Dwarfs live under the mountains in elaborate subterranean cities. From them, they launch expeditions deep into the earth to pry gold and silver from the unyielding rock.
Dwarfs have thick, stout bodies, limbs corded with muscle, and bellies bulging from their fondness for alcohol and food. All dwarfs, male and female, wear elaborate facial hair, braiding it in their clan designs, decorating it with silver or gold rings, or greasing it up into unusual shapes.
Creating A Dwarf
Starting Attribute Scores Strength 10, Agility 9, Intellect 10, Will 10.
Perception equals your Intellect score +1
Defense equals your Agility score
Health equals your Strength score +4
Healing Rate equals one-quarter of your Health, round down
Size 1/2 Speed 8 Power 0 Insanity 0 Corruption 0
Languages and Professions You speak the Common Tongue and you also speak, read, and write Dwarfish.
Darksight You can see in areas obscured by shadows or darkness within medium range as if those areas were lit. Beyond this distance, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as lit.
Hated Creature Choose a creature from the Hatred table. Your hatred grants 1 boon on attack rolls made against creatures you hate.
Robust Constitution You take half damage from poison. You make challenge rolls with 1 boon to avoid or remove the poisoned affliction.
Level 4 Expert Dwarf
Characteristics Health +6
You learn one spell from a tradition you have already discovered or gain one of the following talents. Shake it Off You can use an action to heal damage equal to your healing rate and remove one of the following afflictions: fatigued, impaired, or poisoned. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.
Sturdy as the Mountain You ignore the Strength requirements for wearing armor and using weapons. In addition, whenever you would be knocked prone, you can use a triggered action to make a Strength challenge roll. On a success, you do not fall prone.
Dwarf Age
| 3d6 | Age |
|---|---|
| 3 | You are a child, 20 years old or younger. |
| 4-7 | You are an adolescent, 20 to 30 years old. |
| 8-12 | You are a young adult, 31 to 50 years old. |
| 13-15 | You are a middle-aged adult, 51 to 100 years old. |
| 16-17 | You are an older adult, 101 to 150 years old. |
| 18 | You are a venerable adult, 151 years old or older. |
Dwarf Build
| 3d6 | Build |
|---|---|
| 3 | You are short and scrawny. |
| 4-6 | You are short and fat. |
| 7-8 | You stand a bit shorter than other dwarves. |
| 9-12 | You are average in height and build. |
| 13-15 | You have a magnificent belly. |
| 16-17 | You are tall. |
| 18 | You are tall and heavy. |
Dwarf Appearance
| 3d6 | Build |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | You have a monstrous appearance, likely due to hard living and several near misses. Your face is a mass of scar tissue, probably missing an ear, an eye, or your nose. You also display some unusual habit, such as pounding nails into your skull or greasing your body with troll fat. |
| 5-6 | You have several interesting features that work together to make you one ugly brute. Filth from digging in the dirt, mites infesting your hair, skin lashed with healing scars, and a rich aroma of vomit—all these contribute to your distinctive style. |
| 7-8 | You look like a typical dwarf, being hairy, portly, and grubby. |
| 9-11 | You take better care of yourself than most dwarfs and keep your facial hair well-groomed. |
| 12-15 | You take pride in your appearance. You stay clean, oil your facial hair, and perhaps braid it or tie it with metal rings. |
| 16-18 | You are quite fetching for a dwarf. You have regal features, good bearing, and a deep voice. You take pride in your appearance. |
Dwarf Hatred
| d20 | Hated Creature |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Ogres |
| 3-4 | Troglodytes |
| 5-6 | Beastmen |
| 7-8 | Black Orcs |
| 9-10 | Goblins |
| 11-12 | Hobgoblins |
| 13-14 | Trolls |
| 15-16 | Giants |
| 17-18 | Dragons |
| 19-20 | Demons |
Dwarf Background
| d20 | Background |
|---|---|
| 1 | You sold your soul to a devil to gain wealth. The devil betrayed you and left you penniless. You start the game with 1 Corruption |
| 2 | Your ancestors appeared to you in a vision and sent you to recover a fabled relic. |
| 3 | You accidentally killed someone close to you. |
| 4 | You stole gold from a rival clan and the theft shames you. |
| 5 | You fought against the creatures you hate and lost. |
| 6 | You brought shame to yourself and your clan. You live as an exile, searching for redemption, even if that redemption comes with a glorious death. |
| 7 | You were taken prisoner by the creatures you hate. You lived as a slave for 2d6 years. |
| 8 | The creatures you hate overran your home and wiped out your clan. |
| 9 | You survived a cave-in and get a bit nervous when underground. |
| 10 | You earned a living working in your profession. |
| 11 | You are a sworn servant of the Dwarf King. |
| 12 | You are a gifted artisan. Add artisan (any one) to your list of professions. |
| 13 | You traveled extensively. You speak one additional language. |
| 14 | You inherited a battleaxe or a warhammer from an ancestor. |
| 15 | You discovered a vein of gold under your mountain home. |
| 16 | You hunted down and helped kill a creature you hate. |
| 17 | You performed a great deed, and you are a hero to your clan. |
| 18 | You have a key to an ancient treasure vault lost to the dwarves long ago. |
| 19 | You are the rightful heir to a stronghold overrun by the enemies of your people. |
| 20 | You came into money and start the game with 2d6 cp. |