Red dwarves

Red dwarves are a fallen subrace of dwarves that saw great suffering during the Second Demon War. While the drow have more or less given themselves up for demonic power willingly, the red dwarves were forcefully enslaved by the Lord of Slavery, Malzarak. They are now a race that hangs by a thread as the demons mostly used them as meatshields in the war. After the war ended, the red dwarves dismissed Malzarak and went back to their old kingdoms in the volcanic lands. They haven't truly recovered and now they must struggle against the other races and creatures that Malzarak subdued in his conquest. While they have been able to rid themselves of Malzarak's influence after his material form was destroyed, the red dwarves still have a bad reputation among all other civilized races. They have found a harsh existence for themselves after the war and now live isolated inside their old volcanos in the east.

## Physical description

Red dwarves are the tallest of the dwarves, reaching around 160 centimeters in height. On the other hand, their weight is distributed more evenly, being around 85 kilograms with females being on the lighter side. Their hairstyles are quite variable between both genders, but their hair color is almost always either red or black. Males let their beards grow to a certain extent but like to keep it somewhat in check. Red dwarves have skin similar to deep dwarves, but it looks more like ash and is of a darker color, usually grey but sometimes with a very slight blue tint. Red dwarves are exceptionally tolerant of heat and their eyes burn bright in red colors, some say in part due to the essence of Malzarak that has been left in their blood. They live the longest out of the mortal dwarves, reaching ages close to 350 years on average.

## Society

While most of the red dwarf civilization was destroyed in the Second Demon War, they still have a foothold in their old volcanic lands. Not much is known of their nations and kingdoms and their numbers are estimated to be very low. Nevertheless, the red dwarves have stood strong in this test of time and they are a unified race. Unlike most races that were enslaved my Malzarak, the red dwarves cursed his name after the war and abolished him from their lives. Though their blood is forever tainted by demonic essence, they have learned to control it to some extent. The red dwarves wish to someday have a new glorious kingdom, built upon the volcanos of the east and from there they shall liberate the Wildlands of Angmar, driving out all demonic races.

## Rules

* **Ability Score Modifiers:** Red dwarves were shaped to be durable warriors during the Second Demon War, but their slow reactions fiery personalities can occasionally create problems. Red dwarves gain +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Dexterity and -2 Charisma.
* **Size:** Medium
* **Type:** Humanoid, dwarf
* **Base speed:** (Slow and Steady) Red dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
* **Languages:** Red dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Red dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Undercommon, Abyssal, Infernal, Orc, Goblin, Gnoll, Ignan and Draconic.

* **Hardy:** Red dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
* **Tightfisted:** Red dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their CMD against disarm and steal combat maneuvers and a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to notice Sleight of Hand attempts. If a red dwarf with this trait notices a Sleight of Hand attempt to steal from him and he is not flat-footed or has Combat Reflexes, the attempt provokes an attack of opportunity from that red dwarf.
* **Heat Acclimated:** Red dwarves automatically succeed on Fortitude saves to avoid heat dangers for conditions up to and including severe heat.
* **Eastern Defender:** Red dwarves gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoids of the orc and goblinoid subtypes.
* **Unstoppable:** Red dwarves gain either *Toughness* or *Endurance* as a bonus feat, chosen by them.
* **Weapon Familiarity:** Red dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, pickaxes, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
* **Darkvision:** Red dwarves can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

### Alternate Racial Traits

Red dwarves have access to all alternate racial traits normally available to dwarves. Consult your GM before selecting any new options.

## Red dwarf Racial Feats

**Note:** The Heat Vision feat chain is highly experimental and subject to change!

* **Demonic Residue**

*The essence of demons runs deep within you and has given you unusual features.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, must be taken at 1st level.

**Benefit:** You can roll five times on the Variant Tiefling Abilities table and choose the most favorable result. In addition, you must roll once on the Alternate Physical Features table and apply the result to your character.

* **Heat Vision**

*The fire in your eyes has evolved to such a point that you can use it to attack your enemies.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 13.

**Benefit:** Twice per day as a standard action, you can perform a special ranged attack by firing beams of fire from your eyes. This is a ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 60 feet which deals 1d6 fire damage. The damage of this attack increases to 2d6 at 3rd level and increases by 1d6 every two levels after that, up to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level. This is a supernatural ability.

Alternatively, your eye beams can be used to melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze.

* **Plentiful Vision**

*You know how to preserve your eye beams so that they can be used more times during the day.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 4th.

**Benefit:** You gain two more daily uses on your Heat Vision ability. This feat can be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.

* **Swift Vision**

*You have gained a limited amount of quickness on firing your beams.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** You can use Heat Vision once per day as a swift action. This feat can be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.

* **Double Vision**

*By crossing your eyes, you are able to fire your two eye beams at different targets.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** When using Heat Vision, you may attack two different targets. When attacking in this way, make a separate attack roll against each target. Each beam deals damage as if your total character level was four lower than usual. If used together with Blinding Vision and/or Scorching Vision, the save DC of each effect is reduced by 2. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

If used together with Energy Vision, you can choose a different energy type for each beam.

* **Powerful Vision**

*Your greater toughness fuels the fire in your eye beams.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** As a free action, you can expend one daily use of Heat Vision to add your Constitution modifier on all damage rolls made with Heat Vision until the beginning of your next turn. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

* **Seeking Vision**

*Sometimes your eyes act faster to danger than your enemies might anticipate.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, Swift Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** You threaten squares within 10 feet of you with Heat Vision. You can make one attack of opportunity per round with Heat Vision.

* **Improved Seeking Vision**

*Few can get past your eyes without getting burned.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 17, Heat Vision, Swift Vision, Seeking Vision, character level 9th.

**Benefit:** You threaten an additional 5 feet with Seeking Vision.

* **Greater Seeking Vision**

*After honing your reflexes even further, your eyes can offer the ultimate protection.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 19, Heat Vision, Swift Vision, Seeking Vision, Improved Seeking Vision, character level 12th.

**Benefit:** You threaten an additional 5 feet with Seeking Vision. You can make one additional attack of opportunity per round with Heat Vision (2 in total). You still need to have the ability to make more than one attack of opportunity per round, for example through the use of a feat such as Combat Reflexes.

* **Energy Vision**

*Your unique inheritance has revealed more ways to use your eye beams.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** Pick one of the following energy types; acid, cold or electricity. You may use this chosen energy type to replace the normal fire energy type on your Heat Vision ability. This changes the type of damage your eye beams deal and the type of alternate effect that they have. You do not lose your ability to use the normal version of Heat Vision, you merely choose what energy type to use each time you use it. The alternate effects for each energy type are as follows:

**Acid:** You can use your eye beams to create a 5-foot pool of rancid acid on the ground that lasts for 1 round. Any enemy that moves into this pool or begins their turn standing on it suffers the full effects of your eye beams. You can use additional daily uses from your eye beams to extend the duration of this pool; each daily use expended increases the duration by 1 round. Long-lasting acid pools can be created on ceilings, where they drop batches of acid on top of creatures standing under them and they can also be used for dripping across a wall or through narrow cracks on the floor.

**Cold:** You can use your eye beams to freeze water. This includes both flowing and still water. When frozen in this way, the water stays frozen for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier and the ice can support weight in pounds equal to 100 times your character level. One square of ice has hit points equal to five times your character level, has no hardness and takes double damage from fire. You can freeze a number of 5-foot squares up to your Constitution modifier. If used together with Double Vision, the duration, supported weight and hit points of each square is halved.

**Electricity:** You can use your eye beams to create a 5-foot swirling ball of electricity. This ball travels across surfaces in a straight line at a speed of 60 feet per round and lasts a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. The ball even turns around corners, but stops if it comes in contact with a solid object or a creature blocking its path. At that point the ball explodes in a 10-foot radius and deals damage as if your total character level was four lower than usual. While traveling, the ball emits light as a torch.

If used together with Combined Vision, the duration of the acid pool is doubled, the duration, supported weight and hit points of each cold square is doubled and the radius of the electricity ball is doubled.

This feat can be taken up to three times. Each time you take it, you must choose a different energy type.

* **Enchanting Vision**

*You have learned how to enchant weapons and projectiles with your eye beams.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 15, Heat Vision, character level 6th.

**Benefit:** When using Heat Vision, instead of attacking your enemies, you can use it to enchant any kind of weapon or 50 projectiles with special properties. Weapons and projectiles targeted with this ability must have metallic parts, such as an arrowhead or a blade, or else your eye beams just damage them. By using your Heat Vision ability on a weapon or projectile, it gives them the *Flaming* special ability that lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier. At 10th level, you can alternatively give them *Flaming Burst* instead. A weapon's total bonus cannot go over +10 when using this feat and if it does, the enchantment fails. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

You may also enchant any type of metallic armor with *Lesser energy resistance*, which grants its wearer fire resistance 5. This is considered to be a +2 Armor Special Ability. At 10th level, you can alternatively give an armor *Energy resistance* with fire resistance 10 instead.

If used together with Energy Vision, you can use the alternate energy types for additional enchants; acid gives *Corrosive* and *Corrosive Burst*, cold gives *Frost* and *Icy Burst* and electricity gives *Shock* and *Shocking Burst*. You may also choose the corresponding energy types when granting *Lesser energy resistance* or *Energy resistance*.

If used together with Double Vision, the duration of each enchant is halved. If used together with Combined Vision, the duration of the enchant is increased to a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier.

* **Homing Vision**

*Your beams find their targets even without direct sight.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 17, Heat Vision, Seeking Vision, character level 8th.

**Benefit:** By expending two daily uses of Heat Vision, you can increase its range to 120 feet and make it home in on targets which you might not immediately see. When used in this way, your eye beams look for the closest enemy within range and hit it automatically without requiring an attack roll. The beams can turn around corners, drop down cliffs or squeeze through holes but will not try to break walls or other such obstacles. When used in this way, the beams can be negated by anything that negates magic missile attacks, such as the *Shield* spell. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

* **Blinding Vision**

*The direct light from your beams is enough to blind most enemies temporarily.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 17, Heat Vision, character level 8th.

**Benefit:** Enemies hit by your Heat Vision ability are blinded for 1 round unless they succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + your Constitution modifier. A successful save makes them dazzled for 1 round instead. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

If used together with Combined Vision, the save DC is increased by 2 and the duration is increased by 1 round.

* **Scorching Vision**

*Your eye beams give your enemies severe burns and can even cause small fires.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 17, Heat Vision, character level 8th.

**Benefit:** Enemies hit by your Heat Vision ability take 1d6 additional fire damage and catch fire unless they succeed at a Reflex save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + your Constitution modifier. This effect works exactly like the burn special ability, except that burning enemies take 1d6 fire damage for every five character levels you have, up to a maximum of 4d6 fire damage at 20th level. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

If used together with Energy Vision, the ability and its damage are changed accordingly; acid covers your enemies in corrosive acid, cold makes them frostbitten and electricity gives them pulsating electric shocks. If used together with Combined Vision, the save DC is increased by 2 and the duration is increased by 1 round.

* **Meta Vision**

*You have discovered a way to combine metamagic with your beams.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 17, Heat Vision, one metamagic feat, character level 8th.

**Benefit:** You can use metamagic feats to enhance your beams. When using a metamagic feat on your eye beams, the level increase of the metamagic feat is subtracted from the daily uses of your Heat Vision ability. If you do not have enough daily uses left for a metamagic feat, you cannot apply that feat to your eye beams. You cannot use rods to enhance your beams. Some metamagic feats, such as Echoing Spell, are obviously incompatible with Heat Vision. If a metamagic feat includes an effect that requires a saving throw, such as Dazing Spell, the DC of the save is equal to 10 + the total number of daily uses from Heat Vision used in this action + your Constitution modifier. Similarly, all other metamagic feats that rely on spell level instead rely on the number of daily uses from Heat Vision used. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

You can use multiple different metamagic feats at once for as long as your daily uses from Heat Vision last.

If you expend more than five daily uses by using this feat, you must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + the total number of daily uses of Heat Vision used during this action. On a failed save, you become fatigued.

If used together with Combined Vision and a metamagic feat that requires a saving throw and/or applies an effect with a set duration, the save DC of that effect is increased by 2 and the duration of that effect is increased by 1 round.

* **Combined Vision**

*Your two beams can be combined together to devastating effect.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 19, Heat Vision, two other feats that lists Heat Vision as a prerequisite, character level 9th.

**Benefit:** When using Heat Vision, you can expend one more daily use of it to make it more powerful. If you do, it's range increases to 120 feet and its damage dice are increased from d6 to d10. In addition, you gain one more daily use on your Heat Vision ability.

Alternatively, Combined Vision can be used to melt iron and steel.

* **Cone Vision**

*By straining your eyes a bit longer, your beams can cause damage in a wider area.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 19, Heat Vision, three other feats that lists Heat Vision as a prerequisite, character level 11th.

**Benefit:** Once per day as full-round action, you can use your Heat Vision in a 60-feet cone. This uses up three daily uses from your Heat Vision ability. Creatures within the area of effect can attempt a Reflex Save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + your Constitution modifier for half damage. You cannot use Double Vision, Enchanting Vision or Blinding Vision together with this feat. If you use this feat together with Combined Vision, you must use six daily uses from your Heat Vision ability in total.

After using this feat, you become dazzled for 1 round. If you use this feat together with Combined Vision, you become blinded for 1 round. If you expend more than five daily uses by using this feat, you must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + the total number of daily uses of Heat Vision used during this action. On a failed save, you become fatigued.

* **Blasting Vision**

*You overcharge your eyes to their maximum potential and blast everything around you.*

**Prerequisites:** Red dwarf, Con 19, Heat Vision, Swift Vision, five other feats that list Heat Vision as a prerequisite, character level 13th.

**Benefit:** You can use your Heat Vision as a full-attack action. The number of attacks that you can make is dependent on your Base Attack Bonus. This works exactly like using a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, except that you do not trigger attacks of opportunity. You cannot gain additional attacks or bonuses from feats and other abilities unless they explicitly work with rays. You expend daily uses from your Heat Vision ability equal to the number of attacks you perform in this action. If you use this feat together with Meta Vision, using a metamagic feat only applies to a single attack; using a metamagic feat on all of your attacks expends additional daily uses from Heat Vision on each of those attacks. You cannot use Double Vision together with this feat. If you use this feat together with Combined Vision, you expend additional daily uses from your Heat Vision ability equal to the number attacks you perform in this action.

If you make at least two attacks, you become dazzled for 1 round. If you make at least three attacks, you become blinded for 1 round. If you expend more than five daily uses by using this feat, you must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + half your character level + the total number of daily uses of Heat Vision used during this action. On a failed save, you become fatigued.

## Bloodlines

### Blazing Eye Bloodline

**Note:** This bloodline is largely unfinished. Many of its abilities are placeholders and rough ideas and they are subject to change.

The Blazing Eye bloodline is available to red dwarf sorcerers.

*The demonic taint of Malzarak flows within your veins. One of your eyes has gained a special kind of red, burning glow, unmatched by the eyes of most other red dwarves. This blazing eye brings you both internal pain and power yet untapped.*

**Class Skill:** Perception

**Bonus Spells:** *infernal healing* (3rd), *scorching ray* (5th), *arcane sight* (7th), *dimensional anchor* (9th), *prying eyes* (11th), *hellfire ray* (13th), *greater arcane sight* (15th), *greater prying eyes* (17th), *foresight* (19th)

**Bonus Feats:** Skill Focus (Perception), Energy Vision, Enchanting Vision, Blinding Vision, Scorching Vision, Meta Vision, Cone Vision, Blasting Vision

**Bloodline Arcana:** You can cast any one of your known divination spells relying on sight or spells that require a ranged touch attack by using your left eye. Spells cast in this way do not require any components (other than costly material components) as your eye provides all of them. In addition, you use your Strength, rather than your Charisma, to determine all class features and effects relating to your sorcerer class, such as bonus spells per day, the maximum spell level you can cast, the save DCs of your spells, and the number of daily uses of your bloodline powers.

**Bloodline Powers:** Your left eye is your greatest source of power and it has given you the opportunity to specialize in offensive magic inherited from demons.

**Ablaze (Ex):** At 1st level, you gain *Heat Vision* as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the requirements. At 5th level, you gain *Plentiful Vision* as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the requirements.
**Innate Rays (Ex):** At 3rd level, you can cast any one of your known divination spells relying on sight or spells that require a ranged touch attack by expending daily uses from Heat Vision equal to the level of the spell. You must use your left eye when casting the spell in this way. At 7th level, you gain *Swift Vision* as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the requirements.
**Demonic Growth (Ex):** At 9th level, you gain a +2 inherent bonus to your Constitution, and fire resistance 10. At 13th level, you gain a +2 inherent bonus to your Strength, and your fire resistance increases to 20.
**Devastation (Ex):** At 15th level, your ranged touch attacks gain a +2 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and their critical threat range is increased by 1. This bonus is added after Improved Critical and other similar effects. In addition, once per day as an immediate action, you can take 20 on a single attack roll or critical hit confirmation roll.
**One with the Eye (Su):** At 20th level, you have finally mastered the burdens of your blazing eye. You gain immunity to fatigue, exhaustion, dazzling, blindness, and gaze attacks. In addition, you can use Maximized *Furious Fire Barrage* once per day as a spell-like ability, and it is treated as a ranged touch attack for the purposes of your bloodline arcana and bloodline powers.
## Racial Archetypes

### Ashen Watcher

The ashen watcher is an archetype of the druid class, available to red dwarf druids.

*Like all dwarves, red dwarves have a strong connection to their homeland. The ashen watchers are devoted to preserving their fiery mountains and scorched fields, as they too have a place in nature.*

## Red dwarf Wondrous Items

### Searing Eye Drops

**Aura** faint conjuration [evil]; **CL** 10th; **Slot** -; **Price** 2000 gp; **Weight** -

DESCRIPTION

A small bottle filled with burning liquid that is only of use to red dwarves that have learned to utilize their fiery eyes in more advanced ways. When used by a red dwarf with the Heat Vision feat, these magical eye drops restore one daily use of Heat Vision to them. This only restores missing uses and has no effect if they have not expended any daily uses. Applying the eye drops is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

This bottle can be used up to 10 times, after which it becomes empty and unusable. Using these eye drops more than once per day is dangerous and applies a cumulative penalty; if used for a second time during the same day, the user takes 2 points of Constitution damage which increases by an additional point for each consecutive use during that day (3 points of Constitution damage on the third use, 4 points of Constitution damage on the fourth use etc.).

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Craft Wondrous Item, *infernal healing*, Heat Vision, Enchanting Vision; **Cost** 1000 gp

### Fusion Goggles

**Aura** strong evocation; **CL** 15th; **Slot** eyes; **Price** 20000 gp; **Weight** -

DESCRIPTION

Thick, sturdy and fashionable heat-absorbing goggles that were designed for red dwarves who like to use their burning eyes in combat. When worn by a red dwarf with the Heat Vision feat, their eye beams deal an additional 2d6 damage. However, these goggles only function in natural sunlight or when the user is adjacent to a source of heat, such as a torch or a puddle of lava. They also function for 1 round whenever the user takes fire damage.

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Craft Wondrous Item, *scorching ray*, *burning gaze*, Heat Vision, Enchanting Vision; **Cost** 10000 gp

### Crown of Heat Mastery

**Aura** strong evocation; **CL** 20th; **Slot** head; **Price** 48000 gp; **Weight** 2 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This golden crown has a faint glow and an aura of warmth surrounding it. The crown grants its wearer fire resistance 10 and a +4 bonus on saving throws against any effect that deals fire damage or has the fire descriptor. When worn by a red dwarf with the Heat Vision feat, they gain an additional daily use of Heat Vision. After being worn for 24 hours, the crown grants their wearer an additional feat. This feat must list Heat Vision in its prerequisites and the wearer must meet all other prerequisites for the feat. Each day, the wearer can change this feat to another feat with the same requirements. If the wearer ever takes off the crown, they lose the feat granted by it as well.

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Craft Wondrous Item, *scorching ray*, *resist energy*, *elemental aura*, Heat Vision, Enchanting Vision; **Cost** 24000 gp