Ramius Stormhammer, the dwarven Legendary Dreadnought

"You can never really put a good dwarf down..."

Born of the famous Stormhammer family, which had produced several dwarven heroes of the past, Ramius has certainly lived up to his clan's reputation. Known the planes over as the Unmovable (and sometimes, the Unstoppable), Ramius is one of the few who can say with pride that he had fought in most, if not all, of the kinds of planar battlefields. From the Elemental planes, to the festering pits of the Abyss, and the eternal battlegrounds of Ysgard, the dwarven warrior had made a name for himself in large-scale engagements, as well as in small exploratory campaigns with other adventurers. Though the latter is more lucrative, he finds the former more fulfilling, especially if pitted against hordes of his favorite prey: fiends.

At three hundred years, Ramius is nearing the age where most of his kin start thinking of settling down. Though he would want to found his own clan, and establish a clanhold somewhere, those thoughts are still in the future. For now, he would like to adventure as long as he is able, and that is likely quite a while still. There is, after all, that dream of his to battle the minions of the fire giant deities Memnor and Surt...

The dwarven warrior is counted as one of Malthus' planar contacts. Ramius likes the paladin lord's methods, if not his motives for fighting, and would gladly give his aid if convinced properly, or offered enough incentive. The incentive doesn't necessarily mean treasure -- a good battle against a strong and challenging foe is usually enough to throw in his lot with Malthus, who never seems to run out of strong and challenging enemies.

Ramius is a no-nonsense person, and can be extremely strong with his opinions of the people he meets. He is honest to the point of being blunt, and isn't afraid to tell someone to their face that he doesn't like them. The dwarf is extremely proud of his accomplishments, and that of his clan's, and is quite ready to answer insults with a fist and headbutt or two. Unusual for his race, Ramius is quite generous with his wealth, but guards his equipment with a possessiveness bordering on paranoia ("A warrior is nothing without his weapon and armor, after all!").

Ramius is above-average of height for a dwarf, and still retains his barrel-chested physique, managing so far to avoid the pot bellies so-prevalent among his family. He keeps his brown beard at chest length for practical reasons, but still braids it with care. Out of his face, forest-green eyes gaze out of the world, a rarity among dwarves.

 

Ramius Stormhammer, male Fighter 16/Dwarven Defender 10/Legendary Dreadnought 8: CR 34; Medium-sized humanoid (dwarf); HD 16d10+176 plus 10d12+110 plus 9d12+99; hp 713; wp 33; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 44 (touch 21, flat-footed 44); Base Attack +27; Grapple +36; Attack +42 melee (1d10+16/19-20/x3, +5 brilliant energy dwarven battleaxe), or +37 ranged (1d10+16 plus 2d6 vs. evil/19-20/x3, +5 holy throwing returning dwarven battleaxe); Full Attack +42/+37/+32/+27 melee (1d10+16/19-20/x3, +5 brilliant energy dwarven battleaxe), or +37 ranged (1d10+16 plus 2d6 vs. evil/19-20/x3, +5 holy throwing returning dwarven battleaxe); SA Unmovable, unstoppable; SQ Damage reduction 15/- (10/adamantine), defensive stance 5/day, dwarf traits, enhanced statistics (Strength/Constitution/Wisdom), improved uncanny dodge, mobile defense, shrug off punishment, thick-skinned, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge; SR 32; Alignment Lawful Good; Saves Fort +37, Ref +23, Will +25; Str 29, Dex 20, Con 33, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 8. Height 5 ft.

Skills and Feats (with Synergy bonuses included): Climb +48, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +24, Intimidate +22, Jump +46, Listen +13, Ride +15, Sense Motive +18, Speak Language (Planar Trade), Spot +13; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (dwarven battleaxe), Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Toughness, Weapon Focus (dwarven battleaxe), Weapon Specialization (dwarven battleaxe).

Epic Feats: Bulwark of Defense, Damage Reduction (2), Fast Healing (2, 6 hit points healed per round), Penetrate Damage Reduction (cold steel).

Languages Spoken (Base): Common, Dwarven, Terran.

Defensive Stance: During his defensive stance, Ramius has the following statistics instead of that given above: Hp 817; AC 44 plus +6 dodge bonus; Grapple +38; Attack +44 melee (1d10+18/19-20/x3, +5 keen brilliant energy dwarven battleaxe); Full Attack +44/+39/+34/+29 melee (1d10+18/19-20/x3, +5 keen brilliant energy dwarven battleaxe); Saves Fort +40; Str 33, Con 39. Ramius can remain in defensive stance for 17 rounds, after which he is winded and gains a -2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the encounter.

 

Adventuring Equipment:

Over the course of his career Ramius has acquired quite a collection of magical arms and equipment, and is one of the few dwarves in the history of his race to have wielded the mightiest of its artifacts, namely the battleaxe Gorm's Wrath and Clangeddin's Mail. He no longer has those artifacts, of course, having returned them when the quests they were connected to were accomplished, but his current gear can be considered a veritable menagerie of minor artifacts in their own right. Users of detect magic get dizzy whenever he is around.

The statistics presented above reflect occassions where he wears his full panoply (listed below) into battle.

 

Weapons: Foesmasher (+5 holy throwing returning adamantine dwarven battleaxe, allows use of true strike 2/day), +5 brilliant energy dwarven battleaxe.

Helm: Lucern's Horns (+4 Luck bonus to saves vs. Enchantment spells and effects, teleport 3/day as helm of teleportation).

Amulet: Amaranth's Heart (grants +5 natural armor bonus to AC, +5 resistance bonus to saves, damage reduction 10/adamantine, spell resistance 32, constant mind blank).

Armor: +5 heavy fortification mithril full plate mail (prevents critical hits and sneak attacks 100%), +5 great reflection heavy steel shield (when targetted by a spell, automatically reflect the spell at the caster, Ramius may lower or raise effect as free action to allow beneficial spells).

Bracers/Gauntlets/Gloves: Vithar's Might (+6 enhancement bonus to Strength, 2/day battleblow: melee touch attack that deals 2d8+2 force damage, target must make a DC 22 Reflex save to avoid being knocked prone, and a DC 22 Fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds).

Rings: Ring of Freedom of Movement (constant freedom of movement), Ring of Protection +6 (+6 deflection bonus to AC).

Belt: Ancestor's Embrace (+6 enhancement bonus to Constitution, +4 Luck bonus to saves vs. death effects and spells).

Cloak: Cloak of Displacement, Major (displacement as the spell for a total of 15 rounds per day).

Boots: Boots of Swiftness (+6 enhancement bonus to Dexterity, evasion as 20th-level rogue, +10 base land speed, +20 competence bonus to Balance/Climb/Jump/Tumble, 3/day: haste for total of 20 rounds).

Gear: Antitoxin (4 doses), backpack, bedroll, blanket (winter), clothes (explorer's), flint and steel, gem of seeing, iron pot, miner's pick, mirror (small steel), oil (3 pints), portable hole (8 potions of cure critical wounds, 4 haste, 4 enlarge), rope (50 ft.), spade, trail rations for six days, waterskin (full, dwarven ale), whetstone.

 

Class Abilities and Special Qualities:

Defensive Stance: Five times per day, Ramius can become a bastion of defense, gaining +4 to his Strength, +6 to Constitution, +4 resistance bonus to all saves, and a +6 dodge bonus to Armor Class. Each use of defensive stance lasts 17 rounds, at the end of which Ramius is winded, and takes a -2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the encounter.

Dwarf Traits (Ex): Darkvision 60 feet, +2 racial bonus to saves vs. poisons, +2 racial bonus to saves vs. spells and spell-like effects, +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids, +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class vs. giant types, +2 racial bonus to Appriase checks with stone or metal items, +2 racial bonus to Craft checks regarding stone or metal, stability (+4 bonus on ability checks made to resist bull rush or trip attempts while standing on the ground), stonecunning (+2 racial bonus to notice unusual stonework, intuit depth underground), weapon familiarity (dwarven waraxes and dwarven ugroshes are martial weapons).

Enhanced Statistics: Ramius had read a Manual of Bodily Health +5, a Manual of Gainful Exercise +5, and a Tome of Understanding +5, gaining a +5 inherent bonus to his Constitution, Strength, and Wisdom, respectively.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ramius cannot be flanked, except by a rogue four levels higher than him.

Mobile Defense (Ex): Ramius can adjust his position while maintaining his defensive stance, and can take a 5-foot step each round without losing the benefit of the stance.

Shrug off Punishment (Ex): Ramius is able to resist injuries that would fell lesser warriors, gaining a +12 bonus to his hit points.

Thick-Skinned (Ex): Ramius gains damage reduction 3/- that stacks with the 6/- damage reduction he gained as a dwarven defender, as well as the 6/- damage reduction care of the Damage Reduction feat, for a total of 15/-.

Trap Sense (Ex): Ramius has a +2 bonus to Reflex saves to avoid traps, and a +2 bonus to his AC against attacks made by traps.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ramius retains his Dexterity bonus to AC regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. He still loses his bonus if immobilized in some way, though.

Unmovable (Ex): Ramius can concentrate his power, making himself immovable once per day, gaining a +20 bonus on any one of the following:

• A grapple check to avoid being grabbed with the Improved Grab ability.
• A Strength check to avoid the effects of a bull rush, trip, or similar effect.
• A Strength check against any effect that would move Ramius either physically or magically.
• One saving throw.

Alternatively, Ramius may use this ability to gain a +20 bonus to his Will save against any spell or effect that normally would not allow a saving throw.

Unstoppable (Ex): Ramius can concentrate his power, transforming himself into an unstoppable force once per day, gaining a +20 bonus on his Strength check to break or burst open doors or items, break through a wall of force, or add +20 to a single attack roll.