Common Races - Dwarves

Duncehack Edition

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Re: Skipped Preamble

Refer to the first part of this series (or the link dump) if you're interested in that.

Obligatory Natural Crit Plug

http://www.naturalcrit.com/

Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Obligatory /tg/ Plug

The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.

I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.

Balance Rationale

See the Balance Rationale page (the one with Humans in it), for full essay.

Main thing is: Races are worth approx. 3 feats + 2 lanaguage proficiencies.

For the purposes of this I'm working on a 'build point' system that assumes races are worth 18 build points.

So, what's wrong with Dwarves?

They're not bad. They're just ever so slightly below curve as to be noticeable.

The big thing is they're a massive bundle of ribbons all tied together, except that said ribbons are only valuable for a small fraction of class options.

So, what to do?

Honestly, I think not much. I'm more inclined to say they just need a little nudge. Pulling a good idea from 4e on this one where moving a dwarf who planted their heels was a difficult task.

Oh, side note: Duergar as a word is public domain as it's a proper old folklore term.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Dwarf

  • Ability Scores: Con +2
  • Size: Medium.
  • Speed: 25 ft. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
  • Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
  • Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
  • Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
  • Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: Smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools.
  • Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
  • Sturdy Footing: You have advantage to resist being moved or knocked prone unwillingly (i.e. being victim of the shove action).
  • Dwarven Education: History matters deeply in Dwarven culture. You have profiency in the History skill.
  • Languages. Common and Dwarvish.

Hill

  • Ability Score: Wis +1
  • Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Mountain

  • Ability Scores: Str +2
  • Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Duergar

  • Ability Scores: Str +1
  • Superior Darkvision: Your Darkvision extends to 120 ft.
  • Duergar Resillience: You have advantage on saving throws against illusions and against being charmed or paralyzed.
  • Language: Undercommon
  • Duergar Magic. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the enlarge/reduce spell on yourself once with this trait, using only the spell's enlarge option. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell on yourself once with this trait. You don't need material components for either spell, and you can't cast them while you're in direct sunlight, although sunlight has no effect on them once cast. You regain the ability to cast these spells with this trait when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
  • Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.


Base Race

Build Point Weight: 17

6 for ability scores, -1 for reduced move speed, 2 for darkvision, 2 for poison resistance, 2 for weapon proficiencies, 2 for tool proficiency, 1 for Stonecunning, 1 for Sturdy Footing, 2 for dwarven history

Ribbons: 5

Unhampering Heavy Armour - it only comes up if you're not proficient/don't meet the Str. requirement. Weapon proficiencies. Stonecunning. Tool proficiency.

Final Weight: 12

Hill

Build Point Weight: 6

3 for ability scores, 3 for mini-tough

Ribbon: None

Final Weight: 18

Mountain

Build Point Weight: 12

6 for ability scores, 6 for armour proficiencies

Ribbon: 6

Armour proficiencies.

Final Weight: 18

Duergar

Build Point Weight: 9

3 for ability scores, 1 for superior darkvision, 3 for resistances, 2 for language, 3 for racial magic - cost reduced due to restrictions and 2 spells as opposed to standard 3. -3 for Sunlight Sensitivity

Ribbon: 2

Language.

Final Weight: 19


Changes:
  • Study Footing was put in as mechanical reinforcement of Dwarf stubbornness - it's also a good idea from 4e that should have stayed with 5e.
  • Dwarven Education as mechanical reinforcement of their tradition/lineage focus in culture, as well as clearing up the weirdness of how Stonecunning works.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Optional Rules

Some further options to consider:

Kaladesh Dwarves

Kaladesh Dwarves are just Hill Dwarves with a single alteration:

Artisan's Training

When selecting a Dwarf, you may exchange your Dwarven Weapon Training for another Artisan's Tools proficiency.

Alternative Stonecunning

Another one if you'd rather Stonecunning was half the word count and didn't function as expertise:

Stonecunning

You have advantage whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework.

Duergar Balance Option

If you want to further pull back Duergar (so that with my above changes the weight pulls back to 18 build points), here's an optional penalty on them:

Social Stigma (Duergar)

In your travels, you find some people are cold, aloof, or even outright hostile towards you. Once per game session, the DM may force you to reroll a social skill roll that you make. You must take whichever result is worse for your character.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Dwarven Racial Feats

Dwarven Tenacity (Half-Feat)

Dwarves are known for their toughness. You are known among Dwarves for yours.

As a bonus action, you may restore hit points equal to 1d12 + your character level + Your Constitution Modifier. This feature is usable even if you have a condition that would otherwise deny its use, such as the unconscious condition.

You must take a short or long rest to use this feature again.

Heart of Stone (Half-Feat)

You are dauntless, even by dwarf standards.

  • You gain advantage on saving throws to resist the frightened condition.
  • When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Scrap-Smith (Half-Feat)

Mountain Only

In the mountain tunnels, wasting resources is not an option as supply lines are always one bad day from being devastated. Fact is, sometimes you have to make do with whatever is on hand. You gain the following benefits:

  • You have advantage to all checks to create improvised gear.
  • So long as you use scrap metal, such at that from ruined armour and broken weapons, as the primary materials, you do not have to make skill rolls for improvisation.
  • Shields (but not greatshields), daggers, clubs, spears/javelins, darts or blowgun needles you create with these materials and are not treated as having the improvised weaponry (i.e. they do not have the 'improvised' property).

Sharpened Senses (Half-Feat)

Hill Only

You cannot suffer disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks or Intelligence (Investigation) checks you make.

You gain +5 Passive Perception and +5 Passive Investigation.
No Dwarf Fortitude?

Rolling it into a general access feat. An in-combat use of hit dice should cost a feat in my honest opinion, but gating it to a specific race is a bit too specific to make the concept meaningful.

Dwarven Tenacity

Basically second wind as a racial feat - here to drill in that Dwarves are meant to be tough.

Heart of Stone

Fear resist seems to be a suitable fit for dwarves, but giving it as a base feature kind of treads on the toes of stout halflings. Same sort of philosophy goes for the relentless endurance.

Scrap-Smith

As of this writing my improvised gear rules haven't been finalised, as I do want to have things like improvised traps and some select adventuring gear, but as a quick primer for the combat relevant stuff...

Improvised Property

Weapons with this property shatter on an attack roll of a 1. Armour with this property shatters on recieving an attack roll of a 20; if the character is using both improvised armour and an improvised shield, the player chooses which is destroyed.

Equipment with this property require skill checks - Intelligence (relevant tool proficiency) - to maintain, else they shatter. The roll may be done at disadvantage with a Wisdom (Survival) check instead.

For weapons, the DC is 10 + The average damage die of the weapon (13 for d4, 14 for d6, 15 for d8, 16 for d10, 17 for d12). The roll has advantage if it's a simple weapon (or without disadvantage if the character is using Survival). Ammunition instead don't require maintenance, instead just shattering on use.

For armour, the DC is equal to the AC provided (i.e. an improvised form of studded leather is a DC of 12). Shields are maintained the same way as armour, but the roll is made at advantage (or without disadvantage if the character is using Survival).

Once shattered, the improvised item is no longer usable and the materials too damaged to fashion into a new object.

Sharpened Senses

The PHB points out that Hill Dwarves have sharper senses than other dwarves, but the only indication of this is a +1 wisdom score. So I thought I'd add to that.

RACES | DUNCEHACK

Echoless Step (Half-Feat)

Duergar Only

The Underdark is no place for the careless, and despite the Duergar's best efforts, they are far from the top of the Underdark's proverbial food chain. Sometimes, slipping away quietly is the difference between life and death. You gain the following benefits:

  • Other creatures have disadvantage to Perception (Wisdom) checks to spot you by hearing when you take the Hide action. Additionally, you have a +5 bonus to your passive stealth score.
  • You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by rocky formations and debris, or while inside a cave or dungeon.
  • You have advantage to Dexterity (Stealth) rolls while in rocky, mountainous terrain, or inside caves.

Sunlight Acclimation (Half-Feat)

Duergar only

You no longer suffer the effects of Sunlight Sensitivity.
Echoless Step

Duergar are described as being 'sneaky', but aside from invisibility access, there's nothing to indicate this either.

Sunlight Acclimation

Available to all Sunlight Sensitive races as a general rule.

RACES | DUNCEHACK