DWARVES

Dwarves

Dwarves are a common race found in almost any area or climate. Dwarves are 4 to 4 1/2 feet tall and are very muscular in build. Their skin is usually tan in color. Their hair ranges from red to brown to black. Both the males and females have beards. Dwarves regard their beards as a mark of distinction. The longer the beard the more distinguished the wearer. Dwarves have a life span of 600 to 700 years. Dwarves gain a bonus of +2 to mystical resistance saves as a racial ability. Dwarves also have a high resistance to poison and gain a +2 bonus to save against poison. Dwarves have both normal vision and dark vision.

Dwarves are great miners and can most of the time, if searching, detect: new construction, grade or slope, depth under ground, unsafe tunnel construction. They typically have mining as a background skill at rank 3. Dwarves usually live in great under ground cities. A Dwarf city will all ways have at least one well worked mine and one great smithy.

Even surface settlements will incorporate a large mine complex and at least one smithy. Each dwarven town will have from 100 to 500 inhabitants, primarily of one clan. Dwarves live within large, family based clans. Within each clan are smaller families. Each family has its own ruling organization, but all owe allegiance to the clan. Dwarves prefer isolated mountain ranges or rocky areas to build their homes. Due to their isolation, by necessity, most dwarven cities are self sufficient.

Dwarven smiths can make exceptionally strong weapons, armor, and tools of the finest quality. Dwarven swords hold the best edges, dwarven hammers have the best heft, dwarven axes cut wood the smoothest. Dwarven weapons are highly valued. These items will sell at a cost 10% more than the listed price. Dwarven tools are popular among all races because of their quality. Dwarven weapons and armor are never sold to non-dwarves. They may however, be given as gifts or granted to worthy people in honor of some great deed. Most dwarven weapons owned by members of other races have been taken in combat. Their ownership is not resented by the dwarves.

Dwarven magic is a path that exists outside the standard paths normally available to player-characters.

Dwarven magic taps directly the powers of the earth and stone. This fits well with the nature of dwarves, and may in part explain their great ability as miners and smiths. The great dwarfish magic weapons were made by smith/dwarven magic users of long ago. Most of the ancient knowledge of dwarven magic have been lost, and must be rediscovered by spell research or study of ancient, lost records.

Dwarves have a strong hatred for orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins. Dwarves speak Dwarf, common, and gnome as cradle languages. Dwarves gain +1 toughness bonus to their initial attribute selections.