Frost Dwarf

Frost dwarves, also known as white dwarves, live far from most civilized lands, in the frozen parts of the world, on endless oceans of ice and snow or in the mountains that border such areas. They have both large citadels under the mountains and small camps all over the tundra on the surface. Those that dwell on the open tundra often braid icicles or the like into their beards leading to some referring to them as frostfangs.
The frost dwarves are extremely duty-bound, and often work as wilderness guides in the tundra, seeking to lead travelers from place to place so they don’t end up getting lost or killed on their way there. Frost dwarves have extremely pale skin, and some appears slightly blue. Their eyes normally resemble ice or are a pale to bright blue color—though some with golden or gray eyes have been noted, and their hair is almost always white or very pale blond. In many ways, they resemble tiny compact frost giants. They often work with the more good-natured frost giants as well, though these are few and far between unfortunately for the dwarves. Frost dwarves are the shortest of the dwarves, standing on average only 3¾ to 4 feet tall, but are surrounded in extremely tough and dense muscle, as well as a layer of fat that helps them retain heat. The average frost dwarf weighs 170 pounds. They prefer clothing that helps them blend into their tundra environment, and typically rely on the pelts of animals such as polar bears. Unlike most other dwarves, frost dwarves excel in ambush tactics, leaping from the snow and striking down their foe with quick precision. An adult frost dwarf is not allowed to wear the pelt of a creature they did not personally slay, and the most valued of pelts are those of arctic owlbears or other large carnivorous beasts. Frost dwarves, more-so than almost all other dwarves, use currency rather than bartering. Due to many of them having a largely nomadic lifestyle in clans, they tend to create coinage. These coins are carved from bone as the metal coins of other cultures would quickly bind to flesh in the freezing cold. They have four sizes of coinage, each bearing different beasts upon them. The smallest of the coins bears a hare, while the others in ascending size bear an arctic fox, a polar bear, and a great whale. These coins are used to pay respect to these animals, and are traditionally only carved from the bones of the animal represented. Each coin will also bear the mark of the clan in which it originated seared into it on the back side. Frost dwarves see the cold as the true home of the dwarves, as the already stout dwarves tend to do better in cold weather than extreme heat anyway, though none better than the frost dwarves. Due to this, they point to their clear advantages in such places as proof of them being the original dwarf-stock, all others being descended from them.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Agna, Astrid, Bjorg, Eira, Elin, Elva, Fjola, Freja, Freydis, Gudrun, Hilde, Ingrid, Jorunn, Kari, Liefia, Ragnhild, Runa, Sigrid, Sigrun, Skadi, Solveig, Sylvi, Thora, Thyra, Ylva

Masculine names

Arne, Audun, Bjorn, Einar, Eirikur, Erik, Froste, Geir, Gunnar, Harald, Hrothgar, Knut, Kolbein, Leif, Olaf, Orvar, Ragnar, Sigbjorn, Sven, Thorfinn, Thrain, Torsten, Ulfar, Vagn, Vidar

Family names

Blizzardstone, Coldbeard, Coldstone, Frostbeard, Frostcrafter, Frosthammer, Frostshaper, Glacialheart, Glacierborn, Hailwalker, Iceforge, Iceshaper, Iceshield, Icewhisper, Northshield, Snowfall, Snowfang, Snowmantle, Snowmantle, Stormshield, Tundraheart, Whiteclad, Winterbrow, Winterhelm, Winterkin

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Table of Contents

Game Statistics

Custom System

Ability Score Adjustment. +1 Wisdom
Cold Resistance. You gain resistance to Cold damage equal to 5 + half your level.
Ancestral Combat. You gain a +1 Racial bonus to hit Beasts native to Arctic areas. Additionally, you gain a +4 Racial bonus to Dodge against Giants.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Frost Dwarf.

5th Edition

Ability Score Adjustment

Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Cold Resistance

You have resistance to cold damage.

Ice Casing

As a bonus action, you can expend any number of Hit Die up to half your maximum to cause a thick layer of flexible ice to grow around your body, protecting you from harm. You gain temporary hit points equal to twice the roll on these Hit Dice. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Frost Dwarvish. Like Crimson Dwarvish, this language has hints of the Giant language sue to their close relation to frost giants.

4th Edition

To Be Made

3.5th Edition

To Be Made

2nd Edition

Ability Score Adjustment. The initial ability scores are modified by a +1 to Constitution and Wisdom, but a -1 to Charisma.

Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	16
Constitution	13	19
Intelligence	3	18
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	17

Class	Maximum
Fighter	14
‎ ‎ ‎Paladin	—
‎ ‎ ‎Ranger	10
‎ ‎ ‎Barbarian	12
Mage	—
‎ ‎ ‎Specialist	—
‎ ‎ ‎Warlock	—
Cleric	12
‎ ‎ ‎Druid	—
‎ ‎ ‎Monk	7
‎ ‎ ‎Shaman	—
Thief	10
‎ ‎ ‎Assassin	8
‎ ‎ ‎Bard	—
Psionicist	8

Special Advantages. Due to a layer of fat, as well as generations of adaptation to the harsh environments, frost dwarves gain a +2 to saves vs cold, and a bonus of -1 HP/damage die versus cold-based damage. No die can deal less than 1 point of damage. Additionally, they take no damage from weather as cold as -30 degrees fahrenheit.
Frost dwarves have infravision to a range of 60 feet, allowing them to see in the dark.
In melee, frost dwarves add 1 to their roll to hit bears, wolves, foxes, orcs, or frost giants.
Special Hindrances. None.
Role-Playing Suggestions. Frost dwarves are kind and helpful to travelers, even when not in their homeland. If they are able to help someone without endangering themselves, they will tend to do so.
Religion is very important to frost dwarves, even moreso than most dwarves. They go out of their way to hold ceremonies, particularly at the coming or end of winter. Those that live further north or south than most, near the poles of the world, hold these ceremonies even higher, holding day long ceremonies for each, from the time the sun begins to set or begins to rise until it takes its position for the next half of the year.
The frost dwarves also put particular importance on the moons, tracking all four of them as their primary way to tell time, and granting upon them religious importance. By pleasing the moons, they believe the ocean will be calm and safer to live near.
Languages. Frost dwarf, dwarvish, frost giant, fahryte, orc, common

Pathfinder 2e

To Be Made

Encompassed species

• Dwarf