Dwarves, Dwarves, Dwarves!
Races in Dungeons & Dragons: they're a vital part of the D&D experience, yet they never come out quite as intended in play. It's all well and good to roll up a wandering, nature-loving elven cleric of Obad-Hai or a hard-drinking gnome barbarian who somehow manages to woo the ladies, but in play the colors tend to wash out a bit because you've got to get the whole party working together. The elf's got to be a little less elfy, the dwarf's got to be less dwarfy, the half-orc has to put on some pants; pretty soon we're back to playing humans, only with funny-shaped ears.
My brilliant solution is to create functional adventuring parties composed of only one race. A party of dwarves, a party of elves, right on down the line to the humans. That will be my project in this seven part series. Here are the specifics, for the d20 literate:
My brilliant solution is to create functional adventuring parties composed of only one race. A party of dwarves, a party of elves, right on down the line to the humans. That will be my project in this seven part series. Here are the specifics, for the d20 literate:
- I've created these parties at 1st level, then leveled them up to 6th to take a snapshot of their progress. Why? Because I like low-level D&D, mostly, but also because race loses its relevance at later levels. There's still some challenge and interest in this project at 6th level. At 9th, a party of half-orcs is almost indistinguishable mechanically from a party of humans.
- Each party is composed of four members, each of whom fills one of the traditional D&D roles. Each team has a fighter (note the lower-case "f"), a divine-magic-user, an arcane-magic-user and somebody who can deal with traps and locks.
- Each race's favored class is represented in its party.
With the premise out of the way, I give you Party #1: The Grayhelm Dungeoneers.
The Party
The Grayhelm Dungeoneers are a special forces unit in service of Ramssachs, a minor Dwarven city locked in cold war with mountain-dwellers and Underdark invaders alike. For centuries, Ramssachs has trained small, self-sufficient units of warriors to explore, defend and invade dungeon-like environments such as caves, underground cities and lightly-populated fortresses. Because Ramssachs has a standard military force for large-scale engagements, the Dungeoneers are deployed only in their area of expertise. They fight only in dungeons, not on the battlefield, though some of them have military training.
The Grayhelm Dungeoneers are Ramssach's junior unit; the senior unit is getting on in years and will need replacement soon, so the junior unit is being deployed constantly to gain valuable experience and to earn a reputation with the enemies of the Dwarven Empire. The Grayhelm Dungeoneers were trained for dungeon-crawling together, and are thus close friends despite their disparate backgrounds. They are tight-knit team trained for self-sufficiency, so they spend a lot of time together and have a hard time "punching out" even when they are not on duty.
My thematic goal with the Grayhelm Dungeoneers was to give a rationale to the stereotypical D&D adventuring party. In play, this party would be well-suited to a hack-and-slash campaign with more internal logic than most. Mechanically, it is designed with the dungeon environment in mind. If you take these dwarves to the surface, you'll void their warranty.
Members
Tam Sturmbrag
Bio
Tam Sturmbrag is a boisterous, attention-seeking braggart fixated on proving that he's got the muscle to cow or outwrestle anything a dungeon can dish out. He was recruited for the Grayhelm Dungeoneers from the conventional military forces, where he excelled in single combat and physical conditioning but made a poor soldier because of his abrasive manner and his lack of discipline. Even for a dwarf, Tam is hard to get along with because he habitually picks fights, has an often-offensive sense of humor, and can never let a slight or mistake pass gracefully by him. It is a running joke with the Dungeoneers that Tam's "more of a dungeon dwarf" than, for example, a religious type... or a romantic type... or a book-learning type... etc. If there were ever a personality perfectly suited to wandering aimlessly through dark corridors and hitting strangers with an axe, Tam is it. He loves the challenge and prestige of being the team's linchpin in combat, as well as the sense of being relied upon by other dwarves.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Tam's a pretty straightforward combatant built for high damage and for facing single, powerful enemies. He uses Improved Bull Rush and his exceptional Strength to keep tough enemies away from the rest of the team and to manipulate the battlefield to the Dungeoneers' best advantage. He's a bit underpowered at 1st level as presented here, but he'll benefit from better equipment as soon as he starts adventuring. He's got a Dex bonus of only +1, so he wants the heaviest armor he can get. He's also got Power Attack, which will be more useful with a +1 Masterwork weapon bonus to play with. Every member of the Dungeoneers is required to know a Craft, and Tam's is Weaponsmithing.
Level 1 Write-up
Fighter 1
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 14
AC: 18, 17 flat-footed, 11 touch
Initiative: +1
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 18
Dex: 12
Con 18
Int: 11
Wis: 9
Cha: 5
Fort: +6
Ref: +1
Will: -1
Skills:
Climb +8
Craft (Weaponsmith) +6
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -7
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush
Attacks:
Dwarven Waraxe +5 (1d10+4)
Light Hammer, thrown +2 (1d4+4)
Armor and Gear:
Chainmail
Large Wooden Shield
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Level 6 Write-up
Fighter 6
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 59
AC: 20 with buckler, 19 without buckler, 19 flat-footed with buckler, 18 flat-footed without buckler, 11 touch
Initiative: +1
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 21 (19 + 2 from Gauntlets)
Dex: 12
Con 18
Int: 11
Wis: 9
Cha: 5
Fort: +9
Ref: +3
Will: +6
Skills:
Climb +10
Craft (Weaponsmith) +7
Jump +9
Swim +9
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -6
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Steadfast Determination, Cleave, Combat Brute, Shock Trooper
Attacks:
+1 Dwarven Waraxe +12 (1d10+6 one-handed or 1d10+8 two-handed) or +12/+7 (Full Attack)
Masterwork Mighty Composite Longbow (+4) +8 (1d8+4) or +8/+3 (Full Attack)
Armor and Gear:
Full Plate
Buckler
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Koln Klassen
Bio
Koln Klassen is a rookie combat engineer who asked to join the Grayhelm Dungeoneers when he realized that his battlefield job prevented him for practicing basic self-preservation. Koln's no coward, but he doesn't want to die because he's not permitted to take cover, which is a situation he found himself in during his battlefield deployment. Primarily a gifted craftsman with a knack for anything mechanical, Koln has also picked up some sneaky survival tactics from his military days. Koln is a shifty, cynical and pragmatic type with no patience for circumlocution. He comes straight to the point and gruffly encourages others to do the same. At the same time, he's crafty almost to a fault. Koln is Lawful, but his use of traps, contingency plans and tactical deception sometimes lead others to question his honor. Koln doesn't consider himself a typical dwarf and pays only lip service to the Dwarven conception of honor and duty; he has his own ideas about those values, though, and follows them scrupulously. Koln is loyal to his team, gives everybody a fair chance and cons only those who've had fair warning that he's out to snake them. Though he gives off a high-strung and impatient vibe, Koln is happy with his assignment. He likes the other Grayhelm Dungeoneers and enjoys contributing to the Empire in a capacity that permits him to use his own skills and judgment.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Koln's a pretty standard rogue focused on mechanical skills and, to a lesser degree, stealth. He's lacking in physical and social skills, favoring instead the skills that a dungeon-focused rogue is likely to need. He's got two Craft skills, trapmaking and armorsmithing, as well as Open Lock, Disable Device and Knowledge: Dungeoneering. In combat he's a conventional rogue, relying on melee sneak attacks. He's got a morningstar at 1st level, but he'll upgrade to a Dwarven waraxe as soon as possible. Though he's capable of gaining the element of surprise with his stealth skills, especially because of his Darkvision, he's likely to rely on flanking with Tam to gain his Sneak Attack bonus rather than sniping. He has Improved Initiative, which is great for gaining Sneak Attack opportunities, but also for doing other rogue-like things such as taking cover or running to a favorable position before combat begins.
Level 1 Write-up
Rogue 1
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 7
AC: 15, 13 flat-footed, 12 touch
Initiative: +6
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 14
Dex: 15
Con 13
Int: 17
Wis: 14
Cha: 9
Fort: +1
Ref: +4
Will: +2
Class Abilities: Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding
Skills:
Appraise +7
Climb +6
Craft (armorsmith) +9
Craft (trapmaking) +7
Disable Device +7
Hide +6
Knowledge: Architecture and Engineering +5
Knowledge: Dungeoneering +5
Listen +6
Move Silently +6
Open Lock +6
Search +7
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -1
Feats: Improved Initiative
Attacks:
Morningstar +2 (1d8+3)
Shortbow +2 (1d6)
Armor and Gear:
Thieves' Tools
Studded Leather
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Goblin
Orc
Undercommon
Level 6 Write-up
Rogue 6
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 27
AC: 20, 17 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +7
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 14
Dex: 16
Con 13
Int: 17
Wis: 14
Cha: 9
Fort: +3
Ref: +8
Will: +4
Class Abilities: Sneak Attack +3d6, Trapfinding, Trap Sense +2, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge
Skills:
Appraise +8 (+10 total for armor or trap related appraisals)
Balance +5
Climb +11
Craft (armorsmith) +10
Craft (trapmaking) +12
Disable Device +12
Hide +12
Jump +4
Knowledge: Architecture and Engineering +8
Knowledge: Dungeoneering +8
Listen +10
Move Silently +12
Open Lock +13
Search +12 (+14 total to find secret doors and compartments or to find and follow tracks)
Spot +6
Survival (+4 total underground only)
Tumble +7
Armor Check Penalty (Not applied above): -1
Feats: Improved Initiative, Dodge, Mobility
Attacks:
+1 Dwarven Waraxe +7 (1d10+3)
Masterwork Composite Shortbow (+2) +8 (1d6+2)
Armor and Gear:
Masterwork Thieves' Tools
1 Potion of Invisibility
Bag of Holding I
+1 Chain Shirt
Large Mithral Shield
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Goblin
Orc
Undercommon
Melkor the Sage
Bio
Melkor is a newly minted sage just out of his apprenticeship. He is a kindly, enthusiastic and somewhat naive dwarf whose future career as a sage requires him to spend some time in the field, a distraction from his studies that he only grudgingly accepts. Melkor loves being a go-to dwarf, which accounts for his choice of career. He follows in a long Dwarven tradition of broadly-educated sage/spellcasters, and has always been more interested in knowledge than in magic per se. He is not just the brain of the Grayhelm Dungeoneers, but the mind. In addition to working magic and recalling obscure lore, he is responsible for the team's rare social encounters; fortunately, he is an uncommonly likable dwarf. Melkor has had the basic combat training common to all dwarves, but enjoys combat only as an exercise in problem-solving; he loves plotting strategy, but prefers to stay away from spattering blood and the clang of steel once the plan gets underway. This isn't just squeamishness; Melkor really doesn't have a mean bone in his body and sees violence as a distraction from the higher nature of dwarfkind. While Melkor would rather by studying that dungeon crawling, he likes his teammates and would much rather serve with them than in standard military forces.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Melkor is basically a utility wizard designed to handle social encounters and other situations not covered by another dwarf's niche. He's not at all combat-oriented, though he has Mage Armor, Protection from Evil and Sleep to make him useful to the team in a fight. His Knowledge: History and Knowledge: Arcana are his only real "sage" skills at first level, but later he branches out into other Knowledge skills and will eventually settle on a prestige class that grants him more sage-like abilities (such as Loremaster). His magical ability will continue to grow in the direction of Enchantment and Divination, permitting him to serve as the team's social expert and information gatherer as well as its primary spellcaster.
Level 1 Write-up
Wizard 1
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 6
AC: 10
Initiative: +0
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 9
Dex: 11
Con 14
Int: 16
Wis: 8
Cha: 13
Fort: +4
Ref: +0
Will: +1
Skills:
Concentration +6
Craft (blacksmith) +9
Spellcraft +7
Knowledge: Arcana +7
Knowledge: History +7
Spot +1
Listen +1
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus: Enchantment
Attacks:
Dwarven Waraxe -1 (1d10-1)
Light Crossbow +0 (1d8)
Spells: 3 0-Level per day, 2 1-Level per day
Spellbook:
All 0-Level spells
Charm Person
Comprehend Languages
Identify
Sleep
Mage Armor
Protection from Evil
Familiar: Hobie the Rat (Alertness and Fort save bonuses factored into stats)
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Draconic
Gnome
Undercommon
Level 6 Write-up
Wizard 6
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 26
AC: 11, 10 touch
Initiative: +0
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 9
Dex: 11
Con 14
Int: 19 (17 + 2 from Headband)
Wis: 8
Cha: 13
Fort: +6
Ref: +2
Will: +4
Skills:
Appraise (+8 total with blacksmith-related items only)
Concentration +10
Craft (blacksmith) +11
Diplomacy +3
Spellcraft +13
Knowledge: Arcana +13
Knowledge: History +13
Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty +9
Knowledge: The Planes +6
Spot +1
Listen +1
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Craft Wonderous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Jack of All Trades
Attacks:
Dwarven Waraxe +2 (1d10-1)
Light Crossbow +3 (1d8)
Spells: 4 0-Level per day, 4 1-Level per day, 4 2-Level per day, 3 3-Level per day
Spellbook:
0-Level spells
All
1-Level Spells
Charm Person
Comprehend Languages
Identify
Sleep
Mage Armor
Protection from Evil
Message
Feather Fall
2-Level Spells
Detect Thoughts
Invisibility
See Invisibility
Locate Object
Resist Elements
Minor Image
3-Level Spells
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Dispel Magic
Fly
Suggestion
Gaseous Form
Hold Person
Invisibility Sphere
Lightning Bolt
Armor and Gear:
Headband of Intellect +2
Pearl of Power (1st Level)
Amulet of Natural Armor +1
Familiar: Hobie the Rat (Alertness and Fort save bonuses factored into stats)
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Draconic
Gnome
Undercommon
Ovald Docsson
Bio
Ovald Docsson is an unusual cleric of Moradin who comes from a stonecarving background rather than from the traditional temple training common to most Dwarven priests. Ovald's connection to earth and stone runs in his family and makes his service of Moradin rather more spiritual and mystical than usual. Though he is a member of the church of Moradin and respects the organization, he chafed under even the brief training given to him and much prefers his current assignment. Ovald celebrates all things Dwarven and is quick to remind his teammates that they must behave according to Dwarven principles no matter how far from home they wander. He acts with honesty and goodwill toward all sentient creatures but is unapologetically ethnocentric; Dwarves are his business and other races are not, as he sees it. He is loathe to submit to the rules of other cultures, finds working with other races to be a needless hassle and hates to live in the surface world for even a short period of time. Ovald is no philosopher, focusing instead on personal virtue and common-sense standards of right and wrong. He is the "conscience of the team," but in practical rather than abstract matters. He is the one who speaks up against laziness, cowardice, selfishness and neglect -- he leaves debate on the finer points of ethics to Melkor.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Ovald's main function is as a healer, but he is also competent in melee and can use the spells of his Earth domain to exert some battlefield control in a dungeon environment (his first level Domain spell, Magic Stone, doesn't really fit this description, but his later spells do). Ovald's Craft skill is stonework, which is likely to come in handy in dungeons. Like Tam, he will benefit greatly from even slightly better equipment, so his first level character sheet doesn't really do him justice. The idea is that he will grow into a very well-rounded character capable of healing, a few potent offensive spells, melee combat and protecting the team from undead and evil outsiders. Ovald wields a warhammer in reverence to Moradin and to his clan.
Level 1 Write-up
Cleric 1
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 10
AC: 17, 17 flat-footed, 10 touch
Initiative: +0
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 15
Dex: 11
Con 15
Int: 12
Wis: 17
Cha: 13
Fort: +4
Ref: +0
Will: +5
Class Abilities: Turn undead 4/day
Skills:
Concentration +6
Craft (Stonework) +7
Knowledge: Religion +5
Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency: Warhammer
Attacks:
Warhammer +2 (1d8+2)
Magic Stone +0 (1d6+1 or 2d6+1 against undead) Note: Ovald always carries three pebbles for use with his magic stone spell. He enchants them as necessary.
Armor and Gear:
Chainmail
Large Wooden Shield
Wooden Holy Symbol
Domains: Good and Earth
Spells per day:
3 0-Level
2 1-Level (plus 1 Domain spell)
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Celestial
Level 6 Write-up
Cleric 6
Dwarf
Lawful Good
HP: 40
AC: 22, 22 flat-footed, 10 touch
Initiative: +0
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Speed not reduced by heavy or medium armor
60' Darkvision
Stonecunning (+2 to search stonework, intuit depth, automatically check to detect hidden stonework)
Proficient with dwarven urgrosh and dwarven waraxe
+4 to resist bull rushes and trips while standing on the ground
+2 to save vs. poison
+2 to save vs. spells and spell-like effects
+1 to hit orcs and goblinoids
+4 AC vs. giants
+2 to Appraise stone or metal items
+2 to Craft stone or metal items
Str: 15
Dex: 11
Con 15
Int: 12
Wis: 18
Cha: 13
Fort: +7
Ref: +2
Will: +8
Class Abilities: Turn undead 4/day
Skills:
Concentration +11
Craft (Stonework) +12
Knowledge: Religion +10
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -6
Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency: Warhammer, Brew Potion, Earth Sense
Attacks:
+1 Warhammer +7 (1d8+3)
Magic Stone +4 (1d6+1 or 2d6+1 against undead) Note: Ovald always carries three pebbles for use with his magic stone spell. He enchants them as necessary.
Armor and Gear:
Stone of Alarm
+1 Full Plate
+1 Large Steel Shield
Silver Holy Symbol
Domains: Good and Earth
Spells per day:
5 0-Level
3 1-Level (plus 1 Domain spell)
3 2-Level (plus 1 Domain spell)
2 3-Level (plus 1 Domain spell)
Speaks:
Common
Dwarven
Celestial
The Dwarven Party Overall: Pros and Cons
Dwarves are perhaps the strongest of the standard D&D races and have abilities that are useful across a wide variety of character types. Particularly for a group like the Grayhelm Dungeoneers who spend all of their time dungeon-crawling, dwarves' combat- and dungeon-oriented abilities are very handy.
Every member of this team has darkvision, which is a big bonus right up front. Having to worry about illumination all the time is a big impediment in dungeons, both for the risk of being blinded if the light fails and for the obstacle it presents to stealth. While these dwarves might benefit from a light source most of the time (60' isn't that far) they can freely explore without one. The proficiency with the dwarven waraxe is nice too, especially at low levels where the extra damage helps a lot for non-martial characters. Furthermore, Stonecunning permits every member of the team to help search for traps and secret doors within dungeons. Melkor, in particular, would be a decent back-up for Koln in searching for mechanical traps. Finally, dwarves' innate bonus to Craft checks helps to create a self-sufficient team. Craft isn't that useful when the team is able to run back to town after every foray into a dungeon, but for a party operating in hostile territory or away from civilization, it can be a vital skill.
As for weaknesses, this team does have a few. The most glaring is its lack of mobility. All of the Grayhelm Dungeoneers have speeds of 20 ft., which is weak compared to the taller races and to many monsters. The dungeon environment makes this less important, and the team's mobility deficit is greatly mitigated by the dwarven ability to wear heavy armor without an decrease in land speed. Still, a mobile ranged attacker would be able to evade the whole team for a long time, given the space to maneuver. Speaking of ranged attacks, the Grayhelm Dungeoneers suck hard at ranged offense. This is an indirect result of the team's all-dwarf composition. Low mobility hurts archers, the team's fighter and rogue have their Feats tied up in non-ranged pursuits, and the wizard's obligation to take utility spells limits the number of offense spells that he can take. The utility spells, incidentally, are necessary because of the team's lack of social skill and their excessively focused nature. The dwarven Charisma penalty is at fault, both for making the rest of the team unlikeable and for making a dwarven Sorcerer (who could contribute more in combat) impractical.
Overall, the Grayhelm Dungeoneers are a very effective party as long as they stick to the cramped, politics-free corridors of the dungeon. There, they are arguably more effective than a mixed-race party built for the same purpose. In open areas or in social situations, though, the racial weaknesses of the dwarf will catch up with them.
