Dwarves are strong solidly built figures who love life and possess strong family loyalties. Dwarves felt the passing of the Primal Earth lord acutely and since his passing their tunnels felt rotten and befouled. Now living in the earth is know to drive them to madness. Dwarves have found that due to their strong earth ties living on the sea helps dampen the madness they feel from the earth.
Those who succumb to madness are basically Duegar. Those who flee to the sea are known as Saltbeards. But some dwarves may not cut all ties but struggle with the madness and yet not give in. These land borne dwarves may live as wanderers or cut their ties with earth another way.
It is dark days where dwarves spend as much time away from the earth as possible. Those who completely left their earth ties behind find they lost their ability to see in the dark but they have developed new affinities for wind and wave that have served them well.
Dwarven society is based on extended families called clans.
Family government is generally socialist/communist with a single leader whose role it is to settle any dispute where common law has no precedent.
Leadership usually passes through the male line.
Dwarves historically had a reputation for being short and stocky but that was due to cramped earthen quarters and a limited diet based around tubers and fungi. With the move to the surface and a diet including more meat many Dwarves have proven to be easily as tall as human when well fed.
Dwarves love gold and speak with what many would call a lilting musical accent.
Dwarves are legendary for their fertility. Since they have taken to the sea many dwarven looking sea-creatures have been seen in the oceans.
Dwarven weddings are huge affairs when the extended family all converge on the same location to celebrate for a week or more. They are lavish affair with outsiders welcome.
Dwarven law is filled with technicalities.
Generations of prior law and past decisions are considered by a council of adults and only if no applicable law is found a leader is consulted to make a new decision.
Wavefather (AKA Walrun) grants his followers favor with the sea. It is his protection that has shielded many clans from the taint. His followers are called Salt-beards and have slightly different abilities.
Dwarves whom abandoned their homeland but did not forsaken the land may worship Beast, Wanderer, Lightbringer, Sprout or Besmira, (in her law and darkness aspects). These are referred to as the Land-bound.
Dwarves who refused to leave their homeland have mostly become Duegar and now worship a trinity of Sin, the Beast, and Besmira as the Mother of Monsters.
Dwarves honor past heroes but do not worship them. Barrack is a name invoked at weddings for having blessed the race with fertility. Karsa is a name whispered by Besmira worshipers as her first consort.
Dwarven science relies heavily on alchemy, engineering, and the use of constructs.
Dwarves have a talent for rune magic. It is more common for a dwarf to pursue divine rather than arcane power.
Brazen sexuality is considered crass and unattractive. Females often wear veils in public and males are so potent sexually that they often have a hard time finding willing partners outside marriage.
Monogamous long lasting marriages are the norm.
Marriages are typically arranged years in advance.
Female names - Agata, Agda, Agneta, Aina, Alma, Alva, Amalia, Amanda, Annalie, Annalina, Annika, Antonetta, Astrid, Beata, Bengta, Berta, Birgit, Blenda, Brigitta, Britta, Carina, Cecilia, Christina, Cristina, Eleonora, Elin, Ella, Ellinor, Elsa, Emelie, Emilia, Emma, Erika, Eva, Evelina, Felicia, Filippa, Fredrika, Freya, Gabriella, Gerda, Gertrud, Gota, Gotilda, Greta, Gudrun, Gustava, Hanna, Helga, Henrika, Hilda, Hildegard, Ida, Inga, Ingalill, Ingrid, Isabelle, Karin, Karla, Katarina, Katrine, Klara, Lena, Linn, Lisa, Lotta, Lovisa, Lydia, Maj, Maja, Malena, Margareta, Margit, Marta, Matilda, Mikaela, Molly, Monika, Nanna, Natalie, Nora, Nova, Olga, Olivia, Paula, Paulina, Petra, Petronella, Ragnhild, Rakel, Rigmora, Rosa, Saga, Selma, Sibylla, Signe, Signilda, Sigrid, Sofia, Solveig, Sonja, Stella, Stina, Tea, Tekla, Teresia, Tilde, Tora, Tyra, Ulrika, Vega, Viktoria, Vilhelmina, Viola, Viveka
Male names - Albin, Alfred, Algot, Alrik, Alvar, Alvin, Ambrosius, Andreas, Ansgar, Anton, Aron, Artur, Arvid, Axel, Bach, Baltasar, Bartholomeus, Benedikt, Berrik, Bertil, Birger, Björn, Eddy, Edvard, Edvin, Elias, Elliot , Enar, Erik, Eskil, Evert, Fabian, Felix, Filip, Franz, Fredrik, Gabriel, Georg, Goran, Greger, Gunnar, Gustav, Halvard, Hampus, Harald, Helmer, Henrik, Herbert, Hermann, Hilmar, Hjalmar, Hugo, Ingemar, Ingvar, Isak, Ivar, Jakob, Jens, Jesper, Joakim, Joel, Johan, Jonas, Jonatan, Justus, Kalle, Karl, Karsa, Kasper, Kjell, Klas, Konrad, Konstantin, Kristian, Kristofer, Lars, Leif, Lennart, Leo, Liam, Linus, Lorens, Lorenz, Ludvig, Lukas, Magnus, Manfred, Markus , Matteus, Max, Melker, Melvin, Mikael, Natanael, Niklas, Nikolaus, Nils, Noah, Noak, Olaf, Oliver, Olle, Oskar, Otto, Patrik, Paul, Peder, Petter, Ragnar, Rasmus, Rikard, Roland, Rolf, Rune, Rurik, Rutger, Samuel, Sebastian, Set , Sigurd, Sigvard, Simon, Soren, Staffan, Stefan, Sten, Stig, Sven, Teo, Thor, Tobias, Ulf, Valentin, Valfrid, Valter, Verner, Viktor, Vilhelm, Vincent, Yngve
Females have a separate set of rights and responsibilities from men. They have full voice in council.
Basic education is guaranteed for all. Depending on sex and aptitude students are put into a degree program that teaches them what they need to know.
Metalwork is one of the great dwarven arts. A dwarf smith can often make naturally magical items through purely natural processes. These smiths are known as Mastersmiths and are highly respected members of society. It is a heritage that is at risk since the Saltbeards can not practice metalworking aboard ship. If the current generation die off they art of mastersmithing may be lost.
Dwarven curses are a widely misunderstood dwarven art. Dwarves love fine curses like other races love fine wine. This dwarven art has led to their reputation as a cantankerous and bitter lot when the truth is anything but that. The curse is a dwarven art-form and curses are passed down family lines like mottos or heraldry is passed down among humans. Applying a particularly colorful curse that is well matched to the situation is an honor among dwarves.
Sampling of famous dwarven curses
Tawdry wastrel
Obsequious flunky
Lover of sand fleas!
Breeder of maggots
Pustulant pimple spiting an otherwise beautiful lass's nose.
Like ants on a fresh rash under platemail on a hot summer day.
So cheap he wouldn't spend a second to think
His face was so ugly I thought it had caught on fire and someone put it out with a fork
His cooking tasted like a pus filled boil on the asshole of a dead skunk.
Ability Score Racial Traits: Dwarves gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma.
Size: Dwarves are Medium creatures.
Type: Dwarves are humanoids.
Base Speed:
(Land-borne) Land-bound dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
(Salt-beard) Sea-borne dwarves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking The regional common tongue and Dwarven.
Hardy: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
Stability:(Land-borne) Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Sea-legs:(Salt-beard) Sea dwarves are skilled at climbing and navigating ropes on ships. Dwarves with this trait are immune to altitude sickness and do not lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when making Climb or Acrobatics checks to climb ropes or cross slippery surfaces. This racial trait replaces stability.
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.
Lorekeeper: 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 dwarven history. They can make such skill checks untrained.
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.
Craftsman: (Land-borne) 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.
Seaborn: (Salt-beard) Sea Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Profession (sailor) and Survival checks while at sea. This racial trait replaces Craftsman.
Darkvision: (Land-borne) Dwarves can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
Sea Spray: (Salt-Beard) Sea-borne dwarves have lost their ability to see at night. However, they treat wind conditions (when determining whether or not they are checked or blown away) and hot/cold climates as one step less severe. This racial trait replaces darkvision.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, falchion, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Rage: (Land-borne) Land born Dwarves have a issue with their temper. They can rage a number of rounds equal to their Con bonus each day. Land-borne dwarves that take the barbarian class suffer fatigue for only one round after rage ends.
Relentless: (Salt-beard) Dwarves are skilled at pushing their way through a battlefield, tossing aside lesser foes with ease. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent.
Deep Warrior: (Salt-beard) Sea Dwarves grew up facing abominations that live in deep waters. They receive a +1 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the aberration type and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple such creatures (or to continue a grapple).