Dwarf
Deep in the mountains and far beneath the earth live a short and stocky people with a dour and taciturn outlook who dig into the earth and mine for gold and riches. These are the dwarves, an extremely hardy and serious people. They live beneath the mountains, in the hills, or even in frozen tundras or smoldering volcanoes, building vast cities and mines within the rock and earth. Of all the races of the world, the dwarves are the most reclusive, hiding away from the surface and keeping to themselves.
There are seven separate types of dwarves spread among the world, though some are far more common than others. The most common include the shield dwarves and gold dwarves, also known as the mountain and hill dwarves respectively.
Dwarf males have a tendency to go gray early in life, around sixty or seventy years, which is considered a mark of distinction in their society. All dwarves, both male and female, have beards. A clean-shaven dwarf is an outcast, this being the lowest sign of disgrace and dishonor. An exception to this are the lost dwarves.
Dwarves as a whole tend to share many similarities, including a strong belief in a strong and well-regimented society and set of laws. The dwarves as a people tend to be isolated, though some far more than others. This has lead to their trade being rather limited. Most dwarven clans are highly self-sufficient, and this is even more true for the shield dwarves. They tend to barter within their clans rather than buying or selling with coinage. They also take great pride in their crafts. A dwarven smith may need a new chair for their room, seeking out a stonemason to carve one for them in return for work on their family heirloom axe. Both will work, often times for a month or longer, seeking to perfect what they are doing for the other. While the two acts may seem unequal to outside races, dwarves pride themselves on hard work and see the work put into something as equal to its value. While simple upkeep on an axe would cost far less in coinage than anew char carved from stone, the dwarves’ pride in tradition adds their own value to the heirloom item, and the work on it is seen as an honor.
The dwarves tend to be rather pious, though not to the point of zealotry. They tend to weave it into their everyday life, mixing work and worship together. While most dwarven deities tend to be good-aligned, or at the worst neutral, there are some who embrace more evil desires such as greed. To most dwarves, however, hard work itself is a form of worship.
Most dwarves value hard work and honor, and despise idleness. A dwarf who sits idly by, taking in the benefits of their society without contributing to it, is considered the worst thing they can do. In addition to that, dwarves hold great value in their beards. Their facial hair tells a story to other dwarves and they can ‘read’ another dwarf’s beard like a book. Each clan has its own special pattern for braiding their beards, but a dwarf is only allowed to braid their beard in this fashion once they have proven themselves to their clan. How this is done ranges from clan to clan, but typically is done through a show of valor or strength. In the case that a clan primarily worships a particular deity, it may be done in a fashion that lines up with the desires of their deity.
The greatest valor and taboo of the dwarves lies within their heirloom item, whether a tool or a weapon. The heirloom item is always held by a family’s patriarch, regardless of age. When a family member loses their patriarch to age or battle, the chosen weapon if he was a warrior or tool if he was a craftsman is passed to the eldest son. The ceremony is very sacred, and is always attended by members of the clergy and the entirety of the family. The celebration afterwards rivals that of marriage as the family celebrates the new patriarch and the fond memories of the ones who have passed. The eldest son has no choice in this—he must take the offering and the role given to him, and abandon all previous plans. If a dwarf were to refuse this honor, they would be shaved and banished forever, never again allowed to return to their ancestral home or family.
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Game Statistics
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Dwarves of all kinds are extremely resilient against magic. A dwarf gains a +1 bonus for every 3½ points of Constitution score against wands, staves, rods, and spells. These bonuses are summarized in the chart below.
Additionally, all dwarves are exceptionally resistant to all kinds of toxic substances. Dwarves make saving throws against poison with the same bonus they do for magical attacks as seen above.
When ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, or titans attack dwarves, these monsters must subtract 4 from their attack rolls because of the dwarf’s small size and combat agility against these much bigger creatures.
Due to their inherently nonmagical nature, dwarves have trouble using magical items. All magical items that are not specifically suited to the character’s class have a 20% chance to malfunction when used by a dwarf. This check is made each time a dwarf uses a magical item. A malfunction affects only the current use; the item may work properly next time. For devices that are continually in use, the check is made the first time the device is used during an encounter. If the check is passed, the device functions normally until it is turned off. Thus, a dwarf would have to check upon donning a robe of blending but would not have to check again until he or she had taken the robe off and then put it on again. If a cursed item malfunctions, the character recognizes its cursed nature and can dispose of the item. Malfunction applies to rods, staves, wands, rings, amulets, potions, horns, jewels, and all other magical items except weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles. This penalty does not apply to dwarven clerics using priest items.
Dwarven infravision allows them to see in the dark out to a range of 60 feet.
Dwarves are miners of great skill. While underground, they can detect the following information when within 10 feet of the particular phenomenon (but they can determine their approximate depth below the surface at any time).
Note that the dwarf must deliberately try to make these determinations; the information does not simply spring to mind unbidden.
Dwarves are shorter and more rotund than most races, and due to this they move slower. A dwarf’s base movement is 6.
| Constitution Score | Saving Throw Bonus |
|---|---|
| 4-6 | +1 |
| 7-10 | +2 |
| 11-13 | +3 |
| 14-17 | +4 |
| 18-19 | +5 |
| Phenomena | Chance |
|---|---|
| Detect grade or slope in passage | 1-5 on 1d6 |
| Detect new tunnel/passage construction | 1-5 on 1d6 |
| Detect sliding/shifting walls or rooms | 1-4 on 1d6 |
| Detect stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls | 1-3 on 1d6 |
| Determine approximate depth underground | 1-3 on 1d6 |
Pathfinder 2e
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