Dwarves of Kage

Dwarves

There are six racial sub-groups of dwarves. The dwarves were created (along with the orok) by the dragon gods, during the 1st age so that they might act as servants to the dragons, mine the precious metals and gems from the earth and turn them into works of art, and even gather food for them. The dragon masters were arrogant and treated both the servant races poorly. Both servant races were proud and strong willed and, resenting their treatment, they rebelled, seeking to gain their freedom from the dragon masters. The dragons had other problems to contend with at that time, as the giants began to rise in power and the elves remained elusive and beyond the dragons’ reach. This combination allowed the dwarves and orok to gain their independence.

Each of the dwarven races was crafted from a different type of mineral, rock or soil by the dragon gods and then placed on the world to serve the dragons. The sub-races are: earth, flint, frost, jade, obsidian and stone. These sub-races are detailed below.

Religion

Though they were created by the dragon gods, dwarves do not revere them; rather they pay homage to ancestors of note. Such an ancestor may have become legendary for their ability to craft weapons, their skill in battle or their ability to drink. The first such ancestor god of the dwarves is Midiar, who sacrificed himself battling the dragons, during the dwarven struggle for independence.

Language

Earth dwarves speak Dwarven which has its own runic script that is believed to be based upon an ancient runic script used by the dragons and is the same as that used by giants and orcs. Dwarven literature is a chronicle of warfare, craftsmanship and history. Dwarves often learn to speak the languages of their allies (elves and humans) as well as their enemies (giants, goblins and orcs). Some also learn to speak Terran, the language of earth-based creatures.
Automatic Language: Common and Dwarven.

Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

These abilities apply to all dwarves unless noted in the individual subrace traits below:
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Dwarves are sturdy and robust, but are gruff.
Medium Size: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: Dwarf base speed is 4 squares.
Darkvision: Dwarves ignore concealment (including total concealment) from darkness out to 12 squares (60ft.). However they cannot perceive colours in total darkness.
Stonecunning: Dwarves may choose to reroll any perception check to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction, unsafe surfaces and the like. A dwarf can use Perception to locate stonework traps untrained. Dwarves can also reroll Survival (subterranean) checks to know direction, including which way is up or down.
Racial Enemies: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against three chosen enemies according to Homeland. Dwarves develop martial skills to deal with common enemies and teach these to all members of the hold. Choose a category of enemy from the list under ranger’s favoured enemies, though common choices are dragons, giants, and orcs.
Giant & Dragon Fighting: Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus when fighting creatures of the giant or dragon types.
Stability: A dwarf gains a +5 bonus to resist bulrush and trip attacks when standing on solid earth.
Resistance: Dwarves gain a +2 save versus all magic and poisons.
Conditional Bonus Feat: A dwarf that is trained in a Craft skill that involves working with stone or metal gains Skill Focus (Craft).
Weapon Proficiencies: If any dwarf takes access to either the dwarven hammers or dwarven axes weapon groups then they may use all weapons in that group as if they were proficient with them, even those weapons that normally require an “exotic” weapon group to wield.
Favoured Class: Fighter.

The above information applies to ALL dwarves. This information replaces that given in the PHB. All other information given in the PHB is the same for Kage dwarves. In the detailed subraces below, if a given entry in missing, such as “Religion”, then refer back to the top of this page and if there is nothing there either, then the standard entry in the PHB is used.

Earth Dwarf

EarthDwarves

The earth dwarves, also known as clay, hill or sundered dwarves, were crafted from clay and were placed on the continents now known as Cardan, Danatha and Kazari. These dwarves are the greatest smiths, armour and weapon makers among the dwarves and they are well known for the magnificent strongholds they carve into the earth.

Lands

Earth dwarves are amongst the most numerous and definitely most widely known subrace, being found across Cardan, Danatha and Kazari.
Earth dwarves have considerable hold within or under the following Homelands: Arak, Arzun Kluthek, Blacklands (mostly in surrounding mountains), Blackfell, Brymoria, Cavandare, Chandalaya, Cheldayne and the Upplands, Dalelands, Danirheim, Dividing Mountains/Westernwall, Dren, Dunavik, Northern Frontier, Hadran City-states, Hazara-Thun (only in the provinces of Danu and Dikan), Kazari City-states (primarily in Kur and Thunei), Mornalduum Heights, Relvoor, Sarlena, Surtr’s Furnaces, Thaldarian Highlands, and the Wyrmspine Mountains.

Adventurers

Quite typically dwarves are fighters (many of the warmain variant too). Wilderness classes, such as druid, barbarian and ranger are all rare, although there are a higher proportion of rangers amongst the surface-dwelling dwarves of the western Heartlands. The odd dwarf becomes a bard called a skald and it is a point of pride amongst dwarves to become champions, oathsworn and sentinels (samurai variant). Most dwarves are religious in their outlook and honor their ancestors, making clerics common and well respected in most holds. Any rogues, akashics, or monks are very rare individuals even though some of these began in dwarven cultures. Arcane spellcasters are extremely rare in dwarven society, though those that arise are usually sorcerers or runethanes that have taken a different approach to their divine casting contemporaries.

Flint Dwarf

The flint dwarves, also known as korobokuru and wild dwarves, were crafted from flint and during the reign of the dragons were found on all continents. However during the dwarven battle for independence they were nearly exterminated and have become extinct on all continents except Gar-Sanya and eastern Danatha through to Kazari. These dwarves were the hunters, farmers and gatherers for the dragons, the orok and the rest of their kin.
Flint dwarves, having no immense strongholds to protect themselves from the ravages of other creatures, have become so embroiled in the battle for survival that they have begun to lose perspective on other aspects of dwarven culture. This has had the effect of making these dwarves reject the clan-based and smith oriented culture of their dwarven brethren, choosing instead to live in hunting bands with ever-shifting memberships. Shunning the trappings of civilization, flint dwarves still maintain their society. It is simply a more basic style of life than the more ‘civilized’ races find comfortable. To flint dwarves, survival is the overriding concern, everything else is secondary.

Personality

Flint dwarves are a lot more violent and prone to horseplay than other dwarves. They are as likely to settle a dispute with the blade of an axe as they would with words and prefer to negotiate from a position of strength or not at all. When dealing with outsiders, flint dwarves see everyone as a potential threat until they have proven otherwise. Flint dwarf communities prefer to remain hidden from all others but when discovered present a unified front and a fierce face to those who would consider attacking. When faced with an enemy, flint dwarves fight to the bitter end, struggling to protect their land, their lives and their belongings.

FlintDwarf

Physical Description

Flint dwarves are larger than most other dwarves, though this difference is not so much in height as it is in pure muscle mass. Flint dwarves have selectively bred themselves for strength for thousands of years and now their bodies are little more than thick-boned platforms covered in slabs of muscle. Both sexes shave their heads, although the men do allow their beards to grow long and plait them into elaborate braids. Male flint dwarves undergo branding and ritual scarification over their heads, chests and lower arms for personal ornamentation while females prefer body piercing and heavy jewelry.
Weight: Flint dwarves weigh more than other dwarves add 20 lbs to final weight calculations.
Hair colour is predominantly dark grey to black though occasional instances of light grey are known. Eye colour is always grey.

Relations

As flint dwarves tend to live in regions where there are few friendly faces and there are many encampments of enemies they learn early on in life to trust only others of their own kind, unless they are provided with compelling evidence to the contrary. While they are willing and able to make friends with outsiders, doing so requires a great deal of faith and patience from both parties.

Outlook

Unlike most other dwarves, flint dwarves tend towards reckless and rash behaviour, often at odds with the customs of other races that they share live near. The constant struggle for survival over thousands of years has led to a sense of desperation and a willingness to perform increasingly dire acts to defeat their enemies.

Lands

Flint dwarf lands tend to be surrounded by monstrous enemies and fearsome communities intent on seeking their demise. While many others would seek to flee such areas, flint dwarves merely sharpen their axes and prepare for battle. Frequently their communities are also found in areas where there is some precious natural resource which others seek to exploit. Unfortunately the combat focused flint dwarves are generally unable to make use of these resources.
Flint dwarf tribes are mostly found in these Homelands: Al’Ahar, Blacklands (mostly in surrounding mountains), Delbandha Mountains, Hazara-Thun (mainly in the Danu and Dikan provinces, though they can be found in small pockets throughout), Hu Sen Jungle, Island Provinces, mountains around the Kazari city-states, Kutan, Lashante and on the fringes of Shan. There are scattered tribes of wild dwarves in the dusty hills of northern Dren, but most have been enslaved by the evil brayhan of that realm.

Religion

Flint dwarves are deeply devout but their religion is loosely organized. Different clans/communities pay their respects to different ancestors/gods, although there is a strong tendency to venerate gods associated with war and battle, regardless of the specific deity. Priests are revered among them primarily because they provide healing and defensive abilities that the warriors often require.

Language

Flint dwarves speak dwarven and common, they have little need for the languages of other races.

Names

Flint dwarves prefer short names that can be easily called out in the heat of battle. At birth each dwarf is given a name by their parents that they retain until they have killed their first enemy. At this stage they may, if they wish, take another name.
Male Names: Aren, Buri, Brand, Gynt, Im, Skule
Female Names: Ase, Arna, Eda, Bren, Liv, Rana

Adventurers

Occasionally an entire clan of flint dwarves is wiped out leaving only a few survivors. These survivors nearly always become adventurers, warriors intent on finding allies with which one day to reclaim their homeland. A few flint dwarves also leave home to serve as mercenaries in other races armies. Some leave home in search of items of power with which they may then use to secure the safety of their clans.
Flint dwarf adventurers are primarily standard barbarians. There are also some rangers (including scouts), rogues (wilderness variants) and druids (including earth shugenja and spirit shamen). Most other classes are non-existent.

Flint Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

As above with the following exceptions and additions:
Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma (These replace the ability modifiers above)
Conditional Bonus Feat: The dwarven bonus Skill Focus (Craft) only relates to stone items for flint dwarves. It does not apply to metal crafts.
Resistance: The dwarven racial bonus on saving throws against poison is increased to +4. Flint dwarves are even more resilient than their dwarven brethren.
Iron Will: The sheer will to survive shields grants flint dwarves a +2 bonus on Will saves.
Favored Class: Barbarian. When determining whether a multiclass dwarf takes an experience point penalty, his or her barbarian level does not count.

Frost Dwarf

FrostDwarf

The frost dwarves, also known as cold, or ice dwarves, were crafted from the frozen tundra of the Devil’s Arm and were placed in the coldest regions of Kage, be it high in the mountains or out of the frozen plains, to mine metals and gems for the dragons.
Frost dwarves inhabit the frozen wastes and mountains of the Devil’s Arm and Gar-Sanya. The Devil’s Arm dwarves maintain the true dwarven heritage but certain compromises have been made due to the climate they inhabit, such as the replacing of metal armour with leather and hide, and a more individualistic than clan based outlook. The frost dwarves of northern Gar-Sanya however, have taken the opposite route. Their armor tends to be thicker and stronger than most other dwarves, appearing even thicker due to the thick fur underlining they use, and the fur cloaks that they commonly wear over the top of their armor. Like other dwarven races, frost dwarves build underground strongholds, though others find little comfort in them as the builders use ice as often as rock. Frost dwarves are experts in carving ice and their strongholds are world renowned for the beauty displayed in their design and carving. Frost dwarves receive a great deal of individual attention when young with all community members serving as parental figures to some degree. As adults frost dwarves are expected to contribute to the community’s well being, with individual accomplishments earning great respect. When compared to most of their brethren these dwarves seem less cultured, as like flint dwarves, survival is more important to them than the trappings of civilization.

Personality

While not cruel, frost dwarves are often seen by other races as being grim and aloof. This is somewhat correct as their isolation means that they rarely need be concerned with the plights of other races. However, they are very similar to their earth dwarf cousins in most respects and even retain the renowned dwarven fascination for stone and metal, after all there are hundreds of miles of mountains to be mined in the Devil’s Arm. Frost Dwarves have also mastered the skill of creating ice Weapons, with their affinity with the cold, these weapons are particularly effective against heat based creatures.

Physical Description

Frost dwarves look much as earth dwarves do, being of similar height and weight, though frost dwarves have pale blue skin and white hair and beards. Their eyes have small pupils and irises are light in colour, being usually pale green, purple or gray. Frost dwarves dress functionally, often wearing camouflage so that they may blend into their environment. Their clothing is often light, a fact often discomfiting to members of other races.

Relations

Frost dwarves rarely contact other races but when they do it is usually in order to exchange their worked goods for raw materials and goods that do not fair well in cold climates. Generally being as isolated as they are most frost dwarves have little contact with members of other good races, except for ice elves and the occasional human, who they are able to maintain amicable relations with. Contrasting this, they generally have nothing but hostile relations with canisarans, giants, yetis, taer, orcs, and the rarest of circumstances, a dragon. Even so, frost dwarves generally treat most other races with respect unless shown a reason not to.

Alignment

The move towards an individualistic outlook has seen frost dwarves move away from a rigid lawful alignment though they remain good in nature. As a result most frost dwarves tend towards neutral good.

Lands

Frost dwarves inhabit the coldest of climates such that very few people ever seek them out. However, frost dwarf strongholds are so well hidden that travelers unfamiliar with travel in cold climates could pass within several hundred feet of one and still remain unaware of its presence. Frost dwarf communities also tend to have a large number of cold climate creatures wandering freely through them. Such creatures tend to be the animal companions and friends of frost dwarf druids and rangers. Unlike druids and rangers of other races, those in a frost dwarf community live in the settlements and actually play a large role in deciding where they are built. As a result the surface structures tend to be small and remain well hidden so as to not impact greatly on the wilderness around them.
Frost dwarves are found in large numbers in the following Homelands: Hazara-Thun, Esquia, The Frozen Way and the Devil’s Arm.

Religion

Druids and rangers are significantly more common in frost dwarf communities that those of their brethren but generally frost dwarves follow the same system as ancestor worship as do other dwarves. However, due to their isolation from so many other dwarven sub-races, and their lesser view of these races, it is very rare for a frost dwarf to worship a non-frost dwarf ancestor. They generally favor their own craftsmen, their own warriors, and dwarves with a special relationship with the cold environment.

Language

Dwarven and common. Frost dwarves often speak the languages of their allies and enemies, such as elven, canisaran, giant and orcish. They use the same runic language as earth dwarves for their writings

Adventurers

Frost dwarf adventurers are rare. Those that do exist are driven by a need to contact other races and cultures, finding their races’ isolationism too confining. Instead of waiting in the off chance that those from another culture may make contact in their glacial homes, they head out to explore the world, seeking to immerse themselves in the culture of others, the exotic and the new. Other Frost dwarves may fall into adventuring should their stronghold or community be destroyed. Finally, there are some who leave their homes on religious or military missions. They might take to adventuring to help their mission, or might enjoy their travels so much that they chose to continue them after their mission is complete. As such they tend to stumble into adventuring; exploring any new environment and culture they come across.
Most adventuring frost dwarves are rangers, thought there are several barbarians and fighters too. (Variants on these classes are very rare). Odd frost dwarf heroes may be champions and there are some bards (with the savage variant). Runethanes and clerics are their primary spellcasting classes, as with most dwarves, though relying much upon nature for their survival druids are also common. Arcane spellcasting classes are extremely rare to non-existent. Rogues are more common than amongst earth dwarves for the many skills of a rogue can be put to good survival use in the cold lands.

Frost Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

As above with the following exceptions and additions:
Icecunning: As Stonecunning above but also applies to ice and snow.
Cold Resistance 5: Frost dwarves are naturally resistant to the cold
Cold Survival: Frost dwarves can reroll Endurance checks to resist the effects of cold weather. They can also reroll any Survival (land) check in cold climates.
Heat vulnerability: Frost dwarves suffer a –2 on saves to resist the effects of weather in warm climates and versus spells with the Fire descriptor.
Conditional Bonus Feat: A frost dwarf’s Skill Focus (Craft) feat also applies to ice and these dwarves often craft items from ice and magically harden them.

Jade Dwarf

The jade or blessed dwarves were crafted from jade so that they would be able to mine in lands that are contaminated with taint and were only placed upon Gar-Sanya. The inherent mystical nature of jade has somehow imbued itself upon these dwarves and they are almost celestial in nature and thought.

Jade dwarf strongholds are found primarily in mountain ranges of Gar-Sanya, though they may be found scattered across the continent. While the strongholds of other dwarves may be grander and are certainly larger, the strongholds of the jade dwarves are the most elaborately carved and decorated, showing exquisite detail.

For generations the jade dwarves have stood unconquered, dominating both the surface and the subterranean caverns that surround the Blacklands. However in the last few hundred years the number of tainted have grown and jade dwarf lands have been slowly eroded away, such that now only Mon Callus, stronghold of Clan Darric, stands directly looking out onto that cursed land.

Personality

Like their brethren jade dwarves harbor a great deal of pride, both in their own deeds and those of their ancestors. They also share the philosophy that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and that the natural world is just raw material to be worked into objects of great beauty. Having seen many other races and cultures fall to the taint, their ability to resist it has fostered a deep-seated belief that their traditions and culture are superior to those of other races.

Jade dwarves measure others by how much honor an individual gathers, both for themselves and for their bloodline and their clan. From birth, jade dwarves are taught the traditional strictures of their society. Every important decision they make, from choice of profession to their mate, is dictated by the circumstances of their birth. Those who do not act honorably in their dealings are shunned and rarely fit into the community.

Physical Description

Jade dwarves appear much as earth dwarves do though there is a green tinge to their skin and hair, and their eyes are always green or black. Both genders wear their hair long, and males have long carefully groomed beards and mustaches. They tend to favor greens, blacks and yellows in their clothing and both sexes are prone to wearing rich well tailored clothing and exquisite jewelry.

JadeDwarf

Relations

Jade dwarves are wary of all people until they have earned trust through their actions. This is mainly because they have seen members of all races fall victim to the effects of taint in the Blacklands. They do hold a special enmity for stone dwarves as they have battled against hordes of these dwarves for thousands of years. Their most numerous enemies by far though, are the tainted creatures of the Blacklands such as the oni. As with their brethren, these dwarves battle against any orcs that they find. Unusually though, and certainly unlike their cousins, these dwarves hold no special ill-willl towards giants. At least no more so than they do any other race. In fact some jade dwarves have fought side by side with the giants of Gar-Sanya against the evil forces of the Taint.

Alignment

The structure, honour and discipline of a jade dwarf guides each individual to put the law and the good of the clan above themselves. As such these dwarves are generally lawful good in alignment.

Lands

Jade dwarf strongholds remain very close to the earth’s surface, such that the peaks of mountains are often carved into the watchtowers of the strongholds themselves. Well-armed patrols scour the surrounding countryside, ever alert against enemies and any who would seek to harm the clan.
Homelands on Gar-Sanya for jade dwarves include: Blacklands, Delbandha Mountains, Hazara-Thun (Danu and Dikan provinces, though they can be found in small numbers throughout most of the Empire), and Shan.

Names

Jade dwarves hold the traditional names of their race dear (PHB p14-15) and they hold to the same naming ceremonies and customs as earth dwarves. Jade dwarves however take the importance one step further and pass the same names down through families for generations in an effort to both remember the past and bring glory to their clans in the future. They rarely use their clan names with outsiders.

Adventurers

While most jade dwarves are perfectly happy to remain in their clan’s stronghold, holding to the ancient ways and recording their memories for posterity, a very few wish to travel the world so that other races may learn of the jade dwarf values that have sustained this race for so long. Often these individuals return home after a few violent encounters, others however come to find that the adventurer’s life suits them and that much honour and wealth can be obtained from walking among the lesser races. Some jade dwarves also take it upon themselves to journey beyond the dwarven lands, helping other races protect themselves from the Taint.
Whilst jade dwarves make as good fighters as other dwarves many who leave home strive to be champions (including paladins). Sentinels (samurai) are also a popular choice for heroic jade dwarves. There are a greater number of clerics among the jade dwarves, as well as a higher proportion of arcane magic users – meaning there are some. Most of these are still runethanes, with some wizards and sorcerers. Wilderness classes are rare, though there are quite a few oni and tainted hunters that take levels in ranger.

Jade Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

As above with the following exceptions and additions:
Taint resilience: Jade dwarves are resistant to the effects of taint and gain a +4 on saves vs taint
Arcane Affinity: The jade from which they were formed is somewhat magical and some of this has worn off on jade dwarves. As such they do not gain any special resistance vs. spells or spell like abilities that other dwarves enjoy. However this also means that unlike other dwarves they only require an ability score of 12 plus the level of the spell to cast arcane magics.

Obsidian Dwarf

The obsidian dwarves, also known as djanan, utuchekulu or magma dwarves, were crafted from obsidian located on the side of a volcano and were placed in the hottest regions of Kage, be it the desert or on the slopes of a volcano, to mine the metals and gems found there. Some argue that obsidian dwarves are not related to any of the other sub-races of dwarves but they are in the minority and no other dwarven sub-race discounts the obsidian dwarves as their brethren.
Obsidian dwarf strongholds are generally located in regions of great geothermal heat such as volcanoes or hot springs, or in mountain ranges bordering hot deserts. Like other dwarves they are skilled stone masons and smiths, but they are also well known as glaziers and glass blowers, capable of producing intricate and fragile pieces of glassware that belie there otherwise hot temperament.

Personality

Compared to other dwarves, obsidian dwarves are rash, volatile and hot-tempered, and just as stubborn. They are a proud people, fully aware that they are created from the very stuff of the world. As they often have a high opinion of themselves, obsidian dwarves often place themselves in the leadership or spokesman position even if they show no aptitude for it. Obsidian dwarves are known cannibals. They do not see the practice of eating their own kind abhorrent and do so regularly to establish a connection to their relations and heroes. By eating a fellow dwarf an obsidian dwarf believes they gain knowledge and guidance from the deceased. As such they will go to great lengths to retrieve any deceased obsidian dwarf’s body to ensure that it can be interned correctly. Obsidian dwarves also eat the flesh of their defeated enemies, under the belief that they will gain the strength and knowledge about their foe.

Physical Description

The same height and weight as earth dwarves, obsidian dwarves are notably different due to their pitch-black skin and hair, and their blood red teeth (stained that way from eating a favoured berry – though many attribute it to their cannibalistic ways). Highlighting their black skin is the fact that obsidian dwarves dress almost exclusively in white linens and even polish their armour until it gleams like silver. Those obsidian dwarves who dwell near or in deserts often wear flowing robes when outdoors, however the standard dress for all obsidian dwarves when inside is a short, white, wrap-around cloth for males to wear around their waist and for females a longer version of the same wrap-around cloth, which is worn from armpit to the knees.

Relations

Needless to say the practice of cannibalism has not endeared them to other races around them. This and the fact that others mistake their stained teeth for the blood, has resulted in them being generally disliked, often to the point of battle.

Alignment

Even though many consider their cannibalistic traits evil, obsidian dwarves are inherently good and do not derive real pleasure from these acts. Still, they are proud, rash and often reckless making them more chaotic than most dwarves.

Lands

Obsidian Dwarves often live in makeshift villages which are always ready to pack up and move at a moment’s notice, as those obsidian dwarves living in active geothermal areas are often required to flee their homes due to volcanic or geyser eruptions. Obsidian dwarves are unused to having visitors in their lands, as most are extremely uncomfortable in such heat.
Homelands for obsidian dwarves can be chosen from: Bakari, Basalt Mountains, Copper Mountains, Djanan East Coast, Gulambe, Lashante, Nandola, Nirobaan, Nyaat, Surtr’s Furnaces, and Yenzari (the Smoking Pits).

Religion

As with other dwarves, obsidian dwarves actively practice ancestor worship, though obsidian dwarves have also included ritual cannibalism of their fallen allies and foes into their worship.

Language

Dwarven and Djanan are spoken. Daka-alif, Giant, Terran, Nyaatan, Undercommon are other languages that obsidian dwarves commonly speak.

Names

The names of male and female obsidian dwarves are indistinguishable. They always begin with a consonant and end in a vowel. Examples are: Batuma, Barisu, Kiboye, Litusue, Hajo, Kare, Mera, Zema, Traco, Kwate and Rennoo.

Adventurers

Because so many of the races around them openly dislike, them very few obsidian dwarves become adventurers, being content to live with those that understand them. However, some are driven to achieve acceptance by other races and seek to make a name for themselves outside of their strongholds.
Roving obsidian dwarves are most often gamba fighters (fighter variant). Very few are actual fighters or champions. Some are rangers and there are less clerics within their clans than is typical for dwarves. Runethanes are the primary spellcasters and they always choose divine methods for there are no arcane magic wielders in obsidian dwarf society.

Obsidian Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

As above with the following exceptions and additions:
Fire Resistance 5: obsidian dwarves are naturally resistant to the heat
Heat Survival: Obsidian dwarves can reroll Endurance checks to resist the effects of hot weather. They can also reroll any Survival (land) check in warm climates.
Cold vulnerability: obsidian dwarves suffer a –2 on saves to resist the effects of weather in cold climates and versus spells with the Cold descriptor.
Conditional Bonus Feat: An obsidian dwarf’s Skill Focus (Craft) feat also applies to glass and these dwarves often craft items from glass and magically harden them.
Glasscunning: As Stonecunning above but also applies to glass.
Favored Class: Gamba Fighter (fighter variant). When determining whether a multiclass obsidian dwarf takes an experience point penalty, his or her gamba fighter level does not count.

Stone Dwarf

The smallest of the dwarves, the stone dwarves were crafted from stone found deep within the mantle of Kage, and then sent deep into the earth to mine the deepest of the metals and gems. They may be found beneath all the lands of Kage and are also known as deep, mountain, dark and devil dwarves. These dwarves toil endlessly to mine deeper and deeper into the earth, their goals unknown to outside races. Like their brethren they are renowned for their smithwork and craftsmanship. Unlike their brethren they are also renowned for their cruelty and hatred of other races.

Personality

Stone dwarves are consumed by their hatred towards other races, and feel that they have ever been denied what was rightfully theirs. They expect and live lives of never-ending labor. While their brethren were asked to live near the surface the stone dwarves were banished to the depths of the world, where some believe they became mentally unstable due to the ministrations of the dark god.

They are relentless perfectionists who take no pleasure in the beauty they create. Only tortures and cruel jokes ever bring a smile to their faces and they delight in the torment of weaker creatures and the helpless. From a young age they are schooled in the harshness of the world, taught that the only release from their life of labor and betrayal, is death.

Physical Description

Stone dwarves appear as emaciated earth dwarves, with grey skin and grey or pale yellow hair that only appears in random patches on their scalp. They have large beady protracting eyes, which allow them to see in the pitch black of the Underdark. Their skin is covered in rust red to crimson birthmarks. A stone dwarves frail appearance is not an indication of weakness. As despite their wasted look, they have a dense bone structure and extremely resilient tendons that give them the same strength as their kindred. Due to their need for stealth, stone dwarves do not prefer wearing metal armor of any kind, nor do they use shields, though they are renowned for being amoung the best armourers in all of Kage.

The lack of colour in their flesh and hair is due primarily to their long isolation in the depths of the world away from sunlight, as well as their diet that consists mostly of fungus, molds, grubs and insects. Their thousands of years of isolation in the deep, where stealth is often the only means of survival, and their unique diet has had the effect of imbuing stone dwarves with abilities far different from their brethren.

Relations

Stone dwarves are dour and suspicious of outsiders, and have a uniformly bad relationship with all other races, including other dwarves and even other stone dwarf clans. They have a particular dislike for the jade dwarves that dates back thousands of years. They view the surface dwelling races as weak and frivolous but willingly trade with any who are foolhardy enough to venture into the dark deep. They harbor a long-standing hatred for subterranean races of elves (black and dark), goblinoids and orcs, due to conflicts over space. Even still they will trade with all groups in the right situation.

Alignment

The joyless life that stone dwarves lead, combined with the subtle touches of the dark god result in most being evil in nature. However their life is still controlled by rules and structure such that they retain the lawful tendencies of most of their kindred.

StoneDwarf

Lands

Stone dwarves eek out their lives deep within the earth far from sunlight. Here they battle constantly to retain and expand their domains, against other subterranean races who seek to do the same. Still, they are the equals of their cousins when it comes to stone, and the halls and streets of their homes are beautifully carved and a sight to behold.
Homelands for stone dwarves include: Arzun Kluthek, Bador, Basalt Mountains, The Blacklands, Blackfell, Brokkenbaal, Danirheim, Deep Danatha, Delbandha Mountains, Dividing Mountains/Westernwall, The Lost Tunnels, Ruk Grulath, Wyrmspine Mountains, Yenzari (the Smoking Pits),

Religion

Like other dwarves, stone dwarves recognize but do not worship the dragon gods; instead they pay reverence to their ancestors. Rumor speaks of a strange cult taking hold in some stone dwarf clans, where worship is directed towards a dark god of the deep earth.

Language

Stone dwarves speak dwarven and undercommon. They use the same runic written form as other dwarves for their writings. Additional languages they favor are elven, orc and giant.

Names

Stone dwarves favor short, harsh names dominated by consonants.
Male Names: Krak, Grek, Klin, Rinmul, Grath
Female Names: Ulsk, Omrin, Wendra, Brilnor, Plunra

Adventurers

Stone dwarves rarely adventure for the sake of it. Those who do adventure have often been exiled or have fled their immanent torture or death, gravitating to the life of an adventurer out of a need to survive. Adventure bound stone dwarves usually focus on the acquisition of wealth, regardless of how it is obtained.
Whilst rogue is the favoured class of stone dwarves and there are many of them, their homes are also protected by well-trained fighters and the people are served by many devout clerics. Adventuring stone dwarves are just as likely to have a class not favoured by their brethren and such rovers have been known to be champions, rangers, runethanes or even bards. Arcane users are still very rare, though sorcerers are certainly more common than in other dwarves. It has also been reputed that some from the Lost Tunnels beneath the Heartlands have learnt of a new magic brought to them by beings from a distant plane.

Stone Dwarf Racial Traits - 3E/Saga

As above with the following exceptions and additions:
Darkvision: Stone dwarves ignore concealment (including total concealment) from darkness out to 24 squares (120ft.). However they cannot perceive colours in total darkness. This replaces elven low-light vision.
Light Sensitivity: Abrupt exposure to bright light such as (sunlight or the daylight spell) blinds a stone dwarf for 1 round. In addition, dark elves suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls, saves and checks while operating in such light.
Conditional Bonus Feat: Some stone dwarves adapt to sneaking around in their dark homes. Stone dwarves that are trained in Stealth gain Skill Focus (Stealth) as a bonus feat.
Heightened Awareness: Only when underground a stone dwarf may choose to reroll any Perception check, but the result of the reroll must be taken even if it is worse.
Favored Class: Rogue. When determining whether a multiclass stone dwarf takes an experience point penalty, his or her rogue level does not count.