Dwarves

**Size:** 4’ – 5’ generally, however there is the odd exception.

**Weight:** 150 - 200 lbs generally.

**Average Lifespan:** 150 - 200

**Notable Qualities:**

* More hearty than some the other races
* Generally stronger than some other races.
* They tend to be a little duller of mind than some other races.
* They are grouchy and do not seem very approachable in general.
* They value discipline above many things.
* Rarely leaving their homes below the ground they have excellent vision in the dark, however above ground it suffers drastically.

**Age of Maturity:**

Dwarves in Blacksteel age in physical maturity around the age of 20 – 25, only a bit slower than your average human.

**Appearance:**

Dwarves are industrious creatures, thick corded muscles and yet small enough to crawl through crevice’s within caves and mountains. They tend to be paler in flesh tones and hair colour, though hair ranges in a variety of colors much the way humans do. They are short and stalky beings. The males often tending to have rather lustrous beards which are both a source of pride and status among their people.

**Original Religion:**

Their religion is yet unknown, though it is assumed they have one as the majority of their magic casters are clerics.

**General Culture:**

We do not know where they came from, these short and stubby things but do not underestimate them because they are smaller, they are strong for their size and they can take a hit like the rocks they seem to have come from. They live in mines and underground, they have little taste for the outdoors.

Dwarves are said to have spawned from the earth itself, they are part of the earth they inhabit, caves, halls and lives are lived without ever seeing the sky. Some dwarves even believe that you could fall off the surface of the earth if there is no roof above you, some are scared of the sky and feel it is a beast in its own right.

Their general demeanour has been described as somewhat grouchy, they care little for elves as they feel elves are weak and frivolous creatures, they dislike humans because of their war mongering ways, they get along best with half giants despite the obvious differences. Dwarves tend to group together, they love merry making, song and dance even if they aren’t very good at it. They prefer not to fight if possible but will fight to the death to protect their hearth and home.

Dwarves are a recent addition to the lands as they only recently seemed to have mined a tunnel to the surface. The dwarves therein have never seen the sky and know not of any passable ways through the endless mountains, but they needed resources that the mountain was unable to grant them because of the threats within their halls.

Dwarves put great importance towards lineage and the achievements of their ancestors, whether it is as warriors, architects or engineers. They see the earth as fuel for their creations and thus hold little regard for nature and its denizens if they need something.

The stout beings are not all warriors however, though magic is a little practised form in their society, when there is they tend to be healers of some sort, generally clerics and there are so few arcanists within their society that there are no records of it in their historical documents. The Dwarves know of corruption but rather than see it as a threat, they see it as a byproduct of magic that simply needs to be dealt with, clerics tend to be protected by warriors when casting or healing and some even have set guards that are with them at all times.

Magic from arcanists and druids however is feared and hated, they see it as something that destroys and corrupts rather than sustains and creates as Clerics do in their underground society.

Dwarves having lived underground for so long are experts at seeing in dark or dimly lit places, but when it comes to the surface in daylight it becomes a different thing entirely, the light hurts their eyes and they have quite a bit of light sensitivity, they prefer to stay away from bright areas if they can at all help it.

Lately dwarves have ventured out now that the war on the surface of these lands have subsided, though few have actually gone to the lengths of visiting the city as of yet, one may wonder what will happen when they do.

**Dwarven Ability Adjustments:** +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Int -2 Cha.

**Favored Class (Fighter):** A multiclass dwarf's fighter class does not count when determining whether he or she suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.

**Languages Automatically Known:** Dwarven.

**Special Abilities:**

* Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus on Search checks made in subterranean areas.
* Darkvision: Dwarves are able to see in the dark.
* Hardiness vs. Poisons: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons.
* Hardiness vs. Spells: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells.
* Offensive Training vs. Orcs: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs.
* Defensive Training vs. Half-Giants: +4 dodge bonus to AC against half-giants.
* Skill Affinity (Appraise): +2 racial bonus to Appraise checks.
* Skill Affinity (Discipline): +2 racial bonus to Discipline checks.
* Skill Deficiency (Concentration): -2 racial penalty to Concentration checks.