Ur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Alternative Histories of Ur

Wolf Spirit: At 11th level, the wolf spirit within Ur awakens, completely replacing the deer spirit. Ur’s Wisdom and Charisma increase to 16, and the handaxe gains darkvision out to 60 feet. The wolf spirit is aggressive and cunning, using the Common tongue to suggest tactics. Its Ego score is 10 + its enhancement bonus.

Stealthy Approach (Su): At 13th level, you gain a +10 competence bonus on Move Silently checks.

Wolf’s Cunning (Su): You are able to react to danger with surprising speed. At 16th level, you gain a +5 bonus on initiative checks.

Bear Spirit: At 17th level, the bear spirit within Ur awakens, overshadowing the wolf spirit. The bear spirit is calm and thoughtful unless confronted with aggression, in which case it responds swiftly and brutally. Ur’s Wisdom and Charisma increase to 18, and it gains the ability to communicate with you telepathically. The handaxe gains blindsense, and all its senses work out to 120 feet. The handaxe’s Ego score is 17 + its enhancement bonus.

Implacable Will (Su): At 17th level, you gain a +5 morale bonus on Will saves.

Healing Totem (Sp): Starting at 19th level, two times per day as a swift action, you can use cure critical wounds (self only) as the spell. Caster level 15th.

Natural Lore (Su): At 19th level, you gain a +5 competence bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.

Savage Transformation (Su): Beginning at 20th level, once per day as a free action, you can enter a state of savagery lasting for 10 rounds. In this state, you are immune to poison, death effects, and fear effects. Any damage that would reduce you to –1 or fewer hit points is ignored. You cannot benefit from any effect or ability, magical or otherwise, allowing you to regain or heal hit points—such effects simply fail for the duration of the transformation. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 5)

While traveling through the wilderness, the heroes stumble across a cavern gaping in a rocky cliff face. The cave seems to radiate an aura of ancient, primeval power. As the characters approach the opening, a deer bounds out and leaps away into the forest. Within await a brown bear and a pair of wolves, snarling when they see someone approaching. Any character with Knowledge (nature) instantly recognizes this is unnatural behavior—these three creatures are likely held here by some outside force. That force is Ur, which rests atop a crude stone dais like a primitive holy relic on a shrine.

Brown Bear: hp 51 (see page 269 of the Monster Manual). Wolves (2): hp 13, 15 (see page 283 of the Monster Manual).

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ALTERNATIVE HISTORIES OF UR

The legacy weapon presented here is intimately connected with primitive human culture, but there is no reason you can’t customize it to preliterate peoples of some other race, such as lizardfolk or orcs. To do so, simply alter some of the item’s superficial details to bring it more into line with the alternative culture. For example, the specific animals carved into the blade might differ from the deer, wolf, and bear described above. The legacy abilities granted remain the same, but would have different names. Thus, a weapon of lizardfolk might have images of lizard, snake, and tortoise, respectively; one crafted for a locathah warrior could have seahorse, shark, and whale. The spirits can also be tied to a specific environment, such as a desert; the various environment books (for example, Sandstorm or Frostburn) provide plenty of additional information and ideas for customizing the weapon’s abilities to a given setting. Another approach is to have Ur be not the weapon of a long-forgotten ancestor but a legacy that was founded recently by an uncivilized people. Thus, Ur does not lie forgotten in an ancient cave but grants its abilities to a nonplayer character that the party must deal with in some way. A great warrior has arisen among the savage orcs of the mountains, for example, or perhaps a goliath chieftain has imbued it with wondrous powers by winning many competitions of speed, strength, and courage. In the former case, the orc is probably a threat to be defeated; in the latter, perhaps a potential ally whom the PCs must persuade to wield her weapon in a greater cause. (Although goliaths are not primitive, theirs is a preliterate culture that reveres the primal forces of nature. See the Races of Stone supplement for details on the goliath race.) Discovering the symbolism of Ur can also be more than simply undertaking a ritual hunt. The legacy rituals described above can become more involved, requiring the wielder to learn about the culture that made it. For example, the wielder might have to travel to an encampment of primitive peoples to learn the nature of the spirit offering that is needed, or consult with a scholar of lost tribes and their ways.