Dwarves are slow to trust those outside their kin, but this wariness is not without reason. Dwarves have a long history of forced exile from ancestral holds and struggles against the depredations of savage foes, especially giants, goblinoids, orcs, and the horrors that dwell deep below the surface. While trust from a dwarf is hard-won, once gained it is as strong as iron.
Dwarves tend to value honor and closely follow the traditions of their clans and kingdoms. They have a strong sense of friendship and justice, though they are often very particular about who they consider a friend. They work hard and play harder— especially when strong ale is involved.
Physical Description
Dwarves are short and stocky, standing about a foot shorter than most humans. They have wide, compact bodies and burly frames. Dwarves of all genders pride themselves on the length of their hair, which they often braid into intricate patterns, some of which represent specific clans. A long beard is a sign of masculinity and honor among the dwarves, and thus a clean-shaven male dwarf is considered weak, untrustworthy, or worse.
Dwarves typically reach physical adulthood around the age of 20, though their traditionalist culture places more value on completing coming of age ceremonies unique to each clan than reaching a certain age. A typical dwarf can live to around 150 years old.
Society
The ancient surface empire the dwarves once ruled fell long ago, overwhelmed by orc and goblinoid enemies. Today's dwarves today retain many of the qualities that propelled their people to greatness in ancient times: fierceness, gumption, and stubbornness in endeavors ranging from battle and craftsmanship to forging ties with family and friends.
While the distance between their mountain Sky Citadels can create vast cultural divides between various dwarf clans, most dwarven societies share a number of similarities. Nearly all dwarven peoples share a passion for stonework, metalwork, and gem-cutting. Most are highly skilled at architecture and mining, and many share a hatred of giants, orcs, and goblinoids.
Few dwarves are seen without their clan dagger strapped to their belt. This dagger is forged just before a dwarf's birth and bears the gemstone of their clan. A parent uses this dagger to cut the infant's umbilical cord, making it the first weapon to taste their blood.
Religion
The Smith and The Elemental are the primary dwarves deities.
Adventurers
Dwarven adventurers tend to work as treasure hunters or sellswords. They often leave their citadels and subterranean cities in search of wealth to enrich their homeland or to reclaim long-lost dwarven treasures or lands taken by the enemies of their kin.
Typical dwarven backgrounds include acolyte, artisan, merchant, miner, and warrior. Dwarves excel at many of the martial classes, such as barbarian, fighter, monk, and ranger, but they also make excellent clerics and druids.
Names
Dwarves honor their children with names taken from ancestors or dwarven heroes, and it’s quite rare to invent a new name or to borrow a name from another culture for a child. When introducing themselves, dwarves tend to list their family and clan, plus any number of other familial connections and honorifics. Dwarven names usually contain hard consonants and are rarely more or fewer than two syllables.
Sample Names
Dwarf Mechanics
Traits
Hit Points
10
Size
Medium
Speed
20 feet
Ability Boosts
Constitution, Wisdom, Free
Ability Flaw(s)
Charisma
Languages
Common, Runic
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from Elemental, Undercommon, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Darkvision
You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.
Clan Dagger
Dwarf Heritages
Versatile Heritages
You select a heritage at 1st level to reflect abilities passed down to you from your ancestors or common among those of your ancestry in the environment where you were born or grew up. You have only one heritage and can’t change it later. A heritage is not the same as a culture or ethnicity, though some cultures or ethnicities might have more or fewer members from a particular heritage.
Ancient-Blooded Dwarf
Dwarven heroes of old could shrug off their enemies’ magic, and some of that resistance manifests in you. You gain the Call on Ancient Blood reaction.
Call on Ancient Blood [R]
Trigger You attempt a saving throw against a magical effect, but you haven't rolled yet.
Your ancestors' innate resistance to magic surges, before slowly ebbing down. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus until the end of this turn. This bonus also applies to the triggering save.
Anvil Dwarf
You are a descendant of a famed crafter and have your own amazing talent. Other dwarves might consider this a blessing from your ancestors or from the Forgefather himself, depending on where you grew up. You become trained in Crafting (or another skill if you were already trained in Crafting) and gain the Specialty Crafting general feat, but you can pick two different specialties instead of one.
Forge Dwarf
You have a remarkable adaptation to hot environments from ancestors who inhabited blazing deserts or volcanic chambers beneath the earth. This grants you fire resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and you treat environmental heat effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible heat becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on).
Oathkeeper Dwarf
Growing up, you never tried to lie to get what you wanted, and even when necessary, lying makes you uncomfortable. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to Sense Motive and to Perception DCs against attempts to Lie to you. Furthermore, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to convince others you speak the truth when you are telling the truth, and you take a –4 circumstance penalty to Lie and to your Deception DC against Sense Motive.
Rock Dwarf
Your ancestors lived and worked among the great ancient stones of the mountains or the depths of the earth. This makes you solid as a rock when you plant your feet. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Fortitude or Reflex DC against attempts to Shove or Trip you. This bonus also applies to saving throws against spells or effects that attempt to knock you prone.
In addition, if any effect would force you to move 10 feet or more, you are moved only half the distance.
Strong-Blooded Dwarf
Your blood runs hearty and strong, and you can shake off toxins. You gain poison resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and each of your successful saving throws against a poison affliction reduces its stage by 2, or by 1 for a virulent poison. Each critical success against an ongoing poison reduces its stage by 3, or by 2 for a virulent poison.
Dwarf Feats
At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat.
Avenge in Glory [R] (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You honor your ally’s life, gaining temporary Hit Points equal to your level for 1 minute. As long as you have these temporary Hit Points, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Clan's Edge [AA] (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
Prerequisites trained in clan daggers
By moving your clan dagger with rapid precision, you can protect yourself more effectively. Make two clan dagger Strikes against different targets. Your multiple attack penalty applies normally to these Strikes. You then use an Interact action to gain the +1 circumstance bonus to your AC from your clan dagger’s parrying trait.
Dwarven Doughtiness (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You are either naturally calm and collected in the face of imminent danger, or you are very good at faking it. At the end of your turn, reduce your frightened condition by 2 instead of 1.
Dwarven Lore (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You eagerly absorbed the old stories and traditions of your ancestors, your gods, and your people, studying in subjects and techniques passed down for generation upon generation. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Crafting and Religion. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Dwarven Lore.
Dwarven Weapon Familiarity (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
Your kin have instilled in you an affinity for hard-hitting weapons, and you prefer these to more elegant arms. You are trained with the battle axe, pick, and warhammer. You also gain access to all uncommon dwarf weapons. For the purpose of determining your proficiency, martial dwarf weapons are simple weapons and advanced dwarf weapons are martial weapons.
Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency for battle axes, picks, warhammers, and all dwarven weapons in which you are trained.
At 5th level, whenever you critically hit using a battle axe, pick, warhammer, or a dwarf weapon, you apply the weapon's critical specialization effect.
Eye for Treasure (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You know good artisanship when you see it and can wax poetic about crafting techniques and forms. You become trained in Crafting and gain a +1 circumstance bonus on all Crafting checks made to Recall Knowledge. If you would automatically become trained in Crafting (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. In addition, you gain the Crafter's Appraisal general feat, enabling you to identify magic items using the Crafting skill.
Rock Runner (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
Your innate connection to stone makes you adept at moving across uneven surfaces. You can ignore difficult terrain caused by rubble and uneven ground made of stone and earth. In addition, when you use the Acrobatics skill to Balance on narrow surfaces or uneven ground made of stone or earth, you aren't flat-footed, and when you roll a success at one of these Acrobatics checks, you get a critical success instead.
Stonecunning (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You have a knack for noticing even small inconsistencies and craftsmanship techniques in the stonework around you. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to notice unusual stonework. This bonus applies to checks to discover mechanical traps made of stone or hidden within stone.
If you aren't using the Seek action or searching, the GM automatically rolls a secret check for you to notice unusual stonework anyway. This check doesn't gain the circumstance bonus, and it takes a –2 circumstance penalty.
Unburdened Iron (Feat 1)
Dwarf |
You've learned techniques first devised by your ancestors during their ancient wars, allowing you to comfortably wear massive suits of armor. Ignore the reduction to your Speed from any armor you wear.
In addition, any time you're taking a penalty to your Speed from some other reason (such as from the encumbered condition or from a spell), deduct 5 feet from the penalty. For example, the encumbered condition normally gives a –10-foot penalty to Speed, but it gives you only a –5-foot penalty. If your Speed is taking multiple penalties, pick only one penalty to reduce.
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