Dwarf

Dwarves are a short, stocky people who are often stubborn, fierce, and devoted.

Dwarves have a well-earned reputation as a stoic and stern people, but they also have an unbridled zeal and deeply value artisanship. To a stranger, they can seem untrusting and clannish, but to their friends and family, they are warm and caring. While trust from a dwarf is hard-won, once gained it is as strong as iron.

SUB-ETHNICITIES
Ancient Blood
Dwarven heroes of old could shrug off their enemies' magic, and some of that resistance manifests in you

Anvil
You are a descendant of a famed crafter and have your own amazing talent. Other dwarves might consider this a blessing from your ancestors or from the Forgefather himself, depending on where you grew up. You become trained in Crafting (or another skill if you were already trained in Crafting) and gain the Specialty Crafting skill feat, but you can pick two different specialties instead of one.

Death Warden
Your ancestors were tomb guardians, and their power to ward off death passed on to you.

Elemental Heart
Whether through a connection to Torag's forge, the azers of the Plane of Fire, or another source, you can exude a burst of energy. Mbe'ke and Taralu dwarves of the Mwangi Expanse believe this heritage is a gift from dragons or elemental spirits. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Once chosen, this can't be changed. You gain the Energy Emanation activity.

Forge
You have a remarkable adaptation to hot environments. This grants you fire resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and you treat environmental heat effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible heat becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on).

Forge-Blessed
You are from a family in Highhelm that venerates a particular dwarven deity above all others. Your birth was blessed by your family's patron deity, granting you a fraction of their power. Choose one deity from the dwarven pantheon. You can cast the 1st-level spell they grant clerics (such as soothe if your family's patron is Bolka) as an innate divine spell once per week.

Oath-Keeper
Growing up, you never tried to lie to get what you wanted, and even when necessary, lying makes you uncomfortable. The especially faithful might even have thought that you were blessed by the dwarven god of duty, Kols. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to Sense Motive and to Perception DCs against attempts to Lie to you. Furthermore, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to convince others you speak the truth when you are telling the truth, and you take a –4 circumstance penalty to Lie and to your Deception DC against Sense Motive.

Rock
Your ancestors lived and worked among the ancient stones of the mountains or the depths of the earth. This makes you solid as a rock when you plant your feet. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Fortitude or Reflex DC against attempts to Reposition, Shove, or Trip you. This bonus also applies to saving throws against spells or effects that attempt to force you to move or knock you prone. In addition, if any effect would force you to move 10 feet or more, you are moved only half the distance.

Strong-Blood
Your blood runs hearty and strong, and you can shake off toxins. You gain poison resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and each of your successful saving throws against a poison affliction reduces its stage by 2, or by 1 for a virulent poison. Each critical success against an ongoing poison reduces its stage by 3, or by 2 for a virulent poison.

Dueregar
The gray dwarves, or duergar, live deep in the Underdark. After delving deeper than any other dwarves, they were enslaved by mind flayers for eons. Although they eventually won their freedom, these grim, ashen-skinned dwarves now take slaves of their own and are as tyrannical as their former masters.

Physically similar to other dwarves in some ways, duergar are wiry and lean, with black eyes and bald heads, with the males growing long, unkempt, gray beards.

Duergar value toil above all else. Showing emotions other than grim determination or wrath is frowned on in their culture, but they can sometimes seem joyful when at work. They have the typical dwarven appreciation for order, tradition, and impeccable craftsmanship, but their goods are purely utilitarian, disdaining aesthetic or artistic value.

Few duergar become adventurers, fewer still on the surface world, because they are a hidebound and suspicious race. Those who leave their subterranean cities are usually exiles. Check with your Dungeon Master to see if you can play a gray dwarf character.

Hill
As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. The gold dwarves of Faerun in their mighty southern kingdom are hill dwarves, as are the exiled Neidar and the debased Klar of Krynn in the Dragonlance setting.

Mountain
As a mountain dwarf, you're strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. You're probably on the tall side (for a dwarf), and tend toward lighter coloration. The shield dwarves of northern Faerun, as well as the ruling Hylar clan and the noble Daewar clan of Dragonlance, are mountain dwarves.

Dwarves are short and stocky, standing about a foot shorter than most humans. They have wide, compact bodies and burly frames. Dwarves of all genders pride themselves on the length of their hair and beards, which they often braid into intricate patterns, some of which represent specific clans. A long beard is a sign of maturity and honor among many dwarf clans.

Dwarves typically reach physical adulthood around the age of 25, though their traditionalist culture places more value on completing coming-of-age ceremonies unique to each clan than reaching a certain age. A typical dwarf can live to anywhere between 350 & 750 years old.

Though the ancient dwarven empire fell long ago, overwhelmed by orc and goblinoid enemies, dwarves today retain many of the qualities that once propelled them to greatness: fierceness, gumption, and stubbornness in their endeavors. Dwarves live within mountain Citadels & Fortifications dotted over the surface, which can create vast cultural divides between dwarf clans. Yet nearly all dwarven peoples share a passion for stonework, metalwork, and family.

Dwarves honor their children with names of ancestors or dwarven heroes. When introducing themselves, dwarves tend to list their family and clan, plus any number of other familial connections and honorifics.

Dwarves tend to value honor and closely follow the traditions of their clans and kingdoms. They have a strong sense of friendship and justice, though they are often very particular about who they consider a friend. They work hard and play harder—especially when strong ale is involved.

Popular Edicts create art with utility, guard your community against those who would harm it, keep your clan dagger close
Popular Anathema leave an activity or promise uncompleted, forsake your family