft)
    • 1x Bronze Ingot (for the reinforcing collar)
  • Resonance Core Components:
    • 1x Uncut Quartz Crystal (Resonance Grade, must be free of major internal flaws)
    • 1x Flask of Refined Mineral Oil
    • 1x Block of Purified Beast Tallow
    • 1x Pouch of Powdered Pearl

Tools Required:

  • Primary Workstations:
    • A standard Smith’s Forge and Anvil.
    • An Alchemist’s Lab.
    • A Woodworker’s Bench with a lathe or precision drills.
  • Artisan’s Kits:
    • A complete Weaponsmith’s Kit.
    • A set of Woodcarver’s Tools.
    • A full set of Alchemist’s Supplies.

Skill Requirements:

  • Primary Proficiency: The crafter must possess Jourgeman-level proficiency in Weaponsmithing.
  • Secondary Proficiencies: The crafter must also be proficient in Woodworking and Alchemy.
  • Recommendation: The accuracy of the hammer’s diagnostic ability is entirely dependent on the quality of the suspension gel and the perfect balancing of the crystal. Rushing these steps will result in a simple hammer with a useless rattle in the handle.

Crafting Steps:

  1. Forge the Head: The steel ingot is heated in the forge and hammered into the dual-faced head of a warhammer. One face is a flat, heavy block for crushing, while the other is a hardened, sharp pick for chipping. The head is then quenched, tempered, and inscribed with the Granite Spiral of Gravok.
  2. Prepare the Haft: At the Woodworker’s Bench, the ironwood log is shaped into a smooth, sturdy, and well-balanced haft. The most difficult step is to carefully bore out the center of the haft, creating a perfectly cylindrical, smooth-walled chamber for the resonance core, without compromising the wood’s structural integrity.
  3. Concoct the Suspension Gel: At the Alchemist’s Lab, the refined mineral oil and purified tallow are gently heated in a crucible. The powdered pearl is then slowly stirred into the mixture. This must be done at a precise temperature to create a thick, translucent gel with non-Newtonian properties—a fluid that will protect the crystal from sharp impacts while faithfully transmitting subtle vibrations.
  4. Assemble the Resonance Core: The uncut quartz crystal is placed inside the hollow chamber of the haft. The warm suspension gel is then carefully poured in, filling the chamber completely and ensuring no air bubbles are trapped. The ends of the chamber are sealed with tight-fitting wooden plugs.
  5. Final Assembly and Balancing: The forged hammer head is fitted onto the now-sealed haft. The bronze collar is heated and fitted over the top of the haft, securing the head and reinforcing the seal of the resonance chamber. The final, critical step is to spend several hours balancing the weapon, ensuring the weight of the free-floating crystal does not disrupt the hammer’s swing.

Lay of Horic and Mountain’s Heartbeat

Hearken now to the words, for they are worn and broken, a poor translation of a saga from a time whose name is forgotten. This is the story of the first Prospector’s Hammer, born from a great silence.

In the days of the first quarry-cities, which the tablets name the Time of Echoes, there stood a mountain that was the heart of Abbeville. Its veins bled silver and gold, and its geodes were filled with crystals that sang with the hum of the ley lines. But a sickness fell upon this mountain. Its song grew faint, and then fell silent. Its veins of ore vanished as if they had never been. The geodes, when cracked open, were filled only with dust. The mountain was dying, and the Anuran people, who drew their strength from the deep song of the earth, grew weak with it.

The greatest Quarry Wardens and Stoneweavers of that age sought to find the cause. They brought their great steam-drills and their new, loud Quarry Blasters. They said, “The mountain is hiding its heart from us. We will break its chest and find it.” They blasted and they drilled, their work a thunderous rage against the silence, but their violence only wounded the mountain further. The silence grew deeper.

There was a young prospector then named Horic. His hands were not as strong as the Wardens’, nor his lore as deep as the Weavers’, but his ear was true. He felt the mountain’s silence not as an absence, but as a pain. He spake to the elders, and his words, the fragments say, were strange. “You do not shout at a sick friend to make them well,” he said. “You must listen to their heart to know their ailment. We need not a louder voice, but a better ear.”

The elders, in their fear, called him a fool. But Horic held to his path. He would forge a hammer not to break the stone, but to hear its truth.

For the head of his hammer, he sought metal that had known both fury and peace. He journeyed to an ancient battlefield, where for centuries the quiet moss had grown over the shattered shields and broken blades. From this earth, he pulled the head of a great warhammer, its steel tempered by violence but then softened by a long, quiet rest.

For the haft, he sought wood that knew how to listen. He climbed the highest, wind-swept cliffs and found a single, ancient ironwood tree that had spent a thousand years listening only to the song of the wind and the whisper of the sea. He took from it a single, living branch.

For the hammer’s own heart, he needed a crystal that knew nothing but truth. He journeyed to the Cave of Unbroken Silence, a place deep in the earth where no sound had ever entered. In its center was a pool of perfectly still water, and in that water grew a single, uncut quartz crystal. It had spent its life in perfect stillness, learning to feel the faintest vibration, the quietest pulse of the world’s true core. This he took, with a prayer to the silent place.

In his own small forge, Horic began the work. He reforged the ancient warhammer, its fury now tempered with purpose, giving it a flat face for speaking and a sharp pick for questioning. He carved the ironwood branch, hollowing its center. He made a gel of pearl dust and oil, a cushion of stillness. Into this he placed the crystal, the ear of the hammer, and sealed it within the haft. He joined the head and the haft, and the thing he held was both a weapon and a listening hand.

He returned to the silent mountain. The other Anuran were still blasting at its hide, their roars echoing in the dead stone. Horic walked past them, to the very center of the quarry, and stood before a great, unmarred wall of granite. He did not rear back for a mighty blow. He simply tapped the stone.

And in the quiet, he listened.

Through the hammer, he felt what the others could not. It was not silence. It was a faint, irregular beat, a pained and struggling thing. Thump… thump-thump… thump. The mountain was not dead. Its heart, the great Heart-Stone that channeled the ley line, was struggling, its rhythm broken by the violent digging of the past.

Horic understood. He did not strike the mountain again. He began to tap the wall with his hammer, not with force, but with a rhythm. A steady, powerful, and true rhythm, the rhythm of a healthy mountain’s heart, the song of making that every Anuran knows. Thump. Thump. Thump. He sent the true song back into the stone.

The mountain listened. The faint, struggling beat within its depths began to match the rhythm of his hammer. The other Anuran stopped their blasting, feeling a change. A low hum began to rise from the ground beneath their feet. The Heart-Stone, reminded of its own song, had found its rhythm again. The ley line awakened, and the deep, life-giving song of the earth returned to the quarry, stronger than before. Horic had healed the mountain not by breaking it open, but by listening to its pain.

The Moral of the Story: For a loud voice may crack the stone’s hide, but only a listening ear can heal its heart. True strength is not in how hard you strike, but in knowing when, and where, to simply tap.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Prospector’s Warhammer Weapon (warhammer), rare (requires attunement)

This masterfully crafted warhammer has a head with two faces: a heavy, flat block of steel for crushing, and a sharp, hardened geology pick. A faint, rhythmic hum emanates from a crystal suspended within its haft.

  • Magic Weapon: You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
  • Versatile Head: When you make an attack with this warhammer, you can choose to have it deal piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage.
  • Resonant Analysis: When you hit a creature with this weapon, you learn of any of its Damage Vulnerabilities. When you hit an object, you learn its AC and Damage Threshold.
  • Shatter-Point Strike: The warhammer has 3 charges. When you hit a creature or object with the hammer, you can expend 1 charge to turn that hit into a critical hit. The warhammer regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn.

Blades in the Dark

Resonance Maul A heavy, one-handed hammer with a sharpened pick on the reverse side. A strange, uncut crystal floats in a gel-filled chamber in the haft, vibrating softly on impact. (Fine, Heavy, 2 Load)

This is both a brutal weapon and a sophisticated diagnostic tool, prized by saboteurs and arcane scholars alike.

  • Special Qualities:
    • This is a fine weapon and a fine set of tinker’s tools for any task involving structural analysis or demolition.
    • Resonant Analysis: When you Survey a structure or Study an opponent, you can ask a bonus question: “What is the single greatest weakness here?” The GM will tell you a critical flaw or vulnerability.
  • Activatable Ability:
    • Shatter-Point Strike: Once per score, when you exploit a weakness you’ve identified with the maul, you can push yourself for 0 Stress to gain Potent (+1 Effect) on your action.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Seismic Resonance Hammer A heavy geological hammer with an unusually sharp pick. Its haft contains a strange, free-floating crystal suspended in a viscous, unknown fluid. It was designed to analyze rock strata by interpreting vibrational feedback.

This scientific instrument can be used as a formidable weapon, and its ability to perceive the hidden flaws in reality can be unsettling to the user.

  • Weapon Stats: Functions as a Large Club.
    • Damage: 1d8+1
    • Base Chance: 25%
    • Hands: 1
    • HP: 14
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Diagnostic Tool: The user gains a +30% bonus to their Geology skill. They also gain one Bonus Die to Spot Hidden checks when searching for structural flaws, secret doors, or traps in man-made or natural structures.
    • Weak-Point Strike (Mythos Power): By spending 4 Magic Points and 1d2 Sanity points, the user can perfectly attune the hammer to the resonant frequency of a target. Their next successful Fighting (Club) attack automatically scores an Impale, dealing maximum damage.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Prospector’s Hammer A heavy warhammer with a pick on the back. A raw crystal can be seen floating in a sealed, gel-filled chamber in the weapon’s haft.

  • Slots: Takes up 2 of a character’s 10 inventory slots.
  • Damage: Deals d8 damage.
  • Qualities:
    • The hammer’s head is versatile; the wielder can choose to deal bludgeoning or piercing damage before each attack.
    • You have Advantage on all tests made to find structural weaknesses or hidden details in stone, wood, or earth.
  • Ability:
    • Shatter-Point Strike: The hammer holds 3 charges, which refresh each day. When you successfully hit a target with an attack, you can expend one charge to turn the hit into a critical hit (roll all damage dice twice and take the better result).

Fate Core

Horic’s Truth-Seeker This is an Extra, a legendary tool that embodies the Anuran philosophy of listening before striking.

  • ASPECTS:
    • High Concept: Legendary Diagnostic Warhammer
    • Trouble: The Vibrations Can Be Deceiving
    • Other: A Tool to Heal the Mountain, Not Break It
  • STUNTS:
    • Versatile Head: Because the hammer has both a crushing face and a piercing pick, when I make a Fight attack I can declare it to be either Forceful or Piercing before I roll.
    • Resonant Analysis: Because the hammer hears the stone’s song, I get a +2 to Overcome obstacles with Investigate when I am analyzing a structure, object, or natural formation.
    • Shatter-Point Strike: Once per conflict, when I Succeed with Style on a Fight attack, I can choose to forgo the boost. Instead, I can inflict a Moderate Consequence on the target, describing how I strike a critical, unseen flaw.

Numenera & Cypher System

Resonant Geological Hammer This is an Artifact, a perfectly crafted tool that uses sonic resonance to analyze and disrupt physical matter.

  • Level: 6
  • Form: A masterfully crafted one-handed warhammer with a pick on one side. A raw, uncut crystal floats in a gel-filled chamber in the haft.
  • Effect:
    • Passive: This is a medium weapon that deals 4 points of damage. The user can choose for it to inflict bludgeoning or piercing damage before each attack. The wearer gains an asset on all tasks related to geology, mining, or assessing structural integrity.
    • Active: As part of a successful attack action, the wearer can activate the “shatter-point” function. The attack deals an additional 3 points of damage that ignores Armor. Using this ability triggers the depletion roll.
    • Active: As an action, the wearer can touch an object to perform a detailed analysis. For the next minute, all tasks related to repairing, disabling, or finding a flaw in that object are eased.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check when the “shatter-point” function is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Prospector’s Warhammer Item 5 Uncommon Anuran Magical Divination

  • Price 160 gp
  • Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk 1
  • This +1 striking warhammer has a hardened pick on the reverse of its head, granting it the versatile P trait. A crystal suspended in the haft hums with diagnostic power.
  • Base Weapon: This is a +1 striking warhammer with the Versatile P trait.
  • Activate [reaction] Resonant Analysis (Divination); Trigger You strike a creature or object; Frequency once per minute; Effect You learn one of the target’s Weaknesses or Resistances, or its Hardness if it has one. The GM chooses which piece of information is most relevant.
  • Activate [one-action] Shatter-Point Strike (Divination); Frequency once per 10 minutes; Effect You analyze a target you can see within 30 feet to find its critical flaw. The next time you or an ally hits that target with a Strike before the start of your next turn, the Strike is a critical hit. This is a fortune effect.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Guild-Issue Resonance Hammer A heavy, perfectly balanced warhammer issued to Anuran prospectors. It is both a weapon and a sophisticated analysis tool.

  • Damage: Str+d6
  • AP: 1
  • Weight: 8
  • Notes:
    • Versatile: The wielder can choose to deal bludgeoning or piercing damage with each attack. If dealing piercing damage, it has AP 2.
    • Analysis: The hammer grants a +2 bonus to Investigation or Notice rolls when examining physical structures for flaws, traps, or secret passages.
    • Shatter-Point Strike: Once per combat encounter, the user can activate the hammer’s crystal as a free action. Their next successful Fighting attack automatically makes the target Vulnerable. If the target was already Vulnerable, the attack deals +d6 damage instead.

Shadowrun (6th World)

Ares “Mole” Geological Hammer A high-tech survey tool used by Ares Macrotechnology geologists and combat engineers. It combines a durable striking tool with a sophisticated resonance scanner to provide real-time structural analysis.

  • Type: M
  • Accuracy: 5
  • DV: (STR + 2)P
  • AP: -3
  • Availability: 10R
  • Cost: 7,500¥
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Dual Head: The user can choose to deal Stun damage (flat face) or Physical damage (pick face) with this weapon without penalty.
    • Resonance Scanner: The hammer contains a Rating 3 Sensor Suite specialized for geological and structural analysis. The wearer gains a +3 dice pool bonus on Engineering or Perception tests to analyze a structure, identify material composition, or find hidden panels.
    • Shatter-Point Analysis (Major Action): Once per combat encounter, the user can make a special attack. Make an Engineering + Logic [Sensor] test against the target’s Body + Intuition. For each net hit, the target’s Armor Rating is reduced by 2 for the rest of the scene as the hammer’s feedback highlights and exploits micro-fractures.

Starfinder

Prospector’s Resonant Hammer Level 5 Advanced Melee Weapon

  • Price 3,200 credits
  • Damage 1d8 B or P; Critical Corrode 1d6
  • Hands 1; Bulk 1
  • Special analog, professional (miner)
  • A masterfully crafted hammer-pick that contains a resonating crystal. It rings with a clear, analytical tone upon striking a surface.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • This is a one-handed advanced melee weapon with the analog and professional (miner) special properties. You can choose to deal bludgeoning or piercing damage with each attack.
    • Resonant Analysis: While wielding the hammer, you gain a +2 insight bonus on Engineering and Physical Science checks to identify materials, find structural weaknesses, or appraise the value of minerals.
    • Shatter-Point Strike: As a standard action, you can make a single melee attack against an object, a creature with the construct type, or a creature with natural armor. This attack ignores the target’s Hardness or Damage Reduction. You can use this ability once per day.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Geological Survey Hammer (TL 9) A standard-issue tool for prospectors and surveyors in hazardous environments. The hammer’s head is made from a durable alloy, and the haft contains a simple but effective resonance scanner.

  • Damage: 2d6+1
  • AP: 2
  • Weight: 2 kg
  • Power: Power Pack (Handle)
  • Cost: Cr 1,800
  • Traits: Versatile
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Versatile: The hammer can deal bludgeoning or piercing damage (with AP 3) as the user chooses.
    • Resonance Scanner: The hammer contains a sophisticated scanner powered by its handle pack (good for 12 hours of use). It grants the user DM+2 on any Recon or Science (Geology) check made to analyze a physical structure’s composition or integrity.
    • Weak-Point Strike: Before making an attack, the user may make an Average (8+) Recon or Science (Geology) check against their target. If successful, the subsequent attack ignores half of the target’s Armour (rounded down).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Dwarf Master Engineer’s Hammer A marvel of Dwarf engineering that is both a perfectly balanced warhammer and a precision instrument. The head is forged from gromril-steel, and the haft contains a series of resonating crystals that hum in proximity to stone.

  • Group: One-Handed
  • Damage: +SB+4
  • Enc: 1
  • Availability: Rare
  • Qualities: Defensive, Fine (+20), Impale, Pummel
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Masterwork Weapon: This weapon is considered a Fine quality Warhammer. The wielder can choose to use the Impale (pick face) or Pummel (hammer face) Qualities with each attack.
    • Rune of Analysis: The hammer is inscribed with a minor Rune of Seeking. The wielder gains a +10 bonus to all Perception Tests made to find hidden mechanisms, structural flaws, or secret doors in stone.
    • Expose Weakness: Once per combat encounter, the wielder may make a Challenging (+0) Perception Test as an Action to analyze an opponent’s armor, shield, or natural hide. If successful, for the rest of the combat, all of the wielder’s attacks against that opponent ignore a number of AP equal to the Test’s Success Levels.