If they
have time to prepare, they may build deadfalls or other traps
involving
stone. In addition to the dwarven waraxe and thrown hammer,
dwarves
also use
warhammers, picks, shortbows, heavy crossbows, and maces.
Personality:
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.
Among gnomes, who get along famously with dwarves, a mild oath
is “If
I’m lying, may I cross a dwarf.”
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. Dwarves’ skin is
typically deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark.
Their hair
is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long. Dwarf men value
their
beards highly and groom them very carefully. Dwarves favor
simple
styles for their hair, beards, and clothes.
Dwarves are considered adults at about age 40, and they can live
to be
more than 400 years old.
Relations: Dwarves get
along
fine with gnomes, and passably with humans, half-elves,
and
halflings. 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 fail to appreciate
elves’
subtlety and art, regarding elves as unpredictable, fickle, and
flighty. Still, elves and dwarves have, through the ages, found
common
cause in battles against orcs, goblins, and gnolls. Through many
such
joint campaigns, the elves have earned the dwarves’ grudging
respect.
Dwarves are fair-minded, and they grant individuals of other
races the
opportunity to prove themselves.