Dwarves
The Forsaken, misers, miners, longbeards, stonebrothers
Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their knowledge of the earth’s secrets, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Their mysterious strongholds, carved out from the insides of mountains, are renowned for the marvelous treasures that they produce as gifts or for trade.
Dwarves are slow to laugh or jest and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those few who earn their trust. Dwarves value gold, gems, jewelry, and art objects made with these precious materials, and they have been known to succumb to greed. They fight neither recklessly nor timidly, but with a careful courage and tenacity. Their sense of justice is strong, but at its worst it can turn into a thirst for vengeance.
Dwarves stand only 4 to 4-1/2 feet tall, but they are so broad and compact that they are, on average, almost as heavy as humans. Dwarf men are slightly taller and noticeably heavier than dwarf women. Dwarves’ skin is typically deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, red, or brown, and worn long and braided. Dwarf men value their beards highly and groom them very carefully. Dwarves are considered adults at about age 40, and they can live to be more than 400 years old.
Dwarves have always had a presence in the lands around the Estuary, and get along civilly with their human neighbors. Dwarves say, “The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years.” Humans, with their short life spans, have a hard time forging truly strong bonds with dwarves. The best dwarf-human friendships are between a human and a dwarf who liked the human’s parents and grandparents. Dwarves mistrust half-orcs in general, and the feeling is mutual. Luckily, dwarves are fair-minded, and they grant individual half-orcs the opportunity to prove themselves.
The Dwarves’ greatest remaining citadel is Thunderhold, far to the north of the City in the Stormholt Mountains. They call themselves the Forsaken, and sages believe that they are a remnant of a much greater Dwarven nation that no longer exists. The Dwarves themselves are otherwise silent on the matter. There is vigorous trade and a strong alliance between the City State and the Dwarves of Thunderhold.
In human lands, dwarves tend to be mercenaries, weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, jewelers, and artisans. Dwarf bodyguards are renowned for their courage and loyalty, and they are well rewarded for their virtues.
Alignment
Dwarves are usually lawful, and they tend toward good. Adventuring dwarves are less likely to fit the common mold, however, since they’re more likely to be those who did not fit perfectly into dwarven society.
Religion
The sole true deity of the dwarves is Moradin, the Soul Forger. Moradin is a remote deity; he forged the dwarves and expects them to work for their own betterment. Dwarves also worship the Five Fathers, the semi-mythical founders of their race. In contrast to Moradin, the Five Fathers are said to be much more involved in the world. Dwarves have never been known to worship human deities.
Language
Dwarves speak their own language, High Dwarven, which they do not teach to outsiders. Instead, outsiders may learn Low Dwarven, a common trade tongue. Both languages use a runic script. Dwarves often speak the languages of their human friends and, somewhat less commonly, the languages of the orc and giant enemies. Some also learn Terran, the strange language of earth-based creatures such as xorn.
Names
A dwarf’s name is granted to him by his clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf’s name is not his own. It belongs to his clan. If he misuses it or brings shame to it, his clan will strip him of it. A dwarf stripped of his name is forbidden by dwarven law to use any dwarven name in its place.
Male Names: Barendd, Brottor, Eberk, Einkil, Rurik, Taklinn, Torderk, Ulfgar, Veit.
Female Names: Artin, Audhild, Dagnal, Diesa, Gunnloda, Hlin, Ilde, Liftrasa, Sannl, Torgga.
Clan Names: Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Holderhek, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart.
Adventurers
A dwarven adventurer may be motivated by crusading zeal, a love of excitement, or simple greed. As long as his accomplishments bring honor to his clan, his deeds earn him respect and status. Defeating giants and claiming powerful magic weapons are sure ways for a dwarf to earn the respect of other dwarves.
Around the City
TorgotRakeln. Torgot winters in the City, renting luxurious rooms on the Hill, buying the best wine, feasting on the best food, and hiring the best dancing girls and whores – and always paying in ancient Second Empire coins. Come spring, he sneaks out of the city, and is gone for months. When he returns, he has a new supply of ancient coin. Many adventurers, theives, and mercenaries have tried to follow him, correctly assuming that he must go to some secret tomb or treasury to loot. None have ever returned.
Game Statistics
Cost / Dwarf Racial Features5 / Dwarven weapon training: Gain +1 on attacks and damage with throwing hammers, warhammers, heavy picks, or dwarvenwaraxes(pick one)
5 / Stonegut: + 2 to defenses vs. poison; +2 to saving throws to end poison effects
5 / Mind of Stone: +1 to Mental Counter defense; +2 to saving throws to end Charm effects
10 / Darkvision: gain Darkvision
5 / Dwarven Fortitude +2 to Fortitude defenses
10 / Stonewise: Gain a +3 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. You have a chance to notice such features whenever you pass within 10 ft of them, whether or not you are actively looking
10 / Slow and Steady: Your speed (normal dwarf speed is 20 ft) is never reduced due to armor or encumbrance
5 / Avarice: Gain a +2 bonus on Appraise checks to determine the value of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones
5 / Sky Sentinel: +2 bonus to AC and +1 attack bonus against flying creatures
5 / DwarvenLorekeeper: +2 bonus to Knowledge or History checks related to Dwarves, orcs, or giants
5 / Race Hatred: Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against orcs or goblinoids
5 / Giant Slayer: +1 to all physical defenses when attacked by giants; +1 on attack rolls against giants
5 / Dwarvencraft: +2 to Crafting checks that involve metal or stone
5 / Stealth: +2 to Stealth checks while underground
5 / Miner’s Step: Ignore difficult terrainwhile underground
5 / Mountainborn: +2 to Nature or Endurance rolls to survive in Alpine or underground environments
10 / Avalanche Rush: You gain the Avalanche Rush racial power
10 / Dwarven Pride: You gain the Dwarven Pride racial power
10 / Stone Stubborn: If you are subject to a Stun effect, you are instead Dazed
Racial Adjustments:
Abilities: +2 Constitution
Skills: +2 Dungeoneering; +2 Endurance
Racial Characteristics:
- Move 20’
- Low light vision
- Speak Low and High Dwarven
Optional Racial Power:
Avalanche Rush
Encounter
No action
If you successfully bull rush a target, you increase the push by a number of squares equal to your Constitution modified, shifting into each square the target of your bull rush leaves.
Optional Racial Power:
Dwarven Pride
Encounter
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: You are pulled, pushed, or slid
Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +1 power bonus to damage rolls for each square of forced movement.
Halflings
The Lirtlefolk
Halflings are clever, capable opportunists that have made a home for themselves among the humans of the City and in the surrounding lands. It is said that they have some homeland of their own, variously surmised to be in the west, east, or south, where the inhabitants ride ostriches and are all rich as princes. No real evidence of this land has ever been found, and the halflings themselves are silent on the topic.
Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and usually weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. Their skin is ruddy, their hair straight and black, blond, white, or red. Their eyes are larger in proporiton to their heads than found in humans, and are usually pale blue or green. Halfling men often have long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches almost unseen. The tops of their feet are hairy, and the soles are tough and leathery; halflings rarely wear shoes. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of her second century.
Halflings like to get along with everyone else. They try to fit into human communities and make themselves valuable and welcome. Some halflings try a little too hard to fit in, which can make humans or other races view them suspiciously. Their natural stealth abilities sometimes exacerbate this – halflings have a habit of inadvertently startling humans and dwarves by suddenly appearing behind them when not expected.
Halflings enjoy the peace and comfort of their homes, but, strangely, seem to prefer trouble to boredom. They are notoriously curious. Relying on their ability to survive or escape danger, they demonstrate a daring that many larger people can’t match. Although halflings enjoy wealth and the pleasure it can bring, and they tend to spend gold as quickly as they acquire it. They are generous with their wealth, especially with others of their kind.
Halflings are also famous collectors. While more orthodox halflings may collect weapons, books, or jewelry, some collect such objects as the hides of wild beasts—or even the beasts themselves. Wealthy halflings sometimes commission adventurers to retrieve exotic items to complete their collections.
Most halflings in the City live in the neighborhood known as Lirtlefolk, located between the Hill, the Scholars’ Ward, and the Tenderloin, but officially considered part of the Scholars’ Ward. This is an enclave of trees and small, well-kept cottages. Some dwellings are brick-lined holes dug into the Hill itself. Lirtlefolk is patrolled by the halflings themselves, rather than by the Red Sashes, and is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in the City. Small halfling villages can be found in the lands controlled by the City State, and along the eastern coast of the PazidanianPenninsula.
Alignment
Halflings tend to be neutral. While they are comfortable with change (a chaotic trait), they also tend to trust in community (a lawful trait).
Religion
Halflings worship the Thousand. Issaries, the Fifty-three Gods of Chance, Ranca, and Racine are popular.
Language
Halflings speak their own language, Hin, which uses a cipher of the Common script. They write very little in their own language so, unlike humans, they don’t have a rich body of written work. The halfling oral tradition, however, is very strong. While the Halfling language isn’t secret, halflings are loath to share it with others. All halflings in the City speak Common.
Names
A halfling has a given name, a family name, and usually a nickname. The latter seem to be specifically chosen to appear disarming, silly, or cute. Family names are usually nothing more than nicknames that stuck so well they have been passed down through the generations.
Male Names: Aldon, Cade, Eldon, Garret, Lyle, Milo, Osborn, Roscoe, Wellby.
Female Names: Amaryllis, Charmaine, Cora, Euphemia, Jillian, Lavinia, Lidda, Merla, Portia, Seraphina, Verna.
Family Names: Brushgather, Goodbarrel, Greenbottle, Highhill, Hilltopple, Leagallow, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough.
Adventurers
Halflings often set out on their own to make their way in the world. Halfling adventurers are typically looking for a way to use their skills to gain wealth or status. The distinction between a halfling adventurer and a halfling out on her own looking for “a big score” can get blurry. For a halfling, adventuring is less of a career than an opportunity. While halfling opportunism can sometimes look like larceny or fraud to others, a halfling adventurer who learns to trust her fellows is worthy of trust in return
Around the City
HejwardHobblebottom. Hejward is the Sewer Spelunker, famous in some taverns for his exploration of and adventurers in the City’s extensive sewer system. He’s known to have personally destroyed several goblin tribes, at least two wizard’s automatons run amok, and Drago the Rat King. His greatest accomplishment was leading the adventuring party that finally destroyed the Crawling Necromancer, who terrorized the City several years ago from his hidden subterranean lair.
Game Statistics
Cost / Halfling Racial Features5 / Likeable: +1 Charisma, and humans and allied races tend to react favorably to you
5 / Shifty: You ignore difficult terrain when shifting
5 / Sure-footed: +2 bonus to checks to maintain balance when climbing or in similar precarious positions. Also, you may move your full speed while climbing.
5 / Questionable Allies: You speak Aklo, the language of some dark Fey. Fey of the Unseelie Court tend to react favorably to you. Or maybe not. You can never tell with the Fey.
5 / Sling Expert: +2 to attacks with slings, and you can reload a sling as a free action
5 / Fleet of Foot: You normal movement speed is increased to 30’
5 / Low Blow: Your minor and major critical range against opponents bigger than you are increased by 1 each
5 / Nimble Reaction: You gain +2 to defenses against opportunity attacks
10 / Swift Recovery: You use Second Wind as a free action rather than a standard action
10 / Happy Feet: You gain the Happy Feet racial power
10 / Second Chance: You gain the Second Chance racial power
10 / Low Light Vision: You gain low light vision
5 / Surprising Fortitude +2 to Fortitude defenses
5 / Group Assault: +1 to attacks for each ally (not including you) that is adjacent to your target
10 / Underfoot Assault: Gain the Underfoot Assault racial power
Racial Adjustments:
Abilities: +2 Dexterity or +2 Charisma
Skills: +2 Stealth; +2 Diplomacy
Racial Characteristics:
- Move 20’
- Speak Hin
Optional Racial Power:
Happy Feet
Encounter
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: A creature you can see starts its turn
You shift up to 2 squares
Optional Racial Power:
Second Chance
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: You are hit by an attack
The attacker must reroll the attack and use the second roll.
Optional Racial Power:
Underfoot Assault
Encounter
Move action
You must be adjacent to an enemy. You shift to any other square adjacent to that enemy and gain combat advantage until the end of your next turn
Half-Orcs
Beast-men
In the wild frontiers, tribes of human and orcbarbarians live in uneasy balance, fighting in times of war and trading in times of peace. Half-orcs who are born in the frontier may live with either human or orc parents, but they are nevertheless exposed to both cultures. Some, for whatever reason, leave their homeland and travel to civilized lands, bringing with them the tenacity, courage, and combat prowess that they developed in the wilds.
Half-orcs tend to be short-tempered and sullen. They would rather act than ponder and would rather fight than argue. Those who are successful, however, are those with enough self-control to live in a civilized land, not the crazy ones. Half-orcs love simple pleasures such as feasting, fighting, drinking, boasting, singing, fighting, wrestling, drumming, fighting, and wild dancing. Refined enjoyments such as poetry, courtly dancing, and philosophy are lost on them. At the right sort of party, a half-orc is an asset. At the Overlord’s grand ball, he’s a liability.
Half-orcs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. A half-orc’s sloping forehead, jutting jaw, prominent teeth, and coarse body hair make his lineage plain for all to see. Those with a southern orc heritage tend to be taller, somewhat leaner, and have yellowish complexions. Those with a northern orc heritage are somewhat shorter, more robustly built, and have greenish complexions. Orcs like scars. They regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of shame indicating servitude and identifying the half-orc’s former owner, or marks of pride recounting conquests and high status. Such a half-orc living among humans may either display or hide his scars, depending on his attitude toward them.
Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans and age noticeably faster. They reach adulthood at age 14, and few live longer than 75 years.
Some half-orcs are reserved, trying not to draw attention to themselves. A few demonstrate piety and good-heartedness as publicly as they can (whether or not such demonstrations are genuine). Others simply try to be so tough that others have no choice but to accept them.
Half-orcs generally live among either human or orc cultures — some in bustling human towns or cities, others among remote human or orc tribes. Most half-orcs have two half-orc parents, but sometimes half-orcs marry and have half-orc children with humans or orcs. Orcs show grudging respect to half-orcs for their considerable strength and for their cunning intelligence, which sometimes allows half-orcs to rise to leadership positions in orc tribes. Although possessed of many strengths, half-orcs frequently encounter prejudice in human communities. Thus, most half-orcs gravitate to careers involving physical labor or violence. For some, the life of an adventurer is either a natural extension of that trend or a way to throw off the weight of prejudice. The adventuring life also means finding a place in a group of allies and equals — a simple pleasure that is all too hard for many half-orcs to find in the world.