Dwarves

Overview:
Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their knowledge of the earth's wilderness, and their capacity to drink ale. Their mysterious kingdoms, built into the bogs and marshes of the world, are renowned for the healing herbs and poisons that they produce as gifts for trade.
Personality: Dwarves are slow to laugh or jest, and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those who earn their trust. Dwarves value gold, gems, jewelry, and the art objects made with these precious materials, and they have been known to succumb to this greed. They also place a high value the herbs and venoms that they use for healing and poison making. They fight neither timidly nor recklessly, but with careful courage and tenacity. Their sense of justice is strong, but at its worst it can turn into a thirst for vengeance.

Physical Description:
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. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown and worn long. Dwarf men value their beards and groom them very carefully. Dwarves favor simple styles for their hair, beards, and cloths.

Relations:
Dwarves get along fine with the Antell, Gnomes, Raptorans, and possibly humans and halflings. Dwarve's say, "The difference between a friend and an acquaintance is 100 years." Humans, with their short lifespans, have a hard time forming truly strong bonds with dwarves. The best dwarf-human relationship is often between a human and a dwarf who liked the humans parents and grandparents. Dwarves, due to their ancient grudge against the reptilian folk that inhabit the marshes they call home, find it hard to trust the snake-like jakrias. Similarly, they find it hard to forge a true bond of friendship with the Iridi, distrusting the selfish, eager beings.

Alignment:
Dwarves are usually lawful, and they tend towards good. Adventuring Dwarves are less likely to fit the common mold, however, as they are likely to be those who did not fit perfectly into dwarven society.

Dwarven Lands:
Dwarven kingdoms usually lie deep within the thick bogs and marshes of Eressea, where they collect various herbs and venoms, and craft wondrous poisons and healing potions. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome among the wooden, almost raft-like, settlements, though some parts of these lands are off limits to them. Whatever wealth the dwarves can not find within their land, or take from their hated enemies, they gain through trade. Dwarves have taken to traveling about the marshes and bogs atop small, well crafted boats, which they propel through the water using a long slender staff. Despite this dwarves have a dislike of the open oceans, and rely on the humans and the antell when it comes to shipping goods overseas.
Dwarves in human lands are often mercenaries, poison makers, trackers, herbalists, and medics. Dwarf bodyguards are renowned for their courage and loyalty, and they are well rewarded for their virtues.

Language:
Dwarves speak Dwarven,which has its own runic script. Dwarven literature is marked by comprehensive histories of kingdoms and wars through the millennium. The dwarven alphabet is also used (with minor variations) for the gnome, giant, and a few other minor languages. Dwarves often speak the languages of their friends and enemies. A few also learn Aquan, Sylvan, and possibly Folass.

Names:
A dwarfs name is granted to him by his clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and re-used 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.

Dwarf Racial Traits:

* +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
* Low-light Vision
* Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat nets and and bolas as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
* Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against reptilians
* +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the reptilian type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it's caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
* +2 bonus on Heal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks
* +2 racial bonus on Craft(Poisonmaking)
* Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Terran, and Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass dwarf's fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing

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