This week we continue our exploration of individual ancestries in Realm of Runes with the Dwarf, and its art by Nikki Smith-Cielo. As a basic ancestry, Dwarves can be played separately or freely combined with one of the available hybrid ancestries. Dwarves have a strong tradition in fantasy, and Realm of Runes presents a version of the ancestry that cleaves to this custom closely, while providing a great deal of mechanical flexibility and variety.
From the rulebook: "Generally stocky and shorter than other medium creatures, dwarves make up for their lack of height with a sturdy frame and relentless determination. A dwarf generally lives for about five hundred years, and so change happens slowly in dwarven cultures. Frequently matriarchal and highly traditional clans provide many dwarves with a rigid outlook on life that can cause friction with younger or more relaxed cultures.
"Most dwarven cultures prize crafting and mining, and in many dwarven holds those that work metal with great prowess achieve more prestige than politicians or warriors, which can baffle visitors from other societies with different priorities.
"Dwarves have a reputation for being drunk and irritable, but neither provide a complete picture. Natural toxin resistance generally requires a typical dwarf to drink two to three times as much as others to feel the same effect, and general mistrust of the new and different greets strangers with cautiousness mistaken for ill temper. For those that win the trust of a dwarf, or a clan, dwarves can become even closer than biological family, and close friendships are often passed down from generation to generation."
Since dwarves are a basic ancestry, playing one is as simple as choosing it as your ancestry with no extra steps required, unlike with adding a hybrid ancestry. Dwarves have a full suite of ten potential ancestry feats to choose from as well as a few special abilities that are common to all members of the ancestry. Darkvision helps dwarves see in conditions that entirely lack light sources, while their Steady Pace reduces their impeded condition value by 1 whenever it is imposed, and again whenever it would be increased.
Dwarven ancestry feats tend to focus on enhancing your character's durability, and helping to work through your naturally slower pace of foot. With a generous ten bonus Hit Points just for being a Dwarf, ability boosts to Endurance and Wisdom (key abilities for perhaps the two most important saves), and many different ways of improving your power and resilience, dwarf ancestry has excellent synergy with class specialties that deal a lot of damage without worrying too much about movement - like the Mammoth Clan Barbarian, Marksman and Skirmisher Rangers, and mounted Vanguards and Paladins. Let's take a closer look at each of the dwarf's available ancestry feats. Those with the biology trait are exclusive to dwarves, while those that lack this trait are available to other ancestries through the use of the Adopted Ancestry universal feat.
ANCESTRAL ANIMOSITY ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Dwarf]
Dwarves have many ancestral enemies, and you have trained to defeat these foes. Choose two of the following traits: aberration, dragon, giant, or goblinoid. You have a +1 un-typed bonus to checks and damage against creatures with a trait you chose. If such a creature critically succeeds at an attack against you, this bonus becomes +4 against it for 1 minute.
This feat provides a useful, always-on bonus to two common creature types for monstrous enemies. As an un-typed bonus, it always stacks with other bonuses likely to come up in play, such as Bardic inspire courage or a Ranger's Hunt Target. If one of your chosen foes starts to get the upper hand on you, this feat is there to help you put them back in their place.
{A} BOULDER ROLL ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Attack, Dwarf, Move]
Step into the space of an enemy up to one size category bigger than you. The foe must move into an empty space opposite your starting space or try to block you by attempting an Athletics check against your Athletics DC. If there is no open space, it must attempt to block you and the only result can be damage. Increase a foe’s circumstance penalty to its Athletics check by 2 for each size category smaller than you it is.
Success: The target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Athletics modifier. Neither of you move.
Success (+5): As success, but 5 less damage.
Failure: The target takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Athletics modifier and is pushed 1 hex.
Failure (-10): As failure, plus 10 more damage.
Special: This ability counts as a Step for all purposes. If you have the Think Big Athletics skill feat, that feat applies to this activity.
With only a 4-hex walking speed, getting where you need to go with enemies in the way can be difficult. This feat lets you try to push through those obstacles instead of going the long way around, and likely deals damage to those foes that don't just let you pass. Despite having the move trait, functioning as a Step prevents you from triggering attacks of opportunity while using this tactic, and if you can force a foe into disadvantageous positions while you're at it, so much the better. This ability costs one action on your turn to use.
DEEP DWARF ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Duergar, Dwarf]
You are descended from deep dwarves that dwell in dark caverns far underground. Your skin is ashy gray and your darkvision works in magical darkness of any spell level. You have the Duergar trait, a +2 un-typed bonus to Athletics and Intimidation, but a -1 un-typed penalty to Diplomacy, Performance and Society.
While most dwarves live underground, some have done so exclusively for so long that they have adapted to the dark even more than typical dwarves. Being able to see through any level of magical darkness is huge, though being dazzled in sunlight is an irritating penalty if your adventure mostly takes place outside. Being a duergar has its benefits for pushing others around physically and emotionally, but comes with the cost of dealing with a natural aversion from most others that can make friendly interactions tricky.
GIANTSLAYER ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Dwarf]
Your training against giants gives you an edge in combat. Against creatures at least one size category bigger than you, you have a circumstance bonus to AC, other DCs against attacks, checks to Track and Sneak, and Perception. The size of the bonus is equal to the number steps bigger than you it is.
Dwarves and giants have a rivalry that goes back to the beginning of recorded history, and being on the "short end" of that antagonism is unacceptable for many a dwarf. This feat takes what should be a disadvantage and makes it work in your favor in many critical ways, both offensively and defensively. Your enemies might be bigger than you, but you'll show them who's boss!
HARDY ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Dwarf]
Your natural toxin resistance is especially strong. You have poison resistance equal to your level, and when you reduce the stage of a disease or poison, reduce it by 1 more.
This feat helps you overcome disease and poison much more quickly than others. Most such afflictions persist until you manage to reduce the stage to zero, so reducing them by additional stages can cause even the most virulent poison or disease to run its course with a manageable speed. Resistance to poison damage also helps mitigate the effects of these afflictions, and helps you confidently stand toe-to-toe with nasty poisonous critters - because running from them is hard when you're slow.
{R} INDOMITABLE BLOOD ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Dwarf, Fortune]
Trigger: You fail a save against magic
Effect: Roll the triggering save again and take the better result.
With ability boosts to Endurance and Wisdom, you likely have good saves already. Think of this feat as an insurance policy against pesky spellcasters. Rolled poorly? Go ahead and try again. You probably want to invest in extra reactions at some point, though. It would be a shame to run out of chances against lethal magic.
ROOTED BOOTS ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Dwarf]
It is difficult to move you when you are on the ground. You have a +2 circumstance bonus to your DC against Shove and Trip. This bonus also applies to saves against effects that would make you fall, knock you prone, or change your position. If an effect forces you to move against your will, you move 2 fewer hexes. All of these effects apply as long as you have both feet on the ground.
When you're slower than everyone else, maintaining your position can be important. This feat helps keep you right where you want to be, and also prevents other time-wasting effects like constantly having to stand up after being tripped. Let your enemies break upon you like the rock you are.
STONECUNNING ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Dwarf]
Inconsistencies and craftsmanship techniques in stonework are readily apparent to you. You have a circumstance bonus to checks involving stone equal to half your level, minimum +2. This bonus applies to all of the following:
Stonemasonry: You have a bonus to Crafting checks that involve working with stone.
Traps: You have a bonus to checks and DCs against traps made of stone or hidden within stone.
Unusual Stonework: You have a bonus to checks to spot unusual stonework, secret doors and hidden compartments inside of stone.
Frequently miners, many dwarves have a knack for understanding their most common surroundings. This feat provides a scaling bonus to basically everything you could want that's stone-related. While stone isn't typically a common material for items, unless you make them yourself (which this helps with), the bonus against traps can be critical for survival and the bonus for noticing secrets can save you time and find you many windfalls of hidden treasure.
STONE STRIDER ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Dwarf]
Your innate connection to stone makes you adept at moving across uneven surfaces. Ignore difficult terrain from stone and earth. If you must Balance or Maintain Balance on stone or earth, you are not flat-footed and your check is one step better.
Some dwarves are so close to their surroundings that it's like an extension of themselves. With a slow walking speed, ignoring difficult terrain can be turn the tables on a difficult encounter. Any ability that makes a check one step better is also huge. When the risk is falling, turning failure into success can stop you from wasting your time (and possibly Hit Points) getting back up, and save you from taking potentially lethal fall damage.
WEAPON FAMILIARITY (DWARF) ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Dwarf]
Your kin have instilled in you an affinity for hard-hitting weapons. You gain an esoteric proficiency boost to axes and hammers. If a weapon has the dwarf trait, it does not have the exotic trait for you and you treat it as common. You begin play with a clan dagger at no cost. You can always use a Dwarf weapon to Riposte.
Extra proficiency increases greatly expand your capabilities, especially if you pick a class (like the Cleric or Sorcerer) that doesn't get many to begin with. Ignoring the exotic trait also makes those weapons easier to use altogether. Finally, Riposte is a great way to punish foes that gamble on their lowest-bonus attacks. Normally only available as a reaction if you wield a weapon with the parry trait, this feat helps ensure that you're always ready to take advantage of a foe's weakness with the preferred weapons of your people.
Whether you plan to be a full-blooded dwarf or expand your horizons by adding a hybrid ancestry, dwarves make for strong and resilient characters that don't let their stature hold them back. No matter what kind of character you build, the dwarf is there to help that character stay alive and fill its role excellently. Next week we'll continue our ancestry exploration with another hybrid ancestry: the varied and enigmatic elemental-kin.
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