TEXT: Concise Collection
  of Classes
  New classes and character options for Four Against Darkness
  Erick N. Bouchard
  Andrea Sfiligoi
  
  New classes plus dwarf-only character
  options for Four Against Darkness
  Concise Collection
  of Classes
  Written by Erick N. Bouchard and Andrea Sfiligoi
  Additional material by Nicholas Lalonde
  Playtested by Melissa Millar and Christopher Salvatore
  Art by Andrea Sfiligoi, James Buckland-Wright, Henry Clarke, Sergius Hruby, Arthur Rackham.
  Possessed dwarves art based on concepts by Matt Dorangricchia.
  With thanks to Russell Reynolds for the book’s title
  For more information about Norindaal, the official setting for Four Against Darkness:
  
  2
  Contents
  Introduction 
  4
  Acknowledgements 
  5
  Assassin 
  5
  Elder 
  7
  Fire Elf 
  9
  Harlequin 
  11
  Lutin 
  13
  Marksman 
  15
  Monk 
  16
  Ogre Mercenary 
  22
  Wilderness Guide 
  24
  New Weapons 
  26
  New Expert skills 
  26
  Alchemical Training 
  26
  Bomb Crafting 
  26
  Catch Projectiles 
  27
  Fire Breather 
  27
  Harmonious Movement 
  27
  Mind Focus 
  27
  Poison Expert 
  28
  Quivering Palm 
  28
  Slow Fall 
  28
  Specialist Slayer 
  28
  Spiritual Archery 
  28
  Spiritual Nourishment 
  28
  Surgeon Training 
  29
  Weapon Mastery 
  29
  Woe of Chaos 
  29
  A sword-bearing monk devoted to
  Cloudcutter 
  29
  Mythic Origins 
  30
  Dwarven Dissertations 
  30
  Ssiklis’ Treachery 
  31
  The Century of Rain and Fire 
  31
  The Slumbering Gods 
  32
  Kestar Kell, the Half Ring 
  33
  Cultural Groups 
  33
  The Miners 
  34
  The Greedy King 
  34
  A King’s Hubris 
  34
  The Dwarven Schism 
  35
  The Father of Dragons 
  35
  The Pelters 
  35
  Dragonslayers 
  36
  The Iron Hands of Hammerfall 
  38
  The Possessed 
  38
  The Thralls of the Lich King 
  39
  
  3
  The Gods of the Dwarves 
  40
  Father Hulla 
  40
  Darim the Smith 
  40
  Mother Fari 
  41
  Dwarven Skills 
  41
  Common Skills 
  42
  Dwarven Spearwall 
  42
  Dwarven Steelwall 
  42
   Miner Clan Skills 
  42
  Arbalest 
  42
  Ball & Chain Wielder 
  43
  Battle Tankard 
  43
  Gemstone Grenadier 
  43
  Runecaster 
  44
  Pelter Skills 
  44
  Animal Soul Sharing 
  45
  Bear Pelters 
  46
  Bearwolf Archers 
  46
  Raven Twinblade 
  47
  Runecaster 
  47
  Sabertooth Tiger Pelter 
  47
  Dragonslayer Skills 
  47
  Dragonslayer Strike 
  47
  Sense Dragons 
  48
  Master of Wilderness 
  48
  Iron Hands Skills 
  48
  Iron Hands 
  48
  Outcast Skills  
  49
  Battle Fury 
  49
  Insane Fearlessness 
  50
  Marks of Despair 
  50
  Possessed Skills 
  50
  Brimstone Fusilier 
  51
  Hellchain Fanatic 
  51
  Hellfire Weaver 
  51
  Hellglaive 
  52
  Painsmith 
  52
  Warlord Armor of Chaos 
  52
  Patrons 
  53
  Bohn the Slavemaster 
  53
  King Thumas Ven 
  54
  Adventuring with King Ven 
  55
  Rehenna Bearwolf 
  57
  Adventuring with Reheena  
  57
  Jontil the Beardless 
  58
  Adventuring with Jontil 
  59
  Zorkan Zaa 
  60
  Adventuring with Zaa 
  61
  Where is That Class Again? 
  62
  Clerical Deities 
  63
  
  4
  Introduction
  This supplement is made of two
  sections. In the first part, you get
  nine new character classes:
  • the assassin, who delivers deadly
  strikes from the shadows
  • the fire elf, whose fiery eye-rays
  are both a blessing and a curse
  • the harlequin, a deadly sword
  juggler who always has the last
  laugh
  • the lutin, a minute companion
  who can steal from monsters
  under their very nose
  • the marksman, a deadly sniper
  who kills from afar
  • the monk, in no less than three
  varieties, specialized respectively in
  unarmed 
  martial 
  arts, 
  sword
  fighting and hammer fighting
  • 
  the 
  ogre 
  mercenary, 
  an
  extremely powerful but clumsy
  bruiser with a voracious appetite
  • Two more specialized classes can
  also join your party as a 5th
  character: the elder, a wise but
  fragile mentor, and the wilderness
  survival guide, whose name
  speaks for itself.
  In the second part of this book,
  Dwarven Dissertations, you will learn
  about the lore regarding the
  dwarves of Norindaal as well as
  exclusive, clan-based character
  options to better customize your
  dwarf characters. You will get to
  know about their mythical origins,
  the civil war that split the clans,
  their history and how the dwarves
  came to separate among the Miner
  clans, the Pelters, the Outcasts,
  the Iron Hands and more sinister
  breeds: the demonic Possessed
  and the Thralls of the Lich Lord,
  who serve the dreaded dwarf lich
  Darran Dur.
  Also 
  included 
  are 
  rules 
  for
  crossbows 
  and 
  harquebuses,
  dwarf-only skills for these clans.
  You only need the Four Against
  Darkness core book to use this
  supplement.
  Note: In the class descriptions,
  Expert skills are indicated for
  characters of higher level, as
  described in Four Against the Abyss
  (4AA).
  Unlike Expert skills, the Dwarf Skills
  presented here are available to any
  dwarf of 3rd level or better, as long
  as they are of the proper clans.
  Some classes (e.g. elders and
  monks) also have access to new
  Expert skills at lower levels (3-5).
  
  5
  Acknowledgements
  Erick N. Bouchard and Andrea Sfiligoi
  © 2019. Look up the books of Andrea
  Sfiligoi (“Four Against Darkness”,
  “Advanced Song of blades and
  heroes”, 
  “Axe 
  and 
  Brimstone”,
  “Hammer and Forge”), Dave Arneson,
  Gary Gygax, Rick Priestley, Jack Vance
  (”The Dying Earth”) and J.R.R. Tolkien
  (”Lord of the Rings”, “The Hobbit”) for
  inspiration.
  Assassin
  Cynics say that all adventurers are
  murderers, making their trade
  from the slaughter and theft of
  non-humans in their own homes.
  Assassins accept that fact without
  judgment. While others fight up
  front, their speciality is killing from
  the shadows.
  Many are free agents, serving the
  law as executioners and bounty
  hunters of stray criminals, some
  are bound in service to a noble
  house, and others work for
  assassin guilds or wicked cults.
  Assassins are pragmatists who see
  their trade as simply a more subtle,
  and possibly more effective, than
  the havoc wrecked by paladins in
  shining armor.
  Traits: Assassins add their level to
  their Attack rolls with any
  weapon, 
  including 
  ranged
  weapons.
  Assassins also add their
  level to disguise and stealth
  saves.
  Assassins can find and disarm
  traps and pick
  locks, like rogues,
  but they never add their
  level to these rolls or saves.
  
  6
  The assassin can forfeit an attack
  action to hide in shadows and mark
  a target. Make a stealth save,
  adding the assassin’s level, against
  the monsters’ highest level. If failed,
  the attempt fails and the character
  receives a free attack by the
  monster (roll for Defense).
  If the stealth save succeeds, on the
  following turn, the assassin's next
  attack (if successful) against the
  marked target will do triple damage
  (e.g. 3 wounds if the target's level
  is reached, 6 wounds if the target's
  level is doubled.)  Note that the
  target of the assassin’s attack must
  be a living creature and have a
  discernible anatomy in order to be
  assassinated: this means that
  undead, 
  artificial 
  creatures
  (including golems, automatons,
  robots and elementals) and jellies,
  oozes, molds and spirits may be
  attacked normally but will not
  suffer any extra damage from the
  assassin’s special attack.  However,
  an assassin may take the Specialist
  Slayer skill (see p.28) to affect these.
  Only one assassin can hide in the
  shadows at a time.
  If all the other party members are
  invisible, unreachable, invincible or
  otherwise impossible to attack, the
  assassin cannot hide in the
  shadows.
  Assassins can use any weapons
  (including firearms) and items
  reserved for rogues, e.g. lockpicks,
  poison experts from 4AA and
  athames from Four Against  the
  Netherworld (4ATN).
  Saves: Like rogues, except that
  they do not add their level to rolls
  or saves for finding or disarming
  traps and lockpicking actions.
  Armor allowed: Light armor only.
  No shields.
  Weapons allowed: Any.
  Starting equipment: any two
  weapons, light armor, lockpicks.
  Starting wealth: 5d6 gold.
  Life: 3 + 1 per level. A 1st level
  assassin has 4 life.
  Expert skills: Acute Hearing,
  Danger 
  Sense, 
  Deadly 
  Strike,
  Detective, Intuition, Knife Throwing,
  Quick Footed, Spore Alchemy, Spot
  Weakness, Stabbing Attack, Sworn
  Enemy, Vampire Hunter, Withstand
  Pain, Whirlwind of Steel.
  
  7
  Elder
  Elders are experienced former
  adventurers 
  who 
  accompany
  parties on special occasions as
  mentors, despite being well past
  the 
  age 
  of 
  swinging
  swords and combat
  acrobatics. 
  While
  physically fragile, their
  leadership and their
  ability to make party
  members 
  work
  better 
  together
  make them prized
  if 
  vulnerable
  companions.
  Elders are assumed
  to 
  be 
  former
  members of fighting
  classes 
  such 
  as
  barbarians and warriors.
  Spellcasters and characters
  from knowledge-based classes of
  advanced age should use the usual
  class instead (e.g. wizards, rogues,
  alchemists, etc.) A single elder can
  join a party of four characters as a
  fifth character without incurring
  any penalties. You can take also
  take them as usual characters or
  even form a party of five elders if
  you dare.
  Traits: Elders have no class bonus
  to Attack or Defense rolls.
  Elders start the game with the
  Commanding Presence skill (from
  4AA p.15): when taking a front place
  in the  marching order, all
  characters in the party have +1 to
  save rolls versus fear or terror. The
  bonus also applies when the
  party is attacked from
  behind in a corridor
  or 
  in 
  a 
  similar
  surprise situation.
  Elders also have the
  Guidance 
  ability.
  Useable 
  once 
  per
  encounter, it allows
  them to lead any
  single 
  other
  character 
  in 
  the
  party (not retainers
  or 
  animals) 
  into
  “lending” his class-
  specific abilities to
  another character in
  the same room, for a single
  encounter.
  For example, an elder could allow
  a rogue to “lend” her lockpicking
  abilities to a warrior so that the
  warrior can attempt to unlock a
  door or chest. Likewise, an elder
  could allow a barbarian to “lend” a
  wizard or elf his rage ability for a
  single combat. It also works for
  class-based bonuses to saves,
  Attack or Defense rolls. The ability
  counts as expended in all cases.
  
  8
  In any event, the lending character
  cannot use the trait lent during that
  encounter: only one character can
  use it. For example, if an elder
  guides a wizard to use a rogue’s
  class-based Defense bonus, the
  rogue can’t use it as she focuses on
  helping the wizard.
  Guidance works for Expert skills too
  (from 4AA) but not race-specific
  traits or skills (such as a halfling’s
  Luck, a dwarf’s gold-smelling ability
  or dwarf-only skills).
  Guidance 
  never 
  applies 
  to
  spellcasting or spell-like abilities
  (e.g. a cleric’s Blessings, a wizard’s
  spells or a fire elf’s eye-rays). Use
  common sense as to what can be
  lent or not.
  A character can only benefit from
  the guidance of a single elder at any
  time. Elders can guide other elders.
  At level 3, an elder can learn an
  Expert skill (from 4AA) from those
  available to his class. At level 4, he
  can learn another Expert skill, and
  a 3rd at level 5. Elders learn Expert
  skills normally at Expert level. Using
  their guidance ability, elders can
  lend the use of a skill they master
  to another character, even if that
  character is under Expert level, but
  if the character’s class allows the
  use of this skill.
  For example, an elder could take
  the Berserk Fury skill (4AA p.15) and
  lend it to a barbarian in the party,
  although the elder cannot use that
  skill himself (as he has no inherent
  rage ability).
  In combat, other characters in the
  party (not animals or retainers) can
  protect the elder by making a
  Defense roll in his place. However,
  they must forfeit their next attack
  to do so. If the Defense roll fails, the
  elder still takes the wound. For that
  reason, rogues, halflings, satyrs
  and succubi (who have good
  Defense bonuses) make for the
  best protectors for elders.
  The starting age of elders is
  60+level, which matters if you have
  the misfortune of encountering
  specters (from More Mountainous
  Mayhem) or other monsters with
  ageing attacks.
  Note: If you don’t have 4AA, your
  elder will gain the Impervious skill
  instead at levels 3, 4 and 5. Choose
  one monster type from any minion
  or vermin table from the 4AD
  corebook (e.g. orcs): the character
  gets +1 to Defense vs this monster.
  Restrictions: Although parties with
  an elder can retreat normally, the
  elder may not keep up if the party
  flees. If this happens, make a level
  2 running save (minus the elder’s
  
  9
  level). If the save fails, the elder is
  caught by the monsters and killed
  while the rest of the party runs
  away. Elders also suffer penalties
  on physical saves (see below).
  Elders cannot carry any heavy
  equipment (such as two-handed
  weapons, heavy armor, friends
  turned to stone or more than 200
  gp in treasure).
  Saves: Like clerics (of no specific
  deity). Given their poor health,
  elders always subtract their level
  as a penalty to any physical save,
  such as dragon breath, climbing,
  dancing, 
  jumping, 
  strength,
  swimming and breeding saves.
  Armor allowed: Light armor
  only. No shields.
  Weapons allowed: Any light
  weapon, slings.
  Starting equipment: Any light
  weapon, lantern.
  Starting wealth: 4d6 gold.
  Life: 3 + 1 per level. A 1st
  level elder has 4 life.
  Expert skills: Any among
  those featured in 4AA except
  those involving spellcasting, plus
  Mind Focus (new). The skills
  featured in the current book are
  not accessible to them. Take an
  alchemist if you want to brew
  potions!
  Fire Elf
  Living as crag nomads or in tight-
  knit urban communities, the rare
  fire elves are irascible, gaunt
  figures who usually dislike other
  folk. A rare breed, fire elves believe
  themselves to be born from high
  elves and cambions (half-demons)
  by the end of the mythical Century
  of Rain and Fire. Fire elves are blind
  at birth, for which they blame
  the curse of the elf goddess
  Elidra, who they have
  repudiated in favor of
  Thuugas 
  the 
  Eternal
  Flame, the god of fire
  and volcanoes.
  As a rite of passage,
  fire elves pass a
  secret 
  ritual 
  of
  initiation to the fire
  god's 
  mysteries,
  usually inside a
  volcano 
  or
  brazier, staying
  there 
  for
  several days without
  food or water under
  the tutelage of a cleric
  of Thuugas. Only
  the 
  toughest
  survive the extreme heat
  and conditions.
  Many perish, but those
  who come back alive are
  
  10
  transformed: not only can they now
  see through their closed eyelids,
  they receive the gift of the “Fire
  Sight”.
  The experience leaves most fire
  elves scarred and bitter, even
  contemptuous of other species.
  The Fire Sight is a mighty but
  dangerous power: burning fire rays
  burst when they open their eyelids,
  to which they are themselves
  vulnerable. This ability makes them
  both feared and loathed in civilized
  lands, hence many join cutthroats
  and other villain warbands.
  For that very reason, many of their
  diaspora also seek refuge in the
  crags 
  and, 
  sometimes, 
  the
  troublesome towns of Norindaal.
  Cynical survivors, fire elves can be
  useful party members to those who
  can suffer their arrogance.
  Traits: Fire elves adds their level to
  their melee Attack rolls, except
  when using two-handed weapons.
  They cannot use ranged weapons
  at all. Fire elves also add their level
  to spellcasting rolls but only when
  casting Fireballs from their eyes.
  Flames flares from the fire elves’
  eyes when they open their eyelids.
  A fire elf can cast the Fireball spell
  (once) at the 1st turn of each
  combat instead of attacking. He can
  attack normally on the 2nd turn and
  after that.
  If a 1 is rolled on the spellcasting
  roll, the flames engulf the fire elf
  instead, who loses d3 life without
  harming his opponents. Other
  party members must succeed a
  dragon breath save against the fire
  elf’s level or also lose 1 life. Rogues
  and other fire elves add their level
  to this save.
  Fire elves can see with their eyes
  closed with a “third sense”. They
  therefore never suffer penalties for
  either darkness or bright light.
  Being technically “blind”, fire elves
  cannot read scrolls or books nor
  use them.
  Restrictions: 
  Fire 
  elves 
  are
  arrogant egotists with paranoid
  tendencies. They will never share
  their gold or equipment with a
  non-fire elf. If they ever acquire a
  neurosis (from Digressions of the
  Devouring Dead), the first one is
  always “Paranoia”.
  Using or wearing any kind of item
  which provides them with a bonus
  vs fire cancels their Fireball ability.
  Saves: Like elves. Fire elves are
  immune to gaze attacks when they
  keep their eyes closed (e.g. not if
  they use their Fireball ability).
  
  11
  Armor allowed: Light armor and
  shield. Fire elves may wear heavy
  armor, but they lose d6 life instead
  of d3 from the heated metal when
  they lose control of their fiery eye-
  rays.
  Weapons 
  allowed: 
  Melee
  weapons only.
  Spells: Fire elves cast Fireball
  naturally but cannot learn other
  spells. They cannot use scrolls, spell
  books or Fireball staffs.
  Starting equipment: A light melee
  weapon or a one-handed melee
  weapon.
  Starting wealth: d6 gold pieces.
  Life: 4 + level. A 1st level fire elf has
  5 life.
  Expert skills: Acute Hearing,
  Combat Acrobatics, Danger Sense,
  Detective, Double Attack, Quick
  Footed, Stabbing Attack, Sworn
  Enemy.
  Harlequin
  “You can’t juggle with swords! It’s
  impossible!”
  -Last words of the Buffoon Hater
  Harlequins are a special breed of
  minstrel who have perfected their
  juggling art to a deadly accuracy.
  They often act as spies for
  aristocrats, cults and conspirators.
  Performance 
  actors 
  first 
  and
  troublemakers 
  second, 
  they
  meddle in all levels of society, using
  their skills for the occasional
  assassination or mischief making.
  Traits: Harlequins add half their
  level (rounded down) to their
  Defense rolls.
  Harlequins can juggle with up to
  three 
  one-handed 
  or 
  light
  weapons, which allows them to
  make three melee attacks per turn.
  They gain no level bonus to these
  attacks.
  If they attack with a single weapon,
  they get only one attack instead of
  three (or two, if using the Double
  Attack Expert skill), but they add ½
  their level to their Attack rolls.
  Whether juggling or not, their
  Attack dice can explode normally.
  Harlequins add their level to
  disguise and stealth saves (like
  rogues do) as they can reverse their
  
  12
  
  13
  bright costumes to show their dark
  undersides.
  Harlequins can also find and
  disarm traps and pick locks, like
  rogues, they never add their level
  to these rolls or saves.
  Harlequins can use weapons and
  gear reserved for rogues (including
  magic items).
  Finally, Harlequins never suffer any
  inconvenience for dealing with the
  Bruneldi merchants from Enotria
  (you will know when you met them.)
  Saves: Like swashbucklers.
  Armor allowed: Light armor only.
  No shields.
  Weapons allowed: All one-handed
  and light weapons, bows and
  slings. Juggling is not possible with
  bows and slings.
  Starting equipment: Three one-
  handed or light weapons, jester’s
  costume, lockpicks.
  Starting wealth: 3d6 gold.
  Life: 3 + 1 per level. A 1st level
  harlequin has 4 life.
  Expert skills: Acute Hearing, Bomb
  Crafting (new), Combat Acrobatics,
  Danger Sense, Detective, Double
  Attack, 
  Fire 
  Breather 
  (new),
  Intuition, 
  Knife 
  Throwing,
  Negotiator, Poison Expert (new),
  Quick Footed, Spore Alchemy, Spot
  Weakness, Stabbing Attack, Sworn
  Enemy.
  Lutin
  Lutins are reedy, mischievous
  fairies tall as a man’s knee, who
  favor pointy hats and pranks. Their
  appearance is extremely varied:
  
  14
  some are elf-like, others have
  animal features or bizarre aspects.
  Many enjoy living in human cities,
  often making their trade in the
  clockworks and entertainment
  businesses, and less reputable
  occupations. Lutins favor the
  worship of both Elidra, goddess of
  song, and Gobras the Trickster.
  Traits: Lutins add ½ their level to
  their Attack rolls  and their full level
  to their Defense rolls. They can cast
  a single spell from the Lutin Spell
  List per level, per adventure. No
  spell book or prior memorization is
  needed. Lutins add their full level
  to spellcasting rolls, like a wizard,
  including to spells cast from a scroll
  (but only from the Lutin Spell List).
  Given their size, lutins (either alone
  or as a group) can attempt to steal
  a monster’s treasure by entering a
  room ahead of the rest of the party
  and succeeding a stealth save
  against the monsters’ level. If they
  fail, they are caught and the
  monsters get to attack the lutins
  first before the rest of the party
  arrives.
  The lutins’ signature talent is the
  ability to become invisible for a
  short moment under duress. If they
  roll an explosive die on a Defense
  roll or a save, they automatically
  succeed.
  Lutin Spell List: These are mostly
  illusion and defensive spells. The
  list includes the basic Escape and
  Protect spells (from 4AD), Mystic
  Mist 
  (from 
  Buried 
  Secrets),
  Forgetfulness (from 4ATN), the
  Expert spells Aura of Terror and
  Reverse Gaze (from 4AA) and
  Urban Spells (from Treacheries of
  the Troublesome Towns) as well as
  bardic songs (see Expert skills).
  Restrictions: Lutins are small. They
  can never carry heavy items, like
  heavy armor, shields, anvils or
  petrified comrades.
  Saves: Like elves. Lutins always add
  their level to stealth and pickpocket
  saves. Their strength saves (e.g. for
  bashing doors) are made at -2.
  Armor allowed: Light armor only.
  It must be custom made (50 gold).
  Weapons allowed: Light weapons
  and slings only.
  Starting 
  equipment: 
  Light
  weapon or sling, magic pointy hat
  (counts as light armor).
  Starting wealth: 3d6 gold.
  Expert skills: Acute Hearing,
  Alchemical Training (new), Combat
  Acrobatics, Continual Light, Danger
  Sense, Deadly Accuracy, Dead Shot,
  Intuition, 
  Knife 
  Throwing,
  Negotiator, 
  Poison 
  Resistance,
  Quick Footed, Scroll Maker, Strong
  
  15
  Will. Lutins can also learn Expert
  urban spells and the following
  abyss Expert spells like skills: Aura
  of Terror and Reverse Gaze. They
  can also learn bardic songs (from
  The North Beyond the World) like
  Expert skills.
  Life: 3 + level. A 1st level lutin has 4
  life.
  Marksman
  Marksmen and markswomen are
  professional soldiers trained in the
  use of ranged weapons. Depending
  on their regiment and specialty,
  they may be known as archers,
  crossbowmen, 
  harquebusiers,
  fusiliers, musketeers or slingers.
  Amidst dungeon explorers, they
  usually take on a support role at
  the back of the party, excelling in
  corridors and other tight areas.
  Traits: Marksmen add their level
  +1 when making Attack rolls with
  ranged weapons. They only add ½
  their level (rounded down) when
  attacking with melee weapons
  (one-handed or light only).
  When using ranged weapons,
  marksmen always do 1 more
  wound than usual. This means all
  their ranged attacks do a minimum
  of 2 wounds, 3 wounds if they
  
  16
  double a monster's level. This
  works also against minions, killing
  more than one per attack.
  Outdoors, marksmen can always
  make two shooting Attacks against
  a target before melee combat
  begins.
  Marksmen can switch from using a
  ranged weapon to a light weapon
  without losing an attack.
  Saves: Like warriors.
  Armor allowed: Light armor only.
  No shields.
  Weapons allowed: All ranged
  weapons (including firearms), one-
  handed and light weapons.
  Expert skills: Acute Hearing,
  Combat Acrobatics, Commanding
  Presence, Danger Sense, Dead
  Shot, Knife Throwing, Orcslayer,
  Quick Footed, Scavenger (from
  Digressions of the Devouring Dead),
  Sworn Enemy, Vampire Hunter.
  Starting 
  equipment: 
  ranged
  weapon, light weapon, light armor.
  Starting wealth: 2d6 gold.
  Life: 4 + level. A 1st level marksman
  has 5 life.
  Monk
  Nuns and monks are persons who
  have withdrawn from the larger
  world to live a spiritual life. All
  belong to an order aligned with a
  deity who preaches a strict lifestyle
  and demands vows of obedience.
  Not all monks are fighters: most are
  scholars or ascetics.
  Fighting monks are a special breed
  of dedicated special combatants,
  characterized 
  by 
  an 
  extreme
  specialization in warfare and the
  pursuit of mental and spiritual
  strength over material means.
  Their training emphasizes mental
  discipline and the pursuit of
  ideological purity.
  Monks come in two distinct
  varieties: monks of Law, who most
  often live in cities alongside their
  deities’ temples and excel in
  
  17
  unarmed combat, and the rarer
  Monks of the Living Weapon Gods,
  who tend to be hermits obsessed
  with the twin goals of perfect
  mastery over the sword and
  hammer and the extermination of
  dragons.
  Whereas many monks devoted to
  the Law gods eschew violence,
  others revel in it. Those who
  worship gods aligned with both
  Law and Light (such as Foryos,
  Luura, Tamas Zeya and Zoyas) tend
  to be religious zealots, some are
  even fanatical flagellants, dedicated
  to the destruction of chaos and
  demons. Their orders work well
  together, with minimal frictions.
  Less common, monks who serve
  Mhuur the Bellowing, the god of
  mazes, or the shark god Tezany
  place more emphasis on defeating
  chaos than demons, and tend to
  show 
  contempt 
  towards 
  the
  meeker monkish orders devoted to
  the creator gods: Father Hulla, his
  wife Mother Fari or Darim the
  Smith. Nuns and monks devoted to
  Mother Fari, goddess of nature,
  tend to be meek souls who use
  violence in self-Defense only.
  At the opposite, all monks who
  serve the Living Weapon Gods
  embrace War as the ultimate
  challenge of will. They relish
  combat and the destruction of
  dragons. Many care less about the
  cause they serve than the glory and
  pleasure of defeating powerful
  goes. These monks actively roam
  battlefields, joining armies and
  adventurer parties to prove their
  might against the mighty foes –
  preferably dragons.
  
  18
  Most monks live in communities
  (cenobites), often town or city-
  based, but a few live in the wilds as
  hermits (anchorites); this is more
  common with those devoted to the
  Living Weapon Gods, Tezany (who
  favor islands or sea coasts) and
  Mhuur (who favor labyrinths).
  Traits: Monks of Law add their
  level +2 to their unarmed attacks
  only. Monks devoted to the Living
  Weapons add their level +1 when
  fighting with any type of sword (for
  devotees 
  of 
  Cloudcutter) 
  or
  hammer (for devotees of Fudar),
  either one or two-handed. All
  monks add half their level to their
  Defense (round down).
  All monks also have a counterstrike
  ability, which allows them, once per
  level, to strike back at a Boss or
  Weird Monster foe (with a –2
  penalty, for a total of +L) with their
  favored attack means (unarmed,
  sword or hammer) when they fail a
  Defense roll against a physical
  attack (excluding dragon breath or
  mental attacks). All monks are
  considered clerics for the purpose
  of saves, with the same bonuses
  and penalties. They add their level
  to puzzle and knowledge saves.
  Due to their intense training,
  monks can acquire Expert skills at
  lower levels. At level 3, they can use
  1 XP roll to learn a single Expert skill
  among those allowed to them (see
  below). At level 4,  they can buy 2
  skills (1 XP roll each), and 3 skills at
  level 5. At level 6 onwards, they
  learn skills like any other Expert
  character.
  Restrictions: Monks of all orders
  have made a vow of poverty: they
  
  19
  will never carry jewels, gems or
  more than 10 gold. In addition, they
  must always be the poorest
  member of the party, including
  retainers and companions. If they
  have any Madness points, they will
  throw away the “tainted wealth”.
  Monks may never carry more than
  three magic items less they lose
  their trait abilities (temporarily), as
  such 
  crutches 
  weaken 
  their
  spiritual strength.
  Monkish alignments: All monks
  belong to an order that serves
  either one of the nine gods of Law
  (see the Gods of Law table) or one
  of the two Living Weapon gods
  (Fudar the Living Hammer or
  Cloudcutter the Living Sword).
  Law-aligned monks will
  never associate with
  Chaos 
  entities 
  or
  complete quests for
  them (including clerics
  of Chaos gods and
  characters Touched by
  Chaos, 
  from 
  CoC).
  Monks 
  aligned 
  with
  Living 
  Weapons 
  will
  never ally with or do
  quests for dragons or
  reptile characters.
  Monks of Law are hated
  by 
  chaos 
  monsters.
  Living Weapons monks
  are hated by dragons, dragon-men
  and any creature with the “dragon”
  word in its name.
  Monkish challenges: Expert-level
  monks must challenge another
  monk of their order for each
  desired increase in level above level
  6. The opponent’s level and life are
  the monk’s +4; Defense rolls of 1 or
  2 cause the monk 2 wounds. This
  ritual fight must occur between
  adventures and is not fought to the
  death but to 2 life. No magic
  weapons, spells, potions or other
  artifices are allowed.
  If the character loses, the XP gained
  must be allocated to a skill rather
  than a level increase. If the
  opponent dies, the monk character
  
  20
  
  21
  is shamed and loses 1 level instead
  of gaining one.
  Each level increase above the sixth
  gives the monk an honorific and
  alliterative title (e.g. “Master of the
  Mirthful Meadows”, “Supplicant of
  the Slashing Sweep”). You must
  write this title on the characters
  sheet for the monk’s level to
  actually increase.
  Armor allowed: None.
  Weapons allowed: Light weapons,
  bow (monks of Law only), sling, all
  swords (devotees of Cloudcutter
  only), all hammers (devotees of
  Fudar only). Monks only add their
  level to attacks with their order’s
  favored 
  weapon 
  (e.g. 
  either
  unarmed, sword or hammer).
  Starting equipment: Either none
  (monks of Law), a one-handed or a
  two-handed sword (monks of
  Cloudcutter), or a one-handed or
  two-handed hammer (monks of
  Fudar).
  Starting wealth: None.
  Expert skills: Alchemical Training
  (new), Culling of the Weak*, Catch
  Projectiles (new), Deadly Strike,
  Double Attack (unarmed attack
  only)**, Dying Action, Flurry of
  Blows 
  (new)*, 
  Gladiator,
  Harmonious Movement (new),
  Impervious, Mind Focus (new),
  Quivering Palm (new)**, Slow Fall
  (new), Spiritual Archery (new)**,
  Spiritual Nourishment (new), Spore
  Alchemy, Surgeon Training (new),
  Weapon Mastery (new)*, Withstand
  Pain, Woe of Chaos (new)**.
  Life: 4 + level. A 1st level monk has
  5 life.
  * This skill only applies with either
  unarmed attacks (for monks of Law),
  swords (for monks of Cloudcutter) or
  hammers (for monks of Fudar).
  ** Monks devoted to the Living
  Weapon Gods do not have access to
  these skills but may acquire the
  following skills instead: Double Attack
  (sword or hammer) Dragonslayer
  (with sword or hammer only),
  Whirlwind of Steel (with sword or
  hammer only).
  
  22
  Ogre Mercenary
  While most of these dumb brutes
  hang around in dungeons in the
  service of cackling chaos lords or
  other wicked wizards of woe, some
  enterprising 
  adventurers 
  have
  convinced a number of the less
  intellectually-challenged ogres to
  join their parties with the promise
  of regular meals and bloodshed.
  Although poorly skilled, their blows
  are devastating and their resilience
  incredible.
  Traits: Ogres add ½ their level to
  their Attack rolls (rounded down).
  A successful hit with a melee attack
  inflicts 1 more damage on an
  enemy (3 wounds if the target’s
  level is doubled).
  Ogres also add ½ their level to all
  poison saves, in addition to any
  other bonuses or penalties stated
  in the text.
  Their huge size allows them to carry
  any 
  weight 
  without 
  penalty,
  including petrified characters.
  Restrictions: Wide as two men,
  ogres take one full square in a
  
  23
  room or corridor by themselves
  and block line of sight. They suffer
  a -1 Defense penalty in corridors
  and against ranged attacks.
  Ogres need five times as much
  food as humans. This matters in
  outdoors supplements such as
  4ATN or TNBTW. Hunger drives
  them wild. For each day without
  food, an ogre must succeed a
  hunger save against a level equal
  to the number of days spent
  without food.  On a failure, the ogre
  attacks a captive or a retainer, or if
  none is available, a fellow party
  member (the one who lost the
  most life points, otherwise a
  random one), fighting like a
  monster of his level +3 and
  inflicting 2 Damage on a failed save.
  If he kills his target, the ogre eats
  the entire corpse (no resurrection
  possible) and regains control of
  himself afterwards, ashamed.
  As ogres fancy foppish hats and
  outrageous clothing, ogres with a
  clean suit bought from a tailor
  before entering the dungeon (see
  4AA p.33) add ½ their level to their
  hunger save (given their size, such
  suits cost 30 gold instead of 10).
  Also add +1 to the hunger save for
  each halfling in the group as the
  ogres somehow appreciate the
  little fellows, who treat them with
  respect and share with them
  morsels of the snacks they are
  always carrying in their knapsacks.
  For this reason, halflings are always
  the last party members to be
  attacked by a hungry ogre.
  Ogres fear magic and never use,
  touch or carry magic items, like
  barbarians.
  Saves: 
  Like 
  barbarians. 
  They
  always fail stealth saves: no party
  with an ogre can hide.
  Weapons allowed: All one-handed
  weapons 
  and 
  two-handed
  weapons. No ranged weapons.
  Armor allowed: Light armor (10
  times the normal cost), heavy
  armor (10 times the normal cost),
  shield (5 times the normal cost).
  Armor and shields for ogres must
  be custom made; they cannot use
  any found in dungeons, including
  magic 
  armor 
  unless 
  made
  especially 
  for 
  giant-sized
  characters.
  Starting 
  equipment: 
  A 
  one-
  handed weapon and shield or two-
  handed weapon.
  Starting wealth: d3 gold.
  Life: 6 +2 per level. A 1st level ogre
  has 8 life.
  Expert skills: Brawler, Dying
  Action, 
  Gladiator, 
  Impervious,
  
  24
  Poison 
  Resistance, 
  Terrifying
  Savagery, Withstand Pain.
  Note: If a party under four
  characters encounters an ogre, a
  single party member with 3 food
  rations to spare (as a bribe) can
  attempt a persuasion save against
  twice the ogre’s level. Halflings add
  ½ their level to the save. Also add
  +2 to this save is the dungeon’s
  Final Boss has already been
  defeated, as the ogre is now out of
  employment. 
  If 
  the 
  save 
  is
  successful, the ogre agrees to join
  the party as a 1st level ogre
  mercenary.  If the persuasion save
  is failed, the ogre fights, attacking
  first the one who spoke to him.
  Wilderness Guide
  Officially known as a “wilderness
  survival guide”, this character
  stands for a native or local youth
  who leads the party through
  shortcuts and hideouts in order to
  make traveling the wilds less
  dangerous. As such, wilderness
  guides will come from a variety of
  species and cultural backgrounds,
  but they are all treated as follows.
   While they are wise in the ways of
  nature, wilderness guides are
  inexperienced in warfare and
  would rather flee than fight
  monsters.
  A single wilderness guide can join
  a party of four characters as a 5th
  character without incurring any
  penalties. You can take also take
  them as usual characters or even
  form a party of five guides if you
  dare.
  Traits: Wilderness guides have no
  bonuses to Attack rolls.
  They add ½ their level to their
  Defense rolls.
  Twice per level, they can re-roll any
  roll on any table in a natural
  wilderness 
  environment. 
  This
  includes all the tables in The Three
  Rings, any woodlands table (from
  the Crucible of Classic Critters), any
  
  25
  crags table (from More Mountainous
  Mayhem) or any arctic table (from
  The North Beyond the World), and
  any other similar table from future
  supplements. Excluded are tables
  from demonworlds such as the
  Netherworld tables (from 4ATN) or
  the Blossoms tables from The
  Courtship of the Flower Demons
  (TCOTFD). This trait doesn’t apply
  to indoor dungeons, where the
  guides are mostly useless except as
  lantern or gear bearers.
  Saves: Like barbarians.
  Armor allowed: Light armor,
  shield.
  Weapons 
  allowed: 
  Light
  weapons, slings.
  Starting 
  equipment:
  Light weapon, lantern.
  Starting wealth:
  d6 gold.
  Life: 3 + level. A 1st
  level 
  wilderness
  guide has 4 life.
  Expert 
  skills: 
  Like
  halflings 
  except 
  Spore
  Alchemy and cooking skills.
  Note: Parties traveling in the
  Netherworld could hire a minor
  demon as a Netherworld guide
  instead of a wilderness guide. The
  class is identical except that
  Netherworld guides can only re-roll
  dice on the Netherworld tables
  (from 4ATN). They eat bone dust
  like cambions, and therefore need
  no food rations in the Netherworld.
  This fungus folk of the Oaken Shield tribe is a guide from the Sun-Kissed Vale
  
  26
  New Weapons
  Crossbow (20 gold): Ranged
  slashing weapon +1. After each
  shot, it takes one action to reload a
  crossbow. This means that, in most
  cases, the crossbow will be used
  only once, at the beginning of
  combat.
  Harquebus: 
  Ranged 
  slashing
  weapon +3, buying price: 100 gold.
  May be fired only once per
  encounter, at the beginning of the
  encounter. Usable only by dwarves,
  marksmen, sentient golems and
  warriors.
  The character must use both hands
  to fire. On a roll of 1, the harquebus
  explodes, inflicting d3 damage
  upon the user and the weapon
  becomes useless until the user
  brings it to town to be repaired for
  15 gold. For every shot fired in a
  dungeon, 
  roll 
  for 
  wandering
  monsters 
  (1-2 
  on 
  d6). 
  The
  wandering monsters attracted by
  the sound of gunfire will arrive after
  combat. The user can reload before
  the monsters' arrival.
  New Expert skills
  The following skills are accessible
  to characters of Expert level, as per
  the rules in Four Against the Abyss.
  Exceptionally, elders and monks
  can also acquire these skills at
  lower levels.
  Note: Some of the classes referred
  to in skill descriptions are to appear
  in future supplements, such as
  gnomes and yogic yetis.
  Alchemical Training
  Cheesemeister, gnome, halfling,
  lutin, monk or plague doctor only
  The character can craft potions like
  a wizard of the same level, as per
  the potion crafting rules featured
  in TCOTFD.
  Prerequisite: Spore Alchemy.
  Bomb Crafting
  Assassin, dwarf, gnome, harlequin
  or xwart only
  The character can craft a single
  bomb before each adventure, at
  the cost of 30 gold.
  To throw a bomb, the character
  must have a fire source (lantern or
  torch) in hand and spend 1 attack
  to throw the bomb.
  When attacking vermin or minions,
  make 2 attack rolls at +3.
  
  27
  When attacking Weird Monsters or
  Bosses, make a single attack at +3.
  This attack is also made against
  everyone else in the room. No level
  or other bonuses apply for the
  attack.
  All party members, including the
  thrower, must also succeed a
  level 5 explosion save or be
  stunned (-1 to Defense for the
  next turn). Dwarves gain an
  additional bonus to their save at
  +1.
  Harlequins, being jugglers,
  can 
  throw 
  2 
  bombs
  simultaneously if they have
  them.
  Both attacks must be against
  the same target.
  Catch Projectiles
  Iron 
  Hands 
  dwarf, 
  monk,
  martial mystic or yogic yeti only
  Arrows and projectile weapons,
  including ballistas and catapults
  but not firearms, never harm the
  character (except if unconscious,
  tied up or otherwise incapacitated).
  Fire Breather
  Halfling, harlequin, bard or rogue
  only
  From 
  training 
  with 
  circus
  performers, the character has
  learned to spray a fiery cloud at
  enemies. A torch and an oil flask
  (available both in any town for 1
  gold each) are required to perform
  this action.
  The spray is non-magical and
  functions as a Fireball spell, add
  the character's level when
  determining outcome.
  This skill can only be used once
  per adventure.
  Flurry of Blows
  Iron Hands dwarf, monk of
  Law, martial mystic or yogic
  yeti only
  Once 
  per 
  level 
  and 
  per
  adventure, 
  when 
  fighting
  unarmed, the character can
  make an unarmed Attack roll
  against every opponent in the
  room. No level bonus is added to
  this Attack roll.
  Harmonious Movement
  Monk or yogic yeti only
  The character can never be
  paralyzed (e.g. by ghouls) or turned
  to stone (e.g. by medusas).
  Mind Focus
  Iron Hands dwarf or monk only
  The character always adds his level
  to magic and will saves.
  
  28
  Poison Expert
  Alchemist, assassin, harlequin,
  necromancer, xwart, ranger, wood
  elf or druid only
  Before an adventure, the character
  can craft and use poisons similar to
  those prepared by a Poison Expert
  (from 4AA p.32).
  The poison can either be used by
  the character or given to eligible
  character (e.g. a rogue, an assassin
  or a harlequin).
  No gold need be paid for the
  poison (the character cultivates it
  from a secret source).
  Quivering Palm
  Iron Hands dwarf, monk of Law,
  martial mystic or yogic yeti only
  The characters’ unarmed attacks
  count as magical against all
  monsters. Attacks directed against
  weapons (e.g. acid) do not affect
  the character.
  This skill is not available to monks
  of Fudar or Cloudcutter.
  Slow Fall
  Moonbeast, monk or yogic yeti only
  The 
  character 
  never 
  suffers
  damage from falls, whatever the
  height, including pit traps.
  Specialist Slayer
  Assassin only
  Assassins with this skill may use
  their hide in shadows ability against
  one of the following classes of foes
  that is normally immune to it:
  Undead 
  (including 
  incorporeal
  undead and vampires), Artifical
  creatures 
  (golems, 
  automata,
  robots, elementals), or shapeless
  creatures (blobs, jelly cubes, molds,
  oozes). Choose one class of
  enemies when the skill is taken. The
  skill may be taken multiple times,
  each time for a different target.
  Spiritual Archery
  Monk of Law only
  The character may add his level as
  a bonus to his Attack rolls when
  using bows (not crossbows or
  firearms).
  This skill is not available to monks
  of Fudar or Cloudcutter.
  Spiritual Nourishment
  Monk, druid or yogic yeti only
  The character can go a number of
  days equal to his level before
  suffering wounds from the lack of
  food (e.g. in the Netherworld or the
  arctic, as per the rules in 4ATN and
  The North Beyond the World).
  
  29
  Surgeon Training
  Beastmaster, gnome, monk, druid,
  wood elf or plague doctor only
  The character is trained as a
  surgeon to stitch wounds. In
  addition to the effect of bandages,
  the character may heal 2 life per
  character per adventure, as a
  surgeon retainer (from 4AA). This
  healing does not add up with those
  provided by another surgeon,
  including retainers.
  Weapon Mastery
  Monk of Cloudcutter or Fudar only
  Whenever fighting with their god’s
  prized weapon (e.g. a hammer or a
  sword, either one-handed or two-
  handed), the character can re-roll
  all Attack rolls of 1.
  Woe of Chaos
  Paladin of Law or monk of Law only
  Whenever fighting a monster with
  the “chaos”, “chaotic” or “Xichtul”
  words in its name, the character
  can re-roll all Attack and Defense
  rolls of 1 (if a 1 is roled a second
  time, it may NOT be rerolled,
  because you can’t reroll a reroll).
  A sword-bearing monk devoted
  to Cloudcutter
  
  30
  This chapter provides you with
  additional 
  options 
  for 
  dwarf
  characters. As both games are set
  in the fantasy world of Norindaal,
  some 
  of 
  the 
  background
  information presented herein was
  previously featured in the Hammer
  and Forge supplement for the
  Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes
  miniature 
  skirmish 
  game 
  by
  Ganesha Games.
  Mythic Origins
  The legends of Norindaal tell how
  the universe flew from the the
  Primal Force, from which the time
  god Tauramin emerged first, then
  Elidra the Songster and then the
  other gods.
  At the inspiration of the jester god,
  Gobras, the gods launched the
  Dwarven
  Dissertations
  
  31
  Godgame from which the world of
  Norindaal was born, along with the
  countless strange and marvelous
  creatures that dwell on it.
  Father Hulla made giants and titans
  out of rocks, and his wife Mother
  Fari created plants and animals for
  them to feed on. Titans and giants
  came to wage a war between them,
  and from their crumbling remains,
  the dwarves were born.
  There were shards of the Primal
  Force in the bodies of titans, and it
  is said that these are the gems and
  the precious ores that the dwarves
  seek today.
  Ssiklis’ Treachery
  Unknown to the other gods, Ssiklis
  the Scaled One had scattered
  thousands of her eggs all over
  Norindaal, and while the dwarves
  dug deep into the mountains,
  lizardfolk and thunder lizards
  conquered the world.
  Ssiklis thought that her creations
  were so superior that the others
  were just food for them. The lizards
  tasted dwarven meat and found
  that it was good.
  The lizards, serpents and lizardfolk
  took over all of Norindaal. Food
  become scarce. The dwarves
  learned 
  to 
  fight 
  to 
  defend
  themselves, and used their talents
  and their ores to build weapons
  and armor. This was inspired by
  Darim, the Smith, who liked the
  dwarves and had bestowed his
  grace upon them.
  Lizards enslaved dwarves and kept
  them as cattle as Gro Khair, the god
  of hunger, had made their appetite
  insatiable. The dwarves suffered
  and perished, and their plight came
  to the ears of the gods.
  The Century of Rain and Fire
  The war that ensued between the
  gods became known as the Century
  
  32
  of Rain and Fire. Ssiklis was
  imprisoned while the gods of Law
  and Light destroyed her reptilian
  spawn.
  As the divine war came to an end,
  Elidra drove forth her chosen
  people, the high elves, onto
  Norindaal through meteors from
  which the dwarves freed them, a
  mistake they regret to this day.
  The Slumbering Gods
  Yet the schemes of the chaos god
  Xichtul, whose mating with Ssiklis
  had spawned the demons
  and dragons from the great
  lizards, 
  brought 
  more
  mischief to the world. The
  Formless 
  One 
  gave 
  the
  forbidden gift of divinity to
  those monsters who would
  become the dragon gods: the
  undead Lich Dragon, woeful
  Ter Za Necht,  and the
  cannibal Sozara the Undying,
  who only survives by eating
  the hearts of the eldest of its
  kind.
  The hecatomb that stroke
  Norindaal once more came to
  an end only when Tauramin
  stopped 
  time 
  itself 
  and
  trapped the Slumbering Gods
  within, to which they remain
  to this day.
  While the cultists of Xichtul, Ssiklis,
  Asdzugh and the other Slumbering
  Gods conspire to free the chained
  deities, the dwarves of Norindaal
  pursue their unending grudge
  against the dragons and their ilk.
  Long are the memories of the
  dwarves, longer their beards, and
  twice as long the grudges they bear.
  Fueled by mistrust and greed, the
  dwarven clans grew apart from one
  another even as another tragedy
  was to raise its head in the western
  continent.
  
  33
  Kestar Kell, the
  Half Ring
  In the western continent of An-Mor,
  east of the Sun-Kissed Vale and the
  Everflowing River lies a chain of
  mountains called Kestar Kell, which
  in D’harris (the dwarven language)
  means “the Half Ring”. This is an
  area of temperate climate with
  forests of evergreen trees and
  snow-capped peaks.
  To the East of the mountains is an
  area of dry steppes, perpetually
  swept by winds and inhabited by
  aggressive, nomadic hobgoblin
  tribes. Each mountain contains a
  different community of dwarves,
  often hostile to one another.
  Some caves are also inhabited by
  goblins, as well as the occasional
  ancient lizardman, dragon, or
  wyvern. 
  In 
  addition 
  to
  fighting 
  against 
  these
  creatures, the clannish, stern
  nature of dwarves creates a lot
  of 
  animosity 
  between
  communities. The most common
  foe of a dwarf is another dwarf,
  or an undead dwarf!
  Cultural Groups
  In Kestar Kell, the dwarves
  exist in two major cultural
  groups: the Miners and the
  Pelters. In addition, there are some
  breakaway groups or sects, such as
  the Dragonslayers, Possessed, and
  Thralls of the Lich King.
  Other parts of Norindaal have
  dwarves as well, such as the
  Grinders, the dreaded Prairie
  Pirates who glide the plains on their
  strange ships and the tech-savvy
  Skylords who haunt the skies in
  their fiery steampunk zeppelins -
  but that is a tale for another day.
  
  34
  The Miners
  The Miners, also called Grimstones,
  are the largest group of dwarves in
  An-Mor. Ruled by their near-
  immortal King Thumas Ven, Miners
  practice gem magic and have the
  most powerful Runecasters.
  The Greedy King
  Thumas Ven, the son of a famous
  dragonslayer, became king when,
  in a dream, he saw the location of
  the EverBounty - an inexhaustible
  mother lode of gold, silver, and
  gemstones, deep in the bowels of
  the Kestar Kell mountains. Instead
  of claiming the treasure as his own,
  he chose to share its wealth with all
  the clan - unusual behavior for a
  dwarf.
  In truth, the riches of the
  EverBounty were simply too
  many for a single dwarf to mine
  and carry home, so Thumas
  thought of using his discovery to
  gain political power. His choice
  made him a hero of the masses. He
  was the first King to be elected
  through 
  public 
  acclamation
  instead of patrilineage.
  A King’s Hubris
  But Thumas’ dream of gold
  was not inspired by Father
  Hulla and Mother Fari, the
  dwarven gods of earth and nature.
  The dreams that appeared in his
  mind were telepathic messages
  sent by demons trapped in stone;
  these were ancient, malevolent
  creatures from the times when the
  gods tried to cleanse Norindaal
  with 100 years of meteor showers
  and floods, during the Century of
  Rain and Fire.
  When digging their way to the
  Everbounty, the Miners freed the
  demons, and a whole clan of
  dwarves were turned into undead
  creatures.
  
  35
  The Dwarven Schism
  Soon, demons and long-forgotten
  monsters started to appear all
  around Kestar Kell. As the demonic
  presence became evident, it caused
  a schism among the dwarven
  communities.
  Some blamed the mining for the
  demonic infestation and refused to
  mine. Those who did were cast out,
  and they formed their own clans,
  adapting to an outdoor lifestyle in
  the forest and prairies.
  The Father of Dragons
  King 
  Thumas 
  Ven 
  is 
  also
  responsible for another major
  event in Miner history. Like his
  father before him, he was a
  dragonslayer, and he killed Wisath
  the Red Fury, the last of the great
  Red Dragons. But he also had
  discovered 
  that 
  drinking 
  an
  expensive, alchemical concoction
  based on dragon eggs kept him
  free of disease and the ailments of
  old age.
  To keep his supply of dragon eggs,
  Thumas kept a few egg-laying
  female dragons in a secret cave.
  Unfortunately, the dragons broke
  free and came back to terrorize
  Kestar Kell.
  For this reason, and his discovery
  of the EverBounty, outcast dwarves
  call him “Father of Dragons and
  Demons.” This insulting epithet
  elicits angry reactions from any
  Miner hearing it.
  The Pelters
  Pelters are descendants of dwarves
  who were exiled from the Miners
  clans when they refused to mine
  the EverBounty. Their druids,
  originally the clergy of a minor
  religious 
  faction 
  worshipping
  Mother Fari as Nature itself, had
  sensed the danger posed by the
  demons trapped in the Everbounty,
  but their warnings were ignored by
  the Miners leaders, who refused to
  stop digging.
  
  36
  Pelters today have no king but are
  ruled by a council of druids
  practicing Sedar Kaan - Soul
  Sharing. This is a ritual where a
  hunter absorbs the powers and
  soul-force of an animal that he or
  she hunts and kills in a fair fight
  (armed only with a club, knife or
  bare hands). The most famous
  Pelter leader is the heroine
  Rehenna Bearwolf.
  Pelters trade in animal furs and
  bone tools. They live in caves near
  forests or in wooden cottages like
  those of their largest settlement,
  Tephister. Pelters have very few
  smiths and extremely limited
  access to metal, since the Miners
  won’t sell them ores or allow them
  into the mines.
  While the two cultures do
  trade occasionally in furs and
  wood, there is great animosity
  between Pelters and Miners.
  Despite the abundance of
  natural and preternatural
  dangers, 
  and 
  the
  presence of the hostile
  hobgoblin 
  tribes, 
  the
  most frequent battles in the Kestar
  Kell region are skirmishes between
  Pelters and Miners.
  Dragonslayers
  Dragonslayers are heroes among
  the Pelters, for they fight an enemy
  for whom the dwarves’ grudge is
  eternal.
  Dwarves have a long feud with
  dragons 
  that 
  dates 
  back 
  to
  antediluvian 
  times. 
  A 
  few
  courageous individuals from all
  clans embrace dragon slaying as
  their life calling.
  Though 
  Dragonslayers 
  do
  sometimes fight with others, they
  tend to form warbands of their
  own, protecting the populace from
  
  37
  draconic infestation or hunting
  down scimitar monsters, drakes,
  and wyverns.
  While the heavy hitters of a
  dragonslaying party are always
  melee fighters, they also employ
  arbalesters and crossbow wielders
  who are trained to fire into melee.
  Pelter Dragonslayers perform the
  Sedar Kaan ritual with animals that
  can sense dragons from a long
  distance. Some are trained to resist
  minor draconic powers (like their
  wing blast).
  While they pledge allegiance only
  to their own dragon-hunting party
  and to their Pelter clan, in times of
  need they are sent to help others
  to fight draconic infestations.
  Dragonslayer 
  veterans, 
  called
  Wyrmblights, wear dragonscale
  armor and use runestones in their
  unending fight against dragonkind.
  The most legendary Dragonslayers
  are Pelters who have performed
  the Sedar Kaan ritual with a dragon,
  their ancestral foe. They are greatly
  feared by their own kind, including
  other dragonslayers, because their
  contact with the dragon’s inhuman
  soul turns them into engines of
  destruction and rage. They are, in
  a way, half-dragons, and a few can
  even breathe fire.
  The most famous of them is Jontil
  the 
  Beardless, 
  a 
  fearsome
  swordsman 
  wielding 
  Tezany's
  Bounty, a runic greatsword with a
  
  38
  blade made out of a sawfish bone
  that is rumored to come from the
  Sunken Citadel of Atlis, in the
  middle of the ocean.
  The Iron Hands
  of Hammerfall
  Athe Iron Hands are  a workers’
  union of dwarf smiths, who were
  cast out and forbidden to work
  when they sided with the rebellious
  faction in the civil war that tore
  apart the Miners.
  Their hands were crippled so that
  they could not hold tools. The Iron
  Hands asked their friends to
  fashion metal gauntlets, hooks and
  other prosthetic weapons in their
  place.
  Today, they are a martial cult and
  have 
  developed 
  martial 
  art
  techniques around the use
  of their prosthetics.
  There is a long
  history of rivalry
  and respect
  between the
  Iron 
  Hands
  and the Path of the
  U n d
  erwood fungi monks from the
  Sun-Kissed Vale.
  The Possessed
  A clan of demon-worshipping
  dwarves exists in dilapidated Hyria.
  Strange sigils, painted in a foul-
  smelling black ichor, have been
  found on the standing stones and
  dolmens 
  around 
  Hyria 
  and
  Elvenfell. 
  The 
  mysterious
  disappearance of children from the
  neighboring halfling villages and
  merchant caravans seems to
  corroborate the existence of a dark
  cult devoted to humanoid sacrifice
  in this area. Pelters and Miners
  have not yet intervened.
  These demon-possessed dwarves
  favor heavy demonic armor, hellish
  powers, and exhibit an unstable
  
  39
  psyche. 
  They 
  are 
  into
  dismembering, torture, pain-fueled
  alchemical machines and other
  similar creative hobbies.
  The 
  Possessed 
  worship 
  two
  demons: Koylak. also worshipped
  by some hobgoblins clans, and
  especially Asdzugh, also-called the
  Hand the Spins the Wheel of the
  World. Both godlike demons have
  been known to manifest in physical
  form in Possessed warbands.
  The Thralls of
  the Lich
  King
  Another threat in the
  Kestar Kell area is the
  presence of a whole
  clan of evil dwarves.
  The 
  Malegund
  community accepted
  the rule of Darran Dur, an
  ancient Lich King who
  worships Zur, the god of
  death who rules over the
  Netherworld. 
  Their
  choice 
  was
  misguided, for the
  Lich 
  King 
  turned
  them all into undead
  monsters.
  Darran Dur has a scepter that can
  raise the dead, and he uses it to
  add more and more soldiers to his
  growing army. His best troops are
  heavy Infantry protected by the
  finest armor and armed with two
  sharp scythes or a mace. The forces
  include 
  hellfire 
  artillery,
  harquebusiers, troops armed with
  metal javelins for deadly short
  range missile support, and skeletal
  r a m
  riders. 
  Ghasts 
  and
  vampires complete the
  Thrall warbands.
  
  40
  The Gods of the
  Dwarves
  The dwarves were the first race to
  have walked upright on Norindaal,
  as opposed to the lizards and
  serpents that appeared roughly at
  the same time as the dwarves. They
  hold many gods in favor, but three
  of the Law gods hold a special
  reverence.
  Father Hulla
  Father Hulla is the god of stone
  and earth, and one of the
  Parents 
  of 
  the 
  D'harris
  (Dwarves) Race. Husband to
  Mother Fari, goddess of Nature,
  Hulla appears as a portly,
  bearded man made of stone.
  His weapon/tool of choice is a
  miner's pick. He is the inspirer
  and protector of Runemasters.
  Hulla's cult is not widespread
  beyond the dwarven and
  gnomish cultures. However,
  gold and gemstones are sacred
  to Hulla, and a few human
  goldsmiths and jewelers who
  have learned their trade from
  dwarven masters also pray in
  Hulla's name when they start a
  new day in the shop, or when
  they start a new, challenging
  job.
  Origin: Shard of the Primal Force.
  Alignments: Law, Earth.
  Darim the Smith
  Worshipped by smiths of many
  races, but especially by gnome
  artificers and dwarven smiths,
  Darim is the divine smith, the
  weapon 
  maker 
  who 
  built
  Cloudcutter the Living Sword.
  When the lizards of the goddess
  Ssiklis took over the world and
  tormented the dwarves, it was
  
  41
  Darim who bestowed his grace
  upon them, teaching them to build
  weapons and armor to fight for
  themselves. For this reason, the
  dwarves of Norindaal hold the god
  in high praise.
  Origin: Shard of the Primal Force.
  Alignment: Law.
  Mother Fari
  Mother Fari is the goddess of
  nature, considered the mother of
  the D'harris (dwarven) race. For this
  reason, she is also called the
  Mother of the First Walkers. Fari is
  the wife of Father Hulla, the
  dwarven god of stone.
  Fari appears as a beautiful dwarven
  woman, with long tresses reaching
  the ground where they become
  intertwined with twigs, plants and
  flowers. Her weapon of choice is
  the axe, for her defender aspect is
  fierce, as any mother whose
  children are threatened.
  Fari is widely worshipped by
  dwarves and halflings, and by
  druids of all species and cultures.
  Origin: Shard of the Primal Force.
  Alignments: Law, Life.
  Dwarven Skills
  The following skills can only be
  learned by dwarf characters and
  are specific to a given clan. A dwarf
  character of level 3 or higher can
  learn a dwarven skill by passing a
  successful XP roll, instead of
  gaining a level.
  They work exactly like Expert skills
  (from 4AA) except that dwarf
  characters of lower level can learn
  them.
  Unlike secrets, skills gained are
  permanent.
  As most dwarven skills are specific
  to clans, and not taught to those
  outside their clan, you must choose
  your character's clan the first time
  a skill is acquired. You cannot
  change your clan later.
  Though very atypical for dwarf
  society, 
  where 
  clans 
  life 
  in
  suspicion of one another, an
  adventuring party may comprise
  dwarves of several different clans.
  While Pelters and Miners might set
  their grudge aside to form a
  temporary alliance for the good of
  their people, the Possessed and the
  Thralls of the Lich Lord are pariahs
  to all other clans, and will never join
  any clan but their own.
  
  42
  Common Skills
  These dwarf skills are available to
  all clans.
  Dwarven Spearwall
  A single dwarf with this skill can join
  forces with other dwarves to form
  a wall of spears. Four-legged
  monsters and mounted enemies
  (but not flying monsters) suffer a -1
  penalty to their level if the dwarves
  outnumber them. For example, a
  party of two dwarves would
  outnumber a single catoplebas
  whereas four dwarves would
  outnumber three mounted
  orcs.
  Dwarven Steelwall
  A single dwarf with this
  skill can join forces
  with other dwarves to
  form 
  an 
  impenetrable
  barrier as long as they all
  have shields. As long as they
  remain engaged in melee combat,
  all dwarves in the “steelwall”
  ignore all monster abilities that
  would cause them a penalty to
  Defense (such as falling prone
  or becoming entangled).
   Miner Clan Skills
  The miner clans are skilled smiths,
  weapon smiths, jewelers, and
  architects. They have the best
  weapons and practice rune magic.
  Arbalest
  Dwarven crossbow wielders are
  typically female. Dwarf women
  tend to have better eyesight and
  steadier nerves than the males.
  
  43
  The famous sharpshooter Lydda
  Eyepiercer gained her sobriquet
  after hitting four hobgoblins in the
  eyes during a single battle.
  A dwarf character with this skill
  adds half her level to her Attack
  rolls when using a crossbow (see
  below).
  Male dwarves must spend 2 XP to
  acquire this skill as this specialty is
  traditional for females (2 XP grant
  the character a single roll).
  Ball & Chain Wielder
  The character was trained to use
  the heavy ball and chain, two-
  handed crushing weapons of great
  power which add +2 to the
  wielder's attack rolls. If an Attack
  rolls a 1, the chain entwines and the
  weapon cannot be used for the rest
  of that combat. The character will
  have to use his next action to draw
  another weapon.
  Only dwarf characters with this skill
  can use this weapon. The ball and
  chain is so heavy and unwieldy that
  no character may carry more than
  one. The weapon must be carried
  in the character’s hands at all times,
  but the character may opt to drop
  it at any moment as a free action
  and then spend one action to draw
  another weapon or tool.
  Battle Tankard
  The character was trained in the
  used of this reinforced ale mug,
  which works as a one-handed
  crushing weapon.
  Furthermore, the character can
  forfeit an attack at any time to take
  a sip, which gives him a +2 save
  bonus vs Madness and fear saves
  for the current combat turn and the
  next.
  Only dwarf characters with this skill
  can use a Battle Tankard.
  Gemstone Grenadier
  Gemstone grenadiers are a short
  range missile troops throwing rune-
  etched gemstones. The stones
  break 
  on 
  contact, 
  releasing
  devastating area spells. Wasting
  gemstones in this way breaks the
  heart of the dwarves, so the
  grenadiers 
  have 
  limited
  ammunition.
  Before an adventure, dwarves with
  this skill can prepare a number of
  gems they own equal to their level
  or less as explosive gemstones.
  Each gem must be worth at least 30
  gold pieces.
  Gemstones can only be used with
  ranged weapons (bows, crossbows
  or firearms) and strike like a Fireball
  cast by a wizard of ½ the dwarf's
  
  44
  level (e.g. a gemstone crafted by a
  level 4 dwarf (+2) launched with a
  crossbow (+1) has a +3 bonus).
  On a roll of 1, the gemstone
  explodes on the character (1
  wound).
  Runecaster
  The dwarven miners practice
  runecasting and gem magic. All
  miner clans choose one gem (ruby,
  topaz, sapphire, etc) as their
  ClanStone and their spellcasters
  learn spells based on that stone.
  Runecasters etch magic runes into
  gems. These are then cast to
  foretell the future, to protect allies
  or 
  as 
  attack 
  magic. 
  A 
  few
  Runecasters travel to the outside
  world and may be part of
  warbands or advneturing parties.
  Once per game, the dwarf can
  prepare a single gem before the
  adventure and must decide ahead
  whether it will be used to cast a
  Defend, Fireball or Glyph spell.
  The spell is cast as if the dwarf was
  a wizard of his level (+L to
  spellcasting).
  Glyphs can be used to destroy a
  door, a trap or left behind to
  protect a single room or corridor
  against wandering monster.
  In the latter case, should you roll
  for wandering monsters in that
  room, the Glyph is treated as
  Fireball cast by the dwarf with a
  spellcasting bonus equal to his
  level, which strikes the wandering
  monsters before they can attack.
  Female dwarves must spend 2 XP
  to acquire this skill as this specialty
  is traditional for the males.
  Pelter Skills
  These outcast feral fighters wield
  gem magic and use animal-like
  powers. The animals most often
  skinned for this purpose are bears,
  wolves, bearwolves (a blue-furred,
  large wolf with thick limbs), giant
  
  45
  wolverines 
  and 
  sabertooth
  mountain cats.
  Animal Soul Sharing
  Some Pelter dwarves know how to
  absorb the natural powers of
  animals they skin, in a ritual they
  call Seden Kaan - Animal Soul
  Sharing.
  Pick a single vermin or minion
  natural animal (one that would
  exist in our world) from any 4AD
  book 
  appropriate 
  to 
  your
  character's level when acquiring
  this skill.
  The animal's special rule must be
  adaptable as an active player's
  power. This ability can be used as
  often as the creature can use it (e.g.
  each combat, in the case of the
  vampire bat).
  Only one animal power can be
  used at any time.
  The character can change the
  animal's power he has absorbed to
  another each time he kills a new
  animal. Examples:
  • Bear: Once per combat, if
  character succeeds two successful
  Attack rolls in a row, against the
  same Boss or Weird Monster, the
  character is entitled to a free attack
  against that very monster.
  • Bearwolf: The character reduces
  by 2 in 6 the chances of monsters
  surprising the party (e.g. wandering
  monsters only surprise the party
  on a roll of 1-4).
  • Giant Rat: When wounding a
  Boss or Weird Monster, the
  character has a 1 in 6 chance of
  inflicting another wound through
  infection. Undead, golems and
  monsters 
  with 
  the 
  “disease”,
  “plague”, “pestilence” or “pest”
  words in their names are immune.
  • Giant Raven: The character can
  flee from melee without suffering
  attacks as well as fly over obstacles
  (no more than 1 map square in
  size) for very short distances.
  • Giant Vampire Bats: Absorbing
  a vampire bat's ability (from 4AD,
  
  46
  p.35) would lower a spellcasting
  enemy's level by 1 (such as a chaos
  lord, a lictor or a mutant psyker).
  • Giant Wolverine: Once per
  combat, the character ignores the
  first wound suffered. This skill does
  not add with Withstand Pain.
  • Mountain Lion: Once per
  combat, if the character succeeds
  a melee attack against a Boss or a
  Weird Monster during the first turn,
  the monster is toppled over and
  loses 1 attack for this turn.
  • Sabertooth Tiger: Once per
  combat, the character can re-roll a
  failed Defense roll in melee as he
  jumps out of the way.
  Bear Pelters
  These dwarves are gifted with
  immense physical strength fueled
  by their berserk rage.
  Once per adventure, they can
  double the damage caused by any
  single successful melee Attack.
  Choose to use this ability after
  rolling the attack.
  Bearwolf Archers
  Females of the Pelters are trained
  to use powerful hornbows since
  childhood because they are not
  marred by the poor eyesight that
  affects males.
  This allows the character to add
  half her level to her ranged Attack
  rolls.
  
  47
  Male dwarves must spend 2 XP to
  gain this skill as this specialty is
  traditional for females.
  Raven Twinblade
  These dwarves perform the Seden
  Kaan ritual with giant ravens. They
  have increased speed and evasion
  powers. Veteran Ravens perform
  lightning-fast knife attacks and can
  fly short distances.
  This skill gives the character a +2
  bonus to Defense when wearing
  light armor (or none at all) and the
  ability to jump over 1 square-wide
  rivers or lava rivers (from 4AA).
  Runecaster
  Pelters 
  have 
  access 
  to 
  the
  Runecaster skill of the Miner clans.
  Sabertooth Tiger Pelter
  These feral hand-to-hand fighters
  emit a terrifying battle roar when
  they charge. Reduce the enemy's
  morale by 1 if the character has
  inflicted them at least 1 wound,
  except for undead and demons.
  Female dwarves must spend 2 XP
  to gain this skill as this specialty is
  traditional for the males.
  Dragonslayer
  Skills
  Dwarves have a long feud with
  dragons. 
  A 
  few 
  courageous
  individuals embrace dragonslaying
  as their sole profession.
  Dragonslayer Strike
  Dwarves from these clans can learn
  the Dragonslayer’s Strike skill at
  level 3 or later, whereas other
  dwarves can only learn it at Expert
  level.
  When wielding a two-handed or
  one-handed battle axe (slashing
  weapon), the character’s first Attack
  roll, if successful, is at +1 and inflicts
  2 wounds on a dragon if it hits. This
  
  48
  skill works only on the first attack
  performed against a dragon.
  After one turn, the dragon will
  realize that he is fighting a
  dragonslayer and will adopt a
  fighting stance that protects him
  from this skill.
  This skill is similar to the Expert skill
  featured in 4AA (p.18), except that
  it can only be used with a battle axe.
  Sense Dragons
  Pelter dragonslayers can sense
  dragons from a long distance and
  are immune to some minor
  draconic 
  power. 
  While 
  they
  generally pledge allegiance only to
  their own clan, in times of need
  they are sent to help others to fight
  draconic infestation, so all Outcast
  warbands may enlist them.
  Dwarves with this skill are never
  surprised by a dragon and get a +2
  bonus to saves vs dragon breath.
  Master of Wilderness
  Trained to survive the dangers of
  the wilds, these dwarves can
  choose to make saves as either
  barbarians or dwarves each time a
  save is called for (such as for
  climbing, swimming, etc.) They can
  swim like barbarians do.
  Iron Hands Skills
  These mutilated mystics have a
  single skill unique to themselves
  but can learn the Catch Projectiles,
  Flurry of Blows, Mind Focus and
  Quivering Palm skills from this
  book at level 3 or more.
  Their first skill is always Iron Hands.
  Iron Hands
  Both the character's hands have
  been replaced with light or one-
  handed weapons (your choice). He
  cannot be disarmed and ignores
  any special rule to that effect.
  Furthermore, the character may
  reroll melee Attack rolls of 1.
  
  49
  Shields or ranged weapons cannot
  be used nor lanterns carried by the
  character. Any roll or save that
  requires 
  precise 
  manual
  coordination 
  (such 
  as
  pickpocketing or juggling) suffers a
  -1 penalty.
  The effect of any trap that is
  described as cutting a character’s
  arm 
  or 
  hand 
  off 
  may 
  be
  automatically ignored by a dwarf
  with Iron Hands.
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  frequent
  encounters with weremoles and
  werebears in their area, most Iron
  Hand dwarves apply silver wire
  inlays 
  to 
  decorate 
  their
  prosthetic hands. This is part of
  the 
  character’s 
  initial
  equipment and no money must
  be spent to aquire silver inlays.
  These Iron Hands count as
  silver weapons for the purpose
  of harming monsters.
  Outcast Skills
  As some Miners turned to
  demon worship, dwarves who
  refused to work for the dark
  forces were exiled. These are
  collectively known as Outcasts.
  They now live above ground as
  'barbarians'. Some even shave
  their beard and hair as a symbol of
  their outcast status.
  Outcasts have limited access to
  ores and the miner clans will not
  sell them metal.
  Battle Fury
  Outcasts are known to launch
  themselves in combat without a
  thought for their safety. Once per
  level and per adventure, they can
  add ½ their level to their Attack rolls
  (in addition to their usual class
  bonus) but conversely subtract the
  
  50
  same amount from their Defense
  rolls for a single combat.
  The dwarf must be wearing no
  armor and using no shield when
  calling upon this skill. Armor may
  not be taken off during combat, but
  a shield may be dropped as a free
  action.
  Insane Fearlessness
  The character is immune to fear.
  However, he can never flee nor
  retreat from a combat once
  engaged in melee.
  He can still gain Madness points
  but adds +2 to any save that would
  cause a gain of Madness if failed.
  Marks of Despair
  Outcast dwarves are known to scar
  themselves to bleed off the anguish
  of their banishment. Once per level
  and per adventure, an outcast
  dwarf can choose to lose 2 life to
  lower his Madness score by 1.
  These life points can be healed
  normally. While of limited use at
  low levels, this skill can save a dwarf
  from going mad in Abyss dungeons.
  Possessed Skills
  Note: As Possessed are as
  evil as dwarves get,
  characters aligned
  with the gods of
  Life and Light,
  including clerics,
  paladins and
  monks devoted to
  these deities, elves, dwarves of
  the other clans as well as
  conservationists (and any sane
  person) will not join parties with a
  Possessed dwarf.
  Other classes have no such
  restrictions. In fact, darker classes
  such 
  as 
  rogues, 
  assassins,
  cambions, Blasphemous Ones,
  
  51
  succubi, moonbeasts, atrocities,
  necromancers, clerics of the evil
  gods and similar scum get along
  quite fine with the Possessed.
  Brimstone Fusilier
  The character has learn to enchant
  an harquebus with a variety of
  bullets.
  Once per adventure, for every 2
  levels the character has, the
  Possessed dwarf can use an
  enchanted bullet that will increase
  by 1 the wounds of any single
  successful ranged attack with his
  harquebus against a Boss or Weird
  Monster, except those who have
  fire attacks (e.g. chimerae and
  many dragons).
  Do not multiply this bonus when
  doubling the monster's level.
  Hellchain Fanatic
  Hellchain 
  Fanatics 
  whirling
  flaming, enchanted ball and
  chain weapons.
  A dwarf with this skill can
  wield these weapons as
  two-handed 
  crushing
  weapons (+1 to Attacks).
  If the attack hits a Boss or
  Weird Monster, it will be set
  on fire on a d6 roll of 5-6.
  Monsters set on fire lose 1 life
  on their next turn and must roll
  again, the fire affecting them again
  on the next turn on a d6 roll of 5-6,
  and so on.
  Given the light and noise of these
  weapons, a party with a Hellchain
  Fanatic increases the likelihood of
  wandering monsters by 1 in 6.
  Hellfire Weaver
  Hellfire Weavers are spellcasters
  specialized in the control of hellfire,
  which they can shape into walls or
  throw as fireballs or jets of soul-
  scorching flames.
  Each time this skill
  is chosen, the
  dwarf can cast a
  Fireball spell as a
  wizard of their
  
  52
  level (+L to spellcasting), once per
  adventure.
  Hellglaive
  Hellglaives are dwarven stealthy
  assassins of the Possessed, able to
  teleport at your back or disappear
  in a cloud of brimstone smell if
  outnumbered.
  Once per adventure, the character
  can cast the Escape spell. He also
  adds his level to his Stealth rolls,
  like a rogue.
  Painsmith
  Painsmiths are armed with a
  Painaxe. 
  Pain, 
  even 
  self
  inflicted pain from the barbed
  wire they wear around their
  arms, fuels their rage and
  makes 
  them 
  strong 
  and
  unpredictable in a melee.
  Whenever the character is
  under half his maximum hit
  points, add +1 to his melee
  Attacks.
  Warlord Armor of Chaos
  Expert-level dwarves only
  Ruling over the Possessed
  through terror and physical
  might, these merciless tyrants
  have learned to mold their
  armor to their skin to the point
  that they cannot live without it
  and cannot take it off. The only way
  to take off the armor is if it is
  destroyed by some game effect
  (such as the touch of an Iron Eater).
  In that case, the dwarf also takes 1
  damage.
  This ability increases the dwarf
  armor's Defense value by +1. It can
  be used on magic armor if the
  dwarf has one, but he can never
  change the armor once donned,
  even if a better one is found later.
  The Possessed's armor thereafter
  counts as a magic item.
  
  53
  Patrons
  If you wish, your party can take any
  single one of the patrons below, as
  long as the conditions are met.
  Bohn the
  Slavemaster
  Available to all dwarf clans
  Headmaster 
  of 
  the 
  Burning
  Runehammer miner clan, second
  in line to the throne of the Iron
  Cage (aka the Purple City), in the
  hobgoblin hegemony, Böhn is a
  paranoid dark dwarf (dwergar) who
  operates his grim business from a
  stronghold in the Asymmetric City,
  near Llriaan. His mercenary guild,
  the Gloompyre, is a vast ship-based
  operation with guildhouses in most
  of the major cities of Norindaal.
  Lawful but merciless, Böhn trades
  in slave contracts with would-be
  adventurers.
  Adventurers can only join the
  Gloompyre as a party. Böhn’s
  intermediaries 
  will 
  lend 
  any
  character up to 100 gold and, if you
  wish, any single magic item from
  the Magic Items table in the 4AD
  book.
  In return, at the end of each
  adventurer (before buying new
  supplies or resurrections), at least
  half of your party’s collected gold,
  jewels and gems must be given
  back to Böhn’s as repayment on the
  party’s debt until an amount equal
  to 5 times the original debt has
  been paid.
  Magic items without an indicated
  gold value must be repaid 1,000
  gold each. Magic items and
  captives (at 5 gold per level each)
  are accepted as debt payment;
  those sold into slavery are never
  seen again.
  If, for any reason, your party fails to
  honor one or more payments,
  Böhn will send other Gloompyre
  members 
  to 
  capture 
  them,
  dragging them bound and gagged
  to the Asymmetric city where the
  Gloompyre’s medusas will turn the
  deadbeat characters into statues
  as an example to all who would fail
  the slavelord’s terms.
  From then on, each time you finish
  an adventure, roll a d6 as you reach
  the last room: on a roll of 1-5, a
  party of Gloompyre bounty hunters
  will be waiting for your adventurers.
  D6+2 Gloompyre Bountyhunters.
  Level HCL+3* minions, morale +1,
  normal treasure +1. When met as
  wandering monsters, they always
  surprise the party. Half of the
  bounty hunters will be carrying
  
  54
  crossbows, attacking first with a -1
  penalty to Defense. They have a 1-3
  change of being led by a Boss: 1-3
  chaos lord, 4-6 orc brute (see 4AD
  p.37).
  The bounty hunters always direct
  all their attacks against a single
  character: wizards first, then clerics,
  then they attack the character with
  the highest net Attack value.
  They will leave the last party
  member alive, with 1 life, so he may
  spread the word. If the character is
  of Expert level, they will have cut his
  eyelids and lips off (causing him d3
  Madness points, see 4AA p.35).
  * Add 3 to your party’s highest class
  level (HCL). For example, if your
  highest level character is level 4, your
  party’s HCL is 7. If your HCL is 6 or
  more, any Boss met will be a
  dragon-man instead (4AA p.55);
  roll on the Abyss Treasure table
  if you defeat the bounty hunters.
  Böhn will not risk his life by
  joining adventurer parties.
  King Thumas Ven
  Miner clan dwarves only
  Parties in service to the Miner King
  start each new adventure with a
  quest: to find the eggs of dragons.
  Dragons with the “young”, “small”
  or “undead” words in their names
  never have any eggs; other dragons
  met in their lair will have d3 eggs
  on a d6 roll of 1-2. The king pays
  100 gold for each egg retrieved (this
  replaces the usual quest reward; do
  not roll on the Epic Rewards table).
  As the king is responsible for the
  outcasts’ and the Pelter clans’
  
  55
  banishment, all dwarves that do
  not belong to the miner clans,
  including the Possessed and Thralls
  of the Lich Lord, will hate the party
  as long as they serve the king: their
  reaction 
  is 
  “always 
  fight”.
  Conversely, the party may re-roll
  any reaction roll with miner clan
  dwarves, such as those met in crag
  dungeons (from MMM).
  The king will not patronize a party
  without dwarves or that includes
  demons 
  (such 
  as 
  cambions,
  succubi or Blasphemous Ones) or
  dwarves from any clan but the
  miner clans.
  Adventuring with King Ven
  If all of your party has reached
  Expert level (as per the 4AA rules)
  and you have a "slot" left for a
  fourth character, you can add King
  Ven to your party.
  Exceptionally, King Ven is a level 6
  "multi-classed" 
  character, 
  who
  combines the class traits and skill
  options of both a level 5 dwarf and
  a level 1 Elder.
  He makes saves and progresses in
  level as a dwarf; the other class is
  "locked".
  King Ven has the Commanding
  Presence and Withstand Pain
  Expert skills (from 4AA) and the
  Dwarven Steelwall skill. He is
  equipped with a magic +1 axe
  (Orcbiter), a magic shield +1 and
  magic heavy armor +1.
  These heirlooms will not be
  shared 
  with 
  other 
  party
  members and will be retrieved by
  his heirs.
  When king Ven is adventuring
  with your party, replace entry #2
  on any Boss table by a roll on the
  Abyss Dragon table. For example,
  if your party were exploring an
  abyssal dungeon (from 4AA),
  when rolling a 2 on the Abyss
  Boss table on p.55, instead of
  encountering a Mind Screamer,
  
  56
  
  57
  your party would encounter a
  random Abyss dragon (using the
  table on p.58 of 4AA).
  King Ven will not adventure with
  any party that includes Pelters,
  Dragonslayers or Possessed.
  If Ven dies, it goes without saying
  that the party can no longer take
  him as a patron. He may not be
  resurrected.
  Rehenna
  Bearwolf
  The legendary Pelter chieftain
  Rehenna Bearwolf is famous for
  her skill in hand-to-hand combat
  and her tactical intuition. She wears
  the pelt of the Grim One, a gigantic
  male bearwolf that claimed the
  lives of at least twenty dwarves
  before she managed to bring him
  down in her Sedar Kaan ritual.
  Her grudge is not as much with the
  dragons as with the Miner dwarves
  and their king, Thumas Ven: she is
  devoted to rescuing the Pelters
  who fell to the Miners' attacks,
  forced to work as slaves in their
  mines.
  Parties who take Rehenna as a
  patron are given the same mission
  at the beginning of each adventure:
  to rescue Pelter captives from the
  Miner clans.
  As long as Rehenna is the party's
  patron, replace entry #1 on any
  Minions table by miner clan
  dwarves 
  (see 
  below). 
  These
  dwarves will have d6 captives from
  the Pelter clans (level 0 non-
  combatants, 1 life, no attacks).
  Rehenna will give the party 10 gold
  for each Pelter safely rescued out
  of the dungeon. If you rescue 10 or
  more Pelter captives during the
  same adventure, your party also
  gets 1 XP roll.
  d6+2 Miner Clan Dwarves. Level
  6 
  minions, 
  normal 
  treasure
  (replace scrolls by 2d6 x 8 gold
  pieces’ worth in nuggets). Half of
  them use crossbows on a d6 roll of
  1-2. Crossbow wielders shoot
  before your party’s melee attacks
  (make Defense rolls at -1).
  Reaction: always fight.
  Adventuring with Rehenna
  If all of your party has reached
  Expert level (as per the 4AA rules)
  and you have a "slot" left for a
  fourth character, you can add
  Rehenna to your party.
  Exceptionally, Rehenna is a level 6
  "multi-classed" 
  character, 
  who
  combines the class traits and skill
  options of both a level 5 dwarf and
  
  58
  a level 1 wilderness guide. Rehenna
  makes saves and
  progres
  ses in level as a
  dwarf; the other
  class 
  is
  "locked".
  Rehenna
  has the Animal Soul
  Sharing 
  (Bearwolf)
  dwarf skill and the Sworn
  Enemy  (Miner dwarves)
  Expert skill (from 4AA).
  She is equipped with a
  bearwolf pelt (magic light armor
  +1), a runic dagger +2 (light slashing
  weapon) and a sling.
  Rehenna will not adventure with
  any party that includes Miner or
  Possessed dwarves.
  When Rehenna is adventuring with
  your party, replace entries #1 and
  #2 on any Minions table by miner
  clan dwarves. Each tie, on a d6 roll
  of 1-2, these minions will be led by
  a dwarf chieftain (level 9 Boss, 9 life,
  3 attacks, morale +1, treasure +2).
  If Rehenna dies, the party can no
  longer take her as a patron. She
  may not be resurrected.
  Jontil the
  Beardless
  First among the Dragonslayers is
  Jontil the Beardless, driven by an
  unrelenting inner fury and guilt.
  Long ago, during his young days as
  a dwarven fighter, his clan was
  destroyed by a giant red dragon: he
  only survived because he panicked
  and ran away.
  Overcome with shame, Jontil
  shaved his beard and vowed to
  devote his life to the unrelenting
  
  59
  pursuit of dragonkind until the very
  last wyrm of Norindaal is slain.
  Adventurers who take Jontil as a
  patron receive the same quest at
  the start of any adventure: to slay
  all 
  dragons 
  encountered.
  Whenever a random Boss is
  encountered, 
  replace
  result #1 on your Boss
  table (from any book) by a
  small dragon (4AD p.37) if
  your party is at Basic level
  (1-5) and a random dragon
  from the Abyss Dragon table
  (4AA p.58) if at least one
  party member is of Expert
  level or above.
  Completing this quest is worth 1
  additional XP and an Epic Reward
  if all dragons (at least one!) are
  killed.
  Adventuring with Jontil
  If all of your party has reached
  Expert level (as per the 4AA rules)
  and you have a "slot" left for a
  fourth character, you can add king
  Ven to your party.
  Exceptionally, king Ven is a level 6
  "multi-classed" 
  character, 
  who
  combines the class traits and skill
  options of both a level 5 dwarf and
  a level 1 Elder.
  He makes saves and progresses in
  level as a dwarf; the other class is
  "locked".
  When Jontil is adventuring with
  your party, replace entries #1 and
  #2 on any Boss table by a roll on
  the Abyss Dragon table (4AA
  p.58). 
  Jontil 
  always
  attacks and fights to
  the death, and never
  retreats 
  or 
  flees,
  against 
  dragons,
  dragon-men 
  and 
  any
  other monster with the
  "dragon" word in its
  name, even friendly
  ones.
  The Beardless One
  h a s
  the Sworn Enemy
  (Dragons) Expert skill (from 4AA)
  and the Dragonslayer Strike dwarf
  skill. He wields Tezany’s Bounty, a
  runic 
  greatsword 
  (+2 
  magic
  weapon) with a blade made out of
  a sawfish bone that is rumored to
  come from the Sunken Citadel of
  Atlis, and a magic heavy armor +1.
  These heirlooms will not be shared
  with other party members and will
  be retrieved by his family should he
  die.
  Jontil will not adventure with any
  party that includes Miner or
  Possessed dwarves.
  
  60
  If Jontil dies, the party can no longer
  take him as a patron. He may not
  be resurrected.
  Zorkan Zaa
  Possessed dwarves only
  The Screaming Faces are the
  heaviest infantry among the ranks
  of the Possessed. They are clad in
  heavy or demonic armor and
  employ large cleaving weapons.
  They take their name from the
  grinning, yelling red faces
  sculpted 
  on 
  their
  breastplates.
  The much-feared
  Zorkan Zaa is
  considered the
  best fighter
  among the
  Screaming Faces.
  He is armed
  with Tellorna
  (“Always
  Thirsty”), a blood-
  drinking, intelligent
  magic axe tempered
  in the blood of
  countless enemies.
  The Possessed are evil, demon-
  worshipping dwarves trying to
  summon their dark masters in
  Norindaal. First among these
  masters is the demonic god
  Asdzugh, the Wheel of Pain,
  chained in the Netherworld region
  of Zo by the time god Tauramin.
  What is not common knowledge is
  that with enough sacrifices, the
  Possessed will activate a portal to
  summon Asdzugh to this world.
  
  61
  This task is the driving purpose of
  all of the Possessed. Parties who
  choose Zaa as a patron are tasked
  with the gathering of humanoid
  captives. To subdue foes, party
  members must hit with the flat of
  the blade and restrain their blows
  (-1 to Attack rolls): the opponents
  still count as defeated, but are
  captured instead of killed.
  For every 10 humanoid captives
  (minions only, not vermin) brought
  out of a dungeon, the lord Zaa will
  reward one party with a soul cube.
  A single soul cube can restore a
  charge into any magic item once; it
  can also be sold for 50 gold.
  Parties in the service of the
  Possessed will trigger an “always
  fight” reaction from paladins and
  any non-Possessed dwarf they
  encounter.
  However, the party can re-roll
  reactions 
  when 
  encountering
  Possessed (from MMM) or chaos
  dwarves (from CoC).
  Lord Zaa will not patronize a party
  without Possessed dwarves or that
  includes clerics or paladins who
  serve the gods of Light or dwarves
  from any clan but the Possessed.
  Adventuring with Zaa
  If all of your party has reached
  Expert level (as per the 4AA rules)
  and you have a "slot" left for a
  fourth character, you can add Zaa
  to your party.
  Exceptionally, Zaa is a level 6 "multi-
  classed" character, who combines
  the class traits and skill options of
  both a level 5 dwarf and a level 1
  wizard. He makes saves and
  progresses in level as a dwarf; the
  other class is "locked".
  Zaa has the Hellfire Weaver and
  Warlord Armor of Chaos skills. He
  is equipped with two +1 magic
  swords and a +1 magic heavy
  armor (whose total armor bonus is
  +4 due to his skills). Zaa will not
  adventure with any party that
  includes 
  any 
  dwarves 
  but
  Possessed.
  If Zaa dies, the party can no longer
  take him as a patron. Zaa may not
  be resurrected.
  
  62
  Where is That
  Class Again?
  The following index lists the
  character classes created for Four
  Against Darkness to this day.
  Note that some of the supplements
  mentioned are not yet in print at
  the time of this publication and
  may add even more classes.
  Four Against Darkness
  Barbarian, Cleric, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling,
  Rogue, Warrior, Wizard.
  Deep Waters
  Swashbuckler.
  Knight of Destiny
  Questing 
  Knight 
  (aka 
  “Arthurian
  Paladin”).
  Four Against the Netherworld
  Blasphemous 
  One, 
  Cambion,
  Demonologist, Paladin.
  The Courtship of the Flower
  Demons
  Conservationist, 
  Satyr, 
  Wandering
  Alchemist.
  Crucible of Classic Critters
  Beastmaster.
  Concise Collection of Classes
  Assassin, Elder, Fire Elf, Harlequin,
  Lutin, 
  Marksman, 
  Monk, 
  Ogre,
  Wilderness Guide.
  Breachers of the Bone Belfry
  Paladin of Zur, Succubus.
  The North Beyond the World
  Bard, Frostweaver, Ice Elf Huntress, Ice
  Elf Mage,  Moonbeast, Xwart.
  Digressions of the Devouring Dead
  Atrocity, 
  Death 
  Leper, 
  Mutant,
  Necromancer, Sentient Golem.
  More Mountainous Mayhem
  Chronomancer, Dark Elf, Half-Orc (and
  variants), Ichtyan, Moosefolk, Night Elf,
  Treefolk.
  Treacheries of the Troublesome
  Towns
  Beggar, Court Magus, Goblin (light),
  Town Troll
  Seven Sisters
  Witchhunter.
  Swamps of the Slithering Snakemen
  Renegade Reptilian, Snake Charmer.
  Journeys in the Jaguar Jungle
  Amazon, Jaguar Folk, Jungle Dwarf,
  Jungle Elf, Mole People, Summoner,
  Witch Doctor.
  Pirate Ports of Pestilence
  Condemned, Plague Doctor, River Elf,
  Sea Dwarf, Sea Elf.
  Revenge of the Ravenous Ratmen
  Cheesemeister, Censor, Paladin of
  Radah, Paladin of Sebas, Shrew.
  Yoke of the Yogic Yetis
  Frost Orc, Snow Elf, Yogic Yeti.
  
  63
  Wayfarers and Adventurers
  Druid, Gnome, Green Troll, Martial
  Mystic, Wood Elf, Ranger, Merchant.
  Heart of the Lizard
  Fire Mage.
  Amalgam of Anthropomorphic
  Adventurers
  Beefolk, Birdfolk, Butterfly Folk, Catfolk,
  Elephant Folk, Enlightened Eagle,
  Flamingo Folk, Gecko-kin, Frogfolk,
  Hippo Folk, Jayfolk, Koala Folk, Meerkat
  Folk, Minotaur, Mousefolk, Mykityad,
  Ratfolk, Shrikefolk, Stag Folk, Tiger Folk.
  Isles of the Incandescent Idols
  Bat Folk, Lobster Folk, Oracle, Seafarer.
  Portfolio of Powerful Professions
  Centaur (and variants), Damsel in
  Distress, Half-Giant, Fightin' Fungi (and
  variants), Flying Cat, Hobgoblin, Magic
  Animal, 
  Mothfolk 
  (and 
  variants)
  Prisoner, Revenant.
  Shivers in the Savage Savannah
  Desert Elf, Eagle Folk, Elementalist, Lion
  Folk, Sand Goblin, Savannah Dwarf,
  Scholar, Wild Elf.
  Swamps of the Slithering Snakemen
  Marsh 
  Elf, 
  Medusine, 
  Renegade
  Reptilian, Snake Charmer, Swamp
  Shaman.
  Clerical Deities
  The following index lists the deities
  which clerics can worship, proving
  them with unique abilities.
  Buried Secrets: Luura, Tamas Zeya,
  Zoras.
  FourAgainst the Netherworld:
  Foryos, Zur.
  Crucible of Classic Critters: Elidra,
  Korimnos.
  The North Beyond the World:
  Tauramin, Tezany, Winterheart.
  More Mountainous Mayhem:
  Father Hullah, Kraa.
  Digressions of the Devouring Dead:
  Akerbeltz, Darim, Ter Za Necht.
  Revenge of the Ravenous Ratmen:
  Gobras, Gro Khair, Radah, Sebas.
  Treacheries of the Troublesome
  Towns: Divine Benedictions and
  Curses specific to each of the deities.
  
  Classic and Contemporary Classes
  This supplement for Four Against Darkness presents you with nine
  new character classes, including rules to bring them to up to Expert
  level with Four Against the Abyss. Featuring:
  • the assassin, who hides to deliver astounding killing blows
  • the fire elf, who are blind but gifted with the deadly gaze of fire
  • the harlequin, who can juggle and fight with three swords
  • the lutin, or brownie, who can turn invisible and play tricks
  • the marksman, whose lightning-fast shots are deadly
  • the monk, a specialist deadlier than the warrior, with deadly skills
  • the ogre mercenary, a slow but indestructible powerhouse
  • The elder, who lends his skills and guides party members
  • The wilderness survival guide, your best friend in the wilds
  The second chapter, Dwarven Dissertations, describes six dwarven
  clans, each with a set of skills exclusive to dwarf characters, which
  can be taken from 3rd level, as well as dwarven patrons with unique
  benefits and drawbacks, some of which can join your party.
  Will you fight for the Miner clans who master rune magic and
  disciplined warfare, the animist Pelter clan savages, the obsessive
  Dragonslayers, the martial artist Iron Hands, the desperate
  Outcasts or the evil Possessed?
  Last but not least are rules for crossbows and harquebuses,
  deadly but unstable firearms.
  Requires only the core Four Against Darkness book.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Four Against Darkness (osr)/Supplemental/Four Against Darkness Concise Collection of Classes.pdf