Dwarves

Dwarves

Dwarves are an insular people, separating themselves from the other races of the world by the weight of hills and mountains. They live, across the world, in a handful of metropoli - called holds - which they have carved out from the rocky interior. Dwarves follow a doctrine analogous to The Prime Canon, and though it is believed to have been developed independently, it holds values much like the societies of humans and elves. Unlike those societies, Dwarven holds have a history of practicing darker magics. Many Dwarves carve runes into their bodies or within their homes, and fallen ancestors have historically been raised to serve as laborers and immortal advisors. The latter practice has fallen away in recent centuries, however, and been replaced by a strong aversion to necromancy. All holds today have divisions of tomb guardians which ensure the dead stay at rest despite the practices of the past.

General Information

Rarity: Common. (You may play this race without consulting the DM.)
Physical Description: Dwarves live deep in mountains and high in hills, preferring the cramped comfort of the homes they elegantly carve rather than the open world under the sun. They tend to be under five feet tall, stocky and compact, weighing as much as humans. Their skin ranges from light, to deep brown, and even tinges of blue, black, and ash, with their hair being just as varied. All Dwarves can grow beards, and the status of their beards is typically indicative of their gender in society.
Family Structure: Dwarves typically live communally, in large extended family structures. Each family takes care of its own and is responsible for contributing to the larger Hold, which is what the Dwarves call their expansive cities. Family names are not indicative of much, as the self-sufficiency of a family means that a surname covers miners, nobles, and architects alike. They are also quite flexible, as a Dwarf may enter a different family and adopt its name if the need arises. To stand in for the identifying importance typical of surnames, Dwarves have middle names which denote their greatest accomplishment.
Attitude Toward Society: Rigid schedules are the lifeblood of a Dwarf, and they fit quite well into their own constructed societies. They are quite traditional, however, and they have trouble adapting to others' customs. Still, they can manage to live comfortably in most human settlements, especially when they congregate in their own quarters. While they are used to living underground, they have no trouble living above, though they may grumble about the fragile engineering the overworld demands.
Attitude Toward Gender: Traditionally, Dwarves are dimorphic, though their gender is determined strictly by the presence of a beard. It is even possible for a Dwarf to shift genders regularly, simply by shaving and regrowing their beard, though this is not common. Regardless of their identity, Dwarves are expected to adopt the roles assigned to their gender as determined by their beard; shaving a Dwarf can thus be quite emasculating. Bearded Dwarves are typically expected to be warriors, builders, and miners, while Dwarves without beards prefer paths of social service, engineering, or leadership.
Attitude Toward Relationships: Dwarves live long lives, but reproduce rarely. When Dwarves move between families, it is typically as the result of someone from the family vouching for them or a romantic relationship. Dwarves do not marry, but they do have semi-monogamous relationships which last as long as they are welcome in a family, or until they are ready to move on. Dwarves have few strong opinions on who wants to be with which gender.

Race (5e)

Dwarves (5e)

ability score increase: +1 Wisdom

age: Dwarves typically mature by age 20, and can live up to 100 years old.

Size: Medium

speed: 25 ft.; your speed is not reduced by wearing Heavy Armor

Languages:

race features:
Toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Mountain

Mountain Dwarves are those who live inside of mountains and underground; this is the majority of Dwarves, including those of the Green Mountain and The Dwarven Holds.
Darkvision: 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.
Dwarf Fortitude: +1 to Constitution, and you can spend one Hit Die to heal yourself taking the Dodge action.

Overworld

Overworld Dwarves are those who live in the hills and peaks of Highgard. They often live outside, rather than inside of the mountains, and their homes are built into the exterior of the peaks.
Farvision: You can see twice as far in dim light, and retain the ability to distinguish colors and detail under these conditions.
Sentinel: Whenever you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, its speed drops to 0 for the rest of the turn, stopping any movement they may have been taking. Creatures within your reach provoke opportunity attacks even if they took the Disengage action.

Ancestry (Pathfinder 2e)

Dwarven feats emphasize the needs of a people deep within the mountains of the earth, an appreciation for craftsmanship, and a penchant for runic magic.

Dwarves

Hit Points

10

Size

Medium

Speed

20

Ability Boosts

Constitution, Wisdom, Free

Ability Flaw

Dexterity

Traits

Humanoid, Mortal, Dwarf

Languages

Human Common, one of Dwarven Common, Highgardian, or Galvi, and additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive)

Special Abilities

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Darkvision: You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.

Heritages

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Death Warden Dwarf: Your ancestors have been tomb guardians for generations, and the power they cultivated to ward off necromancy has passed on to you. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a necromancy effect, you get a critical success instead.
Hold-Forger Dwarf: You are a descendant of crafters and have your own amazing talent. You become trained in Crafting (or another skill if you were already trained in Crafting) and gain the Specialty Crafting skill feat, but you can pick two different specialties instead of one.
Overworld Dwarf: Your ancestors come from the overworld hills, rather than the deep mountains. You have learned to stay steady on your feet even at great heights. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Fortitude or Reflex DC against attempts to Shove or Trip you. This bonus also applies to saving throws against spells or effects that attempt to knock you prone. In addition, if any effect would force you to move 10 feet or more, you are moved only half the distance.
Runecaller Dwarf: Some Dwarves line their skin with runic tattoos, permitting them to absorb the effects of magic cast upon them to some extent. You gain the Call on Ancient Blood reaction.
Call on Ancient Blood: Triggers when you attempt a saving throw against a magical effect but you haven't rolled yet. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus until the end of this turn. This bonus also applies to the triggering save.

Ancestry Feats

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Name	Traits	Level	Prerequisites	Benefits	Details
Adaptive Vision	Dwarf	1	-	After years of using black powder in dimly lit spaces, you've become accustomed to dazzling flashes of light and sudden shifts in illumination.	Show spoiler After years of using black powder weaponry in dimly lit spaces, you've become accustomed to dazzling flashes of light and sudden shifts in illumination. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against visual effects. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a visual effect, you get a critical success instead.
Dwarven Lore	Dwarf	1	-	You eagerly absorbed the old stories and traditions of your ancestors, your gods, and your people.	Show spoiler You eagerly absorbed the old stories and traditions of your ancestors, your gods, and your people, studying in subjects and techniques passed down for generation upon generation. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Crafting and Religion. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Dwarven Lore.
Dwarven Weapon Familiarity	Dwarf	1	-	Your kin have instilled in you an affinity for hard-hitting weapons, and you prefer these to more elegant arms.	Show spoiler Your kin have instilled in you an affinity for hard-hitting weapons, and you prefer these to more elegant arms. You are trained with the battle axe, pick, and warhammer. You also gain access to all uncommon dwarf weapons. For the purpose of determining your proficiency, martial dwarf weapons are simple weapons and advanced dwarf weapons are martial weapons.
Explosive Savant	Dwarf	1	-	A lifetime wielding firearms and explosive ordinance amid the chaos of battle has granted you great skill with volatile weapons.	Show spoiler A lifetime wielding firearms and explosive ordinance amid the chaos of battle has granted you great skill with volatile weapons. You become trained in simple and martial bombs and firearms.
Eye for Treasure	Dwarf	1	-	You know good artisanship when you see it and can wax poetic about crafting techniques and forms.	Show spoiler You know good artisanship when you see it and can wax poetic about crafting techniques and forms. You become trained in Crafting and gain a +1 circumstance bonus on all Crafting checks made to Recall Knowledge. If you would automatically become trained in Crafting (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. In addition, you gain the Crafter's Appraisal skill feat, enabling you to identify magic items using the Crafting skill.
Rock Runner	Dwarf	1	-	Your innate connection to stone makes you adept at moving across uneven surfaces.	Show spoiler Your innate connection to stone makes you adept at moving across uneven surfaces. You can ignore difficult terrain caused by rubble and uneven ground made of stone and earth. In addition, when you use the Acrobatics skill to Balance on narrow surfaces or uneven ground made of stone or earth, you aren't flat-footed, and when you roll a success at one of these Acrobatics checks, you get a critical success instead.
Stonecunning	Dwarf	1	-	You have a knack for noticing even small inconsistencies and craftsmanship techniques in the stonework around you.	Show spoiler You have a knack for noticing even small inconsistencies and craftsmanship techniques in the stonework around you. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to notice unusual stonework. This bonus applies to checks to discover mechanical traps made of stone or hidden within stone. If you aren't using the Seek action or searching, the GM automatically rolls a secret check for you to notice unusual stonework anyway. This check doesn't gain the circumstance bonus, and it takes a –2 circumstance penalty.
Surface Culture	Dwarf	1	-	Your interactions with other cultures on the surface have not only taught you about many other ancestries, but have also helped you realize the value of your own.	Show spoiler Your interactions with other cultures on the surface have not only taught you about many other ancestries, but have also helped you realize the value of your own. You gain the trained proficiency rank in the Society skill (or another skill of your choice if you were already trained in Society), and you gain the Additional Lore skill feat for the Lore corresponding to your culture.
Unburdened Iron	Dwarf	1	-	You’ve learned techniques first devised by your ancestors during their ancient wars, allowing you to comfortably wear massive suits of armor.	Show spoiler You've learned techniques first devised by your ancestors during their ancient wars, allowing you to comfortably wear massive suits of armor. Ignore the reduction to your Speed from any armor you wear. In addition, any time you're taking a penalty to your Speed from some other reason (such as from the encumbered condition or from a spell), deduct 5 feet from the penalty. For example, the encumbered condition normally gives a –10-foot penalty to Speed, but it gives you only a –5-foot penalty. If your Speed is taking multiple penalties, pick only one penalty to reduce.
Blast Resistance	Dwarf	5	-	You're used to the clamor of steel, the crack of a firearm, and the thunderous blast of explosions.	Show spoiler You're used to the clamor of steel, the crack of a firearm, and the thunderous blast of explosions. You gain resistance 3 to sonic. If you roll a success on a saving throw against an auditory effect that causes the deafened condition, you get a critical success instead.
Boulder Roll	Dwarf	5	Rock Runner	Your dwarven build allows you to push foes around, just like a mighty boulder.	Show spoiler Your dwarven build allows you to push foes around, just like a mighty boulder tumbles through a subterranean cavern. Take a Step into the square of a foe that is your size or smaller, and the foe must move into the empty space directly behind it. The foe must move even if doing so places it in harm's way. The foe can attempt a Fortitude saving throw against your Athletics DC to block your Step. If the foe attempts this saving throw, unless it critically succeeds, it takes bludgeoning damage equal to your level plus your Strength modifier. If the foe can't move into an empty space (if it is surrounded by solid objects or other creatures, for example), your Boulder Roll has no effect.
Defy the Darkness	Dwarf	5	darkvision	Using ancient dwarven methods developed to fight enemies wielding magical darkness, you've honed your darkvision and sworn not to use such magic yourself.	Show spoiler Using ancient dwarven methods developed to fight enemies wielding magical darkness, you've honed your darkvision and sworn not to use such magic yourself. You gain greater darkvision, enabling you to see through magical darkness even if it normally hampers darkvision (such as the darkness created by a 4th-level darkness spell). You can't cast spells with the darkness trait, use item activations with the darkness trait, or use any other ability with the darkness trait.
Dwarven Reinforcement	Dwarf	5	expert in Crafting, Hold-Forger Dwarf	You can use your knowledge of engineering and metalwork to temporarily strengthen thick objects and structures.	Show spoiler You can use your knowledge of engineering and metalwork to temporarily strengthen thick objects and structures. By spending 1 hour working on an item, you can give it a +1 circumstance bonus to its Hardness for 24 hours. If you're a master in Crafting, the bonus is +2, and if you're legendary, the bonus is +3. You can reinforce a portion of a structure, though 1 hour usually reinforces only a door, a few windows, or another section that fits within a 10-foot cube.
Dwarven Weapon Cunning	Dwarf	5	Dwarven Weapon Familiarity	You’ve learned cunning techniques to get the best effects out of your dwarven weapons.	Show spoiler You've learned cunning techniques to get the best effects out of your dwarven weapons. Whenever you critically hit using a battle axe, pick, warhammer, or a dwarf weapon, you apply the weapon's critical specialization effect.
Sheltering Slab	Dwarf	5	-	The stone around you is your ally, and you have learned to use it to shore up your weaknesses.	Show spoiler The stone around you is your ally, and you have learned to use it to shore up your weaknesses. As long as you remain on the ground and are adjacent to a vertical stone wall that rises to your height or taller, you aren't flat-footed against attacks as a result of being flanked. This works even if you are at the outside corner of the wall.
Spark Fist	Dwarf, Fire, Manipulate	5	expert in Crafting	You dust explosive black powder on your fist or glove before attacking, which combusts as you hit an opponent.	Show spoiler You dust explosive black powder on your fist or glove before attacking, which combusts as you hit an opponent. The resulting pops of flame harm both you and your enemy. Once per minute, until the end of your next turn, your fist loses the nonlethal trait and deals an additional 1 fire damage on a successful Strike. Each time you succeed on a fist Strike, you take 1 fire damage. If your fist would deal more than one weapon damage die, the fire damage dealt on a successful Strike, to both you and your opponent, is equal to the number of weapon damage dice.
Tomb-Watcher's Glare	Divine, Dwarf	5	Death Warden Dwarf heritage	When you critically hit an undead creature, or an undead creature critically fails a saving throw against one of your abilities, you drive your divine wrath home in your enemy’s heart.	Show spoiler When you critically hit an undead creature, or an undead creature critically fails a saving throw against one of your abilities, you drive your divine wrath home in your enemy’s heart. The undead is enfeebled 1 for 1 round.
Battleforger	Dwarf	9	Runecaller Dwarf heritage	You can use your runes with the power to enhance your martial abilities for a short time.	Show spoiler You can use your runes with the power to enhance your martial abilities for a short time. By spending 1 hour meditating, you gain either a +1 bonus to attack rolls or increase your AC by 1.
Demolitionist	Dwarf	9	-	You know how to destroy objects with a well-placed explosion.	Show spoiler You know how to destroy objects with a well-placed explosion. Whenever you hit with a bomb Strike against a trap or an unattended object, you ignore the first 5 points of the object's Hardness.
Echoes in Stone	Concentrate, Dwarf	9	-	You pause a moment to attune your senses to the stone around you.	Show spoiler So long as you are standing on a stone or earthen surface, you can pause a moment to attune your senses to the stone around you. Until the start of your next turn, you gain a new sense: imprecise tremorsense with a range of 20 feet.
Mountain's Stoutness	Dwarf	9	-	Your hardiness lets you withstand more punishment than most before going down.	Show spoiler Your hardiness lets you withstand more punishment than most before going down. Increase your maximum Hit Points by your level. When you have the dying condition, the DC of your recovery checks is equal to 9 + your dying value (instead of 10 + your dying value). If you also have the Toughness feat, the Hit Points gained from it and this feat are cumulative, and the DC of your recovery checks is equal to 6 + your dying value.
Smoke Sight	Dwarf	9	-	You're used to fighting and hiding in a haze of smoke and flame.	Show spoiler You're used to fighting and hiding in a haze of smoke and flame. You automatically succeed at the DC 5 flat check to target a concealed creature if that creature is concealed only by smoke. When you are concealed or hidden in smoke, increase the DC of the flat check to target you to 6 if you're concealed or 12 if you're hidden.
Stone Bones	Dwarf	9	-	Your intractable nature can help you shrug off even the most grievous injuries.	Show spoiler When you are struck by a critical hit that deals physical damage, your intractable nature can help you shrug off even the most grievous injuries. Attempt a DC 17 flat check. If you are successful, the attack becomes a normal hit.
Stonewalker	Dwarf	9	-	You have a deep reverence for and connection to stone.	Show spoiler You have a deep reverence for and connection to stone. You gain meld into stone as a 3rd-level divine innate spell that you can cast once per day. If you have the Stonecunning dwarf ancestry feat, you can attempt to find unusual stonework and stonework traps that require legendary proficiency in Perception. If you have both Stonecunning and legendary proficiency in Perception, when you're not Seeking and the GM rolls a secret check for you to notice unusual stonework, you keep the bonus from Stonecunning and don't take the -2 circumstance penalty.
Crafter's Instinct	Dwarf, Fortune	13	master in Crafting	You sense a minor flaw in the weapon as you fire it, and quickly adjust your aim on the fly to avoid the flaw.	Show spoiler Once per day, when you misfire with a firearm or you roll a failure on a Strike with a ranged weapon, you sense a minor flaw in the weapon as you fire it and quickly adjust your aim on the fly to avoid the flaw. If the triggering Strike was a misfire, you get a normal failure instead. If the triggering Strike was a failure, it becomes a glancing blow that deals minimum damage for the Strike (adding any bonuses as normal but getting a result of 1 for all damage dice that would be rolled on a success). The glancing blow does not apply other effects that would normally happen only on a hit.
Dwarven Weapon Expertise	Dwarf	13	Dwarven Weapon Familiarity	Your dwarven affinity blends with your training, granting you great skill with dwarven weapons.	Show spoiler Your dwarven affinity blends with your training, granting you great skill with dwarven weapons. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency for battle axes, picks, warhammers, and all dwarven weapons in which you are trained.
Explosive Expert	Dwarf	13	Explosive Savant	You have continued training in volatile weapons and gained a deeper understanding.	Show spoiler You have continued training in volatile weapons and gained a deeper understanding. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency for simple and martial bombs and firearms.
Scrutinizing Gaze	Dwarf	13	Death Warden Dwarf heritage	Your family's traditions of defending against the undead have granted you a sixth sense for detecting spirits, haunts, and other restless dead, no matter their form or the strength of their presence.	Show spoiler Your family's traditions of defending against the undead have granted you a sixth sense for detecting spirits, haunts, and other restless dead, no matter their form or the strength of their presence. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to Sense Motive when trying to determine if a creature is possessed or under the influence of an effect that would make them controlled, a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks made to see through disguises worn by undead, and a +2 circumstance bonus when using the Seek action to find hidden or undetected haunts or undead within 30 feet of you. If you aren't using the Seek action or searching, the GM automatically rolls a secret check for you to notice haunts or undead within 30 feet anyway. This check doesn't gain the usual +2 circumstance bonus, and instead takes a –2 circumstance penalty.
Stonegate	Dwarf	17	Stonewalker	Earthen barriers no longer impede your progress.	Show spoiler Earthen barriers no longer impede your progress. You gain passwall as a 7th-level divine innate spell that you can cast once per day. Unlike the spell, however, this ability can be used only to open passages through barriers of earth or stone.

You Might...

• Appreciate hierarchy and authority, so long as it is justified.
• Dislike when plans change.
• Don’t waver or back down once you’ve set your mind to something.

Others Probably...

• See you as stubborn, though whether they see this as an asset or a detriment changes from one person to the next.
• Assume you are an expert in matters related to stonework, mining, precious metals, and gems.
• View you as honest and steadfastly reliable, even when they'd prefer you weren't.

by PGT Creative

by PGT Creative