Gold Dwarf
Gold Dwarves, Faerun
Making their homes in the immediate vicinity of the Great Rift, gold dwarves are the dominant southern branch of the South Folk in Faerun. Renowned not only for their smithwork and craftsmanship but also for their military prowess and legendary wealth, gold dwarves have maintained their empire for millienia, unbowed by the passage of time. They measure others by how much honor and wealth each individual garners as well as the status of his or her bloodline and clan. From birth, gold dwarves are taught to conform to the traditional strictures of their society. Every important decision, from choice of profession to their mate, is dictated by the circumstances of their birth. Most gold dwarves who wander beyond the familiar confines of the Deep Realm do so in order to found new strongholds of their own, but many find the lure of adventuring hard to ignore once it has entered into their blood.
Averaging 4 feet tall and weighing as much as an adult human, gold dwarves are stocky and muscular. The skin of a gold dwarf is light brown or deeply tanned, and their eyes are unusually brown or hazel. Both genders wear their hair long, and males (along with some females) have long, carefully groomed beards and mustaches. Hair color ranges from black to gray or brown, with all shades fading to light gray as time progresses.
Racial Traits
- +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity
- Hardiness vs. Poisons: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons
- Hardiness vs. Spells: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells
- Darkvision: Gold dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and gold dwarves function just fine wtih no light at all.
- Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus on Search checks made in subterranean areas
- Skill Affinity: A gold dwraf receives a +2 racial bonus to the Lore skill
- Offensive Training vs. Orcs: +1 racial bones on attack rolls against orcs
- Offensive Training vs. Goblinoids: +1 racial bonus on attack roles against goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears)
- Defensive Training vs. Giants: +4 racial bonus to AC against giants