Dwarves

Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their knowledge of the earth's secrets, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Their mysterious kingdoms, carved out from the insides of mountains, are renowned for the marvelous treasures that they produce as gifts or for trade.

Dwarves are slow to laugh or jest and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those few who earn their trust. Dwarves value gold, gems, jewelry, aand art objects made with these precious materials, and they have been known to succumb to greed. Their sense of justice is strong, but at its worst it can turn into a thirst for vengeance.

Dwarves are usually lawful, and they tend toward good. Adventuring dwarves are less likely to fit the common mold, however, since they're more likely to be those who did not fit perfectly into dwarven society. Dwarves in human lands are typically mercenaries, weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, jewelers, and artisans. Dwarf bodyguards are renowned for their courage and loyalty, and they are well rewarded for their virtues.

Hill and Mountain Dwarf/Shield Dwarf Gold Dwarf Gray Dwarf/Duergar





Duergar, Oerth

Duergar, the gray dwarves, inhabit deep regions and seldom venture to the surface. Organized and intelligent, they easily hold their own against other subterranean races. They are masters of stone- and metalworking but hate their cousins, the hill and mountain dwarves. They war with other dwarves, even allying with other underground creatures from time to time. They rarely venture above ground, finding it painful, except during heavily overcast days or at night. The light does not cause them amage, but it does affect their ability to see clearly.

A typical duergar is 4'0" tall and weighs 120lbs. Emaciated, they possess pasty skins and white or dull gray beards. Most duergar are bald, both men and women, and those who are not usually shave their heads. They dress in drab clothing that is designed to blend into stone, and any jewelry they wear is kept dull.



Gray Dwarves, Faerun

Dwelling in great subterranean cities of the Underdark, the gray dwarves are deep-dwelling cousins of shield dwarves, known for their cruelty and bitterness. Like their surface-dwelling kin, gray dwarves are famed fortheir smithwork and craftsmanship, but unlike their breathren in the Realms Above, the gray dwarves are grim and cheerless, living lives of endless toil. They view the world with bitterness, convinced family, clan, other dwarves, and the rest of the world have cheated them of their birthright and their due. From a young age, gray dwarves are quickly schooled in the harshness of the world, taught that their lot in life is nothing more than never-ending labor accompanied by betrayal and then death.

Averaging 4'0" tall, gray dwarves weigh nearly as much as an adult human. While other dwarves tend to be round-bodied and strongly muscled, duergar are wide of shoulder but wiry and lean, their limbs corded with tough muscle. The skin of a gray dwarf is light or dark gray, and their eyes are dull black. Both genders are usually bald, whith males having long gray beards and mustaches.



Dark Dwarves, Krynn

The dark dwarves of Krynn encompass two clans of mountain dwarves wh prefer to live completely in darkness. Considered mad by other dwarves, dark dwarves are known for evil and murderous acts. They claim loyalty to the High Thane and the dwarven race, but more than once the dark dwarves have betrayed their kin. Their centuries of isolation and inbreeding have given them unusual traits that separate them from their cousin surface dwarves.

The dark dwarves are extemely fair with pale complexions and white or dull gray beards. They have large eyes and tend toward frailty. A typical dark dwarf is 4'0" tall and weighs about 120lbs. Their affinity for magic easily sets them apart from other dwarves.



Racial Traits

  • +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma
  • Hardiness vs. Spells: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells
  • Immunity to paralysis, phantasms and poisons.
  • Darkvision: Duergar can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and duergar function just fine wtih no light at all.
  • Light Sensitivity: Duergar are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell
  • Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus on Search checks made in subterranean areas
  • Skill Affinity: Duergar receive a +4 racial bonus to the Move Silently skill
  • Skill Affinity: Duergar receive a +1 racial bonus to the Listen and Spot skills
  • Offensive Training vs. Orcs: +1 racial bones on attack rolls against orcs
  • Offensive Training vs. Goblinoids: +1 racial bonus on attack roles against goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears)
  • Defensive Training vs. Giants: +4 racial bonus to AC against giants
  • Spell-like abilities: Invisibility 1x/day
  • Level Adjustment +1

Setup Instructions
  • Create your character with the Dwarf race, and use the Subrace Setter in the start area.
  • This race will require a DM to modify your ability scores.
  • The ability score modifications, compared to the standard Dwarf, are: -2 Charisma