Dwarves

Physical Description

Short and stout. Usually bearded. A love for salted meat and large amounts of ale and mead.

Relations

Humanity

They have some trade with the human cities in Ashminster, such as Dunfar and Twynglen.

Humans have a greated degree of individuality, and the variation in attituded that comes from this makes them seem unpredictable. Their short lives makes the clans reluctant to form bonds. Even organizations like government and merchant families are prone to radical changes, as policies change or leadership changes.

Gnomes

Dwarves are typically mistrusting of gnomes, as they are a result of the Lords and Ladies. They regularly refuse to trade or even acknowledge them when they meet. Humans therefore regularly act as intermediaries, an arrangement dwarves view as acceptable, though they prefer not having the situation hammered home when doing so.

Elves and the Fey

To most the elves and the fey are two distinct groups. Dwarves, however, care little for either, and sees them both as a source of strife and misery.

Drow

Though equally hostile to the fey, the dwarves and the drow are an example of an enemy of my enemy not necessarily being a friend.

Dwarves defend their terretories from drow aggression, and retaliate when provoked.

Society

Politics

Highly socially cohesive
Structured into clans and castes
- Respect and expectations needs a good balance for this to work, and the dwarves seem to have it under control
- A dwarf may fail at a task, but intentionally avoiding doing what is expected is practically unthinkable.

Alignment and religion

Usually lawful
Importance of music (song and drums)
- The songs are often hours long, with variations being shorter or even longer.
- Their topics vary, but most of the famous ones are retellings of historical events, or veneration of ancestors of some sort.
- It is often layered, with harmonizing humming to accompany one or more leads.
- This upholding of tradition means that a steady hum and rythm can be heard when within a dwarven hold at most times, swelling and subsiding throughout a cycle.

Clans

Clan Khela

The closest to the caverns used by the Drow, and therefore the clan with the most ingrained hatred of these enemies.

Clan Badur

The first and oldest dwarven clan. They have never forgotten the reason they sought the protection of the deep mines, and to this bell uphold their traditions of fighting magic with fervor and zeal. They share the dwarven hatred of the fey and the elves, but make it a point of pride of hating them more than all the other clans.

Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma.
Size: Dwarves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Dwarves are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
Base Speed: (Slow and Steady) Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Dwarven and Old Ornian. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Nightwalker common, New Ornian, Ancient, Terran, and Undercommon. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Defensive Training: Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
Hardy: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
Stability: Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Greed: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
Stonecunning: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
Hatred: Dwarves gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes because of their special training against these hated foes.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following list contains some alternative racial traits that mostly just changes some fluff. If you find any others you would like to use, feel free to ask the DM

Hold-dependent Traits

Kaz'Khelan Enforcer: Dwarves from Kaz'Khela have long been in conflict with the hated drow. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the elf subtype. This racial trait replaces hatred.
Kaz'Tekar Disciple: Dwarves with this racial trait gain 1 ki point. If the dwarf gains ki points from a different source, this ki point is added to that pool. In addition to any other ways in which the dwarf can use ki, the dwarf can expend the ki point as a swift action to either gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round or increase her base speed by 20 feet for 1 round. The bonus ki point does not allow the dwarf to make a ki strike unless she has another ability that allows her to do so, such as the ki pool from the monk class. Like other ki points, this ki point is replenished after 8 hours of rest or meditation. This replaces defensive training and hatred.
Kaz'Karazar Refugee: Dwarves keep extensive records about their history and the world around them. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history) checks that pertain to dwarves or their enemies. They can make such skill checks untrained. This racial trait replaces greed.
Kaz'Badur Spellbreaker: Some of the older dwarven clans are particularly resistant to magic. Dwarves with this racial trait gain spell resistance equal to 5 + their character level. This resistance can be lowered for 1 round as a standard action. Dwarves with this racial trait take a –2 penalty on all concentration checks made in relation to arcane spells. This racial trait replaces hardy.
Kaz'Badur Magebane: Dwarven families who are threatened by hostile magic-users, especially those who face the fey, train intently to thwart spellcasting. They gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against creatures in the process of casting spells or spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces defensive training and hatred.

General Traits

Craftsman: Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. This racial trait replaces greed.
Healthy: Dwarves with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against disease and poison, and they need one fewer consecutive successful save (minimum 1) to be cured of diseases and poisons. This racial trait replaces hardy.
Surface Trader: Dwarves who have adapted to the expectations of their host cities make double the normal progress on Craft checks to create non-magical items and gain a +4 bonus on Profession checks to earn money. This racial trait replaces hatred.
Spell Smasher: Dwarven families who are threatened by hostile magic-users, especially those who face duergar foes, train intently to thwart spellcasting. They gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against creatures in the process of casting spells or spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces defensive training and hatred.
Xenophobic: Isolationist dwarves despise non-dwarven humanoids. They speak only Dwarven and do not gain any bonus languages from possessing a high Intelligence score. In addition, they learn only one language per 2 ranks of Linguistics they possess. However, their untrusting nature gives them a +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects, except for fear affects. This racial trait replaces a dwarf’s normal languages.

New Traits

Communal Performance: Dwarves with this trait gain the ability to join another dwarf's bardic performance, increasing the effective level of the performance by +1. The effect of additional participants with this racial trait stacks, but can not increase the effective level of the performance beyond the HD of the initiator of the performance. Doing so takes up a swift action to begin, and is maintained by subsequent free actions each turn. This racial trait replaces greed.