Dwarves
From DevroWiki
Nearly wiped out by the Fire aimed to destroy the Tulaire Empire, the Dwarves of Devro thrive once again. Stout survivors, born of the very earth itself, the Dwarves are the masters of stone and gem, and control vast aboveground and belowground holdings throughout the mountains rimming the Great Wastes.
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Personality
Gruff, callous, and curt are all words that describe the average dwarf. They have a hard time relating to surface dwellers, who seem far too flighty, too hurried, and normally unconcerned with the important things in life, as far as dwarves are concerned. Important things to a dwarf normally include gems, gold, other precious minerals, a decent, productive day’s labor, a good warm fire, and a nice meal. Surface dweller humor, leisure, and priorities make little sense to dwarves; the two groups just enjoy different things. Still, they are not dim-witted or boorish; they enjoy their simple pleasures, and enjoy sharing those pleasures with good friends, regardless of from where those friends hail. Dwarves in general value honesty, loyalty, and order above most other ideals, and those who live by these simple qualities can find a friend in a dwarf.
Physical Description
A dwarf ranges in height from just under four feet tall to just a hair under four and a half feet tall, and weighing around 165 pounds. Males tend to be taller and heavy than females. The skin color of a dwarf generally ranges between a light tan to deep browns, copper, and occasionally a dusky gray, while their hair is generally dark. Dwarves, both men and women, tend to have facial hair, but while males grow thick beards, females usually only have light whiskers.
Relations
The Dwarven Commonwealth is generally difficult to reach, as most entrances to their cities are deep in the mountains, but they are open to any who make the journey. Dwarves hold no real prejudice against any of the other inhabitants of Devro; they normally judge individuals, not entire races. Dwarves expect order and fairness from those who travel in their lands, however – the best way to upset a dwarf is break their laws.
The humans of Neth have a good trade relation with the Dwarves of the Southern Crater Mountains, but little else; the people of Neth, with their greedy tendencies and their downright brutal way of life, offer little to dwarves other than a market for their wares. Occasionally, some of the Bakaran tribes will make a trek to the foothills where the Desert of Fire meets the Southern Crater Mountains to trade news and wares; Dwarves have a far better relationship with these Bakaran tribes than they ever will with the Nethars.
Government
The Dwarven Commonwealth is the overarching body that sets laws for all dwarves. This legislative body is comprised of the thanes of the twelve great Dwarven houses. The Dwarven Houses control areas of the Great Crater Mountains; population, tradition, and the decisions of the Commonwealth set the boundaries of each House’ spheres of control. However, there is no declared separation of Dwarves by House – just of the control of an area; Dwarven Houses intermingle more or less freely throughout the Commonwealth.
Religion
The vast majority of Dwarves revere Graven Firehammer, the Master of All Beneath the Surface, but most Dwarven temples also host worship of Imdek, God of Justice, and Galvon, God of the Forge, two other prominent Dwarven deities. Occasionally, temples to the Dracolaithian Gods can be found beneath the surface, and some Dwarves go so far as to worship human gods. Dwarven worship is normally very a solemn affair; there is much low chanting, somber prayer, all in the light of low hearth fires. Such is also the Dwarven view of the afterlife – service to the gods in their everlasting forges beneath the earth, or eternal torture in the low fires of their anger. Many strive to please the gods and live a good, clean life on Devro, so that they may enjoy the fruits of a good labor in the hereafter.
Alignment
With their respect for order, most dwarves are lawful, and most tend towards good. Those few who stray from this norm are often exiled from the Commonwealth, so even those with such contrary tendencies normally keep them hidden.
Dwarven Lands
The Dwarven Commonwealth controls much of the mountain ranges bordering the Great Wastes. Much of these mountains are honeycombed with caverns and tunnels, some natural, others carved by the Dwarves over the last three thousand years.
Language
Dwarves speak Dwarven, which is a derived from Terran, the language of earth spirits. Dwarves show an affinity for the languages of many other subterranean creatures.
Racial Traits
- +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Dwarves are stout and tough, but their manner is generally gruff and reserved.
- Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Dwarven base speed is 20 feet.
- Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
- Stonecunning: Stonecunning grants dwarves a +2 racial bonus on checks on notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework, traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes with 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Dwarves have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes.
- +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons: Dwarves are hardy and resistant to toxins.
- +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
- +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids; these monsters infest the grottos and dark tunnels underground that are the dwarves’ home.
- +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to rare or exotic items.
- +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
- Automatic Languages: Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Draconic, Terran, Undercommon.
- Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass Dwarf’s fighter class (dependent on the player’s choice) does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing. Dwarven culture extols the virtues of the warrior, and the profession comes easily to dwarves.
- Regional Feats: Axethrower, Bullheaded, Dauntless, Forgeheart, Silver Palm
