Dwarves are a stocky folk, born to the earth. While they only average 4’ to 4’ 6", they are very broad, some almost as broad as they are tall. Their muscles are very dense, and are practically tireless. Perhaps this accounts for their longevity, because the average dwarf will live 350 years barring accidents, and their elders can go a hundred years beyond that. This squat, dense, build, however, makes them very ill-suited to riding horses, and makes it impossible for them to swim. They tend to be dark, with ruddy cheeks and dark eyes and hair. They tend toward beards and longer hair, often held back in a ponytail, and view a lot of hair to be a sign of virility and strength. To insult a male dwarf’s beard, even in jest, is to most likely earn an enemy for life… to shave his beard is to earn a death sentence in his eyes. Most find whiskers on women to be an attractive trait, though some (mostly those with a lot of contact with other races) do not.

Dwarven nature is well in tune with their bodies. As opponents, they seem rock-hard and humorless, but also given to fits of extreme violence. They tend to favor weapons of steel, especially those that make use of the massive amount of weight they can put behind a blow, such as warhammers and heavy, chopping axes. To make up for their lack of agility, they tend towards heavy armor, and are, indeed, amongst some of the most accomplished smiths on many worlds. Despite their hard exterior, however, they are tender and nurturing to those that they care for, protecting their family and friends. They are amongst the most loyal of friends and the hardest of workers.

As a society, dwarves truly only have two vices: wealth and alcohol. Many are addicted to the gleam of gold or the luster of gemstones, and many more consume mass quantities of hard liquor, as well as beers and ales, counting on their innate resistance to save them. While it often does, many dwarves have fallen because to alcoholism.

Most dwarves live and work underground, and most take pride in the fact that their most potent magics tend to be those acquired by sweating over a hot forge or a potter’s wheel, rather than arcane knowledge. Few take up magic, and those who do find that their natural resistance makes it a difficult skill to master.

All dwarves have the ability to see heat as it radiates from objects, especially living bodies. This special vision extends to 60’, and does not hinder them in any way in normal circumstances. Having lived with this ability since their birth, they are quite adept at distinguishing subtle changes in heat. However, it does make them vulnerable to being temporarily blinded by sudden upsurges in heat, and it is quite impossible to read with nothing but infravision to go by.

As mentioned above, dwarves are also resistant to magic and poison, gaining a +4 bonus to their saving throws to resist either one. Their resistance to magic also makes it difficult for them to make use of magic, though, and they must pay an additional 20% experience when they use a class with magic-user abilities, whether a normal magic-user or a combination class. If a dwarf has not spent the time to learn magic (is not a magic-user or a magic-user combination class), magic items that are not specially suited to the character’s class have a 20% chance to malfunction when used. Malfunctioning items will not respond to command words and refuse to work, acting as mundane items. This happens each time the item is used, though charged items will not lose charges if they malfunction… they simply do not respond. If the item functions continually, this is checked the each time it is put on. If the check fails, the item will not function for the dwarf until a turn has passed. If the check succeeds, the item can be used normally until it is next taken off, and another check must be made when put on again. While this malfunctioning applies to most magic items, it does not apply to the continuous effects of weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, or girdles. If the item has some other function (like a sword that throws fireballs on command), then the invoked function (like the fireballs) would require a check, but the magical bonuses of the sword would continue to work, even if the check was failed. Cursed items that fail a check will be recognized for what they are and can be discarded.

Dwarven culture stresses certain skills above others. Thus, dwarven characters may purchase the non-weapon proficiencies of Appraising, Armorer, Blacksmithing, Brewing, Endurance, Engineering, Mining, Mountaineering, Reading/Writing (Dwarven only), Stonemasonry, and Weaponsmithing for one character point less than normal, and receive a +2 bonus with them, besides. They also may purchase weapons from the "Axe, Picks and Hammers" and "Clubs, Maces, and Flails" broad groups for one less character point, though they receive no special bonuses with them. While dwarves can take many proficiencies related to boats, they cannot take the swimming skill. Their bodies are much too dense for them to stay above water without some sort of floating support.

Lastly, because dwarves are very tough, they get a +1 to Constitution, while their deliberative nature gives them a +1 to Wisdom. However, dwarves are neither particularly likeable nor pretty, so they have a –1 to both Charisma and Comeliness.

Dwarves get 30 Character Points with which to purchase optional abilities. The average dwarf will have the Melee Combat Bonus, "Mining Detection Abilities" and either a +1 bonus with two weapons or the Racial Enmity ability.

Axe bonus (5): +1 to attack rolls with hand or battle-axes.

Close to the earth (5): Dwarves with this ability heal faster in subterranean settings. When this character is underground, he heals 2 points of damage overnight rather than the 1 point normally healed by other races. This bonus does not apply if the character is above ground.

Crossbow bonus (5): Because dwarves favor crossbows, they gain a +1 attack bonus with any crossbow. Hurled weapons are limited in tunnels, and other bows require large pieces of wood, which are not readily accessible.

Determine stability (5): The character is an expert at determining if the ground is stable. By concentrating for one round, the character can determine if there will be a dangerous tremor, collapse, rock fall or slide when the character enters an area. The chance of success is 1–4 on 1d6.

Determine age (5): By examining a building or ruins, the dwarf stands an excellent chance of determining the approximate age of the structure. The chance of success is 1–5 on 1d6.

Dense skin (10): If the dwarf is struck by a blunt weapon, the character suffers only half the damage the attack would normally inflict.

Detect poison (5): By sniffing food or drink, the dwarf can determine if it has been poisoned. The chance of success is 1–4 on 1d6.

Evaluate gems (5): A dwarf with this ability can determine within 10% the value of any given gem.

Expert haggler (5): This dwarf drives a hard bargain. Anything he purchases costs 10% less than the listed price.

Hit point bonus (10): The dwarf gains an additional hit point each time that the character attains a new level.

Illusion resistant (5): These dwarves gain a +2 bonus on attempts to disbelieve illusions.

Mace bonus (5): +1 to attack rolls with the footman’s mace.

Meld into stone (10): Once a day a dwarf with this ability can meld into stone as a priest of the same level.

Melee combat (5): When ogres, half-ogres, ogre magi, trolls, giants, or titans fight dwarves, the dwarf gets a +4 to his defense score. Dwarves are small and have defensive tactics against these large foes.

Mining Detection Abilities (10): A character with this skill is familiar with mining, tunneling and stonework. By concentrating for one round the character can make a Perception check to learn his or her depth underground, whether or not the room they are in has any sliding or shifting walls, how much the passage slopes, any stonework traps that are in the area searched (including pits and deadfalls), or whether or not the stonework they’re looking at is of recent construction.

Pick bonus (5): +1 to attack rolls with military picks.

Racial Enmity (10): The character gets a +1 to hit the traditional enemies of the dwarves, who normally include orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins.

Short sword bonus (5): +1 to attack rolls with short swords.

Stealth (15): If the dwarf is not in metal armor, a –2 penalty is applied to opponent’s surprise rolls if the dwarf is at least 90 feet ahead of a party of characters without this ability, or accompanied only by characters with equivalent stealth skills. The dwarf is also difficult to surprise himself and receives a +2 bonus to his own surprise rolls.

Stone tell (10): Once a day a dwarf with this ability can use the stone tell ability, as a priest of the same level.

Warhammer bonus (5): +1 to attack rolls with the war hammer.

Dwarves, no matter their height, are Medium size creatures, with a movement rate of 6. Their base defense score is a 9. The average height is 43+1d10 inches for males, and 41+1d10 inches for females, while the average weight is 130+4d10 pounds for males and 105+4d10 pounds for females. The average dwarf is Lawful Good, though players may be of any alignment.

Dwarves are at their best between 50 and 150 years of age, though they begin to work as apprentices long before that (some starting careers as early as 35, though this is very rare). At around 150 years of age, a dwarf slips into middle age, losing one point of Dexterity, but gaining a point of Wisdom. When they’re nearly 250, they enter old age, losing a point of Strength and Constitution, and two points of dexterity. However, they also gain a point of Intelligence and Wisdom at this point. Around their 350^th year, dwarves become venerable, and lose another point each from Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, and Perception, but gain one in Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma. Around the middle of their 5^th century, they reach the end of their natural life span, and are not long for this world.