Forest dwarves

Forest dwarves are considered the most different of the dwarven subraces for the fact that they have moved away from the stony mountains and rich minerals. They prefer to live in forests and wood is their most important resource. Forest dwarves are excellent carpenters and woodsmen. They tend to have some trouble with the wood elves, as they want to preserve the forests and the forest dwarves want to take advantage of their rich resources. Forest dwarves also do a lot of trading with those that need wood or help in foresting and they are known to be extremely efficient workers when hired. They have a more modest nature when compared to the other dwarves and they are not concerned with creating great kingdoms and high castles. Forest dwarves enjoy being with their families and living in small communities with good farmland and rich forests around them. While they do minimal amounts of smithing and have limited access to metals and ore, they still have a great use for metal tools and weapons so trading with their mountain dwarf cousins is of great importance to them.

## Physical description

Forest dwarves are nearly identical in their size when compared to mountain dwarves. Males and females both stand around 150 centimeters tall and weigh between 80 to 90 kilograms, males being on the heavier side. Also, like the mountain dwarves, male forest dwarves prefer to let their hair and beards grow long. They tend to let their hair and beards be more messy and free with no braids or tails. Forest dwarves like to work with furs and leathers of animals, creating armor and clothes from them; metal armor is relatively rare to see. Hair colors for the forest dwarves are variable, usually being of a brown color but all other natural colors are seen as well, like blonde, red, white and black. Forest dwarves mostly have a light fleshy skin stone. Their lifespan is a little shorter than other dwarves, usually being under 300 years.

## Society

While other dwarves create their stone halls and great cities around the mountains, the forest dwarves live in modesty. They have no kingdoms, no concern for rulership or nobility but abide by the rules of the land they live on. They prefer human kingdoms, but anything goes as long as the land is safe and rich in the resources they need. A significant portion lives just north of Vonrim and utilize the forests that are located on these partially free lands. Forest dwarves are sometimes seen as nomads, moving from place to place according to the seasons and weather. Once they run out of wood or danger is coming their way, the forest dwarves have no problem in moving their camps and people elsewhere. All in all, the forest dwarves are known as headstrong survivalists that do not delve in warfare.

## Rules

* **Ability Score Modifiers:** Forest dwarves are both strong and tough and have a softer character compared to the rest of the dwarves. They gain +2 Strength and +2 Constitution.
* **Size:** Medium
* **Type:** Humanoid, dwarf
* **Base speed:** (Slow and Steady) Forest dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
* **Languages:** Forest dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Forest dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Halfling, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Elven and Sherdanian.

* **Healthy:** Forest dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and poison, and they need one fewer consecutive successful saves (minimum 1) to be cured of diseases and poisons.
* **Forester:** Forest dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks. In addition, forest dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to wood and begin play with a free point in Craft (carpentry).
* **Wanderer:** Forest dwarves gain *Endurance* as a bonus feat. In addition, forest dwarves always treat Climb and Swim as class skills.
* **Weapon Familiarity:** Forest dwarves are proficient with handaxes, battleaxes and greataxes, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
* **Low-Light Vision:** Forest dwarves can see twice as far as normal humans in conditions of dim light.

### Alternate Racial Traits

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

## Forest dwarf Racial Feats

* **Foe Feller**

*You know where to strike with your axe to make your enemies fall like a tree.*

**Prerequisites:** Forest dwarf, Str 15 and base attack bonus +1.

**Benefit:** When wielding an axe, you can target the legs of your enemy with a powerful strike. As a full-round action, make a single melee attack roll at your full base attack bonus against one enemy within reach. The target of this attack must be within your size category or one size category larger than you. If you hit, you deal normal damage and can make a free trip attempt against that opponent. This trip attempt does not trigger an attack of opportunity.

If you also have Cleave, Great Cleave or Cleave Through, you can use them together with this attack. You have all the normal penalties and restrictions of these feats, along with a stacking -2 penalty for each target hit after the first (-2 for the second target, -4 for the third target etc.).

* **Improved Foe Feller**

*Your chops are incredibly strong and crippling.*

**Prerequisites:** Forest dwarf, Foe Feller, Str 17 and base attack bonus +4.

**Benefit:** When using Foe Feller, you can target enemies that are up to two size categories larger than you. Enemies that get tripped by your attack also have their speed halved for 1d4 rounds. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe.

* **Greater Foe Feller**

*You have learned how to combine your felling strike with your other attacks and can make even the biggest of foes fall.*

**Prerequisites:** Forest dwarf, Foe Feller, Improved Foe Feller, Str 19 and base attack bonus +7.

**Benefit:** When using Foe Feller, you can target enemies that are up to three size categories larger than you. You can use Foe Feller on one of your attacks during a full-attack action, but you take a -2 penalty on all your attacks. You must decide whether or not to use Foe Feller before rolling any of your attacks. If you use Foe Feller in this way, you cannot combine Cleave, Great Cleave or Cleave Through with it. The duration of the speed penalty is increased to 1d6 rounds. In addition, you receive a bonus equal to the size difference between you and your target on checks made to trip a foe with Foe Feller.