Broken ones (or animal men) are the tragic survivors of scientific and magical experiments gone awry. While they were once human, their beings have become mingled with those of animals and their very nature has been forever altered by the shock of this event. It is rumored that some broken ones are the result of failed attempts at resurrection, reincarnation, or polymorph spells.

While broken ones look more or less human, they are physically warped and twisted by the accidents that made them. The characteristics of their non-human part will be clearly visible to any who see them. For example, a broken one who has been infused with the essence of a rat might have horrific feral features, wiry whiskers, curling clawed fingers, and a long, whip-like tail.

Broken ones know whatever languages they knew as human beings and 10% of them can communicate with their non-human kin as well. It is not uncommon for the speech of a broken one to be heavily accented or slurred by the deformities of its body.

Combat: Broken ones tend to be reclusive creatures and combat with them is rare. Still, they are strong opponents. Broken ones are almost always blessed with a greater than human stamina, reflected in the fact that they always have at least 5 hit points per Hit Die. Thus, the weakest of broken ones has at least 15 hit points. In addition, broken ones heal at a greatly accelerated rate, regenerating 1 hit point each round.

A broken one will often wield weapons in combat, inflicting damage according to the weapon used. Many broken ones have also developed claws or great strength, which makes them deadly in unarmed combat. Hence, all such creatures inflict 1d6 points of damage in melee. Unusually strong strains might receive bonuses to attack and damage rolls.

Many broken ones have other abilities (night vision, keen hearing, etc.) that are derived from their animal half. As a general rule, each creature will have a single ability of this sort.

Habitat/Society: Broken ones tend to gather together in bands of between 10 and 60 persons. Since they seldom find acceptance in human societies, they seek out their own kind and dwell in secluded areas of dense woods or rocky wastes far from the homes of men. From time to time they will attack a human village or caravan, either for supplies, in self-defense, or simply out of vengeance for real or imagined wrongs. If possible, they will try to seek out their creator and destroy him for the transformations he has brought upon them.

When a society of these monsters is found, it will always be tribal in nature. There will be from 10-60 typical broken ones with one greater broken one for every 10 individuals. The greater broken ones (described below) will act as leaders and often have absolute power over their subjects.

Ecology: Broken ones are unnatural combinations of men and animals. Their individual diets and habits are largely dictated by their animal natures. Thus, a broken one who has leonine characteristics would be carnivorous, while one infused with the essence of a horse would be vegetarian. There are no known examples of a broken one who has been formed with the essence of an intelligent nonhuman creature.

Broken ones do manufacture the items they need to survive. These are seldom of exceptional quality, however, and are of little or no interest to outsiders. Occasionally, broken ones may be captured by evil wizards or sages who wish to study them.

Greater Broken Ones

From time to time, some animal men emerge who are physically superior. While they are still horrible to look upon and cannot dwell among men, they are deadly figures with keen minds and powerful bodies. Their twisted and broken souls, however, often lead them to acts of violence against normal men.

These creatures regenerate at twice the rate of their peers (2 hit points per round) and inflict 1d8 points of damage in unarmed combat. When using weapons, they gain a +3 to +5 bonus on all attack and damage rolls. Like their subjects, they often have special abilities based on their animal natures. Such powers, however, are often more numerous (from 1-4 abilities) and may be even better than those of the animal they are drawn from. For example, a greater broken one who is created from scorpion stock might have a chitinous shell that gives it AC 2 and it might have a poisonous stinger.