Dwarves

Dwarves are a people of deep roots and enduring traditions. To them, the world is best understood not through fleeting impressions but through patient observation, careful thought, and lessons handed down through generations. Their wisdom is not abstract philosophy, but a practical knowledge born of stone, steel, and the unyielding challenges of life beneath the mountains. Every Dwarf grows up surrounded by the weight of their ancestors’ choices and the responsibility to add something lasting to that legacy.

Physically, Dwarves are renowned for their strength and resilience. Though rarely tall, their compact builds are dense with muscle, their endurance unmatched in the mines, workshops, and battlefields where they thrive. They are masters of toil who value honest labour, and their crafts—whether weapons, tools, or architecture—are celebrated for their sturdiness and longevity. To a Dwarf, strength is not merely a measure of might but the ability to bear burdens, endure hardship, and keep moving forward when others would falter.

A Dwarf’s presence inspires trust: their word is their bond, their loyalty fierce, and their communities tightly woven by oaths and obligations. They are not always quick to laughter or easy to befriend, but when a Dwarf calls someone ally or kin, that bond runs as deep as bedrock.

For all their stoicism, Dwarves are not humourless. They value feasts, song, and the warmth of a hearth shared with companions. To live as a Dwarf is to balance gravity with joy, discipline with revelry, and tradition with the slow but steady forging of new paths. They are a people who weather centuries as mountains do storms—scarred, perhaps, but standing strong, unbroken, and unbowed.

When you select Dwarf as your ancestry, increase your Wisdom score by three, your Strength score by two, and your Charisma score by one.

Size: Adult Dwarves stand between 120 and 150cm in height, somewhat shorter than most Humans, but weigh between 80kg and 110kg. They are considered Scale 0 creatures.

Walking Speed: 4 meters. However, Dwarves have powerful load-bearing frames, and are able to power through many situations that would slow a less robust person. If they would lose Walking Speed due to any reason, they gain a +1 bonus to their Walking Speed before reductions are considered.

Stamina: Dwarves begin play with 15 Stamina, plus an amount equal to their Wisdom bonus. Their stubbornness and willpower can carry them through adversity.

Recovery Dice: Dwarves begin play with two ten-sided (2d10) Recovery dice.

Steady Stance: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus to their passive defences when Pushed, Pulled or Tripped. Their natural stability and low center of gravity make them incredibly hard to knock off their feet.

Hardy Resilience: Dwarves gain Poison Resistance 1. (Reduce any damage that they take due to poisons by one point for each die of damage rolled.) Their natural fortitude and time-hardened constitutions allow them to shake off toxins better than most.

Skill Training: Choose two of the following skills: Athletics, Blunt Weapons, Crafting, History, Polearms, Unarmed Combat, Unbalanced Weapons. You gain one skill rank in each of the two chosen skills.

The following traits are always considered to be Apprentice-tier traits for Dwarves.

Die Hard
Second Wind
Tough
Vitality