DWARVES

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Dwarves are known for their skill in craftsmanship working stone and metals, technology, warfare, their ability to withstand physical punishment, their knowledge of the subterranian secrets, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Their mysterious kingdoms, carved out from the insides of planets, moons, asteroids, commets, mountains, and even boulders are renowned for the marvelous treasures that they produce as gifts or for trade.
 Personality: Dwarves are slow to laugh or jest and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those few who earn their trust. Dwarves value gold, gems, jewelry, and art objects made with these precious materials, and they have been known to succumb to greed. They fight neither recklessly nor timidly, but with a careful courage and tenacity. Their sense of justice is strong, but at its worst it can turn into a thirst for vengeance. Among gnomes, who get along famously with dwarves, a mild oath is “If I’m lying, may I cross a dwarf.”
 Physical Description: Dwarves stand only 1.2 meters to 1.3 tall, but they are so broad and compact that they are, on average, almost as heavy as humans. Dwarf men are slightly taller and noticeably heavier than dwarf women. Dwarves’ skin is typicall deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long. Dwarf men value their beards highly and groom them very carefully. Dwarves favor simple styles for their hair, beards, and clothes. Dwarves are considered adults at about age 40, and they can live to be more than 400 years old.
 Homeworld: Shorkovve (Lost)
 Language: Dwarves speak Dwarven, which has its own runic script. Dwarven literature is marked by comprehensive histories of kingdoms and wars through the millennia. The Dwarven alphabet is also used (with minor variations) Orc language.
 Names: A dwarf’s name is granted to him by his clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf’s name is not his own. It belongs to his clan. If he misuses it or brings shame to it, his clan will strip him of it. A dwarf stripped of his name is forbidden by dwarven law to use any dwarven name in its place.

 Male Names: Barendd, Brottor, Eberk, Einkil, Oskar, Rurik, Taklinn, Torderk, Traubon, Ulfgar, Veit.
 Female Names: Artin, Audhild, Dagnal, Diesa, Gunnloda, Hlin, Ilde, Liftrasa, Sannl, Torgga.
 Clan Names: Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Holderhek, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart.

-**DWARVEN SPECIES TRAITS**-

• • -2 Strength, +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.

• • Medium: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• • Dwarf base land speed is 7 meters. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).

• • Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 20 meters. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.

• • Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

• • A dwarf gains a+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.

• • Stonecunning: This ability grants a hill dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 3 meters of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps. A hill dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

• • +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.

• • +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.