AD&D - PHBR6 - The Complete Book of Dwarves (2e)

Afivapced

Player's Handbook °^ Edition Rules Supplement

The
Complete Book

of

CREDITS

Written by Jim Bambra
Edited by Doug Stewart
Illustrated in color by Brom, Clyde Caldwell,

Larry Elmore and Keith Parkinson
Illustrated in black and white by Larry Elmore and

Karl Waller
Typeset by Gaye O'Keefe
Icons by Laurie Yockey

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Table of Contents

Introduction ....................................... 4 TWhVDLTEPWGVaiereonriiehrfansapctrietdeKmydkoltoreCfisrttiicimormlnatnoTas.iFdanitSn..htoteith.e.ligrrar.e.r.ohy..f.....lt..e...K..le..e.r....r..i.r....t.......s................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 66
Chapter 1;The Creation of Dwarves ................7.. 67
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Table of Contents 3

I cL:rz7 Introduction
I

Balor the Hill Dwarf Introduces Yet we are a peaceful people. We do not
the Dwarves seek war, nor do we steal from others. Those
are the actions of other, less honorable races.
Dwarves are the greatest race ever created We see to our own and those who attempt to
by the gods. We are far superior to the pansy steal that which is ours will die. That is not a
elves, smelly goblins, dirty orcs, and mis- threat, it is the way of the dwarf. If you do not
shapen humans. Dwarves are perfectly wish to feel our wrath, leave us alone.
shaped, solid and strong, like the stones that
form our dwellings. Our skins are the color of Dwarves As You Know Them
the earth, our hair and beards are of the finest
hue and texture imaginable. The MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM",
Volumes One and Two, discussed hill and
Dwarves are more than just an attractive mountain dwarves, and the duergar (gray
race. Imbued with unchanging attitudes and dwarves); where they live, their appearance,
steadfastness, we do not waver, even in the combat abilities, friends, enemies, and how
face of great adversity. Wellsuited to our lives they view the world.
underground, we can see in the dark and de-
tect underground dangers and pitfalls. Our The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS"
craftsmen have created the finest cities and
buildings in the world. Our bridges and high 2nd Edition Player's Handbook and DUNGEON
vaulted chambers are wonders to behold,
with a strength and permanence of form that MASTER" Guide introduced methods of creating
other races have never duplicated. dwarf characters. The Complete Book of Dwarves
expands the scope of previous texts by making
We have no fear of magic. We shake off its available new subracesof dwarves and by provid-
effects as easily us we slay the goblins who ing new rules for players and DMs. All of the new
lurk in the dark. Weare impervious to poisons information is directed specifically to dwarf char-
and noxious substances that would kill those acters.
o f lesser races. Such is our vigor that even
cursed weapons fail to possess us, for our in- Dwarves As You Will Know Them
herent vitality is invincible.
Player characters have usually been hill
Dwarves are also great warriors, well disci- dwarves. Now you will be able to choose from
plined, and organized into armies that strike six subraces of dwarves. In' addition to hill,
fear into evil monsters everywhere. Our com- mountain, and duergar, three other types of
bat skills against the filthy dark dwellers are dwarvesare introduced in this book: deep, gul-
beyond question. It is a particularly stupid ly, and sundered dwarves. While these have
goblin, pig-faced orc, or brainless hobgoblin appeared in other AD&W game products,
who does not quake with fear at the sound of they are made available here with the same at-
dwaruen boots. Our battle axes have drunk tention to detail that the hill dwarves were
deeply of the blood of such creatures,our ham- given in the Player's Handbook. Each of the six
mers have smashed thousands of their skulls. subraces of dwarves has its own special advan-
We will continue until there are none left to tages and limitations, which make the charac-
kill. That is not an idle boast, it is an oath. ters unique and fun to play.

Your Life as a Dwarf examines the social or- Priest’s Handbook, with its descriptions of
ganizations of the dwarves and the crafts dwarf religions and optional rules for priests,
clans. It describes a typical family and details is particularly recommended. Also recom-
dwarf education. mended are the Complete Fighter’s and Com-
plete Thief’s Handbooks for their new combat
Character kits have been previously intro- options, weapon specializations, thief abili-
duced with this series. They enlarge the basic ties, and thieves’ guilds. All three of these
character classes of warrior, thief, and priest. books are indispensable to DMs and players
The Complete Book of Dwarves presents 24 with dwarf characters.
new kits created especially for dwarf charac-
ters, including seven kits designed exclusively The Complete Book of Dwarves is specifi-
for use by multi-class characters. Kits like ani- cally targeted to dwarves adventuring in their
mal master, axe for hire, and hearth guard own societies and provides extensive back-
greatly expand the kinds of characters which ground information on dwarf cultures, socie-
can be played. ty, creation myths, and campaign settings.

In Chapter 7, players will find useful hints Like the other books in this series, the rules
on playing typical, and not so typical, charac- presented in this book are optional. Although
ters. You will also find extensive information the other books in this series are useful they
on the background and stronghold of your are not essential. All you need to use this book
character, in Chapter 11. Dwarf strongholds are the Player’s Handbook and the
are not merely fortresses, but homes and work DUNGEON MASTER Guide.
places as well. Some strongholds may not
even be fortified, but dwarves will always re- If you use the Complete Book of Dwarves
fer to their home as a stronghold. It is a matter with the original A D & Pgame, instead of the
of racial pride and a warning that a dwarf‘s AD&D 2nd Edition game, be aware that the
home is well defended. references refer to AD&D 2nd Edition books.
Players using older books will need to ignore
DMs will find the expanded information in- some of these. In most cases, the relevant ma-
valuable in fitting dwarf characters into their terial will be found in the index or table of
campaign worlds. Whether dwarves are a contents.
dominant race or just a people living in isola-
tion under the earth, there are plenty of sug- Finally, many of the rules presented in this
gestions and ideas for strongholds and book depend upon the use of weapon and
adventure settings. nonweapon proficiencies described in the
Player’s Handbook. If you have not been us-
The Complete Player’s Handbook ing these proficiences in your campaign, we
highly recommend that you familiarize your-
Series self with them and introduce them into your
game.
The Complete Book of Dwarves comple
ments the other books in the series. The hand-
books contain information useful to dwarf
characters and there is a wide range of charac-
ter classes to choose from. The Complete

lntroduction 9 5

- -ICHAPTER .

1 , The Creation of Dwarves
1l
I

Recorded by Marak, Golden-Hammer, son of Then he quenched them in the Trough of
Jardak, Hammer of the Orcs Life so that they, like the world, could take
part of its life-giving waters. One by one he
the age before the beginningof time there lifted them up and blew on them. Their eyes
weIrne no dwarves, elves, or humans and the opened and they lived.
world wm not yet made. Only the Eternal The Maker had forged the gods from the el-
Forge existed, in the Home of the Maker, in ements of the earth, but his work was not yet
the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame. Into the finished. He took the Gods of Crafts and
Eternal Forge the Maker placed stone and fire. taught them how to make things that would
A s the fire heated the stone it expanded, and please him; he taught the God of Fire to burn
rivers of molten ore ran from the interior of and to fan the flames of life. He taught the
the stone, flowing along its sides. With tongs Gods o f the Elements the use of their powers.
and hammer the Maker forged the world. He He revealed to them all the place of the gods in
struck and titanic mountains rose from the the world.
surface; again, and hills formed, leaving deep Then the Maker took rock and iron and
valleys and great hollows. heated them in the Eternal Forge. He forged
When he was pleased with its shape and the most pleasing shapes. These he took and
form, he quenched the world in the Trough of quenched in the Trough of Life, andso the first
Life. As the waterstruck the surface, clouds of dwarves were created.
steam rose to form the sky. The waters of the Each of the gods then took one of the
Trough settled in valleys and flowed into the dwarves and revealed to him the secrets im-
hollows to become seas. parted by theMaker. But to Frar, the Father of
The Maker held up his work and saw that it Dwarves, the first King, the Maker himself
was fitting. He set the world upon a great pin- spoke. He told Frar of the mithril pinnacle and
nacle of the finest mithril, and there it remains gave him the gift of wisdom to rule his people.
until this day. And so the First Dwarves came into the world
The Maker laughed and decided to test his in full knowledge of their arts and crafts.
world. He would make a race of miners and Once the First Dwarves had learned these
forgersand they wouldstrive to find the mith- things, the Maker placed them in a land he had
ril pinnacle upon which the world rests, deep achndosceanvfeornrsthheemhaodnctrheeateedarftohr, into the mines
in its heart. their entertain-
And so the Maker returned to the Eternal ment and their joy. In these sacred caverns the
Forge in the Caverns o f the Everlasting Flame. First Dwarves multiplied and prospered, but
Taking water from the Trough of Life and some became restless and went in search of
stone from the earth he held them together. greater riches. These were GBeloartedri.n.A,nvil Forg-
When he was satisfied, he added molten iron er, son of Bardin Hammer
to strengthen it. He gathered this fine alloy
ahnimd ,shtahpeedMiatkoenr the Anvil of Spirit. HToeabsseiastt The original text continues with a catalog of
created the gods. genealogies. As we resume the narrative, a
them into their shapes. Like him, the gods thousand years have passed, and dwarfkind
were broad and stocky, with fine, long beards has expanded through the valleys and moun-
of rusty-red iron or shimmering mithril. tains of the land.

Chapter One 7

After the First Dwarves had been laid in dwarves in peace, began to dig into the earth,
their tombs, Blight came into the world. The but knew naught of its ways. Their folly
god of Evil nursed a dark and ancient envy of awakened the dragons,.
the Makerb creation of the dwarves. In cheer-
less cavern, which knew not the glow of The dragons rose in the fury of broken sleep
dwarves' hearts, he labored to imitate the demanding tribute, but the lesser races could
maker. Goblins, hobgoblins, evil giants, and not satisfy their greed. They appeased the
other monsters he made, and dreamed that dragons with tales of dwarven gold, and told
they would destroy the dwarves. In imitation them that the mining of the dwarves had dis-
of the Maker he labored, but he lacked the turbed their slumber. Those who had traded
true water from the Trough of Life to mix with with dwarves told what they had learned of
the stone and to make clean clay. And so they the secrets of their realms. And so the dragons
were tainted with his impurities. came to our ancestral halls and blew in the
gates. Spitting fire, they slew many. Those
Not content to work his own will, his twist- who survived fled their inheritance into the
world above.
ed tongue sowed discontent among the godo.
A few began, like him, to imitate the Maker. Since that day new homes have been cre-
So it was that elves, gnomes, halflings, and ated and we give thanks to the Maker for our
humans came into the world. But these races increased wealth. But prophecy says that one
lacked the iron that had been forged into eve- day the cavern of the First Dwarves will be

ry dwarfs soul, they were sickly and pale to reclaimed. Then will we be free from the at-

behold. To compensate for their deficiencies, tacks of monsters and the ways of elves and
the god of Evil bestowed magic. He had over humans.
looked dwarven resistance to his evil, so it
was used by other races against themselves. I, Marak Golden-Hammer, son of Jardak,

Then did the god of Evil send his creatures . .Hammer of the Orcs, son ofMakktat Elf-Slay-
against the dwarves. The monsters were driu-
en back many times, yet they bred quickly er.
and returned again and again in ever increas- The text again is given over to genealogies
ing numbers.
before ending with Marak Golden-Hammer's
Now at this timethe lesser racesspread over seal.
the world above, and they learned of the
wealth of the dwarves. And so, men and elves The Creation of the World
began to covet the dwarves'jewels and miner-
al wealth. Some sought to trade, others lied Dwarves are a long-lived race, 350years on
and used treachery to acquire dwaruen trea- average, and so they are closer to the creation
sures. An alliance of men and elves formed of the world than shorter lived races, such as
against the dwarves and they brought war to humans. Dwarves have a clear idea of how
the mountain homes. Thus were the great they and the world came into existence and
gates of the dwarf kingdoms closed and the this in turn affects how they 8ee themselves,
stone halls sealed from the evil of those be- the world, and other races. Many are the
neaTthhethleessseurn.races, not content t6 Te1 ave the myths of creation. The Scrolls of Narvil,
much debated, describe creation as an acci-
dent.

8 Chapter One

After the Creator had forged the world and greater cycle of creation, in which the world is
made the dwarves, he became weary and created only to be ravaged, but ultimately
slept. Some Lesser Gods, jealous of the Crea- saved, as Narvil foretold:
tor's skill, bound him as he slept. They heated
the Great Forge to make races in their own The Creator tried to break his bonds, but
likenesses, men, and elves. These they placed they were too secure. He argued with the
upon the world. Lesser Gods but they would not listen. 'You
cannot rule the world unless you can work the
But they fell to arguing among themselves forge: he warned.
over which part of the world should be given
Sometimes when the forge became too hot
to their peoples. The clamor of dispute woke or too cold, he gave the Lesser Gods advice,
'add more air', 'use less fuel'. They laughed at
the Creator who saw what they had done and him for his weakness in telling the secrets of
became angry. But they laughed at him and the forge. Again he warned: 'One day, the
bound him fast and swore he would never be forge will bum beyond your control and the
released. world will be seared by the heat of its flames.
Then you shall free me or all will perish, even
They fueled the fire of the Eternal Forge and we. Then will 1 bring justice to the world you
continued to work. However, they did not have abused. And m y people shall be saved
know how to control the Great Forge and it from your waging of war.'
became too hot. Great globules of molten
stone flew into the air and fell to the earth. As Other myths exist. Gully dwarf priests be-
they fell,the Creatorbreathed on them to cool lieve the world was swallowed by a giant
them so that his people would not be injured. monster, digested, and later reformed.
The force of his breath gave life to the molten
fragments and these became dragons. Many foretell the destruction of all within
the world. Some tell of a world ravaged by
And so, of all the creatures of the earth, on- dragons who burned away all life with their
ly the dwarves and the dragons were made by fiery breaths. Only the races living deep with-
the Creator. Dwarves by the skill of his hands, in the world survived. Dwarves, orcs, and
and dragons by the power of his breath. goblins, protected in their subterranean
homes, escaped the wrath of the dragons,
The idea of a iorge to create the world and
its people is a typical dwarven myth. Marak Different mythical beliefs may cause fric-
and N a r d share the myth, though they name tion between dwarves and other races and
it differently. Marak speaks of a Maker and wen among the dwarves themselves. Most
Narvil of a Creator. Dwarves in different mountain dwarves shun humans and believe
parts of the world will have contrasting views in the quest for mithril, the metal of uncon-
of the creation myth, in far kingdoms wen querable weapons. Irvak, a mountain dwarf
contradictory views. teacher, tells children why.

Some might believe the world was an acci- Beware the ways of man. He is greedy and
dent, a piece of rock that was chipped away avaricious beyond understanding. He seeks to
from a greater one by the blow of a hammer possess wealth and riches, but most of all
or other force, and became separated from it,
and developed on its own.

The creation story is normally part of a

The Creatlon ofDwarves 9

power over others. I t is our duty to resist the to develop some very strange beliefs: worlds
mad lust of humankind to dominate other shaped like a globe, an egg, a flattened disk, a
races. Not all men are evil, but the worst are jagged rock with a central pinnacle and even a
their leaders who lead them into wars against great depression in the earth, among them.
us. It is written that only through the power of
mithril can we protect our halls. Many legends are concernedwith the depth
of the earth. Many deep dwarves believe that
This mountain dwarf credo is rejected by it is possible to tunnel so far down that the
Yakir, a gully dwarf priest. diggers emerge through the bottom of the
world. Their priests and sages argue inces-
Learn to accept the ways of humans, we santly as to what lies at the bottom of the
have no other choice. !fa mIfahne kicks you, keep word. Some claim that only empty space ex-
out of reach of his boot. spits at you, it ists beneath the world. Most deep dwarf min-
will not break your bones. We breed slowly ers believe that the world rests on a spike of
and must protect our numbers. If we fight gold that will one day make them rich beyond
mankind, they will eventually kill us all. even dwarven dreams of avarice. Some
Avoid wealth and riches, but if you must have duergar religionsproclaim that the world rests
treasure, hide it well in a filthy place where on their dwarvish equivalent of hell and, if
none would guess to look. Always avoid they dug through to it, they would gain the
mithril and those who bear it. I t is so precious aid of the evil creatures who dwell there. With
that men are driven crazy with desire. the aid of these allies, the duergar would de-
stroy all who oppose them.
What Is the World?
Some think the world is a living organism
To most dwarves the world is made up of or an intricate machine that needs careful
maintenance if it is to continue. They believe
the dark places underground. The lands each race was created to look after its part of
above are strange and remote. Almost cer- the world, the dwarves caring for the under-
tainly they would have been formed or shaped ground realms.
by the gods of other lands. Most dwarves be-
lieve that the world is made up of a number of What Are the Celestial Lamps?
parts created for different peoples. Dwarves
were given the deep earth as their own, elves Dwarves may have been created under-
the forests, halflings the fields; each in their ground, but sooner or later they emerged into
own place. the world above. At that point they wondered
about the lights moving in the sky, and what
Many believe that the whole world was the sun was. The dwarves compared these ce-
originally given to the dwarves. Their legends lestial bodies to fire beetles or bright gems
contain tales of how parts of the world were rather than natural phenomena. Narvil’s
taken away by other gods when they created scrolls equate the sun with the blazing flames
the other races. shootingfrom the chimney of the Great Forge.

Few dwarves could have any real knowl-
edge of the shape of the surface of the world
and their subterranean lives have caused them

10 Chapter One

t

After their arguments, the Lesser Gods The Dwarven Gods
grew weary and slept. The Creator, bound
and tied, remained vigilant. Through the In one creation myth the gods were made
night he watched the Great Forge slowly cool. by the Maker into shapes he found pleasing.
When the flames were almost extinguished, In other creation tales all gods descend from a
and all was dark, he blew on the embers to common ancestor, and have since multiplied.
light the fire. Red embers and fresh flames Each god, at his birth, chose his own form to
blew up the chimney of the forge and created be superior, then created a race in his own im-
the First Dawn. age. The gods mated with their creations to
make other gods, which then took their place
The heavens are interpreted differently by in the pantheon.
Or-Kazil, the gem-master and mystic who
caught the light of the sun and placed it in the Tales abound of racial heroes elevated to
gems of Arbir. On the stone of his hall is an godhood for great deeds or leading exemplary
lives. Ancestor worship thrives among these
inscription. The difficult text is a masterpiece heroes' descendants.

of dwarven poetry. The Dwarven Afterlife
Fear is the sun. The light. Carried by the
Like humans and other races, dwarves have
watchman in daily traverse. their own view of the afterlife. The majority
Great is the light of his torch. It conceals his of dwarf warriors and priests expect to jour-
ney to some great hall of heroes to wait for the
presence. day when they will be called upon to fight
Fear is the moon. Its ghostly light. Gray their enemies once again. Craft oriented
dwarves look forward to an afterlife of hard
scarred sutface, a spoiled gem. work and other pleasures. The more pessimis-
Bring me a jewel from the night sky. One tic religions wen claim that no afterlife exists.
They do, however, say that a dwarf can gain
that twinkles in the watchman's light (IS he immortality by leaving stories of his deeds, or
walks behind the world. by creating superior artifacts.

Set it upon my tomb.

.
The Creation of Dwarves 11

Basic information on dwarves can be found utes and experience levels for each type of
dwarf. Here we are concerned with origins,
in the Player's Handbook. This chapter pro- appearance, and the social and psychological
differences between the subraces.
vides additional material about hill, moun-
tain, sundered, deep, duergar, and gully Hill Dwarves
dwarves. The differences between them may
have been part of their creation or may have Hill dwarves live in areas of rolling hills.
evolved over thousands of years of hard liv- Their strongholds are primarily located un-
ing. derground, though they frequently have out-
posts on the surface.
The following descriptions are provided as
background only, not definitive guidelines. A typical hill dwarf stands 4 feet tall and
Although each subrace is given an alignment, weighs about 150 pounds. He is stocky and
individuals may have their own alignments. muscular. His skin is a deep tan or light brown
Similarly, the subrace does not depend on lo- in color and he has ruddy cheeks and b*ht
cation. Mountain dwarves may be found liv- eyes, His hair could be black, gray, or brown.
ing at depths normally associated with deep He favors dark, somber, earth-toned clothes,
dwarves. Although they live at such depths, and wears little jewelry.
they are mountain dwarves, not deep
dwarves. Hill dwarves are the most common
dwarves. They have adapted well to life
Chapter 4 describes adjustments to attrib- above and below ground. They claim that
they have always lived in the hills, but they
may have migrated there either by traveling
above ground, or via underground passages.
If by surface travel, they are probably de-
scended from mountain dwarves.

The alignment of the hill dwarves is usually
lawful good, but there is no reason they can-
not be of another alignment. So long as the
majority remain lawful good, strongholds of
chaotic, neutral, or evil dwarves will not un-
balance a campaign and will give it more fla-
vor and variety.

Mountdn Dwarves

These dwarves live beneath the mountains.
Their strongholds are usually isolated and
they have little contact with other races.
Mountain dwarves tend to like their privacy
and actively discourage visitors to their
strongholds.

12 Chapter Two

rauding monsters, or perhaps were driven
downward by mountain or hill dwarves.

Deep dwarves average 4 feet to 4% feet tall

and weigh about 120 pounds. They are large
boned, but leaner than other dwarves. Their
skin varies from pale brown to light tan, and
often cames a reddish tinge. Their eyes are
large, but without the sheen of their surface
cousins; in color, a washed-out blue. Hair col-
or ranges from flame red to straw blond. The
females wear their beards long, unlike other
dwarf women (who are typically clean-
shaven).

Deep dwarves have little or no contact with

the surface. It is too far for them to travel to
the world above. They may be on friendly
terms with hill and mountain dwarves, or
they may harbor a grudge against them. They
may avoid them because they consider them

A typical mountain dwarf is, on average,

4% feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds.
His hair is a lighter shade than his hill cousin's,
and his skin is slightly more red in color.

Mountain dwarves claim that they are the
first dwarves and all other dwarves are de-
scended from them. They are wary of hill
dwarves because of their closer dealings with
humans, elves, and other races. They are clan-
nish and keep to themselves. The majority are
of lawful good alignment.

Deep Dwarves

Deep dwarves live far beneath the surface
of the earth. They may always have lived
there, or they may have gone deep under-
ground to escape a dreadful cataclysm, ma-

The Dwarf Subraces * 13

tainted by the influence of other races. dered dwarf is slightly taller than a mountain
Frequently neutral in alignment, deep dwarf, but he is of slimmer build, weighing
about 155 pounds. His skin is usually lighter
dwarves may also be lawful good or lawful than a hill dwarf's, more pink than brown. His
neutral. They are just as conservative as hill hair is dark with tinges of blue. Stronger than
or mountain dwarves, and consider them- other dwarves, they gain a +1 bonus to
selves to be the sole repositories of dwarven Strength in character generation.
culture.
Sundered dwarves are usually lawful neu-
Sundered Dwarves tral in alignment. Their society retains its tra-
ditional lawful organization, but is more
Unlike most dwarves, sundered dwarves concerned with maintaining its laws than en-
live on the surface. Once hill or mountain suring that all citizens share in its benefits.
dwarves, they were cut off from their kin and
traditional ways of life. Where deep dwarves Duergar (Gray Dwarves)
went downward, sundered dwarves were
forced onto the surface. Duergar, or gray dwarves, live deep under-
ground, sometimes below the deep dwarves.
They may have been driven there by volca- They rarely venture above ground, finding it
noes or earthquakes which shattered their
subterranean homes, or perhaps by orcs or
dragons, Finding no safe haven underground,
they were forced above. Some may even have
chosen to abandon their homes and give up
the subterranean life.

Over the centuries sundered dwarves
adapted as best they could, but abandoning
their natural habitat has taken its toll. They
pave lost much of their racial pride, and tend
to be a miserable and dirty people. They have
developed an irrational phobia of dark places,
yet are uncomfortable under the open sky, in
rain, and with most surface conditions.

Sundered dwarves may be found living
among other races. They may make up the
majority of the inhabitants in a ghetto, or
small groups of them may be found living or
adventuring with other races.

Although their traditional homes are gone,
sundered dwarves continue to follow the
crafts, especially mining and smithing. They
will work for humans or elves.

With a height of 4% to 5 feet, a typical sun-

14 Chapter Two

I

painful, except during heavily overcast days tage and may have led them to the discovery
or at night. The light does not cause them of hidden subterranean wealth which they
damage, but it does affect their ability to see could secretly acquire.
clearly.
Duergar may at one time have lived with
A typical duergar is 4 feet tall and weighs other dwarves before they were driven into
120 pounds. Emaciated, they possess pasty the deep for their worship of evil gods. They
skins and white or dull gray beards. Men and
women may be bald, and those who are not may have beencreated by the evil gods to bal-
usually shave their heads. ance the races of lawful good dwarves. If that

Most duergar are lawful evil with neutral is the case, they will have a divine mission to
tendencies. Other dwarves find their ways re- eradicate or enslave all dwarves ofgood align-
pulsive. Duergar war on other dwarf races, ment.
and sometimes even join forces with o r a and
other evil races to raid dwarf strongholds. Even though their society is evil, they still
retain many of the social structuresof hill and
They frequently compete with deep mountain dwarves. They are clan based, but
dwarves for living space and minerals. Usu- their crafts are usually inferior to those of oth-
ally the duergar are bested in such struggles. er dwarves.
Consequently, numerous duergar strongholds
are exceptionally poor, having been driven in- Gully Dwarves
to areas rejected by others. In some cases,
however, this may have been to their advan- Gully dwarves ate m e most degenerate or
all the dwarf races. Lacking any racial pride,
they make virtues of cowardice, filth, witless-
ness, and dirty tricks. They live in abandoned
strongholds, human villages, or in old mine
and caves, in sewers, refuse dumps, or the
slums of larger towns and cities. Elves will not
tolerate their depravity.

An average gully dwarf is 4 feet tall and
weighs only 100 pounds. He is more slender
than hill or mountain dwarves and has thin
fingers. It is a status symbol for a gully dwarf
to have a large pot belly for it displays his skill
as a scavenger.

Skin ranges in color from olive brown to
liiht yellow, reminiscent of old parchment. It
is often hard to determine a gully dwarf's skin
color, however, because of the thick layers of
dirt, scar tissue, boils, and scabs covering his
skin.

Their beards and hair range from a dirty
blond to a dull, indeterminate color. Female
gully dwarves have hairy cheeks, but no

The Dwarf Subraces 15

crawlers nave been known to turn up their
tentacles rather than eat a gully dwarf.

s: PWhere do they come from? Other dwarves

claim th are a cruel jest layed by the gods
on a misc ievousstrongho d of dwarves. Nar-
vi1 believes that they are outcasts from a
stronghold who later bred and infested the
world. Perhaps they are the result of cross
breeding between dwarves and gnomes, or
dwarves and goblins. They may even have

been the result of a vile experiment by an evil

wizard. No one knows for sure, least of all the

gullys themselves.
They are always treated with contempt, al-

though they may be employed to perform me-
nial tasks. Enclaves of gully dwarves could
exist in most strongholdswhere they would be
little better than slaves.

Gully dwarves are often of chaotic neutral
alignment, but this diverse people may be of
any alignment.
beards. The eyes of both sexes are dull and
lifeless, varying in color from watery blue
through green to hazel.
Gullys are renowned for being stupid and
obnoxious. In spite of this they have high
opinions of themselves and take themselves
very seriously. They consider other dwarves
to be "uppity" and "stuck up warts," Gully
dwarves will lie, steal, bully, and cheat each
other and every other race they encounter. If
attacked, they grovel, whine, run away, or do
whatever it takes to avoid injury. If combat
cannot be avoided they will fight half-
heartedly, usually with their eyes closed.
Because gully dwarves live in places that
even orcs consider unattractive, they have
few racial enemies. Scavenging most of their
equipment from the junk heaps of other races,
their "wealth does not tempt others. Carrion

16 Chapter Two

I CHAPTER

I

I

Your Life As a Dwari

33 I

This chapter examines the lifestyle of the previous generation.
dwarves, the organization of the clans, and Each clan specializes in a particular craft or
the family, the smallest unit of dwarf social or-
ganization. skill: blacksmithing, mining, and weapon-
smithing are examples.
The clans are the basis of dwarf society. A
few dwarves follow professions which set Different clans usually live close to each
them apart, but they are influenced by main- other so that they can trade skills among
stream dwarf society, its values and struc- themselves. The relationships between clans
tures, though they may no longer follow are complicated and interdependent. The
these. blacksmith clan needs to eat, so they trade
with bakers and butchers.
Dwarf Clans
Most clans are concerned with the manu-
Gareth, a human merchant, on the dwarf facture of goods and services. They love to
clans: create things from raw material, and delight in
the working of stone and metal. There are
The dwarves are a close knit bunch, all clans which specialize in military and political
right. Make no mistake, entire families carry- activities. Military clans include specialists,
ing out the same trade. ZtS almost unheard of such as Hearth Guards, Animal Masters, and
for one of them to take up a different trade Sharpshooters. A political clan is usually re-
from that of their clan. They like to keep sponsible for governing the stronghold and
things in the family. Most of them don't differ- comprises the king's or ruler's own family,
entiate between their clan and their guild. plus other high born dwarves. These dwarves
have undergone long apprenticeships in their
The dwarves like to keep things tightly reg- chosen trade and are experts. Like other
ulated. Every product has a fixed price and a dwarves, they are convinced that they are al-
time assigned to making it. ways right. They tend to be argumentative
with outsiders, even with political families
Trying to bargain with them is like trying to from other strongholds.
batter down one of their strongholds with
your head. No give and take. No matter how In major strongholds, each clan practices its
many of them you try to deal with, the price is own craft. In smaller ones, a clan may prac-
always the same. Take it or leave it. It's the tice a number of crafts. Out of preference,
worst kind of restrictive trade. Worse than we dwarves practice one craft only, and that one
had 'round here before the government skill may be honed to a higher level than
stopped it. would be possible if two, three or four skills
were practiced.
Still, I'll say one thing for them, you know
you're getting quality goods every time. They Dwarf priests are drawn from all the clans
never try to sell you anythingshoddy or of in- in a stronghold and may be the only dwarves
ferior quality. It's a matter of pride for them. who are not tied closely to their clans. Many
priesthoods, like those concerned with arts
Dwarf clans are family groups which are all and crafts, are a part of their clans and closed
related to one another. All the members of a to all others. The priests who serve the black-
clan trace their lineage back to a common an- smiths god, for example, are the spiritual
cestor. This could be the founder of a strong- leaders of that clan.
hold, but it may go back only as far as the

Your Life As a Dwarf 17

Clans and Gulldr New Clam
The clans are regulated by guilds which leg-
New clans are formed when a dwarf decides
islate all matters of trade. Guilds specify to take up a different profession from that of
weights and measures, quality, and the pricing his own clan. He may learn a new profession
of items. by apprenticing himself to another clan with
the understanding that he will either become a
For example, the Guild of Bakers estab- member of the clan through marriage, or that
lishes the weight, price, and ingredients of he will practice his new trade at a different
site. In both cases, he relinquishes member-
loaves of bread. All clans conform to these ship in his original clan and swears never to
strictures. Those of other strongholds will reveal the secrets of its guild to others.

have different strictures imposed by their If he has served his apprenticeship and does
guilds. This leads to situationswhere dwarves not marry into the new clan, he is obliged to
from one baker's clan will get into heated ar- move to a different stronghold or found a new
guments with a baker's clan from another
stronghold over which one's loaf is of the cor- one. His descendants follow his profession.
rect weight. This, combined with their stub-
born nature and inability to compromise, is Although still related by blood to his original
why dwarves are so wary of each other. One clan, he is no longer considered to be part of
view is always right, and all others always that clan. Ties to his immediate family remain
wrong.
strong, and he may call upon them for aid if
(Note, however, that this does not mean
that dwarves slavishly adhere to narrow pro- he needs assistance. If he is attacked or in-
duction standards. Within the limits estab- sulted, his brothers and sisters will quickly
lished by the guilds is tremendous room for come to his aid, as will others of their clan,
individual expression. In fact, two loaves of but he cannot expect their help in matters of
bread which conform to the same guidelines trade and daily life.
may appear completely different to the unini-
tiated. And each guild typically has a bewil- Clans and Society
dering array of accepted standards to choose A sick or injured dwarf will be fed and
from for any specific type of item.)
cared for by his clan. Those in good health are
Even though the guilds control the business
of the clans, they may not control the clan po- expected to work in order to maintain the wel-
litically. This is left to elders who handle mar- fare and reputation of the clan. No dwarf
riage arrangements, housing, and political would ever do otherwise.
dealings with other clans. The elders are the
oldest dwarves in the clan. They are frequent- Someone who cheats or doesn't pull his
ly also the richest, having amassed large for- own weight earns the disapproval of his fel-
tunes over the centuries. Some may be guild low clansmen. He will be warned and pressure
masters, but this is not a requirement. When will be brought to bear to ensure that he does
this does occur, differences between clan and not bring the name of the clan into disrepute.
guild become even more blurred. If he does not heed the warnings, he will be
ostracized. An ostracized dwarf loses all bene-
fitsprovided by the clan. The clan's guild will
prevent him from working and confiscate his

tools if it can. If he shows a desire to mend his

ways, he will be allowed back into the clan,

18 Chapter Three



and the guild will lift the ban. If not, he will be love of Stability
left to himself and even his family will shun Life underground has had a lasting effect on
him.
dwarf personalities. They have developed an
Loyaltles instinctive love of earth and rock which repre-
sent stability and permanence. Earth and rock
To an outsider, dwarf clans appear very may be tunneled and carved, arched and but-
complex, and the relationships between them tressed, yet they remain always solid and reli-
highly convoluted, because they are. Dwarves able.
would not organize their lives any other way.
They know where their loyalties lie: first to The sea, however, is ever changing, with no
the family, then to the clan, the guild, the stability, and prone to tempestuous storms. It
stronghold, and then to any other strongholds represents the force of chaos prevalent in the
to which the clan is allied. Dwarves are a world above, and is the antithesis of the safe,
proud race and maintain their loyalties. They womblike caverns that are home to the
are willing to defend each other, often to the dwarves.
death. An insult against one dwarf is consid-
ered to be an insult against all dwarves. Themes of solidity and reliability recur con-
tinually in the dwarvish world view. The
World View world is solid and constant, so life should be
conducted in the same manner. This is closely
Most dwarves choose life underground. It is allied to their predominantly lawful good
unusual for them to live in a surface settle- alignment.
ment unless events force them up.
Dwarves value law and order, and see these
Living underground for thousands of years as part of the natural order of the world. Soci-
has affected the world view of dwarves dra- ety should be as solid and reliable as the stone
matically. They believe themselves to be the of the earth. Dwarves live 350 years on aver-
dominant race in the world, the primary force age, during which time trees grow and die, axe
of civilization and culture. This attitude ap- hafts are made and replaced many times, and
plies even in campaigns where other races are wooden structures decay and rot away. Com-
actually predominant. Dwarves who live be- pared to the strength and durability of metal
low ground don’t care who controls the land and rock, other things seem very transitory.
above so long as they are left alone. The sur- Building to last means building well.
face races may as well be on another plane of
existence. Dwarves see little reason to com- Dwarven Crafts
municate with other races unless an overpow-
ering common cause exists. Dwarves are expert craftsmen not out of
somegod-given ability, but because they serve
This dwarfcentric view is deeply rooted in long, exacting apprenticeships. Dwarves tra-
all dwarves, regardless of where they live, ditionally serve a 25-year apprenticeship,
even when among other races. Dwarves in which begins at the age of 25. To dwarves this
such places may grudgingly admit that hu- is part of life. ”A job worth doing, is worth
mans or elves have achieved some level of civ- doing well.” This attitude is deeply ingrained
ilization and political power, but these are and explains why dwarves love to create
inferior to their own achievements. beautiful objects and lavish so much time on
them. They seek to create that which will last

20 Chapter Three

until time’s end, and they have difficulty com- The dwarven concept of wealth is different,
prehending why other races consider work a as well. Dwarves are attracted to objects for
chore rather than an act of artistic expression their intrinsic beauty, not for any commercial
to be savored and enjoyed. Dwarf craftsmen, value. They prize fine workmanship, but
because of their skills, produce weapons, ar- know that craftsmen only augment what the
mor, and other goods more quickly than other earth has provided.
races, yet of superior quality.
Gold has the greatest significance to them,
Dwarves and Humor not for its value, but for its natural beauty and
pliability. In the hands of a master craftsman,
Dwarves are viewed as humorless, if not gold can be heated and poured into molds,
downright grumpy, by other races. This is a beaten with a hammer, drawn into wires, or
fair assessment. They do not often tell jokes, carefully filigreed with a chisel. Well made
and have no appreciation of practical jokes. golden objects are treasured for workmanship
Society is based on law, order, and a respect and beauty. Poorly made objects are melted
for one’s fellows. A dwarf does not abuse that down to be remade as coins or other objects.
respect by ridiculing another‘s dignity.
Dwarves are aware of the scarcity of gold,
Dwarves love to work and find pleasure in
it. This pleasure is so spirituallyuplifting that and of its value. No dwarf has ever sold gold
any attempt at humor appears facile. Those
not content with work or their position in life at less than its current value, a fact which has
may need such diversion, but humor is seen as led other races to see them as mean and avan-
insult. cious.

That’s not to say that dwarves are humor- The dwarves’ passion for gold is well
less, they have a very black humor concerning known, as is their love of gemstones. They
their racial enemies, but their sense of humor love to possess these treasures of the earth,
is very different from that of humans, for ex- polishing and cutting them into brilliant
ample. They do not find jokes about personal shapes that catch the light perfectly. Each
suffering or failure funny. They do find those stone is seen as a shining example of the beau-
based upon clever stones entertaining. The
problem is that dwarven jokes tend to follow ty of the earth. To those who have left their
a standard narrative pattern. Because of their
great length, endlessgenealogies, and catalogs underground homes, they are reminders that
of dwarven concerns, it is difficult for other true beauty comes from within the earth.
races to maintain any interest in them. Dwarf
comedians, telling jokes to other races, are Dwarves are well aware of the value of
frequently annoyed when audience attention gems. Where others value stones by weight
slips after 15 minutes or so, or when the audi- and scarcity, dwarves value them according to
ence has no concept of the importance of lin- their beauty.
eage in the joke‘s ‘punch paragraphl’ Races
who have been subjected to dwarven humor They have, however, no desire to own or
fail to realize that it does not rely on the deliv-
ery of one liners, but on the slow presentation collect pearls. As products of the sea and
of a chapter, if not an entire book.
shellfish, they are not considered to be gems.
Dwarves find them unattractive. Pearls lack
the deep lustre of natural stones. Still, it is a
foolish dwarf who does not realize that beauty
is in the eye of the beholder. While pearls are
worthless, dwarves are aware of their trade
value.

Your Life As a Dwarf 2 1

I

Gold and gems are their greatest loves, but free from unnecessary intrusions.
other metals are important to them too. Plat- Even though law is important, dwarves are
inum has many of the attributes of gold and
is even rarer. Silver is easy to work and holds fairly individualistic. They have personal
its shape better than gold. Its color is not as views which they rarely make known to oth-
desirable, but it has its own appeal. Copper ers, one reason they are seen as a taciturn
and other metals are also considered beauti- race. However, when a dwarf thinks that his
ful. While other metals are more common own views are not being heard, he will be-
than gold, their comparative rarity lends come grumpy, silent, and bear his distresssto-
them value. ically.

Iron ore is crucial to the dwarves. With it This stoicism, and the desire not to grieve
they make weapons, armor, forges, and tools. others, is evident in the way they view wealth
Iron ore veins are seen as the bones of the as a private matter. Only powerful and re-
earth; bones bequeathed to the dwarves to be spected dwarves are expected to display
used for their own purposes. When forged wealth openly, and even then ostentatiousdis-
with carbon, dwarves transform iron into plays are frowned upon. All dwarves are ex-
steel which is durable and hard without being pected to, and prefer to, keep their wealth
brittle. hidden.

Crafts It is considered bad manners to flaunt accu-
mulated wealth. Such behavior is offensive
Though they would love to work exclusive- and has caused dwarves who travel in the sur-
ly with gold and gems, dwarvesare a practical face world to be deeply insulted. Wealth, par-
folk. They know that iron and steel wear hard ticularly gems and precious metals, are for
and are infinitely more practical as tools. personal delight. They should be carefully
Therefore they work extensively in iron and hoarded and displayed for one's closest family
steel. Dwarf craftsmen produce some of the or cherished friends. It is a mark of acceptance
finest weapons, armor, and tools in any and friendship among dwarves for one to re-
veal his wealth. By doing so, he is not only
world. These goods, because of their quality, sharing the joy of his possessions, but is say-
ing, "You are my friend, whom I trust not to
bring higher prices which are gladly paid for steal from me." (The exception to this, of
dwarven craftsmanship. All crafts necessary course, is wealth displayed through excellent
to ensure the strongholdsare places of beauty craftsmanship in utilitarian items. A beauti-
are also worked. fully crafted and gilded axe with an inlaid gem
or two is not ostentatious if it is functional.
Individualism Dwarves claim this is not a subjective distinc-
tion, but most other races find it hard to fol-
Dwarves willingly live under lawful institu- low the reasoning.)
tions, respecting privacy and personal space.
Law induces order, organization, and a stable Other races, and elves in particular, find
society. The society reflects the natural order this attitude very strange. Humans and elves
of the world, with everything in its proper delight in the display of their wealth, allowing
place. Laws exist to be obeyed, not to be bro-
ken. Society exists so that dwarves may be others to admire its beauty. No dwarf would

do such a thing. It's no surprise that dwarves
are considered mean and greedy by races who
cannot understand their motivation.

22 Chapter Three

Emotlonr they allow their lives to be dominated by the
A private people, dwarves often have diffi- changes of night and day and the seasons. No
sooner do they achieve something, than their
culty expressing emotion. Their society is children want to change it, replace it, or
structured to make displays of anger, envy, worse, lose interest in it entirely.
jealousy, and hatred unnecessary. They are ca-
pable of harboring grudges and hatreds, but Elves should know better, but they lack the
these are usually directed outside of the simplest virtues of patience, diligence, and
stronghold. consistency. They are renowned for wasting
their lives enjoying themselves instead of pro-
Dwarves rarely insult or distress each other, ducing lasting goods.
but other races distress them greatly. Not giv-
ing them the respect they demand, enquiring The differences between elves and dwarves
casually about wealth, or making them the have led to many disagreements. This usually
butts of jokes, are guaranteed to make occurred because dwarves considered agree-
dwarves angry. But this anger will normally ments to be binding until the end of time,
only show itself as a scowl or a contraction of while the elves thought they were to last as
the brows. Other races have concluded, there- long as they were useful. Entire strongholds
fore, that dwarves are humorless, not realir- may have been threatened or destroyed be-
ing that dwarves do not release their anger. cause elves failed to honor a pledge. Perhaps
They allow it to simmer and increase until some minor slight elves have forgotten, has
they explode, becoming their own been harbored and nurtured and passed on to
stereotypes-grumpy, taciturn, stubborn, and the next generation.
unyielding. Dwarves often despair at the ex-
tremely poor manners of other races. As fellow underground dwellers, gnomes

Attltuder Toward Other Racer are looked upon more favorably by dwarves,
though the gnomes' delight in black humor
Dwarves are basically good people. They and practical jokes has caused friction.
seek to harm no one, merely to coexist with
them, or even better, to be left alone. Because War to the Death
of their good nature, dwarves have been
known to persevere in the face of insults and Dwarves do not compromise when dealing
inexplicable behavior. They have banded to- with evil races, particularly when competing
gether with men and elves in times of crisis, with them for living space or when their wel-
and have entered long term trade agreements fare is threatened.
of mutual benefit.
Dwarves detest drow, orcs, goblins, hob-
They have little patience for the ways of hu- goblins, and evil giants, eradicating them
mans who simply do things wrong. Humans whenever found. Some strongholds are not
either waste time in petty pursuits or are so above enslaving such creatures and forcing
keen to achieve their goals, they are willing, them to work in labor camps.
almost eager, to be forceful and rude. They
have no conception of the proper rhythm of Their hatred of evil races is as ancient as the
the world, which is hardly surprising since dwarves themselves. Originally, wars were
fought to determine who had the right to live
underground, but the conflict has spread to
the surface. In most game worlds there should
be places where dwarves have been driven

Your Life As a Dwarf 23

from their ancient strongholds by orcs. gob- contaminated by living closely to other races;
lins or other creatures of darkness. They now "hill dwarves have lost the rock of their
bear a burning and eternal hatred for them. dwarvishness,"

Dwarves have no doubt that they are in- All dwarves have a tendency to isolation-
volved in a war of massive proportions. It is ism; to what extent that affects individual
known as the "War to the Death:' for the player characters depends on the background
dwarves have sworn to fight until their ene- of the character.
mies are destroyed.
Dwarven Hearths
isolationism
Dwarven familiesare called hearths, a term
The dwarves' desire for isolation should be which means "the place where children are
no surprise. Clannish by nature, many are born and raised." The hearth is the basic unit
suspicious even of dwarves from other clans, of dwarf society. A clan may be composed of
to say nothing of other strongholds. two to a hundred or more families, depending
on its strength.
It is among mountain dwarves that isola-
tionism is strongest. Mountain dwarves prefer A hearth includes grandfather and grand-
not to deal with other races. They even have mother, their children, and any offspring of
difficulty understanding hill dwarves. Some their children. Family members share the
of them believe that hill dwarves have been same dwelling and are extremely close-knit.

24 Chapter Three

I-

Unlike human or elf families, the dwarven Life Cycle of the Dwarves
hearth is not an insular unit, but part of a larg-
er clan. Hearths within a clan are united by Dwarves reproduce very slowly compared
blood, and this links the clan together, making to humans and orcs. The birth of twins is rare
it more than just a collection of individual and triplets and quadruplets do not occur. The
families. majority of familieshave only one or two chil-
dren to care for. This is seen as a virtue be-
A hearth has a single line of descent. Cous- cause it allows them to lavish their time and
ins, aunts, and uncles are not part of the care on one child, and give that child a better
hearth but, as members of the clan, are close education than would be possible with sev-
to the family. eral.

In some ways the hearth is a convenient so- Until the age of 10, young dwarves are
cial organization rather than an important en- cared for within the hearth. During these for-
tity in its own right. Its primary purpose is to mative years, they learn to speak and are
create a legal and social environment into taught the traditions and history of their clan
which children may be born and to provide a and stronghold. The children socialize with
stable environment in which children may be others daily, often in a special clan nursery,
nurtured and educated in the rudiments of while their parents and grandparents are at
work. In the nursery the children are taught
dwarf beliefs and conduct. At the core of the the rudiments of their clan‘s craft. Children
hearth is the institution of marriage. from an armorer’s clan will play with minia-
ture suits of armor, those from a baker’s clan
Marrlage will play with scales and bread dough. They
Dwarves are not romantics. The vast ma- are allowed to follow their natural instincts
and are provided toy tools and allowed to dig
jority of marriages are arranged by clan el- tunnels and ”hidey-holes”in the nursery.
ders. Their main concern is to secure the
continuation of the clan by ensuring that chil- At the age of 10, more formal education be-
dren are properly raised. They select suitable gins. For eight hours every day the children
males from eligiblecandidates and ensure that learn runes and local history. Training in
the family has a warm and secure place to crafts begins with basic techniques and skills
live. constantly drilled into them. Their education
continues until their 25th year.
Dwarf society is about one-third female. Apprentlceshlp
Dwarves are monogamous, and marriages are
entered into for life. That, along with the fact On their 25th birthday, great celebrations
that males outnumber females about two to are held to mark the coming of age. The whole
clan assemblesto witness the went and join in
one, means that many males do not marry. A the fun. The climax of the celebration arrives
woman who loses her spouse will, after a year when parents deliver the youth to the clan’s
guild master and apprenticeshipbegins. Males
of mourning, remarry. Grandparents play as and females both serve the same apprentice-
important a role in child rearing as do parents; ship, with no differentiation based on sex.
elders find mates for widowed grandmothers.
Once the apprenticeship begins, the youth
Divorce does not exist in dwarf society.
Couples who have grown distant from one
other will continue to share the hearth and the
responsibilities of child rearing. Only death
can end a marriage.

Your Life As a Dwarf 25

leaves his family hearth and goes to live in the wealth. Then they will visit the hearths of
apprentices’dormitories; if apprenticed to in- married relatives. Around the hearths stories
dividual craftsmen, to the craftsman’shearth. are told, songs are sung, and children play.
They may return home for one day a week, Single dwarves often congregatein one of the
otherwise they are busy learning their trade. clan’s great halls to feast and swap stories, and
to be amused by entertainers with juggling,
Dwarf apprenticeships are served for 25 acrobatics, and other displays of skill. After
years. At the end of the apprenticeship, cele- an evening‘s amusement, they sleep 8 hours
brations are held to mark the dwarf‘s entry in- before rising to work.
to adulthood and the acceptance of adult
responsibilities. Dwarves’ Diet
Marriageable Age
Dwarves enjoy a wide variety of food, with
Once dwarves have attained adulthood, a preference for meat. Hill, mountain, and
they are eligible for marriage. Most female sundered dwarves keep cattle, goats, sheep,
dwarves are expected to marry at this time. pigs, and fowl. These animals are grazed
Females from military clans, such as Hearth above ground on upland meadows or pla-
Guards, frequently delay marriage until later teaus. Sundered dwarves keep their livestock
in life. Few young males have much hope of close to home, hill and mountain dwarves al-
marrying soon, as the clan elders invariably low their stock to roam.
choosesuitorswho have plied their craft for at
least 10 years after apprenticeship. Males, In high ranges, mountain dwarves keep ani-
achieving adult status, will spend their time mals more suited to subterranean existence:
honing their skills and amassing wealth. giant lizards and beetles. Deep dwarves and
Those from military clans may leave their duergar also keep lizards and beetles, and
strongholds to go adventuring, in the hope of these are selectively bred for cooking. Gully
acquiring wealth and reputation enough to dwarves eat anything they can scavenge and
enhance their chances of marriage. rarely breed or maintain any animals for
Adult Llfe food. The few gullys who have tried were so
wretched at it their animals sickenedand died.
Adult dwarves usually work 8 to 12hours a
day. Those with children are limited to 8 Although meat is a staple of their diet, large
hours a day and are expected to spend the rest quantities of grains are also consumed. When
of the time with their children. Female possible wheat, rye and barley are grown
dwarves work the same hours until a month close to the stronghold. They are harvested
before they are ready to give birth. Pregnan- and kept in underground granaries. Many
cies are 12 months long, and tradition dictates who live close to humans or halflings buy
that the month preceding the birth be spent large quantities of grain to supplement their
preparing the hearth for its new member. own production.

After working hours, the time of unmarried Dwarves who live in the deep earth substi-
dwarves is their own. For the first few hours, tute various types of fungi for grains. Like the
unmarried dwarves usually seek their own giant lizards and beetles, many of these fungi
solitude, and an opportunity to count their have been carefully bred to produce a wide
variety of flavors to excite the palate. Most
are very careful about the kinds of fungi they
eat, but gully dwarves will eat anything. As a

26 Chapter Three

result, many gully dwarves suffer from indi- or sing of the construction of a magnificent
gestion and abdominal disorders. bridge or other edifice. Some are laments
which tell of the death of a loved one or great
Dwarven cooking also makes use of vegeta- hero, or the loss of a stronghold to monsters.
bles for flavor and variety. They do not eat
spicy or heavily seasoned food, and conse- The songs tend to be long and very well
quently dwarven cooking tastes bland to hu- written. Most races would lose patience with a
mans and elves, but the food is wholesome, spoken story, but even elves have sat en-
consisting of thick stews served on broad tranced for hours by the story songs of
slices of bread. While they are not voracious dwarves.
eaters like halflings, few humans or elves can
eat as much as a dwarf in a single meal. Dwarves also enjoy playing instruments-
flutes, horns, bagpipes, drums, and percus-
Ciothlng sion instruments especially. They rarely play
stringed instruments because short fingers are
Dwarven clothing tends to be heavy, som- ill suited to plucking strings and picking out
ber in color, and serviceable. Made from thick chords. Their music is either martial or
wool or spun strands of fungi, it is designed to mournful. Rarely will musicians accompany
keep the dwarves warm in the unheated places singers: music dampens the true resonance of
in their strongholds. To the untrained eye, col- the voice. However, special songs have been
ors are uniformly drab grays and browns. written, and are performed, for voice and in-
Dwarven languages have over 500 words for strument.
rock, and almost as many to describe different
rock hues. Particular shades of gray and
brown reveal much about the clan and status
of dwarves, if one has the eye to see.

Boots, belts, and hats are usually made by
the leather guilds of tanned leather from the
hides of cattle or giant lizards.

Music and Singing

Dwarves love to sing. Many have rich bari-
tone voices that echo splendidly about their
chambered halls. Numerous great halls are
specially constructed around natural acoustic
properties. Except for solo performances by
entertainers, singing is a group activity. On
formal occasions songs written to display
their vocal ranges are sung by massed choirs.

O n less formal occasions, any dwarf may sing

within a hall or around the hearth.
Their songs speak of the beauty of the

earth, commemorate famous deeds of valor,

Your Life As a Dwarf 27

1 CHAPTER

II

I 4 Character Creation

Balur the Hill Dwarf delivers his "unbiased Creating Dwarf Characters
opinions on his cousins.
Selecting Class or Multi-Classes
Pahl The only decent dwarves are hill Dwarves may be warriors, priests, thieves,
dwarves. That's because ain't nothing funny
or odd about us. Not like others. You can de- or multi-class warrior/priests or warrior-
pend on hill dwarves. We keep to ourselves. thieves. If you choose a multi-class character,
We don't cause any trouble and we don't steal familiarize yourself with their benefits and
fromdecent folk. limitations in the Player's Handbook.

Not like those sundered and gully types. You can determine your character's class in
Steal the clothes off your own back, they several ways. You may choose which class or
would, if you didn't constantly watch 'em.
Dirty too. Never known one of 'em to wash, multi-class combination you want to play or
or change his clothes either. They must sell all
the clothes they steal. Probably to deep you may generate the character's attributes
dwarves and duergar. and decide which character to play according

Nasty those duergar. Name means '?urkers to the die rolls; or your DM may assign you a
in the dark." Shifty, dangerous bunch. Like to
ambush you. Pepper you with crossbow bolts character class.
and stab you in the back. They give us all a The advantages and limitations of each
bad name. Bunch of murdering goblin lovers.
character class will be further modified by the
Deep dwarves 're all recluses. Greedy they
are, only live that deep 'cause they've tunnel- subrace of your character.
Ability Scores
Bed out all the old above. That was our gold
Any of the six dice rolling methods in the
tool They sto e it, but we can't prove it. Say Player's Handbook are acceptable. However,
they were there first. Liars. if you want to generatea specificclass of char-

Now, mountain dwarves. They're not a bad acter, methods V and VI work best. They al-
lot. A bit uppity, but that's because they live
in the mountains. We leave 'em alone. No low you to custom design your character and
point going all that way just to find you're not are more likely to result in good ability scores.
wanted. Most of 'em live behind locked doors. Don't make any adjustments to your rolled at-
tributes until you've read the chapter on sub-
So there you have it/ If you want to deal races, the procedures are different from those
with dwarves, deal with us. We not only live of the Player's Handbook.
closer to you, we don't harbor any grudges Subraces
against other folk, except pansy elves, gob-
lins, pigfaced orcs, and filthy hobgoblins. No The maximum experiencelevels that can be
fairer folk considering what we had to put up achieved by each subrace are listed in Charac-
with/ ter Class Maximum Levels in this chapter.
Take a look at these before deciding on your
subrace. If you wish to play a thief, see the
Thieving Skill Adjustments Table.

28 Chapter Four

Subraces have advantages and disadvan- Infravhion gives the range of the subrace’s
tages. A character of a subrace that has a large infravision in feet.
number of advantageswill require more expe-
rience points than usual to advance in level. Special Advantages that the race enjoys are
listed here. Advantages common to all subraces
Subracc Dlstinctlons are not included, but will be covered later.

Each subrace has the followingelements: Special Disadvantages, such as fighting at
Ability Score Adjustments are made to the penalties in bright light, are described here.
character’s attributes when the subrace is first
selected. Add them to or subtract them from Racial Enmities sometimes allow special
your rolled attributes and enter them on your combat modifiers to take effect when fighting
character sheet. specific enemies.
Ability Scores list the maximum and mini-
mum abilities scores that a character of that Additional Experience Costa are levied
subrace can have when created. A character against certain subraces because they benefit
whose attributes exceed the maximum is re- from a number of advantages, which make
duced accordingly. If he does not qualify for them more powerful than others. To balance
the minimum attributes, he must choose an- this, they are required to earn additional expe-
other subrace. rience points before they can gain a new level.
A character’s ability scores may change These additional experiencepoint costs are ex-
through play, in which case he may exceed or pressed in terms of percentages that need to be
fall below those given here. Initially, the char- earned. A +lo% experience cost indicates
acter’sscoresmust conform to the those of the that members of the subrace must earn an ad-
subrace. ditional 10% experience points to increase in
Languages are the languages commonly level.
known by members of the subrace. Depend-
ing on the campaign background, all dwarves For example, deep dwarves require an addi-
may speak the same language or different lan- tional 10% experiencepoints. A 1st level deep
guages such as hill, deep dwarf, or duergar. If dwarf warrior therefore requires 2,200 experi-
all dwarves speak the same language, entries ence points to become a 2nd level warrior in-
such as “hill dwarf“ are treated as dwarf. Your stead of the usual 2,OOO. A 3rd level deep
character always speaks his own native lan- dwarf thief would require 5,500 experience
guage. points to become a 4th level thief.
If you are using the nonweapon proficiency
system, languages cost proficiency slots as de- In the case of multi-class characters, the
scribed in the proficiencies chapter. A charac- character needs to gain the additional experi-
ter‘s own language does not cost a slot. ence points in both classes. A 1st level deep
Without the proficiency system, your charac- dwarf warrior/cleric requires 1,650 experi-
ter will know a number of additional lan- ence points to achieve 2nd level priest status,
guages depending upon his Intelligence score and 2,200 to become a 2nd level warrior.
(see Player’sHandbook).
Life Expectancy is an average, used to deter-
mine initial and maximum ages of characters.

Character Creation 2 9

, 1' "

=-

Hill Dwarves -scores are modified by a 1 penalty to Cha-

The most common dwarf, hill dwarves are risma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. The
found in many AD&D@campaign worlds. minimum and maximum ability scores are as
Methods for creating them are in the Player's shown.
Handbook, and are included,here to complete
the subraces. Mountain Dwarf Ability Scores
Ability Minimum Maximum
Ability Score Adjustments: The initial abili- Strength 8 18
ty scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Dexterity 3 17
Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. Constitution 11
The minimum and maximum ability scores Intelligence 19
are as shown.
3 18
Wisdom 3 18
Charisma 3 16
Hill Dwarf Ability Scores
Ability Minimum Maximum Languages: Mountain dwarf, common,
Strength 18 gnome, goblin, kobold, orc, ogre, troll.
Dexterity 8 17
3 18 Infravision:60 feet.
Constitution 11 18 Special Advantages: None.
Intelligence 3 18 Special Disadvantages: None.
Wisdom 17 Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi,
Charisma 3 giants, and titans suffer a - 4 penalty to hit
3 mountain dwarves.
Additional ExperienceCost: None.
Languages: Hill dwarf, common, gnome, Life Expectancy: 400years.
goblin, kobold, orc.
Deep Dwarves
Infravision: 60 feet.
Special Advantages: None. Deep dwarves live far under the earth and
Special Disadvantages: None. have superior infravision.
Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi,
giants, and titans suffer a - 4 penalty to hit Ability Score Adjustments: Initial ability
hill dwarves. score8 are modified by a -2 penalty to Cha-
Additional Experience Cost: None. risma and a +2 bonus to Constitution. The
Life Expectancy: 350years. minimum and maximum ability scores are as

Mountaln Dwarves Shown.

Mountain dwarves are also fairly common. Deep Dwarf Ability Scores
Players who have existing mountain dwarf Ability Minimum Maximum
characters generated by using the Pfayer's Strength 18
Handbook need only make minor adjust- Dexterity 8
ments to their characters. These include 3 16
height, weight, and age. Otherwise keep the Constitution 13 19
character as he is. Intelligence
Wisdom 3 18
Ability Score Adjustments: Initial ability 3 18
Charisma 3 15

3 0 Chapter Four

Languages: Deep dwarf, duergar, drow, iI- Languages: Duergar, deep dwarf, drow, il-
lithid, kua-toa, troll, troglodyte, svirfneblin, lithid, kua-toa, troll, troglodyte, under-
undercommon, sign language. common, sign language.

Infraavision: 90 feet. Infravision: 120 feet.
Speclal Advantages: Excellent saving Special Advantages: Duergar are stealthy.
throws against magical attacks and toxins. A Parties or individuals at least 90 feet ahead of
deep dwarf figures his Constitution saving non-duergar gain a surprise bonus. This
causes a -2 penalty to the opponent's surprise
athnroawddibtoionnuasles+f1ortoahnisorbmonaul sd.warf and adds rolls. If a door or other screen is opened, the
bonus is lost. Duergar receive a + 2 bonus on
Special Disadvantages: Deep dwarves suf- their own surprise rolls.
fer a -1 penalty to all rolls in bright sunlight In addition to the standard saving throw
or within the radius of a continual light spell. bonuses against magical attacks (see Saving
Light spells have no additional effect. Throws), duergar are unaffected by paralysis,
illusion and phantasm spells. They are im-
Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, mune to all magical and alchemical poisons.
giants, and titans suffer a - 4 penalty to hit Against natural poisons they gain the stand-
deep dwarves. ard dwarf saving throw bonus.
In addition they possess the innate magical
Additional Experience Cost: +IO% experi- abilities of enlarge and invisibility. They can
ence points to gain a new level.
use each of these powers once per day. A
Life Expectancy: 380years.
duergar uses the enlarge ability as though he
Duergar were a wizard twice his own level. At 2nd level
duergar uses enlarge as though he were a 4th
Duergar, or gray dwarves, are typically
evil, but player characters can be of any align- level wizard. He may use it only to affect him-
ment. Most good or neutrally aligned races
are suspicious of duergar. self and whatever he is wearing or carrying.
Special Disadvantages: Duergar are ad-
Abillty Score Adiustments: The initial abili-
ty scores are modified by a - 2 penalty to versely affected by bright light such as sun-
Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. light or a continual light spell. They are not
The minimum and maximum ability scores affected by the light of torches, lanterns, mag-
are as shown. ic weapons, light or faerie fire.

Duergar Ability Scores Affected by bright light, his enhanced abili-
Ability Minimum Maximum ty to gain surprise is negated. Dexterity is re-
Strength 18 duced by - 2 and hit rolls are made at a -2
Dexterity 8 17 penalty.
3 18
Constitution 16 In situations where a duergar is in darkness
Intelligence 11 18 but his opponents are in bright light, his Dex-
3 15 terity and surprise advantages are unaffected,
Wisdom 3 but he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack rolls.
Charisma 3
Other dwarves distrust duergar ahd react to
them at -3 penalty. If the character kits are
being used, this penalty is cumulative with

-Character Creatlon s I

T

I

any incurred when choosing a particular kit. ground he must make a saving throw each day.
Raclal Enmltles: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, If he fails, he will want to leave the underground
by the most direct route.
giants, and titans suffer a - 4 penalty to hit
Duergar. These dwarves do not gain any ad- Underground, a sundered dwarf attacks
vantage when fighting orcs, half-om, gob- with a - 2 penalty to his rolls. Should he fail
lins, or hobgoblins. his claustrophobic saving throw, the penalty
increases by -1 for each additional day he
Addltlonal Experience Cost: Duergar re- stays underground. If he fails to reach open air,
quire 20% additional experiencepoints. he may attempt further saving throws each day
to overcome his claustrophobia. These saving
Life Expectancy: 400 years throws are made at the same penalty as the
dwarf's current attack roll penalty.
Sundered Dwarves
Racial Enmltles: Sundered dwarves are
Sundered dwarves are unlike any other harder for ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and
dwarves, tending to be dirty and unkempt, titans to hit. These races subtract - 4 from
though not as filthy as gully dwarves. They their attack rolls when fighting sundered
live on the surface and suffer from claustro- dwarves.
phobia.
Addltlonal Experience Cost: None.
Ability Score Adiustments: The initial abili- Ufe Expectancy: 250 years.
ty scores are modified by a -1 penalty to
Gully Dwarves
Charisma, and +I bonuses to Constitution

and Strength. The minimum and maximum
ability scores are as shown.

Sundered Dwarf Ability Scores Gully dwarves are stupid. They are master
Ability Minimum Maximum scavengers and have raised groveling to an art
Strength 8 18 form. They do not fight very effectively. Play-
Dexterity 3 17 ers should bear these restrictions in mind
Constitution 11 18 when considering playing a gully dwarf char-
Intelligence 3 16 acter.
Wisdom 3 18
Charisma 3 16 Ablllty Score Adjustments: The initial abili-
ty scores are modified by a - 2 penalty to
Languages: Common, any dwarf dialect, Charisma and +1 bonuses to Strength and
elf, goblin, orc, gnome, kobold, halfling, hob- Dexterity. The minimum and maximum abili-
goblin. ty scores are as shown.

Infravision: 30 feet. Gully Dwarf Ability Scores
SpecialAdvantages: None.
Special Dlsadvantages: Sundered dwarves Ablllty Minimum Maximum
Strength 6
are claustrophobic.A sundered dwarf must roll Dexterity 6 18
a successful saving throw w. death in order to 18
overcome hdiusnfgeeaornofs,thceavuensd, earngdrotuonmdbbse.foIrfethhee Constitution 8 16
can enter Intelligence 3 12
Wisdom 3 14
check fails, he may not enter. Once under- Charisma 3 12

Character Creation 33

Languages: Gully dwarf, common, gnome, Ability Score Modifiers
orc, goblin.
Constitution Modlflcn
Infravision: 60feet.
Special Advantages: A gully dwarf may at- Dwarves are nonmagical and gain the fol-
tempt to grovel. Any time he is in a dangerous lowing bonuses to saving throws against poi-
situation and is not immediately engaged in sons and magical attacks
melee, he may throw himself on the mercy of
his attacker, or faint in the hope that he will be Saving Throw Bonuses Table
ignored in the ensuing melee. This causes his
opponents to make a saving throw vs. spells. Constitution Save-Bonus
If they are successful they may attack the gul- 3
ly dwarf. If they fail they may not attack him 4-6 +1
for ld6 rounds, but they may restrain him or +2
tie him up. The saving throw is modified by 7-10 +3
the gully dwarf's level as shown on the Grov- 11-13 +4
eling Table. 14-17 +5
18-19
Groveling Table

Level Modifier Deep dwarves add a +1 to all above bo-
1-4 0 nuses.
5-8 -2
9-12 Magical Malfunctions
-3
13+ -5 Although they gain some benefits from be-

Special Disadvantager: Gully dwarves are ing nonmagical, dwarves suffer from it as
usually stupid. A player character gully dwarf well. If a magical item is not specifically cre-
is an exception to the rule, being superior to ated for the dwarf's class, there is a 20%
others of his kind by virtue of his ability to chance (40% for gully dwarves) that the item
think. However, players should not abuse this will malfunction when it is used. A check is
ability and allow their characters to concoct made each time the dwarf uses the item and
clever plans and schemes. Intelligence checks affects only the current use; it may work
may be requested to see if the character could properly the next time. This applies to rods,
actually come up with such ideas. staves, wands, rings, amulets, potions, horns,
jewels, and most other magical items. Also,
The chance of a magical item failing in the DMs should note that a malfunction
hands of a gully dwarf is increased from 20% is not
to 40%. usually just a simple failure to function. The
item usually does something dramatic and
Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, colorful, at the DMs discretion.
giants, and titans suffer a - 4 penalty to hit Dwarves have learned to master some mag-
gully dwarves. ical items. Weapons, shields, armor, gaunt-
lets, and girdles always work.
Additional Experience Cost: None.
Life Expectancy: 250 years.

34 Chapter Four

Dwarf priests and warrior/priests may use Standard Claw b i t Table
clerical items without malfunction. Character Class
Subrace Warrior Priest r n f
Dwarves also recognize cursed magical Hill 15 10 12
items that malfunction in their hands. They Mountain 16 10 12
may dispose of malfunctioning items. Deep

Underground Detection Abilities Duergar 14 12 10
12 12 14
Sundered 14 10 15
Since dwarves are essentially creatures of the Gully 8 8 16
underground, they gain certain detection abil-
ities automatically: Exceeding Level Llmltr
..Detect or Determine.
Grade or slope in passage Roll Id6 Charactersmay exceed the maximum levels
1-5 and advance to any level, but they must earn
New tunnel/passage construction two, three, or even four times the amount of
Sliding/shifting walls or rooms 1-5 normal experience points required for each
1-4 level. This is an optional rule.
Stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls 1-3
Approximate depth underground 1-3 Alternatively, a charactermay exceed maxi-
mum level limitsif he has extremelyhigh abili-
Combat Bonuses ty scores in his prime requisites. For example,
a hill dwarf wamor is limited to 15th level.
All dwarves, unless otherwise specified in With a Strength of 18, he may be allowed
the sub-class section, gain a +1 bonus to hit three bonus levels and advance to 18th level,
Bonus levels required are as follows:
orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins. If the
Bonus Levels Table Bonus Levels
campaign background makes it possible, this Prime Requisite +1
bonus may be changed. Instead, the object of 14,15 +2
their hatred may be any other monster. The 16,17 +3
character may come from a stronghold which 18 +4
has never fought orcs, but does have a long 19
history of warfare against drow and duergar.
In that case, give the +1 attack bonus against Movement Rates and Encumbrance
drow and duergar instead.
All dwarf subraces have a base movement
If this option is used, bonuses gained from rate of 6. If the optional encumbrance rules
are used, these may be adjusted for dwarf
character kits are added to it. characters. Because they are stocky and stur-
dy folk, they are more adept at carrying
Character Claw Mulmum Levels heavy loads than other races. To simulate this
with the encumbrance category rule, allow
The maximum levels dwarves can achieve dwarves to reduce the movement penalty as
are restricted and are listed according to sub-
race. Multi-classedcharactersmay advance to
the maximums of each class.

Character Creation 35

Sub-racial Thievlng Sldll Adjustments Table
Skill H-11l M+ou-ntain 1 ep -lewd GuUy
Pick Pockets +lo%
Open Locks % b
Find/Remove .b
- -15% -1 -25%
Move Silently

Detect Noise

Climb Walls -10‘ .. -5% -15%
Read Languages b

follows: Light encumbrance has no effect on a prefix and a suffix. Gender is indicated by
movement, Moderate reduces movement by the suffix, so male character names are gener-
oncthird, Heavy by one-half, and Severe by ated using the Male Suffix Table and female
two-thirds. names on the Female Suffix Table. For exam-
ple, a roll of 2 on the Prefii Table gives “Bal-,”
If the optional system is used, the charac- and a roll of 1 on the Male Suffix Table gives
ter’s movement rate is detennined using Table us “-aim:’ for the name Balaim.
48 on page 78 of the Player’s Handbook, ex-
Dwarf Name Generator Tables
cept that the modified movement rate is read
from the next column to the left. Cross refer- Prefixes(ld20)
ence the character’s Strength with his encum- 1 B- 11 Gil-
brance. At the top of the column is the 2 Bal- 12 Gim-
movement rate, shift one column to the left 3 Bel- 13 Kil-
and use the modified movement rate. For ex- 4 Bof- 14 Mor-
ample, a dwarf with a Strength of 16, carrying 5 Bol- 15 Nal-
100pounds, has a movement rate of 5. 6 D- 16 Noovr--
Thieving Skill AdJustments 7 Dal- 17
8 Dor- 18 Th-
The Thieving Skill Subracial Adjustment 9 Dw- 19 Thor-
Table gives adjustments to be made to a char- 10 Far- 20 Thr-
acter’s thieving skills by subrace. Those for
hill and mountain dwarves are the same as in Male Female
the Player‘sHandbook. Suffixes Suffixes
1 -aim 1 -a
Other Characterlstlcs 2 -ain 2 -ala
3 -ak 3 -ana
Each dwarf name consists of a prefix and a 4 -ar 4 -ip
suffix. To create a name either select or roll for

36 Chaptc lur

5 -i 5 -ia Startlng Age and Llfe Span
6 -im 6 -ila
7 -in 7 -ina Choose or generate a character's starting
8 -0 8 -on age and possible life span using the table be-
9 -or 9 -ola low. To determine starting age, add the die
10 -ur 10 -ona roll to the base starting age. You will only
have an idea of how long he is likely to live,
adIdfinygoua %,c;ann,<otd;cUrf;eatUes;.a Unka;mUern,?y# ouUt,l?i'kUVe,?,# troyr assuming he dies of old age1

"z" between the prefix and the suffix. As an alternative you may play an older
character, one who has been drawn or forced
Helght and Weight into adventuring late in life. Your character
Either choose your character's height and starts at 1st level, but his ability scores are ad-
justed to reflect his greater age as shown on
weight or generate them randomly. They are the Aging Effects Table.
listed on the table below for each subrace.
Take the base score appropriate for your race These adjustments may result in either ex-
and add the die roll modifier. Bizarre combi- ceeding or falling below the minimum and
nations should be ignored and rerolled. maximum abilities required for your subrace,
but this is not a problem as long as the charac-
Females tend to be lighter and shorter than ter met them before he aged.
males so the base numbers for height and Appearance
weight are divided into male/female values.
There is a broad range in each category. Now decide on the appearance of the
characteli-hair and beard color, eyes, skin,
Average Height and Weight Table and so forth. Look at the typical appearances
Race Height (in.) Weight (Ibs.) given for each subrace of dwarf for an idea of
Deep 45/42 +2d6 100/80+4d10 what the character might look like. Each of
Duergar 41/40+2d6 95/75+5d10 the optional character kits contains a suggest-
Gully 40/38 +2d6 80/65 +4d10 ed distinctive appearance to further flesh out
Hill 43/41 +Id10 130/105+4d10 any dwarf character.
Mountain 49/47+ldlO 145/115+SdlO
Sundered 50/48 +Id10 135/110+3d12

Aging Effects Table Venerable Maximum
Starting Middle Old Age**
Age* A1ge8"7 +++2A2Sddgd11eZ00O00
Race 434500A+++g234eddd11622 140 280
DWP 200 300
Duergar 'I cn
Gully

* -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis *"* -1 Str/Dex/Con; + 1 Int/Wis
** -2 Str/Dex; -1 Con; + 1 Wis Character Creation 37

I

Proficiencies

Profldency Slots

Weapon Nonweapon DetecHon
Profldender Profidendem Profidedes
Group Illitlal Xkv& Penalty Inltial # k v & Inltial #kveln
Warrior 43
Priest 24 -2 335 4
-3 4354

Proficiencies are the best way to quantify NonwerponProflciency Groups
the various skills that distinguish dwarves
from each other. Nonweapon proficiencies are used to add
more depth to a character and to assess his
Acquirlng Proflciencieo chances of success at certain tasks. Dwarves
come from a different cultural background
How weapon and nonweapon proficiency than humans and other races so they do not
slots are acquired is described on page 51 of automatically learn their nonweapon profi-
the Player's Handbook. Detection proficiency ciencies from the same groups. Dwarves may
slots are described below. draw proficiencies from the groups below, in-
stead of those on pages 54-55 of the Playerk
Refer to the following table when it is neces- Handbook.
sary to determine the number of proficiency
slots a character starts with, the number avail- The number of slots needed for proficien-
able, and at what levels new ones are ac- cies and the ability modifier may differ from
quired. those in the Player's Handbook. These
changed costs and ability modifiers are used
Weapon Proflciencies for dwarf characters only.
and Specialization
Initial nonweapon proficiencies have been
Only single-class fighters may have weapon selected for the various dwarf kits in the next
specialization. Multi-class fighter/priests and chapter. If you are using the kits, the tables be-
fighter/thieves have other benefits to offset low are only useful when the character gains
their lack of specialization. The Complete experience and becomes eligible for additional
Fighter's Handbook contains many new and slots. If you design your own kits, or do not
useful forms of weapon specialization that use kits, these tables will still prove useful.
will enhance the abilities of dwarf warriors.
YthoeuAdoDn&otPngeaemd etowuosreksitpienrfyeocutlry campaign, There are six dwarf nonweapon proficiency
well with- groups: General, Crafts, Warrior, Rogue,
out the optional rules, but they are recom- Priest, and Special Background. When a play-
mended. er selects a proficiency from those categories
listed under "Proficiency Groups," it requires
the number of proficiency slots listed. If a pro-
ficiencyis selected from any other category, it

38 Chapter Five

will require one additional Dwarf Nonweapon Proficiency Groups
proficiency slot beyond the
number listed. A proficiency GENERAL Check
not listed in any of the dwarf Modifier
groups may still be purchased Proficiency Relevant
(from the Plnyer's Handbook Animal Handling -1
or other supplement), but at Amraisinn Slots Ability +3
the cost of two additional pro- A k t i c Akility
ficiency slots 1 Wisdom 0
1 Intelliience 0
General Group: This group 1 Wisdom -1
is available to all dwarves. It is 0
part of their background and - . .._..
training. -2
Wisdom'
Craft Group: The craft 0
group represents the clan- Intdlieenr
based nature of dwarf society Check
and the long apprenticeships Etiquette 1 Charisma
that young dwarves undergo FircBuildinn 1 Wisdom Modlflor
before becoming adults. A 0
dwarf may choose one craft at Navigation, Underground 1 Intelligence 0
no cost in proficiency slots. Riding, Land-Based 1 Wisdom
.
Warrior, Priest, and R o p e Sound Analysis 1 Wisdom
Groups: Multi-classed charac- G r w l v a UweVgm Relevant 0
ters may select proficiencies * Underground only.
for each of their classes. A CRAFTS Slots Ability
warrior/priest could choose Proficiency
from both Warrior and Priest Agriculture 1 ligence
groups. Animal Training

Special Background This Carpentry 1 DeXtAtv
group is only used if the dwarf Cobbling-
is from an unusual back-
ground, such as dwarves who
live in a stronghold subject to
heavy flooding during the
spring thaw. These dwarves
would have learned to swim to
avoid drowning when their

tunnels filled with water. They

may also have become expert
boatwrights and boat han-
dlers.

Proficiencles * 39

Herbalism 2 Intelligence 0 Nonweapon
Leatherworking 1 Intelligence 0 hoflclencles
Locksmithing 1 Dexterity +1
1 Wisdom 0 New proficiencies are de-
Weaving 1 Intelligence scribed here, with additional
WARRIOR -2 information about dwarf pro-
Proficiency Relevant ficiendes. Those not described
Alertness Slob Ability Check are unchanged from the de-
Animal Lore scriptions in the Player's
1 Wisdom Modifier Handbook.
Mountaineering +1
Survival 1 NA Alertness
(Hills, Mountains) 1 NA NA
THIEF NA A character with this profi-
Proficiency Relevant ciency is able to instinctively
Alertness Slob Ability Check recognize signs of disturbance
Blind-fighting
1 Wisdom Modifier ginivtehseaim+m1ebdoiantuesvoicnintihtey.cThharis-
Juggling 1 NA +1
Musical Instrument NA acter's surprise rolls when he
1 Dexterity makes a successful proficiency
Ventriloquism 1 Dexteritv -2 check.

0 Animal Lore

-2 The effectiveness of this
proficiency varies according
to the background of the
dwarf. A dwarf who has lived
his entire life underground
knows little about animals liv-
ing above ground, but he will
be very knowledgeable about
those underground. +I1nmtohdis-
case, a dwarf gains a
ifier to his Intelligence when
Tdealing with underground ani-

mals, but has no know1
surface creaturee.. A sun ereOdf
dwarf who fears the under-
ground may only have knowl-
edge of above ground animals.

40 Chapter Flve 3

Dwarves with backgrounds PRIEST Relevant check
Profidency Slot8 Ablllty MOdifiW
of trade with other races or Ancient History
who live both below and Astrology 1 Intelligence 0
above ground, may have n o r 2 Intellinence 0
mal animal lore proficiency
with no modifiers, knowing Reading/ Writing 1 Intellice +1
both above and below-ground Religion 1 Wisdom 0
animals. Spellcraft 1 Intelligence
-2
A character may imitate the SPECIAL BACKGROUND Relevant Check
Modifier
calls and cries of animals as Proficiency Slots Ability
described in the Player’sHand- Boating 1 Wisdom 0
Boatwright 1 Intellinence -2
book. IFishing 3 Wisdom -1
NA
Armorer Mountaineerin Intelligen 0
Navigation Wisdom -1
Dwarves are more adept at Riding, Airbor -1
making armor than other Survival Intellinmce
races. Their armorers are the Swimming 1 Stdh
finest in any world and their Weather Sense
special skills are carefully hid- 1 Wisdom
den from outsiders. They are
capable of producing high
quality armor very quickly.
Instead of 2 weeks per level of

AC below 10, a dwarf armorer

requires only 1% weeks per

point of AC below 10.While a

human armorer takes 10
weeks to make a suit of chain
mail, a dwarf armorer labors
only P/z weeks (5 x 1VZ).

The Complete Fighter’s
Handbook contains extensive
rules about the use of the ar-
morer proficiency and is rec-
ommended to any character
interested in utilizing this pro-
ficiency to the fullest.

Proficiencies 41

Astrology This proficiency is distinct from Navigation
Astrology is only available to dwarves who and Seamanship, which apply to s h i p on
oceans, seas, and large lakes.
live on or near the surface of the world. Deep
dwarves and others who do not have easy ac- bortwrlght
cess to the surface do not have the astrology The boatwright proficiency allows a char-
proficiency. In order to use astrology, you
have to see the stars. acter to construct all kinds of watercraft up to
Bllnd-flghtlng a maximum length of 60 feet. Larger vessels
cannot be built.
Blind-fighting is cheaper for dwarves; they
only gain the benefit when fighting invisible o p The time required to build a boat depends on
ponents. Their inherent infravision allows them
to fight effectively, even in total darkness. size. As a general guide, a boat requires one

Boatlng week of construction time per foot of length.
Two characterswith the boatwright proficiency
A character with the boating proficiency is
needed to guide a boat down a rapid stream cut this time by half; three reduce it to one-
and to reduce the danger of capsizing a canoe
or kayak. He also assures the maximum speed third. A maximum of one boahvright per five
of a boat. feet of length can work on the same vessel.

The basic boat includeshull, masts (if appli-
cable), deck, and benches as required. Fea-
tures such as a cabin or a sealed hold add
about a week apiece to complete. Characters
without the boatwright proficiency can aid

42 Chapter Five

the boatwright in construction, but two such might convey pages of human or elf writing or
characters equal the time savings that one ad- be as simpleas a sign saying “stairs.”It‘s a mat-
ditional skilled boatwright could provide. ter of knowingwhat the rune means and how
it is to be interpreted in context. Dwarven
Dlrectlon Sense runes do not contain conjunctions or pro-
nouns, but proper names are represented by
Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to their modi- altering an existing rune. Thk makes runes
fier when using their direction sense under- difficult for other races to understand, and
ground. They may use it above ground, but at dwarves consider themselves superior to races
a - 2 penalty to Wisdom. Sundered dwarves who cannot read even the most simple of
should reverse these modifiers to reflect their them. Only dwarves know them at no cost.
fear of the underground.
Endurance
Dwarf R u n t s
A hardy and resilient race, dwarves auto-
Dwarf runes are the basic dwarven alpha- matically gain the Endurance proficiency (see
bet and are taught to all young dwarves as a the Player’s Handbook,page 58) at no cost.
part of their basic education. Depending on
the campaign background, runes may have F ~ g Rlecognltion
been a gift from the gods, a creation of the
dwarves themselves, or an altered form of Although they prefer not to, dwarvessome-
some other written language. Dwarves will times have to survive on a diet of fungi. They
still claim runes to be an intrinsic part of their would rather use these as supplementsto their
cultural heritage, and they may take offense if regular diet, but when times are hard, or when
accused of having copied runes1 involved in an extended underground expedi-
tion, it is useful to be able to tell edible fungi
Dwarven runes are found engraved in stone from the poisonous or unwholesome vari-
and only rarely written on such transitoryma- eties. Approximately 50% of underground
terials as parchment, cloth, or paper. They are fungi are poisonous. They may cause an upset
used to denote ownership, give warnings of stomach or be so poisonous they cause death.
nearby dangers, and record history. The It is impossibleto harvest edible fungi without
tombs of dwarves who have been properly in- the fungi identificationproficiency.
terred, as opposed to hasty burial during bat-
tle, are engraved with runes which tell the If the character has plenty of light and an
occupant’s clan, parentage, children, and opportunity to study the fungus in question
deeds of his life. In the absence of proper in- closely for 10minutes, no proficiency check is
terment, dwarves erect stone monoliths or en- required. If he is unable to see the fungus
grave entire cavern walls depicting the deeds properly, often the case when using infra-
of their dead. These list the clans, the names vision, or has to make a hasty decision about
of those who died, and the nature of their edibility, a proficiency check must be made.
deaths. The numbers of slain enemies are Gem Cuttlng
greatly detailed.
A dwarf with this proficiency may cut 2d8
Dwarven runes are not a phonetic form of gems per day instead of ld10. He also has a
writing, but a conceptual one, with each rune greater chance of increasing the value of a
delineating an idea or implying a range of

ideas depending on placement. A single rune

Proficlencies 9 43

gem. If a dwarf rolls a 1or a 2 during cutting, A 6th level warrior attempting t+o6inbtiomnuidsattoe
he increases the value of the gem to that of the an HD1- 1goblin would gain a
next most valuable class (see page 134 of the his intimidation ability. Against a 10th level
human warrior, our 6th level dwarf's intimi-
DUNGEON MASTER Guide). For example, dation proficiency would be reduced by -4.
Higher level characters are less likely to be in-
Duram is cutting a fancy stone with a finished timidated.
value of 100 gp. He does an exquisite job and When a character is attempting to intimidate
actually increases its value to that of a pre- more than one character, and all are within 1-4
cious gem with a value of 500 gp. experience levels of each other, the level is the
average of them. If one or more characters are
Any character who fails a gem cutting roll over five experience levels above the others,
cuts the gem, but does so poorly and reduces the highest experience level is used, the other
its value to the next lower category. Duram, characters gaining confidence from the pres-
flushed with success, tries his hand at a pre- ence of a powerful individual.
cious stone with a finished value of 500 gp but When attempting to intimidate more than
he slips with his chisel and reduces its value to one, the number of characters is used as a neg-
that of fancy gem (value 100gp). ative modifier. If a dwarf is attempting to in-
timidate five goblins, his intimidate
A character who rolls a 20 when cutting a proficiency is reduced by -5.
gem splits it in half and ends up with two uncut Intimidation may only be used against in-
gems with a combined value one class lower telligent creatures: slimes and shambling
than that of the original gem. Duram starts one mounds are too stupid to notice that someone
more gem. It has a value of 50 gp. He places his is trying to intimidate them.
cutting clamp, over tightens the jaws, and splits Player characters are never forced to sub-
the gem in half (he rolls a 201).He now has two mit to intimidation, and may choose how they
uncut gems with a value of 5 gp each. are going to react to an attempt.
Intimidation
Local Dwarf History
This proficiency allows a character to in-
timidate others to do as he wishes. It involves This proficiency is different from the local
an implicit threat of violence. Threatened history proficiency, a character with this pro-
NPCs will do as they are told, but will harbor ficiency is only knowledgeable about dwarf
resentments against him. If an opportunity history. This is chiefly concerned with lin-
arises for intimidated NPCs to revenge them- eages and events affecting dwarves. It deals
selves they will do so. with the founders of the clans and strong-
holds, and traces the descendants to the
Intimidation may be attempted with one of
two abilities, Strength or Charisma. If intimi- present. The battles and events of clan and
dating by Strength, the character is threaten-
ing immediate, personal, bodily h a m . If by stronghold are known, as well as the fates of
Charisma, the intimidation consists of subtle those who have left to establish new homes or
threats, which need not be physical. No mat- who perished while adventuring.
ter which ability is used, the intimidation at-
tempt is always modified by the difference The extent of geographical knowledge is
between the experience level of the intimidat- dependent on the campaign background,
ing character and the experience level or Hit Those who have had no contact with the
Dice of the victim(s). Creatures with less than world above may be totally ignorant of what
one Hit Die are considered to have a level of 0.

44 Chapter Flve i

6

’I - i !

lies on the surface, but will have extensive Mining
knowledge of their own stronghold. Those
whose relatives have established new strong- The Player’s Handbook provides basic in-
holds or are members of such strongholds formation on mining and this proficiency is
would have knowledge of the area between described in detail in Chapter 8. Mining oper-
the two and some knowledge of the geogra- ations are usually at the heart of dwarf strong-
phy surrounding them. Even so, most holds.
dwarves, unless they live in closeproximity to
other races, have a very hazy idea of where Modem languages
the sea is, for example.
The modern languages dwarves may learn
While a character with this proficiency are determined by the campaign background.
knows dwarf history, his knowledge of the If a character lives in a stronghold which has
history of other races is minimal. If humans had no contact with goblins, he is unlikely to
fought a great battle against each other, a have learned goblin. The languages for
dwarf who did not live with humans is not dwarves in the Player’s Handbook should be
likely to have heard of it. If the battle in- considered as suggestions only. Dwarves may
volved dwarves he would probably know of learn any languagethat suitstheir background.
it. If it involved dwarves from his own strong- Suggested languages are: deep tongue (under-
hold or clan, he would have extensive knowl- common), drow, elf, gnome, goblin, local hu-
edge of the events leading to it and the course man common tongue, kobold, orc, troll, ogre.

of the battle. As with some other dwarf profi- Pest Control

ciencies the exact extent of an individual’s This proficiency is used to keep dwarf
knowledge is determined by his background. strongholds free of pests like rats, carrion
crawlers, jermalaines, kobolds, and other
The local dwarf history proficiency may be small creatures. Similar to the set snares profi-
used to entertain other characters. When so ciency, it is concerned with catching under-
engaged, he gains a +2 bonus to his Charisma ground pests and does not use snares. Traps
while dealing with dwarves. With other races are set to trigger metal cages, drop nets, or
he does not gain the bonus, because dwarf sto- iron doors which shut off individual tunnel
ries tend to be dull, slow moving and overly sections. Spring traps or small deadfalls may
concernedwith who is related to whom, their be rigged (damage ld6 maximum) using this
places of origin, and all of the places the he- proficiency.There is no - 4 modifier when us-
roes‘ ancestors founded along the way. Trying ing pest control to trap larger creatures.
to tell a dwarf story to hostile beings is likely
to incite them to violence. Orcs will not be im- Only thief characters may use this profi-
pressed, even with the best-told dwarf tale. ciency to rig larger traps suitable for human or
orc sized creatures. These traps may include
Lockrmlthlng crossbows, larger deadfalls, and spiked
springboards.
With the locksmithingproficiency a charac-
ter can make and repair all kinds of mechani- A character with this proficiency does not
cal locks. Thieves with this proficiency gain a have the ability to make the items required for
10% bonus to their lockpickingskill, because these devices, he can only set the traps and
they are intimately familiar with the internal their triggers.
structure and working of locks.

Proflciencies 45

A proficiency check must be rolled when mum range is usually line of sight in a lit area,
the trap is set. A failed proficiency check or the extent of the receiver's infravision. Sign
means that the trap will fail to operate. It may may be an extensive language capable of han-
not have been set properly, was poorly con- dling long conversations, or simply a means
cealed, or it was too small or too large for the of communicating a few easy to understand
creature to trigger. phrases such as "attack:' "orcs behind the
rock:' or "you three move left." A proficiency
Setting a trap takes one hour and the char- check is made when speaking or interpreting
acter must have the proper equipment and sign. The +2 bonus should only be used when
materials with him. giving short, easily recognized commands.
More detailed signals require a -1 modifier.
Characters with the animal lore proficiency
gain a +2 bonus when attempting to set traps Signalling
to catch animal pests. The signalling proficiency allows a charac-
Ridlng, Alrborne
ter to send messages underground using
This proficiency is rare among dwarves, sound. To send a signal, tap on a section of
and is most frequently found in those living in wall with a rock, hammer, or a piece of metal.
remote mountain areas, among dwarves who The sound will echo through rock to a dis-
have befriended giant eagles or have tamed tance of ld4 miles. The sound transmitted by
and trained winged mounts: griffins, hippo- this proficiency resembles morse code and it
griffs, or others. This proficiency may not be may be used to send extensive messages or
used to leap onto the backs of mounts, unless short commands and instructions. To send a
you also have the jumping proficiency. In oth- message, roll a proficiency check. If success-
er respects, this proficiency is unchanged from ful, the message transmits as desired. If not,
the Player's Handbook. the message may be only partially understood
Riding, land Animals or complete nonsense. It may even convey a
meaning contrary to the message sent. Suc-
Because of their stout, stocky build, cessful transmission of a message is no guar-
dwarves are uncomfortable riding horses or antee that it will be understood by the
other animals of similar size. They are capable receiving end and proficiency checks are re-
of riding donkeys, ponies, and smaller crea- quired to correctly interpret the message. It is
tures. Dwarves may leap onto their saddles. possible to fail to understand an incorrectly
Some suitable mounts for dwarves are dire sent signal, yet still infer a message from it,
wolves, giant boars, and giant lizards. one very different from what was intended.
Sign language Slow Resplratlon

Sign language is most frequently used by A character with this proficiency has the
dwarves who were engaged in long running ability to enter a deep trance and reduce the
warfare with other dwarves or races. It per- amount of air he needs to stay alive. To in-
mits silent communication with anyone who duce the trance, he must be in a restful posi-
sees and understands the signals. The maxi- tion, either sitting or lying down. After
concentrating for one turn, pulse and breath-

46 * Chapter Five

ing drop well below normal, so that breath- acters to all creatures in hearing range. They
ing requires only 10% of the rate when rest- will certainly be prepared, and may go look-
ing. The character emerges from his trance at ing for the intruders.
will, fully aware of anything which has oc-
curred nearby. Survival, Underground

Smelting Underground survival provides knowledge
The smelting proficiency is closely tied to of the underground. It helps the character dis-
tinguish between edible and poisonous insects
the Mining proficiency. Between them they and to be able to determine the safety and sta-
provide all of the metal to the strongholds. bility of tunnels, cavern ceilings, and the like.
With this proficiency a smelter can be operat-
ed. See Chapter 9. Underground Navlgation

Sound Analysis A character with this proficiency can deter-
This proficiency allows a character to gauge mine direction underground and the shortest
route to the surface. By careful analysis of air
the size of underground areas by generating currents and contents, a character can even de-
noise and analyzing the echoes that return. termine whether there are any pockets of poi-
Using this skill, he can calculate distances up sonous gas in the air. A successful proficiency
to one mile, and determine sound direction. check is required to use the proficiency.

To use sound analysis, the character must Werponrmlthlng
work in absolute silence. The sound created
must have a sharp, staccato quality. A howl A dwarf weaponsmith is not only more
or wail is ineffective, but a clicking sound, or skilled than a human one (Intelligence -1, in-
loud "hey" works well. stead of -3), but capable of producing weap-
ons at a faster rate. The costs remain the
The PC must make a proficiency check. If same.
the check is successful, he has correctly ana-
lyzed the size of the area in question to within Weapon Construction Table
plus or minus 25% of its height, width, and Construction Material
length. If the check fails, the echo has become Weapon Time Cost
Arrowhead 7/day 1 CP
garbled in its reverberations. No further at- Battle Axe 7 days 10 sp
Hand Axe 3 days 5 SP
tempts by the PC to analyze that area will suc- Dagger 3 days 2 SP
ceed, though others with the proficiency may Heavy Crossbow 15 days 10 sp
try. Light Crossbow 12 days 5 SP
Fork, Trident 15days 10 sp
A proficiency check of 5 or less means the Spear, Lance 3 days 4 SP
character has learned not only the size of the Short Sword 15 days 5 SP
analyzed area, but other details as well: the Long Sword 23 days 10sp
number of branching side passages, whether Two-handed Sword 34 days 2 gP
there is a straight or wandering corridor, and
whether or not water exists.

The disadvantage of this ability is that,
while it is useful for learning about a com-
pletely unknown area, it announces the char-

Proflciencies 47

The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains Uslng Detection Proflclencles
extensive rules on the use of the weapon- Detection proficiencies may be used any
smithing proficiency and is highly recom-
mended to those interested in using the profi- time a dwarf is underground, within 10feet of
ciency to the fullest. the particular phenomena. Determining depth
underground is the exception to this rule and
Dwarven Detection may be attempted any time.
Proficicncier (Optional)
To use a detection proficiency, a dwarf must
Not all dwarves have the same ability to de- concentrate for one melee round. Any modi-
tect underground phenomena, some are better fier for the proficiency listed in the Detection
than others. Detection proficiencies may be Proficiency Table is added to the appropriate
used as an alternative to the system described ability score. A +1modifier is acquired if the
on page 21 of the Player's Handbook to detect dwarf is actually touching stonework. Detec-
slopes, new tunnels, sliding walls, stonework tion proficiencies are checked by rolling ld20.
traps, pits, deadfalls, and depth underground.
Like nonweapon proficiencies, it is an option- If the character rolls his adjusted ability score

al system. If you don't use nonweapon profi- or less, he is successful, otherwise he fails. A
roll of 20 always fails.
ciencies in your game, then detection
proficiencies may be ignored. If you do use If successful, the dwarf sees the phenome-
them, detection proficiencies will adapt the non or becomes aware of his approximate
abilities more smoothly to your game. depth underground. If he fails, he cannot try
Number of DetectlonProflclencles again within that 10-foot area.

A dwarf character receives his standard Improving Detection Proflclencles
number of nonweapon proficiency slots ac- The Proficiency Slots Table shows the num-
cording to his character class. In addition, he
receives another five slots solely to buy detec- ber of levels the character needs to attain to a c
tion proficiencies. The initial number of profi- quire new detection proficiency slots. These
ciencies increases if he is of high Intelligence. slotsmay be spent on any detection proficiency,
Detection proficiency slots must be used to
purchase detection proficiencies, but may be but not nonweapon or weapon proficienaes.
spent on any the player wishes. However, nonweapon proficiency slots may be
spent to hurove detection proficiencies.

.Dwarven Detectlon Profidendea Table # of Slots Relevant Check
Requlred AbUlty Modifier
Detect or Determine.. Wisdom
Grade or Slope in Passage 1 Wisdom +4
New TunneVPassage Construction 1 Wisdom +4
Sliding/Shifting Walls or Rooms 1 Wisdom
Stonework Traps, Pits, and Deadfalls 1 Wisdom +2
Approximate Depth Underground 1 0
0

48 Chapter Five

I CHAPTER
I
Dwarf K i t s 6
I

I

The kits in this chapter allow further indi- class characters are an exception. A player
vidualization of dwarf characters. Each kit is a with a multi-dass character is not restricted to
collection of abilities, proficiencies, advan- thw options. He may choose any one kit
tages, and disadvantages which better define from those relevant to his character. A war-
the character. rior/priest could choose a warrior, a priest, or
a warrior/priest kit. A character may have
The kits are entirely optional. A dwarf only one kit.

character can easily be created without them, A multi-classed character is not allowed to
but the kits will add detail. Only one dwarf kit
is allowed per character. specialize in any weapon when selecting a
warrior kit. A few of the multi-class kits allow
It is possible to incorporate these kits into characters to be weapon specialists, but these
are the only ones allowed. The Battlerager
existing campaigns. A kit must be compatible cannot be usedas a multi-class kit, only single
class warriors may use this kit.
with a character’s past actions, background,
and established personality traits. If a f i i t e r The Compositionof the Kits
has been played as cautious and careful, re-
Each kit consists of several elements:
sorting to combat only when negotiation has First is a description of the background, a p
pearance, and manner of the characters in this
failed, it would be unseemly to make him a kit, including any requirements necessary to
Battlerager. take the kit.

Once a particular kit has been assigned, it Role:The role of the character in dwarf 80-
cannot be exchanged for a new one. The char-
acter can abandon it, but gives up all benefits ciety and in the campaign.
and hindrances.
Secondary Skllb: If you are using the sec-
When designing a new character, first deter- ondary skills rules from the A D & P2nd Edi-
mine his ability scores, class or classes, spe-
cialization, and alignment. Once these tion game, the kit may require your character
elements have been decided, choose a kit, pro- to take a specific skill instead of choosing or
ficiencies, money, equipment, and other de- randomly rolling for it. It is recommended
tails. that, in order to get the most out of the kits,
you use the weapon and nonweapon profi-
The kits in this book are unique to dwarves. ciency rules instead.
Although other races may have similar kits,
these kits are permitted to dwarf characters Weapon Roflciendes: The kit may require
only. However, the kits in the Complete Play- a dwarf to take a specific weapon proficiency,
er‘s Handbook series may be used with dwarf or to choose one from a limited range.
characters, wless explicitly stated otherwise.
When using the Complete Fighter‘s, the Com- Weapon proficiencies required for a kit are
plete Priest’s or the Complete Thief’s Hand- not bonum unless specified. T h 9 must be
books, their guidelines should be followed. taken to fill the weapon roficiency slots
available to a 1st level dwart!
Five different character classes are discussed
in this chapter. There are kits for warriors, Bonus Nonweapon Profidendem Charac-
priests, thieves, warrior/priests, and warrior/ ter kits provide bonus nonweapon proficien-
thieves. A character may only use a kit which cies free, without having to spend any of the
belongs to his class. It is not possible, for ex-
ample, for a thief to use a warrior kit. Multi-

i

Dwarf Klts 49