Dwarves

1. Underground Tunneling (Special): Dwarves can dig and build solid, strong tunnels (no fear of a cave-in) with amazing speed and dexterity. They can also excavate ruins and the sites of cave-ins with the same prowess. In addition, the character can usually tell if an existing tunnel or chamber is a natural formation or whether it was dug by Kobolds, Dwarves, Goblins, Gnomes, Troglodytes or Humans. The Dwarf can even tell if it's new, old, or ancient. Base Skill: 40%+5 per level of experience.
2. Underground Architecture: Dwarves are excellent underground architects able to build small and large rooms, ornate archways, staircases, great chambers with cathedral ceilings, as well as a labyrinth of tunnels, passageways, mazes and underground traps (most common are pit and cave-in type traps). Likewise, the character can recognize the styles of Dwarven, Kobold, Goblin and other types of construction. The Dwarf who is travelling slowly and cautiously, looking for underground traps can locate them, and avoid or deactivate them. Base Skill: 30% +5% per level of experience; detection and deactivation of traps is done at half his normal architecture skill level.
3. Underground Sense of Direction: The character has an innate ability to tell direction when underground, even in total darkness (not applicable on the surface). Thus, the Dwarf can tell whether he is travelling up, down or level, the approximate angle of decline or ascent, approximately how far below the surface he is, and the approximate direction (north, south, east, west). Base Skill: 40% +5% per level of experience. This skill also enables him to judge the approximate location to surface structures (natural and artificial), but only if the character is familiar with the area. The character will also recognize traits and aspects of the underground tunnel or construct that serve as landmarks for him. Base Skill: 30% +5% per level of experience; -25% if in an unfamiliar area.
4. Metalworking (Special): All Dwarves have a basic understanding of blacksmith facilities, smith techniques and procedures, and working with metal, particularly in the area of making weapons and jewelry. Equal to the field armorer skill with a +10% bonus. Recognize Precious Metals & Stones: Same as the gemology skill with a +10% bonus.

1. Recognise Weapons Quality (+6%)
2. Recognise Precious Metals/Stones (+5%)
3. Mining (+15%)
4. Choose a type of crafting (ie: masonry, weapons crafting, armour, smithing, etc.) (+20%)

Description:

Dwarves are a noble race of demihumans who dwell under the earth, forging great cities and waging massive wars against the forces of chaos and evil. Dwarves also have much in common with the rocks and gems they love to work, for they are both hard and unyielding. It's often been said that it's easier to make a stone weep than it is to change a dwarf's mind.

Standing from four to 4˝ feet in height, and weighing 130 to 170 pounds, dwarves tend to be stocky and muscular. They have ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. Their skin is typically deep tan or light brown. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long, though not long enough to impair vision in any way. They favor long beards and mustaches, too. Dwarves value their beards highly and tend to groom them very carefully. Dwarves do not favor ornate stylings or wrappings for their hair or their beards.

Dwarven clothing tends to be simple and functional. They often wear earth tones, and their cloth is considered rough by many other races, especially men and elves. Dwarves usually wear one or more pieces of jewelry, though these items are usually not of any great value or very ostentatious. Though dwarves value gems and precious metals, they consider it in bad taste to flaunt wealth.

Because dwarves are a sturdy race, they are a solitary people, tending toward distrust of outsiders and other races. Dwarves usually live from 350 to 450 years.

Dwarves have found it useful to learn the languages of many of their allies and enemies. In addition to their own languages, dwarves often speak the languages of gnomes, goblins, kobolds, orcs, and the common tongue, which is frequently used in trade negotiations with other races.

Combat:

Dwarves are courageous, tenacious fighters who are ill-disposed toward magic. They never use magical spells or train as wizards, though they can become priests and use the spells of this group. Because of their nonmagical nature, in fact, they get a special bonus to all saving throws against magical wands, staves, rods, and spells. Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to saving throws against these magical attacks for every 3˝ points of Constitution score they have. See Table 9 on page 21 of the Player's Handbook for specific bonuses.

A dwarf's nonmagical nature can also cause problems when he tries to use a magical item. In fact, if a dwarf uses a magical item that is not specifically created for his class, there is a 20% chance the item malfunctions. For example, if a dwarven fighter uses a bag of holding -- which can be used by any class, not just fighters -- there is a 20% chance each time the dwarf uses it that the bag does not work properly. This chance of malfunction applies to rods, staves, wands, rings, amulets, potions, horns, jewels, and miscellaneous magic. However, dwarves have learned to master certain types of magical items -- because of an item's military nature. These objects -- specifically weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles -- are not subject to magical malfunction when used by a dwarf of any class.

As with magical attacks, dwarves are unusually resistant to toxic substances. Because of their exceptionally strong Constitution, all dwarves roll saving throws against poisons with the same bonus (+1 for every 3˝ points of Constitution score) that applies to saves vs. magical attacks.

In the thousands of years that dwarves have lived in the earth, they have developed a number of skills and special abilities that help them to survive. All dwarves have infravision that enables them to see up to 60 feet in the dark. When underground, dwarves can tell quite a bit about their location by looking carefully at their surroundings. When within 10 feet of what they are looking for, dwarves can detect the grade and slope of a passage (1-5 on 1d6), new tunnel construction (1-5 on 1d6), sliding/shifting walls or rooms (1-4 on 1d6), and stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls (1-3 on 1d6). Dwarves can also determine their approximate depth underground (1-3 on 1d6) at any time.

During their time under the earth, dwarves have also developed an intense hatred of many of the evil creatures they commonly encounter. Thus, in melee, dwarves always add 1 to their attack rolls to hit orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins. The small size of dwarves is an advantage against ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans; these monsters always subtract 4 from their attack rolls against dwarves because of that size difference and the dwarves' training in fighting such large foes.

Dwarven armies are well-organized and extremely well-disciplined. Dwarven troops usually wear chain mail and carry shields in battle. They wield a variety of weapons. The composition of a typical dwarven army by weaponry is axe and hammer (25%), sword and spear (20%), sword and light crossbow (15%), sword and pole arm (10%), axe and heavy crossbow (10%), axe and mace (10%), or hammer and pick (10%).

For every 40 dwarves encountered, there is a 2nd- to 6th-level fighter who leads the group. (Roll 1d6 to determine level, with a roll of 1 equalling 2.) If there are 160 or more dwarves encountered, there are, in addition to the leaders of the smaller groups, one 6th-level fighter (a chief) and a 4th-level fighter (lieutenant) commanding the troops. If 200 or more dwarves are encountered, there is a fighter/priest of 3rd- to 6th-level fighting ability and 4th-to 7th-level priest ability. If a dwarven army has 320 or more troops in it, the following high-level leaders are in command of the group: an 8th-level fighter, a 7th-level fighter, a 6th-level fighter/7th-level priest, and two 4th-level fighter/priests.

The commanders of the dwarven troops wear plate armor and carry shields. In addition, the fighters and fighter/priests leading the dwarven troops have a 10% chance per level of fighting ability of having magical armor and/or weapons. The fighter/priests who lead the troops also have a 10% chance per level of priest ability of having a magical item specific to priests (and thus not subject to malfunction).

If encountered in its home, a dwarven army has, in addition to the leaders noted above, 2d6 fighters of from 2nd- to 5th-level (1d4+1 for level), 2d4 fighter/priests of from 2nd- to 4th-level (in each class), females equal to 50% of the adult males, and children equal to 25% of the adult males. Dwarven women are skilled in combat and fight as males if their homes are attacked.

Habitat/Society:

Usually constructed around profitable mines, dwarven cities are vast, beautiful complexes carved into solid stone. Dwarven cities take hundreds of years to complete, but once finished they stand for millennia without needing any type of repair. Since dwarves do not leave their homes often and always return to them, they create their cities with permanence in mind. Troops guard dwarven cities at all times, and sometimes (60% chance) dwarves also use animals as guards -- either 2d4 brown bears (75% chance) or 5d4 wolves (25% chance).

Dwarven society is organized into clans. A dwarven clan not already attached to a city or mine travels until it finds an outpost where it can begin to ply a trade. Clans often settle close together since they usually need the same raw materials for their crafts. Clans are competitive, but usually do not war against one another. Dwarven cities are founded when enough clans move to a particular location.

Each dwarven clan usually specializes in a particular craft or skill; young dwarves are apprenticed at an early age to a master in their clan (or, occasionally, in another clan) to learn a trade. Since dwarves live so long, apprenticeships last for many years. Dwarves also consider political and military service a skilled trade, so soldiers and politicians are usually subjected to a long period of apprenticeship before they are considered professionals.

To folk from other races, life within these cities might seem as rigid and unchanging as the stone that the dwarven houses are wrought from. In fact, it is. Above all, dwarves value law and order. This love of stability probably comes from the dwarves' long life spans, for dwarves can watch things made of wood and other mutable materials decay within a single lifetime. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that they value things that are unchanging and toil ceaselessly to make their crafts beautiful and long-lived. For a dwarf, the earth is something to be loved because of its stability and the sea a thing to be despised -- and feared -- because it is a symbol of change.

Dwarves also prize wealth, as it is something that can be developed over a long period of time. All types of precious metal, but particularly gold, are highly prized by dwarves, as are diamonds and other gems. They do not value pearls, however, as they are reminders of the sea and all it stands for. Dwarves believe, however, that it is in poor taste to advertise wealth. Metals and gems are best counted in secret, so that neighbors are not offended or tempted.

Most other races see dwarves as a greedy, dour, grumpy folk who prefer the dampness of a cave to the brightness of an open glade. This is partially true. Dwarves have little patience for men and other short-lived races (since man's concerns seem so petty when seen from dwarven eyes). Dwarves also mistrust elves because they are not as serious-minded as dwarves and waste their long lives on pastimes the dwarves see as frivolous. However, dwarves have been known to band together with both men and elves in times of crisis, and long-term trade agreements and alliances are common.

Dwarves have no mixed feelings about the evil races that dwell below ground and in the Underdark, however. They have an intense hatred of orcs, goblins, evil giants, and drow. The dire creatures of the Underdark often fear dwarves, too, for the short, stout folk are tireless enemies of evil and chaos. It is a goal of the dwarves to wage constant and bitter war against their enemies under the earth until either they or their foes are destroyed.

Ecology:

Since much of their culture is focused on creating things from the earth, dwarves produce a large amount of useful, valuable trade material. Dwarves are skilled miners. Though they rarely sell the precious metals and rough gems they uncover, dwarven miners have been known to sell surpluses to local human communities. Dwarves are also skilled engineers and master builders -- though they work almost exclusively with stone -- and some dwarven architects work for humans quite frequently.

Dwarves most often trade in finished goods. Many clans are dedicated to work as blacksmiths, silversmiths, goldsmiths, armorers, weapons makers, and gem cutters. Dwarven products are highly valued for their workmanship. In human communities, these goods often demand prices up to 20% higher than locally forged items. Many people are still willing to pay a high price for a suit of dwarven mail or a dwarven sword. Humans know that the dwarf who forged the item made it to last a dwarven lifetime, so they'll never need to worry about it wearing out in theirs.

Mountain Dwarves:

Similar in most ways to their cousins, the hill dwarves, these demihumans prefer to live deep inside mountains. They tend to be slightly taller than hill dwarves (averaging 4˝ feet tall) and more hearty (having 1+1 Hit Dice). They usually have slightly lighter skin and hair than their hill-dwelling relatives. In battle, mountain dwarf armies are likely to have more spears (30% maximum) and fewer crossbows (20% maximum) than hill dwarf armies. Mountain dwarves have the same interests and biases as hill dwarves, though they are even more isolationist than their cousins and sometimes consider even hill dwarves to be outsiders. Mountain dwarves live for at least 400 years.

Grey Dwarves:

Duergar, or gray dwarves, are a malevolent breed that exist at extreme depths underground. Duergar may be fighters, priests, thieves, or multi-classed fighter/priests, fighter/thieves, or priest/thieves. Thieves are proficient in the use of poison.

Duergar appear to be emaciated, nasty-looking dwarves. Their complexions and hair range from medium to dark gray. They prefer drab clothing designed to blend into their environment. In their lairs, they may wear jewelry, although such pieces are kept dull.

Duergar have infravision to 120 feet. They speak the duergar dialect of the dwarven tongue, ``undercommon'' (the trading language of subterranean cultures), and the silent speech employed by some subterranean creatures. Intelligent duergar may speak other languages as well.

Combat: For every four, single HD duergar encountered outside a lair, there is one with 2 HD+4 hp. If a band of nine are encountered outside a lair, there will be a tenth, with 3 HD+6 hp or 4 HD+8 hp always leads the group.Duergar are armed as follows:1st level: pick, hammer, spear, chain mail, and shield;2nd level: pick, light crossbow, chain mail, and shield;3rd-6th level: hammer, short sword, plate mail, and shield;7th-9th level: hammer*, short sword*, plate mail*, and shield*; 3rd-6th/3rd-6th-level priest/thief: any usable*/any usable*;7th-9th/7th-9th-level priest/thief: any usable*/any usable** 5% chance/level for magical item; for multi-class, add one-half of lower level (round up) to the higher level in order to find the appropriate multiplier.

There are noncombatant, duergar children equal to 10% of the total number of duergar fighters encountered.

The duergar's stealth imposes a -2 penalty to opponents' surprise rolls; the duergar are surprised only on a 1 on 1dl0. Their saving throws vs. magical attacks gain a +4 bonus. They are immune to paralysis, illusion/phantasm spells and poisons.

All duergar possess innate magical abilities of enlargement and invisibility. They can use these spells as wizards of a level equal to their hit points. Duergar can use enlargement to either grow or shrink themselves, as well as anything they are wearing or carrying.

Daylight affects the duergar as follows: their enhanced ability to gain surprise is negated, Dexterity is reduced by 2, attacks are made with a -2 penalty to the attack roll, and opponents' saving throws are made with a +2 bonus. If the encounter occurs when the duergar are in darkness, but their opponents are brightly illuminated, the duergar's surprise ability and Dexterity are normal, but they still suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls while their opponents gain a +1 bonus to saving throws against attacks. Duergar are not adversely affected by the light given off by torches, lanterns, magical weapons, or light and faerie fire spells.

There is a 10% chance that any duergar are accompanied by 2d4 giant steeders, used as mounts (see Spiders).

Habitat Society: Duergar society is similar to that of other dwarven cultures, although life is much harsher because of the hostile environment deep underground. They do not venture to the surface except at night or on gloomy days. Duergar life spans can reach 400 years.

Derro Dwarves:

Derro are a degenerate race of dwarven stature. They have been skulking in the Underdark for ages, but they were discovered by the mind flayers only five centuries ago, and by the drow but shortly before that. The derro have made a name for themselves by their marked cruelty. It is said that a derro lives for just two things: to witness the slow, humiliating death of surface demihumans, and especially humans; and the perversion of knowledge to their own dark ends.

Derro are short, with skin the color of an iced over lake (white, with bluish undertones), sickly, pale yellow or tan hair (always straight), and staring eyes that have no pupils. Their features remind dwarves of humans, and vice versa. Derro have rough skin, spotted with short coarse tufts of hair. Most derro wear a loose costume woven from the hair of underground creatures and dyed deep red or brown. Their armor is leather, studded in copper and brass. Leaders wear tougher, kather armors, made from the hides of beasts far more rugged than cattle.

Combat: Derro are one of the most dexterous of humanoid races (averaging 15-18), and their Armor Class must be adjusted for this. Normally, a derro party is well-equipped with weapons and spells. All derro carry small, ornamental blades, called secari, which can be treated as daggers, but most use other weapons as well.

Half of all encountered derro carry a repeating light crossbow (12 maximum range, two shots each round, six-bolt capacity, 1d3 points of damage). Derro crossbowman usually coat their bolts with poison. If a derro wants to simply bring down his prey, he uses a poison that causes an additional 2d6 points of damage (successful saving throw for no additional damage). If he desires to prolong his target's suffering, he uses a poison that has the same effects as a ray of enfeeblement spell (asuccessful saving throw indicates no poison damage).

Twenty-five percent of derro carry a hook-fauchard, a long (6'+) pole arm that causes 1d4 points of impaling damage and can pull a man-sized or smaller creature off-balance 25% of the time. It takes one round to regain balance.

Fifteen percent of derro use only a spiked buckler. This small shield, improves the derro's AC by 1 against any one opponent. It is armed with a central spike, which can be wielded as a second weapon (no penalty because of the derro's high Dexterity) for 1d4 points of impaling damage. The derro will also have a hooked aklys, a short, heavy club that can be thrown for 1d6 points of crushing damage. It is attached to a thick leather thong so that it can be retrieved. Thanks to the hook, the aklys also pulls an opponent off-balance but it has only a 1-8 chance. These derro are considered brave by their fellows; they are awarded the rarer, heavier armors (AC 4).

The remaining 10% of the derro are the sons and daughters of derro leaders. They are given heavier armor and trained in the use of the spear and the military pick. They use bucklers (sans spikes) when not using the spear with both hands.

For every three derro encountered, there is one with 4 Hit Dice. For every six derro, there is one with 5 Hit Dice. If 10 or more, there is a 7 Hit Die leader with a 6 Hit Die lieutenant. If a party encounters 25 derro, they would be accompanied by eight 4 Hit Die derro, four of 5 Hit Die, one with 6 Hit Dice, and one with 7. The leaders always wear the thicker armor and usually wield well-made (and occasionally magical) weapons.

If 20 or more are encountered, they are accompanied by a savant and two students. Savant derro are able to use any sort of magical item or weapon. Savants know 1d4+5 of the following spells, learned at random: affect normal fires, anti-magic shell, blink, cloudkill, ESP hypnotic pattern, ice storm, invisibility, levitate, light, lightning bolt, minor creation, paralyzation, repulsion, shadow magic, spider climb, ventriloquism, wall of fog, wall of force. Savants have 5-8 Hit Dice, and carry two or three useful magical items. Typical magical items are any potion, any scroll, rings of fire resistance, invisibility, protection, and spell storing, any wand, studded leather armor +1, shields, weapons up to +3, bracers of defense, brooches of shielding, cloaks of protection, and so on. Savants can instinctively comprehend languages and read magic (as the spells).

Savants are capable of acting as sages in one to three areas of study. Derro raids are often inspired by a savant's research.

Student savants know only 1-3 spells, have 4-7 Hit Dice, they know only one field of study, and one minor magical item.

In combat, derro fight cunningly, with good tactics. They keep spellcasters from effectively using magic, and inflict minor wounds until they eventually kill their opponents. Savants use their powers to confuse and frustrate, rather than to simply kill. Derro have poor infravision (30-foot range) but keen hearing (treat as the blind-fighting, nonweapon proficiency).

Derro keep slaves and attempt to capture intelligent opponents, when possible.

Habitat/Society: Derro live in large underground complexes, nearer the surface than the kuo-toans and drow, but deeper than goblins and trolls. They never expose themselves to direct sunlight; it nauseates them. Sunlight will kill a derro if he is exposed to it for several days. Still, derro do visit the surface at night, raiding for humans or carrying out a savant's plans.

Derro are never encountered singly. From their combat tactics to their choice of spells, derro demonstrate a mob mentality. A lone derro is a desperate derro, seeking at all costs to return to his home.

Derro lairs always have 3d4+30 normal derro, plus leaders. The members of the lair are led by the resident savants (1-3 in number) and their apprentices (2-5 students). Derro obey without question the puzzling, even suicidal, dictates from their savant leaders.

Also to be found in a derro lair are 5d6+10 human slaves. If any of the lair's savants or students know the charm person spell, each slave has a 90% chance of being charmed. Derro hate humans more than any other race; they use humans for the most demeaning manual labor, and for breeding.

Derro do not appear to worship any powers, but the savants treasure knowledge and the rest seem to worship the savants.

Derro usually scour their territory for magical items, stealing them, or, if necessary, purchasing them from more powerful creatures. Derro do not share the love of gold common to their dwarven relatives, and they have been known to pay exorbitant prices for a few potions or for a magical item with a missing command word.

Every 20 years or so, the derro mount an all-out war against the other creatures of the Underdark. This is known as the Uniting War, and no savant really expects it to be won. The War is a means of winnowing out the weakest of the derro lairs, a focal point for racial identity, and a chance to really create some terror in the Underdark. It also serves the purpose of starting rumors. Humans will certainly hear that a war is being fought in the Underdark, and they will send hundreds of scouting and adventuring parties to the underground to investigate. The derro welcome this new source of slaves.

Ecology: Derro can live on a diet of underground fungi, but use it only for spice. They seek out other sustenance whenever possible. A derro hunting party usually pursues large, dangerous prey that will feed an entire lair, rather than smaller, simpler food. The derro tendency to torment prey also holds when for hunting food. They also raid other races for food.

Gully Dwarves: coming soon

Half Dwarves: coming soon