Dwarf
Stats:
Agoraphobia, Extended Lifespan 1, +2 ST, +1 HT, +3 Fatigue, Longevity, Lifting ST +2, Artificer Talent 1, -1 Move, +100lbs for same height (treat as a variant on Very Fat, but without the +5 Swimming and the HT limit, since it’s not “fat” but Dwarven build in general), Greed, Miserliness, +2 Will, DR+1, Night Vision +9, Resistant (+3 to HT rolls to resist poisons), Stubbornness, Sunburns Easily (-1), Prefers Gold to other precious metals, Expects male Dwarves to have long beards, Secret (Sociopolitical structure) [-20]. If the secrets become public, the best the offender could hope for would be imprisonment. In addition, the Dwarven society would be vulnerable to those trying to exploit it. Although the real ramifications are not known (it has never happened), the Dwarves feel very strongly about it.
Dwarves are very strong, tough, healthy, and tend to live a long time. Their stocky build, plus their low center of gravity, allows them to resist knock back at +3. A line of Dwarves, determined to defend their homes and armed with polearms, are a fearsome sight and a terrifying enemy. They evolved in caves, so tend to not like open spaces, are very pale and tend to sunburn easily if they aren’t careful, and can see in the dark as long as there is at least some light. They do not have the IR vision like the Orcs do, however; their vision is more akin to a cat’s. They tend to have somewhat light sensitive eyes, and it was a Dwarf who came up with the idea of sunglasses, originally using smoky quartz lenses.
Dwarves are short (averaging 4'6" or so), stocky (weight averages 200lbs or so), hairy humanoids. Hair is usually worn long; eyebrows tend to be bushy, and the males typically sport lush beards and mustaches. Body hair tends to be fairly heavy as well, for both genders, although it's typically lighter in color than the hair on their heads and faces. They tend to be driven, hard working, and, despite an often stoic exterior, very committed to friends, family, and any other group they hold dear. In private, they are very emotionally expressive; they love deeply. They also hold grudges for a long time, and if you betray a Dwarf, they will remember it for a long, long time.
Dwarven goods: Dwarven chain is of the same weight as regular chain. It has +1 DR though, and, like Elven goods, tends towards decoration (DR 5). Dwarven plate is the same way, +1 DR. (DR 7, or DR 8 for heavy plate). Dwarves are also the only race to have discovered the crossbow, and they have several types: Standard man-portable (the standard crossbow) , the “Bessie Mauler”, a larger man portable crossbow; pintle mounted catapult (arbalest, tripod mounted) ; repeating arbalest; catapults (huge things that fire spears) , and repeating catapults. Unknown to all but a few Dwarves are the spring powered repeating crossbows. Dwarven goods are typically Fine or Very Fine quality. Crossbows (up to ST 16) ; Bessie Maulers (ST 16-20; has a crank to recock) ; Tripod Arbalest (ST 20-30) ; Repeating Arbalest (ST 20-30, bulkier than the tripod mounted one, it’s on wheels) ; Catapults (ST 30-40, only found defending cities; several are aimed at each entryway to the city, utilizing massed fire at a chokepoint).
Dwarven Bread (Cram): One slice is equal to one meal, and the loaf itself is almost hard enough to be used as a weapon. There are 20 slices in a $200 2 lb. loaf. The baking process is rumored use the essential earth, earth to stone, and create food spells. It doesn’t taste all that great; Dwarven food preferences run towards the bitter side of flavor. Can be troublesome to eat, as it's very hard on the teeth. Dwarves seem to manage just fine, but other races having to eat it usually break it into small pieces first (usually using a dagger pommel).
Dwarves are also the only race to invent clocks, the smallest of which fits in a 6” x 5” x 4” box. Very useful if you don’t see the sun regularly. They haven't bothered to miniaturize the mechanisms to fit on a wrist or into a pocket. Since they are more art pieces for display, rather than tools (there are cheaper magical amulets that tell time sufficiently), they are likely to be found on a wall, shelf, or table. The mechanisms are usually visible (sometimes using a variety of contrasting metals), as that is part of the aesthetic appeal.
Dwarven Guildhouses: Guildhouses in Dwarven society are very much (politically and socially) like modern Japanese megacorps. Patrons gain status by having high quality, successful guildhouses in their “stable”. Nobility tries to stay on the guilds’ good sides—guildhouses changing patrons has toppled political regimes. Similarly, popular and powerful nobles have “uplifted” guildhouses just by patronizing them…so it works both ways in a subtle balancing act. It can get quite Machiavellian, and competition can be quite fierce. Loyalty to the guildhouse from its members is a given, and expected. Likewise, the member can expect the guildhouse to be loyal to them—for life (assuming the member doesn’t do anything stupid).
All of this political stuff goes on known only to Dwarves, and isn't necessarily the same in all Dwarven countries; this is a generalization. They are secretive about their sociology, even in the Tondene Empire, where they have been citizens since before the founding. To outsiders, their guild structure is the same as typical medieval guild structures. The Dwarves downplay/keep secret/never mention (or even imply) that their guilds have strong political power. Of course, guilds in medieval society had political power (one of the primary reasons for forming a guild in the first place), but Dwarven guilds are the real power behind the throne, so to speak.
List of guilds (partial):
Quality Rating is the Skill of the top master crafter (consistent skill of final products; basically their Quality Assurance skill). For example, ArmorCore’s top Weaponsmith has a 24 skill, but the work they turn out, on average, using their staff, is about the same as if a specific smith with a 21 skill worked on it. Getting the head guy to do special work for you is so excessively rare that it will probably never happen, so a PC getting something made from one of these guildhouses uses the second number. Note that skill also doesn’t always correspond to political power (although it certainly helps in the Reputation department!)
Dwarven Mages typically have 12 Fatigue. Dwarven Enchanter Mages have an average of 13. Why? Their culture heavily stresses Crafting/Mining…mostly metalworking. All of that takes endurance. Plus, any enchanter mage would be able to figure out that a bit more Fatigue to work with (i.e., being in fit shape) is very cost effective. What this means is that each Dwarven mage has, in a single casting, about 25-30 fatigue to use in one casting (assuming a 10-15 pt powerstone). So, a circle of 4 casters could easily get about 100 pts at their disposal, more if larger stones were used. A mage with skill 20 could have up to 5 assistants, and have about 200 pts to work with. The following all can be cast in an hour: (see Dwarven Enchantment cost table), Acc+2 (missile), Pui +2 (missile), Graceful Weapon(tool) (1 lb or less), Quick Aim +2, Penetrating Blade +1, (+2 for missiles). As a side note, the guildhouse ArmorCore routinely enchants piles of steel ingots to be Transparent (they are the only ones who know this spell and it is a guild secret). This they make into various items, including helmet visors, shields, and occasionally weapons (more for nift value than anything else). Called “Laen” by the Elves. (As a side side note, the Elves experimented with transparent objects starting with glass, and making it Shatterproof. However, the best they could get was a Fine weapon; the Dwarven glassteel is much better.)
Note that what this means is that it is the Dwarves who churn out large numbers of rather simple and cheap magics. The Elves specialize in the more lengthy items (immortals have a bit of a time advantage that way, where they will keep building powers into items over centuries).
Weapons and armor: the heavier the armor, the better; chainmail up to heavy plate. Weaponry tends towards axes, picks, and hammers, tools of their trades. Many learn shortsword or arming sword (longswords being a little too unwieldy for them in general), polearms, and spears. Unarmed combat consists of Boxing and a version of Karate (brutal, with no kicks but lots of handstrikes).
Dwarves prefer pacifism (more profitable), but can fight when necessary. In defense of their homes, they are vicious. The tunnels leading to their cities under the mountains can easily be turned into deathtraps.
Dwarven designs tend to be very geometric (see the LotR movies).
All young dwarves train in the use of the axe, and most serve terms in the ranks of the guard forces that patrol the entrances. In spite of this, dwarves who focus extensively on combative skills are rare, since Dwarven beliefs place importance on creation, and battle creates nothing. The few exceptions, the "Brothers of the Blade" (although the group contains several Dwarf women), combine study of the axe's use in battle with study of the weapon itself; a Brother must create his own axe as part of his training, and practitioners often become skilled weaponsmiths. Beautiful and distinctive weapons are valued, and Brothers often carve runes and patterns onto the blades and hafts. Since warfare is not regarded very highly in Dwarf society, mastery of Bladecraft does not earn a Dwarf recognition as a High Crafter, and Brothers tend to enter weaponsmithing clans.
The style itself focuses on holding ground. The axe is used to dominate the area around the Dwarf and keep enemies at bay. Unarmed attacks and close combat training allow the Dwarf to engage an opponent who tries to crowd him without having to withdraw; these tactics are also valuable in close tunnels. Brothers subscribe to a Dwarven philosophy called "Forbearance," whose emphasis on the Eternal is directed within, at enduring adversity and making the self permanent. They supplement their combat training with breathing and self-control exercises. Truly skilled Brothers are said to be capable of extraordinary feats of determination and endurance.
Primary Skills: Armoury, Axe/Mace, Brawling.
Secondary Skills: Philosophy (Forbearance), Wrestling.
Optional Skills: Breath Control, Karate, Language (Dwarven Runic), Meditation, Nei Tan, Symbol Drawing.
Maneuvers: Close Combat (Axe/Mace), Elbow Strike (from Brawling-2), Hilt Strike, Knee Strike, Retain Weapon (Axe/Mace).
Special: Brothers are taught to fight in close quarters and on uneven or loose ground, and may reduce penalties for fighting under such circumstances by 2. This is a special ability costing 4 points.
Cinematic Skills: Body Control, Breaking Blow (Axe/Mace), Immovable Stance, Mental Strength, Mountain Heart, Power Blow (Axe/Mace). Cinematic Maneuvers: Enhanced Parry (Axe/Mace).
Note: A small group of Brothers focus on unarmed combat over axe-fighting. For "Handcraft," use the above, making Karate and Wrestling Primary Skills and Armoury and Axe/Mace Secondary, adding Arm Lock and Roundhouse Punch, and using the standard versions of Breaking Blow and Power Blow and the unarmed version of Enhanced Parry. Handcraft costs 12 points to learn (24 points for the Cinematic version).
Dwarves tend to have larger populations in their settlements (thus tending more towards cities and towns rather than villages). They have many fewer settlements, but similar total populations overall. Dwarven cities are all underground, huge delvings and warrens of majestic halls. Their cities are linked by “Causeways”, huge tunnels 50’ wide and 40’ high, with arched roofs. Down the center are two lanes of tracks (made of molded stone; see Tunneling devices, below), for mine cars and mule trains (linked cars loaded with freight, pulled by 20 mule teams; there are also small lever-powered cars for couriers and VIP travelers). Lesser Causeways are for roads of less traffic, and are only 30’ wide and 25’ high. Only one lane of track down the center, with pull outs for opposing traffic every few miles. Every 10 miles or so along their length are clusters of alcoves and rooms, used as way stations, turn-arounds, and rest stops. Privies are available, and some have station masters with rations and goods for sale (often at marked up prices). Along both sides of the causeway, about 14’ high, are elevated walkways, for pedestrian traffic. This leaves the main floor for wagon/train traffic. See illustration. There are lights every 50’ or so (with permanent Continual Light spells cast upon them at the soft glow level). Lesser causeways have no lights; travelers must provide their own.
For lack of a better term, “train” will be used to denote Dwarven freight vehicles that use the tracks in the causeways. They are not powered (by steam or magic), but pulled by mules. There are flatcars, boxcars, orecars, passengercars. and tankercars, for hauling different materials. Typically there are only 6 cars or so, depending upon total weight; for a load of something like goosedown pillows (or something similar) it might be as much as 12 cars. Mules can only pull so much, even on a “perfect” road! Courier cars are HPVs that use a pivoting lever or legpowered chain drive (like a recumbent bicycle) to provide motive force. Note that all mechanisms are completely enclosed; this is due not to weather (since these are dry tunnels) but due to the inherent secrecy of Dwarves. They don’t want anyone to see how they work. Although, to be honest, the handcars' mechanisms aren't terribly difficult to figure out.
Tunneling devices: Tools enchanted with Shape Stone, and two points of self power. ($38000). Sometimes it will have a big dedicated powerstone. The average tunnel working Dwarf has a ST of 12. This allows them to move 6 hexes of stone before tiring, at which point they hand the tool off to the next worker. Then they rest for 2 hours. Sometimes they are given Chiron potions (+2d Fatigue) to help them “rest faster”. Since the potions cost $125, this is only for rush jobs. In any case, being a Tunneler is basically a pretty easy job, one that has resulted in the tunnellers being artists, as well. Since Shape Stone allows you to shape it into any form, tunnelers form it into attractive designs. When they are resting, they become really good card and dice players. Or they read a book., or indulge in some other restful hobby. There are typically about 10-12 tunnelers sharing a tool. Excess stone is formed into dovetailed blocks, (for use in city construction), placed in boxcars, and shipped back to the cities. These blocks are designed to be totally modular, since it is so much more difficult to reshape it later. Sort of like primitive lego.
Dwarves, being the most sophisticated (city infrastructure-wise), have developed several solutions to some major problems: those of ventilation, plumbing, and sewage.
Ventilation is taken care of by use of ventilation shafts that exit onto strong, locked grates in inaccessible cliff faces, usually under overhangs to prevent water from getting in. They are 4’ in diameter, with ladder rungs for service needs. With a bit of preparation, they can be used as emergency escape routes (the prep being primarily climbing gear to get down the face of the cliff). These shafts lead to air pumping stations that have big fans, turned by big coil springs, which are wound using steam power, which is heated by infernal combustion engines (bound fire spirits…saves on fuel costs). There are several springs per fan, controlled by a clutch mechanism. This is to keep the fans moving in case the boilers go out. They can keep the fans going for about 1 hour.
Elemental Furnaces (also called "infernal combustion engines") are magical steam engines using bound fire and air (for combustion) elementals. An elemental furnace functions like a TL5 steam engine, except that it can be built by any TL4 blacksmith working with a mage and requires no fuel. It requires a mage with the Fireproof, Dancing Object, Control and Summon Fire Elemental and Control and Summon Air Elemental spells to create it, costing 300 energy per kW of power output. Also, any ordinary, TL5+ steam engine may be "elemental-enhanced" with a bound fire elemental to provide extra control. The air spells are not needed and energy cost is halved; elemental enhancement adds 100% to the engine's power output.
Water supply: Infernal combustion steam engines are used to both move water out of areas that would normally be flooded, but also to move water into cisterns for residential use. The pipes are copper or stone conduits, as Dwarves know that lead can be poisonous (this is something that they learned from the Elves, although they would have eventually figured it out). The source of the water is snowmelt from the high peaks.
Sewage: Sewer pipes extend underneath each level of the city (level, in this case, being very loosely defined they are typically about 8’ beneath street level. The primary lines are 8’ diameter, the secondaries are 5’ diameter, and the tertiaries are 3’ diameter. The lines from individual dwellings are 6” in diameter. This network leads to various treatment plants in the city, each near the downwind points of the ventilation system. Here, peacebreakers sort through the stuff before it leaves the city; most of the solids go to landfills where it slowly turns to fertilizer. The rest gets pumped to valleys where there are wetlands, designed to naturally filter the sludge. These are based on Elven designs, something that the Dwarves wish they had thought of (it is, after all, very nifty in their eyes). Detention detail in the sewage plants is stinky, unpleasant, and just plain yucky. The supervisors (typically peacekeepers who have broken some rule or another, and stuck there also on detention duty) are usually not too keen on being there themselves, so they can be kind of harsh sometimes.
Social Ranks and government: Basa (Queen /King 7 Grann (Duchess/Duke 6 Stonn (Countess/Count 4 Rook (Baroness/Baron 3 Shal (Knight 2). Since only about 25% of dwarves are female (and it has always been thus), their culture is matriarchal. Polyandry is common, with women often having many husbands. Authority amongst husbands is by length of time in the relationship (i.e., who is husband with seniority). Jealousy about such things is relatively unknown, and considered strange; monogamy has never really existed in their society, so they look at it as being rather odd/quaint. Although the women basically call the shots, non-dwarves will rarely see them. For instance, the Queen relies on her husbands to deal with outsiders (subject to her authority, of course). Men basically run interference, and are very protective about their women. Very occasionally, Dwarven women will be found outside of the cities; these are usually the ones that don't really fit in with standard Dwarven culture, and have opted to explore the world in their own way. They are typically unmarried; those with spouses would likely stay with them in the undercities. Although it's not impossible to find a married set of Dwarves out an about.
The following list denotes what spells the Dwarves have access to. In many ways, they are the most advanced of the races, although it is skewed a bit in the sense that they probably have the greatest range of magical skill. The Elves have more depth of knowledge, but less breadth. This has been modified a bit due to the Empire's cosmopolitan mix of races, but as a general guideline, this is still accurate.
Animal spells: Beast Soother, Master, Mammal Control, Rider, Reptile Control, Beast Summoning, Rider Within, Beast Possession, Repel Reptile, Repel Mammal.
Body Control: Itch, Spasm, Stop Spasm, Strike Deaf, Strike Blind, Strike Dumb, Control Limb, Choke, Retch, Clumsiness, Pain, Haircut, Hairgrowth, Frailty, Might, Vigor, Boost ST, Boost HT, Hold Breath, Resist Pain, Stun, Paralyze Limb, Strike Numb, Sensitize, Agonize, Wither Limb, Total Paralysis, Deathtouch, Dexterity, Fumble, Tanglefoot, Hinder, Cadence (invented by the Dwarves), Rooted Feet, Reflexes, Boost DX, Balance.
Communication/Empathy: Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Emotion, Persuasion, Insignificance (rare), Presence, Truthsayer, Hide Emotion (rare), Hide Thoughts (rare), Mind Reading, Compel Truth, Compel Lie (rare), Mind Sending, Mind Search, Soul Rider, Lend Skill, Borrow Skill, Telepathy, Communication (rare).
Air: Seek Air, Purify Air, Create Air, No-Smell, Odor, Earth to Air, Shape Air, Destroy Air, Breathe Water, Essential Air, Body of Air, Concussion, Wall of Wind, Air Jet.
Lightning: Lightning, Resist Lightning, Electric Weapon, Electric Missiles, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Ball of Lighning, Shocking Touch, Body of Lightning, Wall of Lightning, Electric Armor.
Earth: All.
Fire: All
Water: All but Breathe Steam, Body of Water, Foul Water.
Ice: All but Rain of Ice Daggers.
Acid: All but Essential Acid, Spit Acid, Acid Ball, Rain of Acid.
Enchantment: All but Golem, Doppelganger, Soul Golem, Simulacrum, Talisman, Amulet, Leak, Malefice, Ensorcel, Effigy, Humunculus, Soul Stone.
Food: All but Foul Water, Poison Food, Wizard Nose, Invisible Wizard Nose, Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth.
Healing: All but Youth, Halt Aging, Resurrection.
Illusion/Creation: All but Initiative, Independence, Duplicate.
Knowledge: All but Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth, Wizard Nose, Invisible Wizard Nose, Know True Shape.
Light & Darkness: All but Remove Shadow, Remove Reflection.
Making & Breaking: All (except that Transparency is an ArmorCore secret)
Meta: All but Suspend Magery, Drain Magery, Displace Spell, Suspend Mana, Restore Mana, Drain Mana, Spellguard, Remove Aura, Telecast, Steal spell, Bless, Curse, remove Curse, Suspend Curse.
Mind Control: All but Hallucination, Great Hallucination, Mass Suggestion, Glib Tongue, Madness, Permanent Madness, Great Geas, Mindlessness, Enslave, Ecstasy.
Movement: All but Ethereal Body, Teleport, Trace Teleport, Beacon, Rapid Journey, Teleport Other, Blink, Blink Other, Divert Teleport, Cloud Walking, Cloud Vaulting, Flying Carpet, Flight, Hawk Flight.
Necromancy: Death Vision, Summon Spirit, Sense Spirit, Turn Spirit, Astral Vision, Repel Spirit.
Plant: Seek Plant, Identify Plant, Heal Plant, Purify Earth.
Protection/Warning: All but Teleport Shield, Weather Dome, Force Dome, Utter Dome, Force Wall, Reverse Missiles, Utterwall.
Sound: All but Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth, Musical Scribe.
Agoraphobia, Extended Lifespan 1, +2 ST, +1 HT, +3 Fatigue, Longevity, Lifting ST +2, Artificer Talent 1, -1 Move, +100lbs for same height (treat as a variant on Very Fat, but without the +5 Swimming and the HT limit, since it’s not “fat” but Dwarven build in general), Greed, Miserliness, +2 Will, DR+1, Night Vision +9, Resistant (+3 to HT rolls to resist poisons), Stubbornness, Sunburns Easily (-1), Prefers Gold to other precious metals, Expects male Dwarves to have long beards, Secret (Sociopolitical structure) [-20]. If the secrets become public, the best the offender could hope for would be imprisonment. In addition, the Dwarven society would be vulnerable to those trying to exploit it. Although the real ramifications are not known (it has never happened), the Dwarves feel very strongly about it.
Dwarves are very strong, tough, healthy, and tend to live a long time. Their stocky build, plus their low center of gravity, allows them to resist knock back at +3. A line of Dwarves, determined to defend their homes and armed with polearms, are a fearsome sight and a terrifying enemy. They evolved in caves, so tend to not like open spaces, are very pale and tend to sunburn easily if they aren’t careful, and can see in the dark as long as there is at least some light. They do not have the IR vision like the Orcs do, however; their vision is more akin to a cat’s. They tend to have somewhat light sensitive eyes, and it was a Dwarf who came up with the idea of sunglasses, originally using smoky quartz lenses.
Dwarves are short (averaging 4'6" or so), stocky (weight averages 200lbs or so), hairy humanoids. Hair is usually worn long; eyebrows tend to be bushy, and the males typically sport lush beards and mustaches. Body hair tends to be fairly heavy as well, for both genders, although it's typically lighter in color than the hair on their heads and faces. They tend to be driven, hard working, and, despite an often stoic exterior, very committed to friends, family, and any other group they hold dear. In private, they are very emotionally expressive; they love deeply. They also hold grudges for a long time, and if you betray a Dwarf, they will remember it for a long, long time.
Dwarven goods: Dwarven chain is of the same weight as regular chain. It has +1 DR though, and, like Elven goods, tends towards decoration (DR 5). Dwarven plate is the same way, +1 DR. (DR 7, or DR 8 for heavy plate). Dwarves are also the only race to have discovered the crossbow, and they have several types: Standard man-portable (the standard crossbow) , the “Bessie Mauler”, a larger man portable crossbow; pintle mounted catapult (arbalest, tripod mounted) ; repeating arbalest; catapults (huge things that fire spears) , and repeating catapults. Unknown to all but a few Dwarves are the spring powered repeating crossbows. Dwarven goods are typically Fine or Very Fine quality. Crossbows (up to ST 16) ; Bessie Maulers (ST 16-20; has a crank to recock) ; Tripod Arbalest (ST 20-30) ; Repeating Arbalest (ST 20-30, bulkier than the tripod mounted one, it’s on wheels) ; Catapults (ST 30-40, only found defending cities; several are aimed at each entryway to the city, utilizing massed fire at a chokepoint).
Dwarven Bread (Cram): One slice is equal to one meal, and the loaf itself is almost hard enough to be used as a weapon. There are 20 slices in a $200 2 lb. loaf. The baking process is rumored use the essential earth, earth to stone, and create food spells. It doesn’t taste all that great; Dwarven food preferences run towards the bitter side of flavor. Can be troublesome to eat, as it's very hard on the teeth. Dwarves seem to manage just fine, but other races having to eat it usually break it into small pieces first (usually using a dagger pommel).
Dwarves are also the only race to invent clocks, the smallest of which fits in a 6” x 5” x 4” box. Very useful if you don’t see the sun regularly. They haven't bothered to miniaturize the mechanisms to fit on a wrist or into a pocket. Since they are more art pieces for display, rather than tools (there are cheaper magical amulets that tell time sufficiently), they are likely to be found on a wall, shelf, or table. The mechanisms are usually visible (sometimes using a variety of contrasting metals), as that is part of the aesthetic appeal.
Dwarven Guildhouses: Guildhouses in Dwarven society are very much (politically and socially) like modern Japanese megacorps. Patrons gain status by having high quality, successful guildhouses in their “stable”. Nobility tries to stay on the guilds’ good sides—guildhouses changing patrons has toppled political regimes. Similarly, popular and powerful nobles have “uplifted” guildhouses just by patronizing them…so it works both ways in a subtle balancing act. It can get quite Machiavellian, and competition can be quite fierce. Loyalty to the guildhouse from its members is a given, and expected. Likewise, the member can expect the guildhouse to be loyal to them—for life (assuming the member doesn’t do anything stupid).
All of this political stuff goes on known only to Dwarves, and isn't necessarily the same in all Dwarven countries; this is a generalization. They are secretive about their sociology, even in the Tondene Empire, where they have been citizens since before the founding. To outsiders, their guild structure is the same as typical medieval guild structures. The Dwarves downplay/keep secret/never mention (or even imply) that their guilds have strong political power. Of course, guilds in medieval society had political power (one of the primary reasons for forming a guild in the first place), but Dwarven guilds are the real power behind the throne, so to speak.
List of guilds (partial):
| Guildhouse Name | Primary Products | Quality Rating | Base of Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArmorCore | Weapons, Armor | 24 (21) | The Firelands |
| Anvil Home | Weapons, Armor, Tools | 22 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Mithril Heart | Mithril Alloys | 21 (18) | The Firelands |
| Mountain Alloy | Blacksmithing, tools | 21 (18) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Dorin Smithy | Blacksmithing, tools | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Tethdun Metals | Blacksmithing | 21 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Tongs of War | Weapons, Armor | 19 (17) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Dwarfsmith | Blacksmithing, tools | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| WarMachines | Crossbows, Catapults | 21 (19) | Tondene Empire |
| Clockmakers | Timepieces | 22 (19) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Clock Masters | Timepieces | 23 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Masters of Time | Timepieces | 24 (21) | Tondene Empire |
| Time Machines | Timepieces | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Boltcaster | Xbows, Repeating xbows | 22 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Farthrower | Catapults, Crossbows | 20 (18) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Guildhouse Name | Primary Products | Quality Rating | Base of Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skador | Wagons, Carriages | 21 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Carriage Shop | Wagons, Carriages | 19 (17) | Tondene Empire |
| Wagonbuilders | Wagons | 23 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Wagoneers | Wagons | 22 (19) | Tondene Empire |
| Causeways | Mining, Excavation, Causeways, Tracks | 23 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Magic Caverns | Mining, Excavation | 22 (19) | The Firelands |
| Fastways | Mining, Excavation | 20 (18) | The Firelands |
| Mountain Mining | Mining, Excavation | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Vardun Constructs | Buildings, Architecture | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Stonebender | Buildings, Architecture | 22 (19) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Flowstone | Buildings, Architecture | 20 (18) | Tondene Empire |
| Granite-Steel | Buildings, Architecture | 19 (17) | Tondene Empire |
| Stonetrowel | Buildings, Architecture | 24 (22) | Kingdom of Darach |
| Homebuilders | Buildings, Architecture (primarily residential, as opposed to commercial or industrial buildings) | 21 (20) | Tondene Empire |
| Mineways | Mining, Excavation, Causeways, Track | 22 (19) | Tondene Empire |
Dwarven Mages typically have 12 Fatigue. Dwarven Enchanter Mages have an average of 13. Why? Their culture heavily stresses Crafting/Mining…mostly metalworking. All of that takes endurance. Plus, any enchanter mage would be able to figure out that a bit more Fatigue to work with (i.e., being in fit shape) is very cost effective. What this means is that each Dwarven mage has, in a single casting, about 25-30 fatigue to use in one casting (assuming a 10-15 pt powerstone). So, a circle of 4 casters could easily get about 100 pts at their disposal, more if larger stones were used. A mage with skill 20 could have up to 5 assistants, and have about 200 pts to work with. The following all can be cast in an hour: (see Dwarven Enchantment cost table), Acc+2 (missile), Pui +2 (missile), Graceful Weapon(tool) (1 lb or less), Quick Aim +2, Penetrating Blade +1, (+2 for missiles). As a side note, the guildhouse ArmorCore routinely enchants piles of steel ingots to be Transparent (they are the only ones who know this spell and it is a guild secret). This they make into various items, including helmet visors, shields, and occasionally weapons (more for nift value than anything else). Called “Laen” by the Elves. (As a side side note, the Elves experimented with transparent objects starting with glass, and making it Shatterproof. However, the best they could get was a Fine weapon; the Dwarven glassteel is much better.)
Note that what this means is that it is the Dwarves who churn out large numbers of rather simple and cheap magics. The Elves specialize in the more lengthy items (immortals have a bit of a time advantage that way, where they will keep building powers into items over centuries).
Weapons and armor: the heavier the armor, the better; chainmail up to heavy plate. Weaponry tends towards axes, picks, and hammers, tools of their trades. Many learn shortsword or arming sword (longswords being a little too unwieldy for them in general), polearms, and spears. Unarmed combat consists of Boxing and a version of Karate (brutal, with no kicks but lots of handstrikes).
Dwarves prefer pacifism (more profitable), but can fight when necessary. In defense of their homes, they are vicious. The tunnels leading to their cities under the mountains can easily be turned into deathtraps.
Dwarven designs tend to be very geometric (see the LotR movies).
Dwarven Bladecraft, "Brothers of the Blade"
4 pointsAll young dwarves train in the use of the axe, and most serve terms in the ranks of the guard forces that patrol the entrances. In spite of this, dwarves who focus extensively on combative skills are rare, since Dwarven beliefs place importance on creation, and battle creates nothing. The few exceptions, the "Brothers of the Blade" (although the group contains several Dwarf women), combine study of the axe's use in battle with study of the weapon itself; a Brother must create his own axe as part of his training, and practitioners often become skilled weaponsmiths. Beautiful and distinctive weapons are valued, and Brothers often carve runes and patterns onto the blades and hafts. Since warfare is not regarded very highly in Dwarf society, mastery of Bladecraft does not earn a Dwarf recognition as a High Crafter, and Brothers tend to enter weaponsmithing clans.
The style itself focuses on holding ground. The axe is used to dominate the area around the Dwarf and keep enemies at bay. Unarmed attacks and close combat training allow the Dwarf to engage an opponent who tries to crowd him without having to withdraw; these tactics are also valuable in close tunnels. Brothers subscribe to a Dwarven philosophy called "Forbearance," whose emphasis on the Eternal is directed within, at enduring adversity and making the self permanent. They supplement their combat training with breathing and self-control exercises. Truly skilled Brothers are said to be capable of extraordinary feats of determination and endurance.
Primary Skills: Armoury, Axe/Mace, Brawling.
Secondary Skills: Philosophy (Forbearance), Wrestling.
Optional Skills: Breath Control, Karate, Language (Dwarven Runic), Meditation, Nei Tan, Symbol Drawing.
Maneuvers: Close Combat (Axe/Mace), Elbow Strike (from Brawling-2), Hilt Strike, Knee Strike, Retain Weapon (Axe/Mace).
Special: Brothers are taught to fight in close quarters and on uneven or loose ground, and may reduce penalties for fighting under such circumstances by 2. This is a special ability costing 4 points.
Cinematic Skills: Body Control, Breaking Blow (Axe/Mace), Immovable Stance, Mental Strength, Mountain Heart, Power Blow (Axe/Mace). Cinematic Maneuvers: Enhanced Parry (Axe/Mace).
Note: A small group of Brothers focus on unarmed combat over axe-fighting. For "Handcraft," use the above, making Karate and Wrestling Primary Skills and Armoury and Axe/Mace Secondary, adding Arm Lock and Roundhouse Punch, and using the standard versions of Breaking Blow and Power Blow and the unarmed version of Enhanced Parry. Handcraft costs 12 points to learn (24 points for the Cinematic version).
Dwarves tend to have larger populations in their settlements (thus tending more towards cities and towns rather than villages). They have many fewer settlements, but similar total populations overall. Dwarven cities are all underground, huge delvings and warrens of majestic halls. Their cities are linked by “Causeways”, huge tunnels 50’ wide and 40’ high, with arched roofs. Down the center are two lanes of tracks (made of molded stone; see Tunneling devices, below), for mine cars and mule trains (linked cars loaded with freight, pulled by 20 mule teams; there are also small lever-powered cars for couriers and VIP travelers). Lesser Causeways are for roads of less traffic, and are only 30’ wide and 25’ high. Only one lane of track down the center, with pull outs for opposing traffic every few miles. Every 10 miles or so along their length are clusters of alcoves and rooms, used as way stations, turn-arounds, and rest stops. Privies are available, and some have station masters with rations and goods for sale (often at marked up prices). Along both sides of the causeway, about 14’ high, are elevated walkways, for pedestrian traffic. This leaves the main floor for wagon/train traffic. See illustration. There are lights every 50’ or so (with permanent Continual Light spells cast upon them at the soft glow level). Lesser causeways have no lights; travelers must provide their own.
For lack of a better term, “train” will be used to denote Dwarven freight vehicles that use the tracks in the causeways. They are not powered (by steam or magic), but pulled by mules. There are flatcars, boxcars, orecars, passengercars. and tankercars, for hauling different materials. Typically there are only 6 cars or so, depending upon total weight; for a load of something like goosedown pillows (or something similar) it might be as much as 12 cars. Mules can only pull so much, even on a “perfect” road! Courier cars are HPVs that use a pivoting lever or legpowered chain drive (like a recumbent bicycle) to provide motive force. Note that all mechanisms are completely enclosed; this is due not to weather (since these are dry tunnels) but due to the inherent secrecy of Dwarves. They don’t want anyone to see how they work. Although, to be honest, the handcars' mechanisms aren't terribly difficult to figure out.
Tunneling devices: Tools enchanted with Shape Stone, and two points of self power. ($38000). Sometimes it will have a big dedicated powerstone. The average tunnel working Dwarf has a ST of 12. This allows them to move 6 hexes of stone before tiring, at which point they hand the tool off to the next worker. Then they rest for 2 hours. Sometimes they are given Chiron potions (+2d Fatigue) to help them “rest faster”. Since the potions cost $125, this is only for rush jobs. In any case, being a Tunneler is basically a pretty easy job, one that has resulted in the tunnellers being artists, as well. Since Shape Stone allows you to shape it into any form, tunnelers form it into attractive designs. When they are resting, they become really good card and dice players. Or they read a book., or indulge in some other restful hobby. There are typically about 10-12 tunnelers sharing a tool. Excess stone is formed into dovetailed blocks, (for use in city construction), placed in boxcars, and shipped back to the cities. These blocks are designed to be totally modular, since it is so much more difficult to reshape it later. Sort of like primitive lego.
Dwarves, being the most sophisticated (city infrastructure-wise), have developed several solutions to some major problems: those of ventilation, plumbing, and sewage.
Ventilation is taken care of by use of ventilation shafts that exit onto strong, locked grates in inaccessible cliff faces, usually under overhangs to prevent water from getting in. They are 4’ in diameter, with ladder rungs for service needs. With a bit of preparation, they can be used as emergency escape routes (the prep being primarily climbing gear to get down the face of the cliff). These shafts lead to air pumping stations that have big fans, turned by big coil springs, which are wound using steam power, which is heated by infernal combustion engines (bound fire spirits…saves on fuel costs). There are several springs per fan, controlled by a clutch mechanism. This is to keep the fans moving in case the boilers go out. They can keep the fans going for about 1 hour.
Elemental Furnaces (also called "infernal combustion engines") are magical steam engines using bound fire and air (for combustion) elementals. An elemental furnace functions like a TL5 steam engine, except that it can be built by any TL4 blacksmith working with a mage and requires no fuel. It requires a mage with the Fireproof, Dancing Object, Control and Summon Fire Elemental and Control and Summon Air Elemental spells to create it, costing 300 energy per kW of power output. Also, any ordinary, TL5+ steam engine may be "elemental-enhanced" with a bound fire elemental to provide extra control. The air spells are not needed and energy cost is halved; elemental enhancement adds 100% to the engine's power output.
Water supply: Infernal combustion steam engines are used to both move water out of areas that would normally be flooded, but also to move water into cisterns for residential use. The pipes are copper or stone conduits, as Dwarves know that lead can be poisonous (this is something that they learned from the Elves, although they would have eventually figured it out). The source of the water is snowmelt from the high peaks.
Sewage: Sewer pipes extend underneath each level of the city (level, in this case, being very loosely defined they are typically about 8’ beneath street level. The primary lines are 8’ diameter, the secondaries are 5’ diameter, and the tertiaries are 3’ diameter. The lines from individual dwellings are 6” in diameter. This network leads to various treatment plants in the city, each near the downwind points of the ventilation system. Here, peacebreakers sort through the stuff before it leaves the city; most of the solids go to landfills where it slowly turns to fertilizer. The rest gets pumped to valleys where there are wetlands, designed to naturally filter the sludge. These are based on Elven designs, something that the Dwarves wish they had thought of (it is, after all, very nifty in their eyes). Detention detail in the sewage plants is stinky, unpleasant, and just plain yucky. The supervisors (typically peacekeepers who have broken some rule or another, and stuck there also on detention duty) are usually not too keen on being there themselves, so they can be kind of harsh sometimes.
Social Ranks and government: Basa (Queen /King 7 Grann (Duchess/Duke 6 Stonn (Countess/Count 4 Rook (Baroness/Baron 3 Shal (Knight 2). Since only about 25% of dwarves are female (and it has always been thus), their culture is matriarchal. Polyandry is common, with women often having many husbands. Authority amongst husbands is by length of time in the relationship (i.e., who is husband with seniority). Jealousy about such things is relatively unknown, and considered strange; monogamy has never really existed in their society, so they look at it as being rather odd/quaint. Although the women basically call the shots, non-dwarves will rarely see them. For instance, the Queen relies on her husbands to deal with outsiders (subject to her authority, of course). Men basically run interference, and are very protective about their women. Very occasionally, Dwarven women will be found outside of the cities; these are usually the ones that don't really fit in with standard Dwarven culture, and have opted to explore the world in their own way. They are typically unmarried; those with spouses would likely stay with them in the undercities. Although it's not impossible to find a married set of Dwarves out an about.
Ethnothaumatology
Ethnothaumatology is, in the simplest terms, the list of spells that a race has developed based upon it's culture. A race of beings that live in the depths of the sea won't invent Air spells, or Fire spells, for example. Different cultures develop different lists of available spells, simply due to the way invention works.The following list denotes what spells the Dwarves have access to. In many ways, they are the most advanced of the races, although it is skewed a bit in the sense that they probably have the greatest range of magical skill. The Elves have more depth of knowledge, but less breadth. This has been modified a bit due to the Empire's cosmopolitan mix of races, but as a general guideline, this is still accurate.
Animal spells: Beast Soother, Master, Mammal Control, Rider, Reptile Control, Beast Summoning, Rider Within, Beast Possession, Repel Reptile, Repel Mammal.
Body Control: Itch, Spasm, Stop Spasm, Strike Deaf, Strike Blind, Strike Dumb, Control Limb, Choke, Retch, Clumsiness, Pain, Haircut, Hairgrowth, Frailty, Might, Vigor, Boost ST, Boost HT, Hold Breath, Resist Pain, Stun, Paralyze Limb, Strike Numb, Sensitize, Agonize, Wither Limb, Total Paralysis, Deathtouch, Dexterity, Fumble, Tanglefoot, Hinder, Cadence (invented by the Dwarves), Rooted Feet, Reflexes, Boost DX, Balance.
Communication/Empathy: Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Emotion, Persuasion, Insignificance (rare), Presence, Truthsayer, Hide Emotion (rare), Hide Thoughts (rare), Mind Reading, Compel Truth, Compel Lie (rare), Mind Sending, Mind Search, Soul Rider, Lend Skill, Borrow Skill, Telepathy, Communication (rare).
Air: Seek Air, Purify Air, Create Air, No-Smell, Odor, Earth to Air, Shape Air, Destroy Air, Breathe Water, Essential Air, Body of Air, Concussion, Wall of Wind, Air Jet.
Lightning: Lightning, Resist Lightning, Electric Weapon, Electric Missiles, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Ball of Lighning, Shocking Touch, Body of Lightning, Wall of Lightning, Electric Armor.
Earth: All.
Fire: All
Water: All but Breathe Steam, Body of Water, Foul Water.
Ice: All but Rain of Ice Daggers.
Acid: All but Essential Acid, Spit Acid, Acid Ball, Rain of Acid.
Enchantment: All but Golem, Doppelganger, Soul Golem, Simulacrum, Talisman, Amulet, Leak, Malefice, Ensorcel, Effigy, Humunculus, Soul Stone.
Food: All but Foul Water, Poison Food, Wizard Nose, Invisible Wizard Nose, Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth.
Healing: All but Youth, Halt Aging, Resurrection.
Illusion/Creation: All but Initiative, Independence, Duplicate.
Knowledge: All but Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth, Wizard Nose, Invisible Wizard Nose, Know True Shape.
Light & Darkness: All but Remove Shadow, Remove Reflection.
Making & Breaking: All (except that Transparency is an ArmorCore secret)
Meta: All but Suspend Magery, Drain Magery, Displace Spell, Suspend Mana, Restore Mana, Drain Mana, Spellguard, Remove Aura, Telecast, Steal spell, Bless, Curse, remove Curse, Suspend Curse.
Mind Control: All but Hallucination, Great Hallucination, Mass Suggestion, Glib Tongue, Madness, Permanent Madness, Great Geas, Mindlessness, Enslave, Ecstasy.
Movement: All but Ethereal Body, Teleport, Trace Teleport, Beacon, Rapid Journey, Teleport Other, Blink, Blink Other, Divert Teleport, Cloud Walking, Cloud Vaulting, Flying Carpet, Flight, Hawk Flight.
Necromancy: Death Vision, Summon Spirit, Sense Spirit, Turn Spirit, Astral Vision, Repel Spirit.
Plant: Seek Plant, Identify Plant, Heal Plant, Purify Earth.
Protection/Warning: All but Teleport Shield, Weather Dome, Force Dome, Utter Dome, Force Wall, Reverse Missiles, Utterwall.
Sound: All but Wizard Mouth, Invisible Wizard Mouth, Musical Scribe.
Related Organizations
Comments