Why is it that people always seem to insist upon using a sword. Why does no-one want to use hammers and daggers and other such weapons anymore?

In order to revive an underused weapon category, I present to you: 30 Hammers.

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Cheka Man Dossta MysticMoon
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1- GROM. Heavy, and positivly lethal. This greathammer can with one well placed and powerful strike, snuff out your opponents life with a force equal to the rage felt by the one wielding it.

2- The Zealots Nut. A small hammer made to be quick and accurate. Its head has a nutlike shape. (With a religeous symbol of the GM´s choosing engraved/embossed)

3- Silverthrash. With a head made of pure silver, this hammer will make sure that your foes rest is eternal. A must for all adventurers taking it up with the undead.

4- "For trade use only" The good all round general purpose hammer favoured by blacksmiths in order to carry out their trade. Pretty effective when used against your average foe stood yonder.

5. The Siege Maul

A massive hammer with an iron shod stone head, the Siege Maul was made to splinter shields, break doors, and crack bone through armor. The weapon has a moderate enchantment that makes it light enough to be wielded in combat, without this charm, it would take an ogre in a full rage to use this massive weapon.

6. Thunderclap

This hammer, made of copper and brass filigree has bas relief artwork of the god of storms on it's size, and lightning bolts and storm runes on it's striking faces. With each swing, this weapon releases a mighty crash of thunder and knocks whomever it hits back five to ten feet. It is said that in the hands of a true hero, this hammer could knock a war god to his knees.

7. Inexorable Destiny

This black hammer seems to have been dredged from the deepest, bleakest place in creation, which would be quite accurate. With a head made of tainted black jade and a handle cut from the trees that grow along the river Styx in the underworld, Inexorable Destiny is a physical embodiment of what waits below. This frightful hammer, almost a pole arm in length, is able to dispell clerical magics, and turn aside most sorcerous defences. Only courage, a stout heart, and thick steel can hope to resist this entropic weapon.

8. Zug-Zug Hrootoo

Though having a comical name, Zug-Zug Hrootoo is an impressive ancenstral weapon of the orcs. This iron hammer with polished bone inlay has been passed from champion to champion and has seen battle against ogres, trolls, dwarves, elves, and humans. In the orcish culture, it is said that the champions who carry this hammer are servents of the orc-god and are protected by that bloody deity.

9. Immaculate Answer

Immaculate Answer is the life's work of a geomancer, who used his skill in the art to literally grow this hammer deep in the earth. The entire weapon is grown from a single flawless white crystal. After it was grown, the geomancer further enchanted it from being broken, chipped, or shattered and he wrapped the handle in leather since it was prone to slicing hands with it's many small edges. Immaculate Answer has a hard point on each end, rather than a flat striking face, and as such it's blows leave bloody punches and holes in armor and crushes helmets with sickening ease.

10. Stormspinner

This hammer has, thanks to it's creation, the downfall of a number of civilizations.

With a stone head that was made from a brick of a wave-pounded lighthouse, a haft of lightning-scarred oak and etchings of lightning, this weapon is the embodiment of the storm. According to myth, the finishing touch of it's creation was to have a storm of unheard of proportions bound to it. This storm had raged along the northern coastline of the continent for time out of mind, and when it vanished into the hammer so to did the main force holding back northern raiders. Over the following years, most towns along the coast were slowly picked away at until nothing remained. Despite the raging storm, there had been many towns and cities dotted along the coastline, due to to the abundance of sea life in that area not found elsewhere. With the loss of these great cities, the economic backbone of a number of kingdoms was shattered, and with it their power. The final blow was that the hammer itself was eventually stolen by the raiders.

Looking through the history books, we find a description of a suspiciously similar weapon surface later alongside the noted barbarian warrior Hanim. He has been accredited with many great feats, though the accomplished scholar will note that many are most likely myth or exaggeration to the point of fiction. The most interesting legend however is about the great warrior's death. Supposedly, he ventured to a mountain citadel of giants, there to do battle with them and remove the scourge that had been the bane of his people for generations. According to the story, a few days after he set off for the great mountain it became enveloped in black-purple clouds, with flashes of white light arcing out sporadically. When the cloud cleared, the top third of the mountain was gone. Hanim was never seen again, nor his mighty hammer.

11 - Dragon's Bluff

This massive weapon is made of the bones of a ancient dragon wyrm. The head is a huge tooth whose roots have been rubbed down to four large dull nubs, the other side ends in a fearsome point. Another dragon bone is bound for use as a handle but various strands of sinew and enchanted ropes. It isn't too heavy too wield, and is nicely balanced for something that looks so haphazard. When the blunt side can be used to deliver blows that stink of the dragon's sulfurous breath, while the point makes an effective pick-like weapon. It is best known for the Dragon Bluff maneuver: thrusting between two foes, leading off with the point in an arc towards a foe then reversing direction and slamming into the other with the four blunt nubs. Whenever a fatal blow is struck this weapon leaves a large scorch mark and the air will reek of burning for days.

12. The Hammers of Rot

A great hit with champions of the undead and the not-quite-so-living. The hammers of Rot are an interesting weapon to wield and positively deadly to face. A hit from one of these weapons will transform the struck area into dead flesh or will strip it of its flesh depending on how injured the opponent is. The more damage an opponent takes the more he prematurely decomposes. These weapons are mainly found in the arsenals of undead champions, or are perhaps held by a necromancer who prefers to fight instead of wasting time and energy summoning the dead. It isn't that rarely that one can also be found in the possesion of a military commander or officer as well as with the undead.

As with every weapon of this sort however there is a downside, which in this case just happens to be that the more the wielder uses the weapon the more he gradually begins to look like a cadaver, and in time, perhaps over a period of years he becomes indistinguishable form a real cadaver.

Today very few of these weapons remain most having been found by paladins and other holy and righteous orders and destroyed. But they will come back to the surface every now and then, occasionally in the hands of the demented and oft insane.

13 Elric's Silver Hammer

For eight centuries Elric's Silver Hammer has been buried in his barrow with him-a terrible fate for a sentinent weapon. Is it any wonder that it has got a little crazy after all those years?

14 - The Small Maul

A small pink and purple hammer that a pixie could wield in two hands. It might find use as regular hammer, but would seem silly in the hands of a master carpenter due to the loud squeak that it emits any time it strikes something.

15 - Gremuk's Dwarven Thrower

A lightweight stone-headed throwing hammer with tally marks carved all over it. These marks represent the number of people simply knocked unconsious by Gremuk the Borrower's hammer. The hammer has so far proven to be not-so-lethal, but good for KOs.

16 - Runethirst

Also known as Sigilwaste or Glyphstriker, this large shiny hammer of mithril has a magic ward of dispelling engraved on it's striking surface. The rune functions three times a day and can disrupt magic affecting anything it strikes. Such as a mage's magical armor or an arcane lock. Created by proud dwarven runecasters to weild in the long forgotten Horde Wars.

This relic has become a symbol of power among the dwarves and is used to strike anyone who will be speaking at a trial for a heinous crime, it being believed that it will dispel magics of deception and lies or curses that may be affecting the individual on trial. Currently in possesion of the High Dwarven Queen Glorious Undermountain.

17 - The Gremil's Monitor

A insane-looking modern magi-tech weapon made from an old computer monitor, a hockey stick, and loads of military-issue EB-Green duct tape. This mighty staff-like device can temporarily short-circuit electronics nearby and grants electricy resistance. It was forged in the darknessof the void by the Gremil King and brought through a portal into this world to serve his human minions in preparation for the invasion. It is not often seen in public, except to transport or show off, being usually kept in the dark place, letting the eerie glow of the still-lit monitor light the room.

18-The Bellringer

Rather a small hammer, the Bellringer is only about ten inches long. It has a sturdy wooden handle wrapped in strips of wolf hide, and is topped by a rough chunk of metal, rumored to be the cast-offs from one of the mythic blades that pop into tales every now and then. The Bellringer is a little less than average quality for a war hammer, even one as small as it is. However, anything, and everything, that is struck will ring like a bell, anywhere from a small silvery tinkle, to a booming gong.

19-The Banhammer

This heavy iron hammer is quite hard to wield, but anyone struck by it and not killed or mortally wounded is unable to approach within three feet of the one who holds the Banhammer whilst the hammer is still held in the hand. In the hands of a truly powerful wizard this can be used to ban someone from an area up to a mile long and a mile wide. The disadvantage of the Banhammer is that those who use it too often become intolarent and arrogant and think the weapon is far more powerful then it really is.

20 - Bonk!

The Rubber Mallet of Bonking is, literally, a laughable device. No matter how hard it is swung, or how strong the wielder is, it will always do a very small amount of damage. However, when it stikes someone's head it makes an odd sound and stuns them for a few second, followed by causing them to laugh out loud in an odd sort of delerium. For the rest of the combat they will not be able to take anything seriously. They will laugh off fatal wounds and never suffer morale penalties. The most effective use for the Hammer of Bonk is probably to hit allies who are suffering from fear effects or need to lighten up a little.

21 - Fist of an Angry God

This gold-plated "fist on a stick" has the power to banish other-worldly being back to their native world. It was born of anger. The God did not like these intruders in his domain. So he sent his fist, attached to a metal rod, covered in gold, to help his creations fight back against the creatures from beyond. It can not harm a mortal being, but when it strikes a creature not of our world a thunderous roar bellows from the sky and, with a brilliant flash of light, the creature is returned home and cannot return for a year and a day. Where it stood is a smoking crater. Unfortunatly, using the power of god takes it's toll on the wielder, he will be exhausted and unable to fight effectively untill he is able to properly pray to his God (In a place of worship such as a church, or at least being alone in silence).

22-Maxwell's Silver Hammer

This silver-plated hammer was last heard of in the hands of one Maxwell Edison, majoring in medicine. He used it to kill his girlfriend and a teacher, and then grabbed it from the evidence stand and used it to kill the judge presiding over his trial.Those who hold it have an urge to murder people with it that they find hard to keep under control, and harder still when they are upset and angry. When the hammer strikes it jerks in the hand to do as much damage as possible (in game terms, it does double damage.)

Those who can sense good or evil will almost be able to physicly sense the waves of evil rolling off the weapon.

23. Melathrics Piledriver

This massive hammer is designed for construction, but it is more then adequate as a weapon.

When used for construction, it will firmly seat poles, pickets, and the like with a single solid strike. When used in melee, it will magically pin a victim on a critical strike - driving them into the ground to a depth of 1 foot. The victim will then need to extricate themselves, provided a big advantage to foes. If the ground is metal or magically hardened, the victim will instead sustain additional damage.

Optionally, if the strike slays the victim, they may be driven as deep as the attacker desires.

24. The Physics Buster

This hammer which never got past the prototype phase is blanketed in a colorful variety of cables. The head of the weapon is clearly segmented, with unfamiliar circuitry running between the segments.

What this hammer does, in short, is put the laws of physics and specifically mass in a headlock. while leaving all pertinent matter in place, it relocates the mass of the person holding it and anything that person happens to be supporting into the head of the weapon. A fat man carrying a heavy load could easily punch through a concrete wall.

The more someone and all their gear weighs, the more the weapon weighs. This isn't additional weight, it's simple shifted around. The reason this weapon never got out of being a prototype however is that very few people are capable of swinging their own body mass.

Foreseeable blunder or powerful weapon? You decide!

25-Hammer of the Law

This ebony hammer is enchanted so that it will not hit a person who has not broken any law. When used against lawbreakers, the more severe the lawbreaking is, the harder the hammer will hit them. If the lawbreaker is committing or has committed a capital offense, the hammer can strike hard enough to split a shield or crack a skull, regardless of the strength of the one using it.

26. Heart's True Colors

This hammer looks like a solid metal shaft lodged into a block of glass, the glass itself having feint veins of color running through it. The handle is wrapped in worn leather.

When used in combat, the seemingly glass head holds together as well as any normal metal, and it doesn't weigh as much as a similar mass of steel would. The true power of this weapon though surfaces when the wielder is experiencing strong emotions. It doesn't particularly matter what, but overwhelming anger, loneliness, embarrassment or even love will cause a change in the hammer. Depending on the emotion felt, a different strain of color will slowly brighten and grow, until the head of the hammer is a solid shade, generally corresponding to the emotion the wielder is currently harboring.

When it has become a full shade, the hammer gains powerful abilities. The exact nature of these abilities varies depending on the emotion, but for some of the more common emotions the effects are fairly well known:

Love

When fueled by love, the faint pinkish-red vein is dominant. The wielder becomes a very able guardian of the person or object that is the subject of their affection, able to deal crushing blows to whoever would cause the subject harm. Also, to facilitate protection, the wielder gains the ability to 'take a hit' that was aimed at that which they love, an enchantment-assisted dive that can convey the wielder great lengths to take the hit in place of the object of their affection.

Rage

When powered by rage, the head of the hammer darkens to a black with faint red veins. In this form, the hammer becomes one of the best weapons one could hope to wield, at least against the source of the wielders rage. It becomes capable of blows that can send an armored man through a brick wall, and provides the wielder with a general sense of the direction his hated foe is in.

Courage

When fueled by courage, The head of the hammer takes on a whitish-gold hue. In cases such as this, the wielder becomes a champion against overwhelming odds, the more foes surround him the brighter the hammer shines. As his number of nearby foes increase, so to due his defenses to the point where, when completely embroiled in melee, the wielder is virtually untouchable by lesser foes.

Despair

When powered by despair, the hammer takes on a flat tone of gray that is almost black. Any who are unlucky enough to be struck by the hammer while it is in this state find that some core of their being has been affected, and they have a hard time bringing themselves to take action on anything, at least for a while. They are wracked with thoughts of how none of their actions matter, that in a hundred years nobody would know their name. Disciplined warriors or those with a strong mind are able to resist such thoughts, but it tends to be a harrowing feat nonetheless.

There are many more powers that the hammer has, but these are the most common ones. There is virtually a different powerset for each emotion, so the spectrum is really quite broad.

27-Mini Mjöllnir

These little hammer a few inches tall is said by the fey, small creatures a few inches tall, to have been granted to them by their god when their entire race was threatened with extinction by humans and other races. Allthough the hammer is so small, the enchantment means it hits with the force of a human-sized hammer, enough to wind someone, to fracture, for example, a finger bone, and even, if it hits just the right spot on a human body, to kill outright.

28- Twin Lotus

This set of lightweight hammers are fashioned to be used by female warriors in battle, with a spell of quick movement ensorceled into the weapon. As the name suggests, each of the two hammer heads are fashioned into the shape of a lotus flower. Crafted by a female smith, name unknown

29.) The Ten Feet Hammer

With a strong thrust and a guiding thought, this hammer will prolong its handle up to ten feet. While enchanted for hardness, it wasn't built for combat. It is a handman's and adventurer's tool, for the odd carpentry need, or climbing inaccessible places. It doesn't have any special bonuses, but a skilled fighter could use it to surprise the enemy.

30. Vibrohammer

This odd weapon was found in an alien ruin on Mantarivia III. It was soon found that anything struck by it would silently, but severely, vibrate for a great deal of time thereafter. Persons struck will have difficulty handling objects, and if the initial strike was hard, the shaking itself may prove injurious.

31. Little Bessie

Little Bessie now hangs in the New York Z War memorial. It once belonged to the late John 'Yonkers' Young. National Hero and Leader of the New York Civilian Defense Force. It was and remains a symbol of hope, perseverance and human endurance in what was undoubtedly the closest humankind as ever come to extinction.

When the Z wars broke in the US, John was studying in Cambridge, MA. In the ensuing panic and the mass riots, he made the decision to return home to Yonkers, where his parents and his fiancée lived. With the roads blocked, and public transport systems still burning, John began his southward journey home on foot and entered the legends. According to his own testimony recorded after the war, Little Bessie was found abandoned in a partially dug ditch. An unnamed construction worker had left it behind in the panic. Not wanting to be unarmed, John picked it up to defend himself against the horde.

John 'Yonkers''s many exploits over the next few years are discussed at length elsewhere. From historical evidence, Little Bessie pacified over four thousands Zs in John' hands, making it the most effective single weapon of the resistance.

Appearance

Little Bessie is a modest European-style sledgehammer. 34 inches in length total, its fiberglass handle has now long lost the factory shine it had when purchased. Gouges on the handle testify to its intensive use, and the distinctive red paint job given to it after the defence of the Lincoln tunnel (where the horde outnumbered humans 100 to 1) distinguishes it from other similar tools. Its rubber grip has been replaced several times, and behind the glass case, one can distinguish what looks like stripped leather. Its 8lbs drop pressed carbon steel head is still in excellent condition, and should men have need of it again, will be ready to once more crush undead skulls.

It was never discovered why John named his weapon Little Bessie.