Pathfinder 2 easy Library

NOW SEARCHING

DWARF

ANCESTRY

MEDIUM

DWARF

HUMANOID

Hit Points 10

Size Medium; Speed 20 feet

Ability Boosts Constitution, Wisdom, Free; Ability Flaw Charisma

Languages Common, Dwarven

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from Gnomish, Goblin, Jotun, Orcish, Terran, Undercommon, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Senses Darkvision

Clan Dagger You get one clan dagger of your clan for free, as it was given to you at birth. Selling this dagger is a terrible taboo and earns you the disdain of other dwarves.

Dwarves have a well-earned reputation as a stoic and stern people, ensconced within citadels and cities carved from solid rock. While some see them as dour and humorless crafters of stone and metal, dwarves and those who have spent time among them understand their unbridled zeal for their work, caring far more about quality than quantity. To a stranger, they can seem untrusting and clannish, but to their friends and family, they are warm and caring, their halls filled with the sounds of laughter and hammers hitting anvils.

Dwarves are slow to trust those outside their kin, but this wariness is not without reason. Dwarves have a long history of forced exile from ancestral holds and struggles against the depredations of savage foes, especially giants, goblinoids, orcs, and the horrors that dwell deep below the surface. While trust from a dwarf is hard-won, once gained it is as strong as iron.

If you want to play a character who is as hard as nails, a stubborn and unrelenting adventurer, with a mix of rugged toughness and deep wisdom—or at least dogged conviction—you should play a dwarf.

You Might...

  • Strive to uphold your personal honor, no matter the situation.
  • Appreciate quality craftsmanship in all forms and insist upon it for all your gear.
  • Don’t waver or back down once you’ve set your mind to something.

Others Probably...

  • See you as stubborn, though whether they see this as an asset or a detriment changes from one person to the next.
  • Assume you are an expert in matters related to stonework, mining, precious metals, and gems.
  • Recognize the deep connection you have with your family, heritage, and friends.

Physical Description

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, which they often braid into intricate patterns, some of which represent specific clans. A long beard is a sign of masculinity and honor among the dwarves, and thus a clean-shaven male dwarf is considered weak, untrustworthy, or worse.

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 around 350 years old.

Society

The ancient surface empire the dwarves once ruled fell long ago, overwhelmed by orc and goblinoid enemies. Today’s dwarves retain many of the qualities that propelled their people to greatness in ancient times: fierceness, gumption, and stubbornness in endeavors ranging from battle and craftsmanship to forging ties with family and friends.

While the distance between their mountain Sky Citadels can create vast cultural divides between various dwarf clans, most dwarven societies share a number of similarities. Nearly all dwarven peoples share a passion for stonework, metalwork, and gem-cutting. Most are highly skilled at architecture and mining, and many share a hatred of giants, orcs, and goblinoids.

Few dwarves are seen without their clan dagger strapped to their belt. This dagger is forged just before a dwarf’s birth and bears the gemstone of their clan. A parent uses this dagger to cut the infant’s umbilical cord, making it the first weapon to taste their blood.

Alignment and Religion

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.

The typical dwarf is lawful good or lawful neutral and prefers to worship deities of those alignments. Torag, god of dwarvenkind, is the dwarves’ primary deity, though worship of Torag’s family members is also common.

Names

Dwarves honor their children with names taken from ancestors or dwarven heroes, and it’s quite rare to invent a new name or to borrow a name from another culture for a child. When introducing themselves, dwarves tend to list their family and clan, plus any number of other familial connections and honorifics. Dwarven names usually contain hard consonants and are rarely more or fewer than two syllables.

Sample Names

Agna, Bodill, Dolgrin, Edrukk, Grunyar, Ingra, Kazmuk, Kotri, Lupp, Morgrym, Rogar, Rusilka, Torra, Yangrit

TABLE 1: DWARF HERITAGES
Exclusive Heritages Description
ancient-blooded dwarf Dwarven heroes of old could shrug off their enemies’ magic, and some of that resistance manifests in you.
anvil dwarfLOCG You are a descendant of a famed crafter and have your own amazing talent.
death warden dwarf Your ancestors have been tomb guardians for generations, and the power they cultivated to ward off necromancy has passed on to you.
elemental heart dwarfLOCG 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.
energy emanationLOCG Energy bursts forth from your body.
forge dwarf You have a remarkable adaptation to hot environments from ancestors who inhabited blazing deserts or volcanic chambers beneath the earth.
forge-blessed dwarfLOH You are from a family in Highhelm that venerates a particular dwarven deity above all others.
oathkeeper dwarfLOCG Growing up, you never tried to lie to get what you wanted, and even when necessary, lying makes you uncomfortable.
rock dwarf Your ancestors lived and worked among the great ancient stones of the mountains or the depths of the earth.
strong-blooded dwarf Your blood runs hearty and strong, and you can shake off toxins.
Versatile Heritages Description
AasimarAPG You descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears.
AphoriteLOAG You were born with a connection to Axis, the Plane of Law.
ArdandeRE Your elemental heritage is reflected in the oils and fragrances of plants, in tree resin that fossilizes into amber, or in the gentle smell of a flower.
BeastkinLOAG The blood of a beast flows through your veins, granting you the ferocity and might of animals.
ChangelingAPG Your mother was a hag.
DhampirAPG You are the scion of a vampire, half living and half undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors.
DuskwalkerAPG Thanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to psychopomps and the Boneyard.
GanziLOAG Your blood is touched by primal chaos.
IfritLOAG You descend from fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you.
OreadLOAG An earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection.
ReflectionDA You were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins.
SuliLOAG You are descended from a janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces.
SylphLOAG You are descended from air elementals or were born under the element’s influence.
TieflingAPG You descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail.
UndineLOAG A water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline.
draconic scionBAD You possess the power of dragons, whether you descended from dragons, learned from dragons, were transformed by exposure to draconic energy, or reincarnated from a past life as a dragon.
TABLE 2: DWARF ANCESTRY FEATS
Ancestry Feats Level Prerequisites Benefits
Adaptive VisionGG 1 — After years of using black powder weaponry in dimly lit spaces, you’ve become accustomed to dazzling flashes of light and sudden shifts in illumination.
Avenge In GloryLOCG 1 — You honor your ally’s life, gaining temporary Hit Points equal to your level for 1 minute.
Clan LoreLOH 1 — Your identity as a member of your clan is as central to your sense of self as your dwarven ancestry.
Clan PistolGG 1 — Raised in the ancient halls of Dongun Hold or the surrounding region, you display your lineage with a clan pistol, rather than a clan dagger.
Clan’s EdgeLOCG 1 trained in clan daggers By moving your clan dagger with rapid precision, you can protect yourself more effectively.
Dongun EducationGG 1 — You’re knowledgeable in trades that are important to your people’s survival and commercial interests.
Dwarven DoughtinessAPG 1 — You are either naturally calm and collected in the face of imminent danger, or you are very good at faking it.
Dwarven Lore 1 — You eagerly absorbed the old stories and traditions of your ancestors, your gods, and your people, studying in subjects and techniques passed down for generation upon generation.
Dwarven Weapon Familiarity 1 — Your kin have instilled in you an affinity for hard-hitting weapons, and you prefer these to more elegant arms.
Explosive SavantGG 1 — A lifetime wielding firearms and explosive ordinance amid the chaos of battle has granted you great skill with volatile weapons.
Eye For TreasureAPG 1 — You know good artisanship when you see it and can wax poetic about crafting techniques and forms.
Fire SavvyGG 1 — You’ve grown up around a forge and are well-suited to dealing with smoke and flame.
Forge-Day’s RestLOCG 1 — Your unusual rest cycle allows you to recover faster.
Rivethun DiscipleLOH 1 — By studying with the dwarven shamans of Highhelm, you have become aware of the friction between your body and spirit.
Rock Runner 1 — Your innate connection to stone makes you adept at moving across uneven surfaces.
Stonecunning 1 — You have a knack for noticing even small inconsistencies and craftsmanship techniques in the stonework around you.
Surface CultureLOCG 1 — Your interactions with other cultures on the surface have not only taught you about many other ancestries, but have also helped you realize the value of your own.
Unburdened Iron 1 — You’ve learned techniques first devised by your ancestors during their ancient wars, allowing you to comfortably wear massive suits of armor.
Vengeful Hatred 1 — You heart aches for vengeance against those who have wronged your people.
Blast ResistanceGG 5 — You’re used to the clamor of steel, the crack of a firearm, and the thunderous blast of explosions.
Boulder Roll 5 Rock Runner Your dwarven build allows you to push foes around, just like a mighty boulder tumbles through a subterranean cavern.
Clan ProtectorLOCG 5 — Your clan dagger can protect your allies as easily as yourself.
Defy the DarknessAPG 5 darkvision Using ancient dwarven methods developed to fight enemies wielding magical darkness, you’ve honed your darkvision and sworn not to use such magic yourself.
Dwarven ReinforcementAPG 5 expert in Crafting You can use your knowledge of engineering and metalwork to temporarily strengthen thick objects and structures.
Dwarven Weapon Cunning 5 Dwarven Weapon Familiarity You’ve learned cunning techniques to get the best effects out of your dwarven weapons.
Protective SheathLOCG 5 Clan’s Edge (page 20) When you lash out with your clan dagger, you keep its sheath close at hand.
Sheltering SlabAPG 5 — The stone around you is your ally, and you have learned to use it to shore up your weaknesses.
Spark FistGG 5 expert in Crafting You dust explosive black powder on your fist or glove before attacking, which combusts as you hit an opponent.
Tomb-Watcher’s GlareLOCG 5 death warden dwarf heritage When you critically hit an undead creature, or an undead creature critically fails a saving throw against one of your abilities, you drive your divine wrath home in your enemy’s heart.
BattleforgerLOCG 9 master in Crafting You can sharpen weapons, polish armor, and apply special techniques to temporarily gain better effects from your armaments.
DemolitionistGG 9 — You know how to destroy objects with a well-placed explosion.
Echoes In StoneAPG 9 — You pause a moment to attune your senses to the stone around you.
Energy BlessedLOCG 9 elemental heart dwarf heritage (page 19) Energy runs through your blood more powerfully.
Heroes’ CallLOCG 9 — The songs of ancient heroes echo through your mind and quicken your pulse, especially in dire straits.
Kneel For No GodLOCG 9 ancient-blooded dwarf heritage Your ancestors’ defiance of magic and your people’s strictly egalitarian mindset mean that certain forms of magic have little effect on you.
Mountain’s Stoutness 9 — Your hardiness lets you withstand more punishment than most before going down.
Returning ThrowAPG 9 — You have mastered the technique of arcing a projectile so that it returns to your hand after being thrown, though this requires a moment to precisely calculate the trajectory and possible ricochets.
Rivethun Spiritual AttunementLOH 9 — Your time spent among the Rivethun has heightened your awareness of animate spirits around you, giving you the ability to sense them briefly.
Smoke SightGG 9 — You’re used to fighting and hiding in a haze of smoke and flame.
Stone BonesAPG 9 — Your intractable nature can help you shrug off even the most grievous injuries.
Stonewalker 9 — You have a deep reverence for and connection to stone.
Crafter’s InstinctGG 13 master in Crafting You sense a minor flaw in the weapon as you fire it, and quickly adjust your aim on the fly to avoid the flaw.
Dwarven Weapon Expertise 13 Dwarven Weapon Familiarity Your dwarven affinity blends with your training, granting you great skill with dwarven weapons.
Explosive ExpertGG 13 Explosive Savant You have continued training in volatile weapons and gained a deeper understanding.
Scrutinizing GazeGG 13 — Your family’s traditions of defending against Geb’s undead have granted you a sixth sense for detecting spirits, haunts, and other restless dead, no matter their form or the strength of their presence.
Telluric PowerAPG 13 — You channel strength from the earth beneath your feet to pummel your enemies.
Forge-Blessed ShotGG 17 worshipper of Torag or Angradd You intone a prayer to the dwarven deities Torag or Angradd, willing a higher power to guide your aim in the heat of battle.
StonegateAPG 17 Stonewalker Earthen barriers no longer impede your progress.