Dwarves of Middle-earth

Dwarf

Khazäd (singular Khazad) are a sober and possessive people, holding fast to wealth as well as secrets.  The Seven Tribes delved deeply into the earth and built fabulous treasure hoards only to be driven away by the dragons or by creatures of the deep places better left undisturbed.  Most Dwarves are exiles, trading with and living amongst the other races but as a people they have never given up on their goal of reclaiming their ancient homes.

Physical Description: Short but broad and strong of limb, the Dwarves stand roughly a foot shorter than Men, but can be just as heavy.  Males are indistinguishable from females to other races, each having long hair and beards of black, brown or red.  They favor heavy clothes with colourful hoods.

Society: Dwarves revere their ancestors and believe that each of the Seven Tribes has a spirit which binds them together to this day.  For that reason, the Dwarves see all members of their race as kin and treat them as such.  Despite their separation and many years of wandering, Dwarven culture has never changed.  No matter where they settle, the Dwarves maintain their customs even when they blend in among the other races, and they keep their culture and language to themselves.

Relations: As workers of stone and metal, the Dwarves lack skill tending livestock or growing food.  As such, they depend upon other races greatly, and their pride and greed can make such relations strained at times.  Dwarves respect the Noldor as fellow craftsmen, and trade with certain groups of Men and Sindar.  Hobbits are little known among the descendents of the Seven Tribes.  The Dwarves hate Orcs even more than they love wealth, particularly those who have taken to living abandoned Dwarven holds.  For similar reasons, Dwarves are foes of Dragons, though they are wise enough to avoid all but the most advantageous encounters with them.

Alignment and Religion: The Dwarves know little of the Valar or Eru, but they worship Aulë, who they call Mahal (Maker). Dwarves are almost universally lawful and many are good despite their greed.  Even evil dwarves will rarely be found among the servants of the Enemy.

Adventurers: Dwarves adventure to reclaim their holds of old, seek new wealth, or to make vengeance upon those who have wronged them.  In addition, they support their friends among other races who go on similar undertakings, but they always ask for their just due in return.  Dwarves rarely advance far in any spellcasting class, but those that do use subtle magic to enhance their combat abilities or find treasure.  Dwarven rogues work to foil Orkish traps and engines of cruelty, or guide their kin safely into the deep.  Fighters are by far the most common choice for Dwarven adventurers.

• +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Dwarves are often thought to be as durable as the materials they work, but other races find their secrecy, avarice and pride off-putting.
• Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 90 feet. See Vision and Light.
• Dwarfcraft: Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metal and stone works. Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks that create objects from metal or stone (including precious stones).
• Dwarflore: Dwarves keep extensive records about their history and the world around them. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history) skill checks that pertain to Dwarves or their enemies, as well as on all Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks. They can make such skill checks untrained.
• Dwarven Vigor: Dwarves are particularly resistant to extremes of heat and cold.  They receive a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments.  Furthermore, Dwarves receive an amount of energy resistance to cold and fire equal to their Constitution modifier.
• Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of all goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
• Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc subtype due to special training against these hated foes.
• Indomitable: A Dwarf’s mind is his own.  Dwarves are immune to all enchantment spells or effects of the compulsion subschool.
• Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
• Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially 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.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with axes, battleaxes, crossbows, heavy picks, and shortbows, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Khuzdûl and Westron. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Black Speech, Dalish, Iglishmêk (Dwarven sign language), Kuduk, Orkish, Rohirric, Sindarin