Dwarf

Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the hearts of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges and a commitment to clan and tradition—these common threads unite all dwarves. They are a stoic but stern race, with a reputation as dour and humorless craftsmen of the earth. Dwarves throughout the world are characterized by their love of stonework and their passion for craftsmanship and architecture.

Long Memory, Long Grudges

Dwarves can live to be more than 500 years old. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and halflings lack. Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change.

They respect the traditions of their clans and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.

Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Clans and Kingdoms

Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.

The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their predecessors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf.

Made, not born

Contrary to other humanoids, dwarves are not born, but made from magic and stone. They are a genderless race of free-willed earth elementals, which makes them rather alien in nature, at least by human standards.

After a long and expensive period of crafting a body from stone, precious metals and gems according to traditions handed down by the gods, an elaborate ritual is performed. With enough attention and craftsmanship – outsiders say obsession – a divine spark takes hold of the carving and imbues it with life, creating a new dwarf. Even though dwarves may look female or male to outsiders, this is just an artistic choice of the maker.

Due to their way of reproducing, most dwarves don’t really get the idea of gender or sexual reproduction, leading to all manner of misunderstandings when dealing with non-dwarves. Aside from human jokes and tall tales, instances of dwarven sexual interest in any species, including their own, are pretty much nil as far as others can tell. This is why dwarves have a reputation among humans as being particularly dour and uptight: humans simply can’t believe that they have no sex drive and don’t suffer because of it. With reproduction being a matter of “art” and without competition for mates, dwarven society simply lacks many of the dynamics found among humans.

 

 

Short and Stout

Dwarves are a short and stocky race. They stand well under 150 cm tall, with broad, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance. Even though the dwarves are created from stone, the ritual that gives them life also transforms their body into something similar to flesh. However, they are very dense and can weigh as much as a human standing a meter taller.

Dwarven skin ranges from almost black to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. The actual color depends on the materials they were made from. They pride themselves on the length of their hair, which is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair.

Dwarf Traits

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score, both current and maximum, increases by 2, while your Dexterity score, both current and maximum, is reduced by 2.

Age. Dwarves are created fully mature, although it takes a few months to reach mental maturity. On average, they live about 500 years, during which they do not suffer any negative effects from aging.

Speed. Your base speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Dense. Your dense body does not really help when swimming. You have disadvantage on all swimming check

Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. In addition you have advantage on saving throws against disease and poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Low-light Vision. Created for life underground, you have superior vision. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and an additional 60 feet into darkness as if it were dim light.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Reduced Nutritional Needs. You only require half the amount of food.

Stonecunning. The dwarves wwer born from stone, and can hear its whispers echo through their mind, speaking of ancient mysteries. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient with the History skill and have advantage on the check.

Stoneform. Even though you are not really made of stone, your physiology is completely different from humans, with almost no organs, and a thick, viscous “blood” of the same color as your hair. You have resistance to piercing damage and you can use a reaction to negate a critical hit against you, making it a regular hit.

In addition, it is easier to stop your bleeding. All checks made to stabilize you, or stop bleeding have advantage.

Stubborn as Stone. Even though dwarves can be charmed and controlled, their stubborn and alien nature makes it hard to make them go against their traditions. A charmed, dominated, possessed or otherwise controlled dwarf who is given a command that goes against his normal behavior, gains a new save with advantage to end the effect.

Culture Traits. In addition to the racial traits, a dwarf has some traits depending on where it spent the first months of its life, see sidebar at “The Birth of a Dwarf“ for more information. You can choose from the following background: dwarf-raised, lost and stolen.

Mineral Abundance. Each dwarf is different in their exact composition of minerals and metal. In some cases there is an excess of one type, which may cause a dwarf to exhibit some extraordinary traits.

If you have an overabundant mineral or metal, the trait is listed under “Material traits“.

Dwarf-raised

You were created and raised by your clan.

Alignment. Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good, with a strong sense of fair play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.

Languages. You know Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.

Dwarven Cultural Training. Dwarves are very bound to tradition, and an important part of the upbringing of each dwarf is to learn the basics of war and crafting. You gain proficiency with dwarven history, an artisan’s tools of your choice, one-handed axes, picks and hammers, and light and medium armor.

 

 

Lost

Something happened after your creation, leaving you all by yourself before being learnt what it means to be a dwarf. This could have happened for instance if you were separated by your clan in a catastrophe, or your clan was wiped out by outside forces.

Alignment. A lost dwarf still has an instinct that pushes it toward a lawful and good alignment. However, this might change slowly if its surroundings forces it into other types of behaviour.

Languages. You do not know any languages, although when you start playing you have probably picked up Common. No matter your Intelligence score, you cannot read and write.

Nature is a Harsh Mistress. You are proficient with the Survival skill, as well as with improvised weapons like rocks and clubs.

Stolen

You were stolen after creation, either by trickery or force. Stolen dwarves are usually retrieved and reintroduced in dwarven society, but you are the one in a million case where the clan thought you gone forever, or the thief was knowledgeable enough about dwarves to avoid capture.

When this happens, they have had the opportunity to mold you however they wanted. This is not necessarily done maliciously, as you might have been found by nice people who just choose to take care of you.

Alignment. A stolen dwarf still has an instinct that pushes it toward a lawful and good alignment, and will still have such tendencies unless taught otherwise.

Languages. You know whatever language is spoken by your master/caretaker.

Material Traits

Some dwarves have an overabundance of a certain type of mineral or metal. If you do, you gain the associated trait.

Coppered

The main component in your body is copper. You most likely have red hair, and a reddish tint to your skin. You gain the following traits:

Lightning rod. When you take lightning damage, you take 1 extra damage per die, and you have disadvantage on any saves against lightning effects.

Conductive. You conduct electricity well. As a reaction when being struck by lightning damage, you can grab an adjacent creature, friend or foe, automatically failing a save if any. You need at least one hand free. If you have two hands free, you can grab two creatures. All lightning damge taken by you is divided among all connected creatures. If grappled, grappling, or carried, you don’t have to spend your action; it happens no matter if you want it or not.

Iron

Iron is the most abundand material in your body. You gain the following traits:

Fey bane. Your natural weapons count as a magical weapon for the purposes of overcoming damage resistances of Fey. If a Fey does not have any resistances, it deals a bonus 1d4 damage instead.

Fey target. Due to no fault of yours, Fey really do not like you. You have disadvantage on all Charisma checks against Fey, and they will usually go out of their way to mess with you.

Magnetic. Magnets tend to stick to you, but the good news is that you always know where north is.

Leaden

“By Moradin’s beard, I,m not overweight, I just contain a lot of lead!”

– Gunnskal Leadfoot

You gain the following traits:

Unscryable. Lead is commonly used to block divination magic. You cannot be scryed on. Magic traps often use some kind of divinatory magic to be triggered. You will not trigger those traps. If the DM is not sure that this is or isn’t the mechanism, make a Luck check.

Heavy and soft. Lead is heavier than most materials. Your weight is 150% of normal. Lead is also very soft. When you take slashing damage, you take 1 additional damage. This damage is added after all reduction and resistance is calculated, making 2 the minimum damage.

Pumice

Contrary to most dwarfs, you consist of largely lighter material, such as pumice, and gain the following traits:

Floater. While dwarfs normally sink, you float. You do not have to make swim check to stay afloat. If you want to swim underwater, you make swim checks with disadvantage.

Lightweight. You weigh around 50% of a ordinary dwarf, and you have disadvantage on any checks or saves made to avoid being moved.

Silvered

You have high amounts of silver in your body, and gain the following traits:

Bane of shapeshifters. Lycanthropes and other shapeshifters will generally try to avoid you. Your natural weapons count as a magical weapon for the purposes of overcoming their damage resistances. If a shapeshifter does not have such resistances listed, it deals a bonus 1d4 damage instead. In addition you have disadvantage on all Charisma checks against shapeshifters.

Purity of silver. Radiant energy is drawn towards you. When you take radiant damage, you take 1 extra damage per die, and you have disadvantage on any saves against radiant effects.

 

 

Dwarven Class Options

A dwarfs approach to some classes is a bit different than that of other races. When you select a class, it is modified as follows. Unless under its own subheading, a description is valid for all dwarven origins.

Alchemist

A dwarven alchemists is usually adept at brewing or drinking brews, often both. You gain proficiency brewer’s supplies, and always have advantage on checks with them. All the sampling of your brews have learnt you to withstand even the worst possible hooch. Whenever you succeed at a saving throw against ingested poison, you may heal yourself by using a Hit Dice (if available).

In addition, whenever the alchemist class description mentions your Intelligence modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.

Lost Dwarf

You have not had the possibility to learn alchemy.

Barbarian

A dwarf-raised barbarian has access to the Barbarian paths of the Battlerager and Quake bringer.

Lost Dwarf

A lost dwarf does not have any formal combat training, and often resort to a ferocious and wild fighting style.

If starting play as a Barbarian, whenever the class description mentions your Strength modifier, you may instead use that modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. This also applies to attack and damage rolls.

Stolen Dwarf

No restrictions or bonuses.

Bard

The dwarven musical tradition is heavily influenced by drumming. If you choose this as your favored instrument, you don’t necessarily need your drums at all times. Even if that is preferred, you can use your drumsticks to drum on almost anything, as long as it produces a loud enough sound.

If you are using drums, when you grant someone an inspiration die, you can play a marching tune to grant one additional inspiration die to a second target in range. The extra inspiration die is there until used, or until you stop playing. This is a concentration effect.

One thing to keep in mind for a dwarven bard is that they cannot play wind instruments, since they do not have lungs.

The magic produced by a dwarven bard is Divine magic.

Stolen Dwarf

Uses the types of instruments common in the culture where he matured. Cannot play wind instruments.

 

 

Cavalier

The dwarven cavalier’s mount of choice is usually the giant goat. Mounted on one of these, a dwarf cavalier can use the giant goat’s Charge action as if he had it himself.

Lost Dwarf

A lost dwarf can not become a cavalier.

Stolen Dwarf

A stolen dwarf cavalier will have a type of mount suitable for the area he lives.

Cleric

Dwarves have a very strong connection to their gods and religion infuses every aspect of their lives. As such, clerics are much more common than in any other race. A dwarf-raised cleric will be follow the gods of the Mordinsamman (see Dwarven Religion), and no other gods.

Whenever the cleric class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.

Lost Dwarf

The deity Marthammor Duin is the god of lost dwarfs. He tries to guide them and make sure they have the tools to survive. When a lost dwarf listens and heeds the words in his head, he may (sometimes unknowingly) become a cleric).

If you are a cleric of Marthammor Duin, then whenever the cleric class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.

Stolen Dwarf

A stolen dwarf cleric follows the gods taught to him by his master/caretaker.

Special

If you have the Silvered material trait, you can replace some of the silver required as material component for your divine magic with your spit. Reduce the cost of any silver materials by half. If this takes the cost to 1 gp or lower, your spit is enough.

Cursed

Dwarves are notoriously hard to possess, but you are an exception. You loose the Stubborn as stone trait. But being a dwarf, you can still resist most of the time. You cannot change form except as a reaction when being reduced to below half hp, becoming frightened, stunned or any other condition affecting your mind.

Druid

Lost and stolen dwarves can become druids, just as most other races.

Dwarf-raised

The dwarven society does not have any use for druids, as they have gods that aid them in all matters regarding nature. Because of this there are no dwarf-raised druids.

Also, why would a dwarf ever want to change form when they have been crafted to perfection?

Feyblood

Feyblood dwarves are known to exist. This might happen if some of the materials used when crafting the dwarf was tainted by fey magic. When this happens, the feyblood affinity can only be Boggart, Oread or Pooka.

Dwarf-raised

Such a thing happening is usually a nightmare for the dwarves, as they are not used to adapting to these kind of chaotic events. A dwarf should be a dwarf, and not something else.

They try to handle the feyblood dwarf just as any other dwarf, but they are always assigned to roles that take them far away from the dwarven stronghold.

Special

If you have the Iron material trait, you cannot become a feyblood.

Fighter

All types of dwarves may can add the dwarven fighting style to their selection of fighting styles.

 

 

Dwarf-raised

All Dwarf-raised learn how to fight, but a dwarf fighter has specifically been assigned to continue this role, and improve their martial skills even more.

If you have the Dwarven fighting style, and wield an axe, pick or hammer, then whenever the class description mentions your Strength modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus. This also applies to attack and damage rolls.

Inquisitor

Dwarf-raised

The inquisitor does not have a place in dwarven society.

Lost Dwarf

A lost dwarf can not become a inquisitor.

Paladin

All dwarven paladins can add the Dwarven fighting style to their selection of fighting styles (see the fighter entry above).

Dwarves make excellent paladins. Whenever the Paladin class description mentions your Strength or Charisma modifier, you may instead use that modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. This also applies to attack and damage rolls.

Dwarf-raised

Dwarf-raised paladins have access to an exclusive oath, the Oath of the Stonelord.

Professional

Professionals make up the bulk of dwarven society. They are however more focused on the more practical fields, exluding most of the fields in the class description.

If you belong to one of the more practical professions, then whenever the class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus. In addition all spells count as being divine magic.

Lost Dwarf

A lost dwarf would not had the possibility to learn a craft and become a professional.

Stolen Dwarf

A stolen dwarf can select any field of study, and whenever the Professional class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.

Ranger

All dwarven rangers can add the Dwarven fighting style to their selection of fighting styles (see the fighter entry above).

Dwarf-raised

In the dwarven societies, rangers guard the borders toward the wilderness, as well as guiding travelling dwarfs.

Due to their closeness with their deities, whenever the class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.

Lost Dwarf

For a lost dwarf to survive, he has to learn skills that are also essential to the ranger class.

You may use your Strength or Dexterity modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus when attacking. Make this choice at level 1 and it cannot be changed later.

In addition, whenever the Ranger class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.

Stolen Dwarf

No restrictions or bonuses.

Special

If you have the Iron or Silvered material trait, you deal damage to fey (iron) or shapechangers (silvered) as if they were your favored enemy, as well as treating them as your greater favored enemy at level 6.

Rogue

Dwarf-raised

Dwarf rogues might seem odd, as the dwarves are so honorable and orderly, but there is sometimes a need for infiltrating enemy strongholds, or take point in trap-filled areas.

You may use handaxe or light hammer as if they were light finesse weapons.

Sorcerer

Dwarves never become sorcerers, as Moradin would not let such randomness infect his perfect creations. However, it has known to happen that a dwarf is blessed be the gods in preparation for an important task, granting a deeper connection to the stone.

A dwarf can become a relicker, or a stone sorcerer. If you are a stone sorcerer, then whenever the class description mentions your Charisma modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.

Swashbuckler

A dwarf swashbuckler may use the handaxe and light hammer as if they were light finesse weapons.

 

 

Warlock

Dwarf-raised

Under normal circumstances a dwarf already has allegiance with his clan and his gods, so making a pact with a patron is out of the question. However there might be situations where making a pact with an otherwordly being is the only way to save your clan or returning to it.

Lost or Stolen Dwarf

An otherwordly being might very well be the reason why the dwarf became lost or stolen, in order to lure it into its grasp.

If this is the case, then, whenever the Warlock class description mentions your Charisma modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.

Wizard

It is hard to break the concentration of a fully focused dwarf. A dwarf wizard has advantage on all concentration checks caused by blunt, piercing and slashing damage.

Dwarf-raised

As mentioned in the sidebar, dwarven mostly ignore arcane magic, as it is not “natural” according to them. There is not even a god governing arcane magic in their pantheon.

Lost Dwarf

A lost dwarf can not be a wizard.

Stolen Dwarf

No restrictions or bonuses.

Dwarven feats

The following feats are exclusive to dwarves.

 

 

Path of the Battle Rager

Dwarven battleragers, or Kuldjargh (“axe idiots”), are legendary berserker warriors who can enter a battle frenzy through ritualistic singing. They are believed to have been touched by the dwarven gods of battle, who taught them that if they die in battle, they will be reincarnated stronger than before as a just reward. Therefore, they have no fear of death. Most live short, glorious lives.

Battleragers command grudging, if fearful, respect within dwarven society, where they are known to have coined such philosophically complex dwarven maxims like “head first” and “if it moves, kill it.”

While enraged, a battlerager’s face becomes distorted and twisted. His teeth grind together as spittle flies from his mouth and dribbles down his beard. His eyes enlarge, bulge, and become bloodshot. Charging into battle, he bellows forth his clan or holy war song, throwing his hammers and axes all the way, before cleaving his foes with his mighty dwarven waraxe. In short, he becomes almost unstoppable. Battleragers are often covered from head to toe in body art, from tattoos to brands to ritual scars. They prefer to wear bulky, spiked armor and throwing themselves into combat, striking with their body itself.

The battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarf society and culture. He is a fearless and impulsive warrior, able to enter into an insane rampage. Battleragers are ruthlessly used by dwarf generals for their shock power against attacking armies. While heroic battle is honored in dwarven society and battleragers often excel in this, more often than not they also epitomize lives wasted in stupid rage, something most dwarves realize they cannot afford in a world filled with orcs and goblins.

Restriction: Dwarves only

Only dwarves can follow the Path of the Battlerager. The battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarven society and culture.

Battlerager Armor

When you choose this path, you gain the ability to use spiked armor as a weapon. While wearing spiked armor and raging, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with your armor spikes, dealing 1d6 piercing damage. You use your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls.

Spiky

If you become grappled, or successfully grapple a creature, the target takes 3 piercing damage. In both cases you continue dealing this damage at the start of your turn if you are still grappled or grappling.

Reckless Abandon

When you use Reckless Attack while raging, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier. They vanish if any of them are left when your rage ends.

Battlerager Charge

Beginning at 10th level, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action while raging.

Spiked Retribution

When an adjacent creature hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes 3 piercing damage if you are raging, aren’t incapacitated, and are wearing spiked armor.

 

 

Path of the Quake Bringer

To match the grand fury and power of an earthquake or avalanche, barbarians of the Path of the Quake Bringer channel primal power, drawing on the element of earth when they rage to turn their body to stone. These warriors test their strength by smashing boulders and leaping chasms. In battle, they embody the earthquake itself, leaving craters, rubble, and terror in their rumbling wake.

Quake bringers often come from cultures connected to the earth (especially if they value strength) such as those of dwarves, goliath, or firbolgs. Earth genasi can manifest these abilities using latent elemental power. Some quake bringers communed with earth spirits or spent years in isolation on a mountain to gain power.

Earthen

You cannot be petrified, and when you are pushed or pulled, you can reduce the distance you are moved by up to 5 feet.

Stone Rage

Your rage armors you with rumbling stone. You gain the following benefits while raging.

• At the start of each of your turns and when you start raging, you gain temporary hit points equal to 2 + half your barbarian level. They vanish if any of them are left when your rage ends.
• You can use a bonus action to shake the ground within 5 feet of you. It becomes difficult terrain for other creatures until the start of your next turn.

Demolisher

Your elemental power focuses into mighty blows that smash even stone. You deal double damage with melee weapon attacks to objects and structures. When you hit a target composed of earth (dirt, crystal stone, metal etc.) with a melee weapon attack, your weapon is treated as if it were magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance, and if the target is an object or structure, you also gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to half your barbarian level

Also, you have advantage on Strength checks made to dig, demolish, or excavate using a tool or object.

Cliff Running

Starting at 10th leveL you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You don’t need free hands to use this speed unless you are climbing a surface that isn’t made of some kind of earth. In addition, when you jump off of a surface made of earth, you draw power from the earth to boost your leap, increasing your high jump distance by a number of feet equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum + 1) and your long jump distance by twice that amount. Finally, you have tremorsense that extends out to a radius of 60 feet while you are raging, allowing you to sense through the earth.

Seismic Smash

You gain the ability to smash the ground itself and create a great seismic shockwave. As an action while raging and wielding a melee weapon, you can strike the ground with this power. Each other creature on the ground within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). You can choose to use a smaller radius, if desired.

On a failed saving throw, a target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your barbarian level + your Strength modifier and is knocked prone. On a successful saving throw, a target takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone.

If the ground in the area is loose earth or stone, it becomes difficult terrain until cleared Each 5-foot radius portion requires at least 1 minute to clear by hand. When you use this ability, you can choose to damage the ground in the area, structures in contact with the ground in the area, both, or neither. This ability deals twice as much damage to those objects.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest.

 

 

The Dwarven Race

The dwarf god Moradin forged the first dwarves in his great workshop, causing them to spring to life from inert metal and stone when he cooled the heated castings with his breath. Since then. the dwarves have revered Moradin and sought to follow in his footsteps. Through constant, steady work, they strive to emulate the perfect example set by the originator of the arts and skills the dwarves pursue.

To the dwarves, Moradin is the Creator. With his impeccable skills, he crafted the first dwarves and imbued them with a sense of relentless purpose, driven to apply their own crafting skills to the raw materials around them and thereby unlock the beauty that hides within.

Moradin is also worshiped as the All-Father, in acknowledgment of his role as the progenitor of the dwarven race. In this aspect as well, he is credited not only for the birth of the dwarves but for fostering in them a deep appreciation for their clan. He demonstrates how dwarfs should be raised, instilling in them the urge to further not only themselves but to contribute to the success of the larger group. Just as Moradin looks out for all dwarves, all dwarves in a clan look out for one another.

The Path to Perfection

“Every fall of the hammer on the anvil, every fire stoked in the forge. is a step on a journey set before me by Moradin himself. It isn”t work. It is a challenge to achieve greatness.”

– Balifra Eversharp

Dwarves have a strong sense of their progress, and each day that goes by must bring them closer to the standard set by Moradin. Acutely aware of their mortality, they see the many centuries afforded to them as too short a time to risk wasting even a single day in indolence.

Moradin crafted the dwarves’ sturdy bodies, giving them the strength to work for long periods of time. Rather than imparting his skills to them, he fueled their spirits with a burning desire to follow his example. His gifts of durability and purpose gave the dwarves all they needed to devote their lives to steady work, refining their skills and improving their inner selves while they transform rock and ore into wondrous creations.

Lifetimes of glorious labor

Dwarf artisans regard the fruits of their labors with the same love that members of other races reserve for their children. A dwarf’s works are built to last for centuries, to carry a legacy into the world long after the dwarf is gone. Each item a dwarf crafts is a milepost on he path to perfection, a step taken toward mastering a technique.

All of one’s works taken together are the physical representation of a dwarf’s accomplishments. A dwarf who has lived a good, fruitful life leaves behind a rich legacy of wondrous goods: gleaming metal goblets, gem-encrusted stone sculptures, golden tapestries, finely honed weapons, or the end result of any other endeavor that enriches the crafter while it pays homage to the Creator.

Dwarves guard their personal creations with the vigilance and ferocity of a dragon protecting a treasure hoard. Such protectiveness isn’t often called for in the company of friends and family; but just as a parent doesn’t leave a child unattended, a dwarf doesn’t craft an item and then knowingly leave it vulnerable to being stolen (or worse). A dwarf who loses an item to thievery pursues the item’s recovery or seeks vengeance against the thieves with the same fury that parents direct against those who kidnapped their child.

At the other extreme, a dwarf’s gift of a personal item to someone else is a deep expression of commitment, love, and trust. The beneficiary of the gift is expected to provide the item with the same careful stewardship exhibited by its creator; never letting it fall into an enemy’s hands and sparing no effort to recover it if is stolen.

Minds as rigid as stone

Although the dwarves’ obsessive pursuit of perfection in the arts of crafting leads them to produce great works, it comes at a price. Dwarves value stability, repetition, and tradition above all else. Chaos and change cause distractions from the task at hand. Dwarves crave predictability, routine, and safety. A mind not fully focused can’t give a task its proper attention.

This rigidity in outlook, though a fundamental part of the dwarven psyche, can sometimes be a disadvantage. Dwarves don’t change their minds easily, and once set on a course rarely alter their strategy. Their commitment to following a plan serves them well when they build a stone bridge designed to last for centuries, but the same inflexibility can bring problems when applied to the unpredictable dangers of the world.

A clan might continue to depend on the same plan for defending its stronghold that has been used for centuries, without considering the possibility that its enemies have discovered how to overcome those defenses.

 

 

The dwarves’ way of thinking leads to difficulties in their relationships with humans and elves. From their long-lived perspective, dwarves can’t understand the speed with which human communities and civilizations rise and fall. If a trade delegation from a dwarven stronghold were to visit a human town once every twenty or thirty years - not a long time to a dwarf - the community’s leaders would likely be different every time, and for the dwarves the experience would be akin to making first contact all over again. Establishing trade with this “new” human outpost would require forming new relationships, a process that could take weeks or months.

The elves’ chaotic nature and love of the wilderness baffle the dwarves, who think of them as somewhat mad. Dwarves typically find elves too flighty to ever fully trust them, believing that creatures that thrive on change and chaos can’t possibly be reliable allies.

In particular situations, of course, the benefits of cooperating with humans or elves can override the dwarves’ concern about the shortcomings of those races. When dwarves, humans, and elves have a common enemy, they all find a way to work together for the common good.

The Birth of a Dwarf

The creation of a dwarf is a long and arduous task. It is also expensive, requiring lots of precious gems, rare metal alloys and minerals. This is the main reason dwarves spend their lives mining raw materials from the earth, as well as why most other races see the dwarves as greedy, unbeknownst to them that dwarves only do this to create their progeny.

The new dwarf is built from the inside out, with layers of treated stone that is delicately joined together. The actual appearance is not that important, though tradition usually makes the dwarves quite similar in build. However, there are crafters who test their limits and make nonstandard shapes, such as female-looking builds. Dwarves are usually made more or less the same size, as making them larger would be much more expensive and the common size is the minimum required to be able to breathe life in them. The most important part of the new dwarf is the soulstone, a gem that is placed inside a dwarf’s head. This stone will be the seed of the dwarf’s mind and soul.

Crafting Perfection

It takes many years to finish crafting a dwarf, as everything needs to be perfect. Moradin would not want anything less. When the dwarf is ready a surprisingly short ritual is performed, which will infuse the dwarf with the divine spark of Moradin.

During the ritual the divinly infused soulstone will transmute itself and the stone around it to something else, something soft and almost fungal, and grow roots that find their way around small passages that has been created by the crafter. While this happens, the stony body slowly transforms into a grey, compact, flesh-like substance. Lastly, the roots find their way out, to resemble beard and hair all over the body, just as the way the crafter prepared.

The First Steps

When the ritual is complete, the dwarf is born. In the dwarven language the words for crafted and born are the same, as they they are identical for them.

A newborn dwarf looks the same as he will do for the rest of his life. They don’t grow in size, with the exeption that they may gain a bit longer and more abundant hair growth. But even though he may look like a grown dwarf, he is a blank slate with no knowledge of anything, except a rudimentary understanding of the dwarven language.

Guides, who are usually clerics of Berronar Truesilver, starts each dwarf’s training and education as soon as the newborn opens his eyes. They guide them in their first steps, in recognizing their own body and to speak. After these very basic steps, a dwarf spends between around 6 months learning everything they need, to be a functioning member of dwarven society. This includes how to craft new dwarfs, how to use basic tools and weapons, the history and importance of the clan and about the gods.

 

 

All for One: The Clan

“So the barman isn’t a relative, and you don’t even know the names of any of the folk here? How can you possibly sleep peacefully in this inn, surrounded by strangers? We’ll be lucky to see the morning.”

– Tordek

The clan is the basic unit of dwarven society, an extended family that dwells together. Everything a dwarf does in life is devoted to improving or helping the clan, bringing security and stability to its members and greater glory to the group.

Roles in the clan

Every clan calls upon its members to fill three principal roles, each of which contributes to the group’s welfare. As soon as a dwarf has matured and learnt all the basic thing a dwarf needs to know, he is assigned a role by the priests overseing this. The role is assigned based on what the dwarf shows talent with, what is currently needed in the clan and through divination.

This assignment will decide what the dwarf most probably will spend their life doing, and can be virtually anything, from latrine handler to king, from shovelsmith to cleric of Moradin. The roles are generally of three different types.

First, many dwarves support the clan by working at an occupation that sustains the community; brewing ale, tending crops, and preparing food, for instance. Not everyone can be a master artisan or a vigilant warrior; the clan needs a wide range of labor and talents to meet all the needs of the group.

Filling the second role are an equally large number of dwarves whose occupations involve the crafting of items and other forms of creation; smelting, smithing, gem-cutting, sculpture, and similar tasks. These artisans are responsible for making the items that help the clan protect its stronghold.

The third function is performed by those who navigate the space between the clan and the chaotic creatures of the outside world. These dwarves are merchants, warriors, and envoys, tasked with representing the dwarves in dealings with other races and with providing a buffer between the clan and the potential threats of creatures and communities in the vicinity of the stronghold.

A dwarf assigned to a role takes years to master it. A weaponsmith starts work in the forge, providing manual labor to haul ore from the mines and learning how to repair tools. The dwarf might then work in the mines, pushing carts and learning to pick out the best ore samples from a lode. Slowly but surely, a dwarf masters every aspect of a task or an occupation from start to finish.

Leadership and government

A clan is led by a king who is assigned this role just like any other role in the clan. To the dwarves, leadership is a craft like any other activity, calling for careful practice and constant attention to detail in order to yield the best, most satisfying results. While there is normally only one king, there are several princes ready to step up if needed.

First, the apprenticeships expose a young prince to each part of the clan’s operation and create personal ties between the apprentice and every group in the clan’s society. By the time a prince takes on a leadership role, he has a clear overview of all the clan’s interrelationships and has formed friendships with people from every spot on the spectrum of roles within the clan.

More important, a young prince’s conduct while pursuing a variety of tasks gives the elder princes a chance to assess the youth’s character. Ideally, a prince who ascends to the leadership of a clan demonstrates an even temperament and an affinity for the clan’s key functions. A prince who particularly enjoys fighting might become a minister of war or a general, while one who loves smithing might become an overseer of the crafters’ work.

 

 

One for all: The Stronghold

“I live here among my folk, and I swear that if need be I will die here atop a mountain of my enemies’ corpses.”

–King Ulaar Strongheart

Every dwarf clan maintains a stronghold, typically a series of chambers dug out beneath a mountain or inside a hill. The stronghold is a haven from the chaos of the outside world , allowing the dwarves to toil in peace. The first concern of any stronghold is defense, but older and prosperous strongholds can grow to become wondrous underground cities filled with generations of exquisite dwarven artisanship.

Regardless of a clan’s size and status, its stronghold is a stony personification of the clan itself - what’s good for the clan is good for the stronghold, and vice versa. If a stronghold fails from within, or falls victim to outside forces, such an event is often the clan’s death knell.

A living monument

The masons and stone carvers in a clan consider the stronghold to be their greatest work. In a typical stronghold, stone bridges arc over chasms, their surfaces embellished with fine carvings and intricate patterns. The great stone doors leading outside can withstand a battering ram when secured, but glide open at the touch of a child when they are unlocked. While some other races erect statues or build special structures to honor their heroes or commemorate momentous events, the dwarves live and work with in their greatest memorial.

A clan’s stronghold holds the record of its history and accomplishments. A work that an outsider regards as “merely” intricate stone carving might actually be a carefully composed recounting of deeds, events, and important persons. Dwarves combine their runes into patterns, present pictorial histories in seemingly unconnected murals and images, and otherwise leave their clan’s legacy of accomplishments hiding in plain sight. The story of the clan is meant to be appreciated by clan members and fellow dwarves, not the few outsiders who might be allowed inside the stronghold.

Island of Stability

A well-built stronghold is an easily managed, tranquil environment where dwarves focus on pursuing their craft. Since the beginnings of their existence, dwarves have carved out their strongholds underground for a variety of reasons. Their unmatched prowess in mining and stonework makes them ideal candidates to use the subterranean realm for living quarters, and considering their outlook on the rest of the world, the dwarves wouldn’t have it any other way.

The stronghold’s remoteness isolates the dwarves from the vagaries of politics and other forms of turmoil in the surface world. Underground, they don’t have to contend with the changing of the seasons, or even daily variations in the weather, so that one day inside a stronghold is much like any other day.

The activities of the clan are governed by a firm schedule that provides every member with daily time for work and personal enrichment. The forges are never allowed to go cold, and the mines around the stronghold are worked every hour of every day.

 

 

Beautiful on the inside

Dwarves are acutely aware that their reputation as skilled miners and crafters of beautiful works of art makes any stronghold a prime target for thieves and raiders. For that reason, the entrance to a stronghold doesn’t broadcast its presence by being a stellar example of dwarven stonework. The outer precincts of a clan’s home are plain and functional, decorated minimally or not at all, to give visitors and those passing nearby no reason to suspect what lies in the deeper chambers. From what they see, a dwarven stronghold is well built but austere.

The greatest treasures crafted by a clan are sequestered in the innermost chambers of the stronghold, behind secret doors in areas that are open to clan members but forbidden to all outsiders. Even dwarves from other clans are granted access to such a place only after earning the trust of their hosts.

These inner precincts hold the stuff of a thief’s wildest dreams. In one chamber, gold foil lines the ceiling of an immense hall, carefully worked with diamonds that mimic the stars at night. In another, jewels are used to form wondrous murals that tell of the clan’s greatest deeds. A clan’s feasting hall might be stocked with utensils and place settings made of silver and gold.

Defense comes first

Every dwarf knows instinctively that clan and stronghold are inextricably tied together - if one comes undone, the other fails as well. As such, defending the stronghold is a concern that the dwarves address even in the earliest stages of construction. They plan and then build with the goals of safety and security uppermost in mind. And the only way that a home can be truly safe and secure is if it is protected against intruders.

Dwarves use a variety of approaches and devices in setting their defenses. The strongholds of many clans are honeycombed with secret passages designed to enable the dwarves to ambush and flank enemies. Dwarves also make liberal use of secret doors fashioned by dwarf artisans, slabs of stone that fit so precisely in their openings that no one but a dwarf knows how to locate and open one.

Unlike some other races that guard their territory by creating features that actively deter invaders, dwarves rarely use arrow traps, pit traps, and other such measures that could cause harm to clan members. They see little sense in risking injury if a trap of that sort malfunctioned or was accidentally triggered by a dwarf. A defensive measure isn’t doing its job if it ends up hurting those it was meant to protect.

Dwarven Religion

“Our forebearers instill within us the potential for everything that made them great. It is our responsibility to refine that gift into something wonderful.”

–Vistra Frostbeard

The religion of the dwarves is at the root of the societal roles that dwarves follow. Where most other creatures view their deities as ultrapowerful beings who stand forever apart from their worshipers, the dwarves see their gods as exemplars who blaze a path for their lives to follow. Dwarven deities exist in a wide variety, with a few common across many worlds. They are collectively known as the Mordinsamman.

Moradin is foremost among the dwarven pantheon, the epitome of everything dwarves strive to be. The rest of the group consists of those first dwarves who performed their labors so well that they could almost duplicate Moradin’s level of skill.

The Dwarf Deities table lists the members of the Mordinsamman. For each god, the table notes alignment, province (the god’s main areas of interest and responsibility), suggested domains for clerics who serve the god, and a common symbol of the god. Several of the gods in the table are described below.

Moradin

The father of the dwarves crafted his children from metal, stone and gems, and imbued them with souls as he cooled them with his breath.

Moradin is the master of every craft practiced by the dwarves and the patron of artisans. He expects his children to follow in his footsteps, studying his techniques and aspiring to one day match his expertise.

 

 

Priests of Moradin are responsible for judging and assessing the work of a stronghold’s artisans. They keep great volumes that describe various crafting techniques in detail, and use the guidelines in them to judge the quality of individual works.

The priests also evaluate young dwarves to determine the youths’ vocations. The decisions of the priests are accepted without question.

Abbathor

The Great Master of Greed exerts an influence, no matter how subtle, over every dwarven heart. Abbathor teaches that greed isn’t only desirable, but necessary to keep the dwarves in a strong and safe position.

Abbathor has no skill in crafting. Instead, he relies on his ability as a thief to take ownership of what he wants. Why work so hard to manufacture something when a much easier path to riches lies open?

Abbathor is the only advocate for change within the dwarven pantheon. He can inspire dwarves to seek shortcuts, normally frowned upon, but sometimes those methods turn out to be efficient techniques that improve a clan’s capabilities.

Berronar Truesilver

The Matron of Home and Hearth is the patron of honor, and law. She lays out the rules for managing a dwarf clan.

Berronar’s code establishes the laws of the dwarves, including contracts, trade agreements, and every other kind of bond forged through words and deeds. As Moradin provides the example that dwarves strive to match, Berronar provides the bonds that create dwarven society and culture.

Clangeddin Silverbeard

Known as the Father of Battle, Clangeddin Silverbeard is the patron of dwarf warriors. Impetuous and brave yet a cunning strategist, Clangeddin embodies the warrior’s spirit that makes dwarven armies such formidable foes.

Clangeddin encourages dwarf warriors to venture out of the stronghold in search of foes to defeat. He particularly hates goblinoids, giants, and dragons. He compels his followers to seek out and dispatch such enemies before they can become a threat to the stronghold.

His faithful are mainly full-time warriors assigned to weapon training from an early age and expected to take the fight to the enemy. The two axes he wields embody his attitude, since he forsakes the added protection of a shield for the chance to deal more damage to his enemies.

 

 

Clangeddin’s priests are warriors who lead from the front. When defending a stronghold, they guard the walls and lead sorties against enemy positions. When an external threat is near, the priests plan guerrilla raids to disrupt invaders before they can besiege the stronghold.

Other Deities

The dwarven pantheon is quite large. The four deities discussed above are acknowledged by occupants of almost every stronghold, while the following gods are worshiped by some clans and ignored by others. These deities include Dugmaren Brightmantle, the Gleam in the Eye; Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain; Gorm Gulthyn, the Golden Guardian; Haela Brightaxe, the Lady of the Fray; Marthammor Duin, Watcher over Wanderers; Sharindlar, Lady of Mercy; and Vergadain, the Merchant King.

The dual role of Abbathor

“A little selfishness now and then is to be expected even from the wisest of folk.”

–Tenelar, Outcast of Five Peaks

Dwarves have rigid principles and lofty ambitions. They devote their lives to the pursuit of perfection, and the best come close to realizing that goal. But for all their dedication, dwarves are mortal, which means they are fallible. And that’s where Abbathor comes in.

The dwarves’ attachment to their creations has a dark side: many of them fall victim to feelings of selfishness and greed. The culprit is Abbathor, the black sheep of the dwarven pantheon. Abbathor is an advocate of change, not stability - an attitude normally regarded with suspicion by dwarves. But in this case, the god delivers his message inside the embrace of avarice.

Greed is at the heart of change. Greedy individuals aren’t content with their own accomplishments and seek to undermine the works that others have made, sometimes going so far as to take credit for their creation, or actually steal them. Greed distorts the joy that dwarves normally take from their work. It focuses on the value of the end result, rather than the importance of the process of creation. A dwarf tempted by Abbathor might sabotage a rival’s work or uncover a wondrous treasure and pass it off as something they created.

Abbathor does, however, play a positive role in helping the dwarves discover new methods and techniques. Although he espouses greed and treachery, he is also the standard bearer for revision and innovation. His guidance is especially critical when a clan faces an unanticipated situation that requires quick, decisive action.

In that vein, dwarf emissaries and merchants are expected to use Abbathor’s tricks when they deal with humans, elves, and other races. When a dwarf offers a piece of merchandise for sale to an outsider, that merchant is expected to drive a hard bargain, even if the item is in truth an inferior example of its kind.

Fortunately for the other party in the arrangement, the dwarves’ idea of “inferior” means that a product they consider substandard is still far superior to any such item that outsiders might create. The dwarves might laugh among themselves at a human farmer who bought a shovel from them that will last only a few decades. To the dwarves, that’s a shoddy tool; to the farmer, it’s a purchase that lasts a lifetime.

When clans collapse

“We have but one desire, revenge against those who drove us out of our home.”

–Queen Helgret Deephammer, of the Deephammer clan in exile

For all the attention dwarves pay to their defenses and the security of their homes, no clan is immortal and no stronghold unassailable. Threats to a clan can come from the outside or the inside, and it’s often the latter variety that proves more difficult to defeat.

Every clan is aware that there are plenty of unprincipled creatures in the world that would love to steal its cherished works or even obliterate the dwarves and take over their home.

A life in exile

If the worst comes to pass and the loss of a clan’s stronghold to invaders is inevitable, most of the dwarves would be willing to die while making a last stand for their home. But the clan must survive, even if only as a shell of its former self, and so every clan has a contingency plan to secure a safe escape for a selected few in the stronghold.

If the survivors are able to get away, they tend to seek shelter in a human city or kingdom. Their skill as artisans ensures that almost any community would welcome their contribution to the workforce, and they can eke out a comfortable existence for themselves.

 

 

A group of refugee dwarves seeking residence in a community will do whatever they can to live together, keeping the clan intact. They recreate what they can of their former lifestyle and remaining isolated from their neighbors.

Dwarf adventurers

“The mountains were home once, but never again”

–Tenelar, Outcast of Five Peaks

A dwarf who leaves the stronghold to pursue a life of adventuring does so for one reason, which is to set out with the blessing of the clan to undertake an important mission.

When a situation calls for such drastic action, the king or priests select one or more clan members to venture forth. These dwarves are charged with a specific quest, such as recovering a stolen artifact or discovering the fate of an allied stronghold that has fallen silent.

They are held in high esteem by their clan mates, since they have dared to forsake the safety of home for the uncertainty of the upper world. When their mission is over, they return to the stronghold continue with their previous lives.

Hazardous duty

Some dwarves leave the stronghold to serve the clan in nontraditional ways as envoys, explorers, crafters, and merchants. Although a human wouldn’t think of all these folk as adventurers, in the dwarves’ view they are undertaking a dangerous mission.

Even when dwarves volunteer for a life in the outside world, whether to take up true adventuring or to pursue a mundane occupation, they remain members of the clan, and their duties almost always include some responsibility to the clan. A blacksmith working in a human village, for instance, might report news of the outside world back to the clan.

Dwarves who reside in surface communities prefer to keep to themselves when not plying their trades, but over time they might develop close relationships with neighbors of other races - much in the same way that dwarves who join an adventuring party learn to trust their companions.

Dwarven Biology

A dwarf’s biology is very different from most other living creatures, mostly due to the fact that they are elementals crafted from stone, not born. Even though they are crafted in the same way, each dwarf is very different. The artistic choices made during crafting, and the exact composition and ratios of stone, metal and gems used in the making, both include enough variation to make each dwarf unique.

The Brain

The body of a dwarf has no other organs than the “brain“ that originated from the soulstone. It is located in the head, with a root-like system of fibers that span the whole body. In many places these fibers peek out from the body. What most humanoids think is hair and beard is actually a visible, but tougher part of the “brain system“.

These outside fibers are necessary, as they allow a dwarf to absorb oxygen. This means that the dwarf “breathes” through many parts of the body, although mainly the head. A side effect is that a dwarf cannot be strangled, but an air tight bag over its head would still choke it.

The color of the whole system is dependent on the minerals used in creating the dwarf. There is no blood in a dwarf body, but the fibers contain a viscious fluid, the same color as the fibers, which might get spilt if the dwarf is wounded.

The Body

Even though the body of a dwarf was originally stone, it softens up during the birth ritual, to allow for the body to animate and move properly. The flesh is dense and resembles tightly packed flesh. The color is similar to the span of humankind skin colors, with the original stone composition deciding the actual color.

On the Matter of Food

Dwarves does not need to eat much at all. In fact they try to avoid it as much as possible, as they cannot really digest solid food. It will just end up inside a dwarf until dissolved, usually causing bad breath.

The little nutrients and minerals they need, they imbibe in liquid form, like soups and beer. This is one of the reasons dwarves have a tradition of making excellent and very varied types of beer.

Other races often see dwarves as drunkards, as they can often be seen drinking different types of alcohol. However, they are not affected by alcohol in the same extend a human would be, instead it is a necessity for them. Alcohol, the stronger the better, serves an important function in cleaning the insides of a dwarf, helping in making sure any solid remains of whatever they have ingested is dissolved and absorbed.

 

 

The Death of a Dwarf

When a dwarf dies, he will slowly turn back to the stone he was made from. They do not decompose like other living creatures. Instead they slowly stiffen under a period of a deacade or so, before finally turning completely to stone.

In dwarven society a dwarf is buried in stone if possible, usually with the help of divine magic. It is well-known by dwarves, that the body will by the seed of a new mineral or metal deposit, allowing the dwarf to eventually be reborn as a component of new dwarves.