Copyright: AD&&D® - Copyright 1999 TSR Inc.
Citation: Copyright 1999 TSR Inc.


Complete Book of Dwarves

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®

2nd Edition Player's Handbook Rules Supplement

The Complete Book of Dwarves

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Creation of Dwarves

Chapter 2: The Dwarf Subraces

Hill Dwarves

Mountain Dwarves

Deep Dwarves

Sundered Dwarves

Duergar (Gray Dwarves)

Gully Dwarves

Chapter 3: Your Life as a Dwarf

Dwarf Clans

Loyalties

World View

Dwarven Crafts

Dwarves and Humor

Wealth

Crafts

Individualism

Emotions

Attitudes Toward Other Races

War to the Death

Isolationism

Dwarven Hearths

Dwarves' Diet

Clothing

Music and Singing

Chapter 4: Character Creation

Hill Dwarves

Mountain Dwarves

Deep Dwarves

Duergar

Sundered Dwarves

Gully Dwarves

Ability Score Modifiers

Other Characteristics

Chapter 5: Proficiencies

Acquiring Proficiencies

Weapon Proficiencies and Specialization

Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

Nonweapon Proficiencies

Dwarven Detection Proficiencies

Chapter 6: Dwarf Kits

TheComposition of the Kits

Warrior Kits

Animal Master

Axe For Hire

Clansdwarf

Hearth Guard

Battlerager

Highborn

Outcast

Rapid Response Rider

Sharpshooter

Priest Kits

Crafts Priests

Pariah

Patrician

Ritual Priest

Warrior/Priest Kits

Champion

Temple Guard

Vindicator

Thief Kits

Diplomat

Entertainer

Locksmith

Pest Controller

Warrior/Thief Kits

Ghetto Fighter

Trader

Vermin Slayer

Wayfinder

Chapter 7: Role Playing and Personalities

The Dwarven Personalities

The Decadent

The Glory Seeker

The Grumbler

The Hoarder

The Optimist

The Paragon

The Phobic

The Pragmatist

The Statesman

Chapter 8: Mining

Conducting a Survey

Mine Products

Quality of Mine

Types of Mines

Excavating a Tunnel Mine

Playing Out a Mine

Overseeing Mining Operations

Chapter 9: Equipment

Smelters

New Weapons

Two-handed Battle Axe

 	Close Combat Weapons

 	Head Spike

 	Knee and Elbow Spikes

 	Glove Nail

 	Chain Flail

War Machines

 	Grinder

 	Ballista

 	Orc Masher

Chapter 10: Dwarf Strongholds

Designing Dwarf Strongholds

The Stronghold of Bazzakrak

Chapter 11: Designing Dwarf Campaigns

Creating a History

The Importance of Myth

The Importance of the Gods

The Races of the World

Wars and Conflicts

Campaign Environments

Creating New Kits


Credits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
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

Typesetting by Gaye O'Keefe

Icons by Laurie Yockey

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Table of Contents


Introduction  (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Introduction

Balor the Hill Dwarf Introduces the Dwarves

Dwarves are the greatest race ever created by the gods. We are far superior to the pansy elves, smelly goblins, dirty orcs, and misshapen humans. Dwarves are perfectly shaped, solid and strong, like the stones that form our dwellings. Our skins are the color of the earth, our hair and beards are of the finest hue and texture imaginable.

 	Dwarves are more than just an attractive race. Imbued with unchanging attitudes and steadfastness, we do not waver, even in the face of great adversity. Well suited to our lives underground, we can see in the dark and detect underground dangers and pitfalls. Our craftsmen have created the finest cities and buildings in the world. Our bridges and high vaulted chambers are wonders to behold, with a strength and permanence of form that other races have never duplicated.

 	We have no fear of magic. We shake off its effects as easily as we slay the goblins who lurk in the dark. We are impervious to poisons and noxious substances that would kill those of lesser races. Such is our vigor that even cursed weapons fail to possess us, for our inherent vitality is invincible.

   	Dwarves are also great warriors, well disciplined, and organized into armies that strike fear into evil monsters everywhere. Our combat skills against the filthy dark dwellers are beyond question. It is a particularly stupid goblin, pig-faced orc, or brainless hobgoblin who does not quake with fear at the sound of dwarven boots. Our battle axes have drunk deeply of the blood of such creatures, our hammers have smashed thousands of their skulls. We will continue until there are none left to kill. That is not an idle boast, it is an oath.

   	Yet we are a peaceful people. We do not seek war, nor do we steal from others. Those are the actions of other, less honorable races. We see to our own and those who attempt to steal that which is ours will die. That is not a threat, it is the way of the dwarf. If you do not wish to feel our wrath, leave us alone.

Dwarves As You Know Them

The Monstrous Compendium®, Volumes One and Two, discussed hill and mountain dwarves, and the duergar (gray dwarves); where they live, their appearance, combat abilities, friends, enemies, and how they view the world.

   	The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® 2nd Edition Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide introduced methods of creating dwarf characters. The Complete Book of Dwarves expands the scope of previous texts by making available new subraces of dwarves and by providing new rules for players and DMs. All of the new information is directed specifically to dwarf characters.

Dwarves As You Will Know Them

Player charecters have usually been hill dwarves. Now you will be able to choose from six subraces of dwarves. In addition to hill, mountain, and duergar, three other types of dwarves are introduced in this book: deep, gully, and sundered dwarves. While these have appeared in other AD&D game products, they are made available here with the same attention to detail that the hill dwarves were given in the Player's Handbook. Each of the six subraces of dwarves has its own special advantages and limitations, which make the characters unique and fun to play.

   	Your Life as a Dwarf examines the social organizations of the dwarves and the crafts clans. It describes a typical family and details dwarf education.

   	Character kits have been previously introduced with this series. They enlarge the basic character classes of warrior, thief, and priest. The Complete Book of Dwarves presents 24 new kits created especially for dwarf characters, including seven kits designed exclusively for use by multi-class characters. Kits like animal master, axe for hire, and hearth guard greatly expand the kinds of characters that can be played.

  	In Chapter 7, players will find useful hints on playing typical, and not so typical, characters. You will also find extensive information on the background and stronghold of your character, in Chapter 11. Dwarf strongholds are not merely fortresses, but homes and work places as well. Some strongholds may not even be fortified, but dwarves will always refer to their home as a stronghold. It is a matter of racial pride and a warning that a dwarf's home is well defended.

   	DMs will find the expanded information invaluable in fitting dwarf characters into their campaign worlds. Whether dwarves are a dominant race or just a people living in isolation under the earth, there are plenty of suggestions and ideas for strongholds and adventure settings.

The Complete Player's Handbook Series

The Complete Book of Dwarves complements the other books in the series. These handbooks contain information useful to dwarf characters and there is a wide range of character classes to choose from. The Complete Priest's Handbook, with its descriptions of dwarf religions and optional rules for priests, is particularly recommended. Also recommended are the Complete Fighter's and Complete Thief's Handbooks for their new combat options, weapon specializations, thief abilities, and thieves' guilds. All three of these books are indispensable to DMs and players with dwarf characters.

   	The Complete Book of Dwarves is specifically targeted to dwarves adventuring in their own societies and provides extensive background information on dwarf cultures, society, creation myths, and campaign settings.

   	Like the other books in this series, the rules presented in this book are optional. Although the other books in this series are useful they are not essential. All you need to use this book are the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master'sGuide.

   	If you use the Complete Book of Dwarves with the original AD&D® game, instead of the AD&D 2nd Edition game, be aware that the references refer to AD&D 2nd Edition books. Players using older books will need to ignore some of these. In most cases, the relevant material will be found in the index or table of contents.

   	Finally, many of the rules presented in this book depend upon the use of weapon and nonweapon proficiencies described in the Player's Handbook. If you have not been using these proficiences in your campaign, we highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with them and introduce them into your game.

Table of Contents


The Creation of Dwarves (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Chapter 1: The Creation of Dwarves

Recorded by Marak, Golden-Hammer, son of Jardak, Hammer of the Orcs

In the age before the beginning of time there were no dwarves, elves, or humans and the world was not yet made. Only the Eternal Forge existed, in the Home of the Maker, in the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame. Into the Eternal Forge the Maker placed stone and fire. As the fire heated the stone it expanded, and rivers of molten ore ran from the interior of the stone, flowing along its sides. With tongs and hammer the Maker forged the world. He struck and titanic mountains rose from the surface; again, and hills formed, leaving deep valleys and great hollows.

   	When he was pleased with its shape and form, he quenched the world in the Trough of Life. As the water struck the surface, clouds of steam rose to form the sky. The waters of the Trough settled in valleys and flowed into the hollows to become seas.

   	The Maker held up his work and saw that it was fitting. He set the world upon a great pinnacle of the finest mithril, and there it remains until this day.

   	The Maker laughed and decided to test his world. He would make a race of miners and forgers and they would strive to find the mithril pinnacle upon which the world rests, deep in its heart.

   	And so the Maker returned to the Eternal Forge in the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame. Taking water from the Trough of Life and stone from the earth he held them together. When he was satisfied, he added molten iron to strengthen it. He gathered this fine alloy and shaped it on the Anvil of Spirit. To assist him, the Maker created the gods. He beat them into their shapes. Like him, the gods were broad and stocky, with fine, long beards of rusty-red iron or shimmering mithral.

   	Then he quenched them in the Trough of Life so that they, like the world, could take part of its life-giving waters. One by one he lifted them up and blew on them. Their eyes opened and they lived.

   	The Maker had forged the gods from the elements of the earth, but his work was not yet finished. He took the Gods of Crafts and taught them how to make things that would please him; he taught the God of Fire to burn and to fan the flames of life. He taught the Gods of the Elements the use of their powers. He revealed to them all the place of the gods in the world.

   	Then the Maker took rock and iron and heated them in the Eternal Forge. He forged the most pleasing shapes. These he took and quenched in the Trough of Life, and so the first dwarves were created.

   	Each of the gods then took one of the dwarves and revealed to him the secrets imparted by the Maker. But to Frar, the Father of Dwarves, the first King, the Maker himself spoke. He told Frar of the mithril pinnacle and gave him the gift of wisdom to rule his people. And so the First Dwarves came into the world in full knowledge of their arts and crafts.

   	Once the First Dwarves had learned these things, the Maker placed them in a land he had chosen for them on the earth, into the mines and caverns he had created for their entertainment and their joy. In these sacred caverns the First Dwarves multiplied and prospered, but some became restless and went in search of greater riches. These were Glordin Anvil Forger, son of Bardin Hammer Beater. . .

The original text continues with a catalog of genealogies. As we resume the narrative, a thousand years have passed, and dwarfkind has expanded through the valleys and mountains of the land.

After the First Dwarves had been laid in their tombs, Blight came into the world. The god of Evil nursed a dark and ancient envy of the Maker's creation of the dwarves. In cheerless caverns, which knew not the glow of dwarves' hearts, he labored to imitate the maker. Goblins, hobgoblins, evil giants, and other monsters he made, and dreamed that they would destroy the dwarves. In imitation of the Maker he labored, but he lacked the true water from the Trough of Life to mix with the stone and to make clean clay. And so they were tainted with his impurities.

   	Not content to work his own will, his twisted tongue sowed discontent among the gods. A few began, like him, to imitate the Maker. So it was that elves, gnomes, halflings, and humans came into the world. But these races lacked the iron that had been forged into every dwarf's soul, they were sickly and pale to behold. To compensate for their deficiencies, the god of Evil bestowed magic. He had overlooked dwarven resistance to his evil, so it was used by other races against themselves.

   	Then did the god of Evil send his creatures against the dwarves. The monsters were driven back many times, yet they bred quickly and returned again and again in ever increasing numbers.

   	Now at this time the lesser races spread over the world above, and they learned of the wealth of the dwarves. And so, men and elves began to covet the dwarves' jewels and mineral wealth. Some sought to trade, others lied and used treachery to acquire dwarven treasures. An alliance of men and elves formed against the dwarves and they brought war to the mountain homes. Thus were the great gates of the dwarf kingdoms closed and the stone halls sealed from the evil of those beneath the sun.

   	The lesser races, not content to leave the dwarves in peace, began to dig into the earth, but knew naught of its ways. Their folly awakened the dragons.

   	The dragons rose in the fury of broken sleep demanding tribute, but the lesser races could not satisfy their greed. They appeased the dragons with tales of dwarven gold, and told them that the mining of the dwarves had disturbed their slumber. Those who had traded with dwarves told what they had learned of the secrets of their realms. And so the dragons came to our ancestral halls and blew in the gates. Spitting fire, they slew many. Those who survived fled their inheritance into the world above.

   	Since that day new homes have been created and we give thanks to the Maker for our increased wealth. But prophecy says that one day the caverns of the First Dwarves will be reclaimed. Then will we be free from the attacks of monsters and the ways of elves and humans.

   	I, Marak Golden-Hammer, son of Jardak, Hammer of the Orcs, son of Makktat Elf-Slayer. . .

The text again is given over to genealogies before ending with Marak Golden-Hammer's seal.

The Creation of the World

Dwarves are a long-lived race, 350 years on average, and so they are closer to the creation of the world than shorter lived races, such as humans. Dwarves have a clear idea of how they and the world came into existence and this in turn affects how they see themselves, the world, and other races. Many are the myths of creation. The Scrolls of Narvil, much debated, describe creation as an accident.

After the Creator had forged the world and made the dwarves, he became weary and slept. Some Lesser Gods, jealous of the Creator's skill, bound him as he slept. They heated the Great Forge to make races in their own likenesses, men, and elves. These they placed upon the world.

   	But they fell to arguing among themselves over which part of the world should be given to their peoples. The clamor of dispute woke the Creator who saw what they had done and became angry. But they laughed at him and bound him fast and swore he would never be released.

   	They fueled the fire of the Eternal Forge and continued to work. However, they did not know how to control the Great Forge and it became too hot. Great globules of molten stone flew into the air and fell to the earth. As they fell, the Creator breathed on them to cool them so that his people would not be injured. The force of his breath gave life to the molten fragments and these became dragons.

   	And so, of all the creatures of the earth, only the dwarves and the dragons were made by the Creator. Dwarves by the skill of his hands, and dragons by the power of his breath.

The idea of a forge to create the world and its people is a typical dwarven myth. Marak and Narvil share the myth, though they name it differently. Marak speaks of a Maker and Narvil of a Creator. Dwarves in different parts of the world will have contrasting views of the creation myth, in far kingdoms even contradictory views.

   	Some might believe the world was an accident, a piece of rock that was chipped away from a greater one by the blow of a hammer or other force, and became separated from it, and developed on its own.

   	The creation story is normally part of a greater cycle of creation, in which the world is created only to be ravaged, but ultimately saved, as Narvil foretold:

The Creator tried to break his bonds, but they were too secure. He argued with the Lesser Gods but they would not listen. "You cannot rule the world unless you can work the forge," he warned.

   	Sometimes when the forge became too hot or too cold, he gave the Lesser Gods advice, "add more air", "use less fuel". They laughed at him for his weakness in telling the secrets of the forge. Again he warned: "One day, the forge will burn beyond your control and the world will be seared by the heat of its flames. Then you shall free me or all will perish, even we. Then will I bring justice to the world you have abused. And my people shall be saved from your waging of war."

Other myths exist. Gully dwarf priests believe the world was swallowed by a giant monster, digested, and later reformed.

   	Many foretell the destruction of all within the world. Some tell of a world ravaged by dragons who burned away all life with their fiery breaths. Only the races living deep within the world survived. Dwarves, orcs, and goblins, protected in their subterranean homes, escaped the wrath of the dragons.

   	Different mythical beliefs may cause friction between dwarves and other races and even among the dwarves themselves. Most mountain dwarves shun humans and believe in the quest for mithral, the metal of unconquerable weapons. Irvak, a mountain dwarf teacher, tells children why.

Beware the ways of man. He is greedy and avaricious beyond understanding. He seeks to possess wealth and riches, but most of all power over others. It is our duty to resist the mad lust of humankind to dominate other races. Not all men are evil, but the worst are their leaders who lead them into wars against us. It is written that only through the power of mithral can we protect our halls.

This mountain dwarf credo is rejected by Yakir, a gully dwarf priest.

Learn to accept the ways of humans, we have no other choice. If a man kicks you, keep out of reach of his boot. If he spits at you, it will not break your bones. We breed slowly and must protect our numbers. If we fight mankind, they will eventually kill us all. Avoid wealth and riches, but if you must have treasure, hide it well in a filthy place where none would guess to look. Always avoid mithril and those who bear it. It is so precious that men are driven crazy with desire.

What is the World?

To most dwarves the world is made up of the dark places underground. The lands above are strange and remote. Almost certainly they would have been formed or shaped by the gods of other lands. Most dwarves believe that the world is made up of a number of parts created for different peoples. Dwarves were given the deep earth as their own, elves the forests, halflings the fields; each in their own place.

   	Many believe that the whole world was originally given to the dwarves. Their legends contain tales of how parts of the world were taken away by other gods when they created the other races.

   	Few dwarves could have any real knowledge of the shape of the surface of the world and their subterranean lives have caused them to develop some very strange beliefs: worlds shaped like a globe, an egg, a flattened disk, a jagged rock with a central pinnacle and even a great depression in the earth, among them.

   	Many legends are concerned with the depth of the earth. Many deep dwarves believe that it is possible to tunnel so far down that the diggers emerge through the bottom of the world. Their priests and sages argue incessantly as to what lies at the bottom of the word. Some claim that only empty space exists beneath the world. Most deep dwarf miners believe that the world rests on a spike of gold that will one day make them rich beyond even dwarven dreams of avarice. Some duergar religions proclaim that the world rests on their dwarvish equivalent of hell and, if they dug through to it, they would gain the aid of the evil creatures who dwell there. With the aid of these allies, the duergar would destroy all who oppose them.

   	Some think the world is a living organism or an intricate machine that needs careful maintenance if it is to continue. They believe each race was created to look after its part of the world, the dwarves caring for the underground realms.

What Are the Celestial Lamps?

Dwarves may have been created underground, but sooner or later they emerged into the world above. At that point they wondered about the lights moving in the sky, and what the sun was. The dwarves compared these celestial bodies to fire beetles or bright gems rather than natural phenomena. Narvil's scrolls equate the sun with the blazing flames shooting from the chimney of the Great Forge.

After their arguments, the Lesser Gods grew weary and slept. The Creator, bound and tied, remained vigilant. Through the night he watched the Great Forge slowly cool. When the flames were almost extinguished, and all was dark, he blew on the embers to light the fire. Red embers and fresh flames blew up the chimney of the forge and created the First Dawn.

The heavens are interpreted differently by Or-Kazil, the gem-master and mystic who caught the light of the sun and placed it in the gems of Arbir. On the stone of his hall is an inscription. The difficult text is a masterpiece of dwarven poetry.

Fear is the sun. The light. Carried by the watchman in daily traverse.

   	Great is the light of his torch. It conceals his presence.

   	Fear is the moon. Its ghostly light. Gray scarred surface, a spoiled gem.

   	Bring me a jewel from the night sky. One that twinkles in the watchman's light as he walks behind the world.

   	Set it upon my tomb.

The Dwarven Gods

In one creation myth the gods were made by the Maker into shapes he found pleasing. In other creation tales all gods descend from a common ancestor, and have since multiplied. Each god, at his birth, chose his own form to be superior, then created a race in his own image. The gods mated with their creations to make other gods, which then took their place in the pantheon.

   	Tales abound of racial heroes elevated to godhood for great deeds or leading exemplary lives. Ancestor worship thrives among these heroes' descendants.

The Dwarven Afterlife

Like humans and other races, dwarves have their own view of the afterlife. The majority of dwarf warriors and priests expect to journey to some great hall of heroes to wait for the day when they will be called upon to fight their enemies once again. Craft oriented dwarves look forward to an afterlife of hard work and other pleasures. The more pessimistic religions even claim that no afterlife exists. They do, however, say that a dwarf can gain immortality by leaving stories of his deeds, or by creating superior artifacts.

Table of Contents


The Dwarf Subraces  (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Chapter 2: The Dwarf Subraces

Basic information on dwarves can be found in the Player's Handbook. This chapter provides additional material about hill, mountain, sundered, deep, duergar, and gully dwarves. The differences between them may have been part of their creation or may have evolved over thousands of years of hard living.

   	The following descriptions are provided as background only, not definitive guidelines. Although each subrace is given an alignment, individuals may have their own alignments. Similarly, the subrace does not depend on location. Mountain dwarves may be found living at depths normally associated with deep dwarves. Although they live at such depths, they are mountain dwarves, not deep dwarves.

   	Chapter 4 describes adjustments to attributes and experience levels for each type of dwarf. Here we are concerned with origins, appearance, and the social and psychological differences between the subraces.

Table of Contents


Hill Dwarves-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Hill Dwarves

Hill dwarves live in areas of rolling hills. Their strongholds are primarily located underground, though they frequently have outposts on the surface.

   	A typical hill dwarf stands 4 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds. He is stocky and muscular. His skin is a deep tan or light brown in color and he has ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. His hair could be black, gray, or brown. He favors dark, somber, earth-toned clothes, and wears little jewelry.

   	Hill dwarves are the most common dwarves. They have adapted well to life 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 descended from mountain dwarves.

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

(See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Mountain Dwarves-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Mountain 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.

   	A typical mountain dwarf is, on average, 42 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 descended from them. They are wary of hill dwarves because of their closer dealings with humans, elves, and other races. They are clannish and keep to themselves. The majority are of lawful good alignment.

(See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Deep Dwarves-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Deep Dwarves

Deep dwarves live far beneath the surface of the earth. They may always have lived there, or they may have gone deep underground to escape a dreadful cataclysm, marauding monsters, or perhaps were driven downward by mountain or hill dwarves.

   	Deep dwarves average 4 feet to 42 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 carries a reddish tinge. Their eyes are large, but without the sheen of their surface cousins; in color, a washed-out blue. Hair color 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 tainted by the influence of other races.

   	Frequently neutral in alignment, deep dwarves may also be lawful good or lawful neutral. They are just as conservative as hill or mountain dwarves, and consider themselves to be the sole repositories of dwarven culture.

(See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Sundered Dwarves-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Sundered Dwarves

Unlike most dwarves, sundered dwarves live on the surface. Once hill or mountain dwarves, they were cut off from their kin and traditional ways of life. Where deep dwarves went downward, sundered dwarves were forced onto the surface.

   	They may have been driven there by volcanoes or earthquakes that 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 have 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 42 to 5 feet, a typical sundered dwarf is slightly taller than a mountain dwarf, but he is of slimmer build, weighing about 155 pounds. His skin is usually lighter than a hill dwarf's, more pink than brown. His hair is dark with tinges of blue. Stronger than other dwarves, they gain a +1 bonus to Strength in character generation.

   	Sundered dwarves are usually lawful neutral in alignment. Their society retains its traditional lawful organization, but is more concerned with maintaining its laws than ensuring that all citizens share in its benefits.

(See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Duergar-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Duergar (Gray Dwarves)

Duergar, or gray dwarves, live deep underground, sometimes below the deep dwarves. They rarely venture above ground, finding it painful, except during heavily overcast days or at night. The light does not cause them damage, but it does affect their ability to see clearly.

   	A typical duergar is 4 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. Emaciated, they possess pasty skins and white or dull gray beards. Men and women may be bald, and those who are not usually shave their heads.

   	Most duergar are lawful evil with neutral tendencies. Other dwarves find their ways repulsive. Duergar war on other dwarf races, and sometimes even join forces with orcs and other evil races to raid dwarf strongholds.

   	They frequently compete with deep dwarves for living space and minerals. Usually the duergar are bested in such struggles. Consequently, numerous duergar strongholds are exceptionally poor, having been driven into areas rejected by others. In some cases, however, this may have been to their advantage and may have led them to the discovery of hidden subterranean wealth that they could secretly acquire.

   	Duergar may at one time have lived with other dwarves before they were driven into the deep for their worship of evil gods. They may have been created by the evil gods to balance the races of lawful good dwarves. If that is the case, they will have a divine mission to eradicate or enslave all dwarves of good alignment.

   	Even though their society is evil, they still retain many of the social structures of hill and mountain dwarves. They are clan based, but their crafts are usually inferior to those of other dwarves.

(See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Gully Dwarves-- Description (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Gully Dwarves

Gully dwarves are the most degenerate of all the dwarf races. Lacking any racial pride, they make virtues of cowardice, filth, witlessness, and dirty tricks. They live in abandoned strongholds, human villages, or in old mines 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 light 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 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 crawlers have been known to turn up their tentacles rather than eat a gully dwarf.

   	Where do they come from? Other dwarves claim they are a cruel jest played by the gods on a mischievous stronghold of dwarves. Narvil 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, although they may be employed to perform menial tasks. Enclaves of gully dwarves could exist in most strongholds where they would be little better than slaves.

   	Gully dwarves are often of chaotic neutral alignment, but this diverse people may be of any alignment.

  (See also Monstrous Manual, Player's Handbook, and Player's Option: Skills & Powers)

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Your Life as a Dwarf (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Chapter 3: Your Life as a Dwarf

This chapter examines the lifestyle of the dwarves, the organization of the clans, and the family, the smallest unit of dwarf social organization.

   	The clans are the basis of dwarf society. A few dwarves follow professions that set them apart, but they are influenced by mainstream dwarf society, its values and structures, though they may no longer follow these.

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Dwarf Clans (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Dwarf Clans

Gareth, a human merchant, on the dwarf clans:

   	The dwarves are a close knit bunch, all right. Make no mistake, entire families carrying out the same trade. It's almost unheard of for one of them to take up a different trade from that of their clan. They like to keep things in the family. Most of them don't differentiate between their clan and their guild.

   	The dwarves like to keep things tightly regulated. Every product has a fixed price and a time assigned to making it.

   	Trying to bargain with them is like trying to batter down one of their strongholds with your head. No give and take. No matter how many of them you try to deal with, the price is always the same. Take it or leave it. It's the worst kind of restrictive trade. Worse than we had 'round here before the government stopped it.

   	Still, I'll say one thing for them, you know you're getting quality goods every time. They never try to sell you anything shoddy or of inferior quality. It's a matter of pride for them.

   	Dwarf clans are family groups that are all related to one another. All the members of a clan trace their lineage back to a common ancestor. This could be the founder of a stronghold, but it may go back only as far as the previous generation.

   	Each clan specializes in a particular craft or skill: blacksmithing, mining, and weaponsmithing are examples.

   	Different clans usually live close to each other so that they can trade skills among themselves. The relationships between clans are complicated and interdependent. The blacksmith clan needs to eat, so they trade with bakers and butchers.

   	Most clans are concerned with the manufacture of goods and services. They love to create things from raw material, and delight in the working of stone and metal. There are clans that specialize in military and political activities. Military clans include specialists, such as Hearth Guards, Animal Masters, and Sharpshooters. A political clan is usually responsible for governing the stronghold and comprises the king's or ruler's own family, plus other high born dwarves. These dwarves have undergone long apprenticeships in their chosen trade and are experts. Like other dwarves, they are convinced that they are always right. They tend to be argumentative with outsiders, even with political families from other strongholds.

   	In major strongholds, each clan practices its own craft. In smaller ones, a clan may practice a number of crafts. Out of preference, dwarves practice one craft only, and that one skill may be honed to a higher level than would be possible if two, three or four skills were practiced.

   	Dwarf priests are drawn from all the clans in a stronghold and may be the only dwarves who are not tied closely to their clans. Many priesthoods, like those concerned with arts and crafts, are a part of their clans and closed to all others. The priests who serve the blacksmith's god, for example, are the spiritual leaders of that clan.

Clans and Guilds

The clans are regulated by guilds that legislate all matters of trade. Guilds specify weights and measures, quality, and the pricing of items.

   	For example, the Guild of Bakers establishes the weight, price, and ingredients of loaves of bread. All clans conform to these strictures. Those of other strongholds will have different strictures imposed by their guilds. This leads to situations where dwarves from one baker's clan will get into heated arguments with a baker's clan from another stronghold over which one's loaf is of the correct weight. This, combined with their stubborn nature and inability to compromise, is why dwarves are so wary of each other. One view is always right, and all others always wrong.

   	(Note, however, that this does not mean that dwarves slavishly adhere to narrow production standards. Within the limits established by the guilds is tremendous room for individual expression. In fact, two loaves of bread that conform to the same guidelines may appear completely different to the uninitiated. And each guild typically has a bewildering array of accepted standards to choose from for any specific type of item.)

   	Even though the guilds control the business of the clans, they may not control the clan politically. This is left to elders who handle marriage arrangements, housing, and political dealings with other clans. The elders are the oldest dwarves in the clan. They are frequently also the richest, having amassed large fortunes over the centuries. Some may be guild masters, but this is not a requirement. When this does occur, differences between clan and guild become even more blurred.

New Clans

New clans are formed when a dwarf decides to take up a different profession from that of his own clan. He may learn a new profession by apprenticing himself to another clan with the understanding that he will either become a member of the clan through marriage, or that he will practice his new trade at a different site. In both cases, he relinquishes membership in his original clan and swears never to reveal the secrets of its guild to others.

   	If he has served his apprenticeship and does not marry into the new clan, he is obliged to move to a different stronghold or found a new one. His descendants follow his profession. Although still related by blood to his original clan, he is no longer considered to be part of that clan. Ties to his immediate family remain strong, and he may call upon them for aid if he needs assistance. If he is attacked or insulted, his brothers and sisters will quickly come to his aid, as will others of their clan, but he cannot expect their help in matters of trade and daily life.

Clans and Society

A sick or injured dwarf will be fed and cared for by his clan. Those in good health are expected to work in order to maintain the welfare and reputation of the clan. No dwarf would ever do otherwise.

   	Someone who cheats or doesn't pull his own weight earns the disapproval of his fellow clansmen. He will be warned and pressure will be brought to bear to ensure that he does not bring the name of the clan into disrepute. If he does not heed the warnings, he will be ostracized. An ostracized dwarf loses all benefits provided 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, and the guild will lift the ban. If not, he will be left to himself and even his family will shun him.

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Loyalty (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Loyalties

To an outsider, dwarf clans appear very complex, and the relationships between them highly convoluted, because they are. Dwarves would not organize their lives any other way. They know where their loyalties lie: first to the family, then to the clan, the guild, the stronghold, and then to any other strongholds to which the clan is allied. Dwarves are a proud race and maintain their loyalties. They are willing to defend each other, often to the death. An insult against one dwarf is considered to be an insult against all dwarves.

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World View (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

World View

Most dwarves choose life underground. It is unusual for them to live in a surface settlement unless events force them up.

   	Living underground for thousands of years has affected the world view of dwarves dramatically. They believe themselves to be the dominant race in the world, the primary force of civilization and culture. This attitude applies even in campaigns where other races are actually predominant. Dwarves who live below ground don't care who controls the land above so long as they are left alone. The surface races may as well be on another plane of existence. Dwarves see little reason to communicate with other races unless an overpowering common cause exists.

   	This dwarfcentric view is deeply rooted in all dwarves, regardless of where they live, even when among other races. Dwarves in such places may grudgingly admit that humans or elves have achieved some level of civilization and political power, but these are inferior to their own achievements.

Love of Stability

Life underground has had a lasting effect on dwarf personalities. They have developed an instinctive love of earth and rock that represent stability and permanence. Earth and rock may be tunneled and carved, arched and buttressed, yet they remain always solid and reliable.

   	The sea, however, is ever changing, with no stability, and prone to tempestuous storms. It represents the force of chaos prevalent in the world above, and is the antithesis of the safe, womblike caverns that are home to the dwarves.

   	Themes of solidity and reliability recur continually in the dwarvish world view. The world is solid and constant, so life should be conducted in the same manner. This is closely allied to their predominantly lawful good alignment.

   	Dwarves value law and order, and see these as part of the natural order of the world. Society should be as solid and reliable as the stone of the earth. Dwarves live 350 years on average, during which time trees grow and die, axe hafts are made and replaced many times, and wooden structures decay and rot away. Compared to the strength and durability of metal and rock, other things seem very transitory. Building to last means building well.

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Dwarven Crafts (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Dwarven Crafts

Dwarves are expert craftsmen not out of some god-given ability, but because they serve long, exacting apprenticeships. Dwarves traditionally serve a 25-year apprenticeship, which begins at the age of 25. To dwarves this is part of life. "A job worth doing, is worth doing well." This attitude is deeply ingrained and explains why dwarves love to create beautiful objects and lavish so much time on them. They seek to create that which will last until time's end, and they have difficulty comprehending why other races consider work a chore rather than an act of artistic expression to be savored and enjoyed. Dwarf craftsmen, because of their skills, produce weapons, armor, and other goods more quickly than other races, yet of superior quality.

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Dwarves and Humor (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Dwarves and Humor

Dwarves are viewed as humorless, if not downright grumpy, by other races. This is a fair assessment. They do not often tell jokes, and have no appreciation of practical jokes. Society is based on law, order, and a respect for one's fellows. A dwarf does not abuse that respect by ridiculing another's dignity.

   	Dwarves love to work and find pleasure in it. This pleasure is so spiritually uplifting that any attempt at humor appears facile. Those not content with work or their position in life may need such diversion, but humor is seen as insult.

   	That's not to say that dwarves are humorless, they have a very black humor concerning their racial enemies, but their sense of humor is very different from that of humans, for example. They do not find jokes about personal suffering or failure funny. They do find those based upon clever stories entertaining. The problem is that dwarven jokes tend to follow a standard narrative pattern. Because of their great length, endless genealogies, and catalogs of dwarven concerns, it is difficult for other races to maintain any interest in them. Dwarf comedians, telling jokes to other races, are frequently annoyed when audience attention slips after 15 minutes or so, or when the audience has no concept of the importance of lineage in the joke's 'punch paragraph!' Races who have been subjected to dwarven humor fail to realize that it does not rely on the delivery of one liners, but on the slow presentation of a chapter, if not an entire book.

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Wealth (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Wealth

The dwarven concept of wealth is different, as well. Dwarves are attracted to objects for their intrinsic beauty, not for any commercial value. They prize fine workmanship, but know that craftsmen only augment what the earth has provided.

   	Gold has the greatest significance to them, not for its value, but for its natural beauty and pliability. In the hands of a master craftsman, gold can be heated and poured into molds, beaten with a hammer, drawn into wires, or carefully filigreed with a chisel. Well made golden objects are treasured for workmanship and beauty. Poorly made objects are melted down to be remade as coins or other objects.

   	Dwarves are aware of the scarcity of gold, and of its value. No dwarf has ever sold gold at less than its current value, a fact that has led other races to see them as mean and avaricious.

   	The dwarves' passion for gold is well known, as is their love of gemstones. They love to possess these treasures of the earth, polishing and cutting them into brilliant shapes that catch the light perfectly. Each stone is seen as a shining example of the beauty of the earth. To those who have left their underground homes, they are reminders that true beauty comes from within the earth.

   	Dwarves are well aware of the value of gems. Where others value stones by weight and scarcity, dwarves value them according to their beauty.

   	They have, however, no desire to own or collect pearls. As products of the sea and 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.

   	Gold and gems are their greatest loves, but other metals are important to them too. Platinum has many of the attributes of gold and is even rarer. Silver is easy to work and holds its shape better than gold. Its color is not as desirable, but it has its own appeal. Copper and other metals are also considered beautiful. While other metals are more common than gold, their comparative rarity lends them value.

   	Iron ore is crucial to the dwarves. With it they make weapons, armor, forges, and tools. Iron ore veins are seen as the bones of the earth; bones bequeathed to the dwarves to be used for their own purposes. When forged with carbon, dwarves transform iron into steel that is durable and hard without being brittle.

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Crafts (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Crafts

Though they would love to work exclusively with gold and gems, dwarves are a practical folk. They know that iron and steel wear hard and are infinitely more practical as tools. Therefore they work extensively in iron and steel. Dwarf craftsmen produce some of the finest weapons, armor, and tools in any world. These goods, because of their quality, bring higher prices that are gladly paid for dwarven craftsmanship. All crafts necessary to ensure the strongholds are places of beauty are also worked.

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Individualism (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Individualism

Dwarves willingly live under lawful institutions, respecting privacy and personal space. Law induces order, organization, and a stable society. The society reflects the natural order of the world, with everything in its proper place. Laws exist to be obeyed, not to be broken. Society exists so that dwarves may be free from unnecessary intrusions.

   	Even though law is important, dwarves are fairly individualistic. They have personal views that they rarely make known to others, one reason they are seen as a taciturn race. However, when a dwarf thinks that his own views are not being heard, he will become grumpy, silent, and bear his distress stoically.

   	This stoicism, and the desire not to grieve others, is evident in the way they view wealth as a private matter. Only powerful and respected dwarves are expected to display wealth openly, and even then ostentatious displays are frowned upon. All dwarves are expected to, and prefer to, keep their wealth hidden.

   	It is considered bad manners to flaunt accumulated wealth. Such behavior is offensive and has caused dwarves who travel in the surface world to be deeply insulted. Wealth, particularly gems and precious metals, are for personal delight. They should be carefully hoarded and displayed for one's closest family or cherished friends. It is a mark of acceptance and friendship among dwarves for one to reveal his wealth. By doing so, he is not only sharing the joy of his possessions, but is saying, "You are my friend, whom I trust not to steal from me." (The exception to this, of course, is wealth displayed through excellent craftsmanship in utilitarian items. A beautifully crafted and gilded axe with an inlaid gem or two is not ostentatious if it is functional. Dwarves claim this is not a subjective distinction, but most other races find it hard to follow the reasoning.)

   	Other races, and elves in particular, find this attitude very strange. Humans and elves delight in the display of their wealth, allowing 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.

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Emotions (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Emotions

A private people, dwarves often have difficulty expressing emotion. Their society is structured to make displays of anger, envy, jealousy, and hatred unnecessary. They are capable of harboring grudges and hatreds, but these are usually directed outside of the stronghold.

   	Dwarves rarely insult or distress each other, but other races distress them greatly. Not giving them the respect they demand, enquiring casually about wealth, or making them the butts of jokes, are guaranteed to make dwarves angry. But this anger will normally only show itself as a scowl or a contraction of the brows. Other races have concluded, therefore, that dwarves are humorless, not realizing that dwarves do not release their anger. They allow it to simmer and increase until they explode, becoming their own stereotypes #grumpy, taciturn, stubborn, and unyielding. Dwarves often despair at the extremely poor manners of other races.

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Attitudes Toward other Races (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Attitudes Toward Other Races

Dwarves are basically good people. They seek to harm no one, merely to coexist with them, or even better, to be left alone. Because of their good nature, dwarves have been known to persevere in the face of insults and inexplicable behavior. They have banded together with men and elves in times of crisis, and have entered long term trade agreements of mutual benefit.

  	They have little patience for the ways of humans who simply do things wrong. Humans either waste time in petty pursuits or are so keen to achieve their goals, they are willing, almost eager, to be forceful and rude. They have no conception of the proper rhythm of the world, which is hardly surprising since they allow their lives to be dominated by the changes of night and day and the seasons. No sooner do they achieve something, than their children want to change it, replace it, or worse, lose interest in it entirely.

   	Elves should know better, but they lack the simplest virtues of patience, diligence, and consistency. They are renowned for wasting their lives enjoying themselves instead of producing lasting goods.

   	The differences between elves and dwarves have led to many disagreements. This usually occurred because dwarves considered agreements to be binding until the end of time, while the elves thought they were to last as long as they were useful. Entire strongholds may have been threatened or destroyed because elves failed to honor a pledge. Perhaps some minor slight elves have forgotten, has been harbored and nurtured and passed on to the next generation.

   	As fellow underground dwellers, gnomes are looked upon more favorably by dwarves, though the gnomes' delight in black humor and practical jokes has caused friction.

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War to the Death (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

War to the Death

Dwarves do not compromise when dealing with evil races, particularly when competing with them for living space or when their welfare is threatened.

   	Dwarves detest drow, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and evil giants, eradicating them whenever found. Some strongholds are not above ensalving such creatures and forcing them to work in labor camps.

   	Their hatred of evil races is as ancient as the 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 from their ancient strongholds by orcs, goblins or other creatures of darkness. They now bear a burning and eternal hatred for them.

   	Dwarves have no doubt that they are involved in a war of massive proportions. It is known as the "War to the Death," for the dwarves have sworn to fight until their enemies are destroyed.

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Isolationism (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Isolationism

The dwarves' desire for isolation should be no surprise. Clannish by nature, many are suspicious even of dwarves from other clans, to say nothing of other strongholds.

   	It is among mountain dwarves that isolationism is strongest. Mountain dwarves prefer not to deal with other races. They even have difficulty understanding hill dwarves. Some of them believe that hill dwarves have been contaminated by living closely to other races; "hill dwarves have lost the rock of their dwarvishness."

   	All dwarves have a tendency to isolationism; to what extent that affects individual player characters depends on the background of the character.

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Dwarven Hearths (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Dwarven Hearths

Dwarven families are called hearths, a term which means "the place where children are born and raised." The hearth is the basic unit of dwarf society. A clan may be composed of two to a hundred or more families, depending on its strength.

   	A hearth includes grandfather and grandmother, their children, and any offspring of their children. Family members share the same dwelling and are extremely close-knit. Unlike human or elf families, the dwarven hearth is not an insular unit, but part of a larger clan. Hearths within a clan are united by blood, and this links the clan together, making it more than just a collection of individual families.

   	A hearth has a single line of descent. Cousins, aunts, and uncles are not part of the hearth but, as members of the clan, are close to the family.

   	In some ways the hearth is a convenient social organization rather than an important entity in its own right. Its primary purpose is to create a legal and social environment into which children may be born and to provide a stable environment in which children may be nurtured and educated in the rudiments of dwarf beliefs and conduct. At the core of the hearth is the institution of marriage.

Marriage

Dwarves are not romantics. The vast majority of marriages are arranged by clan elders. Their main concern is to secure the continuation of the clan by ensuring that children are properly raised. They select suitable males from eligible candidates and ensure that the family has a warm and secure place to live.

   	Dwarf society is about one-third female. Dwarves are monogamous, and marriages are entered into for life. That, along with the fact that males outnumber females about two to one, means that many males do not marry. A woman who loses her spouse will, after a year of mourning, remarry. Grandparents play as important a role in child rearing as do parents; elders find mates for widowed grandmothers.

   	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.

Life Cycle of the Dwarves

Dwarves reproduce very slowly compared to humans and orcs. The birth of twins is rare and triplets and quadruplets do not occur. The majority of families have only one or two children to care for. This is seen as a virtue because it allows them to lavish their time and care on one child, and give that child a better education than would be possible with several.

   	Until the age of 10, young dwarves are cared for within the hearth. During these formative years, they learn to speak and are taught the traditions and history of their clan and stronghold. The children socialize with others daily, often in a special clan nursery, while their parents and grandparents are at work. In the nursery the children are taught the rudiments of their clan's craft. Children from an armorer's clan will play with miniature suits of armor, those from a baker's clan will play with scales and bread dough. They are allowed to follow their natural instincts and are provided toy tools and allowed to dig tunnels and "hidey-holes" in the nursery.

   	At the age of 10, more formal education begins. For eight hours every day the children learn runes and local history. Training in crafts begins with basic techniques and skills constantly drilled into them. Their education continues until their 25th year.

Apprenticeship

On their 25th birthday, great celebrations are held to mark the coming of age. The whole clan assembles to witness the event and join in the fun. The climax of the celebration arrives when parents deliver the youth to the clan's guild master and apprenticeship begins. Males and females both serve the same apprenticeship, with no differentiation based on sex.

   	Once the apprenticeship begins, the youth leaves his family hearth and goes to live in the apprentices' dormitories; if apprenticed to individual craftsmen, to the craftsman's hearth. They may return home for one day a week, otherwise they are busy learning their trade.

   	Dwarf apprenticeships are served for 25 years. At the end of the apprenticeship, celebrations are held to mark the dwarf's entry into adulthood and the acceptance of adult responsibilities.

Marriageable Age

Once dwarves have attained adulthood, they are eligible for marriage. Most female dwarves are expected to marry at this time. Females from military clans, such as Hearth Guards, frequently delay marriage until later in life. Few young males have much hope of marrying soon, as the clan elders invariably choose suitors who have plied their craft for at least 10 years after apprenticeship. Males, achieving adult status, will spend their time honing their skills and amassing wealth. Those from military clans may leave their strongholds to go adventuring, in the hope of acquiring wealth and reputation enough to enhance their chances of marriage.

Adult Life

Adult dwarves usually work 8 to 12 hours a day. Those with children are limited to 8 hours a day and are expected to spend the rest of the time with their children. Female dwarves work the same hours until a month before they are ready to give birth. Pregnancies are 12 months long, and tradition dictates that the month preceding the birth be spent preparing the hearth for its new member.

   	After working hours, the time of unmarried dwarves is their own. For the first few hours, unmarried dwarves usually seek their own solitude, and an opportunity to count their wealth. Then they will visit the hearths of married relatives. Around the hearths stories are told, songs are sung, and children play. Single dwarves often congregate in one of the clan's great halls to feast and swap stories, and to be amused by entertainers with juggling, acrobatics, and other displays of skill. After an evening's amusement, they sleep 8 hours before rising to work.

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Dwarves' Diet (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Dwarves' Diet

Dwarves enjoy a wide variety of food, with a preference for meat. Hill, mountain, and sundered dwarves keep cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and fowl. These animals are grazed above ground on upland meadows or plateaus. Sundered dwarves keep their livestock close to home, hill and mountain dwarves allow their stock to roam.

   	In high ranges, mountain dwarves keep animals more suited to subterranean existence: giant lizards and beetles. Deep dwarves and duergar also keep lizards and beetles, and these are selectively bred for cooking. Gully dwarves eat anything they can scavenge and rarely breed or maintain any animals for food. The few gullys who have tried were so wretched at it their animals sickened and died.

   	Although meat is a staple of their diet, large quantities of grains are also consumed. When possible wheat, rye and barley are grown close to the stronghold. They are harvested and kept in underground granaries. Many who live close to humans or halflings buy large quantities of grain to supplement their own production.

   	Dwarves who live in the deep earth substitute various types of fungi for grains. Like the giant lizards and beetles, many of these fungi 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 result, many gully dwarves suffer from indigestion and bowel disorders.

   	Dwarven cooking also makes use of vegetables for flavor and variety. They do not eat spicy or heavily seasoned food, and consequently dwarven cooking tastes bland to humans and elves, but the food is wholesome, consisting of thick stews served on broad slices of bread. While they are not voracious eaters like halflings, few humans or elves can eat as much as a dwarf in a single meal.

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Clothing (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Clothing

Dwarven clothing tends to be heavy, somber in color, and serviceable. Made from thick wool or spun strands of fungi, it is designed to keep the dwarves warm in the unheated places in their strongholds. To the untrained eye, colors are uniformly drab grays and browns. Dwarven languages have over 500 words for 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.

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Music and Singing (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Music and Singing

Dwarves love to sing. Many have rich baritone 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. On 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, or sing of the construction of a magnificent bridge or other edifice. Some are laments that tell of the death of a loved one or great hero, or the loss of a stronghold to monsters.

   	The songs tend to be long and very well written. Most races would lose patience with a spoken story, but even elves have sat entranced for hours by the story songs of dwarves.

   	Dwarves also enjoy playing instruments; flutes, horns, bagpipes, drums, and percussion instruments especially. They rarely play stringed instruments because short fingers are ill suited to plucking strings and picking out chords. Their music is either martial or mournful. Rarely will musicians accompany singers: music dampens the true resonance of the voice. However, special songs have been written, and are performed, for voice and instrument.

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Character Creation (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Chapter 4: Character Creation

Balur the Hill Dwarf delivers his unbiased opinions on his cousins.

Pah! The only decent dwarves are hill dwarves. That's because ain't nothing funny or odd about us. Not like others. You can depend on hill dwarves. We keep to ourselves. We don't cause any trouble and we don't steal from decent folk.

   	Not like those sundered and gully types. Steal the clothes off your own back, they would, if you didn't constantly watch 'em. Dirty too. Never known one of 'em to wash, or change his clothes either. They must sell all the clothes they steal. Probably to deep dwarves and duergar.

   	Nasty those duergar. Name means "lurkers in the dark." Shifty, dangerous bunch. Like to ambush you. Pepper you with crossbow bolts and stab you in the back. They give us all a bad name. Bunch of murdering goblin lovers.

   	Deep dwarves 're all recluses. Greedy they are, only live that deep 'cause they've tunneled out all the gold above. That was our gold too! They stole it, but we can't prove it. Say they were there first. Liars.

   	Now, mountain dwarves. They're not a bad lot. A bit uppity, but that's because they live in the mountains. We leave 'em alone. No point going all that way just to find you're not wanted. Most of 'em live behind locked doors.

   	So there you have it! If you want to deal with dwarves, deal with us. We not only live closer to you, we don't harbor any grudges against other folk, except pansy elves, goblins, pigfaced orcs, and filthy hobgoblins. No fairer folk considering what we had to put up with!

Creating Dwarf Characters

Selecting Class or Multi-Classes

Dwarves may be warriors, priests, thieves, or multi-class warrior/priests or warrior/thieves. If you choose a multi-class character, familiarize yourself with their benefits and limitations in the Player's Handbook.

   	You can determine your character's class in several ways. You may choose which class or multi-class combination you want to play or you may generate the character's attributes and decide which character to play according to the die rolls; or your DM may assign you a character class.

   	The advantages and limitations of each character class will be further modified by the subrace of your character.

Ability Scores

Any of the six dice rolling methods in the Player's Handbook are acceptable. However, if you want to generate a specific class of character, methods V and VI work best. They allow you to custom design your character and are more likely to result in good ability scores. Don't make any adjustments to your rolled attributes until you've read the chapter on subraces, the procedures are different from those of the Player's Handbook.

Subraces

The maximum experience levels that can be achieved by each subrace are listed in Character 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.

   	Subraces have advantages and disadvantages. A character of a subrace that has a large number of advantages will require more experience points than usual to advance in level.

Subrace Distinctions

Each subrace has the following elements:

Ability Score Adjustments are made to the character's attributes when the subrace is first selected. Add them to or subtract them from your rolled attributes and enter them on your character sheet.

   	Ability Scores list the maximum and minimum abilities scores that a character of that subrace can have when created. A character whose attributes exceed the maximum is reduced accordingly. If he does not qualify for the minimum attributes, he must choose another subrace.

   	A character's ability scores may change through play, in which case he may exceed or fall below those given here. Initially, the character's scores must conform to the those of the subrace.

   	Languages are the languages commonly known by members of the subrace. Depending on the campaign background, all dwarves may speak the same language or different languages such as hill, deep dwarf, or duergar. If all dwarves speak the same language, entries such as "hill dwarf" are treated as dwarf. Your character always speaks his own native language.

   	If you are using the nonweapon proficiency system, languages cost proficiency slots as described in the proficiencies chapter. A character's own language does not cost a slot. Without the proficiency system, your character will know a number of additional languages depending upon his Intelligence score (see Player's Handbook).

   	Infravision gives the range of the subrace's infravision in feet.

   	Special Advantages that the race enjoys are listed here. Advantages common to all subraces are not included, but will be covered later.

   	Special Disadvantages, such as fighting at penalties in bright light, are described here.

   	Racial Enmities sometimes allow special combat modifiers to take effect when fighting specific enemies.

   	Additional Experience Costs are levied against certain subraces because they benefit from a number of advantages, which make them more powerful than others. To balance this, they are required to earn additional experience points before they can gain a new level. These additional experience point costs are expressed in terms of percentages that need to be earned. A +10% experience cost indicates that members of the subrace must earn an additional 10% experience points to increase in level.

   	For example, deep dwarves require an additional 10% experience points. A 1st-level deep dwarf warrior therefore requires 2,200 experience points to become a 2nd-level warrior instead of the usual 2,000. A 3rd-level deep dwarf thief would require 5,500 experience points to become a 4th-level thief.

   	In the case of multi-class characters, the character needs to gain the additional experience points in both classes. A 1st-level deep dwarf warrior/cleric requires 1,650 experience points to achieve 2nd-level priest status, and 2,200 to become a 2nd-level warrior.

Life Expectancy is an average, used to determine initial and maximum ages of characters.

Table of Contents


Hill Dwarves-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Hill Dwarves

The most common dwarf, hill dwarves are found in many AD&D® campaign worlds. Methods for creating them are in the Player's Handbook, and are included here to complete the subraces.

Ability Score Adjustments: The initial ability scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Hill Dwarf Ability Scores

Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	17
Constitution	11	18
Intelligence	3	18
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	17

Languages: Hill dwarf, common, gnome, goblin, kobold, orc.

Infravision: 60 feet.

Special Advantages: None.

Special Disadvantages: None.

Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack hill dwarves.

Additional Experience Cost: None.

Life Expectancy: 350 years.

Table of Contents


Mountain Dwarves-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Mountain Dwarves

Mountain dwarves are also fairly common. Players who have existing mountain dwarf characters generated by using the Player's Handbook need only make minor adjustments to their characters. These include height, weight, and age. Otherwise keep the character as he is.

Ability Score Adjustments: Initial ability scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Mountain Dwarf Ability Scores

Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	17
Constitution	11	19
Intelligence	3	18
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	16

Languages: Mountain dwarf, common, gnome, goblin, kobold, orc, ogre, troll.

Infravision: 60 feet.

Special Advantages: None.

Special Disadvantages: None.

Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack mountain dwarves.

Additional Experience Cost: None.

Life Expectancy: 400 years.

Table of Contents


Deep Dwarves-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Deep Dwarves

Deep dwarves live far under the earth and have superior infravision.

Ability Score Adjustments: Initial ability scores are modified by a -2 penalty to Charisma and a +2 bonus to Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Deep Dwarf Ability Scores
Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	16
Constitution	13	19
Intelligence	3	18
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	15

Languages: Deep dwarf, duergar, drow, illithid, kua-toa, troll, troglodyte, svirfneblin, undercommon, sign language.

Infravision: 90 feet.

Special Advantages: Excellent saving throws against magical attacks and toxins. A deep dwarf figures his Constitution saving throw bonuses for a normal dwarf and adds an additional +1 to his bonus.

Special Disadvantages: Deep dwarves suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a continual light spell. Light spells have no additional effect.

Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack deep dwarves.

Additional Experience Cost: +10% experience points to gain a new level.

Life Expectancy: 380 years.

Table of Contents


Duergar-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Duergar

Duergar, or gray dwarves, are typically evil, but player characters can be of any alignment. Most good or neutrally aligned races are suspicious of duergar.

   	Ability Score Adjustments: The initial ability scores are modified by a B2 penalty to Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Duergar Ability Scores
Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	17
Constitution	11	18
Intelligence	3	16
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	15

Languages: Duergar, deep dwarf, drow, illithid, kua-toa, troll, troglodyte, ghoul, undercommon, sign language.

Infravision: 120 feet.

Special Advantages: Duergar are stealthy. Parties or individuals at least 90 feet ahead of the party gain a surprise bonus. This causes a -2 penalty to the opponent's surprise rolls. If a door or other screen is opened, the bonus is lost. Duergar receive a +2 bonus on their own surprise rolls.

   	In addition to the standard saving throw bonuses against magical attacks (see Saving Throws), duergar are unaffected by paralysis, illusion and phantasm spells. They are immune to all magical and alchemical poisons. Against natural poisons they gain the standard dwarf saving throw bonus.

   	In addition they possess the innate magical abilities of enlarge and invisibility. They can use each of these powers once per day. A duergar uses the enlarge ability as though he were a wizard twice his own level. A 2nd-level duergar uses enlarge as though he were a 4th-level wizard. He may use it only to affect himself and whatever he is wearing or carrying.

Special Disadvantages: Duergar are adversely affected by bright light such as sunlight or a continual light spell. They are not affected by the light of torches, lanterns, magic weapons, light or faerie fire.

   	Affected by bright light, his enhanced ability to gain surprise is negated. Dexterity is reduced by -2 and hit rolls are made at a -2 penalty.

   	In situations where a duergar is in darkness but his opponents are in bright light, his Dexterity and surprise advantages are unaffected, but he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack rolls.

   	Other dwarves distrust duergar and react to them at -3 penalty. If the character kits are being used, this penalty is cumulative with any incurred when choosing a particular kit.

Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack Duergar. These dwarves do not gain any advantage when fighting orcs, half-orcs, goblins, or hobgoblins.

Additional Experience Cost: Duergar require 20% additional experience points.

Life Expectancy: 400 years

Table of Contents


Sundered Dwarves-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Sundered Dwarves

Sundered dwarves are unlike any other dwarves, tending to be dirty and unkempt, though not as filthy as gully dwarves. They live on the surface and suffer from claustrophobia.

Ability Score Adjustments: The initial ability scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Charisma, and +1 bonuses to Constitution and Strength. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Sundered Dwarf Ability Scores
Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	8	18
Dexterity	3	17
Constitution	11	18
Intelligence	3	16
Wisdom	3	18
Charisma	3	16

Languages: Common, any dwarf dialect, elf, goblin, orc, gnome, kobold, halfling, hobgoblin.

Infravision: 30 feet.

Special Advantages: None.

Special Disadvantages: Sundered dwarves are claustrophobic. A sundered dwarf must roll a successful saving throw vs. death in order to overcome his fear of the underground before he can enter dungeons, caves, and tombs. If the check fails, he may not enter. Once underground he must make a saving throw each day. If he fails, he will want to leave the underground by the most direct route.

   	Underground, a sundered dwarf attacks with a -2 penalty to his rolls. Should he fail his claustrophobic saving throw, the penalty increases by -1 for each additional day he stays underground. If he fails to reach open air, he may attempt further saving throws each day to overcome his claustrophobia. These saving throws are made at the same penalty as the dwarf's current attack roll penalty.

Racial Enmities: Sundered dwarves are harder for ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans attack. These races subtract -4 from their attack rolls when fighting sundered dwarves.

Additional Experience Cost: None.

Life Expectancy: 250 years.

Table of Contents


Gully Dwarves-- Methods for Creating (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Gully Dwarves

Gully dwarves are stupid. They are master scavengers and have raised groveling to an art form. They do not fight very effectively. Players should bear these restrictions in mind when considering playing a gully dwarf character.

   	Ability Score Adjustments: The initial ability scores are modified by a B2 penalty to Charisma and +1 bonuses to Strength and Dexterity. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.

Gully Dwarf Ability Scores
Ability	Minimum	Maximum
Strength	6	18
Dexterity	6	18
Constitution	8	16
Intelligence	3	12
Wisdom	3	14
Charisma	3	12

Languages: Gully dwarf, common, gnome, orc, goblin.

Infravision: 60 feet.

Special Advantages: A gully dwarf may attempt to grovel. Any time he is in a dangerous situation and is not immediately engaged in melee, he may throw himself on the mercy of his attacker, or faint in the hope that he will be ignored in the ensuing melee. This causes his opponents to make a saving throw vs. magic. If they are successful they may attack the gully dwarf. If they fail they may not attack him for 1d6 rounds, but they may restrain him or tie him up. The saving throw is modified by the gully dwarf's level as shown on the Groveling Table.

Groveling Table

Level	Modifier
1-4	0
5-8	-2
9-12	-3
13+	-5

Special Disadvantages: Gully dwarves are usually stupid. A player character gully dwarf is an exception to the rule, being superior to others of his kind by virtue of his ability to think. However, players should not abuse this ability and allow their characters to concoct clever plans and schemes. Intelligence checks may be requested to see if the character could actually come up with such ideas.

The chance of a magical item failing in the hands of a gully dwarf is increased from 20% to 40%.

Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack gully dwarves.

Additional Experience Cost: None.

Life Expectancy: 250 years.

Table of Contents


Ability Score Modifiers (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Ability Score Modifiers

Constitution Modifiers

Dwarves are nonmagical and gain the following bonuses to saving throws against poisons and magical attacks.

Saving Throw Bonuses Table

	Constitution	Save Bonus
	3	-
	4-6	+1
	7-10	+2
	11-13	+3
	14-17	+4
	18-19	+5

Deep dwarves add a +1 to all above bonuses.

Magical Malfunctions

Although they gain some benefits from being nonmagical, dwarves suffer from it as well. If a magical item is not specifically created for the dwarf's class, there is a 20% chance (40% for gully dwarves) that the item will malfunction when it is used. A check is made each time the dwarf uses the item and affects only the current use; it may work properly the next time. This applies to rods, staves, wands, rings, amulets, potions, horns, jewels, and most other magical items. Also, DMs should note that a malfunction is not usually just a simple failure to function. The item usually does something dramatic and colorful, at the DM's discretion.

Dwarves have learned to master some magical items. Weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles always work.

Dwarf priests and warrior/priests may use clerical items without malfunction.

Dwarves also recognize cursed magical items that malfunction in their hands. They may dispose of malfunctioning items.

Underground Detection Abilities

Since dwarves are essentially creatures of the underground, they gain certain detection abilities automatically:

Detect or Determine . . .	Roll 1d6
Grade or slope in passage	1-5
New tunnel/passage construction	1-5
Sliding/shifting walls or rooms	1-4
Stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls	1-3
Approximate depth underground	1-3

Combat Bonuses

All dwarves, unless otherwise specified in the sub-class section, gain a +1 bonus to attack orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins. If the campaign background makes it possible, this bonus may be changed. Instead, the object of their hatred may be any other monster. The character may come from a stronghold that has never fought orcs, but does have a long history of warfare against drow and duergar. In that case, give the +1 attack bonus against drow and duergar instead.

   	If this option is used, bonuses gained from character kits are added to it.

Character Class Maximum Levels

The maximum levels dwarves can achieve are restricted and are listed according to subrace. Multi-classed characters may advance to the maximums of each class.

Standard Class Limit Table

	Character Class
Subrace	Warrior	Priest	Thief
Hill	15	10	12
Mountain	16	10	12
Deep	14	12	10
Duergar	12	12	14
Sundered	14	10	15
Gully	8	8	16

Exceeding Level Limits

Characters may exceed the maximum levels and advance to any level, but they must earn two, three, or even four times the amount of normal experience points required for each level. This is an optional rule.

   	Alternatively, a character may exceed maximum level limits if he has extremely high ability scores in his prime requisites. For example, a hill dwarf warrior is limited to 15th-level. With a Strength of 18, he may be allowed three bonus levels and advance to 18th-level. Bonus levels required are as follows:

Bonus Levels Table
Prime Requisite	Bonus Levels
14-15	+1
16-17	+2
18	+3
19	+4

Movement Rates and Encumbrance

All dwarf subraces have a base movement rate of 6. If the optional encumbrance rules are used, these may be adjusted for dwarf characters. Because they are stocky and sturdy folk, they are more adept at carrying heavy loads than other races. To simulate this with the encumbrance category rule, allow dwarves to reduce the movement penalty as follows: Light encumbrance has no effect on movement, Moderate reduces movement by one-third, Heavy by one-half, and Severe by two-thirds.

   	If the optional system is used, the character's movement rate is determined using Table 48 on page 78 of the Player's Handbook, except that the modified movement rate is read from the next column to the left. Cross reference the character's Strength with his encumbrance. At the top of the column is the movement rate, shift one column to the left and use the modified movement rate. For example, a dwarf with a Strength of 16, carrying 100 pounds, has a movement rate of 5.

Thieving Skill Adjustments

The Thieving Skill Subracial Adjustment Table gives adjustments to be made to a character's thieving skills by subrace. Those for hill and mountain dwarves are the same as in the Player's Handbook.

Sub-racial Thieving Skill Adjustments Table

Skill	Hill	Mtn.	Deep	Duergar	Sundered	Gully
Pick Pockets	---	---	+5%	+5%	---	+10%
Open Locks	+10%	+10%	---	---	+5%	-5%
Find/Remove Traps	+15%	+15%	+10%	+10%	+10%	+5%
Move Silently	---	---	---	+10%	+5%	---
Hide in Shadows	---	---	+5%	+5%	+5%	-5%
Detect Noise	---	---	---	+10%	---	---
Climb Walls	-10%	-10%	-10%	-10%	---	-5%
Read Languages	-5%	-5%	-15%	-15%	-10%	-25%

Table of Contents


Other Characteristics (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Other Characteristics

Each dwarf name consists of a prefix and a suffix. To create a name either select or roll for a prefix and a suffix. Gender is indicated by the suffix, so male character names are generated using the Male Suffix Table and female names on the Female Suffix Table. For example, a roll of 2 on the Prefix Table gives "Bal-," and a roll of 1 on the Male Suffix Table gives us "-aim," for the name Balaim.

Dwarf Name Generator Tables

Prefixes (1d20)
1	B-	11	Gil-
2	Bal-	12	Gim-
3	Bel-	13	Kil-
4	Bof-	14	Mor-
5	Bol-	15	Nal-
6	D-	16	Nor-
7	Dal-	17	Ov-
8	Dor-	18	Th-
9	Dw-	19	Thor-
10	Far-	20	Thr-
Male		Female
Suffixes		Suffixes
1	-aim	1	-a
2	-ain	2	-ala
3	-ak	3	-ana
4	-ar	4	-ip
5	-i	5	-ia
6	-im	6	-ila
7	-in	7	-ina
8	-o	8	-on
9	-or	9	-ola
10	-ur	10	-ona

If you cannot create a name you like, try adding a "b," "d," "f," "g," "k," "m," "t," "v," or "z" between the prefix and the suffix.

Height and Weight

Either choose your character's height and weight or generate them randomly. They are listed on the table below for each subrace. Take the base score appropriate for your race and add the die roll modifier. Bizarre combinations should be ignored and rerolled.

   	Females tend to be lighter and shorter than males so the base numbers for height and weight are divided into male/female values. There is a broad range in each category.

Average Height and Weight Table
Race	Height (in.)	Weight (lbs.)
Deep	45/42+2d6	100/80+4d10
Duergar	41/40+2d6	95/75+5d10
Gully	40/38+2d6	80/65+4d10
Hill	43/41+1d10	130/105+4d10
Mountain	49/47+1d10	145/115+5d10
Sundered	50/48+1d10	135/110+3d12

Starting Age and Life Span

Choose or generate a character's starting age and possible life span using the table below. To determine starting age, add the die roll to the base starting age. You will only have an idea of how long he is likely to live, assuming he dies of old age!

   	As an alternative you may play an older character, one who has been drawn or forced into adventuring late in life. Your character starts at 1st-level, but his ability scores are adjusted to reflect his greater age as shown on the Aging Effects Table.

   	These adjustments may result in either exceeding or falling below the minimum and maximum abilities required for your subrace, but this is not a problem as long as the character met them before he aged.

Appearance

Now decide on the appearance of the character's hair and beard color, eyes, skin, and so forth. Look at the typical appearances given for each subrace of dwarf for an idea of what the character might look like. Each of the optional character kits contains a suggested distinctive appearance to further flesh out any dwarf character.

Aging Effects Table

Race	Starting	Middle	Old	Venerable	Maximum
	Age	Age*	Age**	Age***	Age
Deep	45+3d12	140	187	280	+2d100
Duergar	40+4d6	150	200	300	+2d100
Gully	30+2d12	200	134	200	+5d20
Hill	40+5d6	125	167	250	+2d100
Mountain	50+6d6	150	200	300	+2d100
Sundered	25+4d4	100	134	200	+5d20

*  -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis

** -2 Str/Dex; B1 Con; +1 Wis

*** -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis

Table of Contents


Proficiencies (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Chapter 5: Proficiencies

Proficiencies are the best way to quantify the various skills that distinguish dwarves from each other.

Acquiring Proficiencies

How weapon and nonweapon proficiency slots are acquired is described on page 51 of the Player's Handbook. Detection proficiency slots are described below.

   	Refer to the following table when it is necessary to determine the number of proficiency slots a character starts with, the number available, and at what levels new ones are acquired.

Proficiency Slots

	Weapon	Nonweapon			Detection
	Proficiencies	Proficiencies			Proficiencies
Group	Initial	#Levels	Penalty	Initial	#Levels	Initial	#Levels
Warrior	4	3	-2	3	3	5	4
Priest	2	4	-3	4	3	5	4
Thief	2	4	-3	3	4	5	3
Warrior/Priest	4	3	-2	4	3	5	4
Warrior/Thief	4	3	-2	3	3	5	3

Table of Contents


Weapon Proficiencies and Specialization (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Weapon Proficiencies and Specialization

Only single-class fighters may have weapon specialization. Multi-class fighter/priests and fighter/thieves have other benefits to offset their lack of specialization. The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains many new and useful forms of weapon specialization that will enhance the abilities of dwarf warriors. You do not need to use it in your campaign, the AD&D® game works perfectly well without the optional rules, but they are recommended.

Table of Contents


Nonweapon Proficiency Groups (Comp. Book of Dwarves)

Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

Nonweapon proficiencies are used to add more depth to a character and to assess his chances of success at certain tasks. Dwarves come from a different cultural background than humans and other races so they do not automatically learn their nonweapon proficiencies from the same groups. Dwarves may draw proficiencies from the groups below, instead of those on pages 54-55 of the Player's Handbook.

The number of slots needed for proficiencies and the ability modifier may differ from those in the Player's Handbook. These changed costs and ability modifiers are used for dwarf characters only.

   	Initial nonweapon proficiencies have been selected for the various dwarf kits in the next chapter. If you are using the kits, the tables below are only useful when the character gains experience and becomes eligible for additional slots. If you design your own kits, or do not use kits, these tables will still prove useful.

   	There are six dwarf nonweapon proficiency groups: General, Crafts, Warrior, Rogue, Priest, and Special Background. When a player selects a proficiency from those categories listed under "Proficiency Groups," it requires the number of proficiency slots listed. If a proficiency is selected from any other category, it will require one additional proficiency slot beyond the number listed. A proficiency not listed in any of the dwarf groups may still be purchased (from the Player's Handbook or other supplement), but at the cost of two additional proficiency slots

   	General Group: This group is available to all dwarves. It is part of their background and training.

   	Craft Group: The craft group represents the clan-based nature of dwarf society and the long apprenticeships that young dwarves undergo before becoming adults. A dwarf may choose one craft at no cost in proficiency slots.

   	Warrior, Priest, and Rogue Groups: Multi-classed characters may select proficiencies for each of their classes. A warrior/priest could choose from both Warrior and Priest groups.

   	Special Background: This group is only used if the dwarf is from an unusual background, 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 handlers.

Dwarf Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

GENERAL

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Animal Handling	1	Wisdom	-1
Appraising	1	Intelligence	+3
Artistic Ability	1	Wisdom	0
Dancing	1	Dexterity	0
Direction Sense	1	Wisdom	+2*
Dwarf Runes	1	Intelligence	+2
Endurance	1	Constitution	0
Etiquette	1	Charisma	0
Fire-Building	1	Wisdom	-1
Fungi Recognition	1	Intelligence	+3
Heraldry	1	Intelligence	0
Languages, Modern	1	Intelligence	0
Local Dwarf History	1	Charisma	+2
Riding, Land-Based	1	Wisdom	-2
Rope Use	1	Dexterity	0
Sign Language	1	Intelligence	+2
Signalling	1	Intelligence	+2
Singing	1	Charisma	+2
Slow Respiration	1	N/A	N/A
Sound Analysis	1	Wisdom	0
Survival,Underground	1	Intelligence	0
Underground,
Navigation	1	Intelligence	0
* Underground only

CRAFTS

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Agriculture	1	Intelligence	0
Animal Training	1	Wisdom	0
Armorer	1	Intelligence	0
Blacksmithing	1	Strength	+1
Bowyer/Fletcher	1	Dexterity	0
Brewing	1	Intelligence	+1
Carpentry	1	Strength	0
Cobbling	1	Dexterity	0
Cooking	1	Intelligence	0
Engineering	2	Intelligence	0
Gem Cutting	1	Dexterity	0
Herbalism	2	Intelligence	0
Leatherworking	1	Intelligence	0
Locksmithing	1	Dexterity	+1
Mining	1	Wisdom	0
Pottery	1	Dexterity	-3
Seamstress/Tailor	1	Dexterity	-2
Smelting	1	Intelligence	0
Stonemasonry	1	Strength	0
Weaponsmithing	2	Intelligence	-1
Weaving	1	Intelligence	-2

WARRIOR

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Alertness	1	Wisdom	+1
Animal Lore	1	Intelligence	0/+1
Blind-fighting	1	N/A	N/A
Gaming	1	Charisma	0
Hunting	1	Wisdom	-2
Intimidation	1	Strength/	0
		Charisma
Mountaineering	1	N/A	N/A
Survival	1	N/A	N/A
(Hills, Mountains)

THIEF

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Alertness	1	Wisdom	+1
Blind-fighting	1	N/A	N/A
Disguise	1	Charisma	-2
Forgery	2	Dexterity	-1
Gaming	1	Charisma	0
Lip Reading	1	Intelligence	-2
Local History	1	Charisma	0
Juggling	1	Dexterity	-2
Musical Instrument	1	Dexterity	-2
Pest Control	1	Wisdom	0
Set Snares	1	Dexterity	-1
Tightrope Walking	1	Dexterity	0
Tumbling	1	Dexterity	0
Ventriloquism	1	Intelligence	-2

PRIEST

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Ancient History	1	Intelligence	0
Astrology	2	Intelligence	0
Healing	2	Wisdom	-2
Herbalism	2	Intelligence	-2
Languages, Ancient	1	Intelligence	0
Local History	1	Charisma	0
Musical Instrument	1	Dexterity	-2
Reading/Writing	1	Intelligence	+1
Religion	1	Wisdom	0
Spellcraft	1	Intelligence	-2

SPECIAL BACKGROUND

		Relevant	Check
Proficiency	Slots	Ability	Modifier
Boating	1	Wisdom	0
Boatwright	1	Intelligence	-2
Fishing	1	Wisdom	-1
Mountaineering	1	N/A	N/A
Navigation	1	Intelligence	-3
Riding, Airborne	2	Wisdom	2
Survival	2	Intelligence	0
Swimming	1	Strength	-1
Weather Sense	1	Wisdom	-1
Table of Contents


Nonweapon Proficiencies (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Nonweapon Proficiencies

New proficiencies are described here, with additional information about dwarf proficiencies. Those not described are unchanged from the descriptions in the Player's Handbook.

Alertness

A character with this proficiency is able to instinctively recognize signs of disturbance in the immediate vicinity. This gives a +1 bonus on the character's surprise rolls when he makes a successful proficiency check.

Animal Lore

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 living above ground, but he will be very knowledgeable about those underground. In this case, a dwarf gains a +1 modifier to his Intelligence when dealing with underground animals, but has no knowledge of surface creatures. A sundered dwarf who fears the underground may only have knowledge of above ground animals.

   	Dwarves with backgrounds of trade with other races or who live both below and above ground, may have normal animal lore proficiency with no modifiers, knowing both above and below-ground animals.

   	A character may imitate the calls and cries of animals as described in the Player's Handbook.

Armorer

Dwarves are more adept at making armor than other races. Their armorers are the finest in any world and their special skills are carefully hidden 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 12 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 72 weeks (5 H 12).

The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains extensive rules about the use of the armorer proficiency and is recommended to any character interested in utilizing this proficiency to the fullest.

Astrology

Astrology is only available to dwarves who live on or near the surface of the world. Deep dwarves and others who do not have easy access to the surface do not have the astrology proficiency. In order to use astrology, you have to see the stars.

Blind-fighting

Blind-fighting is cheaper for dwarves; they only gain the benefit when fighting invisible opponents. Their inherent infravision allows them to fight effectively, even in total darkness.

Boating

A character with the boating proficiency is needed to guide a boat down a rapid stream and to reduce the danger of capsizing a canoe or kayak. He also assures the maximum speed of a boat.

   	This proficiency is distinct from Navigation and Seamanship, which apply to ships on oceans, seas, and large lakes.

Boatwright

The boatwright proficiency allows a character to construct all kinds of watercraft up to a maximum length of 60 feet. Larger vessels cannot be built.

   	The time required to build a boat depends on size. As a general guide, a boat requires one week of construction time per foot of length. Two characters with the boatwright proficiency cut this time by half; three reduce it to one-third. A maximum of one boatwright per 5 feet of length can work on the same vessel.

   	The basic boat includes hull, masts (if applicable), deck, and benches as required. Features such as a cabin or a sealed hold add about a week apiece to complete. Characters without the boatwright proficiency can aid the boatwright in construction, but two such characters equal the time savings that one additional skilled boatwright could provide.

Direction Sense

Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to their modifier when using their direction sense underground. They may use it above ground, but at a -2 penalty to Wisdom. Sundered dwarves should reverse these modifiers to reflect their fear of the underground.

Dwarf Runes

Dwarf runes are the basic dwarven alphabet and are taught to all young dwarves as a part of their basic education. Depending on the campaign background, runes may have been a gift from the gods, a creation of the dwarves themselves, or an altered form of some other written language. Dwarves will still claim runes to be an intrinsic part of their cultural heritage, and they may take offence if accused of having copied runes!

   	Dwarven runes are found engraved in stone and only rarely written on such transitory materials as parchment, cloth or paper. They are used to denote ownership, give warnings of nearby dangers and to record history. The tombs of dwarves who have been properly interred, as opposed to hasty burial during battle, are engraved with runes that tell the occupant's clan, his parentage, children, and the deeds of his life. In the absence of proper interment, dwarves erect stone monoliths or engrave entire cavern walls depicting the deeds of their dead. These list the clans, the names of those who died and the nature of their deaths. The numbers of slain enemies are greatly detailed.

   	Dwarven runes are not a phonetic form of writing, but a conceptual one, with each rune delineating an idea or implying a range of ideas depending on placement. A single rune might convey pages of human or elf writing or be as simple as a sign saying "stairs." It's a matter of knowing what the rune means and how it is to be interpreted in context. Dwarven runes do not contain conjunctions or pronouns, but proper names are represented by altering an existing rune. This makes runes difficult for other races to understand, and dwarves consider themselves superior to races who cannot read even the most simple of them. All dwarves know them at no cost.

Endurance

A hardy and resilient race, dwarves automatically gain the Endurance proficiency (see the Player's Handbook, page 58) at no cost.

Fungi Recognition

Although they prefer not to, dwarves sometimes have to survive on a diet of fungi. They would rather use these as supplements to their regular diet, but when times are hard, or when involved in an extended underground expedition, it is useful to be able to tell edible fungi from the poisonous or unwholesome varieties. Approximately 50% of underground fungi are poisonous. They may cause an upset stomach or be so poisonous they cause death. It is impossible to harvest edible fungi without the fungi identification proficiency.

   	If the character has plenty of light and an opportunity to study the fungus in question closely for 10 minutes, no proficiency check is required. If he is unable to see the fungus properly, often the case when using infravision, or has to make a hasty decision about edibility, a proficiency check must be made.

Gem Cutting

A dwarf with this proficiency may cut 2d8 gems per day instead of 1d10. He also has a greater chance of increasing the value of a gem. If a dwarf rolls a 1 or a 2 during cutting, he increases the value of the gem to that of the next most valuable class (see page 134 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). For example, Duram is cutting a fancy stone with a finished value of 100 gp. He does an exquisite job and actually increases its value to that of a precious gem with a value of 500 gp.

   	Any character who fails a gem cutting roll cuts the gem, but does so poorly and reduces its value to the next lower category. Duram, flushed with success, tries his hand at a precious stone with a finished value of 500 gp but he slips with his chisel and reduces its value to that of fancy gem (value 100 gp).

   	A character who rolls a 20 when cutting a gem splits it in half and ends up with two uncut gems with a combined value one class lower than that of the original gem. Duram starts one more gem. It has a value of 50 gp. He places his cutting clamp, over tightens the jaws, and splits the gem in half (he rolls a 20!). He now has two uncut gems with a value of 5 gp each.

Intimidation

This proficiency allows a character to intimidate others to do as he wishes. It involves an implicit threat of violence. Threatened NPCs will do as they are told, but will harbor resentments against him. If an opportunity arises for intimidated NPCs to revenge themselves they will do so.

   	Intimidation may be attempted with one of two abilities, Strength or Charisma. If intimidating by Strength, the character is threatening immediate, personal, bodily harm. If by Charisma, the intimidation consists of subtle threats, which need not be physical. No matter which ability is used, the intimidation attempt is always modified by the difference between the experience level of the intimidating character and the experience level or Hit Dice of the victim(s). Creatures with less than one Hit Die are considered to have a level of 0.

   	A 6th-level warrior attempting to intimidate an HD1-1 goblin would gain a +6 bonus to his intimidation ability. Against a 10th-level human warrior, our 6th-level dwarf's intimidation proficiency would be reduced by -4. Higher level characters are less likely to be intimidated.

   	When a character is attempting to intimidate more than one character, and all are within 1-4 experience levels of each other, the level is the average of them. If one or more characters are over five experience levels above the others, the highest experience level is used, the other characters gaining confidence from the presence of a powerful individual.

   	When attempting to intimidate more than one, the number of characters is used as a negative modifier. If a dwarf is attempting to intimidate five goblins, his intimidate proficiency is reduced by -5.

   	Intimidation may only be used against intelligent creatures; slimes and shambling mounds are too stupid to notice that someone is trying to intimidate them.

   	Player characters are never forced to submit to intimidation, and may choose how they are going to react to an attempt.

Local Dwarf History

This proficiency is different from the local history proficiency, a character with this proficiency is only knowledgeable about dwarf history. This is chiefly concerned with lineages and events affecting dwarves. It deals with the founders of the clans and strongholds, and traces the descendants to the present. The battles and events of clan and stronghold are known, as well as the fates of those who have left to establish new homes or who perished while adventuring.

   	The extent of geographical knowledge is dependent on the campaign background. Those who have had no contact with the world above may be totally ignorant of what lies on the surface, but will have extensive knowledge of their own stronghold. Those whose relatives have established new strongholds or are members of such strongholds would have knowledge of the area between the two and some knowledge of the geography surrounding them. Even so, most dwarves, unless they live in close proximity to other races, have a very hazy idea of where the sea is, for example.

   	While a character with this proficiency knows dwarf history, his knowledge of the history of other races is minimal. If humans fought a great battle against each other, a dwarf who did not live with humans is not likely to have heard of it. If the battle involved dwarves he would probably know of it. If it involved dwarves from his own stronghold or clan, he would have extensive knowledge of the events leading to it and the course of the battle. As with some other dwarf proficiencies the exact extent of an individual's knowledge is determined by his background.

   	The local dwarf history proficiency may be used to entertain other characters. When so engaged, he gains a +2 bonus to his Charisma while dealing with dwarves. With other races he does not gain the bonus, because dwarf stories tend to be dull, slow moving and overly concerned with who is related to whom, their places of origin, and all of the places the heroes' ancestors founded along the way. Trying to tell a dwarf story to hostile beings is likely to incite them to violence. Orcs will not be impressed, even with the best-told dwarf tale.

Locksmithing

With the locksmithing proficiency a character can make and repair all kinds of mechanical locks. Thieves with this proficiency gain a 10% bonus to their lockpicking skill, because they are intimately familiar with the internal structure and working of locks.

Mining

The Player's Handbook provides basic information on mining and this proficiency is described in detail in Chapter 8. Mining operations are usually at the heart of dwarf strongholds.

Modern Languages

The modern languages dwarves may learn are determined by the campaign background. If a character lives in a stronghold that has had no contact with goblins, he is unlikely to have learned goblin. The languages for dwarves in the Player's Handbook should be considered as suggestions only. Dwarves may learn any language that suits their background. Suggested languages are: deep tongue, drow, elf, gnome, goblin, local human common tongue, kobold, orc, troll, ogre.

Pest Control

This proficiency is used to keep dwarf strongholds free of pests like rats, carrion crawlers, jermalaines, kobolds, and other small creatures. Similar to the set snares proficiency, it is concerned with catching underground pests and does not use snares. Traps are set to trigger metal cages, drop nets, or iron doors that shut off individual tunnel sections. Spring traps or small deadfalls may be rigged (damage 1d6 maximum) using this proficiency. There is no -4 modifier when using pest control to trap larger creatures.

   	Only thief characters may use this proficiency to rig larger traps suitable for human or orc sized creatures. These traps may include crossbows, larger deadfalls, and spiked springboards.

   	A character with this proficiency does not have the ability to make the items required for these devices, he can only set the traps and their triggers.

   	A proficiency check must be rolled when the trap is set. A failed proficiency check means that the trap will fail to operate. It may not have been set properly, was poorly concealed, or it was too small or too large for the creature to trigger.

   	Setting a trap takes one hour and the character must have the proper equipment and materials with him.

   	Characters with the animal lore proficiency gain a +2 bonus when attempting to set traps to catch animal pests.

Riding, Airborne

This proficiency is rare among dwarves, and is most frequently found in those living in remote mountain areas, among dwarves who have befriended giant eagles or have tamed and trained winged mounts: griffins, hippogriffs, or others. This proficiency may not be used to leap onto the backs of mounts, unless you also have the jumping proficiency. In other respects, this proficiency is unchanged from the Player's Handbook.

Riding, Land Animals

Because of their stout, stocky build, dwarves are uncomfortable riding horses or other animals of similar size. They are capable of riding donkeys, ponies, and smaller creatures. Dwarves may leap onto their saddles. Some suitable mounts for dwarves are dire wolves, giant boars, and giant lizards.

Sign Language

Sign language is most frequently used by dwarves who were engaged in long running warfare with other dwarves or races. It permits silent communication with anyone who sees and understands the signals. The maximum range is usually line of sight in a lit area, or the extent of the receiver's infravision. Sign may be an extensive language capable of handling long conversations, or simply a means of communicating a few easy to understand phrases such as "attack," "orcs behind the rock," or "you three move left." A proficiency check is made when speaking or interpreting sign. The +2 bonus should only be used when giving short, easily recognized commands. More detailed signals require a

-1 modifier.

Signalling

The signalling proficiency allows a character to send messages underground using sound. To send a signal, tap on a section of wall with a rock, hammer, or a piece of metal. The sound will echo through rock to a distance of 1d4 miles. The sound transmitted by this proficiency resembles morse code and it may be used to send extensive messages or short commands and instructions. To send a message, roll a proficiency check. If successful, the message transmits as desired. If not, the message may be only partially understood or complete nonsense. It may even convey a meaning contrary to the message sent. Successful transmission of a message is no guarantee that it will be understood by the receiving end and proficiency checks are required to correctly interpret the message. It is possible to fail to understand an incorrectly sent signal, yet still infer a message from it, one very different from what was intended.

Slow Respiration

A character with this proficiency has the ability to enter a deep trance and reduce the amount of air he needs to stay alive. To induce the trance, he must be in a restful position, either sitting or lying down. After concentrating for one turn, pulse and breathing drop well below normal, so that breathing requires only 10% of the rate when resting. The character emerges from his trance at will, fully aware of anything that has occurred nearby.

Smelting

The smelting proficiency is closely tied to the Mining proficiency. Between them they provide all of the metal to the strongholds. With this proficiency a smelter can be operated. See Chapter 9.

Sound Analysis

This proficiency allows a character to gauge the size of underground areas by generating noise and analyzing the echoes that return. Using this skill, he can calculate distances up to one mile, and determine sound direction.

   	To use sound analysis, the character must work in absolute silence. The sound created must have a sharp, staccato quality. A howl or wail is ineffective, but a clicking sound, or loud "hey" works well.

   	The PC must make a proficiency check. If the check is successful, he has correctly analyzed the size of the area in question to within plus or minus 25% of its height, width, and length. If the check fails, the echo has become garbled in its reverberations. No further attempts by the PC to analyze that area will succeed, though others with the proficiency may try.

   	A proficiency check of 5 or less means the character has learned not only the size of the analyzed area, but other details as well: the number of branching side passages, whether 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 completely unknown area, it announces the characters to all creatures in hearing range. They will certainly be prepared, and may go looking for the intruders.

Survival, Underground

Underground survival provides knowledge of the underground. It helps the character distinguish between edible and poisonous insects and to be able to determine the safety and stability of tunnels, cavern ceilings, and the like.

Underground Navigation

A character with this proficiency can determine direction underground and the shortest route to the surface. By careful analysis of air currents and contents, a character can even determine whether there are any pockets of poisonous gas in the air. A successful proficiency check is required to use the proficiency.

Weaponsmithing

A dwarf weaponsmith is not only more skilled than a human one (Intelligence -1, instead of -3), but capable of producing weapons at a faster rate. The costs remain the same.

Weapon Construction Table

	Construction   Material
Weapon	Time	Cost
Arrowhead	7/day	1 cp
Battle Axe	7 days	10 sp
Hand Axe	3 days	5 sp
Dagger	3 days	2 sp
Heavy Crossbow	15 days	10 sp
Light Crossbow	12 days	5 sp
Fork, Trident	15 days	10 sp
Spear, Lance	3 days	4 sp
Short Sword	15 days	5 sp
Long Sword	23 days	10 sp
Two-handed Sword	34 days	2 gp

The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains extensive rules on the use of the weaponsmithing proficiency and is highly recommended to those interested in using the proficiency to the fullest.

Table of Contents


Dwarven Detection Proficiencies (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Dwarven Detection

Proficiencies (Optional)

Not all dwarves have the same ability to detect underground phenomena, some are better than others. Detection proficiencies may be used as an alternative to the system described on page 21 of the Player's Handbook to detect slopes, new tunnels, sliding walls, stonework traps, pits, deadfalls, and depth underground. Like nonweapon proficiencies, it is an optional system. If you don't use nonweapon proficiencies in your game, then detection proficiencies may be ignored. If you do use them, detection proficiencies will adapt the abilities more smoothly to your game.

Number of Detection Proficiencies

A dwarf character receives his standard number of nonweapon proficiency slots according to his character class. In addition, he receives another five slots solely to buy detection proficiencies. The initial number of proficiencies increases if he is of high Intelligence. Detection proficiency slots must be used to purchase detection proficiencies, but may be spent on any the player wishes.

Using Detection Proficiencies

Detection proficiencies may be used any time a dwarf is underground, within 10 feet of the particular phenomena. Determining depth underground is the exception to this rule and may be attempted any time.

   	To use a detection proficiency, a dwarf must concentrate for one melee round. Any modifier for the proficiency listed in the Detection Proficiency Table is added to the appropriate ability score. A +1 modifier is acquired if the dwarf is actually touching stonework. Detection proficiencies are checked by rolling 1d20. If the character rolls his adjusted ability score or less, he is successful, otherwise he fails. A roll of 20 always fails.

   	If successful, the dwarf sees the phenomenon or becomes aware of his approximate depth underground. If he fails, he cannot try again within that 10-foot area.

Improving Detection Proficiencies

   	The Proficiency Slots Table shows the number of levels the character needs to attain to acquire new detection proficiency slots. These slots may be spent on any detection proficiency, but not nonweapon or weapon proficiencies. However, nonweapon proficiency slots may be spent to improve detection proficiencies.

Dwarven Detection Proficiencies Table

Detect or Determine . . .

	# of Slots	Relevant	Check
	Required	Ability	Modifier
Grade or Slope in Passage	1	Wisdom	+4
New Tunnel/Passage Construction	1	Wisdom	+4
Sliding/Shifting Walls or Rooms	1	Wisdom	+2
Stonework Traps, Pits, and Deadfalls	1	Wisdom	0
Approximate Depth Underground	1	Wisdom	0
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Dwarf Kits-- Introduction (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 6: Dwarf Kits

The kits in this chapter allow further individualization of dwarf characters. Each kit is a collection of abilities, proficiencies, advantages, and disadvantages which better define the character.

   	The kits are entirely optional. A dwarf character can easily be created without them, but the kits will add detail. Only one dwarf kit is allowed per character.

   	It is possible to incorporate these kits into existing campaigns. A kit must be compatible with a character's past actions, background, and established personality traits. If a fighter has been played as cautious and careful, resorting to combat only when negotiation has failed, it would be unseemly to make him a Battlerager.

   	Once a particular kit has been assigned, it cannot be exchanged for a new one. The character can abandon it, but gives up all benefits and hindrances.

   	When designing a new character, first determine his ability scores, class or classes, specialization, and alignment. Once these elements have been decided, choose a kit, proficiencies, money, equipment, and other details.

   	The kits in this book are unique to dwarves. Although other races may have similar kits, these kits are permitted to dwarf characters only. However, the kits in the Complete Player's Handbook series may be used with dwarf characters, unless explicitly stated otherwise. When using the Complete Fighter's, the Complete Priest's or the Complete Thief's Handbooks, their guidelines should be followed.

   	Five different character classes are discussed in this chapter. There are kits for warriors, priests, thieves, warrior/priests, and warrior/thieves. A character may only use a kit that belongs to his class. It is not possible, for example, for a thief to use a warrior kit. Multi-class characters are an exception. A player with a multi-class character is not restricted to these options. He may choose any one kit from those relevant to his character. A warrior/priest could choose a warrior, a priest, or a warrior/priest kit. A character may have only one kit.

   	A multi-classed character is not allowed to specialize in any weapon when selecting a warrior kit. A few of the multi-class kits allow characters to be weapon specialists, but these are the only ones allowed. The Battlerager cannot be used as a multi-class kit, only single class warriors may use this kit.

Table of Contents


The Composition of the Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Composition of the Kits

Each kit consists of several elements:

First is a description of the background, appearance, and manner of the characters in this kit, including any requirements necessary to take the kit.

Role: The role of the character in dwarf society and in the campaign.

Secondary Skills: If you are using the secondary skills rules from the AD&D® 2nd Edition game, the kit may require your character to take a specific skill instead of choosing or randomly rolling for it. It is recommended that, in order to get the most out of the kits, you use the weapon and nonweapon proficiency rules instead.

Weapon Proficiencies: The kit may require a dwarf to take a specific weapon proficiency, or to choose one from a limited range.

Weapon proficiencies required for a kit are not bonuses unless specified. They must be taken to fill the weapon proficiency slots available to a 1st-level dwarf.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Character kits provide bonus nonweapon proficiencies free, without having to spend any of the slots they would normally be granted. Even if the proficiencies belong to groups other than Dwarf or General, there is no charge for them.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Some Nonweapon Proficiencies are recommended, not required. If the character decides to take a recommended nonweapon proficiency, it still fills one of the slots.

Equipment: Some dwarf characters use specific equipment, while others have limitations or restrictions on the way they acquire or use equipment.

Distinctive Appearance: Many kits have a distinctive appearance, making the character special and more easily recognizable for what he is. These are suggestions only, and not requirements.

Special Benefits: Most kits grant special benefits.

Special Hindrances: Any disadvantages that hinder a character.

Wealth Options: Some kits have special rules regarding wealth. These specify the amount of money received when a character is created and limit how it can be spent.

Table of Contents


Warrior Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Warrior Kits

Warriors make up the majority of any dwarf stronghold, being both craftsmen and soldiers. Other, more specialized dwarf warriors are described below.

Table of Contents


Animal Master (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Animal Master

The Animal Master has a close affinity with the animals employed to guard strongholds. He looks after and controls them, making sure they are properly fed and exercised. He trains them to act as guards and to attack on command. Animal Masters develop a deep bond with their animals and are reluctant to endanger the animals' lives.

An Animal Master must have a Wisdom of 12 or more.

Role: Well respected members of dwarf society, Animal Masters are usually welcome at any stronghold, though they are treated with wary respect. If they are willing to train others in the art, they are even more welcome.

Animal Masters are responsible for looking after a stronghold's animal guards. These are usually 2d4 brown bears or 5d4 wolves, but other animals such as giant lizards, cave bears, boars, or giant rats may be used. They may train a stronghold's cavalry mounts, if these are present.

Secondary Skills: An Animal Master should have Groom (animal handling) and Trapper/Furrier secondary skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: They may be proficient with any weapon.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Lore, Animal Training (chosen animal), Endurance.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Animal Training (other animal), Appraising, Direction Sense, Dwarf Runes, Etiquette, Herbalism, Hunting, Modern Languages, Rope Use, Sign Language, Signalling, Underground Survival.

Equipment: When created, the Animal Master may have any kind of weapons and equipment. He starts with one fully trained animal of his choice, which he may equip with leather or metal armor.

Distinctive Appearance: Animal Masters frequently dress in the pelts or skins of their animal charges. This helps bond him to his animals and makes them more accepting of his presence.

Special Benefits: An Animal Master gains an Animal Training proficiency. This bonus proficiency is automatically at +1. He must choose the kind of animal he is capable of training upon taking the proficiency. He may buy another Animal Training proficiency but the second does not gain the +1 bonus.

The bonus Animal Mastery proficiency allows him to train four animals at one time, instead of three. For each additional slot spent on Animal Training, one extra animal can be trained.

   	Because of his affinity with them, an Animal Master reduces the time it takes to train the animals by one week per slot spent on the proficiency, but it never takes less than two weeks. This extra slot includes the Animal Trainer's initial +1 bonus. He can increase the number of tasks he can teach an animal by +1 for each slot spent on Training. One who chooses brown bears as the animals for his bonus proficiency can teach four bears at one time. He can teach them 2d4+1 tricks or tasks in 2d6-1 weeks.

   	When working with wild animals, he gains a +4 ability modifier to his chances of taming them, if the animals are of a litter whose mother he has trained. When working with such animals, an Animal Master's commands are obeyed on rolls of 1-19 on a 1d20. Only when he rolls a 20 will the animals refuse to obey.

   	If an Animal Master has the Sign Language proficiency, he may direct his own trained animals with it. They must be able to see his hands for this to work.

   	An Animal Master with the Signalling proficiency can direct personally trained animals by using simple sound signals. When working with animals other than his own, he may direct them by making a successful Animal Training check.

   	Special Hindrances: Animal Masters tend to be loners, spending more time with animals than with other dwarves. Consequently, there is always a level of distrust. Most dwarves, obsessed with their crafts, have little in common with Animal Masters who dedicate their lives to creating a rapport with their animals. Other dwarves react to Animal Masters at B2. This does not mean they will be antagonistic, but that they are wary of the trainer and his animals. They will show respect, but without friendship.

Wealth Options: An Animal Master starts with only 4d4x10 gp.

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Axe For Hire (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Axe For Hire

An Axe For Hire is a mercenary who is willing to sell his services to the highest bidder. Usually an all-round fighter, capable of engaging in hand to hand combat, he is able to use a crossbow and other missile weapons.

Role: He is frequently a dwarf with a severe case of wanderlust and a strong desire to travel beyond his stronghold. The best way to accomplish this is to hire out as a guard or a mercenary. He may find employment with a merchant who is setting out on an expedition deeper underground, or planning to travel above. He may be working for a dwarf noble who is visiting relatives in other lands, or trying to recapture a mine from orcs or dragons. Perhaps he has traveled to aid a stronghold attacked by monsters.

   	He may accept employment with another race, providing the money is good enough. He wants to be paid to fight.

Secondary Skills: An Axe for Hire should have the Weaponsmith, Armorer or Bowyer/Fletcher secondary skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: They may choose any weapons they like.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Local Dwarf History, Local History.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher, Direction Sense, Fire-building, Dwarf Runes, Survival, Underground Navigation, Weaponsmith.

Equipment: An Axe for Hire may spend his starting money on whatever arms, armor, and equipment he can afford. When he is created, if it is agreed that he is part of a military force with specific equipment requirements, he is required to buy that equipment, but at half the price.

Distinctive Appearance: These are the most individualistic of dwarves and do not conform to any single standard.

Special Benefits: Fighters receive one free weapon specialization (a hand or missile weapon). It must be one commonly associated with dwarves.

When employed, he never pays for his own upkeep. Rooms at inns, food and drink are all supplied by his employer.

Special Hindrances: Dwarves are clannish folk who distrust anyone with an independent attitude. When reacting with other dwarves in any situation other than military, an Axe for Hire suffers a -3 reaction penalty.

In addition, an Axe for Hire who is part of a military force is subject to the discipline and dictates of its commander. He is no longer free to come and go as he pleases. He is further restricted by the contract he has signed with his employer. Many of these are for a fixed duration, and require him to be available throughout the term. Disappearing before the end of the contract is likely to give him a poor reputation as a mercenary.

   	There is always a fear that he has been hired to undertake a suicidal mission or to act as a decoy or sacrifice, while others have more important, and safer, duties.

Wealth Options: He receives the standard 5d4x10 gp starting money.

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Clansdwarf (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Clansdwarf

The Clansdwarf is what most people think of whenever dwarves are mentioned. They are the majority in dwarf society, its craftsmen and militia. They are skilled in a craft and receive military training from adolescence.

Role: Clansdwarves are usually closely bound to their stronghold and only leave to conduct their craft somewhere else (at a location that is usually turned into another stronghold). They give dwarf society its particular qualities of kinship and careful optimism.

   	They are not restricted to the strongholds and may be found living in ghettoes or on the edges of the towns and cities of another race, making a living by selling their services.

   	While clansdwarves are craftsmen, all dwarf settlements pride themselves on their militia. They are armed and equipped with items of their own manufacture, and train regularly in small unit and large scale tactics. Many clansdwarves are justifiably proud of being expert fighters as well as superb craftsmen.

Secondary Skills: Any suitable craft skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Clansdwarves may be proficient with: axe, hammer, light or heavy crossbow, mace, pick, polearm, short sword, spear.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Clansdwarves gain two craft proficiency slots of their choice. Both must be spent on the same craft. They also receive the Dwarven Runes and Endurance proficiencies.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Artistic Ability, and any related to their first craft.

Equipment: Clansdwarves may buy any equipment they like.

Distinctive Appearance: The craft of a clansdwarf is readily apparent from his clothing. Each clan has a unique emblem or cut of cloth that distinguishes them from all other clans. This may be as obvious as a leather-working apron or as discrete as a small anvil badge.

Special Benefits: Clansdwarves gain a +3 reaction bonus when dealing with others of their clan. They gain a +2 reaction bonus when dealing with dwarves of other clans engaged in the same craft.

   	Clansdwarves are always sheltered and given aid within their own clan. Unless one is known to have injured members of his own clan, he will be fed and housed gladly.

Special Hindrances: A Clansdwarf is part of a tightly-knit society that never forgets either a misdemeanor or shoddy workmanship. He is expected to be scrupulously honest and professional in his dealings with others. Any dwarf who violates that trust becomes an outcast, no longer welcome at the hearths of his clan. News of bad behavior spreads quickly, and other dwarves, hearing of it, will react to him with a -3 penalty.

   	A Clansdwarf who becomes an outcast may again be accepted by his kin, but the process takes years. It is better to keep one's nose clean and do the job than to provoke trouble.

Wealth Options: A Clansdwarf starts with the standard 5d4x10 gp.

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Hearth Guard (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Hearth Guard

A Hearth Guard is a female dwarf who has received intensive military training. Frequently a weapon specialist, she fights as well as, if not better than, most males.

   	Not all strongholds have Hearth Guards. Some see fighting as a male role and do not encourage women to take up arms. In most strongholds, Hearth Guards form a respected, elite fighting force dedicated to defending the stronghold and its children from external threats.

Not all female warriors are Hearth Guards. Any of the kits can be used for female characters, so a player is not restricted to playing a Hearth Guard character just because she is female. No male dwarves, however, may become Hearth Guards.

Role: Hearth Guards were originally formed as a purely defensive force to defend the stronghold in case of attack. In a few strongholds, male dwarves have come to see women as superior and leave all important decisions to them.

   	Hearth Guards are highly regarded. They form an effective fighting force, well trained in combat and tactics. Outside dwarf society, they are a curiosity, if others are even aware of them. As a result, other cultures are suspicious of Hearth Guards, if not scathingly critical of their abilities. Any who see them in this light are in for a nasty surprise.

   	Although originally formed to protect strongholds, members are as free as any dwarf to adventure or travel; they are not restricted to a stronghold.

Secondary Skills: She should have Weaponsmith, Armorer, or Bowyer/Fletcher secondary skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: Hearth Guards must be proficient in traditional weapons of battle; axe (one or two handed), spear, and light crossbow. She may only specialize in these weapons.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Fire Building, and Local Dwarf History.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Blind-fighting, Direction Sense, Dwarf Runes, Fletcher/Bowyer, Intimidation, Local Dwarf History, Rope Use, Sign Language, Signalling, Slow Respiration, Weaponsmithing.

Equipment: When a Hearth Guard is created she must be equipped with at least chain mail armor, a battle axe, a spear, and a light crossbow.

Distinctive Appearance: Hearth Guards are distinguished by red surcoats with orange fire badges embroidered on the front.

Special Benefits: A Hearth Guard fighter receives one free specialization in battle axe, spear, or light crossbow. She must pay the initial weapon proficiency, but the specialization is at no cost.

   	She also gains an additional +1 bonus to attacck and damage when defending her stronghold. When fighting to protect young dwarves, she gains a +2 bonus to attacck and damage rolls. To gain this bonus the attacker must be in a position to physically harm the young, or about to enter a nursery or home.

Special Hindrances: Within dwarf society only the most male oriented strongholds react negatively to Hearth Guards. In the male dominated societies of other races, a female dwarf wearing armor and carrying weapons is sometimes not taken seriously; NPCs react at -3 to the Hearth Guard.

Wealth Options: She receives the standard 5d4x10 gp. If this is not enough to buy the required equipment, the equipment is provided free, but the character starts with no money.

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Battlerager (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Battlerager

The Battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarf society and culture. He is a fearless warrior, able to create an insane rage within himself which increases his fighting ability and distorts his physical features.

   	While enraged, a Battlerager's face becomes twisted and his teeth grind together. Spittle flies from his mouth and dribbles down his beard. His eyes enlarge, bulge, and become bloodshot. Size increases (his height by an inch or more) as his muscles swell and his body expands.

   	His fighting ability becomes awesome, allowing him to fight longer and harder than any other dwarf. While in his rage, he is almost unstoppable. A dangerous enemy, he is a menace to friend and foe alike.

   	A Battlerager must have a minimum Strength of 15 and Intelligence and Wisdom scores no higher than 10.

Role: He is believed to have been touched by a dwarven deity, and is held in reverence and fear by his fellows. Madness and irrational behavior are commonly associated with Battleragers. Many believe that, if killed in battle, Battleragers return to the earth, to be reborn with more power. Therefore they have no fear of death.

   	While there is no Battlerager Guild, they tend to band together and occupy outlying sections of strongholds. They are given to drinking, rowdy and boisterous singing, and drunken dancing. Others prefer not to socialize with Battleragers if possible. They are quick to anger and will avenge any imagined insult with a battle axe.

   	In war Battleragers come into their own. Groups, and even individuals, will charge ahead of the military to attack the enemy with no regard for their own safety.

   	In a campaign, Battleragers are dangerous not only to others but to themselves. Battleragers players must be reckless, never weighing the odds. They are argumentative, coarse, and definitely not diplomats! "If it moves, kill it!" is the likely response of a Battlerager. Most of them live short, often glorious, lives.

Secondary Skills: Battleragers have no secondary skills of any worth.

Weapon Proficiencies: Battleragers must specialize in battle axe (single or two-handed) and warhammer. Warhammers are thrown at enemies while charging, usually accompanied by a battle cry such as "Stitch that, Goblin!" They cannot start with any other ranged weapon proficiency, and it is forbidden to learn or use a ranged weapon. (Unthinkable! Missile weapons are coward's toys!)

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Intimidation, Singing.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Armorer, Blind-fighting, Dancing, Direction Sense, Sound Analysis, Underground Navigation, Underground Survival.

Equipment: Battleragers must start play with a battle axe and a warhammer. They may wear any type of armor, but it must be slightly larger than required to accommodate the increased size when in battle rage. They usually carry wineskins containing a vile concoction of fermented goat's milk and herbs "gutshaker". They are the only creatures known to drink gutshaker without becoming violently ill.

Distinctive Appearance: Battleragers are the most distinctive of warriors. With rings through their noses, ears, and sometimes lips, they will dye their hair and beards vivid colors. They often shave their faces and heads, sometimes leaving long tufts of hair that are stiffened with lime or thick grease. Tattoos on the face and body in the form of spirals and abstract designs are a source of intense pride for all Battleragers.

Special Benefits: They excel at fighting. Not only are they specialists with battle axe and warhammer, they are able to enter a furious killing rage that endangers friend and foe alike. They have little control over it. Any time one feels insulted, threatened, or when in combat, he will bellow a battle song at the top of his lungs. After five rounds, during which time he can fight or perform other activities, he enters the rage. This lasts until there are no enemies left to slay. Whether enemies are standing to fight or lying wounded on the ground, the Battlerager will hack them apart. He will then turn to anyone left alive, even his friends. During the rage, Battleragers continue to sing, pausing only to scream insults at foes.

   	A Battlerager can try to come out of the rage at the beginning of each round by making a Wisdom check. If he succeeds, his rage ends and he suffers the effects below. If not, he remains enraged. He may attempt withdrawal each round, until he succeeds.

   	He may attempt to prevent a killing rage by making a successful Wisdom check. If he succeeds, he can control himself for the rest of the encounter. During the next five rounds, he will gnaw ferociously on his shield rim or grind his teeth together in an effort to control himself. If he fails the check, he enters the rage.

   	A silence spell will prevent him from entering a rage, but he will attack the character who cast the spell, if he can tell who it was. If not, he will attack all who get in his way.

The Killing Rage: While in a killing rage, the Battlerager receives the following special benefits:  +1 to attack, +3 to damage, +10 hp, and -1 bonus to his AC (e.g., AC 4 drops to AC 3).

•	Immunity to these wizard spells (no saving throw necessary) charm person, emotion, fear, friends, hypnotism, sleep, irritation, ray of enfeeblement, scare, geas; and these clerical spells command, charm person or mammal, enthrall, cloak of bravery, remove fear, symbol.

•	He gets a +4 saving throw bonus, on top of his dwarf bonus, against these wizard spells: blindness, Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter, hold person, charm monster, confusion; and against these clerical spells hold person, hold animal.

•	The finger of death spell kills a Battlerager instantly, if he fails to make a saving throw. If he makes his save, he doesn't suffer the 2d8+1 points of damage until his killing rage ends.

•	While in the rage, he is immune to KO results from the Punching and Wrestling rules and takes only half damage from bare-hand attacks.

Killing Rage Disadvantages: A Battlerager suffers the following disadvantages while enraged:

•	He is oblivious to pain. The DM takes note of the Battlerager's current hit points when the character first enters his killing rage, reducing them as he takes damage. The player is not told how many points of damage he takes from enemy attacks, or how many he has left. He is only aware that he is enjoying himself tremendously. He is told how much damage his character has received when he falls over dead or the rage ends.

•	He must continue to fight each melee round until all opponents have been killed. He may attack any enemy within range of his weapon. If none are in range, or once he kills an opponent, he must attack the nearest enemy.

•	He cannot take cover from missile attacks.

•	If another character does something that he interprets as an attack, such as hitting him to move him out of the way, he must roll an Intelligence check. If successful, the Battlerager may ignore his friend. If he fails, his friend becomes his enemy, and is treated as an enemy until the fight is over and the rage has passed.

•	He is temporarily unaffected by the clerical spells bless, cure light wounds, aid, cure serious wounds, cure critical wounds, heal, regenerate, and wither. He only gains the benefits of these spells when he is not enraged.

•	The taunt spell is automatically successful and causes him to abandon his current enemy and rush to attack the taunter.

•	Once the rage is over, he loses all of its advantages, including the 10 bonus hit points. This could cause him to die instantly, or collapse unconscious, if he has 0 or less hit points remaining.

•	After the rage subsides, he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack rolls, a -3 penalty to damage rolls, and +1 penalty to his AC. This effect remains for the same number of rounds that he was enraged.

Special Hindrances: Being a psychopathic killer with an axe is a special hindrance in itself, particularly because he is a liability to himself and all who adventure with him. Other dwarves react to Battleragers with a -3 reaction adjustment penalty. But instead of attacking, they will withdraw. Other races automatically sense the latent violence in a Battlerager and react to him with a -2 penalty, though they may not have enough common sense not to attack him.

Wealth Options: The Battlerager receives the normal 5d4x10 gp.

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Highborn (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Highborn

Highborns are members of families who hold political power within a clan. A Highborn dwarf may belong to the ruling family of a stronghold. They are able to trace their lineage back to the beginnings of time. Highborn ancestors include the great warriors and craftsmen of legend. They tend to behave in an arrogant manner to other dwarves, believing their lineage makes them superior to their fellows. They consider themselves the epitome of dwarf culture, the finest members of their race.

Role: Highborn dwarves are the law enforcers of a stronghold. They uphold the law, insuring that they continue to benefit from the order of dwarf society. They expect to be admired and treated with much respect, if not subservience.

   	Highborns believe that the continuance of dwarf society rests firmly on their shoulders. It is their responsibility to ensure that life continues in a regular, orderly manner, so that clansdwarves may ply their crafts in peace and security.

   	Highborn dwarf adventurers are the younger sons or daughters of a wealthy family. As part of their education they are expected to travel in order to learn how other dwarf strongholds are managed, and to experience first hand the way other races organize themselves. Usually, this simply increases the highborn's sense of his and his race's importance, as he constantly compares the shortcomings of others to his own inflated opinions.

Secondary Skills: The Scribe secondary skill is suitable for Highborn dwarves.

Weapon Proficiencies: Highborn dwarves must take the sword, hammer, and light crossbow proficiencies. The last proficiency may be used for a weapon of his choice, or to specialize in one of the required choices.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Etiquette, Heraldry, Local Dwarf History.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Artistic Ability, Blind-fighting, Hunting, Modern Languages, Mountaineering, Survival (any).

Equipment: Highborn dwarves must always look their best to set an example to other dwarves. They must start with at least banded mail armor. Since this is worn to reflect status, it costs at least 10% to 25% more than usual, as do the fine weapons Highborns must use.

Distinctive Appearance: Their status is apparent from the fine craftsmanship of weapons, armor, and clothing.

Special Benefits: Dwarves of lawful alignment respect Highborn dwarves and react to them with a +3 bonus. A Highborn may also demand food and shelter from other dwarves, and this is willingly provided for him and his retinue. The Highborns administer justice among members of their clan. In matters involving two clans, only the ruling family of the stronghold can make binding decisions.

Special Hindrances: A Highborn dwarf may administer justice, but his decisions may be later overruled by a Highborn clansman of greater status.

Highborns need to maintain their status by finding and purchasing the best goods available. This means that they always spend an additional 10% to 25% on goods and services. If a Highborn fails to do so, his reaction bonus drops by -1 each occurrence, until it reaches 0. He may only increase his reaction to its former level by engaging in conspicuous consumption. This means a new suit of clothes and new equipment for himself and his retainers, all purchased at 25% above the usual price. He must throw a banquet for his entire clan (costing 1,000 to 5,000 gp), giving gifts to show that he deserves the respect offered him by those of lower status. These gifts are usually craft related, such as a fine set of tools, an anvil, or a loom.

Nonlawfully aligned dwarves tend to be irritated by Highborn dwarves' superiority and react to them at -3.

   	Highborn dwarves are too proud for their own good, seeing themselves and their race as superior to all others. This attitude causes other races to react to them with a -2 penalty.

Wealth Options: Highborn dwarves start with 400 gp, plus the standard 5d4x10 gp.

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Outcast (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Outcast

The Outcast is the misfit, the dwarf who breaks all the rules governing behavior; he refuses to fit easily into any niche, or to settle at one job for long. His behavior is usually so at odds with others that he is soon ostracized by his fellows. Outcasts can be found wandering deep underground or among humans, elves, gnomes, or monsters.

Role: Outcasts are typically of neutral or chaotic alignments. They may be good or evil, but the one thing they have in common is an aversion for the regimented lifestyles of their fellows. Evil Outcasts are likely to become racial traitors and lead the dwarves' enemies against them. Good-aligned Outcasts are likely to find the company of other races more in line with their own natures.

   	Although Outcast dwarves are normally not found in strongholds, whole communities of them have grown up at the edges of certain strongholds. They have usually been given unpleasant jobs that no one else wants, such as cleaning sewers or disposing of garbage.

Secondary Skills: Outcasts may choose any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: They often pick weapons that are not normally associated with dwarves, such as the short bow, quarterstaff, sickle, sling, or whip. They may have any weapon they choose.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, one craft proficiency (player choice), Endurance, Survival (any).

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Blind-fighting, Direction Sense, Dwarf Runes, Intimidation, Modern Language, Riding (pony).

Equipment: Outcast dwarves may have any kind of equipment.

Distinctive Appearance: Many who live among other races follow their adopted race in matters of dress. They often wear bright colors. Near strongholds they are usually poorly dressed, wearing only rags and castoffs.

Special Benefits: By paying an additional 10% experience cost to increase in level, an Outcast may Move Silently as a ranger of the same level. For example, a warrior needs 2,000 experience points to reach the 2nd-level. If he takes the Move Silently option, he pays an additional 10%, or 2,200 experience points to become a 2nd-level warrior. This ability must be taken when the character is first created, or it is forever lost. The XP penalty must be paid at every level.

Special Hindrances: The Outcast suffers a -3 reaction penalty from all other dwarves with the exception of other Outcasts and Wayfinders.

Wealth Options: Outcasts start with only 3d6x10 gp.

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Rapid Response Rider (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Rapid Response Rider

Rapid Response Riders are the dwarves' equivalent of cavalry. Mounted on suitably sturdy beasts, they are capable of moving faster than other dwarves, and packing more punch when they attack. Ponies or mules are commonly used as mounts, but creatures such as bears, boars, and dire wolves are sometimes used. Flying creatures, griffons, hippogriffs, or pegasi, may be employed. In such cases, Land Based Riding Proficiency references should be changed to Airborne Riding.

   	Rapid Response Riders are found in only a few strongholds. They are not extensively used and appear chiefly in strongholds that are under constant threat of attack.

   	They are often quite tall, as dwarves go, and that extra height helps a lot when riding.

Role: They are well trained, but something of an anomaly in a military based on infantry units. While respected, they are considered odd by other dwarves. They stick together and consider themselves both elite and superior to other dwarves, whom they see as lowly foot sloggers.

Secondary Skills: The character should take the Groom (Animal Handling) secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Rapid Response Riders must be proficient, and ideally specialized in, the lance (any, according to mount's size). They may use any other weapons they see fit.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Training, Endurance, Riding (Land Based). The type of mount must be noted for proficiencies.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Armorer, Blind-fighting, Intimidation, Leatherworking, Sign Language, Signalling, Tracking, Underground Direction Sense, Underground Navigation.

Equipment: They may wear any kind of armor except plate mail. They must start play with a lance, but otherwise may have any kind of weapon.

Distinctive Appearance: They will usually wear some form of leather trousers to protect their legs. They tend to select fierce looking armor, with studs, protruding hooks, or horned helmets.

Special Benefits: A Rapid Response Rider starts with a fully grown mount that has at least 75% of its possible hit points. Roll hit points normally; if they come to less than 75% of the possible total, increase it to 75%.

   	Their mounts are highly trained and respond to all commands given by their masters. They do not have telepathic rapport with their mounts, and if the mount is killed, they lose only the mount.

   	Rapid Response Riders gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls when fighting mounted.

Special Hindrances: Because of their close affinity to their mounts, most dwarves react with a B2 penalty.

Wealth Options: Rapid Response Riders start with 5d4x10 gp.

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Sharpshooter (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Sharpshooter

A Sharpshooter is highly skilled with either the light or heavy crossbow. He has spent the majority of his youth training as a Bowyer/Fletcher, and has had regular practice with his crossbow. He is skilled in rapid loading and expert at inflicting the most damage possible with his weapon. Exuding confidence in his abilities, he tends to disdain those who resort to hand-to-hand combat.

Role: Sharpshooters form either part of a crossbow unit or make their living shooting for prize money at fairs. When in battle, a Sharpshooter's targets are enemy officers, wizards, and clerics, to prevent them from coordinating attacks or casting spells.

Secondary Skills: He should have the Bowyer/Fletcher secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: A Sharpshooter must be a specialist with either a light or heavy crossbow (and, therefore, must be a fighter). He may not begin play with any hand weapon specializations, but may learn them later in his career. If gunpowder weapons are used, a sharpshooter may specialize in the arquebus. All the special benefits for crossbows are available for arquebuses; the character has a supply of perfectly molded arquebus balls and superior gunpowder.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Artistic Ability, Bowyer/Fletcher, Endurance.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Appraising, Direction Sense, Rope Use, Sign Language, Signalling.

Equipment: Sharpshooters start with the crossbow of their choice, at no cost.

Distinctive Appearance: They are set apart from other dwarves by the care they lavish on their crossbows and bolts. The crossbow is made of the finest materials and the butt is often inlaid with intricate patterns. The bolts have only the finest flights, and they burnish the points to a fine, razor sharpness.

Special Benefits: In addition to his crossbow specialization, he gains a further +1 to attack rolls. He fires faster than other specialists as shown on the Sharpshooter Attacks Table.

Sharpshooter Attacks Table

	Light	Heavy
Level	Crossbow	Crossbow
1-6	3/2	1/1
7-12	2/1	3/2
13+	5/2	2/1

This increased rate of fire assumes that the Sharpshooter has time to lay out his bolts in easy reach, minimizing the time required to nock a bolt. He gains these advantages only with the type of crossbow in which he has specialized.

   	When using his personal weapon and sharpened bolts, a Sharpshooter can inflict extra damage. In his hands, a light crossbow causes 1d6 damage vs. any size creatures. A heavy crossbow causes 1d6+1 vs. S/M, and 1d8+1 against larger creatures. He only gains these bonuses when he uses his personally built and maintained crossbow and his own sharpened bolts.

Special Hindrances: Sharpshooters may not start with any hand weapon specialization, and are limited to short weapons, daggers, and hand axes.

   	If a Sharpshooter loses his custom-built crossbow or has no time to sharpen his bolts, he loses his ability to increase damage. He cannot just pull out another crossbow previously built; it must first be used for 1d4 weeks to "break it in." In addition, it takes one hour to sharpen each bolt and they must be carefully stowed, if they are not to become dulled.

Wealth Options: Sharpshooters start with 5d4x10 gp, plus their own customized crossbow.

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Priest Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Priest Kits

The creation myths of the dwarves described in Chapter 1 can be used as the basis for designing numerous dwarf religions. Players will benefit from the Complete Priest's Handbook that describes 41 priesthoods that may be used with dwarf characters. While recommended, the Complete Priest's Handbook is not essential. The priest and warrior/priest kits work as well with clerics from the Player's Handbook.

Barred: This paragraph applies only to dwarf priests (single or multi-classed) using the Complete Priest's Handbook. It refers to priesthoods in the handbook and details which of the priest classes (plus cleric) may not take the kit. If it is not being used, the section may serve as a guide to the kind of religion the kit should have.

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Craft Priest (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Crafts Priest

Crafts priests are those who are dedicated to the patron deities of one of the dwarven crafts. Although they frequently will have a temple in a stronghold, they usually preside over a shrine or chapel in the workshops where their craft is practiced. They are usually members of that craft's clan.

Barred: Crafts priests usually worship the god of crafts, but they may belong to most other religions. In such cases, they are the priests who prepare ceremonial and sacrificial items. Priests of the following gods may not be crafts priests: birth and children, death, evil, disease, fertility, justice, marriage, love, mischief, trickery, and trade.

Role: Crafts priests are more concerned with their crafts than with the welfare of fellow dwarves. They will seek out the finest raw materials and are often engaged in expeditions to discover new mines or found new strongholds. Their expertise in these matters is highly sought. Rarely tied to a central temple, they are free to go where they please.

Secondary Skills: Crafts priests may choose any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: They may be proficient with any of these weapons: axe, hammer, light or heavy crossbow, mace, pick, polearm, short sword, spear.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Artistic Ability, any Craft proficiency, Endurance, and Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Dwarf Runes, Etiquette, Local Dwarf History, Underground Navigation.

Equipment: Crafts priests must have access to the tools required for their craft. If these are large, such as a forge, the priest is not required to own one, but the DM should inform him where he can go to use one. Apart from that, Crafts priests may use any kind of equipment.

Distinctive Appearance: According to the specific religion.

Special Benefits: A Crafts priest gains a +3 reaction bonus when dealing with dwarves of his own clan, and a +2 reaction bonus with dwarves from other clans engaged in the same craft.

Unless a Crafts priest has injured members of his own clan, he will gladly be given food and shelter by his clansmen.

Special Hindrances: Crafts priests have no special hindrances.

Wealth Options: They start with 3d6x10 gp.

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Pariah (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Pariah

A Pariah is a priest who has left his stronghold, either voluntarily or under pressure. His practice of religion was so repulsive that other dwarves expelled him. He will often worship gods of an evil alignment, but may worship chaotic good or chaotic neutral gods.

   	Pariahs may be priests who have turned to one of the darker gods of a pantheon, or he may be part of a group of Pariahs, within or on the fringes of dwarf society. Priests from evil strongholds are usually pariahs.

Barred: Priests of the god of community and most good aligned deities may not take this kit. However, pariahs may be priests of chaotic gods.

Role: They may be the priests for a community of Outcasts, in which case they are the spiritual leaders of such communities. These may be situated on the outskirts of strongholds or within a ghetto of another race's town or city.

   	Pariahs may also exist in a dwarf community, where they keep their power hidden from those who do not share their religion. They are secretive, and often fearful of discovery. Even so, their religion may have a substantial number of adherents among the otherwise lawful good dwarves. In an evil campaign, they may engage in kidnapping and sacrifice.

   	They may be wandering priests who join adventures for financial reward or to pursue some personal goal.

Secondary Skills: Pariahs may choose any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: A Pariah may use any weapon that is not forbidden by his religion.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Disguise, Endurance, and Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Any.

Equipment: A Pariah must spend all of his starting funds on equipment. Any money not spent is lost.

Distinctive Appearance: Pariahs have no distinctive appearance, as they have no desire to be singled out.

Special Benefits: By paying an additional 10% experience cost to increase in experience level, a Pariah may Move Silently as a ranger of the same level.

   	If a Pariah is of chaotic or evil alignment, he may elect not to have any superiors.

Special Hindrances: Unless he lives in a community of Outcasts, a Pariah is not free to openly worship his deity. Priests of other dwarf religions will actively prevent him from doing so, even by imprisonment or execution. They are more likely, however, to try to persuade him of the error of his ways by engaging him in interminable religious debates.

Wealth Options: A Pariah starts with the standard 3d6x10 gp.

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Patrician (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Patrician

A Patrician is a priest of a Highborn clan. He often acts as the voice of his family in religious matters and sees to their spiritual welfare. The priestly equivalent of the Highborn warrior, he traces his lineage to the very beginning of time.

   	Because of their backgrounds, Patricians often rise quickly in the hierarchy until they gain a position commensurate with the political clout of their families. They have little to do with everyday religion and have little contact with the mass of dwarves. With the exception of other Highborns, Patricians are frequently arrogant and patronizing toward others.

Barred: A Patrician is not barred from being a member of any religion. However, he will not join a religion that calls upon him to give his money away or to dress in a common fashion.

Role: Patricians can be aggravating individuals who shirk religious duties. They expect and demand respect, if not subservience. Their patronizing manner can be fun to play, but should be tempered with a willingness to heal or to aid others in times of need.

Secondary Skills: Patricians may choose any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Patricians may choose any weapon permitted by their religion.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Etiquette, Local Dwarf History, Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Artistic Ability, Blind-fighting, Herbalism, Hunting, Modern Languages, Mountaineering, Reading/Writing, Survival (any).

Equipment: They must dress according to their station and start play with at least banded mail armor. This costs 10% to 25% more than usual, the same as for any Highborn. Patricians must also have fine weapons costing 10% to 25% more as well.

Distinctive Appearance: They are clothed in the finest regalia of their religion, even when performing mundane tasks.

Special Benefits: Dwarves of lawful alignments respect Patricians and react to them with a +3 bonus. Other dwarves willingly provide food and shelter for Patricians.

Special Hindrances: Although a Patrician is primarily a political appointee, he is sometimes asked by the high priest of his religion to undertake dangerous missions. The Patrician is expected to organize and equip a party of dwarves out of his own funds.

   	As a Highborn, he is expected to keep up appearances, buying only the finest equipment for the party and spending 10% to 25% more on equipment and services. If a Patrician fails to do this, his reaction bonus drops by -1 for each dwarf that he fails to adequately equip until it reaches 0. He may increase his reaction bonus to its former level by donating large amounts of money to his religion and by undertaking some hazardous mission.

   	Nonlawfully aligned dwarves are irritated by the Patrician's superior airs and react to him at -3.

Wealth Options: A Patrician starts with 350 gp, plus 3d6x10 gp.

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Ritual Priest (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Ritual Priest

The Ritual Priest is the most common priest in dwarf society. He officiates at religious meetings and insures that worship is properly conducted. He presides over marriages, deaths, and name-giving ceremonies for children.

   	Adept at fighting, the Ritual Priest is often willing to give his life in the defense of his stronghold.

Barred: There are no barred religions for a Ritual Priest.

Role: He devotes most of his time to the worship of his gods and the needs of his fellow dwarves. He is often called upon to intercede with his deity on their behalf. His deity may call upon him to perform some quest or he may be granted a vision. He may be ordered by his superiors to perform a special task. A party of adventurers is then formed.

Secondary Skills: He should have the Scribe secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: A Ritual Priest may be proficient in any of the weapons available to priests, plus: battle axe, crossbow, hand/throwing axe, morning star, military, and warhammer.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Dwarf Runes, Endurance, Local Dwarf History, Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Ancient History, Astrology, Healing, Herbalism, Local History, Reading/Writing.

Equipment: Ritual Priests may have any kind of armor.

Distinctive Appearance: According to his religious custom.

Special Benefits: He is always respected by other dwarves, and may ask and be granted shelter in any stronghold. He receives a +1 reaction adjustment when dealing with dwarves.

Special Hindrances: A Ritual Priest has no special hindrances.

Wealth Options: A Ritual Priest receives the standard 3d6x10 gp.

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Warrior/Priest Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Warrior/Priest Kits

Warrior/priests are common in dwarf society. They combine the fighting abilities of the warrior with the spiritual powers of the priest. They may be part of a religion comprised of warrior/priests or they may complement a religion, providing it with additional muscle.

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Champion (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Champion

A Champion is a member of a religion who has been selected to undergo intensive training as a warrior. He is expected to defend his creed at all times, and may be called upon to do so in single combat against an evil monster or members of an enemy religion.

   	A Champion must have Strength and Wisdom scores of at least 15. He must also have a Charisma of at least 14.

Barred: A Champion cannot belong to a religion that has restrictions against violent behavior.

Role: The Champion defends his religion with his life and superior combat ability and maintains a clear head to promote it. As a defender of his creed, he must always act in its best interest, even when doing so causes him distress or physical harm.

Secondary Skills: He should have the Armorer and Weaponsmith secondary skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: He may have any weapon proficiency. Unlike other warrior/priests, he may specialize in one weapon. This weapon must be chosen when the kit is taken and cannot be changed. He may never specialize in any other weapon.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Intimidation, Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Ancient History, Blind-fighting, Dwarf Runes, Hunting, Local Dwarf History, Musical Instrument, Singing.

Equipment: A Champion is allowed one weapon specialization (this is an exception to the restriction against multi-class characters). This weapon is specially blessed and acts in all respects as a magical weapon +1; it can even harm monsters that can only be hit by magical weapons. The weapon may be +2 or higher and/or have added bonuses when used to attack certain types of monsters, such as undead. The blessed weapon belongs to his church and he is charged with its care. It may never be lent and, if lost, his paramount duty becomes its recovery.

   	A Champion who finds a superior weapon and decides to keep it must return his blessed weapon to the main temple of his religion as soon as he is able.

Distinctive Appearance: Champions are marked by their role and have an air of superiority. They usually dress in fine clothes, unless specifically forbidden to do so by their religion.

Special Benefits: See Equipment and Weapon Proficiencies.

Special Hindrances: He may never a refuse a fight related to his religion. He must defend it at all times. He may be requested to perform tasks set by his superiors. If he refuses to accept a challenge or a quest, he loses his weapon specialization and his religion will send another Champion to reclaim his blessed weapon.

Wealth Options: A Champion starts with 6d4x10 gp.

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Temple Guard (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Temple Guard

Temple Guards are warrior/priests normally stationed in a religion's temple. They have a good mix of abilities from both classes, and form the elite of a religion's warriors.

Barred: If The Complete Priest's Handbook is used, Temple Guards cannot belong to a religion that has poor fighting abilities.

Role: A Temple Guard has a number of roles in a campaign. He guards the precincts of his temple, protecting its members from attack. He is the weapon instructor for priests of his religion, and it is his duty to train them in the use of the religion's chosen weapons.

He may act as a representative of his religion and may rise in its hierarchy, like any other priest. His duties, however, are concerned with organizing defenses and outfitting and leading expeditions, rather than with religious services.

Secondary Skills: A Temple Guard may have any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: He must be proficient in a weapon that is representative of his religion. If he worships the god of war, his proficiency would be battle axe.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Religion.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Blind-fighting, Dwarf Runes, Etiquette, Intimidation, Modern Languages, Sign Language, Signalling.

Equipment: After he has bought his weapons and holy symbol, a Temple Guard must buy the best armor he can afford.

Distinctive Appearance: Temple Guards dress according to their religion, but always have a more martial appearance than other priests. They always carry a weapon and shield.

Special Benefits: Any time the Temple Guard is fighting in defense of his temple or other holy place of his religion, he gains a +2 to attack and damage rolls and a +2 to his saving throws.

Special Hindrances: A Temple Guard is rarely a free agent and is usually given his orders by a High Priest. This may lead to long periods of temple duty, interspersed with special missions.

Wealth Options: Temple Guards start with 5d4x10 gp.

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Vindicator (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Vindicator

The Vindicator is imbued with the spiritual power of his deity. When this power is manifested, he becomes a fearless and powerful warrior. He is able to enter a rage similar to that experienced by Battleragers; his face becomes contorted and he grinds his teeth together. See Battlerager for details concerning changes in appearance.

   	A Vindicator must have a minimum Strength of 15, Intelligence no higher than 10, and Wisdom no higher than 14.

Barred: Vindicators cannot belong to any religion that is concerned with peace or love. They worship gods of war, death, elemental forces, lightning, fire, strength, or thunder.

Role: They are often the most potent force of a religion, expected to give their lives for their religion. Most are well aware that their lives are likely to be short, though sometimes glorious.

Secondary Skills: Vindicators may choose any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: They must be proficient in battle axe (one or two handed) and warhammer, regardless of the restrictions imposed by their religion. They cannot start play with any ranged weapon other than warhammer, and may not have any other ranged weapon proficiency.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Intimidation, Religion, Singing.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Armorer, Blind-fighting, Dancing, Direction Sense, Healing, Herbalism, Sound Analysis, Underground Navigation, Underground Survival.

Equipment: Vindicators must start play with a battle axe and a warhammer. They may wear any type of armor, but it must be slightly larger in size than normal to accommodate their increased size when in a killing rage (see Battlerager).

Distinctive Appearance: They usually have facial and body tattoos.

Special Benefits: Vindicators gain all the special benefits of Battleragers, but are not allowed to specialize in any weapon.

   	Because of their higher Wisdom, Vindicators are usually able to exert more control over their own actions.

Special Hindrances: Vindicators have the same hindrances as Battleragers, except that members of their own religion do not react to them with a negative penalty.

   	When enraged, Vindicators cannot cast any spells, but may benefit from spells cast prior to becoming enraged.

Wealth Options: Vindicators start with 5d4x10 gp.

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Thief Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Thief Kits

True dwarf thieves who steal from other dwarves to make a living are almost nonexistent in dwarf society. Dwarves caught stealing are heavily fined and may be banished if they continue. True dwarf thieves are usually found plying their illegal trade among other races. The Complete Thief's Handbook contains kits for them. Here we look at characters who, while technically of the thief class, are a part of lawful dwarf society. They may be of any alignment.

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Diplomat (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Diplomat

Diplomats are found only in strongholds that have dealings with other races. They act as middlemen, translators, and spokesmen. They must rely on their wits to smooth the way, particularly when negotiations sour. A Diplomat's minimum Charisma is 13.

Role: Diplomats may represent their stronghold, act as interpreter for the stronghold's leader, or be employed by a dwarf merchant. Sometimes a Diplomat will be hired by humans or other races to assist making deals with the dwarves of a particular stronghold.

   	Many use their position to spy upon other race's defenses. Most races consider such activities as espionage, but dwarves view it as merely taking necessary precautions.

Secondary Skills: A Diplomat should have the Trader/Barterer secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any kind of weapons normally permitted thieves.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: The Diplomat starts with any four modern languages.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Blind-fighting, Disguise, Gaming, Local History, Reading Lips, Sign Language, Tightrope Walking, Ventriloquism.

Equipment: Because of the sensitive nature of their missions, Diplomats should dress as unobtrusively as possible and possess easily concealed weapons such as daggers and darts.

Distinctive Appearance: Diplomats tend to look like everyone's idea of a typical dwarf. Even though different races or cultures see them in different ways, Diplomats know how to dress in order to match the preconceptions of others.

Special Benefits: Diplomats gain a +10% modifier to Detect Noise and a +5% modifier to the Open Locks ability.

They gain a +3 reaction bonus dealing with other races, except racial enemies; then the reaction bonus drops to +1.

Special Hindrances: Diplomats suffer a B10% penalty to their Pick Pockets ability.

Wealth Options: Diplomats receive 3d6x10 gp instead of the normal 2d6x10 gp.

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Entertainer (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Entertainer

Dwarves enjoy entertainment during leisure hours, although other races are surprised there are dwarves whose trade is to entertain. There are dancers, singers, jugglers and tumblers, musicians, tightrope walkers, and fire eaters. They rarely tell jokes.

   	To be an Entertainer, a character has to have a minimum Dexterity of 14.

Role: Like most dwarf trades, Entertainers are governed by a guild. They are trained from an early age and are very adept at what they do.

   	Humans and elves often find the sight of dwarf Entertainers gamboling around a stage hilariously funny, much to the annoyance of the Entertainers and dwarves in the audience. The performance of an Entertainer is meant to display the physical prowess of the dwarves in an edifying manner. They are certainly not meant to be laughed at!

Secondary Skills: Any.

Weapon Proficiencies: Entertainers may use any weapon.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: An Entertainer may choose two of the following skills: Dancing, Juggling, Local Dwarf History, Musical Instrument, Rope Use, Singing, Slow Respiration, Tightrope Walking, Tumbling, Ventriloquism.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: All of the above, plus Alertness.

Equipment: Entertainers start with rope, juggling balls and skittles, and a musical instrument. These are provided by the Entertainers' Guild.

Distinctive Appearance: Entertainers usually dress in sober dwarven colors; dark browns or slate grays. They can easily be identified by their equipment, which they take everywhere.

Special Benefits: Entertainers gain a +1 ability modifier when using the Singing, Dancing, Juggling, and Rope Use proficiencies.

Special Hindrances: Entertainers tend to be laughed off stage when they perform outside dwarf society. This makes them reluctant to perform for any audience not made up of dwarves.

Wealth Options: Entertainers start with only 2d4x10 gp.

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Locksmith (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Locksmith

Locksmiths are masters at building and taking apart locks. These craftsmen are well respected in dwarf society. In many ways the true thief's worst enemy, locksmiths make it hard for a thief to exercise his trade.

Role: They are expert in making and opening locks. They are also expert at finding and disarming traps. Their craft safeguards homes and builds strong locks for the gates of dwarf strongholds.

   	To adventurers, there are many benefits to having a locksmith along. They can find and remove traps, open locks, and have all of the other skills of thieves.

Secondary Skills: Locksmiths often have technical skills, such as Mason, Miner, or Woodworker/Carpenter.

Weapon Proficiencies: They usually carry axes and hammers. Practical dwarves, they know that not all locks can be picked. Sometimes it is necessary to break a door down instead.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Carpentry, Locksmithing.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Engineering, Stonemasonry.

Equipment: Locksmiths should have one set each of lock making and lock picking tools.

Distinctive Appearance: No distinctive appearance.

Special Benefits: They gain a +10% modifier to their Open Locks ability in addition to that provided by the Lockpicking proficiency, and a +10% bonus to their Find/Remove Traps ability.

Special Hindrances: Locksmiths have a -10% penalty to their Climb Walls ability and a -5% penalty to their Pick Pockets ability.

Wealth Options: They start with 4d4x10 gp.

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Pest Controller (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Pest Controller

Pest Controllers keep a stronghold free from rats, giant spiders, centipedes, carrion crawlers, kobolds, and other pests. They are experts at setting traps and in eradicating minor animal and monster nuisances.

Role: Pest Controllers are members of the Pest Control Guild. Through experience they learn all of a stronghold's tunnels, passages, and sewers. Although they perform an invaluable service keeping underground settlements habitable, their true worth becomes apparent when a stronghold is under attack. Then they use their expertise to rig traps along passages of expected enemy advance to slow and kill the invaders. Enemies entering a dwarf stronghold are likely to find their way beset with deadly traps.

   	As members of an adventuring party, Pest Controllers are useful to protect the party's camp area and to find and disarm traps set by others.

Secondary Skills: They should have the secondary skill of Trapper/Furrier.

Weapon Proficiencies: Pest Controllers usually carry daggers and darts, but may use any type of weapon normally permitted to thieves.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Lore, Pest Control.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Blacksmithing, Blind-fighting, Carpentry, Direction Sense, Set Snares, Sign Language, Signalling, Stonemasonry, Tracking, Underground Survival, Weaponsmithing.

Equipment: Pest Controllers should equip themselves with cages and other traps. If one has the blacksmithing or weaponsmithing proficiencies it can be assumed he has built 1d4 traps before starting play.

Distinctive Appearance: Pest Controllers wear shiny black leather armor and black leather helmets.

Special Benefits: They gain a +5% bonus to their Move Silently and Find/Remove Traps abilities.

Special Hindrances: They have a -10% penalty to their Pick Pockets ability. Other dwarves, except Vermin Slayers and Wayfinders, consider them to be unsavory characters and react to them with a -2 penalty.

Wealth Options: They start with the standard 2d6x10 gp.

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Warrior/Thief Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Warrior/Thief Kits

Multi-class warrior/thieves fill many specialist roles. With their ability to fight effectively, coupled with their thieving abilities, their services are much in demand. Warrior/thieves are often more than just the sum of their parts. The kits below describe some of the ways in which they fit into dwarf society.

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Ghetto Fighter (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Ghetto Fighter

Ghetto Fighters live in the ghettos of nondwarven towns or cities. Generally from poor families, they have had to look after themselves from an early age. The typical Ghetto Fighter has a hardbitten, self-centered attitude, developed in order to survive the rigors of the ghetto.

   	Ghetto Fighters may come from dwarf strongholds. In such cases they would be from poor clans with bad reputations. Such characters are always suspect to other dwarves, and they find it difficult to make a living by honest means.

Role: The Ghetto Fighter never forgets his lowly origins and may harbor resentments against dwarves who are better off. However, he stays true to his roots, and will try to better the lives of ghetto children.

Secondary Skills: A Ghetto Fighter may have any secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Weapon proficiencies available to Ghetto Fighters are determined by the campaign background. If the Ghetto Fighter is from a repressive city, most weapons may be forbidden to citizens, and dwarves may be especially restricted. It may be illegal for dwarves to possess any weapons within the city, with stiff fines or imprisonment the usual punishments. In such a city, a Ghetto Fighter would be restricted to concealed weapons; daggers or darts. In other societies, Ghetto Fighters may be allowed to be proficient in any weapon.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Disguise, Endurance.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Blind-fighting, Forgery, Gaming, Local History, Lip Reading, Sign Language, Tumbling, Ventriloquism.

Equipment: Ghetto Fighters should start play with thief's picks and a rope. Otherwise, they may equip themselves as they see fit.

Distinctive Appearance: Ghetto Fighters do not have a distinctive appearance, but many bear scars or have amputated fingers from street fighting. Some wear an eyepatch.

Special Benefits: A Ghetto Fighter gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage when using a dagger or knife. When attacking with two weapons, he does not suffer any penalty with his primary weapon, and only a -2 attack penalty with his secondary weapon (see the Players Handbook, page 96). If his secondary weapon is a dagger or knife, he still gains the +1 to attack and damage.

   	He gains a +5% modifier to his Pick Pockets and Hide in Shadows skills.

Special Hindrances: Ghetto Fighters have bad reputations with the authorities of the town, city, or stronghold in which they live. Law enforcement agents of the same town, city, or stronghold react at -3 to a Ghetto Fighter.

   	He suffers a -5% penalty to his chance to Find/Remove Traps.

Wealth Options: A Ghetto Fighter starts with only 3d4x10 gp.

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Trader (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Trader

Dwarf merchants who trade mainly with other races, the Traders seek to drive the hardest bargain they can. They usually deal in dwarven weapons, armor, and other metal goods, but will trade in uncut gems, iron, or other ores when there is a glut of them.

   	Traders transport their wares on mules or ponies, taking their goods to human and elven towns or cities where they sell them to local merchants. Some traders have established their own shops in such places, eliminating the middleman.

Role: They are often willing to travel vast distances in search of bargains. Some Traders deal with the races of the Underdark, particularly deep gnomes, and sometimes with drow or duergar. Others act as the only contact some mountain dwarf strongholds have with the outside world. Traders are vital to the strongholds, bringing in goods that local dwarves are unable to manufacture themselves.

   	Traders are adventurous by nature and are always looking for a good deal. Entire campaigns may be based around the activities of a Trader and his companions, transporting goods through hostile lands or in search of lost treasure.

Secondary Skills: Traders should have the Trader/Barterer secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Traders should be proficient in light crossbow and a concealable hand weapon such as a dagger, knife, or hand axe. Otherwise, they may be proficient in any weapon they choose.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising, Endurance, Navigation.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Animal Handling, Direction Sense, Hunting, Local Dwarf History, Local History, Riding (Land Based), Survival (as appropriate), Underground Navigation.

Equipment: A Trader starts his career with a mule and packs and panniers for carrying goods and equipment.

Distinctive Appearance: Traders do not have to belong to a guild and have no standard appearance.

Special Benefits: A Trader gains a +1 to attack and damage only when protecting his goods or animals.

   	A Trader also gains a +1 reaction bonus from merchants and other traders. This bonus is based on his reputation as a fair and honest Trader. If he cheats on a deal and is later discovered, the bonus changes to a -2 penalty.

Special Hindrances: Traders have no special hindrances.

Wealth Options: A Trader starts with 4d4x10 gp.

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Vermin Slayer (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Vermin Slayer

The Vermin Slayer is a highly skilled specialist who enters the tunnel systems of monsters such as kobolds, goblins, and jermlaines, with the intention of eradicating them. Vermin Slayers are also adept at negotiating the constricted passages created by giant rats, centipedes, and other pests and vermin.

   	They are used to fighting in confined spaces and are experts at hiding in shadows, where they wait to surprise their prey.

   	Vermin Slayers are similar to Pest Controllers, but where a Pest Controller uses traps to catch his prey, Vermin Slayers actively hunt victims with light crossbows and hand axes or hammers.

   	A Vermin Slayer must have minimum scores of 14 in Strength and Dexterity.

Role: They belong to their own guild, which sells their services to those who require them. Many operate as freelancers, selling their skills to humans and other races who are experiencing problems with "vermin."

   	Within dwarf societies plagued by pests, Vermin Slayers are highly regarded. Their willingness to enter narrow tunnels is seen as commendable by other dwarves. In strongholds where they are not constantly employed, they are often viewed with suspicion and distaste. Many have been known to turn to illegal activities in order to support themselves, but their willingness to enter even sewers has proved their worth as recoverers of lost items and has earned them a reputation for being incredibly tough.

   	Outside of dwarf society, Vermin Slayers are something of an enigma. They do not readily fit the image other races have of the trades. Most humans are amazed that a skill as specialized as Vermin Slayers even exists. Even so, they easily find work in human cities as pest exterminators, and their services have often been called upon to eradicate bands of raiding kobolds and goblins from their lairs.

Secondary Skills: A Vermin Slayer should have the Hunter secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Vermin Slayers must be proficient in light crossbow and hand axe, hammer, or dagger. Many favor the specialist weapons of the close combat fighter. Generally, Vermin Slayers should choose fast weapons that require little space.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Endurance, Tracking, Underground Navigation.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Direction Sense, Sign Language, Underground Survival, Pest Control, Blind-fighting, Intimidation, Set Snares, Swimming.

Equipment: Vermin Slayers may spend their money on any kind of equipment. Depending on the current job, they have a wide variety of armor options available. If stealth is required, they should wear no more than leather armor. When seeking to destroy the opposition, metal armor may be worn, even though this causes their thief skills to be negated.

   	Most Vermin Slayers carry at least two light crossbows, allowing them to fire two shots before having to reload.

A new Vermin Slayer character receives a light crossbow, 10 bolts, and a quiver free of charge.

Distinctive Appearance: They are distinguished by the bandannas around their heads, and by their habit of hanging the dried heads or skulls of their vermin victims about their waists.

Special Benefits: Vermin Slayers receive a +5% bonus to their Find/Remove Traps, Detect Noise, and Move Silently skills. Because of their special training, Vermin Slayers receive a +1 bonus to attack and a +2 bonus to damage with one chosen hand weapon, when fighting small sized creatures. They receive a -1 initiative bonus anytime they are fighting in a restricted tunnel or passage.

Special Hindrances: Vermin Slayers have a -10% penalty to their Pick Pockets skill and a -5% penalty to their Read Languages skill.

   	They are not trained to fight large creatures, so ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans find them easier to attack than other dwarves. Large creatures are only penalized -2 when attacking Vermin Slayers.

Wealth Options: Vermin Slayers receive the standard 5d4x10 gp starting gold, plus their free light crossbow, 10 bolts, and quiver.

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Wayfinder (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Wayfinder

The Wayfinder is a hardy mix of warrior and thief who usually operates independently of other dwarves. He cares for himself, acting on his own initiative, and is able to survive for long periods of time on a minimum of food.

   	A Wayfinder must have a minimum Intelligence of 12.

Role: Wayfinders are traditionally employed as underground explorers and spies. They chart the best routes underground, note supplies of food and water, and mark down the location of any mineral deposits they find.

   	Wayfinders are frequently employed to explore new areas for mining and to chart underground waterways. This is the only dwarf kit with Swimming as a bonus proficiency.

   	The dwarven military employs them as underground scouts and guides. These intrepid explorers frequently venture into monster-infested caverns in order to learn the numbers and positions of guards, and any weakness in the monster defenses. Once they have reported their intelligence, they guide the dwarf troops to the locations, following their own mapped routes.

   	In human society the Wayfinder has found employment with mine owners, prospectors, and parties of adventurers. The Wayfinder's combat and thief skills make him doubly useful to his colleagues.

   	Some Wayfinders have become very rich discovering lodes of the finest silver, gold, and even mithril during their explorations. Their ability to find alternate routes makes hiding the discovery from their employers a simple task, and then they can exploit it themselves.

Secondary Skills: A Wayfinder should have the Navigator secondary skill.

Weapon Proficiencies: Wayfinders may chose any weapon proficiencies permitted to warriors and thieves.

Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: Endurance, Swimming, Underground Navigation, Underground Survival.

Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Blind-fighting, Direction Sense, Fungi Recognition, Herbalism, Local Dwarf History, Locksmithing, Mining, Modern Languages, Rope Use, Set Snares, Sign Language, Signalling, Slow Respiration, Tracking.

Equipment: Wayfinders should start with a suit of leather armor and a shield. They should carry basic survival equipment such as ropes, pitons, a hammer, food supplies, waterskin, etc.

Distinctive Appearance: They usually dress in black leather armor and carry black shields. Unlike most dwarves, their beards are either worn very short or braided into tight ringlets, which give their chins a jagged appearance.

Special Benefits: They gain a +10% bonus to their Hide in Shadows and Move Silently skills. They are also able to learn languages easily. Each language learned by a Wayfinder costs only half its listed number of slots. So, for the cost of one slot, a Wayfinder could learn both the Sign and Goblin Language proficiencies.

Special Hindrances: Wayfinders have a -10% penalty to their Pick Pockets and Read Languages skills.

   	They are not quite trusted by other dwarves due to their independent nature. The fact that some Wayfinders have cheated on their employers in the past has deepened the distrust. As a result, Wayfinders have -2 reaction penalty when dealing with other dwarves. This penalty is ignored in situations where a Wayfinder's services are being actively sought; then their independent nature is viewed more positively. Other dwarves will remain suspicious of a Wayfinder's motives.

Wealth Options: Wayfinders start with the usual 5d4x10 gp for multi-classed warriors.

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Chapter 7: Role Playing and Personalities (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 7: Role Playing and Personalities

Farondil, an Elf, Speaks of Dwarves

Let's get one thing straight, I have nothing against dwarves personally. It's just that they're so different from regular folk. They really are a bit freakish. Just look at them. Four foot six at best, often just as wide. The proportions are all wrong. And that hair! It grows all over the place. Most of them look like they've rugs stuck to their faces. And the smell! The less said about that, the better.

   	I'm really not prejudiced, but I do believe in calling a squat a squat. And that's just what they are, squat and ugly things, the victims of a mean joke of the gods. No wonder they live below ground. No one takes them seriously, except themselves. And they do take themselves seriously. A few have even had the nerve to call me flighty, if you can believe that.

   	Besides, they are so obsessed with work they never laugh, never have any fun. Work, work, work, that's all they do besides sleep, drink vast quantities of alcohol, and smell. Mind you, it's hardly surprising given their repressive society. Those guilds are nothing short of legalized slavery.

   	Underground is the best place for them. Down there, they can't go 'round depressing other folk. You can tell how bad it is down there by the number of them who escape every year. You know the type, either greedy merchants or homicidal killers. Have you ever tried discussing philosophy with a dwarf? They're not at all interested in life, stars, flowers, or freedom. One rude little beast had the effrontery to tell me to shut up with my "mindless pansy drivel," or he'd hack my legs off. Ha! The stumpy little runt couldn't reach any higher, my legs were all he could hit!

   	Oh, they're all right from a distance, I suppose. Just keep them in their holes, away from decent folk, and everything will be fine. I'm not prejudiced, but I still don't want any living in my woods!

Other races tend to stereotype dwarves, lumping them all together as suspicious, avaricious, taciturn, obstinate, grumpy, grim, and humorless creatures. They see them as rigid and unyielding as stone, while grudgingly admitting that dwarves are hardy and tenacious fighters.

   	While all that is true, it is a gross generalization. Many dwarves will not fit neatly into another race's conception of them. No two are exactly alike. They may have the same character kit, but each has his own goals, interests, quirks, and flaws setting him apart from his fellows. There are, however, certain discernible qualities shared by the entire race.

The Dwarven Personality

"Humph! Get lost!"

--Dwarven Maxim

Dwarves are not humans with short legs, broad torsos, and long beards. They are another race entirely, with distinctive personality traits and beliefs that set them apart from humans. Playing a dwarf is more challenging than playing a human warrior, cleric, or thief. As humans, we know our basic traits, and portray them easily in a game. It is more difficult to make dwarves believable and fun, but the potential reward is worth the effort.

Basic Personality

Dwarven personality is molded by many factors. They see themselves as a proud and noble race, maintaining their own ways. This is not because they are stubborn, but because experience has taught them that their ways are best. They do not understand why other races consider them dour and taciturn. Believing that there is a time and place for everything, dwarves approach work seriously, with an attitude of commitment. Dealing with other races is always seen as work and dwarves always work solemnly. While this has led to false portrayals, dwarves don't care. They know they are superior to all other races. If others fail to recognize this, it is not the dwarves' loss. They are content to leave others alone, unless they are in direct conflict or competition for living space or resources. When attacked, the entire stronghold will fight.

   	Knowing how the race generally feels about most things helps to define individual player characters. Even if the character's personality is entirely different from the norm, it can be defined by noting the differences.

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The Dwarven Personalities (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Dwarven Personalities

The following personalities are provided as spurs to the imagination. They are intended as concepts to be used and developed by players with dwarf characters. Each personality provides a framework for the character's role playing personality, and can be amended, added to, or combined with other personalities.

   	Players are encouraged to alter and modify the personality types in any way they like. Characteristics can be combined to create new types.

   	A player may wish to change his character's personality. In the course of adventuring, he may have experiences that cause him to change and grow. Such changes should be rare, and should mark a major turning point in life. A personality should not be changed just for the sake of trying something new. The change should develop naturally out of the events of the campaign, perhaps as a result of a catastrophic event.

Each personality description includes the following information:

It starts with a general description of the character's attitudes, motivations, and outlook. It suggests how he is likely to function in a typical campaign. In some cases, recommendations are made as to what type of player may find a particular personality the most enjoyable to play.

Best Suited For: Some personality types are more appropriate for certain alignments than others, and some are more appropriate for certain kits. These are recommendations, not hard and fast rules. Novice players are advised to remain within the alignment and kit recommendations.

Combat Situations: Each personality type approaches combat situations differently. Some might charge straight ahead with weapons swinging, while others might hold back to size up the enemy before committing themselves.

Role Playing Situations: How is a character likely to react to NPCs? These suggestions should be used as guidelines when role-playing conversations, small talk, interrogations, and interviews. There are also ideas about how the character might interact with other PCs.

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The Decadent (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Decadent

The Decadent is one who follows the ways of other races instead of dwarven ways. He may have been living in close proximity to other races, such as elves or humans, or he may have made a conscious decision that another culture had superior qualities to his own. Possibilities include a dwarf who was captured while young and raised by a tribe of orcs. His loyalties would be to orcs, rather than his own race. A character may have converted to the other race's religion, forswearing dwarven things.

Best Suited For: Decadent dwarves are suitable for all kits and alignments except the Battlerager. The Outcast kit is a good choice. A Decadent personality allows a player to role-play someone who is outwardly dwarven, but is far from dwarven inside. It also allows dwarf priests or warrior/priests to be members of another race's religion.

Combat Situations: There is no specific Decadent combat response.

Role Playing Situations: Decadent dwarves may act like humans, elves, or others in dwarf form, and will share the attitudes of their adopted race.

   	They are viewed with suspicion by other dwarves. They are never completely trusted. Dwarves will be circumspect with a Decadent dwarf.

   	They don't get on very well with other dwarves, seeing them as deficient in some way. Many other races have difficulty accepting a Decadent dwarf unless he grew up as part of their society. A dwarf who was raised by a tribe of orcs would be accepted by the orcs of that tribe, but he would still be a racial enemy to other orcs who don't know him.

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Glory Seeker (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Glory Seeker

The Glory Seeker hopes to become famous by performing heroic deeds. He dreams of becoming one of the heroes of legend whose deeds are still sung though the hero died a thousand years ago.

Best Suited For: Axe for Hire, Battlerager, Highborn, or any priest or warrior/priest kit. Lawful and good alignments are best for a Glory Seeker, but chaotics may also fill this role.

Combat Situations: He fights for glory, reveling in the action, and dreams of his portrayal by storytellers to generations yet unborn. His love of action causes him to take risks, but he will try to avoid endangering his companions. He will place himself in grave danger to protect others or to rescue them, or even just to see if he can survive it, if that action alone would be heroic.

Role-Playing Situations: He enjoys being the center of attention, but is not necessarily a skilled speaker. He may recognize his weaknesses and allow others to lead in negotiations. He wishes only to be acknowledged for the hero he is. When dealing with dwarves, particularly if he is the only dwarf in a party, he will take command of the situation, or at least make it clear that he is the leader of the party, even if he is not. He wishes others to see him as an epic figure.

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The Grumbler (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Grumbler

The Grumbler loves being unhappy. Nothing satisfies him. It's either too damp, too dark, too smelly, too cold, too hot, or simply wrong. There is never a right. He may grudgingly admit that things are not too bad, but they are bad enough. He is only happy when he has something to be unhappy about.

   	He is not always vocal about his unhappiness. A few well-placed moans may be the best protest, as long as everyone knows that he is not happy.

Best Suited For: Most kits, except the Diplomat, will work. To give him something to grumble about, see to the negative side of the kit. For instance, a Locksmith could be complaining that he's always the one to open locks and look for traps. The Vermin Slayer risks his neck exploring tunnels, with little thanks. The real key to playing a grumbler is remembering that he actually enjoys what he does, he just never admits it.

Combat Situations: The Grumbler may approach combat as just another chore to be done, or as an opportunity to take out his unhappiness on others. He may approach combat with disguised zeal, never admitting his enjoyment. Taken to extremes, the Grumbler will complain about the sloppy fighting methods of his opponents, or their treachery, which caused him injury.

Role-playing Situations: He fits the stereotype of the dour, taciturn dwarf. He only speaks to complain, and something as simple as ordering a room at an inn sounds like a complaint ("And don't stick me in a room infested with lice, I want a decent one--make sure it isn't over the common room or I won't get any sleep").

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The Hoarder (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Hoarder

This character is obsessed with acquiring, hoarding, and counting wealth. He never spends it if he can avoid it, and he is always the first one to search the pockets of vanquished opponents. In his spare time he counts his gold and polishes his gems. He takes the race's love of wealth to an avaricious extreme, and may become violent if someone even looks at his treasure. He doesn't like talking about it because talk arouses others' greed. He covets any treasure that isn't his, and is often spotted eyeing it enviously. Other party members can easily manipulate him by offering gems and other material rewards.

Best Suited For: Any alignment. A good character will be a private individual who doesn't want others prying into his affairs. He won't steal from other party members, but he is not averse to pocketing an odd gem or trinket found on an enemy or in a treasure haul (especially if no one else noticed it). He readily rationalizes why he should have things that aren't currently his. Neutral and evil characters are more likely to steal, but they are smart enough not to be obvious. Leave one of them alone with a treasure chest and he is guaranteed to rifle it, pocketing the choicest items. This is the wrong character to leave guarding the packs.

   	Any type of thief character makes an ideal Hoarder, as do most other character kits except Diplomat and Highborn.

Combat Situations: The Hoarder is often a determined fighter who realizes that the quickest way to get more loot is to take it from people or creatures who no longer need it (i.e., dead ones). His greed can lead him to be foolhardy, or to go off on his own in dangerous areas. The sight of a beautiful gem in the eye of a statue, across a chamber full of orcs, is likely to lead a Hoarder to fight his way to it, or leave his companions to fight while he sneaks around the edge in the hope of pocketing the gem in the confusion.

Role-playing Situations: The Hoarder is always looking for the best deal in any situation. Unlike the Statesman, he is frequently not very good at getting it; his greed is so apparent that others can easily manipulate him and strike hard bargains.

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The Optimist (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Optimist

The optimist is an outgoing, cheerful character, always looking on the bright side, even when circumstances are dire. To the optimist, there is always a brighter and better tomorrow, and even the worst situation can be turned to advantage.

Best Suited For: Ideally suited to players who wish to play cheerful characters. Taken to its extreme, an Optimist can be as much an irritation as a Grumbler. Instead of finding fault, every situation has a redeeming quality.

   	The Optimist works best with good or neutral characters, evil isn't very optimistic (but may hide behind an optimistic facade).

   	Entertainer, Animal Master, and Sharpshooter work well with this personality, but it can be used interestingly with Ghetto Fighter.

In Combat Situations: The Optimist is no fool. In combat he is capable of weighing the opposition and acting to ensure the best possible result. He is not given to rushing into combat, but neither will he shirk his responsibilities. He may counsel a timely retreat or a rear-guard action, rather than a frontal assault, but when the chips are down, he'll meet his fate with a grin. He genuinely believes that any odds can be overcome with the right plan.

Role-playing Situations: The cheery good nature of the Optimist suits him well. He enjoys meeting people of other races and he often changes the opinions of those who think all dwarves are dour.

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The Paragon (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Paragon

The Paragon takes racial pride to the extreme. Dwarf achievements are the highest possible and no other race can hope to measure up to the standards dwarves have set. He finds fault with others, especially other races, but he can just as easily find fault with other subraces. He is always comparing the lifestyles and actions of others to his own way of life, and they rarely, if ever, match his standards.

   	To this character, elves are flighty and apathetic; orcs are wretched, brutal, and depraved; humans and halflings too easily distracted; and gnomes are obsessed with the wrong things.

Best Suited For: Any alignment will work well. Lawful good Paragons will be helpful and offer unwanted suggestions of how others can improve themselves and benefit from being lawful and good. Chaotics will simply be showoffs and fault finders. Evil and neutral characters can be vindictively opinionated and callous about others. A Paragon may be used with any kit.

Combat Situations: Paragons can always find reasons to be in combat. "Pah! They need a dwarf in there to show them how it's done; humans and elves got no idea." They can just as easily find reasons not to get involved; "Don't see why I have to fight 'em; it's a human problem, not mine!"

Role-playing Situations: A bad choice for a Diplomat. It is too easy for him to be obnoxious and rude to others. Given the will to remain silent, he's still likely to open his mouth and cut loose with barbed comments. In everyday situations, he is likely to make more enemies than friends. He creates friction among fellow party members, particularly if there are other races present, with his opinions.

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The Phobic (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Phobic

He is scared. He may be unable to approach bodies of water, or has a morbid fear of heights, or a fear of open spaces, or of enclosed places, or of certain types of monsters: goblins or umber hulks, perhaps.

   	Whatever the phobic is afraid of, it prevents him from fully functioning when dealing with the object of his phobia. He may simply refuse to go anywhere near it. This may be represented in gaming terms by giving the character penalties to his attack and damage rolls; penalties of -2 to -5 are suitable. Or he may have to make a saving throw vs. paralyzation to approach the thing he fears.

Best Suited For: Players who enjoy flawed characters will find Phobics good fun to play, though they are more restricted than other character types.

   	Any alignment or character kit can be used with a Phobic. Sundered dwarves are always claustrophobic. A Phobic may easily be combined with another personality; a Glory Seeker with a fear of water, for example.

Combat Situations: The Phobic performs well until faced with the object of his phobia. Then he becomes reluctant to fight, and may even flee as if affected by a fear spell. A saving throw may be called for in such situations to see whether he continues to fight, or flees.

Role-playing Situations: In most situations the Phobic functions normally, acting as the player wants, but faced with his phobia, he changes dramatically. When he is combined with other personalities, there are intriguing possibilities. Imagine an orc-hating Battlerager who has a suicidal disregard for his own safety when fighting orcs, but turns and flees when faced with a single kobold.

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The Pragmatist (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Pragmatist

In any given situation, the pragmatist knows what has to be done and does it, ruthlessly and efficiently. He takes only calculated risks, and is never foolhardy.

Best Suited For: Pragmatists are only suitable for neutral and evil characters. Good characters suffer from having to do the right thing; Pragmatists do the required thing. Suitable for Axe For Hire, Vermin Slayer, Sharpshooter, Trader, or Ghetto Fighter.

Combat Situations: He prefers to weigh the odds before committing to combat, considering weaknesses and opportunities that may be exploited to best advantage. Once engaged, he will fight to eliminate his opponents as quickly as possible, by any means, however ruthless or underhanded.

Role-playing Situations: A Pragmatist can be gruff and taciturn, or he may be more open, even happy and gregarious. In negotiation, he pushes for the best deal, but he also knows when he has achieved all he can.

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The Statesman (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Statesman

The Statesman is concerned with getting the best deal for his clan, stronghold, and race, in that order. He exudes natural leadership, or at least likes to think that he does. This may be a result of his birth, his upbringing, or his own inflated opinion of himself. He takes charge of most situations, acting in a decisive and imposing manner.

Best Suited For: The Statesman is best suited for the Diplomat and Highborn kits. The Champion and Ghetto Fighter are also useful. Chaotic characters are usually too carefree or self-centered to make good Statesmen.

In Combat Situations: He does not see himself as a good combatant. He would rather engage in diplomacy, but if that fails he may try to take command of a party. His success depends on whether he is also a competent commander.

Role-playing Situations: In these situations, he is at his best. He loves to present his credentials and debate issues and try to obtain the best deal. He tends to become the mouthpiece for a party, negotiating for necessities.

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Chapter 8: Mining (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 8: Mining

Mining

New dwarf strongholds are established for a wide variety of reasons, but they are almost always sited near substantial deposits of minerals or gems. This chapter contains rules for establishing and operating mines. It is assumed that most existing strongholds are built around profitable and extensive ones.

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Conducting a Survey (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Conducting a Survey

Not all regions will yield something of value, regardless of the success of the proficiency roll. Examples of places where mining is a waste of time include regions of deep sand or dirt and areas of hardened lava. Streams flowing through these regions may have carried traces of ores or a gemstone, but a character with the mining proficiency knows that mining these areas is guaranteed to yield nothing.

   	If a miner seeks to excavate an area that might yield valuable material, he can make a Mining proficiency check after surveying the area. He may determine that increasing the area of his survey sweep could yield something of value.

   	The length of time required for a survey will depend upon the conditions of the search. Under ideal conditions, it would take a week to survey an area of 4 square miles. Ideal conditions mean that the character is not constantly fending off goblins and marauding bandits, nor is he hunting for food. If the search is being conducted above ground, deep snow could make prospecting nearly impossible, while even a thin layer would triple the time needed. Steady rainstorms, rough terrain, and short daylight hours all interfere with a survey of the surface.

   	Underground searches are limited by the natural formations of caverns and passages. The area that can be examined in one week is reduced underground to 2 square miles, conditions permitting. The natural shape of the passages may be such that the character is restricted to a narrow 100-yard stretch, or that the search must be carried deeper into the earth.

   	After the search is completed, a proficiency check must be made by the miner. If unsuccessful, the search has either failed to discover anything of value or the character thinks he has found the best site for the mine. The miner may search the area again, seeking to verify his original findings, but it becomes increasingly more difficult; the amount of time required is multiplied by the number of surveys (the second survey takes twice as long, the third takes three times as long, etc.) and a cumulative -1 penalty is imposed on each subsequent proficiency check (-1 on the second check, -2 on the third check, etc.).

   	If the check is successful, the surveyor has determined the extent of mineral wealth in the area, within a reasonable margin of error. This does not guarantee a successful mine, but does locate the best site for one. If the area contains nothing of value or is unsuitable for mining, a successful proficiency check reveals that fact.

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Mine Products (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Mine Products

When a miner locates minerals, consult the Mining Products Table.

Mining Products Table

Roll D100	Product of Mine
01-30	Copper
31-40	Tin
41-66	Lead
67-84	Iron
85-92	Silver
93-97	Gold
98	Platinum
99	Mithril*
00	Gemstones*

* Indicates only that mithril or gemstones may be present. Mithril exists deep under the earth, in dense metamorphic formations. The actual presence of mithril must be confirmed by checking the Mithril Formation Table. If gemstones are indicated, check the Gemstones Table.

Mithril Formation Table

Roll D10	Metal Discovered
1-5	Silver (highest quality)
6-8	Gold (highest quality)
9	Platinum (highest quality)
10	Mithril
Gemstones Table

D100	Class of Stone
01-25	Ornamental
26-50	Semi-precious
51-70	Fancy
71-90	Precious
91-94	Gems
95-96	Jewels
97-99	Roll twice on this table
00	Roll three times on this table
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Quality of Mine (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Quality of Mine

Because a mine has been established does not mean that it automatically yields valuable metal or gems. The quality of the ore must be determined. Even the highest quality metal requires some processing before it can be sold.

Metals

If the yield of the mine is a metal, it will probably be in the form of ore (metal-bearing rock). While pure nuggets may be discovered occasionally, a character with the smelter proficiency must separate the metal from the ore.

The quality of the ore is equal to the number of coins that can be produced from it by a single miner in one week. A copper mine, with a rating of 200 cp, would mean that a single miner, working for one week, produces a pile of ore that can yield 200 cp of copper when smelted. The amount of coinage indicates how much is produced, not that coins must be produced. One-thousand coins of iron, for example, equal one suit of plate armor, 100 spear heads, or 500 arrowheads.

   	To determine the quality of the mined ore, roll 1d10 and compare it to the result for that metal on the Ore Quality Table. This equals the coin equivalent produced per week per miner.

Ore Quality Table (Roll 1d10)

Metal	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10*
Copper	100	200	250	300	350	400	500	750	1000	2000
Iron	200	300	500	700	900	1200	1600	2000	3000	4000
Silver	25	50	100	200	300	400	500	750	1000	2000
Gold	10	25	50	100	200	300	400	500	750	1000
Platinum	5	10	20	40	75	100	250	400	800	1000

* If a 10 is rolled, roll 1d10 again. If another 10 results, the mine is a pure vein of the highest quality and requires no smelting. If 1-9 results, the metal must be smelted.

Ideally, the smelted metal has the same value as its coin equivalent: i.e., 20 10-coin ingots of silver are worth 200 sp. In a true medieval economy, however, everything is negotiable. Miners may not be able to get this much for their bullion, or may get more, depending on local conditions, who the buyer is, and regional supply.

   	If a character sells the ore without smelting, the selling price can be no more than 25% of the value of the pure metal, and it may be as low as 5%. The asking price will depend on the difficulty of transportation and the cost of smelting the ore.

Gemstones

Newly mined gemstones are not nearly as valuable as they are after finishing. Gemstones are rough and even unrecognizable when first discovered. Characters with the Mining or Gem Cutting proficiencies can correctly identify a stone after 1d6 rounds of study.

   	The quality of a gemstone mine depends on the number of stones in each find and the value of the stones. The number of stones is that which one miner can excavate in one week.

   	The value of the stones is the average value for an uncut stone, which is 10% of its cut value. To realize the full amount from the gemstones, a miner needs to employ a character with the Gem Cutting proficiency. Some stones are more or less valuable than this amount, but the average is as accurate as we need to get to calculate the income from the mine.

   	The output of a gemstone mine does not remain constant, it is rolled each week to determine the worth of that week's output. The number of miners at work each week is determined before the dice are rolled.

Gemstone Quality Table

Class of	#/dwarf	Average
Stone	/week	Uncut Value
Ornamental	4d10	1 gp
Semi-precious	3d6	5 gp
Fancy	1d12-1	10 gp
Precious	1d10-1	50 gp
Gems	1d6-1	100 gp
Jewels	1d4-1	500 gp

 	In addition to the base value of the stones mined in a given week, there is a 1% chance per week of operation that a miner will discover an exceptional stone. If an exceptional stone is found, its value is equal to the base value of the mine's stones multiplied by a d100 roll. For example, an exceptional stone found in a semi-precious stone mine is worth 10 gp (the average value of an uncut, semi-precious stone)  x d100. Players may also consult the Type of Stones Table to determine the exact types of stones found.

Types of Stones Table

Ornamental Stones

1d100	Stone Type
01-08	Azurite
09-16	Banded Agate
17-24	Blue Calcite
25-32	Eye Agate
33-40	Hematite
41-48	Lapis Lazuli
49-56	Malachite
57-64	Moss Agate
65-73	Obsidian
74-82	Rhodocrosite
83-91	Tiger Eye Agate
92-00	Turquoise

Semi-Precious Stones

1d100	Stone Type
01-07	Bloodstone
08-15	Carnelian
16-23	Chalcedony
24-31	Chrysoprase
32-39	Citrine Quartz
40-47	Jasper
48-55	Moonstone
56-59	Onyx
60-67	Quartz Crystal
68-75	Rose Quartz
76-83	Sardonyx
84-91	Smoky Quartz
92-00	Zircon

Fancy Stones

1d100	Stone Type
01-12	Alexandrite
13-25	Amber
26-38	Amethyst
39-51	Chrysoberyl
52-64	Flourite
65-77	Jade
78-90	Jet
91-00	Tourmaline

Precious

1d100	Stone Type
01-25	Aquamarine
26-50	Blue Spinel
51-75	Peridot
76-00	Topaz

Gems

1d100	Stone Type
01-25	Garnet
26-50	Jacinth
51-75	Opal
76-00	Red Spinel

Jewels

1d100	Stone Type
01-25	Diamond
26-50	Emerald
51-75	Ruby
76-00	Sapphire
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Types of Mines (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Types of Mines

The two types of mines commonly in use are placer mines and underground mines.

Placer Mines

Placer mining involves a pan or sluice to sift gravel, dirt, sand, and water from a flowing stream or river. This technique is most commonly employed above ground, but can be conducted below. Placer mining is a relatively simple operation requiring little equipment. At the basic level, the only requirements are a character with a shallow pan and a great deal of patience.

   	Placer mines collect mineral deposits from underground veins eroded by water and tumbled downstream. Finally deposited in the streambed, the miner harvests them from the water. Only mineral wealth, eroded from deposits, collects along the streambed. Since erosion is slow, placer mining is much less profitable than deep mining.

   	Placer mines do not yield profitable amounts of copper, iron, mithral, or gemstones. Characters who have discovered gold, silver, or platinum may try to mine the deposits. Underground mines are required for all other metals and gems. To calculate the value of placer mines, determine the quality and then roll 1d4 and multiply by 10. This is the percentage of its top value the mine will yield. For example, if a gold mine could yield 100 gp per week, a placer mine will yield only 10 to 40 gp per week.

Tunnel Mines

Operating an underground, or tunnel, mine requires a great deal more work than placer mines, but the potential for wealth is much greater. Underground mining tunnels into the earth, searching for veins of ore and gem-encrusted rock that is removed and the minerals and gems then extracted.

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Excavating a Tunnel Mine (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Excavating a Tunnel Mine

Excavating a tunnel is hard work and time consuming. The rates for excavating by the various races follow. Rates are in cubic feet, per miner, per eight-hour day.

Mining Rates Table

Type of Rock	Very
Race of Miner	Soft	Soft	Hard
Gnoll, Halfling,
Human	75	50	25
Gnome, Kobold	80	60	30
Goblin, Orc	85	65	30
Dwarf, Hobgoblin	90	70	35
Ogre	150	100	50
Hill Giant	250	150	75
Fire Giant, Frost Giant	300	200	100
Stone Giant	500	350	175

A tunnel mine must follow the shifting vein of mineral through the earth. Such a path typically requires a tunnel 10 feet wide and 10 feet high.

   	When a miner discovers a vein, roll 1d10 and multiply by 10; this is the depth in feet needed to intersect the vein. Mining may now begin in earnest. To determine the path of the vein, roll 1d4 and consult the Mineral Vein Direction Table.

Mineral Vein Direction Table

D4 Roll	Vein Runs
1	North-South
2	East-West
3	Northeast-Southwest
4	Northwest-Southeast

The vein always runs at least 20 feet in the direction indicated. After each 20-foot section is excavated, roll 1d10 and check the Vein Path Alteration Table to determine the new path of the vein.

Vein Path Alteration Table

D10 Roll	Change
1-2	Steep descent
3-4	Shallow descent
5	Curves right (10-60 degrees)
6	Curves left (10-60 degrees)
7	Continues straight\
8	Shallow ascent*
9	Steep ascent*
10	Vein ends

* If the mine starts on the surface, the first time this is rolled it is treated as descent rather than ascent.

Miners who wish to continue working the mine must follow the vein, even if it goes in a direction they do not wish to follow. If the path of the vein takes a course that makes it impossible to follow, such as emerging into thin air through a cliff face, that particular course of the mine has run out. If the vein ends in both directions, the mine is played out. This rule takes priority over the Duration of Mining Site rules.

In unusual circumstances, say a tunnel that ends at a cliff which overlooks a gorge, miners may try to pick up the vein again on the other side. The DM must decide how likely that vein is to continue, depending on the situation.

Shoring a Tunnel

A tunnel mine must be supported, or shored, with wood or stone pillars. Otherwise, sections of the tunnel will almost certainly cave in. Shoring can be done by characters with Mining, Carpentry, or Stonemasonry proficiencies.

   	Each 10-foot section of tunnel requires two side and one ceiling brace, each at least 1 foot thick. If the tunnel is 10 feet wide and 10 feet high, each brace uses 30 feet of bracing material. Each shoring brace requires four hours to build.

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Playing Out a Mine (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Playing Out a Mine

Mines contain finite amounts of mineral wealth. Sometimes, this amount is enough to keep miners busy for generations. More frequently the mine plays out after a period of intensive mining.

   	To determine the length of time a mine will produce before depletion, roll 1d100 at the start of the mining operation. The result is the number of weeks the mine can be worked. If the result was doubles (11, 22, 33, etc.), the mine has a much longer duration. Roll 1d100 again, the result is the additional number of months the mine will produce. Add this figure to the number of weeks set by the first roll. If the second roll is also doubles, roll 1d100 a third time, the result is the number of additional years the mine is will operate. Further doubles rolls are treated as tens of years, hundreds of years, and so on.

   	For the sake of convenience, treat each month as four weeks and each year as 48 weeks or 12 months when totaling up the mine's longevity. Please note that a "week" is the amount of work that one dwarf can perform in a week. If 12 dwarves are engaged in excavating a mine, 12 weeks of the mine's lifetime are used up for each week of operation.

   	If the mine is a placer mine, disregard any doubles rolls for the duration of the find. A placer mine is always depleted after 1d100 hours of work.

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Overseeing Mining Operations (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Overseeing Mining Operations

In order for a mine to produce at maximum efficiency, the character in charge must make a successful Mining roll each week of the mine's operation. If the roll succeeds, the mine produces normally. If it fails, production is reduced by half for that week. This could be the result of pilfering among laborers, a cave-in which causes the loss of valuable production time, the intrusion of some monster--an umber hulk or ankheg, perhaps--or plain old bad decisions on the part of management. The exact details should be worked into an adventure if possible; hunting the umber hulk through the tunnels or rescuing trapped miners before they suffocate.

   	Although overseeing a mine provides steady work, player characters will probably find it best to hire an NPC with Mining proficiency to act as overseer, freeing themselves up for more exciting pursuits.

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Chapter 9: Equipment (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 9: Equipment

This chapter describes the equipment used by dwarves: smelters, two-handed battle axes, close combat weapons, and war machines.

Table of Contents


Smelters (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Smelters

A smelter is a very hot furnace used to separate metal from ore-bearing rock. The furnace is super-heated by forcing air from a bellows, often operated by two or more dwarves, through burning coal. Ore is fed into the smelter in iron buckets moving along a chain, which tows the buckets along a rail and dumps their contents into the furnace.

   	The ore is heated to the metal's melting temperature (which is below the rock's). Water or acid are occasionally added to enhance the process. The molten metal runs out from the base of the smelter and into molds or troughs known as "pigs," hence the term pig iron. The pigs are sold to blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, and armorers to produce metal goods, weapons and armor. Smelters can also make alloys, such as steel or bronze.

   	The amount of ore that can be processed is more a function of the size of the smelter than of any character's work rate. A small smelter can process ore as fast as four miners can dig it. A medium smelter can process the ore produced by up to 20 miners. A large smelter can process ore excavated by up to 100 miners.

   	In addition to the cost of smelting equipment, a smelter is expensive to maintain because of the materials required to operate it. A small smelting operation costs 5 gp per day to operate, the cost of a medium operation is 12 gp per day, and a large one costs 25 gp per day to run. Smelter costs only apply when the smelter is in operation. To keep it operating at maximum efficiency, it is common practice to collect a stockpile of ore before firing the furnace. Once all the ore is smelted, the equipment is allowed to cool and is then cleaned.

   	Given its bulk, even a small smelter is not very portable.

Smelters	Cost	Size
Small	1,000 gp	30'x30'
Medium	2,000 gp	50'x50'
Large	5,000 gp	75'x75'
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New Weapons (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
New Weapons

Most weapons used by dwarves are described in the Player's Handbook. Here we look at the two-handed battle axe and close combat weapons.

Table of Contents


Two-Handed Battle Axe (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Two-Handed Battle Axe

The two-handed battle axe has a longer haft than a standard battle axe and must be wielded with two hands. With two large blades extending from it, it allows the user to swing it in an arc without having to change the angle of the blade.

Table of Contents


Close Combat Weapons (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Close Combat Weapons

A whole range of weapons have been developed to suit the close fighting style of some warriors. These weapons are not standard to any kit, but are favored by warriors who fight in confined spaces. Axes For Hire, some Battleragers, and aggressive Hearth Guards may decide to specialize in them. A character's Strength bonus is added to the damage they cause.

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Head Spike (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Head Spike

This unusual weapon consists of an iron helmet with a large (1 to 2 foot) spike on the top, sometimes called a "belly skewer." A fighter employs this weapon when charging. Running, bent forward, he attempts to spear his opponent in the stomach. The attack roll is made at a -3 penalty, and he loses any armor class benefits high Dexterity may give him. If he impales his enemy, he scores double damage.

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Knee and Elbow Spikes (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Knee And Elbow Spikes

These are spiked guards used in close combat to elbow and knee opponents. When not in use they appear to be decorative stubs at the center of the knee and elbow cups, but, activated by pressure, spiked blades jet out and lock in place. Since they are strapped to the character as part of his armor, it is virtually impossible to disarm him.

   	When a fighter is being grappled or wrestled he may elect to make an attack with his spikes, instead of boxing or wrestling. This attack is made with a -2 attack penalty.

Table of Contents


Glove Nail (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Glove Nail

This is a gauntlet constructed of iron or steel, with a large spike protruding from its face. Warriors usually wear glove nails on both hands. Used for slashing, generally at an enemy's face, these are sometimes called "face rippers."

Weapon List

	Cost	Weight			Speed	Damage
Item	(gp)	(lbs)	Size	Type	Factor	S-M	L
Two-handed
battle axe	10	10	M	S	9	1d10	2d8

Close Combat Weapons

Head Spike	10	10	M	P	4	1d6	1d8
Elbow spike	1	2	S	S	2	1d4	1d4
Knee spike	3	2	S	P	1	1d4	1d4
Glove Nail	2	2	S	P	2	1d4+1	1d4
Chain Flail	1	5	L	B	6	1d4+2	1d4+1
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Chain Flail (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chain Flail

The chain flail is a 6-foot length of weighted chain. In combat it is whirled around very fast and swung at the enemy's legs. A character who is proficient with a chain flail will use it to knock his opponent off balance. He must state that he is attacking the legs, and rolls at -4 attack. If he succeeds, he rolls for damage normally. In addition, his target must succeed in a Dexterity check or be knocked to the ground by the chain's impact.

Table of Contents


War Machines (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
War Machines

Dwarves produce some technologically advanced war machines for the defense of their strongholds, and to attack their enemies above and below ground.

   	War machines have both an armor class, indicating how difficult the machine itself is to damage, and hit points, measuring how much damage the machine can take and continue working.

Table of Contents


Grinder (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Grinder

A grinder is constructed of wood or metal and consists of a series of huge, rotating blades designed to chop up and drive back attackers. They are custom built to the widths of the corridors where they will be used. The blades in front fill the corridor, leaving only a few inches at the sides.

   	With the aid of a complicated gearing system, six dwarves are able to propel a grinder at high speeds using pedals and cranks. The pedalers sit behind an iron shield, which protects them from missiles and many spells.

   	A grinder has a THAC0 of 10 and inflicts 3d8 damage per round on anything within reach of its blades. The best way to avoid one is to flee or to cause enough damage to stop it from working.

   	The flaws of the grinder are its inability to turn corners and the difficult ascent of steep corridors. Dwarf engineers have been able to overcome these problems to a limited degree. Most areas designed for grinder usage have smoothly curving corners that channel, rather than restrict, the grinder's movement. Circular rooms have also been constructed at points where tunnels converge to allow grinders to change direction (much like a roundhouse). There are even a few turntables set in the floors, at strategic locations, to allow even faster redirection.

   	To permit grinders to ascend steep passages, a cable is fastened to the back of the machine and connected to a winch at the top of the ascent. As the grinder descends the tunnel, the cable is let out. When it reaches bottom, the cable is winched back, pulling the grinder to the top, ready for another run.

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Ballista (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Ballista

Three sizes of these giant crossbows are used by dwarves. They fire large bolts in flat trajectories. Each ballista requires a crew to move, load, and fire. They are slow to load; the rate of fire displays how often they may be fired.

   	When used in dwarf strongholds, ballistas have pedal and gear systems similar to a grinder. This, coupled with a winch system, allows them to be moved back and forth and traversed from side to side. A ballista is pedaled forward to fire its bolt, then winched back, out of sight, to be reloaded.

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Orc Masher (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Orc Masher

The orc masher is not a war machine as such, but it is found as a standard part of most stronghold defenses. It is a large iron slab, at least 1 foot thick, covered with spikes. The full width of a corridor, it is mounted either on rollers or hinged to the ceiling.

   	The roller version is placed at the top of steep slopes. If invaded, teams of dwarves lure the invaders up the slopes. Niches have been hollowed out of the walls to allow the dwarves to dodge out of the corridor. The orc masher rumbles down, picking up speed, and smashing everything in its path. It is then winched back, ready for another run.

   	The ceiling version is less effective. It is mounted at T-junctions and swings down from the ceiling, slamming invaders into the wall.

Weapon Table

		Damage			Hit
Weapon	Movement	S/M	L	ROF	AC	Pts	Crew
Grinder	12/6/1*	3d8	3d8	NA	0	100	6
Light ballista	9	2d6	3d6	1/3	2	30	1
Medium ballista	6	3d6	4d6	1/4	0	50	2
Heavy ballista	3	4d6	5d6	1/5	0	75	4
Orc masher, roller	12	4d6	4d6	N/A	NA	N/A	N/A
Orc masher, ceiling	NA	3d6	3d6	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
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Chapter 10: Dwarf Strongholds (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 10: Dwarf Strongholds

Malakar the Orc on Dwarf Strongholds

Us orcs is 'ard. But them stunty dwarves is 'ard, too. Much 'arder than elves 'n' oomans. They dig into those 'oles of theirs, and fill 'em wif traps 'n' hurty stuff. Theyz got loads of twisty tunnels wif big iron gates and fings wot fall on yer 'n' squash yer flat.

   	We is bestest at nicking their 'oles from 'em. We got lots, much more than wot you can count on two 'ands. Orcs are right 'ard. We kill dwarves, cook 'em, eat 'em, 'n' then use their beards fer beds. We's takes their gold too, they gots lots.

  	I 'eard of a place wot got both stunties 'n' orcs in it. Big, 'uge place it is, wif lots and lots of tunnels. Orcs got one 'alf, stunties got t' other 'alf. Fight'n all the time. Ain't many stunties left there, them bin done for by orcs. Them all be dead soon, but ain't it 'alf great of 'em to build us strongholds!

Strongholds are the homes and workplaces of the dwarves. They can range from simple family residences to huge subterranean cities. The stronghold design sequence allows you to design a stronghold, either by making a series of choices, or by random die rolling. You may also combine the two methods.

   	Designing a stronghold by making choices creates the most consistent and logical stronghold, one that fits perfectly into your campaign world. A major stronghold is an ideal adventure setting.

  	The random method uses a series of die rolls, often modified by previous rolls. If you choose this method you may ignore or augment any unusual results.

   	Ideally, the random method should be used in conjunction with making choices. This way, you can guide the design process by selecting certain features while omitting others. You can let the dice decide those areas of stronghold design about which you have no clear ideas. It can also be an entertaining method to rationalize some of the strange results achieved by purely random design.

   	When using the tables it is important to bear in mind that they are guidelines. They do not attempt to cover the enormous diversity of factors that determine a stronghold's constituent parts. Do not feel constrained by them. Expand on any of the categories as needed.

   	For example, the design sequence places one dominant subrace in a stronghold containing several. You may decide that you want the subraces to be equal, no one being more powerful than the others. You may also want all six subraces to be present in the stronghold. While this scenario cannot be created using the design sequence, follow your own instincts and ignore those parts of it that limit you.

   	If the player characters are to adventure in a dwarven setting, then the setting should be as detailed as you can make it, including the names of the leaders, clans, military forces, and the backgrounds of the subraces.

   	If the campaign is to take place in a human or other setting, then players need only enough information to give an idea of what the strongholds are like. This does not have to be very detailed.

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Designing Dwarf Strongholds (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Designing Dwarf strongholds

The stronghold design tables are intended to make creating a stronghold an easy task. They do not attempt to deal with every aspect of design. The tables do not define the numbers or sizes of individual dwellings or work places, or specify the exact numbers of NPCs within them.

Name of the Stronghold

Every stronghold needs a name. You may choose a name or randomly create one using the Stronghold Name Generator. To use the generator, first turn to the dwarf name generator in Chapter 4. Roll 1d4 to determine the number of syllables in the stronghold's name. Roll for each syllable on the Dwarf Name Prefix Table. Then, either assemble them in the order generated or rearrange them to make a better sounding name. Then turn to the Stronghold Suffix Table, below, and roll once to finish the name. Feel free to add other letters between each prefix and/or suffix if the name is too difficult or simply does not 'sound right'.

Stronghold Suffix Generator

Roll 1d20

1	-ack	11	-hak
2	-arr	12	-hig
3	-bek	13	-jak
4	-dal	14	-kak
5	-duum	15	-lode
6	-dukr	16	-malk
7	-eft	17	-mek
8	-est	18	-rak
9	-fik	19	-tek
10	-gak	20	-zak

Subraces Present

Most strongholds were created by a particular subrace of dwarf. This subrace is the one that controls the stronghold and comprises the majority of its citizens. You may choose, or you may wish to generate randomly on the Subrace Table, who holds the stronghold.

   	Choose or randomly determine the number of dwarves present. This will give you the number of male dwarves living in the stronghold. There are approximately half as many females as males, regardless of subrace. The number of children is equal to about half of the female population. If, for example, the total population of the stronghold is around 400, there would be 225 males, 112 females and about 63 children.

Subrace Table

1d100	Main Subrace	#Dwarves
01-10	Deep Dwarves	3d100+50
11-20	Duergar	2d100+100
21-30	Gully Dwarves	1d100+100
31-70	Hill Dwarves	3d100+100
71-90	Mountain Dwarves	3d100+100
91-95	Sundered Dwarves	2d100+50
96-00	Mixed Subraces	See below

You may decide that your selected subrace is the only one present, or you may wish to add others to the stronghold. A mixed stronghold is one having more than a single subrace of dwarves. The primary one is dominant and holds political power over the stronghold, but they do not have to be the majority within it.

   	The Dominant Subrace Table determines the subrace that controls the stronghold. If you want to add other minor subraces to the stronghold, the table will show you how many are present. You can select this or determine it randomly.

Dominant Subraces Table

		# Other
1d100	Dominant Subrace	Subraces
01-10	Deep Dwarves	1d3
11-20	Duergar	1d4
21-25	Gully Dwarves	1d2
26-70	Hill Dwarves	1d4
71-90	Mountain Dwarves	1d4
91-00	Sundered Dwarves	1d3

Modifying the Dominant Subrace

In strongholds having one or more minority subraces, the number of the dominant subrace is altered by the Modified Subrace Table, according to the number of other subraces present. If, for example, there are there are 200 deep dwarves in a stronghold with three other minor subraces present, the number of deep dwarves is reduced by 50% to 100.

Modified Subrace Table

Other Subraces
Present	Modifier
1	-10%
2	-25%
3	-50%
4	-75%

Determining the Number of Subrace Members

So far, you know how many subraces are in the stronghold, but not which ones they are, nor their numbers. The Subrace Tables list the main subrace and the subraces likely to share a stronghold with them. Once the minor subraces have been selected, choose or randomly determine their numbers.

   	In the event that a random roll results in the same subrace being designated more than once, maintain their numbers each time they occur, as though they were a different subrace. Total the results to determine the numbers present.

Deep Dwarves Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subrace
01-25	Duergar	5d10
26-50	Gully	3d12
51-75	Hill	2d10
76-00	Mountain	3d6

Duergar Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subraces
01-40	Deep Dwarves	3d12
41-60	Gully Dwarves	3d10
61-80	Hill Dwarves	2d12
81-00	Mountain Dwarves	2d12

Gully Dwarves Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subrace
01-20	Deep Dwarves	1d10
21-40	Duergar	2d6
41-60	Hill Dwarves	3d12
61-80	Mountain Dwarves	2d10
81-00	Sundered Dwarves	2d6

Hill Dwarves Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subrace
01-10	Deep Dwarves	1d12
11-20	Duergar	2d8
21-40	Gully Dwarves	4d10
41-90	Mountain Dwarves	3d6
91-00	Sundered Dwarves	3d6

Mountain Dwarves Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subrace
01-10	Deep Dwarves	2d10
11-20	Duergar	2d10
21-25	Gully Dwarves	2d6
26-70	Hill Dwarves	2d12
91-00	Sundered Dwarves	3d6

Sundered Dwarves Subraces Table

1d100	Subrace	# of Subrace
01-60	Gully Dwarves	10d10
61-80	Hill Dwarves	3d12
81-00	Mountain Dwarves	2d10

Subraces living in strongholds held by others are almost always a minority. They are there because they are exiles, traders who have established a sizable base, or because they have particular skills to sell. Subraces may also be present because they have experience in fighting certain kinds of monsters, or because they have been cut off from their own people by disaster. They may have intermarried with the dominant race.

   	You may generate these subraces in more detail by treating them as trading enclaves or family strongholds. The following paragraphs give some general guidelines on how the various subraces function within another subrace's stronghold.

   	Deep dwarves usually live at great depths and keep to themselves. As minor subraces, they tend to be in small family groups, plying a craft or trade.

   	Duergar living among other subraces are usually not of an evil alignment unless the stronghold's alignment is evil. They may be tolerated by neutral dwarves, but are always treated with wary suspicion.

   	Other subraces living among the duergar will usually be evil and will have joined the duergar to avoid persecution in their home strongholds. Evil duergar strongholds will tend to enslave other subraces, unless they are allies.

   	Gully dwarves may be found living among any subrace of dwarf, usually employed to perform menial or unpleasant tasks.

   	A gully dwarf stronghold may contain other subraces, but these will usually share similar attitudes and behavioral patterns with them.

   	Hill and mountain dwarves may be found at any depth and living with any other subrace. They are clannish and keep to themselves. They are likely to be the employers of other subraces. While these others will usually be present in the stronghold on a fixed term contract, it is not unusual for a stronghold to have enclaves of other dwarves who have been there for generations.

   	Sundered dwarves are only found living among other dwarves when a part of the stronghold is above ground. Hill dwarf strongholds, which are built above and below the hills, are ideal. If the stronghold is entirely below ground, sundered dwarves will congregate around one of its entrances, where they will construct shanty towns in order to conduct trade.

Overall Alignment

You may either select a stronghold's alignment to match that of its dominant race or roll on the Overall Stronghold Alignment Table. A stronghold's overall alignment determines its general outlook. Not all of the stronghold's inhabitants need to be of this alignment. In good aligned strongholds, evil characters will usually keep their alignment hidden from their fellows.

Overall Stronghold Alignment Table

2d6	Deep	Duergar	Gully	Hill	Mountain	Sundered
2	CN	LG	LG	LE	LE	CE
3	NE	NE	LN	LN	LN	NE
4	NG	LN	LE	LN	LN	LG
5	N	LE	NG	LG	LG	LE
6-8	N	LE	CN	LG	LG	LN
9	N	N	N	LG	LG	N
10	LN	CN	NE	NG	NG	N
11	LG	CE	CG	CG	N	CN
12	LE	NG	CE	N	N	CG

Types of Strongholds

Strongholds vary in size and importance. You may have an idea of the kind of stronghold you want. If not, you can determine it randomly.

   	The population modifier is used to determine the number of dwarves who live in a stronghold and the numbers of each subrace will be modified by this percentage. For all strongholds, other than secondary ones, you'll need to adjust the numbers previously acquired. To do this, multiply the numbers you have by the percentage given.

   	Depending upon who built the stronghold, it may extend above ground, with stone towers and battlements, spreading over the sides of hills or mountains. Sundered dwarves always build their strongholds above ground. Deep dwarves and duergar never do.

Stronghold Type Table

1d100	Type of	Population
	Stronghold	Modifier
01-05	Major	200%
06-55	Secondary	100%
56-70	Outpost	40%
71-80	Ghetto	25%
81-90	Trade Enclave	10%
91-00	Family	5%

Major strongholds are capital cities. Some dwarves who live in them are powerful, and often rule secondary strongholds.

   	Gully and sundered dwarves never build major strongholds. Gully dwarves may live in them, but they will have moved into them only after the original inhabitants have been killed or driven away.

Major strongholds contain large numbers of dwarves. They are the height of dwarf engineering and construction and are nearly always located around a very profitable mine. The gates of major strongholds are sturdy and flanked with stone towers.

   	Secondary strongholds are the most common. They are similar to major strongholds, but are not as large. They may be independent or allied politically and militarily with a major one. Most major strongholds began as secondary and grew in size and importance over centuries.

   	An outpost is a stronghold that has been founded to protect an area or to expand the realm of a secondary or major stronghold. It may have been a mine that grew in size and began to accommodate more than just the miners who worked there.

   	Mines are established to extract minerals from the earth. The dwarves who live in them are engaged chiefly in the mining of gemstones or in mining and smelting ores. Such an outpost is rarely self-sufficient, but relies heavily on trade or outside supply.

   	Trade enclaves are situated in the towns and cities of other races and subraces for the purpose of conducting trade. They may be fortified houses or stone forts for the traders, their guards, and their families.

   	Ghettoes are areas within cities and towns of other races where clusters of dwarves live. This could be a wealthy city block inhabited by well-to-do dwarf merchants and craftsmen or an impoverished shanty town where dwarves eke out a living as best they can.

   	A family stronghold is home to a single family of dwarves. They are small and often consist of a single house or underground cavern inhabited by a family. Dwarves who live in family strongholds tend to be very reclusive and clannish.

The Age of the Stronghold

Because they live so long, dwarves find it easier to measure the passage of time in terms of generations, instead of years. A dwarf thinks of his stronghold as being founded three generations ago, not 1,000 years before. Using the size of the stronghold, determine its age using the Number of Generations column.

   	The period represented by a generation will vary between subraces. To find the approximate number of years since a stronghold's foundation, multiply the number of generations by the dominant race's life expectancy on the table below.

Age of Stronghold Table

Type of Stronghold	#Generations
Major	2d10
Secondary	2d6
Outpost	1d6-1
Ghetto	1d4-1
Trade Enclave	1d4-2
Family	1d6-1

On any roll of 0 or less (after modifiers are applied) the stronghold has been founded in the current generation.

Racial Modifiers:

Subtract 2 for gully dwarves, 1 for sundered dwarves.

Life Expectancy Table

Type of Dwarf	Life Expectancy
Hill	350 years
Mountain	400 years
Deep	380 years
Duergar	400 years
Sundered	250 years
Gully	250 years

Government

Dwarves are traditionally ruled by a king or chief, but these are only two of the possible forms of government available. Major strongholds are always ruled by a feudal king. You may decide otherwise, but this should be a conscious decision, not determined by a random roll of dice. You may select the type of government in other strongholds or roll on the Government Table.

Government Table

1d100	Government
1-10	Colony
11-20	Conquered
21-60	Feudal
61-80	Guild
81-90	Oligarchy
91-100	Theocracy
101-110	Anarchy

Modifiers:

Add 10 for gully dwarves

Add 10 for chaotic aligned strongholds

A colony is a stronghold specifically established by another stronghold and under the direct rule of its parent. Colonies may be founded to expand political power, to subjugate conquered races, or to exploit mineral resources. They may also be established to protect strategically important areas or to redistribute excess population.

   	A conquered stronghold has been conquered by invaders and is now controlled by them. The conquered people may have been enslaved by the conquerors. To discover who the conquerors are, consult the War Table below.

   	Chances are that the conquered dwarves will not be allowed any weapons or armor. Some may have banded together to form a resistance and may be hiding in secret locations in or near the stronghold.

   	Feudal strongholds are ruled by a dwarf king or one of his nobles. Major strongholds nearly always have monarchs, but even a lowly family stronghold may be ruled by a king whose power extends only to his immediate family.

   	Secondary strongholds and outposts may be ruled by a king, or by a prince or duke who owes allegiance to a major stronghold.

  	A guild stronghold is ruled by the guild masters of each clan. The guild masters meet to regulate all aspects of life within the stronghold. They may be headed by a guild master who is elected by the others, for one or more years.

   	An oligarchy is an elite group of dwarves, elected or selected on the basis of their wealth, to rule a stronghold. Oligarchies usually work to further their own goals and ambitions. The oligarchic members may be Highborns, Guild Masters, or merchants who have amassed large fortunes.

   	A theocracy is a stronghold ruled by priests of one or more dwarven deities. Theocracies attempt to impose their strictures and beliefs on all the inhabitants of the stronghold. They will typically strive to suppress other religions.

   	An anarchy is a form of nongovernment usually restricted to gully dwarves, but may be found in any stronghold with a chaotic alignment. In anarchy, citizens do what they want, when they want to do it. An anarchy could be tempered by a desire to maintain society by avoiding harm to others, as in a community that is chaotic good. Alternatively, it could be a case of no one having any regard for the effects of their actions on others.

Attitude

A stronghold does not exist in isolation; it has contact with other strongholds and races. The nature of these contacts determines the stronghold's attitude and its military strength. The percentage of dwarves in the militia refers to the number of male and female dwarves who regularly drill and carry arms. They are included when determining the armed forces of a stronghold (see Military Forces).

Attitude Table

		Dwarves
1d20	Attitude	in Militia
1	Decadent	25%
2-3	Declining	50%
4	Dispossessed	50-100%
5	Exiled	50-100%
6-7	Expansionist	100%
8-9	Friendly	50%
10	Integrated	25%
11-20	Isolationist	75-100%

A decadent stronghold is one in which traditional dwarf values have been forgotten or are little used. These dwarves will exhibit personality traits more in keeping with other races.

   	The NPC military forces of a decadent stronghold are likely to be badly trained and fight at B1 to attack and damage.

   	A declining stronghold was once powerful and rich, but has fallen upon hard times. Its mines may have played out, or it may have been struck by a plague that devastated the population. Perhaps the once profitable trade it conducted with neighboring races has ended, and now the stronghold is short of commodities that it once took for granted. A declining stronghold may have been involved in a war that so taxed its resources that real recovery was too expensive.

   	Dispossessed dwarves have lost their ancestral homes and now live in a situation they believe is temporary, even though they may have been there for generations. They have a passion to reclaim their ancestral homes and may even mount expeditions to do so. Or they may accept that their homes are lost and establish new ones for themselves. Even then, groups will periodically set out to attempt to recapture the ancestral stronghold. Consult the War Table to determine who drove them from their ancestral hearths.

   	Exiled dwarves have been expelled by their own kind. This may have been for some evil act or practice, or they may have been forced out by others who were evil. In either case, they seek to return to their homes.

   	Expansionist societies are strong and robust. They seek to expand into new areas, even if they must go to war to acquire them. A stronghold with this attitude is frequently antagonistic toward other races. It may seek to expand underground at the expense of other subterranean races. It may be expanding above ground, perhaps driving elves from a nearby forest so that the dwarves can get at the mineral deposits beneath it.

   	Friendly dwarves are as open as dwarves ever get. This doesn't mean that other races are welcome, but that friendly types are less closed than the rest of their race. They usually have more dealings with humans or elves than others, except for integrated strongholds.

   	Integrated strongholds are those that have become a part of another race's society. They most frequently occur among sundered dwarves or dwarves in trade enclaves. They will retain their traditional ways and lifestyles, but are more knowledgeable about the races they live among than other dwarves. Integrated strongholds are most likely to have trade and military agreements with other races. They are likely to join with armies of other races to defeat a common foe.

   	Isolationist dwarves avoid dealings with all races, and often with other dwarf subraces. They look only inward and keep their gates firmly locked. Visitors are unwelcome and trespassers are dealt with sharply. They usually live in remote or inhospitable regions. Mountain and deep dwarves are frequently isolationist. Some live close to other races, but shun all contact with them.

Resources

No absolute figures are given for stronghold resources because campaigns frequently have different scales of wealth. The Stronghold Resources Table uses relative divisions of wealth, but does not express what these resources are.

   	The Starting Gold Modifier is an optional rule that may be applied to a character's starting wealth to take into account the relative wealth of his home stronghold. These modifiers cannot reduce a character below the minimum character funds for his class. That is, if he rolls 5d4x10 gp for his starting wealth, the minimum he could generate is 50 gp; his starting wealth may not fall below this amount.

   	For example, a warrior from a poor stronghold must subtract 10-60 gp from his starting gold. He rolls his normal 5d4x10 gp for a miserly total of 60 gp. Then he rolls his poor stronghold penalty of 1d6x10 gp and gets -60 gp! Since this would leave him with no money at all, he automatically receives the minimum of 50 gp.

Stronghold Resources Table

		Starting Gold
1d20	Relative Resources	Modifier
1	Very Poor(subsistence)	-1d8x10 gp
2B5	Poor	-1d6x10 gp
6B10	Fair	-1d4x10 gp
10B14	Average	no modifier
15B17	Comfortable	+1d4x10 gp
18B19	Wealthy	+1d6x10 gp
20+	Rich	+1d10x10 gp

Racial Modifiers to 1d20 Roll:

Duergar	-5
Gully Dwarves	-10
Sundered Dwarves	-8
Mountain and Hill Dwarves	+2

Stronghold Modifiers to 1d20 Roll:

Major	+3
Secondary	+1
Outpost	0
Ghetto	-3
Trade Enclave	+2
Family	0

Relationships with Other Player Character Races

Even the most isolationist strongholds must have some sort of relationship with other player character races, even if very distant ones. Strongholds may have friendly ties with other races, or they may be at war with them.

   	Whether you select the stronghold's relationships, or determine them randomly, a separate determination must be made for each race that lives near the stronghold. DMs who want the detail can determine different relations toward each settlement in the area, even if many of them house the same race.

   	If the stronghold has a friendly, open relationship with the race, members of the race may visit the dwarves regularly and a few may even live among them. Trade is brisk.

   	An indifferent relationship is one that is neutral and businesslike. Trade is likely, but few members of the race visit the stronghold. The only ones likely to live among the dwarves are merchants.

   	In a cautious relationship, the stronghold does not welcome visitors from the other race. Those who enter are searched and watched closely. The stronghold tries to avoid confrontations and giving offense, but relationships are strained and guarded. No one of the outside race lives among the dwarves.

   	In a threatening relationship visitors are actively discouraged by the threat of violence. They are turned back at the borders or held and interrogated to learn why they are in the dwarves' territory.

   	In a hostile relationship, intruders are attacked and driven back from the stronghold's borders. Armed forces are ready to repel invaders. Relationships are strained and an uneasy peace might exist as described under War/Peace.

   	In a war situation, combat is regular and serious. The DM can decide who started the war and why. In any case, all of the stronghold's resources are allocated to gaining victory over the enemy.

Relationship to Other Player Character Races

1d20	Elves	Gnomes	Halflings	Humans
1	Friendly	Friendly	Friendly	Friendly
2	Indifferent	Friendly	Friendly	Friendly
3	Indifferent	Friendly	Friendly	Friendly
4	Indifferent	Friendly	Indifferent	Indifferent
5	Cautious	Indifferent	Indifferent	Indifferent
6	Cautious	Indifferent	Indifferent	Indifferent
7	Cautious	Indifferent	Indifferent	Indifferent
8	Cautious	Indifferent	Indifferent	Indifferent
9	Cautious	Indifferent	Indifferent	Indifferent
10	Threatening	Indifferent	Cautious	Indifferent
11	Threatening	Indifferent	Cautious	Cautious
12	Threatening	Indifferent	Cautious	Cautious
13	Threatening	Cautious	Cautious	Cautious
14	Threatening	Cautious	Cautious	Threatening
15	Hostile	Cautious	Threatening	Threatening
16	Hostile	Cautious	Threatening	Threatening
17	Hostile	Threatening	Threatening	Hostile
18	Hostile	Threatening	Threatening	Hostile
19	At War	Threatening	Hostile	Hostile
20	At War	Hostile	Hostile	At War
21+	At War	At War	At War	At War

Modifiers:

Stronghold Alignment

lawful good	-2
lawful evil	+2
neutral evil	+2
chaotic neutral	+1
chaotic evil	+5

Race's Alignment

lawful good	-2
neutral good	-1
lawful neutral	-1

Stronghold's Attitude is:

Expansionist	+5
Friendly	-5
Isolationist*	0

If the stronghold is isolationist, treat all results of 4 or less as 9's on the Relationship Table.

War and Peace with Other Races

Dwarves not only have dealings with other human and demihuman races, they also have to contend with evil monsters and other races below ground. A war may have been raging for generations or it may have just begun. To determine if the stronghold is at war with any underground races, use the War/Peace Table.

War/Peace Table

1d20	Situation
1-10	Peace
11-15	Uneasy Peace
16-20	War

Attitude Modifiers:

Declining	+2
Dispossessed	+10
Expansionist	+5
Friendly	-5

If the stronghold is at peace now, it may have been at war in the past. Roll on the Peace Table to determine how long the stronghold has been at peace.

Peace Table

1d10	Duration
1	1d12 months
2	1d6 years
3	2d6 years
4	3d10 years
5	5d10 years
6	1d4 generations
7	2d6 generations
8	2d10 generations
9-10	Always at peace

If the stronghold has been at war, roll on the War Table to determine its enemies. To discover the length of the war, roll on the War Duration Table.

The reasons for peace are as varied as the reasons for war. The enemies may have been eliminated, or injured so badly that they moved to another place. The war may have collapsed a major tunnel system, sealing off the defenders from their attackers.

   	An uneasy peace is one in which friction still exists between the dwarves and their enemies. The stronghold may again go to war, but one or both sides are licking their wounds. Diplomatic incidents may still occur over disputed territory.

Roll on the War Table to determine the stronghold's enemies. To establish the length of the peace, roll 1d8 on the Peace Table.

   	Even defeated enemies may still be in a position to threaten a stronghold, and may be preparing a renewed assault even now. Bands of orcs, for example, could have been defeated three generations ago. Since then, they have been breeding and enlisting other orcs and giants against the day when they will storm the stronghold's defenses.

   	An Aggressive stronghold is likely to be preparing a preemptive attack against its foe. An Isolationist one will be engaged in strengthening its defenses, anticipating an attack. A Decadent stronghold is likely to ignore the buildup, while a Declining one may be powerless to do anything about it and may well be overrun when the attack comes.

War

To determine who is at war with the stronghold or has been at war with it, choose or roll on the War Table. Feel free to select races not on the table if that suits your campaign. Creatures on the War Table are listed by general category only. All giants are included in the giant entry. Some races may have other races serving them as troops or slaves. As always, ignore any illogical results.

War Table

1d100	Enemy
01-05	Beholders
06-10	Dragons
11-20	Drow
21-30	Dwarves*
31-35	Giants
36-40	Gnolls
41-50	Goblins
51-60	Hobgoblins
61-65	Lizard Men
66-70	Mind Flayers
71-75	Ogres
76-85	Orcs
86-90	Trolls
91-95	Undead
96-98	Roll two more times
99-00	Roll three more times

* If dwarves are rolled they will be duergar if the stronghold is good or neutral in alignment. If the stronghold is evil, roll on the Main Subrace Table to determine their enemies. These enemies can also be evil dwarves (i.e., duergar can fight duergar).

Duration of the War

The length of the war is determined first in terms of years, and then generations. If the duration of the war is more than the age of the stronghold, then the stronghold has been at war since its founding. Its inhabitants have never known peace.

War Duration Table

1d10	Duration
1	1d8 days
2	1d4 weeks
3	1d12 months
4	1d6 years
5	2d6 years
6	3d10 years
7	5d10 years
8	1d4 generations
9	2d6 generations
10	2d10 generations

Types of War

Once it has been determined that a war is in progress, or that one occurred in the stronghold's past, you can then determine what type of war it was.

War Type Table

1d10	War Type
1-3	Sporadic
4-5	Steady
6-8	Escalating
9	Siege
10	Invasion

Attitude Modifiers:

Declining	+3
Isolationist	+1

Sporadic: The war consists of sporadic skirmishes and border incidents. No major battles have been fought and neither side is making any real progress, or even pushing the point very hard. Enemies rarely penetrate far into the stronghold and are content just to test its defenses every once in a while.

Steady: A steady war consists of constant pressure maintained by both sides. Border skirmishes are common and the enemy makes regular raids against the stronghold. The stronghold sends forces to attack enemy camps and lairs.

Escalating: The war steadily increases in scale. Both sides are adding more resources in an effort to prevail. Large battles are likely and the stronghold's militia is always armed and ready to fight. Wars may continue to escalate for years, or they may quickly culminate in one decisive battle.

Siege: One side has adopted (or been forced to adopt) a completely defensive stance. Perhaps goblin forces surround the stronghold, cutting it off from all outside contact. Or perhaps the dwarves have done the same to a giant fortress. In either case, constant pressure must be maintained against the besieged. Attempts are made to pollute or poison water supplies, destroy food reserves and crops, and shut off supplies of air to underground defenders. The defenders may send out parties to secure aid from other strongholds, or conduct sorties to disrupt the attackers.

   	Life in strongholds under siege is much harsher than normal. Food and water are often in short supply and the inhabitants must contend with the constant threat of storming parties, disease, and declining morale.

   	Invasion: The primary defenses of the stronghold have been overrun and enemy forces occupy substantial portions of the stronghold. Alternatively, the dwarves may have advanced from their stronghold into the enemy's territory in force. The goal may be to punish raiders, or capture ground, or conquer and subjugate the enemy, or eliminate the enemy entirely.

Militia

We have already established the number of citizens in the militia on the Attitude Table. Look up the dominant race and multiply the total militia number by the percentage given to determine how many militia members are of the dominant race.

   	All members of the militia are 1st-level. Their leaders are usually of higher levels and are in addition to the total number of militia in a stronghold.

   	The armor type is assigned for an average stronghold. This may be adjusted to reflect the wealth of the stronghold. The militia of a poor stronghold may only be able to afford leather armor, while a rich one could outfit its militia in banded or even plate mail armor.

Morale: An average morale is furnished for each militia. This is modified according to the attitude of the stronghold.

Leaders: The number and experience level of leaders is determined by the number of dwarves in the militia. In the case of hill dwarves, for example, for every 40 militia members there is a 2nd-to 6th-level leader present. For every 160 militia there is a 6th level leader present, and so on.

Morale Modifiers:

Decadent:	-3
Declining:	-2
Expansionist:	+2
Isolationist:	+1

Deep Dwarves

Morale: Elite (13)

Deep dwarf militia are equipped with scale mail armor and carry shields.

Weapons	Total Militia
Axe and light crossbow	15%
Axe and heavy crossbow	15%
Axe and hammer	25%
Spear and sword	25%
Pick and hammer	10%
Two-handed sword	10%

Deep Dwarf Leaders (Plate mail and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 40	Warrior	3
50+	Warrior	7
	Warrior	4
100+	Warrior/Priest	4-7/5-8
200+	Warrior	9
300+	Warrior	10
	Warrior	8
	Warrior/Priest	7/8
	Warrior/Priest	5/5
	Warrior/Priest	4/4

Duergar

Morale: Elite (13)

Duergar militia are equipped with chain mail armor and carry shields.

Weapons	Total Militia
Pick and hammer	20%
Spear and pick	20%
Spear and hammer	20%
Pick and light crossbow	20%
Hammer and sword	10%
Hammer and heavy crossbow	10%

Duergar Leaders (Banded mail and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 4	Warrior	2
every 9	Warrior	4
50+	Warrior	6
	Warrior	4
100+	Warrior/Priest	3-6/4-7
300+	Warrior	10
	Warrior	8
	Warrior/Priest	7/8
	Warrior/Priest	5/5
	Warrior/Priest	4/4

Gully Dwarves

Morale: Unsteady (7)

Gully dwarf militia is equipped with leather armor and shields. They only fight when forced to. The first reaction of most gully dwarves, militia or otherwise, to danger is to drop their weapons and run away!

Weapons	Total Militia
Any they can scavenge	100%

Gully Dwarf Leaders (Chain mail and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 4	Thief (Leather)	2-6
every 5	Warrior	2-4
every 10	Warrior	2-6
50+	Warrior	8
100+	Warrior	10
	Priest	1-10

Hill Dwarves

Morale: Elite (13)

Hill dwarf militia is equipped with chain mail armor and shields.

Weapons	Total Militia
Sword and spear	20%
Sword and light crossbow	15%
Axe and hammer	25%
Sword and polearm	10%
Axe and heavy crossbow	10%
Axe and mace	10%
Hammer and pick	10%

Hill Dwarf Leaders (Plate and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 40	Warrior	2-6
160+	Warrior	6
	Warrior	4
200+	Warrior/Priest	3-6/4-7
320+	Warrior	8
	Warrior	7
	Warrior/Priest	6/7
	Warrior/Priest	4/4

Mountain Dwarves

Morale: Elite (13)

Mountain dwarf militia is equipped with chain mail armor and shields.

Weapons	Total Militia
Sword and spear	30%
Sword and light crossbow	10%
Axe and hammer	25%
Sword and polearm	05%
Axe and heavy crossbow	10%
Axe and mace	10%
Hammer and pick	10%

Mountain Dwarf Leaders (Plate and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 30	Warrior	2-6
150+	Warrior	6
	Warrior	4
200+	Warrior/Priest	3-6/4-7
300+	Warrior	8
	Warrior	7
	Warrior/Priest	6/7
	Warrior/Priest	4/4
	Warrior/Priest	4/4

Sundered Dwarves

Morale: Steady (11)

Sundered dwarf militia is equipped with ring mail armor and shields.

Weapons	Total Militia
Axe and sword	15%
Axe and spear	15%
Axe and light crossbow	15%
Polearm and mace	05%
Polearm and hammer	10%
Hammer and heavy crossbow	15%
Pick and dagger	10%
Mace and sword	10%
Two-handed sword	05%

Sundered Dwarf Leaders (Chain mail and shield)

# Militia	Class	Level
every 50	Warrior	2-7
100+	Warrior	8
	Warrior	5
150	Warrior/Priest	2-7/3-8
300+	Warrior	9
	Warrior	8
	Warrior/Priest	7/8
	Warrior/Priest	3/3
	Warrior/Priest	3/3

Special Forces

In addition to militia, a stronghold may have special types of forces. These are described in the Character Kits and include Hearth Guards, Battleragers, and Vermin Slayers, among others. The number of special forces should not be more than 10 to 20% of the total number of male dwarves present in a stronghold. For simplicity, add these to the number of male dwarves in the militia rather than subtracting them.

War Machines

A stronghold may also have war machines available. These are described in Chapter 9. Roll once for every 50 militia members in the stronghold.

War Machine Table

1d10	# War Machines
1-5	None
6-8	1
9	2
10+	3

Attitude Modifiers:

Decadent:	-3
Declining:	-2
Isolationist:	+1
Expansionist:	+2

Animals

Certain strongholds are guarded by animals. Select these according to whether the Animal Master kit is being used, and the subrace of the dwarf. Suitable animals include bears and wolves for mountain and hill dwarves, steeders for duergar, giant lizards for deep dwarves, giant rats and beetles for gully dwarves, and dogs and wolves for sundered dwarves.

Total Strength

Finally, add up the number of leaders in the militia, plus special troops, and add these to the number of dwarves in the stronghold to determine its total strength.

Table of Contents


The Stronghold of Bazzakrak (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Stronghold of Bazzakrak

In this example, we are going to create a major stronghold for mountain dwarves. The DM has already decided that this is to be a powerful and expansionist stronghold. However, since the details have not yet been worked out, he consults the stronghold design sequence for inspiration. He will choose those elements he wants from the design sequence, rather than rely on random die rolls. But, working through the sequence, he allows the dice to determine certain features for him.

Naming the Stronghold

The DM has already come up with a name and, because he is creating a mountain dwarf stronghold, there is no need to roll for a primary subrace. He wants the stronghold to be very large so he selects the maximum number of mountain dwarves possible, 350. He notes this on the design sheet.

Subraces Present

As he looks over the next part of the design sequence, the DM decides that it would be fun to have a few other subraces of dwarves present. He selects two: duergar and gully dwarves. He also chooses the maximum number possible, 20 duergar and 12 gully dwarves.

   	Rather than generate separate strongholds for the subraces, the DM assigns them as part of the mountain dwarf stronghold. He decides that the duergar once lived beneath the stronghold, where they fought the mountain dwarves. Two generations ago, the duergar were finally defeated and most of them fled. A few, however, were captured and imprisoned. These later renounced their evil ways. When they did so, they were given their freedom and permitted to remain within the stronghold. Although they have not married into any mountain dwarf clan, the duergar have proved themselves to be loyal and valuable members of the stronghold. They remain a distinct group, but have served admirably in the stronghold's military forces. They even helped to defend against other duergar who attacked the stronghold.

   	The gully dwarves, on the other hand, have never been really integrated into the stronghold. They are outcasts who live and work in the garbage pits. They have been here for four generations, and were first attracted to the stronghold by wondrous tales of "huge treasure pits," filled with broken items and bones. The gully dwarves serve a useful role recycling garbage. They pretty much keep to themselves and rarely venture far from the garbage pits. They continue to follow the ways of gully dwarves. A wily deep dwarf merchant sells whatever useful items the gully dwarves recover and provides them with trinkets and toys in exchange. While few mountain dwarves will socialize with them, the gully dwarves are recognized as performing a useful and valuable function within the society.

   	Without consciously doing so, the DM has also introduced a deep dwarf merchant into the stronghold. To keep matters simple, he decides that this deep dwarf is the only one present. He is the sole survivor of a deep dwarf stronghold that was overrun by drow.

   	The DM now has three other subraces present in his stronghold, but he decides not to reduce the number of mountain dwarves accordingly. Bazzakrak is to be a very large stronghold.

Alignment

As he wants Bazzakrak to be expansionist, the DM chooses lawful neutral for its alignment. This allows it to impose the will of its leaders on others without being too concerned about whether their actions are seen as 'good'. He does not want the player characters to be evil, so he dismisses lawful evil as a possible alignment. The other alignments do not fit his conception of how the stronghold operates, so he does not consider choosing one of those. When he later discusses alignments with his players, he decides that he will give them the choice of lawful good, lawful neutral, or neutral good for their characters' alignments. But he also knows that it may be necessary to allow other alignment choices depending on the character kits he makes available to them.

Size of Bazzakrak

As it is a major stronghold, the DM now increases the numbers of dwarves present by 200%. This gives him 700 mountain dwarves, 24 gully dwarves, and 40 duergar. At first he considers not doubling the number of duergar, but later thinks it would be good to allow them as player characters. He increases the number of deep dwarves to three by giving the merchant a son and a daughter. Now the son and the daughter can become player characters, if any of the players wish to play them.

Since Time Began

The DM wants Bazzakrak to be very old, so he decides that 20 generations have passed since its founding. This equates to 8,000 years, a very long time for a stronghold to have grown and expanded.

   	Bazzakrak is to be very important in the DM's campaign world, and he decides that it was founded by the mountain dwarves' god of war. Not only does this fit in with his conception of the stronghold, but it also gives the stronghold a religious significance that is in keeping with its importance in the campaign.

Death to Our Enemies

Originally, the DM intended to make Bazzakrak a feudal stronghold, but it now occurs to him that, because Bazzakrak was founded by a god, it would be logical to have it ruled by the priests of that god. He determines that the high priest is also the king, making the stronghold a feudal theocracy ruled by warrior/priests. He decides as well that the king's office is hereditary, passing to the king's eldest son.

   	A stronghold ruled by warrior/priests fits neatly into his original conception of an expansionist stronghold. On the stronghold design sheet he notes that all of the stronghold's mountain dwarves and duergar are in its militia. The gully dwarves keep to themselves, so there is no need to include them in the militia (they wouldn't be much help anyway).

The Riches of the Earth

As Bazzakrak is to be the largest stronghold in his campaign world, the DM wants it to be a wealthy one. It will not only have the resources to pursue its ambitions of conquest, but the player characters will benefit from the optional starting gold rules when they first outfit their characters.

Threatening the Enemy

Bazzakrak is an expansionist stronghold, but does not have any ambition or desire to spread above ground. Therefore, the DM is not concerned about its relationship to other player character races apart from the gnomes. He determines randomly that the relationship with the gnomes is "cautious." Gnomes are not welcome at Bazzakrak, but the stronghold does not seek to conquer gnomish territory.

   	Then, out of curiosity, he decides to roll relationships with elves and humans, too (ignoring halflings because he has decided that none live in the area). He gets an "at war" result with the elves, but downgrades that to "hostile." Relations with the humans are "indifferent," so the two races have little to do with each other.

War is Our Life

Up until now, the DM has not really considered whose territory the dwarves of Bazzakrak are expanding into. He knows that at one time, Bazzakrak defeated a force of duergar and that the duergar have attacked the stronghold within the current generation. So it is safe to assume that the stronghold is at war with them. The two subraces are competing for the same underground territory and resources. But this is all too neat. An expanding stronghold would also have come into contact with other subterranean races. He adds trolls and goblins to the list of the stronghold's enemies.

   	Bazzakrak is now at war with three races. It is time to determine how long these wars have been going on. The war with the duergar has been sputtering on for at least two generations. The DM decides to randomly roll for its duration, using 2d6, and discovers that the war has been fought, off and on, for eight generations. It has been a steady war of occasional small skirmishes.

   	The DM has no clear idea about the wars against the trolls or goblins, so he lets the dice decide. He rolls 1d10 to determine the Troll War's duration and gets a 5--2d6--years with a follow-up roll of nine years. Checking the war type, he gets a sporadic war. This looks good. The dwarves expanded into troll territory nine years ago. Since then the two races have been fighting. The dwarves have not pushed any further into troll country, and the trolls content themselves with minor raids.

   	The DM then discovers (through the magic of dice rolling) that the war with the goblins has only just begun, four weeks before. This war is much more intense. It is an invasion; the dwarves have entered the goblin's territory and are intent on wiping out their hated enemies. This is also good for his campaign, as it allows his 1st-level player characters to fight in the front line without too much danger of them being killed.

   	After a bit of thought, the DM decides that the war will spread. There are more goblins than the dwarves anticipated, plus they have allies who may come to their aid (the trolls are logical friends at this time). The war could even turn into a subterranean world war, as more races are drawn into it. But all that is for the future. The DM can provide this extra information after he sees how the actual campaign progresses.

The Militia of Bazzakrak

With war on three fronts, Bazzakrak needs a well-equipped militia. As a wealthy stronghold, this is not a problem. Its mountain dwarf and duergar militias wear plate mail armor and enjoy higher-than-normal morale.

Special Forces of Bazzakrak

To allow his players a wide choice of character kits, the DM does not specify any special forces. He is going to wait to see what kits his players choose. Then he'll decide how many special forces he wants the stronghold to have. As an alternative, the DM may decide that he wants the adventuring party to consist primarily of Wayfinders and Vermin Slayers and possibly a Vindicator or Battlerager along to spice things up. In this case, he would define which special forces are available, and this would limit the choices available to his players.

War Machines and Animals

He has no clear idea of what he wants here. He decides to leave these sections until he knows which characters his players choose.

Finishing Touches

The DM has completed the design sequence and has created the bare bones of Bazzakrak. He now needs to flesh out some NPCs and draw a few maps. Once he's done that, its ready for play. Later he can elaborate upon its history and background, as his campaign progresses or as he feels inspired. For now, Bazzakrak provides sufficient information to give him and his player characters the impression that it is a real and vibrant place.

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Chapter 11: Designing Dwarf Campaigns (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Chapter 11: Designing Dwarf Campaigns

This chapter is for DMs who want to design the background of a dwarf campaign. We have looked at the creation myths of the dwarves, how they and the world were formed, how dwarves have developed, their history, why subraces of dwarves exist, and how dwarves interact with other races. We shall now explore the kinds of campaigns that can be run using dwarves as the main characters.

Creating a History

The creation text of Marak is one of many possible backgrounds for a dwarf campaign. It revealed how a stronghold of dwarves might view the world and their place in it. You could use this as part of your campaign background or develop your own myth cycle. The myths may be accepted by all dwarves, or may only be held by one stronghold or subrace. The creation myth may be believed as truth by all dwarves, but with dissension among elements of related history, such as the names of the heroes or the precise role of the gods.

   	In the first creation myth all dwarves began life together and later migrated to new strongholds. They could trace their lineage back to the First Dwarves, their common ancestors. Since all of them came from common stock, subrace variations had to be explained.

   	As an alternative, after they were created, they could have been placed by the gods in caverns around the world. This would permit them to live in any place or situation, without having to make up stories about how they spread across the world. They could live beneath tropical islands, under ice caps, or steamy jungles, as well as the more temperate hilly and mountain country. They may have been isolated from others and their developments and subsequent histories may have diverged in countless ways. In such cases, you will need to decide how these dwarves would differ from the more traditional hill dwarves of the Player's Handbook and Monstrous Compendium Appendix. Do they constitute definitive subraces of dwarves, with marked differences in appearance and outlook, or are they just hill dwarves living in unusual places?

Choices of Subraces

As DM you have full control over which dwarf subraces to include in your campaign world, either as player or nonplayer characters. You may decide that some of these subraces do not exist in your campaign world at all. In Chapter 4, six different subraces are available for player characters. You do not have to use all of them. You may wish instead to restrict players to hill and mountain dwarves.

   	If dwarves are an underground race, with little surface contact, why are hill and mountain dwarves different? The distinctions may have arisen from an encounter with other races such as elves or humans, or because the mountains are also inhabited by evil monsters, and the hills are less prone to monster incursions.

   	Mountain dwarves have far less contact with humans and elves, who only expand into the mountains in search of mineral wealth or when population pressures or warring enemies force them into new areas.

   	If, in your campaign world, the gods created the different subraces of dwarves, then there is no reason to come up with any other rationale why there are several kinds of dwarves in the world. The creation myth explains the differences. If not, you need to include the separation of the subraces as part of your history of the dwarves.

   	If you have already worked up the mythic history of your world, using the suggestions in The Complete Priest's Handbook, all you need to decide is how dwarves fit into that history.

   	Alternatively, you may create your own myths for your world. There is no reason why dwarves and humans should agree how the world was created. They could share common beliefs, but with more emphasis being given to the gods of each race and their role in the mythic history of the world.

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The Importance of Myth (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Importance of Myth

You will need to decide on the importance of dwarves in your campaign world. If humans are the dominant race, then much of what follows can be worked into a human oriented campaign world. If dwarves are to play an important role in the campaign, then it is important to have more fully defined creation myths and histories for the dwarves.

   	However you design your campaign setting, you need to make some key decisions. Do dwarf myths tell the whole story? Do other races share the dwarf myth? Does each race and culture have its own interpretation of a common myth? Was the world created by one being or by many? What role did each being take in creating it? Was it the god or gods of one particular race who created the world? Or was the world created by a variety of racial gods, each one concerned with protecting his own creation?

   	In some belief systems, the world may always have existed. Creation myths would then be concerned with the creation of a particular race and their place within it. You don't have to work up all the answers in detail, all you need is a general framework, so that you can develop other aspects of the campaign's design around the mythos.

   	Some readers may be wondering why they should bother with this at all. Yes, you could just define things as they are now, with no regard for the distant past. But a well-developed mythology makes your campaign more vibrant. The religious beliefs and mythological backgrounds of dwarves, humans, and other key races helps not only to explain, but to define, racial friendships and animosities. A history of the races can be built on that background to explain the times and events of your campaign.

   	How much you tell your players is up to you, depending on the type of campaign you are running. Remember that no religion holds all the answers to the questions of the universe. Where gaps disturb our understanding, people tend to make up suitable stories to fill them. Uncomfortable truths sometimes get hidden this way. Even when mythic history is largely true, each race has a vested interest in emphasizing its own importance and supporting its racial views. The history of a war between dwarves and elves is likely to sound very different when recounted by those two sides.

   	Bear in mind that, given the pride and stubbornness of the dwarves, they are likely to believe that they were the first race, even if other races claim (and can support their claims) that they existed before the dwarves. The dwarves may even see other races as failed attempts to produce beings as perfect as dwarves.

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The Importance of the Gods (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Importance of the Gods

You will also need to decide how important the dwarven gods are to the dwarves. Do the gods govern all aspects of life, or are they only worshipped for certain key functions or to request favors? Do the gods hand down laws as masters addressing servants, or do they simply light the way and let their followers interpret signs as best they can?

   	You need to determine the size of the dwarven pantheon. This is particularly true in a campaign that involves priest player characters. Each of the gods within a pantheon should have some special attribute for which he or she is venerated. Some may have more than one. Typical attributes for dwarven gods are arts and crafts, each art and craft with its own deity. War, justice, earth, elemental forces, good, metalwork, race, and strength all have their patron deities. Given that dwarves breed so slowly, and that this is seen as a reason for their decline, an interesting religion might deal with fertility. Perhaps the fertility goddess is dead or imprisoned. If she is held prisoner, where and by whom?

   	The Complete Priest's Handbook will be very useful in helping to create and populate your pantheon. It includes 41 sample religions suitable for dwarves. DMs interested in creating well-balanced and detailed religions will find it an invaluable tool.

   	When designing a dwarven pantheon, it is not necessary to flesh out all of the gods. A few of the major deities are enough to start with; others can be added as needed. As with all gods, a few decisions must be made about their abilities.

   	Are they immortal? Do gods live forever, or will they eventually age and die? Are they indestructible? The gods may be immune to damage, or they may be injured. Does rapid healing follow injury, or can they actually be killed?

   	How much influence do the dwarven gods exert upon the world? The gods may use the dwarves as pawns in a cosmic game, or they may be remote from daily events. In a campaign where each race has its own pantheon, it is advisable to let the various races of gods take a background role, rather than competing for power.

   	How interested are the dwarven gods in the world? They may not take any interest in the world on the surface and be content to restrict their activities to the subterranean realms. Why, for example, would a dwarvish God of War be concerned with conquering the agricultural lands belonging to humans or halflings? He would be far more interested in capturing the mineral rich lands beneath the surface, and leave the world above to other races. Dwarven gods of the arts and crafts may also be so absorbed in the development of their own skills that they are not interested in other affairs.

   	What are the gods' intentions toward the world? This is an important question. What do the dwarven gods want with the world and its races? The gods might want to see their own race dominant, or at least protected. Or they may simply wish to pursue their own affairs. Most dwarven deities may be content to be properly recognized and worshipped, but don't overlook the activities of evil or chaotic gods who act out of malice or a sense of mischief. They may be more interested in upsetting the stable lifestyle of the dwarves and their fellow gods than with establishing their own power base. Perhaps they are so discontented that they are prepared to lead evil races against the dwarves in order to destroy the other gods.

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The Races of the World (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
The Races of the World

You also need to decide whether dwarf creation stories for other races are true or whether they are simply the views of the dwarves.

   	Humans are traditionally seen as a new race in the process of seizing power from the declining elder races of elves and dwarves, or as having already usurped them. This may be the case in your world, or you may have human lands existing far from dwarf and elf territory with little contact between them. Another interesting twist is to look at the earlier stages, when humans are still an upstart race in a world dominated by dwarves and elves.

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War and Conflicts (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Wars and Conflicts

Unless dwarves in your world are a relatively recent race, they will have a long history of conflict behind them. These conflicts could have involved strongholds of dwarves fighting each other, or their traditional goblin, orc, hobgoblin, and giant enemies. Wars against humans or elves may also have occurred.

Dwarf Versus Dwarf

Conflicts between dwarves could have led to the original separation of the subraces. Unless you are running a deep earth campaign, it's best to allow hill or mountain dwarves to be the victors of such conflicts, so that they retain possession of the strongholds that are higher and better positioned.

   	Conflicts may take place between strongholds of hill dwarves. A real or imagined slight could cause them to turn on each other. Such a war could rage for hundreds or even thousands of years. It may even have gone on for so long that its original causes have been forgotten and all either side now knows is their vehement hatred for the enemy.

   	Civil wars are, alas, a possibility within in a stronghold. A major disagreement between clans may lead to a stronghold being split into factions, each controlled by separate clans more than prepared to make war upon the others.

   	Intradwarven wars may also be caused by competition over mineral rights, particularly where rich lodes of gold or mithral exist. Disputes may arise over possession of a powerful artifact, such as an anvil capable of creating magical weapons.

   Wars may also be initiated by the intervention of evil deities, or by other races who succeed in fomenting trouble between rival strongholds. Duergar are invariably ready to attack other strongholds in order to capture slaves and loot, or merely to exercise their hatred of other dwarves.

Dwarves Against Evil

Dwarves have traditionally fought long and bitter wars against their evil enemies beneath the earth. This struggle has become one of "kill or be killed." As well as goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, and giants, the war could involve drow, mind flayers, ogres, trolls, or any other intelligent race that inhabits the deep earth.

   	In some worlds these wars have raged constantly for centuries. In others they are sporadic affairs where evil races make small gains, or are pushed back each time they try to advance. Entire mountain ranges once filled with majestic dwarf strongholds may have fallen to hordes of goblins and orcs. These once exalted halls are now infested with evil monsters. The descendants of those who were driven from their ancestral halls now long to drive out the goblins and restore those halls to their former splendor.

   	Situations can exist where the dwarves are constantly under siege. They beat back the orcs, but orcs breed faster than dwarves do, so it is only a matter of time before the orcs' losses are replenished. (By extension, it can be seen that in order to prevail in a war against any of the fast-breeding goblinoid races, dwarves must inflict much heavier casualties than they suffer. In fact, dwarves must be very careful to avoid heavy losses in any but the most desperate engagements.) Dwarves have been known, grudgingly, to turn to humans and elves for assistance in times of need.

At War with Humans and Elves

Dwarven relationships with humans and elves are usually cautious. Dwarves may have fought elves or humans over mineral rights or other disputes. Elves are often haughty toward the dwellers underground and this attitude makes for tense interracial understandings.

   	Previous conflicts could have ended in stalemate with neither race gaining the upper hand. A tenuous peace may now exist between them. Alternatively, a war could have been fought that ended with few dwarves left alive. In self-defense, the survivors shut themselves in their strongholds and severed all ties with other races.

   	Another possibility is that, in a war between elves (or humans) and dwarves, the dwarves emerged victorious. The difficulty is that success took a very heavy toll upon dwarf lives and resources. The victors returned to their strongholds only to come under attack by goblins and orcs. Already weakened by the first war, they found themselves unable to defeat the monsters and were driven from their stronghold. During the years that followed, the elves (or humans), recovered from the war and prospered, while the dwarves struggled to survive. The dwarves would be very resentful toward the elves (or humans), even accusing them of inciting the goblin/orc attacks. (And at the same time, the elves and humans might seize the opportunity to work some revenge on the enemy that so recently humiliated them.)

   	These are broad historical scenarios, even the most cataclysmic of wars may have taken place so long ago that no one really remembers it. But dwarves and elves, especially, have long memories. The resultant racial animosity survives and trust between the races has vanished.

   	Relationships between humans, elves, and dwarves do not have to be antagonistic. They may simply fail to understand one another and find it difficult to adapt to the ways of the other. Rather than risk conflict, trade and other deals could be carried out diplomatically, in order to minimize the possibility of misunderstandings.

Dragon Wars

Dragons, with their love of treasure, have always looked with envy on the wealth of the dwarves. Dragons cannot mine gems and ores and dwarves can. Dragons look at dwarves as a race that has been created, not only to supply them with wealth, but with nourishment as well.

   	Dragons have taken over entire strongholds, killing or driving the inhabitants away. These strongholds may be held by a single dragon, families of them, or by one dragon with hordes of other evil allies.

   	The dwarves would then attempt to take back their homes and treasures. They may not react favorably when humans and other races drive out the dragons, only to keep dwarven ore and gems for themselves. When the dwarves demand their treasures and are told that they cannot have them, it is likely to lead to war.

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Campaign Environments (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Campaign Environments

In the standard adventure campaign characters are drawn from a wide range of classes and races. The heroes travel through a variety of lands, meeting different races and cultures. Your knowledge of dwarves may now be used to good effect to develop strongholds, and to provide additional background information for player characters.

The All-Dwarf Party

In this campaign all of the characters are dwarves. There are no wizards in the party. Warriors, priests, thieves, warrior/priests, and warrior/thieves may be present, but there are no dwarf wizards. There may be reasons for human wizards or gnome illusionists to join the party to alleviate the deficiency in magic. You may decide to retain the true dwarven flavor by allowing wizards only as opponents.

   	This type of campaign works well when the dwarves are beset by an outside threat. Perhaps the stronghold is under attack by hordes of monsters and no other assistance can be secured.

The Outcasts' Party

In the outcast, party the player characters are principally or exclusively dwarves, but are outcasts from their own society. Perhaps they befriended an elven wizard or warrior/wizard. They may have been falsely accused of some heinous crime, murdering their lord or betraying their own stronghold to orcs. They would wander the world, above or below ground, seeking to clear their good names and to become wealthy and famous heroes.

The Single Class Party

Here, all the characters have the same class. They are all warriors, priests, thieves, or multi-classed. They may be part of the same military force, temple, or guild, and may have been given a mission to perform. This campaign can be very exciting while the group has a clear and common goal. If there is no goal, however, the campaign can quickly fall apart. For this reason it works best as a limited-duration adventure, with everyone understanding that the group of characters will disband when their quest is completed and a new group will be created.

The Vendetta Party

This campaign is similar to the standard adventuring party except that it emphasizes interracial animosity. The characters are members of different races (or subraces) and each has a grudge against the others. There may have been fierce wars and broken alliances in the recent past, so that there is no trust among them. This type of party needs to have clear adventuring goals that depend upon the cooperation of the whole party, in order to achieve a final purpose. Otherwise, its members will fall to squabbling endlessly, and it would probably end in them killing each other. Ideally, by the end of the mission, they will have learned enough about each other to overcome their prejudices.

The Vendetta Campaign

This campaign involves one of the traditional enemies of dwarves: orcs, goblins, elves, or humans. Perhaps the elves are trying to discredit the dwarves or shut down their trading operations, or the dwarves have decided that they don't want humans expanding into their mountains. The dwarves may have explained to the humans that they are not welcome and the humans responded by murdering the dwarves' ambassadors. If the humans are a young race, they may have been tricked into an evil alliance by crafty giants or vengeful elves.

The Wide World Campaign

In the wide world campaign the dwarves travel around the globe, often in the company of other races. Dwarves in this campaign may visit strongholds, but they travel primarily through human lands. This is closest in tone to what many players would consider a "typical" AD&D® game.

The Deep Earth Campaign

In this campaign the dwarves can be members of any subrace and the entire campaign is set underground. It may be deep within the earth where deep dwarves and duergar live. It may be a stronghold of hill or mountain dwarves who have either turned their backs on the world above or have had little contact with the outside.

   	A big advantage in this campaign is that you don't need to design any of the world's surface and you can effectively dispense with the histories of humans and elves. You will need maps of the extensive caverns and dungeons where the campaign is to take place. The deep earth campaign can take place within caverns or a hollow earth. It may involve an epic journey to the center of the globe.

   	While some people consider this setting limiting, it really is no different from a surface campaign. The biggest difference is that characters never see the sky. Anything that is possible on the surface is possible beneath the surface (this is a fantasy game, after all). And the unusual setting can make even familiar and worn-out plots seem fresh and exciting!

Dwarf Wars

Interdwarven warfare can involve wars between subraces or between different strongholds of the same subrace. It will work best if one side is clearly the bad guys and the other side (preferably the one the PCs are on) is clearly the good guys. The player characters may be able to resolve the dispute through clever diplomacy or intervention before the war escalates out of control. It could be a blood feud between two clans that has been raging for years and will only end when one side has been destroyed or driven away.

The Lost Clan

Considering the way dwarves move, expand, and relocate, it is not unreasonable to assume that occasionally an entire clan could drop from sight. The PCs may be an expedition sent out from the central stronghold to track down and reestablish contact with a lost clan of dwarves that disappeared generations before. Or they could be from that lost clan, trying to work their way back to the surface of the world to once again link up with other dwarves.

The Siege Campaign

A siege campaign is set within a stronghold or a series of strongholds. The dwarves are under constant attack by bands of evil monsters in a fight to the death. The evil creatures are probably under the sway of a powerful and charismatic tyrant who is leading them on a rampage across the dwarves' territory. For added tension, the dwarves may possess a powerful artifact that this tyrant needs to guarantee his conquests, and now he will stop at nothing to get it. The evil forces may have already captured the upper or lower levels of the dwarves' stronghold, along with hundreds of captives, and cut the dwarves off from the outside world.

   	For a different twist, the PCs may be a returning party of adventurers who find themselves unable to get back into their stronghold because it is ringed by besieging enemies. Or this scenario could be combined with the lost clan concept, and the characters must escape through the enemy camp, find the fabled lost clan, and return at its head to drive the monsters from the gates and save the stronghold.

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Creating New Kits (Comp. Book of Dwarves)
Creating New Kits

After you have designed your campaign world, you may wish to add proficiencies that are specific to the world you created. Using Chapter 6 as a guide, many new kits can be created. If you wish to design a kit, consider the following questions about the dwarf and his role in your campaign:

Description: What is the dwarf like? Is he drawn from specific literary or mythological sources? Are there any special requirements for a character who wishes to play this type of dwarf?

Barred: If the dwarf is a priest, are there any reasons certain dwarves should not be allowed to be priests in this kit?

Role: What place does he have in the campaign? How is he regarded by his own race and culture? By other races and cultures? Is there a particular attitude or outlook he needs in order to acquire this kit?

What kinds of activities does he perform in a campaign? Is he a typically taciturn dwarf, or a loud-mouthed oaf? What is his relationship with other characters? Is he friendly, distanced, wary, impassive? Does he harbor any strong racial hatreds? How does he react to elves, gnomes, and other nonhuman races?

Secondary Skills: If you are using the secondary skills system, decide whether the kit requires any particular skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: Certain types of dwarves favor particular weapons. Note these, along with any weapons the character must have.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Many dwarves have certain skills in common, and all should have the Endurance proficiency. You may assign one or two proficiency slots that are without cost to the character. If appropriate, these may come from listings other than the Dwarves and General listings in Chapter 5.

Equipment: If a kit is best known for specific types of equipment, the character should purchase the specified equipment at the start of the campaign. If some, but not all, dwarves of this type use the same equipment, it need not be required. In that case, simply list it as recommended.

Special Benefits: Although not necessary, most kits should have some special benefit. Any kind of benefit is acceptable, but it should relate to the way this particular dwarf operates in fiction, mythology, or in your own image of him.

Possible benefits include:

•	Bonuses to reaction rolls, particularly with certain races.

•	Bonuses on proficiency use, especially in specifically defined situations.

•	Bonuses to attack and/or damage rolls, especially against certain enemies or in special circumstances.

•	A free weapon specialization.

•	Special resistances, such as immunity or a saving throw bonus against specific magical attacks.

•	Special rights within the culture in which the dwarf normally travels, such as immunity from prosecution or free lodging on demand.

Special Hindrances: One or more special hindrances should be imposed to limit the character.

Possible hindrances include:

•	Penalties to reaction rolls, especially from certain races.

•	Penalties to attack and/or damage rolls, particularly against certain enemies or in special circumstances.

•	Restrictions against learning certain proficiencies.

•	Social or cultural restrictions affecting how easily the character can mingle with diverse groups. He may be prohibited from carrying weapons within his stronghold, or cannot marry, or is punished excessively for certain crimes.

Wealth Options: Does the dwarf have less or more starting gold than other characters? Are there any restrictions placed on how starting gold must be spent?

   	You may also adapt kits to other classes by adjusting the kit's skills, weapons, proficiencies, benefits, and hindrances.

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