Dwarf

## Ecology & Information

### Physical Description

Dwarves typically stand 4 1/2 to 5 feet tall, with big muscular limbs and a strong build. They weigh on average 200 lbs. Dwarves are hairless, and find the very idea of hair repulsive. They have deeply tanned skin, and rarely decorate it with tattoos. Dwarves can live up to 250 years.

### Personality

Dwarves prefer to occupy themselves with meaningful tasks, and often approach these tasks with an intensity rarely seen in other races. As such, dwarves make excellent laborers, and take great pride in their accomplishments. However, their stubbornness can lead to difficulties. Dwarves will sometimes fail to listen to reason, attempting to accomplish what are impossible tasks. Dwarves live for their focus. Dwarves that die while being unable to complete their focus return from the dead as banshees to haunt their unfinished work. A
dwarf also rarely divulges his focus to anyone.

### Relations

A dwarfʹs relation with others is often a function of his focus. People that help the dwarf accomplish his focus or share his goals are treated with respect and considered good companions. There is little room for compromise, though, with those that disagree with the dwarf’s focus. If they hinder the dwarf, they are considered obstacles that must be removed. Community is important to the dwarves. Dwarves have a very strong racial affinity. They rarely share their history with non–dwarves; it can take years for a stranger to gain enough trust to be admitted into a dwarven family circle.

### Environment

Dwarves have no lands of their own and live among the other folk of Athas. They reside both in cities and in the countryside, and they tend to be builders and farmers instead of nomads or raiders.

### Alignment

Dwarves tend towards a lawful alignment, with most members either good or neutral. Their devotion to following the established hierarchy in their village means they tend to follow the rules, sometimes to the point of ridicule.

### Magic

By nature, Athasian dwarves are non-magical and have trouble with the use magical spells. This however does not apply to cleric or templar spells. Like most peoples, dwarves have an aversion to wizardly magic, and they are the least amenable to changing their minds about anything. Dwarves rarely take to the wizardly arts; the few that do are usually shunned from respectable dwarven society. Some dwarves will travel with a wizard who proves himself a worthy companion, but few dwarves will truly ever trust a wizard.

### Psionics

Like almost everything that they do, dwarves take to psionics with a vengeance. They make formidable egoists and nomads alike.

### Religion

Dwarven communities, often small groups of dwarves living amongst a larger population, are ruled by their elders; dwarves are particularly devoted to their community leader, the Urhnomous. Dwarves typically worship elemental earth. Fire is sometimes worshiped for its destructive power and water for its healing nature. Air’s intangibility and chaotic nature attracts few Dwarven worshipers. Dwarven druids are unusual, and tend to devote themselves to a particular area of guarded land.

### Language & Names

Dwarves have a long and proud oral history. They have an old written language, but this is mostly used for writing histories. Dwarves will not teach their ancient language to outsiders, they prefer to keep that knowledge to themselves. The Dwarven language is deep and throaty, composed of many guttural sounds and harsh exclamations. Most non‐dwarves get raw throats if they try to speak Dwarven for more than a few hours.

Male Names: Baranus, Biirgaz, Bontar, Brul, Caelum, Caro, Daled, Drog, Fyra, Ghedran, Gralth, Gram, Jurgan, Lyanius, Murd, Nati, Portek.

Female Names: Ardin, Erda, Ghava, Greshin, Gudak, Lazra, N’kadir, Palashi, Vashara.

## Racial Traits

### Ability Scores

Drawves have a +2 bonus to Constitution, and +1 bonus to Strength.
Dwarves take a -2 penalty to Charisma, and a -1 penalty to Dexterity.

### Speed

Dwarves move at a land speed of 25, and their speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

### Darkvision

You can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Dwarves can function fine with no light at all.

### Dwarven Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage.

### Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.

### Focus

You gain a +1 bonus on all checks directly related to your focus. This includes a skill bonus, an attack bonus, a damage bonus, or a saving throw bonus, or even a bonus to manifestation or spell save DCs.

### Defiled Skin

You have a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

### Languages

You can speak Common and Dwarvish. Dwarves dislike learning any languages besides those
specifically necessary towards the completion of their focus, and will rarely speak Dwarvish in the presence of outsiders.