The race of dwarves is perhaps the rarest of all the demihuman kin in Ravenloft. One of the major concentrations of dwarves known to exist on the Demiplane of Dread is the city of Tempe Falls in Necropolis. Other isolated dwarven communities might exist, especially in the mountainous regions of the Core, but none of these has over one hundred members.
Description
Dwarves are short, stocky folk. On the average, male dwarves stand between three and five feet tall and weigh between one hundred thirty and one hundred seventy pounds. Females average somewhat lighter and shorter than this.
Dwarves live a long time, sometimes reaching an age of three and a half centuries. A newly generated dwarf character is usually fairly young, averaging around fifty or sixty years of age. Table 48: Dwarf Physical Characteristics can be used to determine the starting height and weight of a dwarf character.
Table 48: Dwarf Physical Characteristics
| Trait | Formula | |
| Height, Male | 43+1d10 inches | |
| Height, Female | 41+1d10 inches | |
| Weight, Male | 130+4d10 pounds | |
| Weight, Female | 105+4d10 pounds | |
| Starting Age | 40+5d6 years | |
| Maximum Age | 250+2d100 years |
| Age | Years | Effects | ||
| Middle (1/2 Base Max.) | 125 | -1 Srt/Con; +1 Int/Wis | ||
| Old (2/3 Base Max.) | 167 | -2 Str/Dex; -1 Con; +1 Wis | ||
| Venerable (Base Max.) | 250 | -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis |
Male dwarves favor long, braided beards, although they often go bald at a relatively young age. Females braid their hair in long pony tails and often tie ribbons to these braids. Members of both sexes are born with brown or black hair that turns silver, gray, or white before they reach maturity.
Dwarves are dark-featured folk. Their skin ranges from ruddy brown or dark tan to a rich olive, and their eyes are almost uniformly dark brown or even black. Their clothing mirrors this, tending toward earth tones and muted colors.
Adventuring dwarves favor hafted weapons like axes, war hammers, and picks. They almost always wear the heaviest armor available to them. Because the weapons they wield generally require both hands to use, they often forego shields. For melee weapons, dwarves favor the crossbow and pistol - the former because it is a traditional weapon of their people, and the latter because it is loud and has a demoralizing effect on the enemy.
Personality
Like dwarves anywhere, those native to the Demiplane of Dread are stern and rugged. Some say that the dwarf race is the least changed by their time in the Mists. After all, they live underground and are insulated from the terrors of the surface. Others, however, argue that no people know the terrors of Ravenloft better than the dwarves. If the stories of ancient horrors found buried far beneath the Land of the Mists are true, this may well be the case.
The grim and quiet dwarves of Ravenloft have no use for idle chatter and speak only when the situation demands it. They tell no jokes, sing only dirgelike songs, and frown on festivals or holidays. It is easy to understand why many people consider dwarves a dour race. They work hard and cannot abide laziness. So somber a race, it has often been noted, perfectly suits the shadowy realm of Ravenloft.
Dwarves are an avaricious race, fond of gold and other precious metals. Their mines are always run efficiently and make high profits. They also favor strong drink, although this often makes them argumentative and brings about disputes and brawls.
It is difficult to imagine a more loyal friend or tenacious enemy than a dwarf. Anyone lucky enough to befriend one of these proud demihumans will find an ally who stands by him in even the most dangerous of situations. By the same token, however, angering one of these folk is not something undertaken lightly. Dwarf feuds often span decades and even centuries, with heirs often seeking revenge long after the death of the original combatants.
Ravenloft dwarves have much in common with the Viking cultures of some human worlds. As a result, they usually worship the gods of the Norse pantheon. Norse and Scandinavian names, like Gunila, Kallio, and Thorvid are excellent choices for dwarf characters. In addition, every dwarf has an appellation of some sort. Common examples might be "the Bold" or "the Foe Breaker." A typical dwarf changes these titles several times over the course of his life, always striving to reflect his greatest accomplishment.
Ability Scores
The physical stamina of dwarves allows them to increase they drop their starting Constitution scores by one point. Because of their obstinate, suspicious, and dour natures, however, their starting Charisma scores drop by one point.
Special Abilities
Because of their unusual nature, dwarves receive many special abilities not available to other types of characters.
Magic Resistance
Dwarves are nonmagical creatures with little tolerance or use for wizardry (although they do tolerate priests). This innate resistance to magical energies manifests through a bonus to their saving throws vs. rod, staff, or wand and their saving throws vs. spell. Table 50: Constitution Saving Throw Bonuses shows the bonus associated with various Constitution scores.
Table 50: Constitution Saving Throw Bonuses
| Ability Score |
Save Bonus |
|
| 1-3 | Nil | |
| 4-6 | +1 | |
| 7-10 | +2 | |
| 11-13 | +3 | |
| 14-17 | +4 | |
| 18-20 | +5 | |
| 21-24 | +6 | |
| 25 | +7 |
Poison Resistance
Because of their naturally resilient physiology, dwarves receive a similar bonus to saving throws required to resist toxins. (See Table 50.)
Combat Bonuses
In melee combat, dwarves gain a +1 bonus to all attack rolls when battling orcs, goblins, half-orcs, and hobgoblins. This reflects the enmity between these races.
Defense Bonuses
When ogres, ogre magi, trolls, giants, or titans strike at dwarves in melee combat, each suffers a -4 penalty to its attack roll. This reflects the skill of dwarves at battling these large creatures.
Infravision
Centuries of living underground have given dwarves extremely acute eyesight that extends into the infrared portion of the spectrum. This enables them to spot heat sources and, in most cases, see clearly in the dark. See Chapter 13 of the DUNGEON MASTER Guide for details on this optional version of infravision. Dwarf infravision functions out to sixty feet, but the glare from torches, lanterns, and other light sources spoils this ability.
Mining Skill
Dwarves are miners of exceptional skill. Because of this, they have many special abilities usable underground. In order to employ one of these abilities, the dwarf must spend one round (or longer, as the situation dictates) examining the area.
| Dwarves Detect... | ...on a 1d6 roll of | |
| Sloping passages and grades | 1-5 | |
| New tunnel/passage construction | 1-5 | |
| Sliding/shifting walls or rooms | 1-4 | |
| Stonework traps (pits, deadfalls, and so on...) | 1-3 | |
| Their approximate depth underground | 1-3 |
Fearlessness
The stern determination and iron will of the dwarves makes them less vulnerable to fear than other races. Whenever a dwarf character must make a fear check not caused by a magical attack, he gains a +2 bonus to his check. This is in addition to any bonus from a high Wisdom score, so a dwarf with a Wisdom of 16 would have a total bonus of +4.
Magical Item Use
When using magical items not designed specifically for their class or race, dwarves suffer a disadvantage. Magical items have a 20% chance to malfunction when used by a dwarf. This does not affect later uses of the device.
When using items that have an ongoing effect, like a robe of blending, a dwarf makes this check when he first employs the item. If the first check succeeds, he needs to check again only if the object is removed and donned anew. If the check fails, the dwarf must wait twenty-four hours before trying to use the object again.
Magical weapons, armors (including shields), gauntlets, and girdles are not subject to this effect and function normally for the dwarf. This applies to both the continuous and special powers of such items. If a cursed item malfunctions when the dwarf attempts to use it, he senses the hazard and can discard it.
