Utuchekulu

This ebony-skinned dwarf has black hair, dark eyes, and a single blood red fang protruding from one side of its mouth.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

On this Thread

The utuchekulu are an offshoot breed of jungle-dwelling dwarves. Sundered from their northern kin since primeval times, the utuchekulu mixed with something foul and unnatural while evolving separately in the jungle. Today, they are an evil, man-eating people.

Utuchekulu live in tribal bands, usually ruled by the strongest warrior. While clerics are respected advisors, they never hold leadership positions. They prefer to occupy abandoned stone ruins and rebuild them. Every clan has two or three smiths to make tools and weapons of steel.

The utuchekulu survive mainly by hunting game and humans. Women and children forage for small game, eggs, grubs, and fish. Utuchekulu are zealous man-eaters and hunt humans as game.

The utuchekulu warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Strength 13, Dexterity 11, Constitution 12, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 9, Charisma 8.

An utuchekulu is about 3 feet tall and weighs 55-70 pounds. Utuchekulu have thin and scanty beards, often shaved.

Utuchekulu speak Common and Dwarven.

Utuchekulu
Small Humanoid (Dwarf)
Hit Dice	1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative	+0
Speed	20 ft. in masterwork hide armor (4 squares); base speed 20 ft.
Armor Class	14 (+1 size, +3 masterwork hide armor), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple	+1/-2
Attack	Spear +3 melee (1d6+1/×3) or shortsword +3 melee (1d6+1/19-20×3) or bite +3 melee (1d6+1) or composite shortbow (+1 Strength bonus) +3 ranged (1d4+1/×3 plus poison) or spear +2 ranged (1d6+1/×3)
Full Attack	Spear +3 melee (1d6+1/×3) or shortsword +3 melee (1d6+1/19-20×3) or bite +3 melee (1d6+1) or composite shortbow (+1 Strength bonus) +3 ranged (1d4+1/×3 plus poison) or spear +2 ranged (1d6+1/×3)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Poison use, powerful charge, utuchekulu traits
Special Qualities	Darkvision 60 ft., utuchekulu traits
Saves	Fort +3*, Ref +0*, Will -1*
Abilities	Strength 13, Dexterity 11, Constitution 12, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 9, Charisma 8
Skills	Appraise +0 (+2 stone or leather), Climb +3, Craft +0 (+2 stone or leather), Hide +6, Intimidate +1, Swim +5
Feats	Weapon Focus (shortbow)
Environment	Warm forests
Organization	Team (2-4), squad (5-8 plus 1 3rd-level champion), or tribe (10-30 plus 200% noncombatants plus 2-4 3rd-level champions and 1 chief of 4th-7th level)
Challenge Rating	1/2
Treasure	Standard coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment	Usually lawful evil
Advancement	By character class
Level Adjustment	+0

COMBAT

Utuchekulu fight with spears, short bows, knives, clubs, and machetes. They have a special method of preparing rhino and hippo hides into very hard and durable leather. They have developed special hunting poisons to bring down prey. Utuchekulu prefer to attack from ambush, and are also known to set numerous pits and snares around their lairs.

Poison Use (Ex): Utuchekulu typically carry 4 doses of hunting poison to apply to their arrowheads. Utuchekulu are not at risk of poisoning themselves when handling poison. Utuchekulu rogues and leaders often carry 1-3 doses of greater hunting poison as well.

Hunting Poison: Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial damage slowed (as the spell) for 1d10 minutes, secondary damage paralyzed 1d4 rounds. A poisoned victim’s flesh transmits the hunting poison as an ingested poison for one hour.

Slaying Poison: Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial damage paralyzed 1d4 rounds plus slowed (as the spell) for 1d10 minutes, secondary damage 2d6 Constitution. A poisoned victim’s flesh transmits the hunting poison as an ingested poison for two hours.

Powerful Charge (Ex): When a utuchekulu charges, its bite attack deals 2d6+2 points of damage.

Utuchekulu Traits (Ex): Utuchekulu possess the following racial traits.

• Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters.
• An utuchekulu’s base land speed is 20 feet. However, utuchekulu can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
• Darkvision out to to 60 feet.
• Stonecunning: This ability grants an utuchekulu a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. An utuchekulu who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and an utuchekulu can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. An utuchekulu can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Utuchekulu have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes.
• Weapon Familiarity: Utuchekulu treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
• Weapon Proficiency: Utuchekulu are automatically proficient with the shortsword and falchion.
• Stability: Utuchekulu are exceptionally stable on their feet. An utuchekulu has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when Climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
• +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or leather items.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or leather.
• +2 racial bonus on Hide checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Rogue.

Originally appeared in Dungeon Magazine #56 (1995).