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  Open Game Content & Copyright Information
  Dwarves: Hammer of the Dwarven Lords is ©2004 Dark Quest, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduc-
  tions of the product without permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. Dwarves: Hammer of 
  the Dwarven Lords is presented under the d20 License. All textual material is desginated as Open Game 
  Content. All artwork herein is copyrighted Dark Quest, LLC. “d20 System” and the d20 System Logo 
  are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the d20 license.
  Writers 
  Matthew Beall, Michael Hammes, Neal Levin, 
  Fraser Ronald, Eric Tam, David Woodrum
  Editors 
  Joanna G. Hurley, John Cooper
  Games
  D
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  Q
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  www.darkquest.c∂m
  Line Developer 
  Neal Levin
  Art Director 
  Gillian Pearce
  Cover Artist 
  Kallen
  Graphic Design 
  Duncan Fielden
  Interior Art 
  Gillian Pearce, Sabrina Hart
  Executive Producer 
  Neal Levin
  
  2
  Chapter One: The Clachduin 
   
  (The Painted Dwarves) 
  3
  The Life Cycle of the Clachduin 
  4
  The Family 
  5
  Society 
  6
  The Arts 
  7
  Education 
  7
  Food and Drink 
  7
  Clothing and Fashion 
  8
  ‘Pellidal’: the Tattoo 
   
   and the Clachduin 
  8
  Personal Combat 
  8
  Religion and Myth 
  9
  Government 
  9
  Chapter Two: The Hallvring 
   
  (The Reaving Dwarves) 
  12
  The Life Cycle of the Hallvring 
  13
  The Family 
  14
  Society 
  16
  The Arts 
  17
  Education 
  17
  Food and Drink 
  17
  Clothing and Fashion 
  18
  Personal Combat 
  18
  Religion and Myth 
  18
  Government 
  20
  Chapter Three: The Khura 
   
  (The Steppe Dwarves) 
  22
  The Life Cycle of the Khura 
  22
  The Family 
  24
  Society 
  25
  The Arts 
  27
  Education 
  28
  Food and Drink 
  28
  Clothing and Fashion 
  28
  Personal Combat 
  28
  Religion and Myth 
  29
  Government 
  29
  Chapter Four: Dwarven Gods 
  31
  The Pantheon 
  31
  The Deep One 
  31
  The Hearthlord 
  32
  The High One 
  33
  The Warrior 
  34
  The Weaver 
  35
  Lesser Dwarven Deities 
  36
  The Wise Master 
  36
  The Storyteller 
  36
  The Scourge 
  36
  The Trader 
  36
  The Wavemistress 
  36
  The Judge 
  36
  Chapter Five 
   
  Dwarven Equipment 
  37
  Weapon Table 
  37
  Armor Table 
  37
  Arms & Armor 
  37
  Alchemical & Comestibles 
  40
  Dwarven Alcohol and other 
   
   Fine Stiﬀ Drinks 
  41
  A Gallery of Fine 
   
   Dwarven Beverages 
  42
  A Selection of Dwarven 
   
   Magic Items 
  46
  Chapter Six 
   
  Magics of the Dwarves 
  49
  Pellidals 
  49
  Mundane Pellidals 
  49
  Magic Pellidals 
  49
  Becoming a Geidalgha 
  50
  Cleric Domains 
  50
  Stone Domain 
  50
  Sea Domain 
  50
  Spells 
  51
  Alanora’s Roots 
  51
  Bewildering Strike 
  51
  Blade Shield 
  51
  Bullet 
  52
  Bullets 
  52
  Curatha’s Blessing 
  52
  Detonate Rocks 
  53
  Disguised Spell 
  53
  Disguised Spell, Greater 
  53
  Endless Spell 
  53
  Enhance Alcohol/Poison 
  54
  Fins 
  54
  Fortify Structure 
  54
  Frozen Ground 
  54
  Hail of Bullets 
  55
  Harden Armor 
  55
  Harden Weapon 
  55
  Ice Path 
  55
  Ironskin 
  55
  Lorgath’s Many-Armed Attack 
  56
  Lure 
  56
  Magma Field 
  56
  Masterful Cut 
  56
  Matook’s Hacking Cough 
  57
  Miner’s Nose 
  57
  Mutating Gaze 
  57
  Phantom Force 
  57
  Planar Wings 
  58
  Pummeling Weapon 
  58
  Raise Totemic Servant 
  58
  Roiling Waves 
  59
  Rooted Defense 
  60
  Sealskin 
  60
  Seal Tome 
  60
  Sharkskin 
  60
  Shock Shield 
  61
  Slow Metabolism 
  61
  Smothering Foam 
  61
  Steelskin 
  62
  Stony Tomb 
  62
  Strangling Vestments 
  62
  Subduing Arrow 
  62
  Tidal Armor 
  63
  Tunnel Mastery 
  63
  Water Column 
  63
  Water Jet 
  63
  Watery Grave 
  64
  Wild Animus 
  64
  Written Suggestion 
  64
  Chapter Seven: 
   
  Dwarven Wrestling 
  65
  Dwarven Feats 
  65
  Grapple Feats 
  66
  Dwarven Wrestling Terminology 
  69
  Chapter Eight: 
   
  NPC and Prestige Classes 
  71
  Slonelecta 
  71
  Seyder 
  71
  Alpine Ascetic 
  72
  Hearthbreaker 
  74
  Mountainheart 
  76
  Pyroclastic Celebrant 
  78
  Soulsick Slayer 
  80
  Vault Cracker 
  83
  HAMMER OF THE DWARVEN LORDS 
  CONTENTS
  
  CHAPTER ONE — THE CLACHDUIN
  THE PAINTED DWARVES
  Note on pronunciation: When ‘ch’ is used in the 
  Clachduin language of Teangfair, it has a hard pro-
  nunciation, rougher even than the ‘ch’ in ‘school’. In 
  Teangfair, ‘dh’ is pronounced as ‘th’, save when pre-
  ceded by ‘ai’ – ‘aidh’ is pronounced the same as ‘eye’. 
  ‘C’ is always pronounced halfway between a ‘k’ and 
  a ‘g’. Vowels are never silent, and, except in ‘aidh’, if 
  two vowels are together, they are both pronounced. 
  So, Clachduin is pronounced ‘clack-dew-in’.
  I
  n the tree-covered mountains of their homes, the 
  Painted Dwarves are undisputed masters of both rock 
  and wood. Known among themselves as the Clachduin, 
  the Painted Dwarves are both miners and foresters, rev-
  eling in the beauty of stone and tree. Though few retain 
  knowledge of the ancient tongue of Ealfayr, the name 
  Clachduin means ‘People of the Stones’. The term the 
  Painted Dwarves refers to the tattoos all adults have.
  The Clachduin are a surprisingly gregarious group. 
  Their neighbors know them as shrewd merchants 
  and cunning craftsmen. When war comes, though, 
  the Clachduin demonstrate the innate skill that most 
  Dwarves reveal. In battle, the Clachduin sing and make 
  jokes. There is no fear nor malice, only joy. A Clach-
  duin warrior will cheerfully oﬀer quarter if asked. 
  Prisoners are common, and loss of life when the 
  Painted Dwarves ﬁght among themselves is minimal.
  While believing that they occupy a special place in 
  the world, the Clachduin recognize kinship with other 
  Dwarven cultures. To other races, the Clachduin oﬀer 
  friendship when approached with respect and disdain 
  otherwise. Their aﬃnity for the forest brings them 
  closer to the Elves than any other Dwarven culture.
  The Clachduin population can be found mostly 
  in small towns and villages, rather than large cities. 
  They tend to live on mountains, but below the tree-
  line. The population is grouped into loose tribal units. 
  Sometimes a town may consist of a single tribe 
  or several. The largest of Clachduin cities 
  are the trade centers and market towns 
  in which they trade with the other 
  races.
  Overall, the Painted 
  Dwarves might be consid-
  ered a neutral good society. 
  There is an acceptance of 
  the need for order and the 
  importance of laws. While 
  order and obedience is 
  important, the Clach-
  duin also recognize 
  that sometimes the 
  spirit of the law is more im-
  portant than the letter. An 
  unjust law need never be 
  followed.
  3
  
  4
  THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE CLACHDUIN
  From Birth to Early Childhood (birth to 14 years)
  Pregnancy is time for celebration through the entire 
  tribe. A woman will continue to work well into her 
  pregnancy. Some females continue to work right up un-
  til labor. Each tribe has at least one Slonelecta, a cross 
  between a witch and a midwife. The Slonelecta will tell 
  a pregnant woman when she must stop working.
  A child’s name is given before the ﬁrst sunset after 
  the child’s birth. Before the next sunrise, a tribal name 
  must be chosen in consultation with the elders of the 
  tribe. The tribal name is a secret name, known only by 
  the child, the parents and the tribal elders. Clachduin 
  carry three names: their given name, their tribal name 
  and their family name.
  Young children are taken care of by their mothers, 
  though often groups of mothers will band together to 
  watch the children in concert and keep each other com-
  pany. Once children have stopped nursing, fathers are 
  called in to help. If the family’s livelihood is one that 
  the parents can share, such as farming, a mercantile 
  interest or even tailoring, the parents will share respon-
  sibility of childcare, one parent working while the other 
  watches the child.
  Childhood (15–24)
  Children of this age spend much time with their par-
  ents, but also with friends. Through most of the day, 
  the child will apprentice with either mother or father. 
  Whatever the family livelihood might be, the child will 
  shadow the working parent, and if both work, the par-
  ents will split the child’s time between them. Also, part 
  of the child’s day is spent in study, as basic lessons are 
  taught to most children.
  By the age of twenty, a male child will receive his 
  ﬁrst weapon – a knife. Every male Clachduin carries a 
  knife, used mostly as a tool, though also as a last line 
  of defense. Female children, if they show promise with 
  weapons, may, if their parents decide, also receive a 
  knife. The ceremony is short, invoking the tribe’s pa-
  tron deity(s) and presents for other children too young 
  to receive their own knives.
  Young Adulthood (25–39)
  As children approach adulthood, they take on more 
  adult responsibilities. Soon after receiving their ﬁrst 
  knife, children are expected to begin with their martial 
  training. While this is usually supplied by one of the par-
  ents, if the tribe has a hero who resides nearby, that hero 
  is expected to help in the training of the young adults.
  At this age, most Clachduin also begin to feel the 
  urgings of their hormones. Clachduin is very permis-
  sive in regards to pre-marital sex, and parents often 
  sit young Clachduin down very early on to discuss the 
  possible repercussions – such as pregnancy – of taking 
  a lover before marriage.
  Adulthood and Middle Age (40–200)
  On reaching the age of forty, Clachduin who have 
  proved capable during martial training receive the 
  Tuag Catu – the axe of combat – and shield. The axe 
  may be a newly forged creation if the family is wealthy, 
  or an old, notched and brittle axe – better suited for 
  chopping wood than combat – if the family is poor. 
  Only when presented with a Tuag Catu is a Clachduin 
  allowed to also maintain armor. Not every Clachduin 
  is awarded a Tuag Catu at the age of forty, but later, one 
  may earn one through actions on the ﬁeld of combat. 
  While an axe is the sign of the warrior, all households 
  must maintain a shield and spear for use when the 
  Holsdawr, the tribal muster, is called.
  Upon reaching adulthood, a Clachduin may marry. 
  Once Clachduin are thirty, they may pledge their 
  troth – become engaged. However, Clachduin tradition 
  maintains that betrothal must last at least three years 
  and a day. Also, though a couple may betroth at the age 
  of thirty, they may not marry until forty. Among other 
  things, this is an attempt to allow the hot blood and 
  desires of youth to cool before marriage, so that they 
  can make a reasonable decision. 
  Old Age (over 200 years)
  At any time after all their children have produced 
  children, Clachduin parents may retire. This amounts 
  to passing on their business, farm, work, etc. to their 
  oﬀspring, or possibly selling the same. If they pass on 
  their livelihood, they are expected to contribute until 
  their age makes that diﬃcult. In return, the children 
  who have taken over the livelihood are expected to look 
  after their parents. If the couple or surviving individual 
  sells the livelihood, they are expected to use the money 
  to take care of themselves. When that runs dry, they 
  must look to their children for support. Even if their 
  children are unwilling to support them, the tribe will 
  never allow a member to go hungry or homeless. How-
  ever, this does not necessarily mean good food and a 
  beautiful home.
  It is accepted that most elders are wiser than their 
  younger counterparts, and so in the debates of the tribe, 
  the words of those of greater years hold more weight 
  than others. While the Clachduin do not live in a de-
  mocracy, the Teasec – meaning Thane or leader – of a 
  tribe usually places great emphasis on consultation, so 
  older Clachduin may have a great inﬂuence.
  
  5
  Death
  While death is mourned among the Clachduin, it is 
  mourned much as a departure on any journey. The 
  body of the departed is also prepared as though for a 
  journey, in ﬁne clothes and with coin. The knife given 
  to the individual as a child is sent with the body, but 
  the armor and weapons are saved to pass on to the next 
  generation.
  The bodies of the departed are buried on special 
  hills, fenced in with a low stone wall and powerful 
  spells. The Clachduin have a great fear and hatred for 
  the undead, and they insure the bodies of the departed 
  cannot be tampered with through magic. Most villages 
  also have some kind of guard, be it mundane – such 
  as a Clachduin guard or a dog – or magical – such as 
  spells or a familiar.
  THE FAMILY
  The Household
  While family ties are very important to 
  the Clachduin, they do not usually all 
  dwell in the same building. Even farm-
  ers or woodsmen, a family of whom 
  might work on the same farm or lot, 
  will usually have multiple homes. 
  In most cases, a household con-
  sists of parents and children. 
  Occasionally, a household 
  will include grandparents or 
  even great grandparents, but 
  in most cases, even elderly 
  Clachduin prefer the sense 
  of 
  independence 
  a 
  separate dwelling 
  aﬀords, even if 
  that dwelling is 
  only ten paces 
  from the home 
  of their child.
  Very wealthy Clachduin 
  may have large manor-houses, 
  in which multiple generations 
  and servants may live. In such 
  conditions, usually each fam-
  ily or married couple will have 
  separate quarters in a distinct 
  section of the manor. Also, 
  along the borders and in 
  unstable regions, multiple 
  family dwellings, mostly 
  for defense, are more 
  common.
  The Role of Parents
  Among the Clachduin, parents share almost equal re-
  sponsibility for a child. There are no traditional roles 
  for the parents, as parental obligations are based on 
  ability. If a father shows great promise nurturing the 
  child while the mother is successful as a seamstress, 
  then the father will take on the role of the primary care-
  giver. Even among the warrior caste, a male may take 
  on the nurturing role if that role suits him.
  The two main roles of the parent are the nurturer 
  and the teacher. The same parent, in many cases, takes 
  on both these roles, especially when the family is not 
  wealthy and must work. As there is no formal educa-
  tion for Clachduin children, one parent must teach 
  the children. This usually means some basic literacy, 
  numbers, and the history and myths of the Clachduin. 
  When the child is old enough, there is an apprentice-
  ship period. This is not necessarily with the parent 
  who has assumed the role of teacher. If there is a 
  working parent, the child will usually apprentice 
  with that parent. It is also possible that the child 
  has revealed some skill with a trade outside of 
  the family’s livelihood. In such a case, the par-
  ents may make an apprenticing agreement to 
  have the child taught by an outsider.
  In most aspects of the child’s upbringing, the 
  parents make joint decisions. While the opinion 
  of the parent involved in the nurturing tradi-
  tionally has greater inﬂuence on decisions, in 
  actual practice if one parent is dominant in the 
  relationship, they will usually win out, even 
  if that parent is neither acting as nurturer or 
  teacher.
  Grandparents and 
  Great Grandparents
  Among the Clachduin, grandpar-
  ents and great-grandparents can 
  oﬀer assistance in the nurturing 
  of the child, and sometimes even 
  in maintaining the family’s liveli-
  hood. A young family with many 
  children may quickly become 
  overwhelmed with their re-
  sponsibilities. It is usual for 
  grandparents to live close 
  by and so may readily of-
  fer assistance.
  In poor families, 
  when both parents 
  must work, chil-
  dren are often left 
  
  6
  in the care of the grandparents. While this is accepted 
  as an imperfect solution, it is better than leaving the 
  children in the care of others, or allowing the children 
  to go hungry for want of money.
  The House
  Most Clachduin families live in a single room dwelling 
  made of wood and stone. Often, these homes are carved 
  out of the mountain and fronted with wood. Homes 
  might also be free-standing, out from the mountain and 
  consisting completely of wood. All homes have stone 
  hearths, which are used for cooking as well as heating. 
  The Clachduin use mattresses stuﬀed with straw and 
  sweet-smelling grass to sleep on, though they have no 
  bed-frames. If the family has livestock, the stable will 
  be open to the home, increasing the amount of heat 
  generated by bodies.
  Because of the size of the home, only a single family 
  dwells in any home. The children usually sleep in the 
  loft, a second story of sorts, though not with enough 
  room for an adult to stand. Wealthier families may 
  have larger homes, but few build separate rooms. Only 
  when multiple families dwell in the same building are 
  rooms created.
  In areas of political instability or border regions, 
  homes are also built with defense in mind. This may 
  mean a fortiﬁed manor-house built of stone, but for 
  most families it will simply mean a stockade of some 
  sort as well as a defensive ditch. Homes in these areas 
  will be built quite close, perhaps sharing defensive 
  works. Villages will be walled with regular patrols. 
  Marriages
  Among the wealthy and the warrior caste, arranged 
  marriages are still common. Political marriages and 
  marriages that bring wealth are always sought. Love is 
  never a consideration, unless the couple are poor or are 
  so independent as to ignore their parents’ wishes.
  The ceremony is led by the Teasec or, in the case of 
  important families, the Moraefhir or earl. There is 
  no religious aspect to the wedding. The ceremony is 
  completely civil, set to delineate legitimacy of children 
  and familial ties rather than bind the couple before a 
  deity. However, even children born out of wedlock, if 
  recognized by the father, are still eligible to inherit 
  property. An illegitimate child cannot carry or use the 
  father’s name unless recognized by the father.
  Once the ceremony is complete, which usually takes 
  less than an hour, the rest of the day is spent eating, 
  drinking, singing, dancing and swapping tales. The 
  tribal bard will compose a song for the couple, a special 
  song simply for their wedding. With the setting sun, 
  the couple are ushered oﬀ to their home, which should 
  have already been built, or to their quarters within the 
  parents’ home. For everyone else, the party continues, 
  often until dawn.
  SOCIETY
  The society of the Clachduin is very tight-knit. Though 
  there is a noble class, they have few extra rights, and 
  little cause to consider themselves as separate from the 
  rest of Clachduin society. From the poorest family to 
  the wealthiest, tribes and towns are not so large as to 
  make any individual or family invisible. Most tribal 
  leaders take their responsibility for the welfare of all 
  the tribal members seriously. The Clachduin society 
  is based on mutual respect and a sense of unity, if not 
  agreement.
  Class Structure
  There is no nobility among the Clachduin, though there 
  is a division of wealth. A caste system of sorts exists, 
  with warriors at the pinnacle and itinerant laborers at 
  the base. The term laoich is used for an individual of 
  the warrior caste, which are warriors of such ability 
  that a patron maintains them at arms. Below the laoich 
  are the mithain, the free members of a tribe. While 
  warriors are considered the pinnacle of society, due 
  respect is paid to farmers, craftsmen and merchants, 
  who all make honest livings and contribute to the tribe. 
  Itinerant laborers, gypsies and tinkers all fall under the 
  ceard. The ceard are those without a tribe.
  There is slavery among the Clachduin, and this is 
  a punishment for unpaid debts. Slaves, however, have 
  most of the same protections in law as free members of 
  the tribe, only they are not paid for their labor and have 
  restricted movement. Slavery is not a life-long punish-
  ment, but is similar to indentured servitude, with a 
  strict time limit.
  Gatherings and Festivals
  The most important festival for the Clachduin is the 
  summer equinox, called the Luganasad. This festival 
  runs for three days, and no work is to be done. Dirty 
  crockery and dishes are left sitting in barrels of water, 
  dirty clothes are left in piles, and if there isn’t enough 
  wood chopped for the ﬁre, everyone eats cold food.
  Second in importance is Sirrseanfeil, or festival of 
  the ancestors. This festival is celebrated on the ﬁrst day 
  of a new year, and is a much quieter, subdued occasion 
  than the Luganasad. During the Sirrseanfeil, the fam-
  ily joins together at the tombs of their ancestors and 
  brings sacriﬁces of food, alcohol and scrolls listing the 
  deeds of the descendants, which are burned.
  
  7
  The third of the important festivals is the winter 
  equinox, called Dudlachd. This winter festival always 
  includes a huge bonﬁre and suighean, a hot, sweet, non-
  alcoholic drink. At the Dudlachd, a straw ﬁgure, called 
  the bruaillamhas, which represents the troubles and 
  anxieties of the previous year, is burned on the bonﬁre. 
  Social Etiquette
  The crux of all social interaction within the Clachduin 
  is respect. One oﬀers respect and may expect respect in 
  return. When one refuses respect, that is a grave insult, 
  and may often result in a challenge and possibly even 
  combat. While the warrior caste, the laoich, is consid-
  ered the highest on the social ladder, a warrior cannot 
  treat an individual of the mithain with any dissrespect. 
  The ceard are often treated with a minimum of respect, 
  if they are not shown outright hostility.
  Even in combat or war, one should not insult or 
  disgrace one’s opponent unless one’s opponent acts in 
  such a way as to demand insult. If one’s opponent is a 
  back-stabber, or a user of poison, then that opponenet 
  may be treated with contempt. If one’s opponent has 
  done nothing to merit insult, one must oﬀer combat 
  cheerfully and with outward show of respect.
  Whenever one speaks to a member of the warrior 
  caste, one of the laoich, one would refer to them by their 
  given name, but would always use the title sionadh, 
  or usionadh for females. The title for a male of the 
  mithain is tigern, and for a female, ustigern.
  Recreation
  When time allows, the Clachduin are avid hunters. 
  They hunt with crossbow and spear, usually going after 
  prey which can ﬁght back, like boars. The hunt oﬀers 
  both camaraderie and a thrill approximating the thrill 
  of combat. Other past-times include boxing, archery 
  and javelin throwing. Boxing is taught to both males 
  and females, however the styles are quite diﬀerent. The 
  Clachduin are renowned boxers.
  Of athletic endeavors, the Clachduin chieﬂy enjoy 
  running. Foot races are common at any gathering 
  or festival. While quite short, and unable to match 
  members of the taller races at shorter runs, Clachduin 
  regularly beat them in long runs stretching miles.
  Any time that a large group of Clachduin are 
  gathered, there will be singing and story-telling. Not 
  only will the bards of the tribes sing and weave tales, 
  most Clachduin will attempt it. Even those who cannot 
  sing well are encouraged to join in. Singing is so 
  ubiquitous among the Clachduin, that one can usually 
  hear singing even before a great battle, and sometimes 
  during.
  THE ARTS
  The Clachduin revel in both songs and tales. Every tribe 
  has at least one bard, or a warrior-bard called a Seyder. 
  While bards are common in the Clachduin culture, the 
  Seyder is not. A Seyder carries the Tuag Catu and is as 
  capable with the axe as with the lute or harp. To count 
  a bard among one’s tribe is expected. To count a Seyder 
  among one’s tribe is an honor.
  Any wealthy family will patronize a bard, and every 
  Teasec will have one bard as both advisor and to pass 
  along stories of the Teasec’s ability and courage. As such, 
  every Moraefhir will also have at least one bard, and 
  usually many more. The greatest achievement for a bard 
  is to sit at a king’s table, and the Krianfhir, or king, is 
  surrounded by bards, whether he wishes it or not.
  Along with songs and tales, the Clachduin are 
  renowned sculptors. While the preferred medium 
  is stone, Clachduin sculptors also work in wood and 
  metals. The favored subjects for sculpture among the 
  Clachduin are heroes and gods. The homes of wealthy 
  or powerful Clachduin are often covered in carved or 
  sculpted art.
  EDUCATION
  Though there is no formal education, intelligence and 
  knowledge are important for an ambitious Clachduin. 
  While parents are the primary teachers of children, tu-
  tors, such as bards, might be paid to educate a child. 
  Only wealthy families can aﬀord tutors, but many 
  artists – including those who practice the art of tattoo-
  ing – scholars and bards will often accept apprentices 
  from poorer families if the child exhibits talent.
  Those wealthy families intent on obtaining advanced 
  education for a child sometimes send that child to a 
  foreign school. These foreign schools are not admin-
  istered or taught by Clachduin let alone Dwarves, so 
  there is often some hesitation within a family to do so. 
  However, a wealthy enough family can send a chaper-
  one, sometimes even the familial bard or a warrior.
  FOOD AND DRINK
  The Clachduin eat a huge variety of food, from veg-
  etables raised in their own gardens and farms to freshly 
  caught game. Almost every home has a small garden 
  in which to grow herbs, and one of the main imports is 
  spices. Clachduin farmers grow a wide variety of foods, 
  and herd animals for consumption have been domesti-
  cated. While food is cooked, it is usually only done so 
  for a minimal amount of time. Meat is eaten cooked, 
  but rare.
  The most common beverage is beer. The Clachduin 
  brew a type of pilsner highly regarded by all their 
  
  8
  neighbors. This beer is quite common, though 
  throughout the lands of the Clachduin there are many 
  sources of clean water. The Clachduin know enough 
  not to befoul their drinking water. It may also be the 
  use of the this excellent water that helps to create such 
  an excellent brew.
  Since farmers grow many types of grain crops, there 
  is also a variety of distilled grain alcoholic beverages. 
  While there are many types of such beverages, they are 
  all called deoch. Deoch is only consumed on special 
  occasions, and is most common during festivals.
  CLOTHING AND FASHION
  The clothing of the Clachduin, while utilitarian, is usu-
  ally quite garish and bright. Each tribe has a particular 
  pattern of colors by which it is identiﬁed. This 
  pattern, called the rachdandail, is worn by 
  every member of the tribe, sometimes on 
  the cloak or as a mantle or tabard. When 
  the Clachduin go to war, a cloth of this 
  pattern covers each individual’s shield, to 
  identify alliegances.
  Other than the rachdandail, the Clach-
  duin are very open with the colors and styles 
  they wear. It isn’t common, but occasion-
  ally foreign fashions, such as cross-gartered 
  boots, can become fashionable. However, 
  the standard dress of a Clachduin is a loose 
  tunic and breeches, soft boots, a sturdy belt 
  and a cloak. In winter, wool over-shirts 
  and leggings are worn, the leggings often 
  in the pattern of the rachdandail.
  ‘PELLIDAL’: THE TATTOO 
  AND THE CLACHDUIN
  Upon becoming an adult, each 
  Clachduin will receive a tattoo. 
  These may be based on familial 
  designs, religious patterns or even 
  a variation on the rachdandail. The 
  Clachduin tattoo is 
  called the pellidal and 
  the artists who apply 
  them are pellidawic. 
  For each important 
  event in an individual’s 
  life, another tattoo is 
  applied. The pellidawic 
  are highly paid and 
  very honored. Often, 
  the tribal bard is also 
  a pellidawic.
  Even the poorest individual among the Clachduin 
  receives tattoos from the pellidawic. If even a single 
  member does not display the pellidal, or has rough or 
  unprofessional tattoos, it reﬂects poorly on the tribe. 
  As such, the wealthy members of the tribe often act as 
  patrons to the pellidawic.
  The pellidal is also important as the basis for the sys-
  tem of magic among the Clachduin, called pellidgeis. 
  The importance of the pellidawic to a practicioner of 
  pellidgeis goes beyond artistic considerations. The 
  practitioners of pellidgeis, called geidalgha, are often 
  also tattoo artists themselves. In a small tribe, the bard 
  is usually the only pellidawic and also a geidalgha.
  PERSONAL COMBAT
  When engaged in personal combat, the Clach-
  duin always ﬁght fair. If one’s opponent has 
  no armor, one does not wear any. If one’s 
  opponent has only one arm, one binds 
  one’s own arm. Any hint of an 
  advantage will cheapen 
  the victory or make 
  
  9
  the defeat even worse. Any quarter asked is given. Even 
  if one is pursuing a vendetta, a blood feud, one must 
  ﬁght with honor and integrity.
  The usual weapon for personal combat is the axe. If 
  one’s opponent is not eligible to carry the Tuag Catu, 
  swords or even spears may be used. In most cases, 
  armor is not worn. In the case of opponents from dif-
  ferent tribes, armor may be worn in order to avoid an 
  unintentional death or serious wounding, which might 
  lead to a vendetta.
  The deadliest of all combatants among the Clachduin 
  are the berserkers, the Gaisgeach – Dwarves who can 
  call on the energy of the land itself to gain strength and 
  endurance. These berserkers do not lose their control 
  or become raving beasts, but the power that they draw 
  on does create a physical change, which causes pain. 
  Many Clachduin do not realize they have the gift of the 
  Gaisgeach until in battle, with their life threatened.
  RELIGION AND MYTH
  Religion plays a very important part in the life of the 
  Clachduin. Many of the tattoos with which adults 
  adorn themselves have religious signiﬁcance. For the 
  Clachduin, the gods are alive in nature, a force that af-
  fects their lives every day. As such, they feel closely tied 
  to their gods and their religion.
  The myths and legends of the Clachduin are an im-
  portant part of their identity. Every tribe has mythical 
  fore-bearers, and the stories of these heroes and demi-
  gods are as important to the Clachduin as the actions 
  of their present Teasec. 
  Creation Myth
  The Clachduin see the creation of the world, and the 
  universe, as the creation of the elements. The ﬁrst to 
  spring into existence was ﬁre. The ﬂames and heat 
  brought forth Cuthac Dreallsach, the Lord of the 
  Hearth. With the ﬂames and heat came the wind and 
  the air, and Gaoth Anim, the Lady of the Sky, was 
  born. The wind and ﬁre created the earth and stone, 
  which gave rise to the Talamh, the Earth Lord. Finally, 
  with all the elements combined came moisture, water 
  and rain. This brought forth Laidir Fearthuinn, the 
  Sea Mother.
  From the elemental gods sprang forth all the other 
  great gods, and from them, the spirits of the earth and 
  elements. At the marriages of the four elemental gods, 
  a great light began to burn and the world came into 
  being. The gods named it Fearann an Duil, the Land 
  of Hope.
  Many of the lesser gods created beings for Fearann 
  an Duil, but the ﬁrst creations came from the four 
  elemental gods, and they created the Clachduin. They 
  took the ﬁnest of all the elements, the sturdiness of 
  stone, the speed of ﬁre, the invincibility of the wind 
  and the strength of water. Not even the other Dwarves 
  were so greatly blessed. The ﬁrst male Clachduin was 
  named Carragh Uisg, and the ﬁrst female was named 
  Lasair Feathachan.
  The Cosmos
  The cosmos is created out of the merging of the four 
  elements. While the sun is the perfect expression of 
  ﬁre, the moon represents earth, the stars wind, and the 
  sky is an expression of water. Fearann an Duil is the 
  perfect synthesis of all the elements, and while they do 
  not live together completely in harmony, they co-exist 
  in relative peace.
  Natural disasters occur when the elements are out 
  of joint. The proper mixture of elements is also crucial 
  in the relations of the Clachduin. Too much ﬁre – too 
  much anger, ambition or lust for danger – can cause 
  an imbalance, just as too little can. One must always 
  consider the elements both in the natural world and 
  inside oneself.
  The Afterlife
  While death means a departure from Fearann an Duil, 
  it is only part of a journey. The Clachduin believe in 
  two separate portions of the spirit, called the po, or 
  earth-spirit, and the corgh, or soul-spirit. The po is tied 
  to the earth, and is the reason why the Clachduin must 
  guard against the undead. Using necromantic arts, the 
  po might be enslaved, allowing the necromancer access 
  to the deceased’s body. The corgh departs the body at 
  death and travels to Tir Antillian, the Undying Lands, 
  to dwell with the gods and the corgh of all who have 
  lived or ever will live.
  At the end of the world, every corgh will call its po 
  to it, and joined, will be judged by the four elemental 
  gods. If judged worthy, the joined corgh and po will be 
  taken with the four elemental gods into the new world 
  they will create.
  GOVERNMENT
  The government of the Clachduin is a loose and some-
  what ad hoc entity. The right to lead is based on both 
  personal valor and wisdom. While the Clachduin are 
  not democratic, per se, there is no fear or reticence to 
  removing a leader who performs badly or acts with un-
  due absolutism. A leader is expected to consult coun-
  selors, and to put the interests of the tribe or nation 
  before his own. Leadership is a male domain, though 
  all can become counselors.
  
  10
  Leadership at a tribal or village level is quite personal. 
  The Teasec of a tribe is a member of the tribe, working 
  and ﬁghting alongside his neighbors. He is not a ﬁgure 
  of awe, though certainly one of respect. At higher levels, 
  the Moraefhir, or earl, is a ﬁgure who stands outside 
  of the tribes, and has a personal relationship only with 
  the king.
  The Structure of Government
  At the head of a tribe or village is the Teasec. Though 
  not elected, the members of the warrior caste – those 
  maintained as soldiers with no other occupation – along 
  with the counselors of the dead Teasec choose the new 
  Teasec from among the members of the tribe who carry 
  the Tuag Catu. While courage and skill at arms are 
  important, the overriding concern is wisdom. Should 
  an impasse occur, the members of the tribe are allowed 
  to voice their opinions. If there is still disagreement, 
  the tribe petitions the Moraefhir to chose a Teasec for 
  them.
  A Moraefhir may have once been a Teasec, or per-
  haps some counselor of the king, or even a great hero. 
  They rule many tribes from mountain fortresses. Usu-
  ally these fortresses are also mines, as the Moraefhir 
  receives only token tribute from the tribes and a per-
  centage of the ﬁnes levied in court cases.
  Moraefhirs are elected by the Teasecs from a list of 
  candidates drawn up by the Krianfhir. If a Moraefhir 
  acts in an improper manner – refusing the counsel 
  of his Teasecs, demanding large tributes or even tak-
  ing young men from the tribes to work or ﬁght for 
  him – the Teasecs may petition the king to remove 
  him. There have been cases when the Teasecs have 
  banded together and killed a Moraefhir whom the 
  king refuses to remove.
  Above the Moraefhir sits the king, the Krianfhir. 
  The Krianfhir is chosen much the same way as a Teasec 
  is. On the passing of a Krianfhir, the Moraefhir and 
  the past Krianfhir’s counselors choose a new Krianfhir 
  from among the Moraefhir. At times, the Teasecs and 
  even members of the warrior caste are consulted. Civil 
  War is rare, but does happen. The Krianfhir is paid 
  tribute directly by the Teasecs, and usually 
  has some form of personal wealth. Also, 
  as the ﬁnal judge of appeal in legal mat-
  ters, the Krianfhir receives a percentage 
  of ﬁnes in those cases, as well as ﬁnes levied 
  in cases in which the public peace is somehow 
  broken.
  The Style of Government
  The government of the Clachduin is only parentheti-
  cally involved in their daily lives. The personal relation-
  ship with the Teasec means that there is an ever-present 
  ﬁgure of authority, but Teasecs act in their government 
  capacity rarely. The Teasec’s greatest impact is as judge 
  and keeper of the peace. Moraefhirs are even further 
  removed from the life of an ordinary Clachduin. The 
  Krianfhir is very distant and more legend than ﬁgure 
  of import.
  The Clachduin consider government important in 
  the same way that they consider laws important. Tribes 
  and families ﬂourish in times of peace and order, so 
  government and law are valued. However, like law, 
  government is only good to a degree. The Clachduin 
  believe there can be too much government, and a Tea-
  sec that is too taken with his own power will soon ﬁnd 
  himself ousted.
  
  11
  The Military
  In times of peril, a Teasec or 
  Moraefhir can call for a Holsdawr, 
  or tribal muster. Traditionally, all 
  able-bodied individuals attend the 
  Holsdawr, but in reality, only those 
  who carry the Tuag Catu gather. In 
  times of war, a Teasec can call for 
  one individual from each household 
  to attend the Holsdawr, thus each 
  household is expected to maintain a shield 
  and spear.
  The Clachduin are not terribly disciplined in 
  combat, though they will obey the commands of 
  their Teasec. When assembled, the Holsdawr, also 
  a term to describe the army, is under the command 
  of the Krianfhir or, if the Krianfhir is absent, the 
  Moraefhir choose one of their own to lead.
  While undisciplined, the Clachduin are very 
  capable in combat. There tends to be much laugh-
  ing and singing, which often discomﬁts opponents. 
  The Clachduin prefer to begin battles with a charge, 
  each soldier screaming out their tribal war-cry. 
  Those Clachduin without armor often strip down to a 
  loincloth in order to show oﬀ their tattoos.
  Local Government
  From a stronghold, castle or fortiﬁed manor, the Teasec 
  governs over the tribe. This governing usually involves 
  judicial matters rather than legislative. Teasecs do not 
  create laws, they merely apply what laws they under-
  stand and attempt to administer justice. A Teasec is 
  also responsible for maintaining order and organizing 
  eﬀorts in the face of natural or man-made disasters, 
  such as ﬁres or famines. Teasecs also preside over fes-
  tivals.
  Land is not used as a measure of control or pay-
  ment, so a Teasec does not govern an area, but a tribe. 
  In a larger town or village with more than one tribe, 
  the local Moraefhir will choose one Teasec to act as 
  the senior. In very large towns, like the trade cities, a 
  Moraefhir will rule.
  The power to govern does not ﬂow down from the 
  Krianfhir, but up from the members of the tribe. This 
  ﬂow of the right to rule continues to ﬂow upward, from 
  the Teasecs to the Moraefhir and from the Moraefhir 
  to the Krianfhir.
  The Law
  The laws of the Clachduin have not been codiﬁed in 
  writing, but there are legal experts, called Fynecerd, 
  who memorize the laws of the Clachduin and are used 
  as legal references. There are always 
  ﬁve Fynecerd in attendance with the 
  Krianfhir, though these individu-
  als are not considered counselors, 
  merely references.
  Most of the laws of the Clach-
  duin, which are simply decrees of 
  the Krianfhir, deal with order and 
  peace. The most important of these 
  laws is the law relating to blood-prices, 
  or payments for injury or death. The basis 
  of these laws is the concept that in the Krianfhir lies 
  the responsibility to maintain public peace.
  While blood-prices have been set for everything 
  from a lost toe to death, the blood-feud or vendetta 
  remains. Any serious wounding or death may lead to 
  a vendetta. A vendetta is never pursued against an-
  other in one’s own tribe. In such a case, the blood-
  price or a challenge to the wounding or death 
  is common. An individual who attempts to 
  pursue a vendetta within that individual’s 
  tribe will most likely face banishment. 
  Since vendettas usually lead to more seri-
  ous woundings and deaths, they are a major problem. 
  In most cases, the pursuit of vendetta after the blood-
  price has been oﬀered is considered a breach of the 
  public peace, and the oﬀender is beyond the protection 
  of the law until the case is heard before the Krianfhir.
  The laws are administered by the Teasec. The Teasec 
  of a tribe is the judge of that tribe. As such, when there 
  is any ﬁne or monetary recompense, the Teasec receives 
  a portion, usually a third, though this can vary based 
  on tribal tradition. The decision of the Teasec may be 
  appealed with the Moraefhir. First, the individual ap-
  pealing the decision must petition the Moraefhir to hear 
  the case. If the Moraefhir agrees, the Teasec must also 
  be present at the hearing. When any ﬁne or monetary 
  recompense is levied by the Moraefhir, the Moraefhir 
  receives one third. Finally, an individual can petition 
  the Krianfhir and appeal the decision of the Moraef-
  hir, or the decision of the Teasec, if the Moraefhir has 
  refused to hear the appeal. If the Krianfhir agrees to 
  hear the case, the Moraefhir and the Teasec must both 
  be present. When any ﬁne or monetary recompense is 
  levied by the Krianfhir, the Krianfhir receives one half. 
  Any ﬁne for disrupting the public order is payable to 
  the Krianfhir, with the Teasec or the Moraefhir taking 
  the usual third.
  The laws of the Clachduin apply to all, even the 
  Krianfhir. However, as the Krianfhir acts as the judge 
  of last appeal, it would be problematic to charge the 
  Krianfhir with any crime.
  
  12
  M
  asters of the sea and known as unequalled 
  warriors, the Reaving Dwarves are known among 
  other Dwarves as the Helmat. The word is a corruption 
  of the word for a raiding ship in an ancient version 
  of Thorsgelt – the language of the Reaving Dwarves. 
  Other Dwarves consider the Reaving Dwarves as 
  pirates and worse. Among themselves, the Helmat are 
  the Hallvring – the Children of the North – based on 
  their belief in their origin as the living embodiment of 
  the winds from the frigid North.
  The society of the Hallvring is as tied to the sea as 
  is the life of a shark. While their reputation is that 
  of pirates and vicious raiders, the Hallvring are 
  also cunning traders and explorers. The usual 
  image of the fearsome berserker leads many to 
  fear the Hallvring. The Hallvring use this to 
  their advantage, intimidating when persuasion 
  does not produce the desired result.
  The society of the Hallvring is based on famil-
  ial honor and ties to a House, or Karlgrav. Loyalty, 
  courage and the duties of host and guest are the 
  foundations of the Hallvring society. While warlike, 
  the Hallvring are also generous and noble hosts, 
  and enjoy oﬀering hospitality almost as greatly 
  as they enjoy battle and plunder. While outsiders 
  might think of them as barbarians, the Hallvr-
  ing have a vibrant culture of songs and poetic 
  lays. The mythical origins of the Hallvring are 
  preserved in the Saergrinis, a poem that can take 
  upwards of three full days to recite.
  The Hallvring care for other Dwarves no more 
  than they care for the other races, or even other Hall-
  vring. To the Hallvring, those not tied to the same 
  House are enemies. An enemy is not necessarily an 
  opponent. In Thorsgelt, enemy merely indicates 
  one not to be trusted. A Hallvring Dwarf will 
  only trust another sworn to the same House. 
  Even then, only when within the bounds 
  of hospitality, which no Hallvring with any 
  shred of honor would break, is a Hallvring 
  Dwarf completely comfortable.
  While boasting few large cities, the lands of the 
  Hallvring are dotted with towns, most along the 
  coastline. Hallvring towns are usually close by the 
  fortresses of the Greve, or leader of the House. The 
  towns contain the site of the Shjorn, the meeting 
  of all House members to vote on matters aﬀecting the 
  House. The Shjorn is also the place where crews for the 
  summers raiding season are chosen. Small Houses may 
  only send out one ship, but the larger Houses may send 
  as many as ten vessels, ﬁlled with violent and greedy 
  Hallvring.
  Overall, the Hallvring might be considered a lawful 
  neutral society. However, most outsiders would view 
  the Hallvring as evil and most likely chaotic, due to 
  their violent raids and treatment of 
  non-Hallvring. For their part, the 
  Hallvring consider outsiders weak 
  and treacherous.
  CHAPTER TWO — THE HALLVRING 
  THE REAVING DWARVES
  
  13
  THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE HALLVRING
  From Birth to Early Childhood (birth to 14 years)
  Pregnant and nursing females are not expected to work, 
  either in the home or in the ﬁelds. As such, the mother 
  cares for the newborn Hallvring. Any physical irregu-
  larities may lead the father to disown the child. At that 
  time, the mother has the choice of abandoning the 
  child – leaving that child on a shore or wild area – or 
  abandoning her spouse and raising the child. Children 
  left on the shore may be adopted or claimed as a slave 
  by any who ﬁnd the child. Usually, the children die of 
  exposure.
  Due to a high infant mortality rate, children rarely 
  receive a name before their tenth birthday. Until a 
  name is given, children are known by numbers, such as 
  ‘Son number three.’ It is unusual but not unknown to 
  wait until the child is twenty years of age before giving 
  the child a name.
  Children are subjected to the rite of Krevgil when 
  they receive their names, during which they are placed 
  before a dagger, a quill, a coin and a priest’s cowl. What-
  ever object the child grasps ﬁrst indicates the child’s 
  fate. A dagger indicates the child will be a warrior, a 
  quill means a scholar, a coin means a merchant and the 
  cowl indicates a priest.
  Childhood (15–24)
  Children are allowed great freedoms, female and male 
  both. They usually work in the ﬁelds, unless they are 
  part of a noble family, in which case they may be taught 
  to read and write. Children destined to the priesthood, 
  whose parents are willing, are taken in by a church or 
  religious order.
  A child’s workday is much shorter than an adult’s 
  is, and they spend most of the time playing. Parents 
  encourage participation in sports as a way of promot-
  ing martial attributes and physical prowess. This is the 
  age at which a father will begin to teach children how 
  to ﬁght – with weapons and without.
  Young Adulthood (25–39)
  Young adults are expected to begin along the path of 
  their destiny. The rite of Krevgil is not infallible, and 
  while the Hallvring are great believers in destiny, not 
  all events and turns in one’s life are noted in the Tap-
  estry of Lives. So, sometimes a Hallvring whose rite 
  indicates the priesthood ﬁnds himself a merchant, or 
  even a warrior.
  While not given the full rights and responsibilities 
  of an adult, young adults are expected to act as adults. 
  A young adult may enter into a legally binding contract, 
  though the young adult’s guardians – usually the par-
  ents – may annul that. By the age of thirty, a Hallvring 
  who has shown promise with a warrior’s skills may join 
  in a raid. However, the young adult’s guardians may 
  forbid this, and accepting a young Hallvring forbidden 
  to raid into one’s ship can lead to exile.
  Adulthood and Middle Age (40–190)
  Around the age of forty, or after one’s ﬁrst raiding 
  season, a Hallvring accepts membership in a House. 
  Usually, though not always, this is the House of the 
  Hallvring’s guardians, be they parents or adoptive fam-
  ily. A child taken as a slave has the right to attempt to 
  win freedom. If the slave can best a champion chosen 
  from the guardians’ House, the law considers that slave 
  free, and the former slave may accept membership in 
  a House.
  Once a member of a House, a Hallvring is expected 
  to work in a position best suited to that individual’s 
  talents. While being a warrior is very prestigious, raid-
  ing season is only three months out of the year, and a 
  warrior is expected to work as a farmer, laborer, even a 
  forester in order to contribute to the House outside of 
  the raiding season.
  A Hallvring couple may not marry until at least one 
  prospective spouse can prove the ability to earn a liveli-
  hood. If the female is the main earner in the couple, any 
  children of the couple will be fostered until the husband 
  can prove his earning power. Two successful seasons of 
  raiding are considered proof of earning power.
  Old Age (over 190 years)
  Any Hallvring who lives so long, who has seen so many 
  raiding seasons, is considered both blessed and valu-
  able. They are given places of honor at all meals and 
  may no longer be challenged for physical combat. This 
  allows older Hallvring to speak their minds, even call-
  ing into question the policies of the wisest of families. 
  Older Hallvring sit at the front of all Shjorn, and their 
  frank comments and honest appraisals of situations 
  carry great weight among the Hallvring, especially 
  those young Hallvring who have seen few raiding sea-
  sons. The House bears the cost of housing, feeding and 
  entertaining any Hallvring who has seen more than 
  190 winters.
  Death
  Death rites among the Hallvring are short. The body 
  is burned. The ashes of great heroes are mixed into the 
  metal used to forge new weapons. The ashes of priests 
  are used to fertilize the farms of the House – their holi-
  ness certain to bring blessings on crops. The ashes of 
  merchants are mixed into the mortar used to build new 
  
  14
  structures, as their wealth should be used to help the 
  House prosper. The ashes of scholars are buried beneath 
  the central pillar of the Shjorn, in the hopes of spread-
  ing their wisdom and knowledge to the assembly. Once 
  the ceremonies are complete, a day-long feast is held in 
  the memory of the fallen member of the House.
  THE FAMILY
  The Household
  A Hallvring household will be the home for multiple 
  generations of one family. Sometimes, if the farm is large, 
  an entire family, including uncles, aunts, cousins and 
  grandparents, may live in one large home. Every house-
  hold has a farm, even the wealthiest. Wealthy families, 
  though, have laborers or slaves to work their farms.
  The eldest living adult is the master of the house-
  hold – known as the Hir – be that adult a male or 
  female. If the Hir has lived through more than 190 
  winters, that Hir will not participate in the household 
  and farm work; otherwise, the Hir is expected to work 
  as hard as any other member of the family does.
  Family members sleep in separate rooms, save for 
  those Hallvring not yet adults, who all sleep in a single 
  common room. Sometimes, in a very large or very poor 
  family, parents must sleep in the same room as their 
  child. Adults sleep on beds, but children sleep on the 
  ground, usually on thick, warm furs. To call an adult 
  ‘bedless’ is to intimate that the adult is childish.
  The Role of Parents
  In the Hallvring society, a mother oﬀers comfort and 
  nurturing while a father oﬀers discipline and the mar-
  tial example. While the father is expected to discipline 
  a child, the decision about discipline is taken by parents 
  together. While each parent has a role to play, it does 
  not mean that parent will act independently. Just as the 
  House makes decisions together in the Shjorn, parents 
  jointly decide issues regarding their issue.
  When a child is born, the mother is no longer ex-
  pected to work. A pregnant female, up to the last month 
  of pregnancy, is still expected to take care of the home, 
  to cook, clean, and take care of her spouse’s weapons 
  and armor. However, in the last month of the mother’s 
  pregnancy, the father and any of his female relatives 
  who are able take over the work of the pregnant wife. 
  While unmarried pregnant females are uncommon, 
  it is not unknown. In such a case, the family of the 
  pregnant female is expected to take her in and take 
  care of her until the child is born. After the birth of the 
  child, the family of the mother has the choice to adopt 
  the child, to continue to care for the mother and child, 
  or to send both away.
  If a mother dies in childbirth, the father is expected to 
  ﬁnd a nursemaid for the child and, if possible, to marry 
  again and thereby provide another mother for the child. 
  A father does have the option of abandoning the child, 
  in which case the ﬁrst choice to adopt is oﬀered to his 
  family – his brothers, sisters and parents – and then to 
  the mother’s family. If none are interested in adopting 
  the child, the child will be left on the shore or in a wild 
  area, as if it were not physically sound.
  After the child’s ﬁrst birthday, a mother is expected 
  to return to her regular work. A wealthy family might 
  hire a servant or purchase a slave to help the mother and 
  allow her more time with her child. As Dwarf children 
  rarely walk before their second birthday, a mother will 
  carry her child with her as she works. Once the child is 
  mobile, though, the mother’s job is much harder.
  Female children will help their mother once they are 
  capable of doing so. While they are allowed the same 
  kind of free time as male children, female children tend 
  to stay closer to their mother while boys attempt to fol-
  low and work alongside their fathers when possible. 
  Mothers are entrusted with the education of the 
  children, usually in the late afternoon or early evening. 
  Due to this role, female Hallvring are more likely to be 
  literate than male Hallvring. Also, through their role as 
  teacher and parent, the mother has great control over 
  the molding of the child, and is able to better sculpt the 
  child to her preferences.
  While the mother is the teacher, for the young male 
  Hallvring, the father is the role model. A mother may 
  try, if she is very protective, to direct a child toward 
  scholarly pursuits, but few fathers would willing allow 
  their son to follow such a path. Most fathers want strong, 
  warrior sons. A rich merchant might be acceptable to a 
  poor family, and a priest to a religious one, though only 
  scholarly fathers encourage study for their sons – and 
  most scholarly fathers are more than willing to send 
  their sons on raiding voyages.
  A mother also tends to be closer to and better ac-
  quainted with her children, but those children, more 
  often than not, vie for the father’s attention. A father 
  works through the winter months, so is rarely at home. 
  When old enough to help, children will interact with 
  their fathers during the day. Until that age, a child’s 
  greatest amount of time with their father will be late at 
  night when he tells them stories of their House and the 
  myths of the Hallvring.
  When children do join a father at work, they are 
  expected to actually contribute, not simply to watch or 
  play. A father usually passes on whatever skills he has 
  to both son and daughter – for a daughter may need to 
  support herself should her husband die – even if neither 
  
  15
  child chose their father’s profession during the Krevgil. 
  It is most important, though, for the son to learn his 
  father’s skills, as a son will some day need to support 
  a family.
  When a son is old enough to join his ﬁrst raid, he 
  does not sail with his father, though his father will usu-
  ally ﬁnd him a ship. If the father is a successful raider, 
  the son will receive many oﬀers from captains of ships. 
  In most cases, the father counts on friends and favors 
  to ﬁnd his son a place on a raiding ship. After the ﬁrst 
  raiding season, it is more common for sons and fathers 
  to sail together. 
  Grandparents and Great Grandparents
  Grandparents have little responsibility in the raising of 
  children unless one of the parents dies. They do, how-
  ever, often spend much time playing with young chil-
  dren and entertaining them with stories. Grandparents 
  are known for telling stories of ghosts and tricksters, 
  very unlike the stories of myth and heroism fathers tell 
  their children.
  The role of the grandparent becomes much more 
  important when one or both parents die. A female who 
  loses her husband can petition her parents to take her 
  back. In this case, it is very common for the parents to 
  accept their daughter back into their home. The Hir of 
  the home will need to agree to this arrangement.
  If the widowed female has any children, and she 
  and her husband lived separate from his parents, she 
  must ﬁrst petition her late husband’s family to accept 
  her before she can petition her own. In most cases, the 
  late husband’s parents may be desirous of adopting the 
  children, but few mothers will willingly part with their 
  oﬀspring. As such, sometimes arrangements are made 
  for support, in which the late husband’s parents have 
  regular access and some measure of control over the 
  raising of the children, while still allowing the widow 
  to live separately. 
  In those happy families in which the parents-in-law 
  are on good terms with their daughter-in-law, the 
  widow and her children are usually brought into the 
  household of the late husband’s parents, as long as the 
  Hir agrees.
  A male who loses his wife and is not eager to re-
  marry may remain with his parents. If the parents of 
  a widower with children accept him back into their 
  household, they are accepting the same responsibilities 
  for the children as the mother would have. They be-
  come the teachers, providers and source of comfort for 
  the children.
  Grandfathers hold a special place in children’s 
  hearts, since there are so few older males among the 
  Hallvring. A Grandfather who continues to sail in the 
  raiding season is often spared working during the win-
  ter months, save in the most poor of households. If this 
  grandfather is also the Hir, he is doubly blessed.
  The House
  Most Hallvring homes are built with a stone foundation 
  but with wooden walls and usually only a single story. 
  Wealthy families might have homes with a second story, 
  or homes built entirely of stone, but these homes are 
  rare.
  The hearth is the center of the Hallvring home. It is 
  before the hearth that the family eats, talks, tells stories 
  and meets to make decisions. The room surrounding 
  the hearth is usually the largest in the house and con-
  nected to a kitchen, if the hearth does not act as the 
  cooking ﬁre itself. Even the poorest of families has a 
  hearth-table – the hlosknir – which sits before the ﬁre 
  and tends to be very dark. The hlosknir may have runes 
  incised in its surface, telling of the family’s history, or it 
  may simply be the table at which the family eats, talks 
  and works.
  A house will always include a sleeping area separate 
  from the kitchen. Poorer families with smaller homes 
  will only have the two rooms, connected to the stable. 
  Wealthier families will have separate rooms for parents 
  and for children, probably with children of both sexes 
  sleeping in the same room. The homes of extended fami-
  lies will have sleeping rooms for each couple as well as 
  diﬀerent rooms for each couple’s children.
  Homes in a village are usually comfortable, pleas-
  ant appearing structures. However, those houses built 
  on wild shores or untamed country will be built with 
  defense in mind. Such homes will not have windows on 
  the ground ﬂoor, will always have access to the roof and 
  will usually have a fortiﬁed basement, sometimes with 
  an escape tunnel. Wilderness homes usually house more 
  than one family, and weapons are always close at hand. 
  Marriages
  The Hallvring do not enter into marriage lightly. As 
  with any contract or oath, the marriage is until death. 
  There is no divorce among the Hallvring. Husbands 
  and wives may live apart with other consorts, but they 
  cannot divorce each other. In such a situation, a hus-
  band can disinherit his wife’s children born after the 
  husband and wife’s separation.
  Both parties in a marriage are expected to agree to 
  the union, even if they did not choose each other to 
  marry. When a marriage is arranged, which is usually 
  the case for political marriages or marriages between 
  merchant Houses, the bride and groom meet before the 
  
  16
  ﬁnal decision is made. Their assent is necessary. Coer-
  cion, however, is not unknown.
  Marriage can also come about through abduction. 
  Raids into the lands and holdings of other Houses may 
  lead to the capture of prisoners. It is a relatively com-
  mon story to hear that a husband met his wife while he 
  raided her home. This sort of marriage speaks highly 
  of the husband’s honor, as few females would marry 
  a cruel male. Since certain laws govern the taking of 
  prisoners, that a captive agreed to marriage argues that 
  the husband observed these laws.
  Among the common folk, love-matches are the 
  regular type of marriages. Spouses usually come from 
  separate towns or villages, even if they belong to the 
  same House. A House with many females but few 
  males may use marriage as a recruitment tool, oﬀering 
  the younger sons of other Houses positions of honor 
  if they become members through marriage. Festivals, 
  fairs and markets are all venues in which the young, 
  unattached population of one region might meet those 
  of another.
  SOCIETY
  While society has a structure, place within society is 
  very ﬂuid. Wealth, honor and power are all factors that 
  may increase or decrease an individual’s standing in 
  society. A successful raider who can call on many ships 
  and many warriors who is also known as honorable, 
  generous and honest, may even one day ﬁnd himself or 
  his oﬀspring as leader of an important House. Even the 
  poorest Hallvring may ﬁnd nobility through deeds of 
  arms and generosity with loot.
  Class Structure
  A powerful and entrenched nobility sits at the pinnacle of 
  the class structure of the Hallvring. However, as leader-
  ship is based on skill, both martial and political, none of 
  the titles are hereditary. The most powerful families be-
  long to the Dirvkaral, the ten largest and richest Houses. 
  The Greve of the Dirvkaral are titled Erzhertog, and are 
  second in power only to the King, called the Karov.
  Less powerful than the Erzhertog are the Erzhrave, 
  sometimes leaders of powerful factions within the 
  Dirvkaral or Greve of other large Houses. The Greve 
  of most medium Houses are titled Hrave, which is not 
  considered as noble a title as Erzhrave. Below the Hrave 
  is the Markgrev. A Markgrev may be the Greve of a 
  weak or poor House, or a minor noble in a powerful 
  House. The lowest noble title is Markreft. A Markreft 
  would be a minor noble in a House, or a noble other 
  than the Greve in a poor or weak House. A Markreft is 
  commonly a noble without lands or followers.
  Other titles exist, and while these titles indicate 
  ability or the respect of peers or superiors, they do not 
  denote a special status within a House. Any Greve or 
  the Karov may ennoble a Hallvring, applying the title 
  Halreft. A Halreft may be considered noble, and may 
  lead Hallvring into battle, but has neither lands nor 
  followers. Within the Dirvkaral, an Erzhertog may cre-
  ate an Erzreft, often a champion or great captain for a 
  House. This title may, in fact, have lands or holdings, 
  such as ships or castles, attached to it. The title and the 
  holdings pass back to the Erzhertog and the House on 
  the death of the Erzreft.
  The mass of the population is not noble. Great 
  warriors may dream of becoming a Halreft in their 
  clan, but few may attain such a title and thus possibly 
  lead their family into the ranks of the nobility. The 
  commoners have rights, but the rights of the nobles 
  supersede theirs. These commoners are called the Alsh. 
  A commoner may kill a noble in fair combat without 
  fear of legal repercussions, though there is little 
  doubt the dead noble’s family will pursue a vendetta. 
  A commoner, though, is not a slave or a serf. All free 
  Hallvring have the right of movement and possession 
  of private property. No honorable noble would attempt 
  to steal the possessions of a commoner, although 
  killing such a commoner in fair combat and claiming 
  possessions as a prize is not unheard of.
  The nobles of a House are duty-bound to protect the 
  commoners of their House, just as the commoners are 
  duty-bound to produce food and other goods for the 
  nobility. Some commoners may also owe labor. These 
  commoners are the Hing of a House. 
  The Hing are not slaves, nor are they entirely free. 
  They owe labor, and the poorest of the Hing are tied to 
  the lands of the House. The Hing may not be sold or 
  otherwise alienated from their House, even if the land 
  they dwell on is alienated.
  Finally, there are the slaves. Some slaves may live 
  with certain amounts of perceived freedoms; however, 
  under Hallvring law, they have none. The death of a 
  slave is treated as a loss of property. Slaves do have the 
  customary right, though not the legal one, to marry – 
  though only other slaves – and reproduce – though 
  those children are also slaves. Slaves are taken in battle. 
  A Hallvring who falls into debt may be reduced to a 
  Hing, but never a slave. Slaves also may not be pur-
  chased, but must be acquired in a raid.
  Gatherings and Festivals
  There are many feast days and gatherings within 
  Houses. Every House has a pantheon of heroes, and 
  a House will celebrate the day of a hero’s death with 
  
  17
  a great feast, paid for by the nobility but including all 
  House members, even the Hing. Such feasts are seen 
  as a way of strengthening ties of families within the 
  House. Games are held during feast days, but only the 
  nobility may join in martial contests, while athletic 
  contests include everyone save the slaves.
  There are three festivals celebrated by all Hallvring 
  Houses. Hjormundir is the ﬁrst day in the Hallvring 
  calendar, marking the ﬁrst day in spring. This two-day 
  festival, celebrating the end of winter and the rebirth of 
  the world, is the only time in which combat is a crime. 
  Only in martial contests, always non-lethal, can a Hall-
  vring display ﬁghting prowess during the Hjormundir 
  festival. 
  Olfgeiralf is a festival celebrating the birth of the 
  Hallvring race. This festival is a one-day aﬀair and is 
  rather austere. Hallvring fast the day before and after 
  Olfgeiralf, which comes only two months after Hjor-
  mundir. On Olfgeiralf, the Hallvring should never be 
  hungry, and so food is available at every home, manor, 
  castle, tavern, inn and what-have-you for any Hallvring 
  of any House.
  Finally, there is Afrimdir, the harvest feast. This 
  is a ﬁve-day feast of drinking, eating and ﬁghting. 
  The harvest feast is a time for settling vendettas, but 
  through the rules of honorable combat. Any Hallvring 
  who refuses a challenge during Afrimdir to settle a 
  vendetta may be banished from that Hallvring’s House. 
  Other than such combat, there are plenty of non-lethal 
  martial and athletic contests. 
  Social Etiquette
  Social etiquette among the Hallvring is based mostly 
  on personal honor. A subordinate may be ordered, but 
  cannot be treated as a slave. All Hallvring guard their 
  honor, and any imputation must be challenged.
  An important aspect of etiquette among the Hall-
  vring is hospitality. A host must be generous to a guest, 
  even to the point of impoverishment. A guest, though, 
  must honor the host and be certain not to become a 
  burden. In the same vein, banking and ﬁnance is not 
  a concern of the Hallvring. They do not borrow nor 
  do they lend. If one cannot buy or barter for an item, 
  one will not have that item. The only item this does not 
  cover is food. A House will never let one of its members 
  starve. It is also proper etiquette never to refuse a chal-
  lenge.
  Recreation
  Favored games among the Hallvring are either athletic 
  or martial. During festivals, races, boxing and archery 
  are all very popular. Nobles and commoners can 
  compete together in these games. Hallvring also enjoy 
  combat displays, sometimes lethal, sometimes merely 
  dangerous. Nobles and commoners compete separately 
  in all lethal displays.
  THE ARTS
  While many ﬁnd it strange, the Hallvring have a very 
  vibrant musical tradition. Stringed instruments are 
  known, though not terribly popular, save the harp, 
  called the voice of beauty. Most ballads are sung to the 
  accompaniment of a ﬂute or horn. Drums of varying 
  styles and sounds are also common, especially during 
  festivals. Both men and women are expected to sing 
  with deep, resounding voices.
  Poetry is enjoyed and respected among the Hall- 
  vring. A poet who cannot ﬁght might be amusing, but 
  the perfect poet among the Hallvring is a warrior as 
  well. Poems are expected to be long lays of adventure 
  and myth. The Saergrinis, a poem that relates the 
  mythical origins of the Hallvring, is considered the 
  work by which all others are measured, and can take 
  upwards of three full days to recite.
  EDUCATION
  There is no formal education among the Hallvring. 
  What education is available is usually delivered by the 
  mother, save in rich families, which may have a tutor. 
  No father would allow his sons to be taught by a tutor 
  who has not raided, so few boys learn from tutors. The 
  services of scholars who have successfully raided are 
  highly prized and wealthy families tend to hire such 
  tutors quickly.
  Literacy is not a large concern among the Hallvring. 
  Because of their roles as mothers, more women are lit-
  erate than men. The children of merchant families are 
  invariably taught sums along with their letters. Educat-
  ing a young male about war and glory is important, but 
  this is not something taught in a class.
  FOOD AND DRINK
  The Hallvring diet, as may be imagined, consists 
  mainly of ﬁsh. Every family will have a small garden 
  in summer to supplement the ﬁsh, but seafood remains 
  the single most important foodstuﬀ among the Hall- 
  vring. Families with some means may have livestock, or 
  purchase meat from a butcher. Wealthy families will 
  eat ﬁsh, meat and poultry, all at the same sitting as an 
  indication of their wealth.
  Ale is the drink of both king and commons among 
  the Hallvring. Everyone enjoys a good, strong ale. They 
  do not favor wine much, save for those merchants who 
  travel abroad to trade rather than raid. Every region 
  
  18
  has a particular type of ale, and every House has a 
  secret recipe. The Hallvring are very particular about 
  their ale, and the beer and lager of other realms is not 
  acceptable to them.
  Nobles drink a distilled beverage with a very high 
  alcohol content called Aevil. Aevil is distilled from 
  grain and aged for decades before consumption. It is 
  a prized commodity not only among the Hallvring but 
  also among many of their neighbors. The ﬁrst Aevil 
  of the night must be dedicated to one’s host or, if in 
  one’s own home, to the gods and ancestors. To break 
  this tradition is to draw the unfavorable attention of 
  the Fates.
  CLOTHING AND FASHION
  The Hallvring dress in utilitarian garb. They tend to 
  wear multiple layers of clothes, usually a thin set of un-
  dergarments, sturdy tunics and breeches, a thick wool 
  over-shirt and leggings and ﬁnally a great cloak or coat. 
  Even in the summers, the shorelines of their nation can 
  become cold and forbidding. In the winter, to travel out 
  of doors with anything less than three solid layers is 
  dangerous to one’s health.
  Even the wealthiest nobles care little for fashion 
  or style. While Houses may adopt a certain color or 
  motif, they care little about the design of the clothing 
  they wear. The diﬀerence between the clothing of the 
  commoner and the noble is only in the mode of manu-
  facture. While, among the commoners, a mother will 
  make the clothes for her family, nobles hire people to 
  do so, or actually purchase their clothes.
  PERSONAL COMBAT
  Though not soldiers, most Hallvring males – and many 
  females – are warriors. In battle, they ﬁght for personal 
  glory and honor for their House and family. The average 
  Hallvring commoner will wear some type of aﬀordable 
  armor, like leather or studded leather. The standard 
  weapons are javelins and axes. Many commoners carry 
  a tall axe, balanced for throwing as well as melee, called 
  the Halljyark. Enemy formations are often broken up 
  by waves of javelins and then utterly destroyed by a 
  single wave of thrown Halljyark.
  Nobles among the Hallvring will wear a chain shirt 
  at the least, and the nobles of the Dirvkaral will usu-
  ally wear plate. They carry axes and sometimes swords. 
  Nobles usually scorn missile weapons, but for war will 
  sometimes use crossbows. There is no cavalry, and 
  the nobles will march among the commoners of their 
  House, often sharing the honor of the front line with 
  them. Those nobles who have seen the Halljyark in use 
  often adopt it.
  Every House has a House Champion, or Nargrev. 
  The Nargrev acts as bodyguard to the Greve, and may 
  also act as a trainer for those within the Greve’s house-
  hold. A Nargrev is always the ﬁrst into battle. Because 
  of the Nargrev’s unique position, a Nargrev will never 
  ask quarter and will never surrender.
  On raids, most groups bring a Veitmar, a Sea 
  Wizard. These Hallvring have studied magic as well as 
  combat, and while they may not be the equal of their 
  brothers with the axe, they more than balance this 
  through knowledge of magic. A Veitmar is usually a 
  master of water magic, as well as battle spells. Hallvring 
  will protect a Veitmar in battle, as they are valuable and 
  powerful allies and useful raiding comrades.
  The rules for combat diﬀer when ﬁghting another 
  Hallvring and when ﬁghting an outsider. It is no dis-
  honor, when striving against another Hallvring, to 
  accept an opponent’s superiority. It is a dishonor to 
  surrender out of fear for one’s life, but most Hallvring, 
  faced with a superior opponent, will call for quarter, 
  and declare themselves overmatched. At this point, the 
  opponent may continue the battle. A Hallvring would 
  never declare a non-Hallvring a superior opponent, no 
  matter how badly overmatched.
  In war, Hallvring will strive to take prisoners, often 
  putting their lives at great hazard to do so. Noble pris-
  oners will be ransomed and common prisoners will be 
  enslaved. Honored is the Hallvring raider who has a 
  slave from every known race. 
  RELIGION AND MYTH
  The Hallvring, in their own way, are a religious people. 
  Outsiders call them superstitious, but that illustrates a 
  lack of understanding. To the Hallvring, the Gods and 
  Fates are not forces that one wants to become actively 
  involved. The Gods favor the strong, and no other be-
  ing is stronger. The Fates tend to be malicious and 
  capricious, so to draw their attention is to send one’s 
  self to an early ruin.
  Creation Myth
  In Hallvring mythology, all began in a void. A single 
  spark, from the ﬁrst heartbeat of the World-Devourer, 
  Oraboras, set the stars aﬁre. Oraboras, a being of sen-
  tience and intelligence, but not form, represents uncar-
  ing and unfeeling ill-luck to the Hallvring. Oraboras 
  sits outside existence, and even the Gods do not fully 
  understand it. The Fates have decreed that what Orabo-
  ras began, Oraboras will also end.
  The Gods of the Hallvring are numerous, and even 
  the smallest village has a protective deity. Many Gods 
  have multiple names. Some Gods are regional, others 
  
  19
  have particular functions. The Hallvring rarely wor-
  ship a single deity, though they may revere a particular 
  deity above the others. 
  In the myths of the Hallvring, as preserved in the 
  Saergrinis, the Gods looked down and saw chaos and 
  bloodshed. The Gods had made many races, many 
  creatures, but all their creations disappointed them. 
  All the races involved themselves in dishonorable and 
  cowardly bloodshed. The Gods then created a race 
  made for honor, courage and combat. In the north, in a 
  place of ice, snow and sea, the Gods took the harsh and 
  unforgiving North Wind and fashioned the Hallvring 
  from it.
  The Cosmos
  To the Hallvring, the stars in the sky are sparks from 
  the heart of Oraboras. Every night, one star dies while 
  another ignites. At some time, Oraboras’ heart will 
  slow. When that happens, it will signal the 
  beginning of the end of the world. When 
  the last star disappears, the last 
  Hallvring will die. By the next 
  sunset, the world, and its 
  universe, will vanish. 
  Just as a spark from 
  O r a b o r a s ’ 
  heart ignited 
  the world, so 
  will the last of 
  its heartbeats 
  signal the end 
  of the world.
  The Gods live far 
  in the North, farther 
  north than even the sun 
  can reach. They do not need 
  its light, as the Gods them-
  selves are luminescent. No 
  mortal creature can reach the place 
  of the Gods, called Jalgar. Only at the 
  end of the world will the Gods leave 
  Jalgar. They will travel the world on the 
  last day and then rise back up to Oraboras, 
  to be born into a new universe.
  Aside from the Gods, there are the Fates. 
  These beings, also called the Jarlhinar, weave 
  the Tapestry of Lives – the Herminir – in 
  which the destinies of all things, even the Gods, 
  is written. When one is fated to die, there is little one 
  can do. This acceptance of fate is one reason why the 
  Hallvring do not fear death. 
  The Afterlife
  For the Hallvring, the afterlife has two faces. One is 
  the frightening face of the fate of a coward. Cowards 
  exist in a purgatory colder than the coldest of north-
  ern nights. Other than cowards, Hallvring who live 
  beyond their 190th winter, and then die – whatever the 
  cause – are reborn. Hallvring who die courageously in 
  battle, immediately enter into Paradise, Aeringmar, as 
  immortals. Any other Hallvring is judged by the gods 
  upon the individual’s demise. Some are reborn, some 
  are cast into the frozen Hells and some attain Aering-
  mar, but must continue to act with honor, or they may 
  be sent to the Hells.
  In Aeringmar, all who lived lives of courage and 
  greatness live as nobles, with soft beds, strong weapons 
  and glittering armor. There is food and drink at night 
  and battle all day, since in Aeringmar, one never needs 
  
  20
  to sleep. The other races are not present in Aeringmar, 
  though what this means is not discussed among the 
  Hallvring.
  GOVERNMENT
  To say that the Hallvring have a government may be 
  an exaggeration. There is a hierarchy, and claims of 
  rulership or obedience, but if one cannot enforce these 
  claims with strength, they mean little. The Hallvring 
  are fragmented and as willing to war among themselves 
  as they are to war with others.
  The patchwork of ﬁefdoms, royal demesnes, debated 
  lands and clerical grants creates what the Hallvring 
  call their Grav, or Nation, but to others it looks like 
  little more than anarchy. In truth, with a strong and 
  intelligent ruler, the Hallvringrav, or Hallvring lands, 
  can be as united and productive as any nation. The only 
  thing the Hallvringrav cannot be is peaceful.
  The Structure of Government
  The Hallvringrav is ruled by a king called the Karov. 
  In theory, all holders of lands in the Hallvringrav and 
  all leaders of Houses owe allegiance and fealty to the 
  Karov. In reality, the Karov holds sway over the royal 
  demesnes and little more. The Karov is a lifetime ap-
  pointment, but is an elected oﬃce. The nobles of the 
  ten most powerful Houses – called, collectively, the 
  Dirvkaral – are eligible for election, but only the leaders 
  of those Houses, called Erzhertog, vote in the election. 
  Once elected, the Karov rules for life, but weak kings 
  have been known to die suddenly and under mysteri-
  ous circumstances.
  The council of the Karov is made up of the Erzhertog 
  and other powerful Greves of Erzhrave status. Oc-
  casionally, a particularly talented Hrave may sit on 
  a Karov’s council, if he belongs to a powerful House, 
  leads a smaller but inﬂuential 
  House, or possesses 
  considerable intel-
  ligence or other 
  capability.
  The Style of Government
  Houses tend to rule as feudal overlords. The nobles of a 
  House expect the commoners to pay tithes to them, and 
  send young sons to raid or war under the command of 
  the nobles. In theory, the Karov controls all land, and 
  the power of the Houses is not supposed to be based on 
  land possession. The reality is that the Houses do prize 
  land possession, and the crown has little land remaining 
  that it actually controls. A strong Karov can gather the 
  taxes, tribute and service owed to him; however, weak 
  Karovs tend to be ignored.
  While the nobles maintain order within their Houses, 
  the nation is usually at war with itself. Every summer, 
  for two months, there is peace while most of the adult, 
  male population is oﬀ raiding. Through the rest of the 
  year, those same males tend to battle among themselves 
  as Houses attempt to increase their property and their 
  power. The natural state of the Hallvringrav is chaotic at 
  best, though a strong Karov can prevent the worst of the 
  Houses’ excesses.
  The Military
  Each House has its own army as virtually all of the 
  Hallvring males, and many of the females, are blooded 
  raiders. Though not disciplined soldiers, the Hallvring 
  raiders know how to ﬁght. They tend to personal heroics 
  rather than considered tactics, but under a strong leader 
  the Hallvring can be forged into an army of frightening 
  ability. The Hallvring tend to have little fear of death in 
  battle, and this makes them dangerous to ﬁght.
  Morale is rarely a problem among the Hallvring, as 
  most would much rather die than lose. Armies of Hall-
  vring have won battles that they should have lost simply 
  because they would not break. Armies of other races, 
  faced with such disregard for death, often surrender 
  the ﬁeld, fearing for their lives, even when in a superior 
  position. The sheer will to win is the greatest weapon of 
  the Hallvring.
  The raiding ships of the Hallvring, called Hjelmar – a 
  corruption of the word for ‘sea-faring wolf’ in archaic 
  Thorsgelt – are not terribly eﬀective for naval combat. 
  A Hjelmar is fast and maneuverable, but ramming by 
  a war galley would quickly sink it. When the Hallvring 
  ﬁght on the water, they tend to exchange missiles then 
  attempt to close and ﬁght as though on land.
  Local Government
  Local government, throughout the Hallvringrav, means 
  House government. While the Karov legally governs the 
  parcels of land he gives out – which is technically all of 
  the Hallvringrav – this is a ﬁction. The Houses govern 
  the areas ceded to them by the Karov.
  
  21
  Each House is headed by a Greve. Some of these 
  leaders are great nobles. The leaders of the Dirvkaral 
  are nobility second only to the Karov, and most would 
  consider them the Karov’s equal, since he is chosen from 
  among their ranks. The Greve of a House has absolute 
  power, tempered only by the traditions of 
  that House and a few laws of the Hallvrin-
  grav. The councils of the Greve advise, but 
  have no legislative power, which rests only 
  with the Greve. 
  Most Greve are open to the suggestions and 
  complaints of even the commoners within the House. 
  While the Greve has legislative pow-
  ers, he cannot ignore a challenge to 
  combat, and during the festivals of 
  Afrimdir and Olfgeiralf commoners 
  have access to the Greve to challenge 
  him. Undoubtedly, any commoner who 
  kills a Greve has doomed himself, for the 
  nobles cannot allow anyone to proﬁt from 
  such an action, but instances of just 
  such actions occur. If a Greve rules 
  poorly enough, there will be 
  plenty of commoners willing 
  to oﬀer up their lives. 
  The Law
  The laws of the Hallvring 
  have been codiﬁed only as refer-
  ences, as the concept of law to 
  the Hallvring rests in the person 
  of the leader, be that the Karov 
  or the Greve of one’s House. 
  Precedent and legislation 
  holds little weight. As 
  with most things, a 
  powerful Karov can 
  enforce the laws he 
  creates, but as soon 
  as that Karov passes, 
  those 
  laws 
  pass also.
  The study of law is known among the Hallvring, and 
  legal scholars are of interest much the same way as col-
  lections of legal decisions. Legal scholars are used by 
  the Karov and by Greve as advisors in the case of legal 
  decisions.
  There are traditions that can hold 
  the weight of law. Traditions at-
  tached to slave-holding, such 
  as slaves can never be 
  purchased but must be 
  won in combat, have 
  such 
  a 
  strong 
  societal 
  ac-
  ceptance 
  that 
  they are rarely 
  broken for fear of 
  societal sanctions. Honor is 
  more important than 
  life, so a dishonor-
  able reputation 
  is a powerful 
  deterrent.
  
  22
  A
  cross the plains, a rolling sea of earthen waves 
  topped by brown grass, the war-chariots of the 
  Steppe Dwarves, known among themselves as Er 
  Khura (the People, indicating the unique, special and 
  superior People), raise fear in the hearts of caravan 
  masters and others foreign to the land. Known for their 
  ruthless disregard for life, their deadly ability in com-
  bat and their nomadic nature, the Khura rule the 
  plains but possess no land. They recognize no 
  boundary and only their own laws and tradi-
  tions can restrain their depredations.
  Living out of wagons that act as their 
  homes – called jert – the Khura are hostile 
  to all strangers. They demand high tribute 
  from those they catch attempting to cross 
  the plains, and can kill with casual 
  disregard. They consider them-
  selves the strongest, smartest 
  and most honorable race alive. 
  All other races, in the minds 
  of the Khura, are inferior and 
  may be treated like animals.
  An individual entering the 
  Khura society would need to 
  prove worth. Adoption into 
  Khura clans or families is rare, 
  but an exceedingly talented 
  warrior who could speak the 
  language 
  with 
  a 
  regional 
  dialect and could also handle a 
  war-chariot with skill might ﬁnd 
  friendship among these nomads. 
  In time, outsiders have been 
  known to become members 
  of a family and of a clan, but 
  only a handful of such inci-
  dences have been recorded.
  The Khura have no cities 
  or villages. They plant no 
  crops and build no palaces. 
  They live in the jert, 
  a wagon that is es-
  sentially a home on 
  wheels. The Khura 
  travel in small knots 
  called turtug – which translates 
  to family, though there may be multiple diﬀerent 
  biologic families in one turtug. A turtug is a traveling 
  village, including all the homes, the city hall and all the 
  livestock. The cloud raised by a passing turtug can be 
  seen for miles.
  As a society, the Khura could be considered neu-
  tral. There are laws and traditions which few Steppe 
  Dwarves would ignore, but they ignore the laws and 
  traditions of others, and have no consideration or 
  compassion for those not Khura. Even a promise 
  or word of bond is meaningless if given to one 
  who is not Khura.
  THE LIFE CYCLE OF 
  THE KHURA
  From Birth to Early Child-
  hood (birth to 14 years)
  Among the Khura, it is always 
  hoped that the ﬁrst child will be 
  male. Pregnant women will pray 
  and seek out spells or charms 
  that might increase their chances 
  of having a male child. One female 
  child is acceptable, and most fa-
  thers declare they want at least 
  one daughter, but any more than 
  one is considered a shame.
  When a wife gives birth to a 
  male child, she is given new blan-
  kets, new dresses, and sometimes 
  even a holiday from domestic 
  labor. The birth of a daughter, even 
  a single daughter, can mean only one 
  day away from drudgery. The mother 
  is expected to return to her domestic 
  duties at ﬁrst light, though no sooner 
  than a full day from the delivery of the 
  child.
  Mothers carry their infants on their 
  backs in a sling called the yerna. This 
  allows the mother use of both hands, 
  as well as keeping the 
  baby close. Once chil-
  dren are able to 
  walk, they are 
  expected not to 
  CHAPTER THREE — THE KHURA 
  THE STEPPE DWARVES
  
  23
  move the distance of the day’s longest shadow from the 
  jert. Families with children often park their jert close 
  together to allow the children to play together.
  Childhood (15–24)
  Male children will begin martial exercises soon after 
  their ﬁfteenth birthday. It is the day they will receive 
  their ﬁrst henger – the traditional weapon of the Khu-
  ra, the hammer. On the day a male child receives his 
  bagu-henger – literally, small, minor or insigniﬁcant 
  traditional Khura hammer – he also receives his ﬁrst 
  name. Until this day, the son is simply called ﬁrst son 
  of his father (for example, Jirgal’s Son, Jirgal’s Second 
  Son, and so on). Usually the given name will have some 
  tribal connection. A daughter cannot expect a name 
  until her marriage, and this name is part of the mar-
  riage contract.
  While sons are learning how to hold and throw their 
  ﬁrst hammers, daughters are helping their mothers. A 
  son must learn how to hunt and ﬁght; a daughter must 
  learn much more. Even at this young age, daughters are 
  cooking, cleaning, sewing and feeding the livestock. If 
  the daughter has younger siblings, she is responsible for 
  them. While a father might welcome a daughter, a good 
  daughter is a gift from heaven for her mother.
  By the age of twenty, a son must learn how to guide 
  the war-chariot – the famed and dreaded shergu. Every 
  turtug has a few small shergu with which children can 
  practice. Ponies or even sheep are harnessed to these 
  bagu-shergu, or small war-chariots. First, the son will 
  learn how to control the shergu, and then he will learn 
  how to ﬁght from it.
  Young Adulthood (25–34)
  At the age of 25, a son will receive his ﬁrst adult henger 
  in a special ceremony. The son receives the henger 
  from his father, who has commissioned it from the 
  Oghuun – a shaman or user of magic who fabricates 
  the henger. During the ceremony, the young male will 
  give the henger a name, and this name will be added 
  to the young male’s name (so, if young Dair names his 
  henger Sagu-nai Etene – the Lord of Blood – the young 
  male could become Dair Sagu-nai Etene-in Ferad, 
  or Dair the Holder/Owner/Possessor of the Lord of 
  Blood).
  During this period, males build their ﬁrst shergu, 
  with the help of their father and sometimes other 
  members of the turtug. As the young male works on his 
  shergu, he also chooses a team from among his father’s 
  herd to pull his shergu. For a ﬁrst shergu, save in the 
  case of princes, the team will only consist of two horses. 
  A poor family may resort to a team of ponies.
  Daughters of this age are presented as possible brides. 
  A female Khura of age thirty should have suitors and 
  proposals, or there is a fear she might never be married. 
  The daughter has no say in the choice. Often, if a family 
  only has one daughter, her relationship with her father 
  allows her some means of aﬀecting the choice and 
  negotiation. In many cases, the youngest of multiple 
  daughters is simply sold to the highest bidder.
  Adulthood and Middle Age (35–200)
  By the age of thirty-ﬁve, a male Khura is expected to 
  have done some deed of bravery that can be added to his 
  name during his passage into adulthood. The ceremony 
  is called the Suga Sin Mura, or the Familial Ceremony 
  of the Two Horses. The almost-an-adult must capture 
  the two horses he has chosen for his team, and yoke 
  them to his shergu. Once this is done, his father serves 
  him fermented goat’s milk, called Aivag, in a ceremo-
  nial cup and calls him by his new name, the name by 
  which he will be known as a man. (So, if Dair Sagu-nai 
  Etene-in Ferad had killed three orcs in one day, he 
  might become Tokjenu Dair Sagu-nai Etene-in Ferad, 
  or Orc-bane Dair Holder/Owner/Possessor of the Lord 
  of Blood, and would be referred to as Tokjenu from that 
  point on.)
  After reaching adulthood, a male Khura needs to 
  begin to amass his own herd so that he can aﬀord to 
  build a jert and ﬁnd himself a wife. A male Khura might 
  amass wealth through raiding, trading in livestock, 
  gambling or even indenturing himself to a wealthier 
  male. By tradition, and in law, an indenture contract 
  cannot last more than thirty-ﬁve years, but a talented 
  herder, trader or warrior can ask a very high price, and 
  once the contract is complete, might have the wealth to 
  start a fair herd and build a ﬁne jert.
  A female of the age of thirty-ﬁve who is not betrothed 
  is an embarrassment to her family. By law and tradition, 
  a father can disown a daughter who has never been 
  betrothed by the age of thirty-ﬁve. The vast majority 
  of females of this age are married. As the thirty-ﬁfth 
  birthday approaches, a daughter with few prospects 
  might lower her expectations, simply to avoid shame for 
  herself and her family.
  Once a female has entered menopause, which usually 
  occurs around the age of one hundred and ﬁfty, she no 
  longer needs to reside with her spouse. If she decides to 
  leave her spouse, she may take one horse and one other 
  animal of her husband’s for every son who remains alive. 
  While this might appear attractive, such a female would 
  be unable to trade or sign contracts without a male 
  intermediary. However, many sons are willing to accept 
  their mother into their jert, so that is always an option.
  
  24
  Old Age (over 200 years)
  While a male Khura of this age is not expected to par-
  ticipate in raids, such a Khura should still be involved in 
  trading and raising livestock, if only through the labor 
  of indentured herders and traders. Undoubtedly, a male 
  Khura no longer able to drive his own jert may move to 
  the jert of any of his sons, but in doing so, must give 
  at least half of all his livestock to that son. Usually, as 
  long as a male Khura remains healthy, he will continue 
  to live in his own jert. A wealthy Khura may indenture 
  many younger males and even widows or unmarried 
  females to take care of him and his possessions, and 
  may never need to move back with his sons.
  A wife who has living, adult great-grandsons may 
  divorce her husband and is granted one sheep for every 
  male descendant still living. A divorced female may 
  act as her own agent in trading and contracts. If she 
  has not previously, she may also then take the regular 
  payment (one horse and one other animal for every son 
  who remains alive) due to her after menopause when 
  she leaves her husband.
  A widow may also act as her own agent in trading and 
  signing contracts. A widow is also due her husband’s 
  jert and one tenth of all her husband’s possessions, plus 
  the payments for divorce and leaving a husband, if 
  those payments have not already been made.
  Death
  Death is simply the passing of life, no more or less 
  joyous than birth. With the spirit gone, the body is 
  worthless. At the ﬁrst opportunity, it is placed on an 
  ondoger, a covered platform where the body is left to 
  decay until only the bones remain. There are speciﬁc 
  areas in which ondoger may be erected, and these are 
  called choan tenhgas, meaning the Path to the Blue 
  Heavens. When a turtug returns to a choan tenhgas, 
  bones are removed from ondoger and buried.
  There is little ceremony or ritual in the preparation 
  of the body or the ondoger. The sons of the deceased 
  build the ondoger. Ondoger for males can be built be-
  tween ﬁve and ten feet from the ground, while Ondoger 
  for women may be built from two to four feet from the 
  ground. The tribe’s cleric prepares the body. The cleric 
  will dress the body in the Khurjaal, the funerary coat 
  of the Khura, and will place the deceased’s henger – if 
  the deceased is a male – in the hands of the body. The 
  sons of the deceased then take the body and place it in 
  the ondoger at sunset.
  THE FAMILY
  The Household
  Due to the physical restrictions of the jert, it is rare for 
  more than one set of parents and children to reside 
  together. There are times when a jert houses a grand-
  parent, or even a great-grandparent along with parents 
  and children, but such situations are rare. And while 
  the jert is the main domicile, tents called urgo are set 
  up adjoining the jert, and children or females may be 
  relegated to sleeping in an urgo, even in the winter 
  months.
  Even though each family resides in a separate jert, 
  they may consider themselves a single household within 
  the turtug. While there is no term in Khur-jelm, the 
  language of the Khura, for biologic family as distinct 
  from the turtug, there is the term gadasug, which 
  means household, or, literally, the residents of a single 
  jert. While a family may reside in multiple jert, they 
  may still refer to themselves as gadasug, reﬂecting their 
  biologic relation.
  The Role of Parents
  The mother is the nurturer and exclusive caregiver for 
  all the children. She is expected to complete her do-
  mestic tasks, as well as accept some responsibility in 
  maintaining her husband’s herd. Often carrying her 
  youngest child on her back, with the rest of her chil-
  dren milling around her, a mother is busy at labor from 
  before dawn to after dusk. It is tiring and monotonous, 
  but few mothers ever complain. While a wife may not 
  set aside her husband until after a great-grandson 
  reaches adulthood, a husband can send away his wife 
  without support and would retain complete control 
  of all the children of the marriage. This is rare, as it is 
  costly to ﬁnd a suitable caregiver for the children.
  A mother will teach her daughters the chores of the 
  jert and herd, but she has little to teach her son. Often, 
  young sons will join the herders or even shadow their 
  fathers. There is usually still a very strong bond be-
  tween mother and son, and most sons will turn to their 
  mothers for advice before speaking to their fathers. 
  This may be due to the distant relationship fathers have 
  with their children.
  While mothers have some input into the arrange-
  ments for a daughter’s marriage – and are usually the 
  ones who seek out or screen suitors – the ﬁnal decision 
  is left to the father. In most cases, husbands allow their 
  wives to guide them in the choice of a suitor for their 
  daughter. Gifts are exchanged with any marriage, and 
  a father may choose the suitor who asks the least and 
  oﬀers the most, or may even pay for the privilege, if 
  there is little or no relationship between the father and 
  daughter.
  A father becomes important in a son’s life once the 
  boy attains his own bagu-henger. The father chooses 
  
  25
  the son’s name, and usually names him after some his-
  torical ﬁgure important to the family’s clan. A father is 
  also the son’s ﬁrst teacher in the ways of the Khura. A 
  father teaches a son how to ﬁght, how to wrestle, how 
  to control the shergu and how to raise and trade live-
  stock.
  The father is also the disciplinarian. Mothers are 
  usually the ones who decide discipline is necessary, but 
  it is the father who delivers judgment and punishment. 
  Very few fathers refrain from punishing their children, 
  as spoiled children are the sign of an unmanly father. 
  Beatings are common, as are nights spent holding up 
  an urgo as though the child were a tent-pole.
  Grandparents and Great-Grandparents
  Grandparents and great-grandparents have little real 
  inﬂuence on the lives of Khura children. Most grand-
  parents will reside very close to the jert of their children, 
  perhaps even together, joined under an urgo. While the 
  children will regularly see their grandparents, those 
  grandparents are not involved in the raising of the 
  children.
  One situation that may occur is a grandparent join-
  ing a family in their jert. In this case, the grandparent 
  may become a more inﬂuential ﬁgure to the children, 
  especially a grandmother who may have her own con-
  ception of how children should be raised. A grandfa-
  ther living with the family – a very rare occurrence – is 
  not likely to interfere in the raising of a child, save 
  perhaps helping with a grandson’s martial training. If 
  the grandfather is a noted expert on livestock, trading 
  or the shergu, he is expected to pass this knowledge on 
  to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
  The Clan
  There are ﬁfteen clans, called hatu, of the Khura. They 
  include (in alphabetical order) the Agtachin, the Aru-
  lad, the Baragud, the Jalair, the Jaigurchin, the Kherid, 
  the Khongirad, the Khonkhotain, the Managud, the 
  Mergid, the Oirad, the Oriyan, the Orod, the Shirantur 
  and the Torgod. These clans are often at odds, and a 
  turtug will never comprise more than one clan. When 
  the Khura go to war, each clan assembles separately. 
  Still, the clans recognize their shared Khura heritage, 
  and no clan will ﬁght another when an outside enemy 
  is available.
  A clan leader is a Hatujin. The ﬁfteen Hatujin are 
  only subordinate to the Khan, a king-like ﬁgure who 
  controls all the Khura. The Hatujin travels with a very 
  large turtug, and the clan’s banner, the yihkhatutug. 
  The yihkhatutug is so important that near genocidal 
  clan wars have erupted over the theft of one. The myths 
  tell of a sixteenth tribe, the Bagatur, who lost their yih-
  khatutug. The clan steadily declined, through warfare, 
  disease and desertion. The clans believe their yihkhatu-
  tug is a protective totem of sorts, and thus defend it to 
  their utmost.
  Marriages
  Marriage are usually arranged and rarely from within 
  the same turtug. Many times, parents will attempt to ﬁnd 
  spouses for their children outside of their clan. There are 
  many chances for meeting other clans peacefully, such 
  as markets and festivals. The marriage contract is usu-
  ally quite short, only setting down the two individuals 
  to be married, when and where the marriage will take 
  place, and the gifts that will exchange hands.
  The marriage ceremony is presided over by the two 
  fathers. It is a process of handing over the bride to the 
  groom’s family after gifts have been exchanged. The fa-
  ther renounces responsibility for his daughter and the 
  father of the groom accepts the bride into his family, 
  his turtug and his clan. The father of the groom thanks 
  the father of the bride and promises not to steal from 
  his family. The father of the bride does the same. The 
  groom and bride then meet each other, and the groom 
  welcomes his new wife into his family, turtug and clan. 
  He puts his cloak around her and fastens it. She is then 
  his wife and the families join for a great feast.
  Before the newlyweds can begin their married 
  life, the groom’s mother and one or two of his aunts 
  or female neighbors examines the bride. The bride 
  should be a virgin, though a lack of virginity does not 
  always preclude acceptance. The terms of the contract 
  may stipulate that virginity is not important. Also, the 
  mother of the groom and the other inspectors may 
  simply choose to ignore the situation. If the family of 
  the groom wishes to push for better terms, they will 
  return the bride to her family and claim deception. At 
  this point, the marriage contract can be cancelled or 
  renegotiated.
  SOCIETY
  Among the Khura, society is very ﬂuid. Ideas of no-
  bility and royalty exist, but the concept is not one of 
  a hereditary class or group. The Khura tend to think 
  in terms of individual honor, courage and ability. A 
  single great individual could raise himself, but not 
  his entire family. Similarly, an exceedingly corrupt or 
  malicious individual does not smear his entire family 
  with his infamy. However, a group of such individuals, 
  either honorable or otherwise, can create a reputation 
  for a family that will remain ﬁxed until another group 
  proves the reputation false.
  
  26
  Class Structure
  There is little structure in the Khura society. What 
  structure exists is in terms of clan, turtug and family. 
  There are, however, positions of prestige that a Khura 
  male might hold. Females, in Khura society, are always 
  inferior to males. Males think of them as little more 
  than talking livestock. Some husbands love their wives 
  and most fathers love their daughters, but that does 
  not mean they believe them as capable as males.
  The most powerful single individual among the 
  Khura is the Khan. At times, the Khan is a political 
  ﬁgurehead, placed there by the Hatujin. Other times, 
  the Khan is a Hatujin who through guile, strength 
  or negotiation has come to dominate the Khura. The 
  Khan has king-like powers, but without a powerful 
  hold on the Hatujin through popularity, reputation 
  or martial strength, those powers cannot be exercised. 
  While the Khan usually maintains the support of the 
  clan he was born into, he is supposed to be above clan 
  rivalry and may act as a mediator between clans. If he 
  shows favoritism to a single clan, especially his own, 
  he will quickly lose the respect of the rest.
  Theoretically, all the military power of the Khura 
  is available for the Khan to command. In practice, 
  the Khan must form alliances with clans and turtug, 
  sometimes outright purchasing their loyalties. A suf-
  ﬁciently powerful Khan usually gains the adherence 
  of other turtug, simply as resistance could prove costly 
  and dangerous.
  Hatujin are much like the Khan in that much of 
  their authority and power is theoretical and rarely 
  used. A popular Hatujin, famed for courage and suc-
  cess in raids and war, can usually rely on the support 
  of a majority of the turtug of his clan. Such a Hatujin 
  should have no problem attracting the young warriors 
  needed to raid and ﬁght.
  The yihkhatutug represents the power of the Hatu-
  jin and the clan, and should a Hatujin allow it to be 
  stolen, he will soon ﬁnd himself removed, if not dead. 
  As well, the clan member who recovers the banner will 
  likewise usually ﬁnd himself elevated to the position 
  of Hatujin.
  While the Hatujin is the leader of the clan, the 
  turtug leaders, usually called Burgud, meaning eagle, 
  moderate their inﬂuence on the various turtug within 
  their clan. A Burgud might be a respected leader of 
  a family within the turtug or a great hero. The only 
  real power of the Burgud is to lead the warriors of 
  the turtug and to mediate disputes between families 
  within the turtug. Because of the martial nature of the 
  position, the Burgud is rarely a male of advanced age, 
  though mature males are common.
  Gatherings and Festivals
  For the major festivals of the Khura, the clans gather at 
  designated areas. The festivals are times of peace, when 
  the killing of another Khura is expressly forbidden. 
  This tradition has stronger power than most Khura 
  laws, and families will readily turn over only sons who 
  have broken this proscription. 
  The opening of the year begins with the three day 
  Ishijurad. This celebration begins with the last day 
  of the Khura calendar, continues with the intercalary 
  Ulaketu – meaning the Time of Risings – and ﬁnish-
  ing on Shiradad, New Year’s Day. For Ishijurad, the 
  Khura assemble at Ulagiral, the Place of Risings. The 
  Khan erects his Tordo, his palace, in which the Hatujin 
  and their entourages celebrate the Ishijurad. While the 
  Tordo is considered a palace, it is truly a set of large 
  tents, grouped together, under which an entire army 
  could camp. No individual sleeps in the Tordo save 
  the Khan and his family. However, there is much space 
  for entertaining, and one large tent, the Hadegiral, 
  the Place of Feasting, is dominated by a succession of 
  ﬁrepits over which meats are roasted.
  The festival called Juslanhga, held at Chochoge, the 
  Wind Valley, heralds the beginnings of the great heat of 
  summer and the move to cooler pastures. Chochoge is 
  along the traditional path to the summer pastures and 
  sits beside the great Nurbagad, the Mother of Rivers.
  The return to winter pastures is marked by Gura-
  tudad, the Day of Change. The gathering place for this 
  festival is also Chochoge on the Nurbagad. Guratudad 
  is the traditional time for the marriage ceremony of any 
  in the Khan’s family. Such ceremonies are held within 
  the Hadegiral, but any Khura is allowed to attend. As 
  such, many Khura will wait outside the Tordo in the 
  days leading up to a ceremony, hoping they can ﬁnd 
  a place to witness the marriage and enjoy the Khan’s 
  hospitality.
  Other than the festivals, during the fourth week of 
  every month at the bordertowns known among the 
  Khura as Perugdai, markets are held for trade between 
  the turtug and with outsiders. Not all turtug attend 
  all such markets, but when a turtug is ready to trade, 
  they will travel to a Perugdai. Weapons are not allowed 
  within the boundaries of the Perugdai, marked by a red 
  fence.
  Social Etiquette
  To many races, the etiquette of the Khura is non-exis-
  tent. They speak roughly amongst each other and even 
  rougher with outsiders. They constantly insult each 
  other, do not use utensils when they eat, and feel free to 
  belch and pass gas whenever the desire strikes them. In 
  
  27
  truth, there are few rules of etiquette among the Khura, 
  but those that exist are strictly adhered to.
  Though it is considered friendly to insult another, 
  one would never insult another’s honor, courage or 
  family. Personal insults are common, and some Khura 
  even wear them as a badge of honor. Nicknames such 
  as Splitnose and Fatbelly are often adopted as personal 
  names. One powerful family among the Baragud is the 
  Dirakholt family, whose name translates to Clubfoot. 
  It is interesting to note that the Khura do not insult 
  those they do not like, save with defamations regarding 
  honor, courage and family.
  Table manners are also rough. The only real etiquette 
  for eating is to ﬁnish all the food placed before one. To 
  leave even the smallest morsel indicates either that the 
  food was not tasty or that one has more wealth than the 
  individual hosting. Both conclusions are insults. The 
  host also always drinks last and ﬁlls his cup last in any 
  gathering, this includes the Khan when playing host in 
  the Tordo.
  Recreation
  The Khura love sports and recreation. They race their 
  chariots constantly. Some even race the smaller ponies 
  that a Khura can ride unaided. While the shergu is a 
  chariot built for battle, the Khura especially enamored 
  of racing and possessing the necessary resources can 
  build special racing shergu called Chocho-nai Shergu, 
  or Shergu of the Wind.
  Any sport that replicates a martial skill is enjoyed 
  by the Khura, from javelin throwing to archery to the 
  hammer toss. The Khura can become quite competitive 
  at these activities, and it is not uncommon for a ﬁght to 
  break out over who had won, both among the partici-
  pants and the audience.
  The most important sport for the Khura is wrestling. 
  Wrestling is considered as important a skill as driving 
  a shergu or wielding a henger. The festivals always 
  hold competitions in wrestling, the winner of which is 
  heaped with praise and treasure. Every Hatujin has an 
  expert wrestler in his entourage.
  The hunt is a popular communal sport that also 
  serves a purpose. The adult males of a turtug will join 
  together to hunt the herd animals of the plains, chasing 
  them down in their fastest chariots and killing them 
  either with bows and arrows, or with javelins.
  THE ARTS
  Although considered primitive and barbaric by many of 
  their neighbors, the Khura do have a very lively culture 
  of music and poetry. Every Hatujin has a bard, called 
  a Duujil, or Master of Song. These bards compose 
  poems and songs about the legendary members of the 
  clan, and lyrics about existing heroes. To have a Duujil 
  compose even a short couplet about one’s deeds is con-
  sidered an incredibly high honor, and the compositions 
  of the Duujil are spread not only within his own clan, 
  but also to all the clans.
  
  28
  While usually a male, the Duujil is the only position 
  of honor that a female can traditionally hold among the 
  Khura. Such a female would need to prove her ability to 
  drive a shergu and ﬁght with a henger, but if she suc-
  ceeds in all, can take up the mantle of Duujil. Such a 
  female would always be referred to in the masculine 
  and cannot marry while she holds her position.
  Tapestries are also very popular among the Khura, 
  as they ﬁt in well with the nomadic lifestyle. The walls 
  of any jert might be decorated with tapestries made by 
  the female of the home. However, those who decorate 
  the jert of the Hatujin or the Khan are always males, 
  or females masquerading as males. Unlike the Duujil, 
  the position of a maker of tapestries, or yininaij, is not 
  open to females, but few bother to investigate when a 
  yininaij states he is male.
  EDUCATION
  There is no formal education among the Khura. A son 
  is apprenticed with his father, who teaches him how to 
  build and drive a shergu, how to wield a henger, how 
  to raise and trade livestock and how to hunt. A young 
  male may also spend time with the herders of his turtug 
  to learn their ways.
  Her mother teaches a female the domestic skills, as 
  well as the basics of maintaining a herd. A daughter is 
  never taught to ride or drive a shergu, nor is she taught 
  any but the most basic of combat skills. Most females 
  are taught how to ﬁght with a knife, as they are expected 
  to protect the children in time of war and to protect 
  their own honor from unwelcome advances.
  FOOD AND DRINK
  The diet of the Khura consists mostly of meat. As 
  nomads, they do not raise crops. Some grain may be 
  gathered through trade, but usually only the wealthi-
  est of families bothers with something as unnecessary 
  as grain or vegetables. Everything the Khura need to 
  survive is supplied by the tavun hushuu mal, the ﬁve 
  important types of livestock. The ﬁve types of livestock 
  are the horse, the sheep, cattle, the pony and the goat.
  While the horse and the pony are not used as food 
  sources, sheep, cattle and goats are used for both their 
  meat and their milk. The sheep is actually considered 
  a delicacy among the Khura because only the very 
  wealthy can aﬀord to kill sheep for food, as their wool 
  is more useful than their meat. However, sheep’s milk 
  is used to make sour cream and cheese. 
  Cattle are used as both beasts of burden – the jert 
  is pulled by oxen rather than horses or ponies – and a 
  source of food. Cow milk is considered the ﬁnest type 
  of milk for drinking, and is used in tea, and to make 
  cream and cheese. The Khura commonly eat beef, espe-
  cially before summer and winter migration.
  Goats are valuable for their skins, their wool – es-
  pecially the ﬁne wool found beneath the coarse outer 
  hair – their milk and their meat. Like cattle, goats are 
  usually slaughtered before a large move, and their meat 
  is smoked and packed for the journey.
  The alcohol drank by the Khura is all some form 
  of fermented milk, from fermented goat’s milk, called 
  Aivag, to fermented mare’s milk, called Neseg. Wine 
  and distilled grain beverages are known, though only 
  the wealthy, who obtain them through trade at the 
  Perugdai, usually possess these strange beverages.
  CLOTHING AND FASHION
  The traditional clothing of the Khura consists of a thick 
  outer coat, colorful and embroidered with patterns and 
  symbols, heavy boots, tunic and breeches of wool or 
  cotton and silk undergarments. A silk shirt is an abso-
  lute necessity for its value as protection against arrows.
  The outer coat is called a jaal, and every adult Khura 
  maintains a special jaal to wear after death, called the 
  Khurjaal. The embroidery on this jaal will illustrate im-
  portant moments in the individual’s life, and must be 
  updated after every milestone. For example, if a Khura 
  became the Burgud of his turtug, he would need the 
  embroidery on his Khurjaal altered to reﬂect this. 
  PERSONAL COMBAT
  The Khura, in war, ﬁght from the shergu. While usu-
  ally this necessitates two males, one to drive the shergu 
  and one to ﬁght, heroes have been known to drive the 
  shergu into battle alone, holding the reins in their teeth 
  or wrapping them around their waist and controlling 
  the team by movements of the body.
  Fighting from the shergu means the use of the javelin, 
  the bow, the crossbow and the henger. The henger is the 
  weapon identiﬁed with the Khura, and it is a strange 
  weapon. A hammer easily as tall as a Khura, the henger 
  is made entirely of bone. Due to the scarcity of metal and 
  wood, Khura Oghuun – those who use magic – created 
  a spell to make bone as strong as metal, but retain its 
  lightness. Due to this, a henger is ﬁrst fashioned out of 
  bone — and each clan has speciﬁc ideas over what kind 
  of bone is best suited — and an Oghuun then enchants 
  it into its ﬁnal form. While the henger retains the feel 
  and appearance of bone, it strikes as hard as metal.
  When ﬁghting amongst themselves, the Khura 
  rarely use weapons. Only in the most heated of battles, 
  among the most hated of foes, are weapons ever called 
  for. Even then, onlookers and friends will often attempt 
  to intervene. To kill an outsider is acceptable, as they 
  
  29
  account for nothing, but to kill another of the Khura 
  is a crime.
  Because weapons and killing are so abhorred in 
  combat between Khura, most such conﬂict results in 
  wrestling. It is not uncommon to see all the men of 
  opposing turtug grappling and wrestling over a huge 
  expanse. While wrestling still results in broken bones, 
  dismemberment and sometimes death, it is much less 
  common than if Khura battled with henger or even 
  javelins. Because wrestling is so important as a means 
  of combat within the Khura, it is as important to a male 
  as the henger and the shergu.
  RELIGION AND MYTH
  While not unduly religious, the Khura are superstitious. 
  Their religion is a shamanistic religion, regarding every 
  object as having a spirit. Even a cup used to drink water 
  carries some small spirit in it. The Khura live trying to 
  maintain balance among these spirits, and hoping to ap-
  pease the spirits that help them prosper. While very short 
  on philosophy, this religion is enough for the Khura.
  Creation Myth
  The Khura believe that the universe simply awoke from 
  sleep. It has always existed in one form or another, and 
  always will exist. The form may change, but the spirits 
  that inhabit all things are eternal. The Khura believe 
  that when the spirits sleep, the form of the universe 
  changes, but that the spirits rarely sleep. The Khura 
  have no idea how or when the spirits sleep, but their 
  prophecies tell them that when the sky grows dark, 
  with no stars shining, the universe will sleep, and all 
  that they know will be no more.
  The Cosmos
  To the Khura, everything exists in its form due to the 
  nature of its spirit. The donkey is lazy and stupid be-
  cause this is the nature of the donkey spirit. The wind 
  is quick and invisible as this is the nature of the wind 
  spirit. People, however, have both spirits and souls. The 
  spirit acts as a totemic connection with the nature of 
  the individual. Therefore, a loyal and protective indi-
  vidual will have the spirit of the dog, while the dirty 
  and greedy individual will have the spirit of the pig. 
  These spirits are tied both to the realm of spirits and 
  to the individual. Sometimes, when the realm of the 
  spirits is in disarray, or when the individual loses the 
  connection with the totemic spirit, the individual be-
  comes sick or troubled. While not all sickness is related 
  to the totemic spirit, this type of sickness cannot be 
  treated by herbs or ointments, but must be addressed 
  by the Oghuun, or shaman.
  The Afterlife
  When an individual dies, the totemic spirit is released 
  back to the realm of spirits, possibly to be reborn into 
  that being. Therefore, if an individual with a dog spirit 
  dies, the family may soon seek a very young pup, hop-
  ing that this pup might have a connection to the lost 
  loved one.
  The essence of the individual, the individual’s char-
  acter, intelligence and honor, does not dwell in the spirit 
  but in the soul. This manifestation of individuality and 
  sentience is drawn to the place where spirits sleep. It 
  does not sleep there, but gains knowledge of all the past 
  and the future. The souls wait in this dreaming place, 
  known as the Choan, or Blue Heavens, blue being the 
  color that symbolizes unconscious thought.
  Because the souls of the deceased learn all the 
  secrets of the past and future, the bones of the dead 
  may be used in augury. However, this is a major taboo 
  within the Khura culture. Any individual caught using 
  the bones of the dead for such a purpose would quickly 
  be put to death, probably summarily.
  GOVERNMENT
  There is very little actual government among the Khura. 
  Those elements of government that exist have power 
  only so long as the governed accept them. Extreme 
  strength may inﬂuence acceptance, but even great 
  strength rarely induces the Khura to allow an incom-
  petent to govern. Usually, government for the Khura 
  means an individual rather than an institution and a 
  mediator rather than a leader.
  The Structure of Government
  Theoretically, the pinnacle of the government of the 
  Khura is the Khan. While outsiders might consider the 
  Khan a king, that is not a proper analogy. The Khan 
  is intended to lead the Khura in war, but in peacetime, 
  the Khan is a judge and peacemaker among the clans. 
  The Khan is not an elected position, rather a candidate 
  for the position of Khan must induce the Hatujin to 
  back him. Sometimes this means that the candidate 
  will gather warriors, sometimes it means he will spread 
  gold and booty. Once a candidate is in a position of 
  strength, he will challenge the existing Khan, who may 
  peacefully retire, usually to a position of counselor to 
  the new Khan or to one of the Hatujin.
  While there is no royal family among the Khura, 
  there are ﬁve hundred families which claim descent 
  from the Khagan, the mythical Khan of Khans who 
  was the ﬁrst leader of all the Khura. These families 
  are called the Durekhur, and a Khan may only claim 
  the title if he descends from one of these families. In 
  
  30
  the past, a candidate for the Khan who was not of the 
  Durekhur often found a way to become an adopted 
  member of one of the families.
  Leading each of the clans is a Hatujin. Like the 
  Khan, a Hatujin is not elected, but grasps for the title, 
  gathering what support he can from among his clan. 
  Often, these are Khura who have proven themselves 
  great warriors, as well as wise Burgud.
  When a Khura has gathered enough strength, he 
  will challenge the current Hatujin, who can ﬁght for 
  the title, or retire, usually to become a counselor to the 
  new Hatujin, or to return to his turtug, and possibly 
  become a Burgud. Like the Khan, the Hatujin’s real 
  power comes from his military function. Other than 
  leading the clan in war, a Hatujin is a mediator among 
  the turtug of his clan.
  A Burgud leads each turtug. A Burgud is chosen by 
  the males of the turtug, and usually for life. Unlike the 
  Khan or the Hatujin, candidates do not challenge for 
  the title. Burgud are chosen for their wisdom. Though 
  a Burgud leads in battle, he does not need to personally 
  be a great warrior, as long as he has the ability to lead 
  warriors.
  The Style of Government
  Khura government is personal and yet detached. Each 
  member of a turtug knows the Burgud, and probably 
  has met and perhaps personally knows the Hatujin. 
  These ﬁgures of authority are respected, but not feared 
  or treated as superior. They attain their position usu-
  ally due to ability, and if this ability is recognized, the 
  Khura will voluntarily seek them out to act as media-
  tors, judges and leaders.
  The Khans are usually far removed from the average 
  Khura, and in most cases, the populace is happy to leave 
  it that way. A Khan may be wealthy through raiding, 
  war or wise trading, but not through taxation, and as 
  such, tends to be considered better among the common 
  people than among the Hatujin or the Burgud. The 
  regular Khura think of a Khan much like the Khans 
  of myth and legend, and many are very disappointed 
  when the learn he is much more like the Hatujin and 
  Burgud.
  The Military
  In times of war, the Khan leads the army of the Khura. 
  As long as three quarters of the Hatujin consider the 
  Khura at war, the Khan may raise an army. In theory, 
  each of the clans will oﬀer up one thousand shergu, 
  and this is called a Turgatu. Each Turgatu is led by the 
  clan’s Hatujin. The Turgatu is broken up into ten Jurtu, 
  which is then divided into ten Argatu. Usually Burgud 
  lead Jurtu, and the leader of a Jurtu will assign a leader 
  to each of the Argatu.
  While ﬁghting from the Shergu, the Khura will ini-
  tially use compound short bows and light crossbows to 
  soften up an enemy. As they close at breakneck speeds, 
  but usually maintaining enough discipline to present an 
  unbroken front, they will hurl javelins, and then charge 
  through the enemy, lashing out with their henger.
  Two males will ride in a shergu. The junior usually 
  drives the chariot while the senior ﬁghts. There are 
  cases when a junior shows exemplary capability with 
  weapons and the senior will choose to drive, or perhaps 
  the senior simply enjoys driving. It is the decision of 
  the two males as to who will drive and who will ﬁght. 
  The ranks of junior and senior are not decided by age, 
  but rather by experience. Still, this usually becomes a 
  matter of age.
  At least two and usually four powerful horses pull 
  the shergu. The Khura are famed for their horse herds. 
  Outsiders wonder that such a small people breed such 
  powerful beasts, but larger warhorses are needed to 
  pull the shergu. The horses may be armored, but the 
  shergu rarely is, save perhaps the wheels. Blades are 
  often attached to the hubs of the wheels as well as other 
  points on the chariot.
  Local Government
  Within the turtug, the Burgud represents the govern-
  ment, though he does not represent the Hatujin or the 
  Khan. He exists as a leader and a ﬁgure of respect, but 
  spends his days doing the same chores as his neigh-
  bors – maintaining his herd, practicing his martial 
  skills and raising his children. When the situation 
  demands, such as an argument between families which 
  threatens to turn violent, or some other dispute or re-
  ported crimes, the Burgud is the individual who steps 
  forward to act as mediator or judge. Other than those 
  situations and times of war, the title Burgud is simply 
  an honorary one, with no real weight or power.
  The Law
  While there is no codiﬁed law among the Khura, there 
  is tradition which acts in place of law. A Burgud often 
  relies on the decisions of the Burgud before him, either 
  through personal history or as related to him by elders 
  within the turtug or even the Duujil or Oghuun. For a 
  Hatujin, he may even rely on his own common sense 
  or ideas of justice. Still, a Hatujin usually looks back at 
  the traditions of the clan to make his decisions. A Khan 
  simply rules as he sees ﬁt, given the situation. If his de-
  cisions reﬂect a lack of justice or sense, the Hatujin will 
  quickly support a rival candidate.
  
  31
  CHAPTER FOUR 
  DWARVEN GODS
  THE PANTHEON
  Although many races of dwarves, especially those long-
  isolated from other dwarven communities, have unique 
  religious beliefs, most share a common divine heritage. 
  Whether these similarities are coincidental or a vestige 
  of a common ancestry, only the gods themselves know 
  for sure. Regardless, several types of supreme beings 
  feature prominently in nearly every dwarven pantheon. 
  Sometimes these ﬁgures appear as legendary heroes, 
  other times as ancient spirits, and most often as mighty 
  gods. These central holy ﬁgures are known to scholars as 
  the Canonical Pillars, and they are the Hearthlord, the 
  Weaver, the Warrior, the Deep One, and the High One.
  Each of the Pillars has core attributes that are found 
  almost universally in dwarven mythology and religion. 
  A Pillar will almost always have a diﬀerent name in each 
  dwarven culture. For example, the Hearthlord might 
  be known as Mighty Galdor Rocksplitter the Hearth-
  lord in a dwarven mountain kingdom, but merely as 
  Rathgar the Strong for an isolated mining kingdom. 
  These two deities, when examined closely, have many 
  remarkably similar attributes, and are both considered 
  deities of the Hearthlord Pillar.
  However, the Canonical Pillars do not always ap-
  pear as mighty gods in dwarven society. Some dwarves, 
  like the plains-traveling Khura, have primitive spirit-
  oriented pantheons that worship ancient heroes rather 
  than supreme beings. Oftentimes, however, one or more 
  incarnations of the qualities of each Pillar is found in 
  the mythology and religion of such societies. 
  The existence of the Canonical Pillars is an indica-
  tor of a central “dwarven essence.” Many qualities are 
  present in every dwarven society, like honor, strength, 
  determination, martial prowess, and clan loyalty. These 
  qualities are embodied in the Canonical Pillars. These 
  dwarven traits may be remnants of a common history 
  or simply manifestations of the dwarves’ innate nature, 
  or both.
  Detailed below are the central qualities of each Ca-
  nonical Pillar, the mythological role of that ﬁgure, the 
  most frequently encountered forms of this Pillar, and 
  its links to the primal elements of mythology.
  THE DEEP ONE
  Mythological Role
  The Deep One is a dwarven 
  deity 
  of 
  mystery 
  and 
  ancient 
  power. 
  Many 
  races of dwarves do not 
  explicitly worship the 
  Deep One or even deﬁne 
  it as an individual power. 
  In many cases, the Deep 
  One is the ancient power 
  of the earth and heavens, 
  sometimes the foundation upon 
  which the universe was built. 
  This Pillar is also the most likely of the dwarven 
  gods to be portrayed as evil, as it is sometimes equated 
  with the cold, dishonorable death. Most often, however, 
  the Deep One is an uncaring force of nature, one who 
  begets catastrophe as a matter of course, rather than 
  out of malice. Some incarnations of the Deep One are 
  gods to miners and delvers. It is the god of the deep 
  earth, the possessor and grantor of riches.
  Common Forms
  ¶ The Hearthlord’s Brother/Father: In many dwarven 
  pantheons, the Deep One is embodied in the 
  Hearthlord’s brother or father. As such a relative, the 
  Deep One counterpoints the Hearthlord’s wisdom, 
  honor, and commitment to justice and civilization 
  with an acceptance of the rigors of nature and a rep-
  resentation of the strength of the earth. He serves 
  as a reminder of greater powers and a natural order 
  beyond the walls of dwarven civilization. 
  
  32
  ¶ The Progenitor: Some dwarven myths portray the 
  Deep One as the foundation of the universe, usually 
  the being on whose back the Hearthlord built the 
  first hearthstone and molded the first clans. In other 
  instances, the Progenitor is tied to a “great sleeper” 
  myth, where the world exists in its dream and will 
  cease when it wakes. 
  In many dwarven religions, however, the Pro-
  genitor is a god like any other. Not a builder or 
  stonemaster, he is as often the god of nature, of 
  ﬁerce mountain storms and earth shaking 
  tremors. This incarnation represents 
  the chaos, majesty, and indiﬀerence 
  of nature to the dwarves who wor-
  ship it.
  A few dwarven mythologies 
  place the Progenitor at the center 
  of the earth, where it lies waiting 
  or slumbering.
  ¶ Ancestral Mysteries: In dwarven 
  cultures whose religion is based on 
  ancestor worship, the Deep One 
  will often take form in the myster-
  ies of antiquity, the times that were 
  ancient even to the ancient heroes. 
  In this form, the Deep One is usually 
  no more than a set of ancient tales and 
  legends about the beginnings of dwarvenkind. 
  Most often, these tales will highlight the un-
  known as a way to reinforce the bonds of kin-
  ship and faith in honor. 
  ¶ Stone Spirit: A dwarf who possesses some part 
  of the stone spirit is stalwart and unforgiving. 
  He has strength of spirit and an affinity for 
  the high mountains and deep caves. 
  Elemental Links
  The Deep One is always Earth-as-
  pected and often shrouded in Dark-
  ness. Many mythologies portray the 
  Deep One as also possessing Fire in 
  the warmth of the deep mines and 
  Water in the long, dark winters.
  Alignment, Domains, 
  Favored Weapons
  Deep One incarnations tend to be neutral, 
  but can vary widely. The domains favored 
  by this Pillar are Knowledge and Earth, and 
  sometimes Destruction and Strength. The 
  most common favored weapons are the 
  stone greataxe and stone warhammer.
  THE HEARTHLORD
  Mythological Role
  The Hearthlord is the father of dwarven civilization. 
  The embodiment of wisdom, honor, and strength, the 
  Hearthlord is the principal deity of most dwarven 
  cultures. He is the central Canonical Pillar of almost 
  every dwarven pantheon, and is usually portrayed as 
  the creator of all dwarves.
  The Hearthlord is the wise and strong king, he 
  who can both serve and protect his people. He 
  knows justice and how to 
  deliver it. All dwarven-
  kind is his clan and 
  his ﬁdelity to them 
  is unbreakable. He 
  has battled gods and 
  evil for his honor 
  and for his progeny.
  Legends of the 
  deeds of the Hearth-
  lord abound in nearly 
  every dwarven civi-
  lization. He ﬁgures 
  prominently in many 
  myths as a ﬁerce com-
  batant, an unimpeach-
  able leader, and a wise 
  teacher. 
  It is hard not to see 
  the Hearthlord as the 
  prototypical 
  dwarven 
  king.
  
  33
  Common Forms
  ¶ The Hearthlord: The founder of the dwarves, the 
  head of the clan of clans, and a mighty god, the 
  Hearthlord is the principal deity of most dwarven 
  cultures. Equal parts warrior, leader, and wise one, 
  he represents the balance of honor and ferocity to 
  which many dwarves aspire.
  Almost every dwarven culture has its own ver-
  sion of the Hearthlord.
  ¶ The God King: The most powerful of dwarven gods, 
  this incarnation of the Hearthlord knows no rivals 
  in the cosmos. He is the shining warrior, the inspir-
  ing leader, and the sage adjudicator of the heavens. 
  Most often, this form of the Hearthlord sits atop 
  the Mount of the Heavens and watches his worlds 
  with a faithful eye. He rarely resorts to the use of 
  heavenly force, but when he does, he shakes the very 
  foundations of the world.
  ¶ The Ancestral King: The ultimate ancestor of 
  every dwarf. The ancestral king represents the 
  first dwarven leader, the dwarf with enough valor, 
  bravery, and wisdom so as to unite the newly created 
  dwarves into a single clan. The ancestral king often 
  marks the beginning of dwarven civilization.
  ¶ Spirit of the Heavens: This is the ultimate ruler of 
  the spirit of dwarves and animals. This incarnation 
  is the hub of the Wheel of Life in some dwarven 
  cultures. This pure spirit is the original fount from 
  which all dwarven life flows. 
  Elemental Links
  The Hearthlord is almost always strongly associ-
  ated with Light. Known for balance, he is often rep-
  resented as having equal parts of Earth, Air, Fire, and 
  Water.
  Alignment, Domains, Favored Weapons
  The Hearthlord deities are almost exclusively law-
  ful good. Their cleric domains are Protection, Law, 
  Strength, and Good. The Hearthlord’s 
  favored weapons are axes and hammers, 
  and also tend to be the racial weapon of 
  dwarven cultures where the Hearthlord 
  is the principal deity.
  THE HIGH ONE
  Mythological Role
  The High One is the 
  principle dwarven link 
  to the heavens. Some 
  dwarven pantheons 
  have this Pillar as 
  a background deity 
  or a cosmic force 
  that either helped 
  create the cosmos or 
  bears its weight. Many dwarven deities 
  also represent this Pillar as a god of high 
  places and indomitable spirit, of 
  open-air peaks and the shining moon above. 
  The High One is most often an elemental 
  god, far removed from everyday dwarven life. 
  Quite frequently, this pillar is worshiped by adven-
  turing spirits and inquiring minds, and acts as the 
  patron of explorers and inventors.
  
  34
  Common Forms
  ¶ Raegaral, Keeper of the Skies: In the most common 
  Hearthlord pantheons, Raegaral is the god of skies 
  and high places. He is removed from the workings 
  of civilization but present in the cycles of life. 
  When miners are trapped beneath the earth, 
  they pray to Raegaral for air. When explorers take 
  their ships or men to unknown lands, they pray to 
  Raegaral for guidance.
  ¶ The Skylord: The version of the High One in many 
  dwarven pantheons is the Skylord, a never seen god 
  of the mountainous peaks and the river’s source. In 
  many creation myths, this deity is a principal source 
  for the energy and light of life.
  ¶ The Long Lost Brother: In ancestral religions, the 
  High One is the distant relation who left the clan 
  many generations ago and was never heard from 
  again. He represents the adventuring spirit and 
  dedication to ideals. 
  Many times, the Long Lost Brother 
  is a clan’s link to major historic 
  events and stories where 
  one of their own 
  played a small 
  but crucial role 
  in shaping the 
  histor y 
  of the 
  race.
  ¶ The Wandering Spirit: A possessor of the Wander-
  ing Spirit is at home in the wilds, at peace with 
  nature’s indifference, and driven by his own ideals. 
  Common to wandering minstrels and warriors 
  alike, this spirit represents the quest for greatness 
  and inspiration.
  Elemental Links
  The High One is linked most often with Air and Water. 
  This Pillar also tends to be strongly Light-aspected.
  Alignment, Domains, Favored Weapons
  The High One incarnations are most often lawful neu-
  tral or neutral good, though exceptions exist. The most 
  common domains for the High One are Air, Protection, 
  Sun, and Water. Common favored weapons include the 
  greataxe and heavy pick.
  THE WARRIOR
  Mythological Role
  The Warrior represents the link between martial 
  prowess and the heavens. In many dwarven myths, 
  this ﬁgure is the dwarf-become-god. Through honor, 
  skill, valor, deeds, and purity of thought and spirit, 
  the Warrior was once mortal but by exemplifying 
  the martial and social qualities of dwarven life, he 
  garnered the favor of the gods and transcended 
  into the heavens. 
  The Warrior is the dwarven god of 
  combat. In many dwarven pantheons, he 
  is a god of strength and battle; he guides 
  the ﬁghter’s axe and blesses the defender’s 
  hammer. Fidelity to one’s liege and 
  respect for honor are the hallmarks of 
  this god. 
  But the Warrior can also be the divine 
  representative of anger and intolerance. 
  Many Warrior incarnations are the rag-
  ing hero who fought the giantkin and 
  who stepped onto many a battleﬁeld 
  for no more reason than the intol-
  erance of an inﬁnitesimal point of 
  honor.
  Sometimes, this god can be as good-
  spirited as he is ﬁerce. Many dwarven cul-
  tures’ version of the Warrior is a laughing 
  jokester who loves being surrounded by 
  friends as much as being submerged in a 
  pitched battle. 
  The Warrior, for obvious reasons, is 
  many times the tempestuous dwarven god 
  of love and lovemaking.
  
  35
  Common Forms
  ¶ The Hearthlord’s Second: He is the greataxe of the 
  Hearthlord, he who defends him and honors him. 
  His is the mettle to uphold the Hearthlord’s wisdom 
  and justice. He is always joyful and loyal.
  ¶ Warrior God: The wielder of the Hammer of the 
  Heavens. He who metes out the God-King’s justice. 
  He is the prototypical honorable warrior, the un-
  shakable defender, and the iron-willed victor. The 
  Warrior God is the patron of warriors and generals.
  ¶ Ancestral Warrior: The honored forefather known 
  for his martial prowess. Cunning but always loyal, 
  this is a clan hero who fought and won great battles, 
  destroyed fabled enemies, and protected the hearth 
  and spirit of the clan.
  ¶ Spirit of the Warrior: The deep-rooted love of battle 
  felt by dwarven warriors, manifested in the joy of 
  combat and the honor in victor. Those who possess 
  the Spirit of the Warrior are the defenders who re-
  fuse to fail, the fighters who die with honor, and the 
  fathers who never falter in their duties to family and 
  clan.
  Elemental Links
  The Warrior’s boundless energy is Fire-oriented. His 
  uncompromising adherence to duty, family, and honor 
  also makes him Earth-oriented. His incarnations also 
  generally possess far more Light than Darkness.
  Alignment, Domains, Favored Weapons
  The Warrior is an almost universal Pillar in dwarven re-
  ligions and tends toward lawful good alignment, but it is 
  not uncommon to see more tempestuous chaotic good 
  incarnations. The domains of the Warrior are Good, 
  Protection, Strength, and War. His favored weapon is 
  usually a dwarven waraxe or the long hammer.
  THE WEAVER
  Mythological Role
  The Weaver is the dwarven god of life, 
  knowledge, and family. The Weaver em-
  bodies the wisdom of craftsmen and 
  midwives. The protector of women 
  and children, and keeper of 
  the clan, the Weaver is often 
  the healing-aspected deity in 
  dwarven pantheons and is 
  prayed to in times of illness 
  and sorrow.
  The Weaver is also often the 
  god or goddess of scholars. This 
  god is said to value learning and 
  knowledge of ways to better dwarvenkind. The Weaver 
  is often the goddess of fertility and the arbitrator of 
  family diﬃculties.
  Common Forms
  ¶ The Great Builder: The Hearthlord’s craftsman, the 
  Great Builder is the architect of the earth and the 
  heavens. Loyal, but not afraid to disagree, the Great 
  Builder has more than once had arguments on the 
  shaping of the world. This incarnation of the Weaver 
  is portrayed as a master designer and craftsman, a 
  deity who works every day with the materials of the 
  heavens.
  ¶ The Earth Mother: In a few dwarven pantheons, 
  the earth is said to have come from the womb of 
  the Earth Mother after being fertilized by the God 
  King. She is not only the protector of the dwarves, 
  but also the protector of nature and all life in the 
  great cycle. In this form, the Weaver can be quite far 
  removed from the politics of dwarven life. Present 
  at births and in the creation of great artiﬁces, she 
  quietly watches and tends to the needs of the world. 
  ¶ The Ancestral Armorer: The Ancestral Armorer is 
  the ancient relative who had the skill and wisdom 
  to create an artifact of great power for the other 
  ancestral heroes. This incarnation of the Weaver is 
  akin to an old and wise weaponsmith who has seen 
  enough battles to arm the young with knowledge as 
  well as weapons. He is a builder of glory for others 
  and hence has an almost unrivaled honor.
  ¶ Spirit of the Shepherd/Shepherdess: A possessor of 
  this spirit knows the importance of family and clan 
  and can lead others away from danger and despair. 
  Armed with an unfailing sense of right and wrong, 
  those who embody the Shepherd/Shepherdess are 
  strong of spirit and are caring, loyal allies.
  Elemental Links
  Almost every version of the Weaver is solidly Earth-
  oriented. Many also possess a good portion of Water. 
  The Weaver also tends to stay neutral, often possessing 
  equal measure of Light and Dark.
  Alignment, Domains, Favored Weapons
  The Weaver is a diverse Pillar, taking many 
  forms across the dwarven cultures. Align-
  ment ranges from lawful good all the way 
  to chaotic neutral. The Weaver’s domains 
  are usually Earth, Healing, Knowledge, and 
  Sea. The Weaver’s incarnations can favor any 
  weapon, but usually a warhammer, dwarven 
  waraxe, or crossbow.
  
  36
  The dwarven races, like many cultures, possess a wide 
  variety of lesser deities and holy ﬁgures. These deities 
  take many forms in dwarven society: sometimes they 
  are powerful demigods or immortal heroes, and other 
  times they are long lost ancestors. Although lesser 
  deities abound, the following are religious archetypes 
  that occur relatively frequently in dwarven cultures:
  THE WISE MASTER
  This demigod often takes the form of a greybeard 
  with a stone-hard wizened body. Full of wisdom, 
  knowledge, and a willingness to dole out lessons 
  and knowledge in stiﬄy disciplined doses, the Wise 
  Master is an icon of dwarven fortitude and stub-
  bornness. Examples: Grath of the Iron Fist, Clachrol 
  the Defender, Braarl the Mountainwalker, Hunnath 
  Greybeard.
  Typical Domains: Earth, Knowledge, Law, Protec-
  tion, Stone
  Typical Favored Weapons: Dwarven Waraxe, Long 
  Hammer, Warhammer
  Typical Alignments: LN, LG
  THE STORYTELLER
  There are few things a dwarf relishes more than a 
  cold tankard of ale and a ﬁne tale. Many dwarven 
  cultures have a revered or semi-mythical deity of 
  storytelling. The Storyteller is the patron of dwarven 
  bards. As many dwarven cultures pass their history 
  through an oral tradition, the Storyteller is often one 
  of the most prominent lesser deities. Examples: Bran-
  nar the Spinner, Moren of Many Tales, Fergrath the 
  All Knowing.
  Typical Domains: Knowledge, Luck, Magic, Stone, 
  Travel
  Typical Favored Weapons: Javelin, Sling, Quarter-
  staﬀ
  Typical Alignments: NG, CG, N
  THE SCOURGE
  A scoundrel and a thief, the Scourge is one of the 
  few evil dwarven gods. Used to frighten and teach 
  children, the Scourge often ﬁgures prominently in 
  parables. The Scourge is a dwarf who was exiled from 
  his clan for thievery or dishonor. His will for evil, 
  however, was boundless and he discovered a way to 
  tap the power of other dwarves who have broken faith 
  with clan and honor. He is their patron. Examples: 
  Grot the Deceiver, Tainalach of a Thousand Lies, 
  Horst Clanbreaker, Kraantal the Hearthreaver.
  Typical Domains: Chaos, Death, Evil, Travel, 
  Trickery
  Typical Favored Weapons: Dagger, Flail, Spiked 
  Whip
  Typical Alignments: NE, CE
  THE TRADER
  Commerce is important to dwarves. Their love for 
  material possessions, especially wrought metals and 
  gems, runs deep. The skillful trader is respected for 
  appraising value and understanding the price an item 
  can fetch. Several Trader demigods exist in dwarven 
  cultures. Examples: Grilt the Quick, Hannora the 
  Shopmistress, Joullir of the Silver Tongue.
  Typical Domains: Knowledge, Law, Stone, Travel, 
  Trickery
  Typical Favored Weapons: Light Crossbow, Rapier, 
  Warhammer
  Typical Alignments: LN, N
  THE WAVEMISTRESS
  The principal god of dwarven sailors and sea cap-
  tains, the Wavemistress protects and guides seagoing 
  dwarves. Though many dwarven cultures consider a 
  female onboard a ship as bad luck, most consider a 
  female goddess as an appropriate sea deity. Examples: 
  Curatha, Hollandria Northwind, Rualla the Guide.
  Typical Domains: Luck, Protection, Sea, Travel, 
  Water
  Typical Favored Weapons: Light Crossbow, Long 
  Hammer, Trident
  Typical Alignments: LN, N
  THE JUDGE
  The wise elder with the experience to see and decide 
  clearly is usually revered in dwarven cultures. Points 
  of honor and law are often taken to ﬁgures of author-
  ity for arbitration. It is only natural, then, that many 
  dwarven cultures have a god of judgment. Examples: 
  Vorag the Measured, Malrantog the Even Handed, 
  Trugal the Wise, Clear-eyed Borantal.
  Typical Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, Protec-
  tion, Stone
  Typical Favored Weapons: Dwarven Urgrosh, 
  Dwarven Waraxe, Long Hammer
  Typical Alignments: LG, LN, NG, N
  LESSER DWARVEN DEITIES
  
  37
  CHAPTER FIVE 
  DWARVEN EQUIPMENT
  WEAPON TABLE
  Weapon
  Cost
  Dmg (S)
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical
  Range Inc
  Weight
  Type
  Simple Weapon, Light Melee
  Clachduin Knife
  1 gp
  1d2
  1d3
  19–20 ×2
  5 ft
  ½lb
  Slashing
  Martial Weapons, One-Handed Melee
  Halljyark
  10 gp
  1d4
  1d6
  ×3
  10 ft
  6 lb
  Slashing
  Henger (enchanted)—
  special
  1d8
  1d10
  ×3
  —
  8 lb
  Bludgeoning
  Henger 
  15 gp
  1d6
  1d8
  ×2
  —
  8 lb
  Bludgeoning
  Tuag Catu
  6 gp
  1d6
  1d6
  ×3
  —
  5 lb
  Slashing
  Martial Weapon, Two-Handed Melee
  Long hammer
  20 gp
  1d8
  1d10
  ×2
  —
  14 lb
  Bludgeoning
  Martial Weapon, Ranged
  Arbalest, Hand
  100 gp
  1d10
  2d6
  19–20 ×2
  50 ft
  15 lb
  Piercing
  Exotic Weapon, One-Handed Melee
  Spiked whip
  10 gp
  1d3
  1d6
  ×3
  —
  4 lb
  Piercing
  Exotic Weapon, Two-Handed Melee
  Weighted chain
  25 gp
  1d6
  1d8
  ×2
  —
  12 lb
  Bludgeoning
  ARMOR TABLE
  Armor
  Cost
  Armor 
  Bonus
  Maximum 
  Dex Bonus
  Armor Check 
  Penalty
  Arcane Spell 
  Failure
  Speed 
  (30 ft/20 ft)
  Weight
  Light Armor
  Silkweave, breastplate
  4,200 gp
  +4
  +4
  -2
  20%
  30 ft/20 ft
  20 lb
  Medium Armor
  Silkweave, full plate
  10,500 gp
  +7
  +2
  -4
  30%
  20 ft/15 ft
  30 lb
  Heavy Armor
  Curatha’s Sheath 
  2,000gp
  +8
  +1
  -6
  40%
  20 ft/15 ft
  50 lb
  Helmet
  Curatha’s Ram
  600 gp
  See text
  10 lb
  ARMS & ARMOR
  Arbalest, Hand: This crossbow is a portable ver-
  sion of a small siege arbalest. Signiﬁcantly larger 
  than a heavy crossbow, this weapon must be wielded 
  two-handed and can only be used without penalty by 
  creatures with a Strength of at least 16. Creatures with 
  a Strength score less than 16 take a -4 penalty ﬁring a 
  hand arbalest and require two full rounds to load it. 
  Characters with a Strength of 16 or more can load it 
  with a full-round action.
  Clachduin Knife: Equivalent to a large utility knife, 
  the Clachduin knife is presented as a rite of passage to 
  male, and occasionally female, children of the Clachdu-
  in on their twentieth birthday. Even the poorest knives 
  will withstand a lifetime of use by their owners, serving 
  as both tool and weapon of last resort until accompany-
  ing their owner to the grave. While other weapons pass 
  to the next generation and can never truly belong to 
  an individual, the knife that the Clachduin receive is 
  theirs and theirs alone and is often their most prized 
  personal possession.
  Appearance and quality is based on the wealth of 
  the family, and varies by tribe. In all cases, the hilt is 
  decorated with the bright pattern of the tribe’s rach-
  dandail. On the simplest of knives the rachdandail 
  
  38
  takes the form of leather wrapping or simple coloring; 
  more elaborate versions feature hilts carved in the 
  shape of a dwarf wielding a rachdandail-colored shield 
  or use gems and precious metals of the appropriate 
  color. A family identiﬁer is often included, such as a 
  piece of cloth for a tailor or a carved stalk of wheat for 
  a farmer. 
  Although very rare, Clachduin knives of master-
  work quality and even minor magical blades are known 
  to have been given on these occasions.
  The statistics listed represent a typical knife that a 
  PC would be expected to have been given. Note that 
  due to the lightness of the knife it does not have the 
  mass to be thrown as eﬀectively as a dagger.
  Curatha’s Ram: Long have the raiders known as 
  Curatha’s brethren been feared on the open seas for 
  their deadly ability to leap into the water propelled by 
  their deity’s blessing to inﬂict shattering blows upon 
  enemy ships. 
  This special helmet is topped with a massive metal 
  spike. When used in conjunction with Curatha’s bless-
  ing the spike deals an extra 2d6 damage on impact.
  This helmet is meant to complement a Curatha’s 
  sheath.
  Curatha’s Sheath: This type of full plate is con-
  structed expressly for waterborne combat using the 
  Curatha’s blessing spell. It has steering ﬁns on the hands 
  and feet to allow for greater propulsion and maneuver-
  ability in the water. These modiﬁcations eliminate the 
  double armor check penalty for swimming.
  When worn by a creature under the eﬀect of 
  Curatha’s blessing, this armor increases the wearer’s 
  swim speed by 10 feet and reduces the damage dealt to 
  the wearer upon impacting a large object by 2d8 points. 
  (See text of spell.)
  Halljyark: The weapon of choice of the Hallvring 
  commoner, the halljyark has seen use in noble hands 
  as well. It is a utilitarian weapon, serving as melee and 
  missile weapon as well as boarding tool. Due to its 
  practical nature it performs its many functions service-
  ably, but not as eﬀectively as axes designed for a single 
  purpose. Thus, most skilled warriors will choose to 
  carry one or more throwing axes for missile combat as 
  well as a hand- or battleaxe for melee combat.
  A halljyark is the size of a battleaxe but carries 
  a lighter head that features a very deep curve on the 
  lower part of the blade and a thinner haft. Unlike 
  other Medium-sized throwing weapons, the halljyark 
  is designed to be thrown using two hands by bringing it 
  from behind the back with an overhead motion; throw-
  ing it using one hand is possible, but this counts as a 
  full-round action.
  Besides its combat use, the halljyark is used as a 
  boarding tool, reaching the axe heads into the enemy 
  ship’s railing or deck and pulling the two vessels closer 
  so that boarding can commence. In extreme cases, 
  Hallvring raiders have hurled themselves at enemy 
  ships while holding onto their halljyarks, in the hope 
  of the axeblade either catching on to the railing or bit-
  ing into the hull, and then pulling themselves onto the 
  vessel; unfailingly, such halljyarks are usually equipped 
  with leather thongs on the haft that wrap around wrist 
  or arm to aid the raider in keeping his grip. Naturally, 
  those Hallvring so inclined to board vessels in this 
  manner wear little, if any, armor.
  While not a truly eﬀective combat or boarding tech-
  nique, the sight of several Hallvring raiders launching 
  themselves with wild abandon at an opposing mer-
  chantman hull is enough to send fear coursing though 
  most enemies. Often only one or two raiders have to 
  climb on board successfully in this manner for the op-
  ponents to surrender.
  Hurling one’s self at an enemy hull
  This is considered a move-equivalent action. While 
  holding on to the halljyark, the Hallvring must suc-
  ceed at a Jump check long enough to have the hallj-
  yark reach the enemy railing or hull. The halljyark 
  adds 2 feet to the total distance for the purposes of 
  resolving this check. Failure to reach the hull or rail-
  ing means the Hallvring plunges into the sea. 
  Next, the Hallvring must succeed at a melee attack 
  roll against the hull’s armor class (AC 5, although 
  choppy seas, winds, etc. can increase the diﬃculty) 
  in order to successfully have attached the blade to the 
  railing or hull. Failure means the Hallvring plunges 
  into the sea.
  If the halljyark does not have a leather thong to 
  allow the raider to tie around his wrist, forearm, belt, 
  etc. then he must also succeed at a Strength check 
  (DC 15) or lose his grip on the weapon and plunge 
  into the water.
  Once successfully attached, the Hallvring can 
  climb on to the opposing ship if he succeeds at a 
  Climb check by using the haft of the halljyark to pull 
  himself up while bracing against the hull (DC 10 due 
  to the diﬃculty of the task). Note that if the Hallvring 
  fails the climb check by ﬁve or more, he falls and only 
  the leather thong will keep him from plunging into 
  the water.
  Henger: Made of bone, a henger is not an eﬀective 
  weapon until it has been enchanted by a Khura Oghuun 
  
  39
  using an ironbone or dedicate henger spell. Prior to this, 
  a henger is no more eﬀective than a club of Large size.
  The appearance of a henger varies, with each clan 
  choosing the type of bone that best suits their needs. 
  Finding a single bone the height of a Khura is quite a 
  feat, and those that wield such a henger command great 
  respect. The usual method is to fashion a henger from 
  several bones, binding them with wet sinew which, 
  when dried, pulls the bones together in a tight group-
  ing.
  Prior to its enchantment, a henger is decorated with 
  scrimshaw representing an individual’s choice of mo-
  tifs, usually personal accomplishments or scenes from 
  heroic myths. These can be quite elaborate and, if not 
  for magic holding it together, such a heavily decorated 
  henger would be useless as a weapon.
  Long Hammer: This long handled ham-
  mer is the reach weapon of choice for 
  many dwarven clans. Powerful enough 
  to stop a bear in its tracks, these ham-
  mers can deliver tremendous bludgeoning blows. You 
  can strike targets 10 feet away with this weapon but 
  not adjacent foes.
  Silkweave Breastplate: This armor consists of 
  small, hard pieces of wood woven together with silk 
  padding and thread. It is extremely light and durable 
  for its protective value and is built for maneuverabil-
  ity. It is a coveted armor for sea raiders because of 
  its weight and low armor check penalty for swim-
  ming. 
  The armor comes with a helmet and a set of 
  greaves and bracers. This armor does not suﬀer 
  the double check penalty when making Swim 
  checks.
  Silkweave Full Plate: This armor covers the 
  entire body with interlocking plates of ﬁre-
  hardened wood, wrapped and fastened with 
  silk thread and padding. This type of armor is 
  light and durable. Sea raiders favor this armor 
  because it does not suﬀer the doubled armor 
  check penalty when swimming. Some spell casters 
  have even adopted it for its relatively low arcane spell 
  failure chance. 
  The armor comes with full leg and arm coverings, as 
  well as a gauntlets and a visored helmet.
  Spiked Whip: This slightly heavier version of the 
  whip has sharp spikes woven into it along its length. 
  Unlike the standard whip, this exotic weapon can deal 
  lethal damage. It is a 15-foot reach weapon that can 
  also attack squares 10 feet away and adjacent to you, 
  though you don’t threaten the area within which you 
  can attack. 
  Using a spiked whip, however, provokes an attack of 
  opportunity like using a ranged weapon. 
  Since a spiked whip can wrap around an enemy’s leg 
  or limb, you may make trip attacks with it. If you are 
  tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the 
  spiked whip to avoid being tripped. 
  When using a spiked whip you gain a +2 bonus 
  to opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, 
  including the roll to resist being disarmed if the disarm 
  attack fails.
  You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to add your 
  Dexterity modiﬁer to your attack bonus even though 
  the spiked whip is not a light weapon for you.
  Tuag Catu: The “axe of combat” is usually an heir-
  loom that is presented to Clachduin that have reached 
  forty years of age and proven themselves in the martial 
  arts, although this can happen at a later 
  time as well. It marks the Clachduin’s 
  ascent to the rank of warrior with all 
  of the privileges and responsibilities 
  inherent therein. Occasionally a family 
  may have only one Tuag Catu to give, but 
  most families have several that have been passed 
  through the generations. Of course, new axes may 
  also be forged, especially if there are not enough 
  Tuag Catu within the family to be presented.
  The Tuag Catu can be anything from a common 
  battleaxe to a major magical item depending on the 
  family, although it is extremely rare that a young adult 
  would receive anything more than a weapon of mas-
  terwork quality; the more powerful Tuag Catu must 
  usually be earned through prowess in combat. The 
  statistics listed above represent a typical Tuag Catu that 
  would have been presented to a PC upon his ascension 
  to adulthood. It is the equivalent of a normal handaxe 
  and is decorated in much the same manner as the 
  Clachduin knife.
  Weighted Chain: This 10-foot chain 
  ends in two heavy steel balls. It is an exotic 
  reach weapon that can bludgeon opponents 
  10 feet away as well as adjacent melee foes. 
  Because this weapon can wrap around opponents’ legs 
  or other limbs, you can make trip attacks with it. If you 
  are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop 
  the weighted chain to avoid being tripped.
  When using a weighted chain, you gain a +2 to op-
  posed disarm rolls to disarm an opponent, including 
  the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt 
  fails.
  You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to add your 
  Dexterity modiﬁer to your attack bonus even though 
  the weighted chain is not a light weapon for you.
  
  40
  ALCHEMICAL & COMESTIBLES
  Breet Nuts: When a handful of these bitter, blood 
  colored nuts are chewed up and held in one’s mouth 
  for 3 rounds, they grant the subject a +2 enhancement 
  bonus to Strength for 1d4 minutes. The eﬀects of mul-
  tiple doses of these nuts do not stack (but may give the 
  imbiber intestinal diﬃculties). If a creature uses breet 
  nuts more than once per day, there is a 20% chance 
  each time that their use will result in a permanent loss 
  of 1 Strength (DC 15 Fortitude save negates). 
  Breet nuts; 40 gp; +2 Strength for 1d4 min.; —.
  Brewing Kit: Many dwarven adventurers insist 
  on brewing their own beer. This kit contains all the 
  common ingredients for brewing beer, including hops, 
  barley, yeast, and sugar. The kit also comes with mea-
  suring implements, recipe cards, and a small brew keg. 
  A complete beer recipe usually takes at least 5 weeks to 
  brew. Each recipe can produce up to 5 gallons of beer.
  Brewing Kit; 100 gp; Brew up to 5 gal. beer; 40 lb. 
  empty, 90 lb. full.
  Color Beets: These odd multi-colored beets are 
  found growing wild in high mountain meadows. They 
  come in blue, red, purple, green, yellow, and orange. 
  If imbued raw, they will temporarily change the pig-
  mentation of your skin and eyes. Your skin and eye 
  color will change to match the color of the beets you eat 
  for 2d6 hours. You may mix diﬀerent colors of beet to 
  create speciﬁc eﬀects. A mix of all the colors creates a 
  dark brown that looks quite natural. Using only yellow 
  and orange will lighten many skin tones considerably. 
  When using the beets for Disguise checks, you get a 
  +5 circumstance bonus to the check. The beets may be 
  consumed repeatedly with no ill eﬀects.
  Color beets; 10 gp; Changes skin and eye color; 1 lb.
  Crot Berries: Two of these black berries hold 
  enough stimulants to bestow a creature who consumes 
  them with a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity for 
  1d6 minutes. Coveted by performers and rogues, the 
  market price for these rare berries is quite high. The 
  eﬀects of multiple doses do not stack. Using the berries 
  more than once every two days can cause hyperten-
  sion (insomnia, loss of 1 Strength, 1 Constitution, and 
  1 Dexterity for 2d6 days, DC 12 Fortitude save halves 
  duration). There is a 30% chance of causing hyperten-
  sion each extra time a creature takes the berries in a 
  two-day period.
  Crot berries; 90 gp; +2 Dexterity for 1d6 min.; —.
  Hardy Berries: These coveted berries are amaz-
  ingly sour but well worth the discomfort. When three 
  of these berries are swallowed, the subject gains an 
  incredible ability to withstand extreme temperatures 
  for 12 hours. The subject will be comfortable and not 
  have to make Fortitude saves in conditions ranging 
  from -50 to 140 degrees and gains a +2 enhancement 
  bonus to any Fortitude saves required against extreme 
  temperatures. While under the eﬀects of hardy berries, 
  the subject is very hungry and requires twice the daily 
  caloric intake.
  If a creature uses hardy berries for more than 36 
  consecutive hours, they must make a DC 12 Fortitude 
  save at the beginning of each successive 12 hour period 
  they take the berries or take 1 point of permanent Con-
  stitution loss.
  Hardy berries; 65 gp; Endure extreme conditions for 
  12 hours; —.
  Hornet Bag: These nasty thrown weapons are be-
  lieved to be a gnomish invention. Usually purchased 
  from an alchemist, these small sacks are ﬁlled with hor-
  nets or other stinging insects. They may be thrown at a 
  target up to 30 feet away. Upon striking with a ranged 
  touch attack, the sack splits open and releases a small 
  swarm of angry hornets which sting every creature in 
  close proximity. The insects deal 1d3 damage to the tar-
  get and 1 splash damage to creatures in adjacent squares. 
  The hornets will stay in the area and continue delivering 
  their damage each round to any creatures occupying or 
  moving through their squares for 2d4 rounds before 
  dispersing. This object counts as a splash weapon.
  A hornet bag will only keep for one week after it is 
  purchased, after which time the hornets will all die, 
  rendering it useless.
  Hornet bag; 15 gp; 1d3 sting damage plus 1 splash 
  damage; 1 lb.
  Larstip Extract: The extract from this rare variety 
  of tuber greatly enhances many creatures’ low light vi-
  sion. Creatures without darkvision or low light vision 
  gain low light vision out to 30 ft. for 1d4 hours after 
  drinking a dose of this extract.
  If Larstip extract is imbibed more than three times 
  in one week, there is a 20% chance per dose taken that 
  the drinker’s teeth will fall out (DC 18 Fortitude save 
  avoids the eﬀect).
  Larstip extract; 70 gp; Low light vision for 1d4 hours; 
  —.
  Monta Shell Powder: The powdered shell of this 
  reclusive mollusk has a potent eﬀect on the skeleton 
  of humanoid races. When a dose is taken, the subject’s 
  bones become soft and malleable. This eﬀect lasts for 
  2d4 times 10 minutes. At the end of the eﬀect, the bones 
  will harden in whatever shape they are in.
  This powder is useful for setting broken bones (a 
  +10 to such Heal checks) and for repairing deformi-
  ties. It is in highest demand, however, from rogues and 
  thieves who use it to squeeze in and out of tight places. 
  
  41
  A creature who takes monta shell powder gains a +5 
  circumstance bonus to Escape Artist checks for the 
  duration of the drug’s eﬀect.
  If monta shell powder is taken more than three 
  times in a week, there is a 10% chance per dose taken 
  of the subject’s bones weakening permanently, causing 
  1d4 permanent Constitution damage (DC 11 Fortitude 
  save halves).
  Monta shell powder; 80 gp; Soft bones, +5 to Escape 
  Artist, see text; —.
  Raegald Mushrooms: These pungent but sweet 
  mushrooms are found in dank crevices and deep shade. 
  When a creature forms a paste from them and rubs it 
  on the back of his or her neck, they gain creative in-
  sights and agility of mind. For 2 hours after applying 
  the paste, the creature gains a +1 enhancement bonus 
  to Intelligence and Wisdom.
  There is an odd side eﬀect, however, from using 
  raegald mushrooms. For the duration of the eﬀect, the 
  creature’s voice becomes comically high-pitched. The 
  subject receives a -5 penalty to Bluﬀ, Diplomacy, and 
  vocal Perform checks. Using raegald mushrooms more 
  than once a day results in aphasia (an inability to use or 
  understand speech), instead of a squeaky voice (DC 13 
  Fortitude save avoids this eﬀect, but also nulliﬁes the 
  Int and Wis bonuses).
  Raegald mushrooms; 50 gp; +1 Intelligence and 
  Wisdom for 2 hours; —.
  Stink Bombs: You may throw these sacks of stink-
  ing, fetid dust as a ranged touch attack at any target 
  within 25 feet. On striking, they burst, releasing a 5-
  foot radius cloud of nauseating powder centered on the 
  target. All creatures occupying or passing through the 
  area must make a DC 11 Fortitude save or suﬀer a -2 
  penalty to skill checks, initiative rolls, attack rolls, and 
  saving throws for the next 1d4 rounds. A creature who 
  successfully saves does not need to save against a stink 
  bomb for the next hour. The dust dissipates after 4d4 
  rounds.
  You may throw a stink bomb at a square rather than 
  a creature. Treat the square as having an AC of 5; if you 
  miss, use a d8 to determine which square it lands in.
  Stink bomb; 50 gp; stinking cloud, see text; 1 lb.
  Stretch Rope: This intricately woven rope is laced 
  with an elastic tree resin that allows it to stretch to 
  twice its length without losing any of its strength. The 
  rope comes in several thicknesses that will stretch to 
  double their length under diﬀerent loads. This type of 
  rope, when used with ingenuity and daring, can pro-
  duce fantastic results. 
  Stretch rope; 80 gp; Stretches to twice its length, 
  100 lb, 200 lb, 400 lb versions; 10 lb, 15 lb, 20 lb.
  DWARVEN ALCOHOL AND 
  OTHER FINE STIFF DRINKS
  While most intelligent races and their societies have 
  managed to formulate various methods of liquid in-
  toxication throughout the ages, no single race has yet 
  managed to do so with the same degree of success, pa-
  tience, and dedication as the dwarves and their famed 
  brewing “artists”. Unlike the cheap, watery brews, 
  wines, and distilled spirits of the pathetic humans, 
  dwarven alcohol and liquid elixirs leave behind a kick 
  to the brain that keeps on giving and giving. Given 
  time, a bit of endurance, and steadfast desire to become 
  a fully-ﬂedged alcoholic, one can become gradually 
  immune to the greater eﬀects of human alcohol. With 
  dwarven spirits, however, there is no compromise. 
  Either you can maintain yourself or you cannot, and 
  only the greatest of drinkers ever achieve the slightest 
  degree of tolerance.
  That’s not to say that dwarves cannot hold their own 
  ﬁre water mind you; such talk could cause a careless 
  man to be disemboweled by the crueler end of a bat-
  tleaxe. The simple truth is, however, that hardly any 
  mortal’s body could be fully equipped to grow immune 
  to the eﬀects of a dwarven brew’s intoxication. “San-
  ity rendering poison” might be a bit too harsh a term, 
  but then such drinks are hardly a healing tonic for the 
  soul. “Pumice for the intestines” might, however, be 
  somewhat ﬁtting.
  Read on if you think that you are serious enough 
  about wishing to drink something that would give even 
  the most rot gutted bums the sensation of having their 
  digestive system ripped out of their bodies and then 
  crushed with ﬂaming warhammers. Enjoy, my fellow 
  wretched, suﬀering drinkers! Belch, puke, and enjoy!
  Dwarven Drink Stats And Their Meanings
  In order to more accurately catalog and describe the 
  eﬀects, properties, and cultures surrounding the vari-
  ous dwarven drinks that are available, the various sam-
  plings of such ﬁne beverages are set up in a statistical 
  format. Below is a deﬁnition concerning each statistic.
  Drink Type: This is the type of drink, whether it be 
  a special stout blend, a particular variety of wine, a malt 
  liquor, or even one of the various distilled spirits that 
  are available for consumption at most dwarven taverns 
  below the earth’s surface. The drink type is listed at the 
  very top of the stat block.
  Serving Size: This is the standard size (mug, glass, 
  half glass, etc.) for one “eﬀective” serving of the bever-
  age.
  Price Rate: This includes the average costs and 
  servings for such a drink. Price rate can be aﬀected by 
  
  42
  a particular brand’s star rating. Usually drinks with a 
  single star rating are at 80% normal cost, drinks with a 
  rating of two to three stars at 100% normal cost, drinks 
  with a rating of four stars are at 120% normal cost, and 
  drinks with a rating of ﬁve stars are at 150% normal 
  cost.
  Diﬃculty Classes: All dwarven beverages require the 
  consumer to make a Fortitude save upon the consump-
  tion of a serving. As even the most average of dwarves 
  can handle such drinks better than other races, there are 
  two diﬀerent DC scores. The ﬁrst is for dwarves and the 
  second is for all other races. If the consumer fails, they 
  are aﬀected by the drink’s Side Eﬀect. If the drinker suc-
  cessfully makes their Fortitude save, however, they can 
  receive the drink’s Beneﬁt (if it has one).
  Beneﬁt: This is the special beneﬁt that some drinks 
  have. Sometimes such beneﬁts can be compounded by 
  drinking more than one serving of the particular drink 
  in a row. In order to gain the beneﬁt, the consumer 
  must make their Fortitude save upon consumption of 
  the beverage. If they succeed, the beneﬁt is theirs. If the 
  consumer keeps drinking a particular beverage in the 
  hope of compounding the beneﬁt, they must keep suc-
  cessfully making their Fortitude saves. Once they fail, 
  the consumer cannot compound the beneﬁt eﬀects any 
  more for a 24-hour period. They do not, however, lose 
  any of the beneﬁcial properties that they gained before 
  failing their Fortitude save unless noted otherwise in 
  the drink’s Side Eﬀects. 
  Beneﬁt Duration: This is the amount of time that a 
  particular beneﬁt remains.
  Compounding: This is the number of times that 
  the beneﬁt of a drink can be compounded in a single 
  24-hour period. The consumer must keep succeeding at 
  their Fortitude to continue to compound such beneﬁts. 
  Once they fail, the consumer can no longer gain any 
  more beneﬁts from a particular beverage for another 
  24 hours.
  Side Eﬀect: This is the eﬀect on the drinker if they 
  fail their Fortitude save. Sometimes these eﬀects may 
  cause the drinker to have to make additional saving 
  throws.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: This is the amount of time 
  that a particular side eﬀect remains.
  Description: These are general notes about the par-
  ticular drink, including common ingredients, history, 
  taste, and so forth. 
  Popular Brands: These are the popular brews of the 
  particular drink that are made by the ﬁner dwarven 
  breweries. These labels have a star rating for overall 
  quality, with a rating of 1 being the absolute worst and 
  a rating of 5 being the absolute best.
  A GALLERY OF FINE 
  DWARVEN 
  BEVERAGES
  Absinthe, Dwarven
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 8cp, gallon 5sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 18/28
  Beneﬁt: Consumer is immune to all fear based attacks, 
  spells, and spell based eﬀects.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d8 hours
  Compounding: Non-applicable
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is temporarily blinded.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 14 hours
  Description: While human absinthe was perhaps one 
  of the most potent and destructive beverages ever 
  to grace the tavern halls, the dwarves decided that it 
  would be against their heritage to outdone by such 
  inferior mixtures. Taking samples of only the ﬁnest 
  and most potent of wormwood plants to be found, the 
  dwarves began to experiment with the inclusion of oth-
  er plant essences. After much painful and maddening 
  research, the dwarves came up with their own version 
  of this foul, pale green drink. A simple sip of dwarven 
  absinthe gives one terrible visions of mindless destruc-
  tion. Often feeling that they’ve “seen it all”, successful 
  drinkers stumble away with a temporary immunity to 
  all forms of fear. Other drinkers, having a much weaker 
  fortitude, are reduced to temporary blindness.
  Popular Brands: Dancing Weed Extra Green(*), 
  Fairy Boots Pale Mint(**), Forestbasher (***), Drake-
  weed Extra Stout (***), Dwarven Nightmare (****), 
  Emerald Crown Absinthe (*****)
  Ash Ale, Dwarven
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 4sp, gallon 2gp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 18/24
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains +1 to AC when resisting at-
  tacks from undead creatures.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 12 hours
  Compounding: 4
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is overcome by severe bouts of 
  nausea and is unable to do little more than move about 
  very slowly, vomit, and sleep.
  
  43
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 18 hours
  Description: Many ages ago, a clan of hearty dwarves 
  stumbled upon a bizarre discovery in the bottom of an 
  ancient cavern. Spread across the vast ﬂoor were the 
  bones of over a dozen huge red dragons. Sensing that 
  there were mysterious powers to be gained from the 
  contents of this burial ground, a curious dwarf whittled 
  oﬀ a small sliver of bone. He then pounded it into a 
  ﬁne powder and mixed in with his ale. Upon the con-
  sumption of this mixture, the dwarf saw great visions of 
  death and the foul undead. Though frightening, it was 
  revealed to him how to better protect himself from such 
  terrors. Though the memory of such visions gradually 
  faded away several hours later, the dwarf remembered 
  enough to recognize that some great beneﬁcial advan-
  tage was to be had from taking a small, minute portion 
  of the remains from that foul, draconic resting place and 
  adding it to a mug of ale. After much experimentation, 
  the dwarf and his close friends were able to perfect a 
  formula that would allow one a greater sense of protec-
  tion when having to do battle with undead creatures. 
  All brands of dwarven ash ale rely on the same 
  graveyard for their chief component. While there is still 
  enough bone left in the bottom of that strange cavern to 
  last several lifespans to come, the dwarves realize that 
  this is a limited commodity and try as they might, they 
  have not yet been able to create a substitution. Thus, 
  dwarven ash ale is quite expensive as far as such drinks 
  are concerned, but the cost is worth every little bit for 
  those who can aﬀord the price.
  Popular Brands: Fortpawe And Son Premium 
  Reserve (**), Bone Mountain Ancient Recipe (***), 
  Smiling Axe Bitter Aged (****), Ticklezombie Wheat & 
  Barley (****), Olde Cave Original Blende (*****)
  Autumn Mash
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 3cp, gallon 1sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 14/18
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains +1 bonus towards saving 
  throws against disease.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 4 hours
  Compounding: 3
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer takes 1d4 temporary points of 
  Constitution loss.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 8 hours
  Description: It seems that one ﬁne day, many ages ago, 
  some dwarven farmer decided that taking a bunch of 
  rotted fruits and grain was a great way to mix up a new 
  drink. Letting this foul concoction rot away and bubble 
  over, the early beginnings of autumn mash were formed. 
  Adding the essences of various foul plants in the height 
  of summer, the bubbling ﬂuids of this drink have plenty 
  of time to become adequately corrupted before the last 
  days of harvest. Typically consumed just before the on-
  set of winter, the fermented, antibacterial properties in 
  autumn mash are strong enough to kill oﬀ any onset of 
  inﬂuenza, cold, or other disease related ailment.
  As for being a drink of pleasure and enjoyment, 
  autumn mash is a foul beast that shows no mercy. The 
  taste is absolutely horrible, and the body of this drink is 
  cloudy and often full of small bits of rotting pulp. There 
  are a few reﬁned, “vintage” drinkers of autumn mash, 
  however, and these individuals claim that the mixtures 
  are at their peak when a moderate degree of mold can 
  be savored in the aftertaste that autumn mash leaves 
  behind.
  Popular Brands: Pinkbeard’s Wilted Harvest (*), 
  Varmitlace Extra Cloudy (***), Olde Toesnickel’s Spiced 
  Autumn Apple (*****)
  Bark Mead, Dwarven
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 2cp, gallon 1sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 16/22
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 to attack rolls against 
  plant creatures.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d3 days
  Compounding: 3
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is temporarily blinded.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 8 hours
  Description: Old dwarven folklore tells of dark forests 
  that functioned as barriers between the mountain 
  homes of the dwarves and the meadowland villages 
  of the humans. In order to trade with the humans, the 
  dwarves would have to cross through these wicked, 
  vile forests and face the horrible creatures that lived 
  amongst the trees. According to the legends, many of 
  these monsters were little more than animated plants 
  themselves, and they thirsted for the taste of a creature’s 
  ﬂowing blood.
  The legend goes on to state that in order to defeat 
  such terrible, leafy things one must consume a bit of 
  their essence in the same manner that they relish the 
  blood of dwarves. And so, dwarven bark mead was 
  born.
  Dwarven bark mead is a distilled mixture of honey 
  mead and the saps and bark essence of no less than 
  twenty diﬀerent types of trees. Often these mixtures 
  vary from brewer to brewer and such recipes remain a 
  secret. Potent and somewhat dangerous due a noticeable 
  amount of wood alcohol content, dwarven bark mead is 
  reserved for consumption before entering a dangerous 
  and dark journey through the wilderness.
  
  44
  Popular Brands: Yak Horn Special Premium (*), 
  Old Sap Barrel Brew (**), ForestCliﬀe Mellow (***), 
  Draker Mead (***), Dwarven Hollow (****), Emerald 
  Crown Special (*****)
  Dragon Blood Spirits, Dwarven 
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 20gp, gallon 85gp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 20/32
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +3 to AC when resisting 
  melee attack rolls from a dragon.
   Beneﬁt Duration: 1d8+2 days
  Compounding: Non-applicable
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is reduced to a temporary state 
  of incapacitating insanity that’s accompanied by pain-
  ful bouts of vomiting and quivering.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 1d8 days
  Description: Dragon blood spirits are made from the 
  fermented blood of a slain dragon that has been mixed 
  with various preserving and enhancing herbs. This is 
  a very powerful drink that can either course its way 
  through the blood of the drinker and give them the 
  power to resist the melee attacks of dragons or render 
  them a helpless mess.
  The side eﬀects or beneﬁts are immediate and the 
  cost for such a drink is high. Due to its high diﬃculty 
  to properly consume, the rather expensive price, and 
  the nature of the beneﬁts, dragon blood spirits are 
  consumed by only the most powerful of dwarves before 
  pursuing an attack upon a dragon’s lair. Drink at your 
  own risk.
  Popular Brands: Drakeblood Premium (***), High 
  Cave (****), Old Sword (*****)
  Mineral Malt Liquor 
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 2cp, gallon 1sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 16/20
  Beneﬁt: Damage reduction 3/magic
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d6 hours
  Compounding: Non-applicable
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is overcome with a nauseating 
  sickness that completely incapacitates the character.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 10 hours
  Description: While malt liquor is primarily popular 
  with the orcish population along with some of the 
  poorer human drunks, the dwarves ﬁgured out how to 
  bulk out this heavily fortiﬁed malt beverage with the 
  essences of various minerals. The result was a brew that 
  made one resistant to damage but also potentially sick 
  if the drinker was not particularly experienced with 
  alcohol and very careful as to how much was drunk. 
  Popular Brands: Fist Blocker Green Brew(*), 
  Screaming Weasel (**), Bull Head Premium (***), Blue 
  Oxen (***), Axe Head Extra Dark (****),Warhammer 
  Premium (*****)
  Myco-vega Spirits
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 4cp, gallon 2sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 19/25
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 Strength bonus.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d8 hours
  Compounding: 4
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is completely blinded and re-
  duced to a state of violent, shaking hallucinations.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 1d4 days
  Description: Dwarven myco-vega spirits combine the 
  distilled essences of various forms of vegetation and 
  popular varieties of cave fungus. This foul compound 
  can either bulk one’s system up for combat or send 
  them into a blind, screaming ﬁt of violent hallucina-
  tions. As this mixture has a very terrible potential for 
  accidentally poisoning the drinker, it is consumed by 
  only the most experienced and the bravest of dwarves.
  Popular Brands: Old Toadstool (*), Bold 
  Toady’s Pink & White (*), Amber Arm (**), 
  Foul Stagger Winter Blend (***), Deadly 
  Night Crow (***), Frog Giggler Extra Aged 
  (****), Orange Cave (*****)
  Mycomead
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 7cp, gallon 3sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 16/22
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 
  Strength bonus.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d8 hours
  Compounding: 2
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is temporar-
  ily overcome with vile halluci-
  nations.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 1d8 
  hours
  Description: As the dwarven myco-
  vega spirits proved to be a bit too much for most 
  drinkers, the dwarven brewers went back to the draw-
  ing board and came up with a more tolerable beverage 
  that was formulated by adding the essences of various 
  forms of mushrooms and other fungi to common 
  mead. The result was a drink that was somewhat on 
  the bittersweet side but was easier to drink and handle. 
  Dwarven mycomead is still considered to be a bit too 
  bold for non-dwarven drinkers, but does oﬀer a bit of 
  
  45
  a boost for those who are quite experienced when it 
  comes to handling dwarven beverages, and need a bit 
  more ‘oomph’ before entering battle.
  Popular Brands: Hollow Honey (*), Rock Garden 
  Amber (*), Old Beard Extra Sweet (**), Dancing Frog 
  (***), Icky Mug Premium Dark (***), Rock Guild Pre-
  mium (****), Old Cave Fruit Extra Gold (*****), Rock 
  Guild Dark Amber (*****)
  Rock Spirits, Dwarven
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 1sp, gallon 7sp 
  Diﬃculty Class: 14/20
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 to AC.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1 day
  Compounding: Non-applicable
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer is temporarily paralyzed.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 1 day
  Description: Dwarven Rock Spirits are fermented 
  grain spirits that have been enhanced with the essences 
  of several rock minerals. These minerals, when blended 
  with just the right ingredients, cause a dwarf’s ﬂesh to 
  become temporarily coarse and extremely resistant to 
  injury; often the tone of the skin may turn a mild gray 
  or rusty color for a short duration of time. As this min-
  eral content can be somewhat dangerous, especially to 
  non-dwarven drinkers, a failed saving throw can result 
  in temporary paralysis.
  Popular Brands: Old Stone (*), Jade Knife Stout (**), 
  Pick Axe Premium (***), Cavehome Winter Blend (***), 
  High Knife (****), Slate Cave (*****)
  Winter Wine
  Serving Size: 1 glass
  Price Rate: glass 8cp, pitcher 3sp
  Diﬃculty Class: 12/16
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 to saving throws against 
  cold spells and eﬀects.
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d3 days
  Compounding: 3
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer passes out into a very deep 
  sleep.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 2d4+2 hours
  Description: Winter time is always a hardship for 
  anyone, but for those who live amongst the high cliﬀ 
  walls of the mountains, such a bitterly cold season is 
  especially harsh. To better fortify oneself for the blis-
  tering winds, the introduction of dwarven winter wine 
  to an aching, chilled body is a meeting that is always 
  welcome.
  Made from the ﬁnest mountain berries, imported 
  spices, and several rare herbs, winter wine warms the 
  body and eases the mind during the colder times of the 
  year.
  Though quite helpful in regards to warmth, winter 
  wine is a drink that is to be handled with care. A bit too 
  much and one can easily be found trying to mimic the 
  peaceful hibernation of a bear.
  Popular Brands: Old Earl’s Cinnamon Cranberry 
  (*), Snickerred (**), High Elk Red Antler (***), Olde 
  Raspberry Hearth (***), Chill Cave Cranberry Spice 
  (****), Mountain Winter (*****)
  Wrestler’s Beer
  Serving Size: 1 mug
  Price Rate: mug 1sp, gallon 5sp
  Diﬃculty Class: 14/18
  Beneﬁt: Consumer gains a +1 towards grapple checks
  Beneﬁt Duration: 1d4 hours
  Compounding: 4
  Side Eﬀect: Consumer takes 1d4 points of temporary 
  Wisdom damage and 2 points of temporary Intelli-
  gence damage.
  Side Eﬀect Duration: 1d3 days
  Description: Realizing that his wrestlers needed a bit 
  something extra to “perk them up”, a wise guildmaster 
  consulted a few ancient tomes on brewing and gnome 
  alchemy and came up with a concoction called “wres-
  tler’s beer”. Though he didn’t tell anyone exactly what 
  was in it, this new drink was obviously a merger of 
  fermented grains, pure spring water, and several herbs 
  known for their ability to “perk one up” physically.
  Though great if drunk carefully before a match, it 
  quickly became apparent that too much of this new 
  variety of beer was potentially harmful to one’s ability 
  to think clearly. As a result, many consumers became 
  violent and aggressive, and didn’t want to leave the 
  wrestling to the ring.
  While the recipe was once 
  guarded as a secret, the 
  formula eventually 
  slipped out, causing 
  dozens of guildmas-
  ters to formulate 
  their own version 
  of wrestler’s beer.
  Popular Brands: 
  Gray Fox Mountain 
  Premium (*), Grapple-
  hold Lite (**), Elk 
  Clif’s Best (***), 
  Stone Hall 
  Competition 
  Bold (*****)
  
  46
  A SELECTION OF 
  DWARVEN MAGIC ITEMS
  Garantal’s Banner
  When this banner is unfurled atop its 10-foot pole, 
  all allies within 120 feet who can see it gain a +2 
  morale bonus to attack rolls, skill checks, and Will 
  saves. This ability can only be used once per day. Once 
  unfurled, the banner can be stuck in the ground or 
  aﬃxed upright in some other way. This eﬀect lasts 
  until the banner touches the ground. The eﬀect also 
  only works if its owner’s allies are familiar with the 
  emblem depicted on the banner. The banner’s emblem 
  can be altered by holding the pole and concentrating 
  for 2 full rounds.
  Moderate enchantment; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous 
  Item, heroism; Price 22,000 gp.
  Haggler’s Vest
  This vest is the secret heirloom of many trading clans. 
  When worn, this vest imbues its wearer with enhanced 
  bargaining and appraisal skills. The wearer gains a 
  +5 bonus to Appraise checks and a +5 bonus to Sense 
  Motive and Bluﬀ. The wearer also gains a +2 Charisma 
  score bonus.
  Faint transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, 
  eagle’s splendor; Price 19,500 gp.
  Hotrocks
  These unremarkable bullets, when ﬁred from a sling, 
  almost instantly become white-hot. They act as +1 bul-
  lets that inﬂict an additional 2d6 points of ﬁre damage. 
  In addition, a creature struck by a hotrock must make 
  a DC 15 Reﬂex save or they and their ﬂammable equip-
  ment will catch ﬁre, which will deal 1d6 points of dam-
  age per round until extinguished (DC 15 Reﬂex save 
  each round). Hotrocks are very eﬀective for igniting 
  ﬂammable objects such as wooden doors and bridges. 
  A hotrock immediately disintegrates when it impacts or 
  lands.
  Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, heat metal; Price 18,350 gp (set of 50)
  Jig Bottle
  In the wrong hands, this object can be a nuisance—a 
  dangerous nuisance. When the possessor of this won-
  drous bottle opens it and points it at a target, that target 
  is subject to an irresistible dance spell. Each jig bottle 
  contains 3d6 jigs when it is found. When all the jigs are 
  expended, the bottle is useless.
  Strong enchantment; CL 20th; Craft Wondrous 
  Item, irresistible dance; 10,800 gp (18 uses)
  Joyous Defender
  These semi-legendary +2 heavy steel shields sing and tell 
  jokes in battle, boosting allies’ morale and distracting 
  enemies. Three times per day, when activated by com-
  mand, this shield will burst into a rousing dwarven battle 
  hymn. This inspiring hymn gives the wielder and any al-
  lies within 60 feet a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls and 
  weapon damage rolls, and a +2 morale bonus on saving 
  throws against charm and fear eﬀects. The shield will 
  sing the hymn for 6 rounds and its eﬀects will linger for 
  3 rounds after it ceases. The wielder cannot activate the 
  shield’s taunt ability while it is singing the hymn. This is 
  a sonic, mind aﬀecting eﬀect; creatures that cannot hear 
  will not beneﬁt from the hymn.
  Three times per day, the joyous defender can also 
  be commanded to taunt a speciﬁc opponent within 30 
  feet. The shield will spout a distracting stream of curses, 
  taunts, and invective language at the target until it moves 
  out of range. The target receives a -2 circumstance pen-
  alty to attacks and skill checks and a -2 to AC. The target 
  may make a DC 15 Will save each round to shrug oﬀ the 
  shield’s distracting insults.
  Moderate enchantment; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms 
  and Armor, daze, heroism; Price 31,770 gp.
  Loot Finder
  When this nondescript +1 warhammer is slammed 
  against the ground while uttering the command word, 
  it reveals to the caster the location of all valuables within 
  30 ft. Items with magic properties and those worth more 
  than 10 gp are revealed to the caster as though they were 
  familiar objects sought through the locate object spell. 
  The wielder may use this ability three times per day.
  Faint divination; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Ar-
  mor, detect magic, locate object; Price 9,332 gp.
  Mug of Heroic Tales
  A bard or other storyteller can weave fantastic and 
  enthralling stories when drinking from this mug and 
  making a Perform check. The user of this mug gains a 
  +4 to Perform checks for ﬁve minutes each time he or 
  she takes a drink. Three times per day, with a successful 
  DC 15 Perform check the orator can enthrall his or her 
  audience. Once per day, with a successful DC 18 Perform 
  check the mug’s owner can attempt a suggestion spell. 
  The mug of heroic tales only works when it is at least 
  partially ﬁlled with a drinkable liquid. The enthrall and 
  suggestion eﬀects are mind aﬀecting and language de-
  pendent. 
  Moderate enchantment; CL 6th; Craft Wondrous 
  Item, enthrall, suggestion; Price 18,400 gp.
  
  47
  Ragral’s Bow
  This polished redwood +2 composite longbow has the 
  ability to enrage a target struck with one of its arrows. 
  Twice a day before making a range attack, the wielder of 
  a Ragral’s bow may speak a command word and desig-
  nate the attack to be a rage attack. If the attack success-
  fully hits the target, the creature is immediately aﬀected 
  as though by a rage spell.
  Faint enchantment; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, rage; Price 15,200 gp.
  Raiders’ Tokens
  These beads, usually woven into the beards of the crew 
  on a Hallvring raiding ship, allow the raiders to better 
  co-ordinate their raids without the need to stay within 
  earshot of one another. A set of raiders’ tokens comprises 
  5 beads which can only communicate with each other 
  and no other set of raiders’ tokens. Once per day, any 
  holder of a set of raiders’ tokens may activate the net-
  work. The tokens act as a telepathic bond as cast by a 12th 
  level caster (the communication lasts 2 hours).
  Strong divination; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, 
  telepathic bond; Price 36,000 gp per set.
  Resuscitating Breastplate
  This +3 breastplate has saved many warriors lives’ by 
  bringing them back to consciousness when they’ve been 
  knocked down. Whenever the wearer of a resuscitating 
  breastplate drops below 0 hp, the armor immediately 
  casts cure moderate wounds on its wearer for 2d8+9 hit 
  points of healing. This ability can trigger multiple times 
  in the same round, but it cannot save a wearer who is re-
  duced to –10 hit points or below by a single attack. Each 
  use drains one charge from the breastplate, which starts 
  with 10 charges. When all 10 charges are expended, it 
  becomes simply a +3 breastplate.
  Strong conjuration; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms 
  and Armor, contingency, cure moderate wounds; Price 
  23,750 gp.
  Ring of Fanciful Goods
  Any item handled by the wearer of this ring appears 
  signiﬁcantly more valuable and well made. This ring is 
  often called a “swindler’s ring” because its properties are 
  exploited by less-than-scrupulous merchants. The ring’s 
  wearer can will that any object handled for more than a 
  few seconds is enchanted so as to appear better wrought 
  and better designed for 5 minutes after it leaves his or 
  her hands. This enchantment adds +5 to the DC of 
  Appraise checks made against the object; failed checks 
  always result in an overvaluation of 2d6+3 times 10% 
  the actual value.
  Minor illusion; CL 5th; Craft Ring, silent image; 
  Price 20,000 gp.
  Rock Hat
  Legends abound of dwarven warriors who could be-
  come living, ﬁghting statues. They likely stem from 
  wearers of a rock hat. This full helm appears to be made 
  entirely from stone. When activated with the proper 
  command word, the rock hat will cast stoneskin on its 
  wearer. This ability can be used once per day. The helm 
  also grants a +1 natural armor bonus to AC.
  Moderate abjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, stoneskin; Price 12,080 gp. 
  Secret Defender
  This +2 heavy wooden shield is a favorite of raiders ev-
  erywhere. The shield is unremarkable save for its matte 
  jet-black coloring. Its bearer can whisper a command 
  word to activate its greater invisibility ability up to three 
  times per day. 
  Moderate illusion; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, greater invisibility; Price 34,397 gp.
  Seeghar’s Blade (Major Artifact)
  This legendary blade, once belonging to the misﬁt 
  Khuran swordsman Seeghar, looks like nothing more 
  than a chipped and notched blade of uprooted prairie 
  grass. In reality, it is a +6 keen wounding rapier that 
  imbues its wielder with a number of special abilities. 
  Three times per day, the wielder of Seeghar’s blade 
  can inﬂict 2d6 Constitution damage with a successful 
  melee touch attack. Creatures immune to critical hits 
  are immune to this attack.
  The wielder of Seeghar’s blade also acts as if perma-
  nently under the eﬀects of a haste spell. The wielder 
  may not end this eﬀect except by divesting himself of 
  the weapon.
  Seeghar’s blade is also extraordinarily strong and 
  hard. It has a hardness of 35, 25 hit points, and counts 
  as an adamantine weapon for determining damage 
  reduction. When used to sunder other weapons and 
  armor or attack objects, the wielder ignores hardness 
  of 30 or less. 
  Seeghar’s Foil
  This +3 keen rapier looks like nothing more than a long, 
  uprooted blade of grass. Seeghar, a legendary misﬁt 
  Khura, adopted the rapier as a primary ﬁghting weapon. 
  His prowess and unorthodox style drew followers from 
  many clans and his best students were bestowed with a 
  Seeghar’s foil and a Seeghar’s shimmering vest. The foil, 
  when held, is a particularly well-balanced rapier with 
  
  48
  a razor edge and needle-like point. A Seeghar’s foil is 
  also a remarkably resilient blade: it has a hardness of 
  18 and 10 hp.
  Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Magic 
  Arms and Armor, keen edge; Price 34,320 gp.
  Seeghar’s Shimmering Vest
  This +2 glamered chain shirt appears as leather vest 
  festooned with a riot of shining metal, beads, and semi-
  precious gems. Twice per day upon command of the 
  wearer, the armor ﬂashes with blinding light. Anyone 
  within 20 ft. (except the wearer) must make a DC 14 
  Reﬂex save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.
  Moderate evocation and illusion; CL 10th; Craft 
  Magic Arms and Armor, disguise self, daylight; Price 
  17,750 gp.
  Smoke (Major Artifact)
  This ancient, powerful blade is a potent assassin’s tool. 
  Long ago, a dwarven hearthbreaker-turned-assassin 
  made a pact with a powerful demon for this knife. The 
  blade of this dagger appears to be made from smoke. It 
  is a +6 ghost touch dagger with several special abilities. 
  Any creature wielding this knife must be of evil 
  alignment or suﬀer 4d6 cold damage upon striking 
  with it. If wielded by a rogue or creature with the sneak 
  attack ability, it deals an extra 2d6 points of sneak 
  attack damage. In addition, anyone struck with the 
  smoky blade must succeed at a DC 24 Fortitude save or 
  suﬀer 1d6 Constitution damage and localized petriﬁca-
  tion that inﬂicts 2 points of Dexterity damage that will 
  remain until the petriﬁcation is reversed.
  A creature wielding Smoke also gains the death at-
  tack ability of a 4th-level assassin if he or she does not 
  already have this ability. If the wielder already has the 
  death attack ability, he or she may use it as an assassin 
  of 4 levels higher.
  The wielder of Smoke also gains the ability to jump 
  between shadows as per a dimension door spell. The 
  ability can be used ﬁve times per day. 
  The bearer of this weapon also gains a +4 profane 
  bonus to Dexterity and a +5 enhancement bonus to 
  Move Silently and Hide checks. 
  The dagger is intelligent (Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 16, Ego 
  28), chaotic evil, and can communicate by a whispered 
  rasp or telepathy.
  Spelunking Hat
  This thick brown felt hat looks more like a wrinkled 
  sack than a hat. When worn underground, however, it 
  imparts to its owner knowledge of underground explo-
  ration and has several other useful abilities. 
  When more than 10 feet under the earth, the wearer 
  of a spelunking hat gains 5 ranks of Knowledge (dun-
  geoneering) and the ability to speak and understand 
  Undercommon. In addition, on command, a globe of 
  white light will appear 1 foot above the wearer’s head 
  and remain until another command word extinguishes 
  it. Also, when wearing the hat, the owner will be men-
  tally notiﬁed whenever an unknown creature of size 
  Tiny or larger comes within 20 feet. 
  Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, 
  alarm, continual ﬂame, tongues; Price 45,300 gp.
  Stalwart Defender
  A favorite of Clachduin defenders, this +2 heavy steel 
  shield is as useful outside of combat as in. It has a button 
  on the arm grip that when activated aﬃxes the shield in 
  place as an immovable rod. When wielded by a crea-
  ture proﬁcient with shields, the creature can activate 
  the shield’s ability at appropriate times in combat as a 
  free action. When used in this way, the wielder gains 
  a +10 bonus for defending against bull rush attempts. 
  Out of combat, a stalwart defender can be used in many 
  practical ways, just as an immovable rod.
  Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Magic 
  Arms and Armor, levitate; Price 10,170 gp.
  Wort’s Wondrous Web
  This strange looking tangle of gold wire is actually a 
  powerful and useful item. When untangled and laid 
  ﬂat, it forms a web of interconnected gold wires ap-
  proximately 3 feet by 3 feet. 
  When a command word is spoken, the wires that 
  make up the web can be stretched by hand and formed 
  into any three-dimensional shape the user wishes. The 
  original 3 foot by 3 foot web can be stretched out to a 
  maximum of approximately 15 feet by 15 feet or down 
  to only a few inches.
  When a second command word is spoken, the web 
  solidiﬁes and is no longer stretchable or malleable. 
  The areas between the wires of the web then ﬁll with 
  transparent barriers of force. The web will remain in 
  this state until deactivated by the command word. 
  The force barriers between the wires of the web are 
  treated as small individual wall of force spells. 
  A web can only be activated or deactivated 4 times 
  per day.
  Obviously, this wondrous object has many practi-
  cal uses from a shield or tent, to an improvised boat 
  or blockade. No one knows where the Wort’s wondrous 
  webs originally came from or who Wort was.
  Strong evocation; CL 14th; Craft Wondrous Item, 
  rope trick, wall of force; Price 73,440 gp.
  
  49
  CHAPTER SIX 
  MAGICS OF THE DWARVES
  PELLIDALS
  Forming a means of personal decoration as well as 
  magical practice, tattooing, or pellidalis, is an integral 
  part of Clachduin society. Pellidawics, literally “those 
  who tattoo” are among the most highly paid and highly 
  honored members of Clachduin society. So strong is 
  the tradition of tattooing in Clachduin society that 
  spellcasters have adapted it to their own uses; binding 
  magic both divine and arcane within their images in a 
  practice known as pellidgeis are the geidalgha.
  A geidalgha can be any stripe of spellcaster, al-
  though the artistic requirements inherent in the art 
  draw a disproportionate number of bards to the form. 
  Nevertheless, sorcerers, wizards, clerics, druids, and 
  even adepts can be geidalgha.
  MUNDANE PELLIDALS
  Anyone with suﬃcient artistic skill can become a pel-
  lidawic, which is essentially a craftsman who creates 
  tattoos. Within Clachduin society, these craftsmen can 
  earn an excellent living and, as Clachduin tattooing 
  skill is considered to be the ﬁnest in the world, many 
  make a good living outside of Clachduin lands as well.
  Craft (tattooing) (Int)
  You are trained in the art of tattooing. 
  Check: You can practice your trade and make a 
  good living earning the equivalent of half your check 
  result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You 
  know how to use the tools of the craft, select the proper 
  inks, create and transfer designs, and can teach your 
  knowledge to others. As with all crafts, you must have 
  the proper artisan’s tools. Improvised tools bestow a –2 
  circumstance penalty to the check while masterwork 
  tools provide a +2 circumstance bonus.
  While tattooing is a craft, the actual success of the 
  craft is diﬃcult to resolve due to the varying nature of 
  the design; a single rose is easier to draw than a ram-
  paging dragon and a smaller tattoo is more diﬃcult 
  to create than a larger one of the same detail level. In 
  addition, the time can vary tremendously. A tattoo of 
  a coiled snake on an arm might take a couple of hours 
  at most while an entire body tattoo could take several 
  weeks, with those times varying by the subject’s pain 
  threshold as well as the tattoo artist’s skill. Thus, the 
  process time is left to the DM’s discretion.
  Similarly, it is hard to quantify the success of a tattoo 
  artist’s skill. Obviously, the higher the rank the more 
  diﬃcult of an image can be executed, the greater the 
  detail and more “life-like” it becomes, and the faster 
  simple images can be made. A good rule of thumb is to 
  set a DC of 10 for basic tattoos, such as roses, with the 
  DC increasing as the diﬃculty of the artwork increases. 
  Images involving perspective, shading, and lots of ﬁne 
  details might gain a DC of 20 while copying DaVinci’s 
  “Last Supper” in all of its glory would be a DC of 30.
  Craft (pellidalis) (Int)
  You are trained in the Clachduin art of crafting pel-
  lidals. 
  Check: As with Craft (tattooing) you can earn one 
  half your check result in gold pieces per week of dedi-
  cated work. However, within Clachduin society your 
  earning potential increases and you earn the equivalent 
  of your full result in gold pieces per week of dedicated 
  work.
  In addition, you may create pellidals that are able 
  to contain magic (see the Pellidgeis Item Creation Feat 
  for details).
  MAGIC PELLIDALS
  The geidalgha are able to bind magic to pellidals through 
  a practice known as pellidgeis. At its most basic form, 
  pellidgeis is the equivalent of brewing a potion, only 
  that instead of brewing an actual potion, the geidalgha 
  crafts a temporary pellidal on the subject’s arm, includ-
  ing his own. More advanced forms of pellidgeis allow 
  multiple uses or even permanent eﬀects.
  Pellidgeis [Item Creation]
  You can bind magic to temporary pellidals that then 
  carry the spells within their image.
  Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 3rd, must possess 3 
  ranks of Craft (pellidalis)
  Beneﬁt: You can imbue your pellidals with any spell 
  of 3rd level or lower that you know and that targets a 
  creature or creatures. Crafting and enchanting such a 
  pellidal is the equivalent of brewing a potion. 
  Only the creature bearing the pellidal may invoke 
  its magic. The pellidal remains until the bearer invokes 
  its magic or it is targeted by a successful erase or dispel 
  magic spell.
  
  50
  Advanced Pellidgeis [Item Creation]
  You can create pellidals that can be used multiple times 
  before they disappear.
  Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 5th, must possess 5 
  ranks of Craft (pellidalis)
  Beneﬁt: You can imbue your pellidals with any spell 
  of 4th level or lower that you know. The process is iden-
  tical to crafting a wand including the costs involved 
  and the time it takes. 
  Upon successful completion the advanced pellidal 
  has 50 charges, which are represented by symbols 
  within the pellidal, such as ﬂower petals or diamonds 
  on a necklace, etc. As each charge is used, one of the 
  symbols glows for as long as the spell lasts and then 
  disappears. With the use of the ﬁnal charge, the entire 
  advanced pellidal is erased. Advanced pellidals featur-
  ing spells of 3rd level or lower are subject to successful 
  erase spells; those of 4th level can only be removed 
  using dispel magic.
  Masterful Pellidgeis [Item Creation]
  You can create pellidals that are permanent in their 
  eﬀects.
  Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 12th, must possess 12 
  ranks Craft (pellidalis)
  Beneﬁt: Crafting a masterful pellidal is equivalent to 
  forging a magical ring. Only the bearer of the masterful 
  pellidal may invoke its magic. A masterful pellidal is 
  not subject to erase magic.
  Although it is up to the DM, magical pellidals tend 
  to be direct representations of the type of magic they 
  hold. For example, an advanced pellidgeis of ﬁreballs, 
  the equivalent of a wand of ﬁreballs, could be shown as 
  a ﬁreball surrounded by ﬁfty ﬂames.
  In general, the more powerful the pellidal the more 
  detailed the image. Thus a pellidal of ﬂying might be a 
  simple wing tattooed on the hand, while an advanced 
  pellidal of ﬂying might be a two-dimensional eagle 
  tattoed on a forearm that features ﬁfty feathers, and a 
  masterful pellidal of ﬂying would be a highly detailed 
  eagle in mid-ﬂight.
  Having pellidals represented by appropriate im-
  ages would allow players to be able to identify pellidals 
  on NPCs and each other, allowing a clue as to an 
  opponent’s powers. Of course, unless they have some 
  means of detecting magic, the pellidals may be nothing 
  more than ﬁne artwork. That ﬁnely tattooed Clachduin 
  could unleash a furious magical assault, simply enjoy 
  the artwork, or be somewhere in between.
  BECOMING A GEIDALGHA
  Any Clachduin spellcaster can become a geidalgha by 
  choosing the Craft (pellidalis) skill as a class skill and 
  taking the appropriate item creation feats. In general, 
  it is not possible for an outsider to become a geidalgha; 
  the Clachduin guard the secrets of pellidalis very close-
  ly. However, it has occurred. The simplest way for an 
  outsider to become a geidalgha is to take up the Craft 
  (pellidalis) skill as a cross-class skill. Of course, this 
  requires ﬁnding a pellidalis craftsman willing to teach 
  the skill. Once they have learned the skill, they may 
  advance as in any other class. Unfortunately, because it 
  is a cross-class skill, they will never be as skillful as true 
  Clachduin masters.
  CLERIC DOMAINS
  STONE DOMAIN
  Deities: Deities related to the mountains and rocks.
  Granted Powers: Stone-aspected clerics may speak 
  naturally with any earth creatures, including those 
  from other planes. A stone cleric also has darkvision 
  90 feet.
  Stone Domain Spells:
  1 Magic Stone
  2 Meld into Stone
  3 Stone Shape
  4 Stoneskin
  5 Wall of Stone
  6 Stone Tell
  7 Flesh to Stone
  8 Statue
  9 Tunnel Mastery
  SEA DOMAIN
  Deities: Curatha, deities related to storms and large 
  bodies of saltwater.
  Granted Powers: Infused with the power of the 
  sea, clerics of this domain have a permanent endure 
  elements as a supernatural ability. Their sea-sense also 
  imbues them with the know direction spell twice per 
  day as a supernatural ability.
  Sea Domain Spells:
  1 Obscuring Mist
  2 Curatha’s Blessing
  3 Tidal Armor
  4 Water Breathing
  5 Control Winds
  6 Call Lightning Storm
  7 Control Weather
  8 Summon Nature’s Ally VIII*
  9 Storm of Vengeance
  *Aquatic creatures or water elementals only.
  
  51
  SPELLS
  ALANORA’S ROOTS
  Transmutation
  Level: Drd 5
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Touch
  Target: The touched plant
  Duration: 1 min/level
  Spell Resistance: No
  You may animate and 
  enlarge a plant’s roots to 
  burrow into permanent 
  or solid structures. Es-
  sentially, this spell magniﬁes 
  and speeds up the natural ex-
  pansion of root systems. The 
  plant enchanted with this 
  spell can be directed by the 
  caster to burrow into solid 
  stone and crush metal. The 
  roots of even the smallest 
  plant will expand in any 
  direction the caster wills. 
  The roots do not, however, 
  move quickly enough to be 
  eﬀective combatants. 
  The roots can burrow 
  through 10 feet of stone 
  per minute, rendering it to 
  ﬁst-sized and smaller rocks. 
  Alanora’s roots can destroy 
  buildings with fright-
  ening speed 
  and continue 
  to work even if 
  buried. The roots have 
  a Strength of 40. Any object with a hardness of less 
  than 20 can be destroyed by the roots. 
  At the end of the spell’s duration, the plant returns 
  to normal size.
  Focus: any small living plant.
  BEWILDERING STRIKE
  Transmutation
  Level: Brd 1, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: 1 round/2 levels
  Saving 
  Throw: 
  Will 
  negates 
  (harmless, object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, 
  object)
  With this spell, you may en-
  chant a weapon to deliver 
  blows that stagger and daze 
  opponents. 
  Any 
  melee 
  weapon or stack of 
  ranged weapon am-
  munition may be so 
  enchanted. When the 
  wielder of the weapon 
  lands 
  a 
  successful 
  damaging strike, a jolt 
  of eldritch energy surges 
  into the victim’s body, 
  stunning it for 1 round. 
  The victim of a bewil-
  dering strike may make a 
  DC 11 + weapon wielder’s 
  highest class level + Wisdom 
  modiﬁer Will save to avoid 
  the eﬀect. 
  This spell has no eﬀect on 
  creatures immune to critical 
  strikes, like constructs and 
  undead. A monk’s ﬁsts are 
  considered weapons and may 
  be enchanted with this spell.
  The 
  arcane 
  material 
  component for this spell is a 
  burr wrapped in red thread 
  dipped in honey.
  BLADE SHIELD
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Clr 6
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Eﬀect: Surrounds a creature with a barrier of whirling 
  blades
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: See below
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  An unarmed grappler with this spell is fearsome in-
  deed.
  
  52
  A ﬂashing, reactive sheath of whirling force blades 
  surrounds the cleric. Any creature attempting to melee 
  attack, grapple, or otherwise enter the target’s square 
  (such as a bull rush or an ally moving by) is slashed 
  repeatedly by the barrier. The blades inﬂict 1d6 physi-
  cal slashing damage per two levels, up to a maximum 
  of 10d6 damage. A creature striking through the blade 
  shield can make a Reﬂex save for half damage. If the 
  cleric attempts to inﬂict damage by moving through 
  another creature’s square, that creature can make a 
  Reﬂex save to avoid taking damage for that round. A 
  creature can only be forced to make a saving throw in 
  this way once per round from the cleric’s blade shield. 
  A creature grappling or being grappled cannot make a 
  Reﬂex save.
  In addition, the blade shield provides cover on at-
  tacks made through it, granting a +4 bonus to AC and 
  +2 to Reﬂex saves). 
  BULLET
  Transmutation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 0
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
  Eﬀect: One object weighing no more than an ounce
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  By means of this spell the caster is able to launch a 
  small object, usually a coin or small rock, a short dis-
  tance with incredible force. The caster must succeed at 
  a ranged touch attack with a successful strike causing 
  1d3 points of damage. A bullet that misses its target 
  travels to the end of the spell’s range, and then drops 
  straight to the ground.
  The material component is the object, which can be 
  retrieved after the spell.
  BULLETS
  Transmutation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
  Eﬀect: One or more objects weighing no more than an 
  ounce each
  Duration: 10 rounds or until the last bullet is ﬁred
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  As bullet, except that the caster may launch up to six 
  objects within a 10 round time frame. All the bullets 
  must be in hand at the time of the casting of the spell, 
  but can be ﬁred at any time over the next ten rounds. 
  Each bullet requires a successful ranged touch attack in 
  order to strike the target. The bullets may be ﬁred all at 
  once, or the caster can spread them out over the spell’s 
  duration, ﬁring two one round, three the next, and so 
  on until he has run out of bullets. 
  Note that the bullets, once enchanted, must remain 
  in the caster’s hand, which eﬀectively renders that hand 
  useless until such time as the bullets have all been ﬁred. 
  The caster may drop the remaining bullets at any time 
  causing the spell to end. Knocking the bullets out of the 
  caster’s hand also ends the spell. Due to the somatic 
  component a caster can never have more than one 
  hand full of bullets unless he uses a metamagic feat to 
  eliminate the somatic component.
  CURATHA’S BLESSING
  Enchantment
  Level: Clr 3, Sea 2
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 round/3 levels 
  The spell transforms the blessed creature into a furi-
  ous underwater missile. When blessed with the water 
  goddess’ speed and power, the subject becomes a living 
  water projectile. Many a raiding ship has been sunk by 
  a brave dwarf under Curatha’s blessing.
  This spell imbues a target of size Medium or smaller 
  with the ability to make a furious underwater charge 
  attack. The blessed creature gains a swim speed of 80 
  feet and the ability to breathe underwater, as well as a 
  special run action. As soon as the target enters a body 
  of water, he or she may only choose to use this special 
  run action each round until he leaves the water or the 
  spell expires.
  This special run action allows the blessed creature 
  to move at 5× its swim speed in a straight line and to 
  move freely through squares occupied by creatures that 
  are not more than 2 size categories larger than it. Doing 
  so provokes an attack of opportunity from the creature 
  that is bypassed in this way. The blessed creature may 
  also make one melee attack at his or her highest attack 
  modiﬁer against any creature whose square it moves 
  through as a free action. The blessed creature also loses 
  its Dexterity bonus to AC while underwater.
  The blessed creature’s movement immediately ends 
  if it is impeded by a solid barrier or a creature or object 
  2 or more size categories larger. The blessed creature 
  may choose to make a melee attack against the barrier 
  
  53
  at his or her highest attack bonus and a +4 circum-
  stance bonus as it strikes the barrier. This attack inﬂicts 
  double damage (this multiplier stacks in the usual 
  manner with other damage multipliers). Whether or 
  not this attack is successful, both the blessed creature 
  and the intervening object take damage equal to 5d8 
  +½ the barrier’s hardness (the blessed creature may 
  make a DC 20 Fortitude save to take half damage), and 
  the spell immediately ends. If the blessed creature is 
  smaller than Medium, reduce the damage by 2d8 for 
  each size category smaller than Medium.
  DETONATE ROCKS
  Transmutation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Target: One mass of rock of up to 5 lbs. per caster level
  Eﬀect: 20 ft. radius from the center of the spell
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex half
  Spell Resistance: No
  Completing this spell causes a mass of rocks to explode 
  into hundreds of shards that cause damage to everyone 
  within the area of eﬀect. For every ﬁve pounds of mass 
  creatures within a 20-foot radius of the rock mass suf-
  fer 1d6 points of damage up to a maximum of 10d6. 
  Note that the entire rock does not necessarily ex-
  plode. A 300-pound boulder targeted by a 6th-level 
  caster would only lose 30 pounds of its mass in causing 
  6d6 points of damage; the excess is not aﬀected. At the 
  same time, that same 6th level caster targeting a 25-
  pound stone catapult ball would only cause 5d6 points 
  of damage as that is the entire mass of the stone.
  The material component for this spell is a bit of 
  sulfur.
  DISGUISED SPELL
  Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Aﬀecting]
  Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3, Trickery 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 10 minutes
  Range: Touch
  Target: One page
  Duration: Permanent or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  This rather unusual and chaotic spell is usually used to 
  trap scrolls for the unwary. Disguised spell masks the 
  true nature of the spell on the scroll, causing the reader 
  to believe it is something else. Any spell of 3rd level or 
  lower can be disguised to appear as any other 3rd level 
  or lower spell.
  The moment a reader attempts to decipher the scroll 
  in preparation for future casting she must make a Will 
  save. Failure means that she believes the illusion and 
  does not recognize the true spell written on the scroll. 
  Success means that she has discovered the true spell 
  hidden in the illusion and can use the scroll normally.
  A favorite of evil clerics is to disguise inﬂict spells as 
  cure spells and a favorite of arcane casters is to disguise 
  ﬁreball for mage armor or shield (meaning that the 
  ﬁreball detonates right on the unsuspecting caster and 
  all those around him).
  Disguised spell must be cast at the time the actual 
  spell is placed on the scroll; it cannot be added later.
  DISGUISED SPELL, GREATER
  Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Aﬀecting]
  Level: Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5, Trickery 5
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 10 minutes
  Range: Touch
  Target: One page
  Duration: Permanent or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  As disguised spell, except that any spell of 5th level or 
  lower can be disguised to appear as any other 5th level 
  or lower spell.
  ENDLESS SPELL
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Aﬀecting]
  Level: Sor/Wiz 4, Trickery 4
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 hour
  Range: Touch
  Target: One page
  Duration: Permanent or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  This insidious trap is a page of text that appears as some 
  form of spell. It can be a single scroll, or a page within a 
  spellbook. An arcane spellcaster attempting to decipher 
  the spell ﬁnds that the text loops back upon itself in an 
  endless manner eﬀectively trapping the reader’s mind 
  as she continues to attempt to decipher the spell.
  The moment a reader begins to attempt and decipher 
  the text, she must succeed at a Will save with a –4 cir-
  cumstance penalty. Success means that she recognizes 
  the trap for what it is and can stop reading the text, 
  although if she begins reading the same text over, she 
  must succeed at another save; failure means that she 
  
  54
  has fallen prey to the endless spell. 
  Once caught, the only way to free the reader’s mind 
  is to successfully dispel its eﬀect, although heal, limited 
  wish, miracle, and wish cancel the eﬀect immediately.
  The material component for this spell is a vial of 
  special ink that is used to inscribe the spell and costs 
  500 gp to create. 
  ENHANCE ALCOHOL/POISON
  Transmutation
  Level: Brd 1, Clr 2, Drd 2, Rgr 1
  Components: V (DF)
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Touch
  Target: One ﬂask of poison or alcohol, or one poison-
  coated weapon per level
  Duration: 1 hour/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  This spell enhances the eﬀectiveness of poison and 
  alcohol. This spell doubles the fortitude of alcohol. 
  Poison enhanced by this spell deals an additional die 
  of damage, and its saving throw DC is increased by 1 + 
  1 per 3 caster levels (maximum +5 total). For example, 
  if a 6th-level bard using this spell increases the potency 
  of a poison that normally inﬂicts 1d3 Con damage with 
  a save DC of 12, so that it inﬂicts 2d3 Con damage with 
  a save DC of 15.
  The arcane version of this spell only requires a 
  verbal component and can usually be worked into a 
  verbal Perform check to allow for surreptitious casting 
  (e.g. a bard performing a drinking song who is toasting 
  tankards can cast this spell).
  FINS
  Transmutation
  Level: Drd 1, Sor/Wiz 1, Sea 1
  Components: V, S, DF/M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: One humanoid 
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  At the completion of this spell the target creature’s 
  hands and feet become webbed and ﬁns extending from 
  along the calves and forearms appear. The creature 
  gains a +20 on all Swim checks and doubles its move-
  ment while swimming, i.e. one-half speed as a move-
  equivalent action and full speed as a full-round action. 
  Unfortunately, the creature suﬀers a –2 to all Dexterity 
  checks for actions requiring the use of the hands and 
  arcane spellcasters also suﬀer a 10% arcane spell failure 
  on any spells requiring somatic components while us-
  ing ﬁns.
  Note that the ﬁns attach directly to the person’s skin, 
  so in order to use them legs must be bare below the 
  knee as well as the hands and forearms. Casting ﬁns on 
  a character wearing clothing or armor in these places 
  does no injury, but it does prevent them from gaining 
  the beneﬁt.
  The material component is a ﬁsh scale.
  FORTIFY STRUCTURE
  Abjuration
  Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6
  Components: V, S, F/DF
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
  Area: 20-ft. cube + another 20-ft. cube every three 
  levels
  Duration: 2 hours/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  One of the ﬁrst things new clans do is learn to defend 
  themselves.
  A structure enchanted with this spell becomes more 
  resistant to attacks and less vulnerable to penetration, 
  both mundane and magical. Exterior walls of build-
  ings this spell is cast upon gain a hardness bonus of 15, 
  become impassable to ethereal creatures, and immune 
  to the passwall spell for the duration. The speciﬁed 
  walls also gain resistance 100 to all types energy at-
  tacks (acid, cold, electricity, ﬁre, sonic). In addition, all 
  portals (doors, shuttered windows, portcullises) that 
  the caster speciﬁes within the area become locked as 
  with an arcane lock spell. 
  Arcane focus: a miniature representation of a shield.
  FROZEN GROUND
  Evocation [Cold]
  Level: Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Area: 30 ft × 30 ft square
  Duration: 1 round + 1 round/2 levels
  Saving Throw: Fortitude half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Frozen ground freezes the ground beneath your en-
  emies’ feet. For 1 round plus 1 round per 2 caster levels, 
  freezing tendrils will envelop the feet and legs of all 
  creatures within the area of eﬀect. The numbing cold 
  inﬂicts 1d8 cold damage per two caster levels (maxi-
  
  55
  mum 5d8) each round to all creatures in contact with 
  the ground. Any creature entering the area of eﬀect will 
  immediately receive the cold damage.
  Arcane material components: a tuft of wool and a 
  pinch of powdered crystal.
  HAIL OF BULLETS
  Transmutation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 4
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
  Area: Cone
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex half
  Spell Resistance: No
  As bullet, except that the caster launches hundreds 
  of small objects from a canister in a shotgun-like ef-
  fect. All creatures within the area of eﬀect suﬀer 10d3 
  points of damage unless they succeed at a Reﬂex save 
  for half damage. In addition, the caster must succeed at 
  Strength check (DC 15) or be knocked down from the 
  back-blast.
  The material component is a metal or wood canister 
  that holds the bullets, the base of which the caster slaps 
  as he ﬁnishes the spell. The canister weighs about 25 
  pounds and requires two hands to use.
  HARDEN ARMOR
  Transmutation
  Level: Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Armor touched
  Duration: 1 min/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
  Harden armor hardens one suit of metal armor to an 
  adamantine-like hardness. Hardened armor provides 
  its wearer with damage reduction 1/– if it is light armor, 
  damage reduction 2/– if it is medium armor, and dam-
  age reduction 3/– if it is heavy armor.
  Arcane material components: a small piece of iron 
  foil and a few drops of varnish. 
  HARDEN WEAPON
  Transmutation
  Level: Brd 1, Clr 2, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: 1 min/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
  Harden weapon doubles the hardness of a weapon. A 
  hardened weapon counts as adamantine for the pur-
  poses of calculating damage reduction and ignores the 
  hardness of any objects it strikes if it is less than 20. 
  A hardened weapon can also damage magic weapons 
  whose enhancement bonus is 2 or fewer pluses higher 
  than its enhancement bonus (e.g. a hardened +1 short 
  sword can be used to sunder +3 weapons/armor).
  You cannot cast this spell on a natural weapon, 
  such as an unarmed strike. A monk’s unarmed strike 
  is considered a weapon, and therefore can be enhanced 
  by this spell.
  Arcane material components: a pinch of iron ﬁlings 
  and a drop of pine resin. 
  ICE PATH
  Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]
  Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Rgr 3
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 5 ft/level
  Eﬀect: A strong pathway of ice up to 5 ft. ahead of the 
  caster per level; see text
  Duration: 1 minute per level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You create a 3-foot thick, 5-foot wide continuous path-
  way of ice. The ice path extends up to 5 feet/level in a 
  straight line centered on the caster. The path moves with 
  the caster. Although the path is made of ice, the surface 
  friction is that of packed earth, so creatures may move 
  on it at their normal movement rate. This spell can be 
  used to bridge chasms or create pathways across water. 
  If used near a large body of water, the maximum area 
  of eﬀect is doubled. Each 5-foot section of the path has 
  30 hit points and a hardness of 5. A section whose hit 
  points drop to 0 is destroyed, but this does not aﬀect 
  the rest of the path. The path is strong enough to hold 
  2,000 lbs. on each 5-foot section.
  If you desire, the ice path may create stairs or an 
  upward or downward path. It is extremely useful for 
  moving a group across, over, or around an obstacle 
  while avoiding pursuit.
  Arcane material components: a small white feather. 
  IRONSKIN
  Abjuration
  Level: Earth 7, Sor/Wiz 5, Strength 7
  
  56
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 10 minutes/level or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  The creature touched gains resistance to physical at-
  tacks. The target receives Damage reduction 20/magic 
  (The subject ignores the ﬁrst 20 points of damage each 
  time it takes damage). The spell can prevent a total of 
  20 points of damage per caster level (up to a maximum 
  of 300 points) before it is discharged.
  The material component is a handful of iron shav-
  ings and diamond dust worth 500 gp sprinkled on the 
  target’s skin.
  LORGATH’S MANY-ARMED ATTACK
  Transmutation
  Level: Brd 3, Rgr 3, Sor/Wiz 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A clever spellcaster once devised a way for a small group 
  of unskilled warriors to eﬀectively combat a much 
  larger force. With this spell, even a peasant armed with 
  a broomstick can attack with the speed and grace of a 
  skilled ﬁghter.
  The subject of this spell temporarily gains the ability 
  to attack every foe within reach. The subject gains a +2 
  attack bonus for the duration of the spell.
  Each round, the subject of this spell may use a full 
  attack action to attack every foe within its reach. Each 
  attack is made at the target’s full attack bonus. 
  LURE
  Conjuration (Creation)
  Level: Drd 0, Sor/Wiz 0, Sea 0
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Close (25 ft +5 ft/ 2 levels)
  Eﬀect: One small magical lure
  Duration: 1 hour/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  This spell creates a small spongy sphere that glows with 
  soft phosphorescence that can be placed on a hook or 
  string. The lure is universally attractive to ﬁsh of all 
  sorts and, assuming there are any about, allows the 
  user to be very successful at ﬁshing. In general terms, 
  assume that the lure helps catch enough ﬁsh per hour to 
  feed a Medium-sized creature.
  Note that the person using the lure must still provide 
  a means of securing it and other needed ﬁshing gear, 
  such as hooks, string, pole, etc.
  MAGMA FIELD
  Transmutation [Earth] [Fire]
  Level: Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 4
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Area: 2 5-ft.-squares/level
  Duration: 1 round + 1 round/2 levels
  Saving Throw: Fortitude half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You may turn an area of ground into a mass of molten 
  dirt and stone. This spell may not be used on ﬂoors, 
  except for stone ﬂoors at least 1 foot thick. The magma 
  ﬁeld inﬂicts 1d6 plus 1d6 per two levels of ﬁre damage 
  (maximum 10d6) each round to all creatures within 5 
  feet of its superheated surface. 
  The caster may create magma ﬁeld in any shape he 
  or she likes, up to the maximum area, as long as the 
  ﬁeld forms a single continuous area.
  Arcane material components: a pinch of powdered 
  sulfur mixed with a pinch of charcoal dust.
  MASTERFUL CUT
  Divination
  Level: Brd 2, Pal 2, Rgr 2
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
  The next attack with the enchanted weapon deals a 
  nasty, bleeding cut to a vital area. This spell can only 
  be cast on a slashing melee weapon. The next attack 
  with the enchanted weapon has a +5 insight bonus to 
  its attack roll and deals an additional 1d4+1 points of 
  temporary Constitution damage. The attack only deals 
  the Constitution damage if it deals at least 1 point of 
  lethal damage.
  The Constitution damage does not aﬀect creatures 
  immune to critical hits, like constructs and undead, 
  nor will it aﬀect creatures with no discernable anatomy, 
  such as oozes and elementals.
  
  57
  MATOOK’S HACKING COUGH
  Enchantment (Compulsion)
  Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 7
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Living creature touched
  Duration: 2d3 rounds
  Saving Throw: Fort halves duration; see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  An ancient wizard once decided to harness the power 
  of northern fever, a horrible consumptive hacking dis-
  ease.
  The subject is wracked by a horrible ﬁt of cough-
  ing. The coughing is so bad that the subject is unable 
  to perform any actions other than stand in place and 
  cough or move at one quarter its normal movement for 
  the duration of the spell. The coughing ﬁt imposes a -4 
  AC penalty and a -10 to Reﬂex saving throws. It also 
  negates any bonus granted by a shield the subject holds. 
  A creature with a coughing ﬁt also provokes attacks of 
  opportunity from each creature threatening it at the 
  end of its turn on each round.
  At the end of the duration, the subject is left weak-
  ened and shaking for twice as many rounds as he or she 
  was aﬀected. The subject may resume normal actions 
  while in this state, but suﬀers a -4 to Strength and -2 
  to Dexterity, as well as a 10 ft. reduction in movement 
  during this time.
  MINER’S NOSE
  Divination
  Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Rgr 1
  Components: V, S, F/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  This spell fulﬁls the dream of many a dwarf.
  The miner’s nose allows the target to magically smell 
  precious metals and stones within 30 feet. Each type of 
  precious metal and stone has its own distinct smell that 
  can be distinguished by the “sniﬀer”. When in a mine, 
  the sniﬀer can track and trace ore veins and gem de-
  posits even through solid rock. The richer the mineral 
  deposit the stronger its scent and the more easily the 
  sniﬀer can track it.
  A sniﬀer can also determine the metal and gem 
  composition of almost any metal object or jewelry. For 
  instance, a sniﬀer can automatically detect impure met-
  als and low-grade gems. A creature under the inﬂuence 
  of this spell gains a +5 bonus to Appraise checks on 
  items whose primary value comes from their metallic 
  or gemstone content.
  Arcane focus: a small bracelet of at least ﬁve types of 
  metal and ﬁve diﬀerent gemstones. 
  MUTATING GAZE
  Transmutation
  Level: Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 8
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Eﬀect: Caster’s gaze weakens and warps living mate-
  rial
  Duration: 1 round/3 levels (D)
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The caster gains a gaze attack that inﬂicts a painful 
  rending and tearing of a living creature’s physical es-
  sence. The mutating gaze has a range of 40 feet and 
  causes 1d3 temporary Strength damage in addition to a 
  random eﬀect (see table below). 
  To determine the random mutating eﬀect of the 
  gaze, roll on the following table:
  d%
  Eﬀect
  01-15
  2d8 damage
  16-24
  Blindness for 1d4 rounds
  25-34
  Stunned for 1 round
  35-42
  Aﬀected as by haste for 1d6 rounds
  43-52
  Aﬀected as by slow for 1d6 rounds
  53-59
  Contract the disease shakes (DC 13, 1d8 Dex, 1 
  day)
  60-71
  Gain 1d8 temporary hit points
  72-80
  Aphasia for 2d4 rounds
  81-87
  Gain 2d8 temporary hit points
  88-93
  Gain 1d3 temporary Wisdom
  94-98
  Take 1d6 Wisdom damage
  99-00
  Roll again; eﬀect is permanent
  Any living thing subject to a mutating gaze for 5 con-
  secutive rounds must make a Fortitude save or die. This 
  is a death eﬀect.
  PHANTOM FORCE
  Illusion (Figment)
  Level: Sor/Wiz 4
  Components: V, S, F
  
  58
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Long (400 ft + 40 ft/level)
  Eﬀect: Visual and auditory image of a martial force 
  that cannot extend beyond four 10-ft. cubes + one 
  10-ft. cube per level
  Duration: Concentration
  Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
  Spell Resistance: No
  An old clan of Clachduin once conquered three prov-
  inces with no more than twenty-ﬁve warriors and a 
  proﬁcient wizard, using skilled diplomacy, a few clever 
  tricks, and this spell.
  This spell creates the illusion of a ﬁghting force of the 
  caster’s devising. The illusion must be of humanoids, 
  but their composition, armor, weapons, noise, and de-
  ployment are entirely up to the caster. The eﬀect of this 
  spell can range from whisperings, moving shadows, 
  and the occasional muﬄed clink of armor through the 
  night to a heavily armored brigade of singing dwarves, 
  complete with war drums, coming over a rise.
  Interacting with a member of a phantom force by 
  touching or attacking it dispels that segment. Once 
  20% of the force is dispelled or disbelieved, the entire 
  eﬀect dissipates. 
  Arcane focus: a small piece of a war banner.
  PLANAR WINGS
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Sor/Wiz 7
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 min/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  The subject acquires huge ethereal wings that can 
  carry him or her between planes of existence. By con-
  centrating as a standard action, the subject can spread 
  the wings and shift between planes. If the subject has 
  Knowledge (the planes), he or she may choose to travel 
  to a particular plane, those without the skill travel to a 
  random plane of existence. The wings also grant ﬂight 
  30 ft. (good)for their duration.
  The wings are incorporeal but not immune to dam-
  age. They have as many hit points as the subject and an 
  AC of 20 (-1 size, +11 natural). If the wings are reduced 
  to 0 hp, they disappear and the subject remains in 
  whatever plane he or she currently occupies and falls if 
  he or she is airborn. 
  Arcane material components: two small feathers 
  dipped in poppy oil and stuck to a sheet of rice paper.
  PUMMELING WEAPON
  Conjuration [Force]
  Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: 1 min/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
  You may use this spell to enchant a magic weapon to 
  deal non-lethal damage by sheathing it in a shocking 
  ﬁeld of force. The weapon’s normal damage, including 
  critical hit and sneak attack damage, is converted to 
  non-lethal bludgeoning damage for the duration of the 
  spell. The enchanted weapon also gains a +1 enhance-
  ment bonus to damage per three caster levels.
  The wielder of the weapon also does not suﬀer the -4 
  penalty to hit for attempting to deal non-lethal damage 
  with a weapon that normally deals lethal damage. 
  A weapon enchanted with pummeling weapon will 
  not aﬀect creatures immune to critical hits, like con-
  structs and undead, or creatures with no discernable 
  anatomy, like oozes and elementals.
  Arcane material components: a small tuft of sheep’s 
  wool. 
  RAISE TOTEMIC SERVANT
  Necromancy
  Level: Sor/Wiz 9
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 hour
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None; see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  With this spell, you bring back a dead or damned crea-
  ture into a powerful totemic body to be your servant 
  and protector. If the caster has at least some small part 
  of the creature’s remains from its time of death, this 
  spell will function properly. This spell can even resur-
  rect unwilling spirits and those cursed with undeath. 
  An unwilling or undead spirit may make a Will save to 
  avoid being brought back to life. 
  The creature’s spirit is returned to a powerful animal 
  representation of its essence. This new body is free from 
  all physical aﬄictions of the previous one. 
  The totemic creature raised by this spell has HD or 
  class levels equal to the creature being resurrected. The 
  returned creature will almost always take an animal 
  form. Good creatures will become celestial totemic 
  animals; neutral creatures will return as dire animals, 
  
  59
  and evil creatures as ﬁendish animals. The DM may se-
  lect an appropriate animal and make the HD advance-
  ments and template adjustments, or you may roll on 
  the following chart to determine the totemic spirit 
  of the resurrected creature.
  d%
  Incarnation
  01-07
  Ape
  08-15
  Badger
  16-21
  Bat
  22-33
  Bear
  34-40
  Hawk
  41-51
  Lion
  52-60
  Rat
  61
  Shark*
  62-71
  Tiger
  72-79
  Weasel
  80-90
  Wolf
  91-00
  Wolverine
  * Only in aquatic environments, 
  at DM discretion.
  The reincarnated totemic 
  creature is under the control 
  of the spell caster. They can 
  communicate 
  verbally 
  and 
  telepathically up to 300 feet. 
  The totemic creature is loyal 
  and obedient, serving its 
  master to the best of its intel-
  ligence, not simply by literal 
  command. This is not a magical 
  eﬀect, so an antimagic ﬁeld will not disrupt the 
  creature’s loyalty.
  At the caster’s discretion, he or she can release the 
  totemic creature from its servitude, leaving it free to 
  roam this realm in pursuit of its own desires. Many 
  reincarnated totemic creatures retain some knowledge 
  and memories of their past and may resume their for-
  mer ambitions.
  Arcane material components: crushed gems, exotic 
  oils, and pieces of teeth and bone from celestial, dire, 
  and ﬁendish animals. These components are worth 
  5,000 gp.
  ROILING WAVES
  Transmutation
  Level: Drd 5, Sea 5
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Area: 20 ft/level radius 
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You cause the waves in the area of eﬀect to thrash about 
  with heavy force. Any swimmers caught in the area 
  must succeed at a Swim check against a DC of 20 every 
  round they are in the area or begin drowning. Ships 
  caught in the waves are aﬀected depending on their 
  size. Those vessels of up to 5 feet in length per level of 
  the caster are automatically capsized and overturned. 
  Those up to 10 feet in length per level of the caster are 
  stopped until the spell expires and those up to 20 feet 
  in length per level of the caster are slowed to half speed 
  while in the area.
  
  60
  ROOTED DEFENSE
  Transmutation
  Level: Clr 3, Pal 2
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 min/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Long ago, a dwarven cleric charged with defending his 
  ancient monastery from a horde of orcs called upon his 
  god for the will and strength to defend the temple of his 
  faith. He was granted knowledge of this spell. And the 
  cleric lived to pass it on.
  A rooted defender gains the strength, durability, and 
  will to hold the line, whatever the cost. The target of 
  this spell gains enhancement bonuses of +2 to Strength, 
  +4 to Constitution, a +2 resistance bonus to all saves, 
  +8 resistance bonus to resisting bull rush attempts, and 
  a +4 dodge bonus to AC for the duration of the spell as 
  long as he or she does not move. If the rooted defender 
  moves from the square he or she is occupying when the 
  spell was cast, the spell immediately ends.
  Hit points gained by a temporary increase in Consti-
  tution score are not temporary hit points. They go away 
  when the subject’s Constitution drops back to normal. 
  They are not lost ﬁrst as temporary hit points are. 
  SEALSKIN
  Transmutation
  Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Sea 2
  Components: V, S, DF/M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Upon completion of a sealskin spell the target creature 
  immediately has a 10% increase in mass and size as its 
  skin gains a layer of blubber. The layer provides a +2 
  natural armor bonus, a +5 bonus on all Swim checks, 
  but more importantly, provides insulation that allows 
  the creature to survive freezing water for the duration 
  of the spell.
  The transmuted creature is able to withstand cold 
  weather (below 40º f) without any ill eﬀects. Condi-
  tions of extreme cold (below 0º f) require a Fortitude 
  saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous 
  check) or the creature sustains 1d6 points of nonlethal 
  damage.
  Any clothing the creature is wearing at the time of 
  the transformation is ripped at the seams unless it is 
  loose enough to allow for the increase in mass. Any 
  restrictive items, such as armor, that cannot allow for 
  the transformation cause the spell to fail and deal 1d6 
  points of non-lethal damage to the creature.
  The material component is a piece of seal blubber.
  SEAL TOME
  Abjuration [Force]
  Level: Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: Touch
  Target: A book or tome
  Duration: 1 day/level (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  An arcane spell caster may use this spell to seal a book 
  or tome shut with an invisible web of force. A book so 
  sealed can only be opened with a command word or a 
  DC 40 Strength check to open it and a DC 30 Strength 
  check each round to hold it open. The tome may also be 
  resealed with a second command word for the duration 
  of the spell. A tome protected by this spell cannot be 
  opened using knock.
  This spell is an excellent, non-harmful way for wiz-
  ards to protect their spell books. 
  Arcane focus: some spider webs wrapped in a small 
  sheet of silk.
  SHARKSKIN
  Transmutation
  Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Sea 2
  Components: V, S, DF/M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Upon successful casting the person’s skin becomes cov-
  ered in dull grey shark scales. The shark scales grant a 
  +3 natural armor bonus to AC. This bonus increases 
  by +1 for every three levels to a maximum of +5 at 9th 
  level and above. 
  If the creature is wearing nothing more than under-
  wear then it gains two additional beneﬁts. First, it gains 
  a +5 bonus on all Swim checks due to the increased 
  smoothness provided by the sharkskin. Secondly, 
  when grappling, the scales of the sharkskin scratch an 
  opponent continuously causing 1 point of damage for 
  
  61
  every round the creature is in physical contact with its 
  opponent.
  Since this is a natural armor bonus, it does not stack 
  with the creature’s other natural armor bonuses (if 
  any).
  The material component is a shark’s scale.
  SHOCK SHIELD
  Evocation [Electricity]
  Level: Sor/Wiz 5
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 min/level (D)
  Eﬀect: Surrounds the target with a dangerous electrical 
  ﬁeld
  Saving Throw: Fort halves
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The possessor of a shock shield is surrounded by a pow-
  erful electrical ﬁeld that deals 1d8 points +2 points per 
  caster level (maximum +30) of electricity damage to 
  any creature that comes in contact with it, either physi-
  cally or via a conductive object (e.g. a metal sword). 
  Any creature who successfully strikes the target with 
  a melee attack with a metal weapon, a melee touch or 
  grapple attack suﬀers this damage. Likewise, the target 
  of this spell deals the shield’s damage with a successful 
  melee attack with a metal weapon, or a touch or grapple 
  attack. A creature who is grappling the target suﬀers 
  the shield’s damage at the beginning of both its turn 
  and the shielded creature’s turn.
  Hitting or being hit with a wooden or non-conduc-
  tive weapon does not inﬂict the shield’s damage. 
  In addition, the possessor of a shock shield gains 
  resistance to electricity 5 for the spell’s duration.
  Arcane material components: a small piece of wool 
  yarn and a short copper wire.
  SLOW METABOLISM
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Drd 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 day/3 levels
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  The subject of this spell partially disjoins with the 
  temporal stream of this plane, slowing the physical 
  consumption of the body and dampening its demands. 
  Under the inﬂuence of this spell, the subject needs 
  only half the regular amount of sleep each day to be 
  fully rested and regain his or her spells. Conversely, the 
  subject may go twice the normal waking time without 
  sleep and suﬀer no ill eﬀects (but of course, does not 
  regain spent spells). 
  The subject also only requires half his or her nor-
  mal food intake. If examined closely, an observer will 
  notice that the subject’s respiration and heartbeat are 
  only about half normal for his or her species. In addi-
  tion, poison acts more slowly on a creature with a slow 
  metabolism; the secondary damage of any poison takes 
  twice as long to act. A creature aﬀected by this spell 
  also only ages at half the normal rate.
  Aside from the eﬀects listed above, the subject of 
  this spell acts normally in every respect.
  Arcane material components: a polished river pebble, 
  a fresh leaf or twig, and a handful of ground tigerseye, 
  worth 50 gp.
  SMOTHERING FOAM
  Evocation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Area: 40 ft × 40 ft. square
  Eﬀect: Covers an area with sticky foam
  Duration: 1 min/level
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex save negates part; see text
  Spell Resistance: No
  Thick, goopy foam smothers an area, extinguishing 
  any ﬁres and impeding movement. Any exposed ﬁres 
  within the area of eﬀect are immediately extinguished. 
  Contained ﬁres, like those in a lantern, are unaﬀected. 
  The area counts as diﬃcult terrain for calculating 
  movement.
  Creatures within the area of eﬀect when the spell is 
  initiated must make a Reﬂex save or be covered with 
  the sticky foam. Those that succeed managed to duck 
  or turn away in time to avoid having their arms, face, 
  and weapons covered. Those who fail the Reﬂex save 
  have a -2 hindering penalty to attack rolls and AC.
  A creature may take a full round action to clean 
  the foam from his or her weapons and arms to end the 
  hindering penalty.
  Any ﬁre creatures, like ﬁre elementals, within the 
  area take 1d6 damage per round that they stand in the 
  foam and 3d6 damage at the onset of the eﬀect (Reﬂex 
  save halves damage).
  Arcane material components: a piece of gum arabic 
  and a few shavings of asbestos.
  
  62
  STEELSKIN
  Abjuration
  Level: Earth 8, Sor/Wiz 6, Strength 8
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 10 minutes/level or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  The creature touched gains resistance to physical at-
  tacks. The target receives damage reduction 30/magic 
  (the subject ignores the ﬁrst 30 points of damage each 
  time it takes damage). The spell can prevent a total of 
  30 points of damage per caster level (up to a maximum 
  of 600 points) before it is discharged.
  Arcane material components: a steel ingot and dia-
  mond dust worth 1,000 gp sprinkled on the target’s 
  skin.
  STONY TOMB
  Abjuration
  Level: Clr 6, Drd 6, Sor/Wiz 7
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch; Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level); see text
  Target: Creature touched
  Eﬀect: Creature transported to 1-ft.-cube/level cham-
  ber buried in solid rock
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  This is an old spell for the internment of criminals, 
  hearthbreakers, and traitors.
  The subject of this spell is magically transported to a 
  chamber buried in solid rock. The chamber is a smooth-
  walled cube with a constantly replenishing volume of 
  air. If the caster chooses, a nourishing yet tasteless meal 
  will appear in the chamber once per day. The chamber 
  is completely devoid of light or carved features.
  This spell only works within 100 ft + 10 ft/level of a 
  suitable stone formation. The chamber can be placed 
  any distance the caster chooses in the rock in any di-
  rection up to the limit of the range. After the duration 
  of the spell, the creature is immediately ejected to the 
  spot from which it disappeared.
  If this spell is attempted on a creature too large to 
  ﬁt in the created chamber, the spell immediately fails. 
  A creature touched may make a Reﬂex save to avoid 
  being drawn into the chamber, but the chamber is still 
  created. This spell can be made permanent with the 
  permanency spell.
  Arcane material components: a pair of golden dice, 
  a handful of rare earth, and six strips of platinum, to-
  gether worth 2,000 gp.
  STRANGLING VESTMENTS
  Transmutation
  Level: Sor/Wiz 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Target: 1 creature per level
  Duration: 1 round/2 levels
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: No
  An evil sorcerer once thought that it would be amusing 
  to see a dwarf strangled by his own beard.
  You may animate targets’ loose clothing, hair, and 
  equipment to grapple and attempt to strangle them. 
  Each target of the spell will have its long hair or beard, 
  robe or cloak, or loose straps or ﬂexible weapons (in 
  that order of preference) animate for the duration 
  of the spell. This animated attacker need not make a 
  melee touch attack to attempt a grapple. The item has a 
  +2 grapple modiﬁer, +4 if it is long hair or a beard. If it 
  gains a hold it can deal 1d4 points of constriction dam-
  age +1 damage per two caster levels (maximum +10). 
  If the target wins the grapple and manages to 
  achieve a hold, the creature may exploit it by attempt-
  ing to remove the attacking item or cut oﬀ the hair. An 
  attacking item that is removed from physical contact 
  with the target ends the spell’s eﬀect for that target.
  Arcane material components: a piece of snake skin 
  and a dried vine stem.
  SUBDUING ARROW
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Targets: Up to 5 targets, no two of which can be more 
  than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A missile of blunt physical force shoots from your ﬁn-
  gertip and deals 1d6+1 points of non-lethal force dam-
  age. The subduing arrow strikes unerringly and will not 
  miss its target unless it has total cover or is protected by 
  a shield spell. 
  A subduing arrow will not damage inanimate ob-
  jects, undead, constructs, or creatures that are immune 
  
  63
  to critical hits or without a discernable anatomy, like 
  oozes or elementals.
  The caster may launch a second subduing arrow at 
  3rd level and every second level thereafter, with a maxi-
  mum of 5 subduing arrows at 9th level. The arrows can 
  all target a single creature or separate creatures within 
  30 feet of each other.
  TIDAL ARMOR
  Conjuration (Creation) [Force]
  Level: Sea 3, Sor/Wiz 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 10 min/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: No
  Sea-raiding wizards quickly learned that heavy armor 
  was both a liability and an asset, providing better 
  survivability in the raiding life but acting as a major 
  impediment to spell casting (and swimming). Tidal ar-
  mor harnesses the power of water to provide a solution 
  to the liabilities of heavy armor. 
  This spell surrounds you with an invisible reactive 
  sheath of force and mist that turns away physical attacks. 
  The armor is strong enough to deﬂect minor attacks, 
  providing a +2 deﬂection bonus to AC and dampens the 
  eﬀects of more serious attacks by providing the armored 
  individual with damage reduction 2/—. The armor’s 
  protection increases to a +4 deﬂection bonus to AC and 
  damage reduction 4/– when the caster is within 60 feet 
  of a signiﬁcant natural body of water (a small lake or 
  river will suﬃce).
  Arcane focus: a small piece of wire mesh.
  TUNNEL MASTERY
  Abjuration [Earth]
  Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Stone 9
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Long (400 ft + 40 ft/level)
  Area: A 100 ft + 10 ft/level cube of earth
  Duration: 1 hour/level (also see below)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  Powerful dwarven wizards and sorcerers know how to 
  reshape the earth itself to protect their earthen cities 
  and strongholds.
  You may take a volume of stone or wrought passage-
  ways and turn it into a huge magical maze of tunnels. 
  Any creatures within the passages or standing on the 
  area of aﬀected earth become trapped within the maze. 
  Any creature caught within the maze may make a DC 20 
  Intelligence check each round to ﬁgure out a path lead-
  ing to an exit. The caster may create up to 4 exits from 
  the maze, but must create at least 1. Any creature that 
  escapes from the maze leaves from a random exit.
  Tunnel mastery may also be used to quickly create 
  permanent underground passageways and mines. Each 
  time tunnel mastery is cast on a volume of stone, the 
  caster may create two permanent passageways through 
  that volume in any direction. The caster may shape 
  those passageways as desired with such stonework 
  features as alcoves, doorways, and stairwells. 
  Arcane material components: a ball of steel wool and 
  a small faceted crystal.
  WATER COLUMN
  Conjuration (Creation)
  Level: Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4, Sea 4
  Components: V, S, DF/M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level) 
  Area: Cylinder (10 ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
  Duration: Instantaneous (see below)
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The water column emerges from the ground at the spot 
  within range you designate. All creatures caught in its 
  area suﬀer 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per caster 
  level (maximum 15d6). In addition, creatures of Me-
  dium size or smaller that fail their save are hurled 40 
  feet into the air taking damage from anything along 
  the way before falling back down. Creatures of Large 
  size that fail their save are automatically knocked down 
  while those of Huge size must succeed at a Strength 
  check (DC equal to the Reﬂex save DC). Creatures of 
  Gargantuan to Colossal size are not knocked down but 
  still take the damage.
  As with water jet the water remains in the area pos-
  sibly further complicating things.
  WATER JET
  Conjuration (Creation)
  Level: Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3, Sea 3
  Components: V, S, DF/M
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level) or 50 ft + 5 ft/level
  Area: 5 ft. wide to Medium range (100 ft +10 ft/level); or 
  10 ft. wide to 50 ft + 5 ft/level
  Duration: Instantaneous (see below)
  Saving Throw: Reﬂex half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  
  64
  You bring forth a powerful jet of water that deals 1d6 
  points of nonlethal damage per caster level (maximum 
  10d6) to each creature within its area. The water jet 
  begins at your ﬁngertips and extends to the maximum 
  range.
  All those caught in the water jet that fail their Reﬂex 
  save are knocked down as well, unless they succeed 
  at a Strength check (DC equal to the Reﬂex save DC). 
  The water remains in the area of its casting and may, 
  at the DM’s option, make the area slippery (especially 
  if it is a stone ﬂoor). Any non-magical open ﬂames are 
  immediately extinguished. Magical ﬁres are aﬀected by 
  a water jet as if they had been the target of a targeted 
  dispel magic attempt.
  The material component is a vial of seawater, or 
  other liquid at the DM’s option.
  WATERY GRAVE
  Conjuration
  Level: Clr 9, Drd 9, Water 8
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Target: One creature that is within 20 feet of a large 
  body of water
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Upon uttering the ﬁnal word of this spell a giant wave 
  reaches out for the target you touched and transports 
  it to the bottom of the body of water. The targeted 
  creature is powerless to stop this and only quick action 
  by its allies, either a wish or miracle spell cast within 
  one round will prevent the victim from being dragged 
  to the bottom. Once on the bottom, the victim suﬀers 
  whatever fate the water has in store for it. If the body of 
  water is a fairly shallow lake, the creature will quickly 
  drown. If the body of water is a sea or ocean, the crea-
  ture will instantly be crushed by the great pressure and 
  the body lost.
  While in the spell’s grasp the target is eﬀectively 
  paralyzed and feebleminded and can do nothing to 
  help itself. Allies who have some means of reaching the 
  bottom in time may be able to reach the creature and 
  render aid, including pulling it up.
  WILD ANIMUS
  Transmutation
  Level: Brd 8, Clr 8
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
  Area: A circular area 5 ft + 5 ft/level in diameter
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  This spell animates all inanimate objects within the 
  spell’s area of eﬀect up to a maximum of one Hit Dice 
  per square. The animated objects are aggressive and not 
  under the control of the caster in any way. They attack 
  the nearest creatures and damage and destroy whatever 
  they can ﬁnd. They will not attack each other. 
  The sizes of the animated objects depend directly 
  on the sizes of the objects in the area of eﬀect. At the 
  DM’s discretion, the caster may designate groups of 
  small like objects to form single larger ones. This spell 
  cast in a cloakroom, for example, could create 16 Small 
  animated cloaks, 8 Medium animated pairs of cloaks, 4 
  Large four-cloak beasts, or a single Huge cloak monster. 
  The caster could not, however, designate a cloak and a 
  chair to become a single animated object.
  Clothing, weapons, and other objects in the pos-
  session of creatures within the area of eﬀect are not 
  aﬀected by this spell. If a creature’s equipment is set 
  aside, however, it will become animated.
  Focus: a small brass bell rung while the spell is cast 
  or a silver whistle blown while the spell is cast.
  WRITTEN SUGGESTION
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Aﬀecting, Lan-
  guage-Dependent]
  Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3
  Components: S, M
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: Touch
  Target: One page
  Duration: Permanent or until discharged (see below)
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  This spell is a written version of the more familiar sug-
  gestion spell and is usually placed as a safeguard in sen-
  sitive documents. It acts in all ways like the suggestion 
  spell, including the time of the activity, except that the 
  instructions are written instead of spoken. Any crea-
  ture that reads the written suggestion triggers the spell, 
  after which time the document is safe to read (unless a 
  further written suggestion is placed on the page). 
  Common instructions are “put the book down and 
  go home” or “put the book back in its place and ring 
  the bell”, although it is rumored that at least one minor 
  noble lost his life when a disgruntled adviser read a note 
  with the instructions “kill the baron” written on it.
  The material component is ink mixed with phos-
  phorescent material.
  
  65
  CHAPTER SEVEN 
  DWARVEN 
  WRESTLING
  DWARVEN 
  FEATS
  Deceptive Gimmick [General]
  The character is able to use a well-developed “gimmick” 
  to increase their chances of causing an opponent to be 
  psyched out. 
  Prerequisites: Cha 12+, Bluﬀ: 4 ranks, Intimidate: 4 
  ranks, Perform: 2 ranks, Psyche Out
  Beneﬁt: When the character uses their Psyche Out 
  feat to intimidate or bluﬀ a target, the character gains 
  a +2 bonus to their Bluﬀ or Intimidate check. In ad-
  dition, if the character succeeds this check against the 
  opponent’s Sense Motive check, the character gains an 
  additional +1 bonus to all grapple checks against the 
  target (in addition to the +2 already gained from the 
  character’s Psyche Out feat). This bonus lasts the full 
  duration of the battle (until either the character or the 
  target has been pinned or otherwise defeated). 
  Psyche Out [General]
  The character is able to sway the target’s ability to func-
  tion in a match due to bluﬃng or intimidation.
  Prerequisites: Cha 11+, Bluﬀ: 4 ranks, Intimidate: 
  4 ranks
  Beneﬁt: The character is able to play up their in-
  timidation or bluﬃng to convince the target that the 
  character is either stronger or weaker than they really 
  are. At the beginning of combat against the target, the 
  character uses either an Intimidate check (to scare the 
  target) or a Bluﬀ check (to make the target overconﬁdent) 
  against the target’s Sense Motive check. If the character 
  succeeds, the character gains a +2 bonus to all grapple 
  checks against 
  the target. This bonus 
  lasts the full duration of the battle 
  (until either the character or the target has been pinned 
  or otherwise defeated). 
  Rubber Nerves [General]
  The character is able to resist stunning from physical 
  attacks and impacts.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13+.
  Beneﬁt: The character is able to resist stunning im-
  pacts that are caused by physical, non-magical attacks 
  or grappling feats. The character gains a +2 to saving 
  throws against such stuns.
  Whip Back Grapple [General]
  The character is able to grab the target and whip around, 
  instantly giving the character an opportunity of attack 
  or free attempt to grapple the target.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Str 11+, Dodge
  Beneﬁt: The character makes a grappling check 
  against a facing target. If the character succeeds the 
  check, they forego any normal grapple feat attempt, 
  pin, or nonlethal damage attack and instead whip 
  around behind the target. The character and target both 
  make a second grapple check and the character gains a 
  +2 bonus to this grapple check. If the target fails, the 
  character now has the target grappled from behind and 
  may pursue a grapple feat, hold, nonlethal damage, or 
  attempt to pin.
  
  66
  If the target wins the second grapple check though, 
  the target now has the character in a grappling hold 
  despite the fact that the character is actually behind 
  the target. The target may choose to either break the 
  grapple and whip back around to face the character or 
  the target may continue to grapple the character and 
  thus perform an additional grappling action, such as a 
  pin, nonlethal damage, or grapple feat.
  GRAPPLE FEATS
  As the characters change from the more traditional 
  methods of hack, chop, and slash and instead grapple 
  more and more in combat, it becomes natural that they 
  begin to experiment with various ways that they can 
  further hold or subdue their opponents. While more 
  advanced techniques of grappling provide only a lim-
  ited degree of usefulness in normal combat situations, 
  sport and performance wrestlers rely on such feats to 
  improve not only their mastery of an opponent but also 
  their showmanship as well. Many career grapplers are 
  known for their particular style or for a special move. 
  Grapple Feats are special feats that work from a par-
  ticular grappling position and often have special eﬀects 
  related towards the outcome of their successful use. 
  Such eﬀects might include the temporary stunning or 
  blinding of an opponent, “pinning” an opponent more 
  eﬀectively in order to win a sporting match, or wearing 
  down techniques such as the temporary injury/inca-
  pacitation of certain body parts. 
  Grapple feats are considered “immediate”, thus their 
  use is within the same action as the initial grappling of 
  the opponent. To successfully grab an opponent and 
  ﬂip their body over one’s head is considered to be a 
  full action, even though multiple grappling checks are 
  required.
  In order to use a grapple feat, however, certain 
  requirements must be met in addition to the normal 
  prerequisites. The character must have made a success-
  ful grapple check and is thus holding the opponent, or 
  rather grappling, to perform a grapple feat. In addition, 
  the grappling must have been made from a certain 
  position. 
  Sometimes an additional grapple check is required 
  beyond the initial grappling check. While the initial 
  check “sets up” the opponent for the feat, a second 
  grappling check may be required. If the character fails 
  this second check, it is usually considered to be in “mid-
  move” and thus the opponent may be actually beneﬁted 
  somewhat by the failed check.
  Likewise, upon performing various grapple feats, the 
  ﬁnal condition of the grappling hold that the character 
  has on the target may or may not be broken due to the 
  physical dynamics of the feat. Feats that require a result 
  of a broken grapple are indicated as “yes” while others 
  that do not require a break in the grappling hold are 
  indicated as “no”. Some are optional, as the character 
  might wish to break the hold for one reason or another, 
  but these are also marked as “no” as the naturally as-
  sumed choice default would be to continue holding the 
  target opponent.
  All grapple feats are set up in the below fashion:
  Feat Name [Grapple]
  General description of beneﬁts gained from acquiring 
  the feat.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes indicates that a second 
  check is to be made if the character is attempting the 
  feat. No means that the character can fully follow 
  through with the feat from the initial grapple check.
  Required Formation: This is the grappling forma-
  tion that’s required in order for the character to per-
  form the grappling feat.
  Grapple Break: Yes for feats that automatically 
  break a grappling hold on their conclusion, No for feats 
  that do not necessarily require a hold to be broken.
  Prerequisites: Normal prerequisites
  Beneﬁt: More in depth discussion of the beneﬁts of 
  the grapple feat and what the additional limitations and 
  bonuses are, if any. Likewise, if a failed further grapple 
  check results from attempting to use the feat, this area 
  provides special information as to what the target’s ben-
  eﬁts are from the character failing the grapple check.
  The required formations are as follows:
  Required Formation
  Description
  Kneeling/Squatting-
  Behind
  The character must be kneeling 
  behind a sitting or squatting target 
  and have successfully grappled the 
  target (and are thus grappling) in 
  order to perform the grapple feat.
  Lying/Standing-
  Below
  The character must have been lying 
  below a standing target and have 
  grappled the target’s lower body area 
  (usually ankles).
  Lying/Kneeling-
  Above
  The character must have been kneel-
  ing or squatting above a lying target 
  when the grappling check was made.
  Sitting/Squatting- 
  Facing
  Both the character and the target 
  must have been sitting, squatting, or 
  kneeling towards each other when 
  the initial grappling check was suc-
  ceeded by the character.
  Standing-Behind
  Both the character and the target 
  opponent must be standing with the 
  character grappling the opponent 
  from behind.
  
  67
  Standing-Facing
  Both the character and the target 
  opponent must have been standing 
  and facing each other when the 
  character successfully grappled the 
  target. 
  Standing-In Front
  The character must have grappled 
  an opponent target that was 
  approaching the character from 
  behind. Often this is the result of a 
  failed sneak attack.
  Fall Back Smash [Grapple]
  The character is able to grab the opponent from behind 
  and fall back, causing the opponent to bump their 
  head.
  Further Grapple Check: No
  Required Formation: Standing-Behind
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: None
  Beneﬁt: When the character has the target grabbed 
  from behind, he simply adjusts his body to a position 
  that is still behind the target yet somewhat to the side, 
  lifts the target a bit, and drops straight back. The target 
  also falls backwards, landing on the ground without 
  being able to properly brace his body and thus bumps 
  his head and back. The target must succeed at a Reﬂex 
  save (DC 17) or be stunned for 1d2+1 rounds.
  Hopping Rib Cudgel [Grapple]
  Holding the target down on his back while kneeling on 
  top of him, the character rises up and drops on his op-
  ponent to drive his knees and shins into the opponent’s 
  ribcage.
  Further Grapple Check: No
  Required Formation: Lying-Kneeling Above
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: None
  Beneﬁt: The character uses the position to hop up a 
  foot or so above the character and use the resulting fall 
  to drive his knees and shins into the lying target’s rib-
  cage. The target must succeed at a Reﬂex save (DC 14) 
  or take 1d4 points of normal (not nonlethal) damage. 
  Limitations: If the target has an Armor Class greater 
  than 18, then the resulting damage is divided in half.
  Lady Maker [Grapple]
  The lady maker allows the character to “make squalling 
  ladies out of men” by dropping them groin ﬁrst on to 
  their knee.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Standing-Behind
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: Dex 11+, Str 12+
  Beneﬁt: The character grabs the opponent from be-
  hind and lifts the opponent up. Then the character lifts 
  his knee and brings the opponent down, causing the 
  target opponent’s groin area to land on the character’s 
  lifted knee, resulting in injury. The target takes 1d3 
  points of nonlethal damage and must succeed at a 
  Fortitude save (DC 14) or be overcome with nausea for 
  1d4 rounds. Nauseated targets suﬀer a -2 to grappling 
  checks, attack rolls, and skill checks.
  Limitations: The character must be of equal height 
  or taller than the target or suﬀer a -4 penalty to his 
  Further Grapple Check for performing the Lady Maker. 
  Female targets gain a +4 bonus to their Fortitude check 
  against nausea. 
  Leg Lock [Grapple]
  The character is able to lock the target’s legs up with 
  their own, causing crushing pain to the target.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Sitting/Squatting-Facing
  Grapple Break: No
  Prerequisites: Dex 12+, Str 13+
  Beneﬁt: When the character succeeds at locking up 
  the target’s legs with his own, the target must succeed at 
  a Fortitude save (DC 14) or take 1d3 points of nonlethal 
  damage. In addition, once the target has broken away 
  from the leg lock, the target must succeed at an ad-
  ditional Fortitude save (DC 15) or have his base speed 
  reduced in half for 1d4+1 rounds due to strain.
  Limitations: Unless the character purposely breaks 
  the grapple, the target and the character are both still 
  grappled together in the leg lock the following round. 
  At the beginning of every turn of action, they must 
  both make grappling checks where the character has a 
  +2 bonus to his own check. If the target fails his grap-
  pling check against the character, the target takes an 
  additional 1d3 points of nonlethal damage and the leg 
  lock remains in place (unless the character chooses to 
  break it). If the target succeeds over the character, how-
  ever, the target may choose to either break the grapple 
  or leave the leg lock on, where from that point on the 
  character is the victim of the leg lock. If the target 
  chooses to do as such, they gain the bonus on further 
  checks and the character immediately takes their 1d3 
  points of nonlethal damage. If both the character and 
  the target ended up being subjected to the leg lock, both 
  must make the additional Fortitude save (DC 15) or 
  have their base speeds reduced for 1d4+1 rounds due to 
  the strain caused by the leg lock.
  Overbody Flip [Grapple]
  The overbody ﬂip allows the character to use the ad-
  
  68
  vantage of leverage to ﬂip a target over the character’s 
  body and onto the ground behind them.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Standing-Facing
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: Str 13+
  Beneﬁt: The overbody ﬂip (also known as a suplex) 
  is used to ﬂip a target over the character’s body, after 
  which the grapple is broken but the target suﬀers falling 
  damage and is temporarily stunned from the impact. 
  When the overbody ﬂip is successfully performed, the 
  target must make a Fortitude save (DC 12) or take 1d4 
  points of normal damage due to the fall. If the over-
  body ﬂip is performed in a specially padded “ring” or 
  upon a sporting competitors’ wrestling mat, the falling 
  damage is considered to be nonlethal damage instead 
  of normal damage. Likewise, the target must make a 
  second Fortitude save (DC 15) or be stunned for 1d2 
  rounds due to the impact.
  Bonuses: Grappling a target who was in mid-motion 
  or “charging” towards the character adds to the mo-
  mentum of the overbody ﬂip. If the target was moving 
  towards the character as such when the original grap-
  pling check was made, the character gains a +2 bonus 
  to his Further Grapple Check for the overbody ﬂip.
  Limitations: If the character fails his second Further 
  Grapple Check it is considered in “mid air” and thus the 
  character stumbles under the strain, causing the target 
  opponent to fall on him. The character must succeed at 
  a Fortitude save (DC 10) or take 1d2 points of normal 
  falling damage. If the overbody ﬂip is performed in a 
  specially padded “ring” or upon a sporting competi-
  tors’ wrestling mat, the falling damage is considered 
  to be nonlethal damage instead of normal damage. 
  Likewise, with the target now lying on the character, 
  the target gains an immediate attack of opportunity 
  during which the target gains a +2 to grapple checks 
  towards the character.
  Reaching Eye Claw [Grapple]
  The character is able to reach over the top of the target’s 
  head and poke or claw the target’s eyes with his ﬁn-
  gers.
  Further Grapple Check: No
  Required Formation: Kneeling/Squatting-Behind 
  or Standing-Behind
  Grapple Break: No
  Prerequisites: Dex 12+
  Beneﬁt: When the character has the target grabbed 
  from behind, he is able to move one arm around to 
  where he can grasp the target’s head. From this point 
  the character grips the target’s forehead and thus the 
  character is able to poke or claw the target’s eyes. The 
  target must succeed at a Reﬂex save (DC 14) or be 
  blinded for 1d2 rounds.
  Side Shove Drop [Grapple]
  The character grabs the opponent and shoves his body 
  backwards, thus dropping him to the ground and re-
  sulting in injury and potential temporary Constitution 
  damage.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Standing-Facing
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: Dex 11+, Str 13+
  Beneﬁt: The side shove drop is performed by the 
  character stepping to the side of the target opponent 
  during the grapple and muscling the force of his weight 
  against the target’s upper body region, causing the op-
  ponent to lose his balance and fall to the ground. The 
  character falls with the opponent, further pushing his 
  weight against the target’s chest and thus landing full 
  force on top of the target, squashing the target’s ribs 
  between the ground and the character’s body. The 
  target must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 15) or take 
  1d2 points of nonlethal damage. Likewise, if the target 
  fails the ﬁrst Fortitude save and thus takes the dam-
  age, the target must then succeed at a second Fortitude 
  save (DC 10) or take 1 point of temporary Constitution 
  damage. The side shove drop is notorious for busting a 
  few ribs.
  Spade Chucker [Grapple]
  The character reaches behind and grabs the target by 
  the waist. Then the character ﬂips forward in a som-
  ersault fashion, causing the target to ﬂip over and be 
  driven head ﬁrst into the ground/ring.
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Lying-Kneeling Above
  Grapple Break: Yes
  Prerequisites: Dex 12+, Str 12+
  Beneﬁt: By grabbing the target that is behind the 
  character, the character is able to set up the spade 
  chucker. Once a ﬁrm grip or lock is in place, the char-
  acter needs only to ﬂip forward quickly in a somersault 
  like fashion. This causes the target’s gravity to shift, 
  making him lose his balance and as such be driven head 
  ﬁrst into the ground. The target takes an automatic 1d4 
  points of nonlethal damage and must succeed at a For-
  titude save (DC 20) or be stunned for 2 rounds.
  Bonuses: Motion on the target’s part helps the mo-
  mentum of the character. If the target was approaching 
  the character when grappled, the character gains a +2 
  to bonus to further grapple checks.
  
  69
  Limitations: If the character is taller than the target 
  then the character receives a –3 to his further grapple 
  check.
  Wench Spear [Grapple]
  The character is able yank the target by his hair with a 
  free hand. In addition, the character stuns the target by 
  kicking him in the back at the same time.
  Further Grapple Check: No
  Required Formation: Lying-Kneeling Above
  Grapple Break: No
  Prerequisites: None
  Beneﬁt: While grappling the target, the character 
  quickly frees a hand and grabs the target by the back of 
  his hair while simultaneously kicking his own foot into 
  the target’s lower back. The target receives 1d3 points 
  of nonlethal damage. The target must also succeed at a 
  Fortitude save (DC 14) or be stunned for 1 round.
  Yanking Ground Trip [Grapple]
  The character pulls the target’s feet out from under-
  neath him, causing the target to fall backwards and 
  land in a painful manner. 
  Further Grapple Check: Yes
  Required Formation: Lying/Standing-Below
  Grapple Break: No
  Prerequisites: None
  Beneﬁt: The character tugs the target’s ankles, caus-
  ing his feet to slip out from underneath him. The target 
  falls backwards, landing on his back, shoulders, or 
  head. The target takes 1 point of nonlethal damage and 
  must succeed at a Reﬂex save (DC 12) or be stunned for 
  one round.
  DWARVEN WRESTLING 
  TERMINOLOGY
  While the humans might have brought the sport of styl-
  ish, career wrestling to the attention of a more mixed, 
  better paying audience at their fancy little faires, it’s the 
  dwarves who truly deﬁned the words and phrases that 
  the people of the realms have come to associate with 
  wrestling showmanship. 
  Below is a list of various words and phrases along 
  with a well-deﬁned explanation of their meanings and 
  history.
  Belt: This actually refers to a specially constructed 
  battle girdle that accompanies the holding of a title as 
  sort of a trophy. The champion wrestler is allowed to 
  freely wear their championship title belt while holding 
  such a status but in return they must oﬀer the battle 
  girdle up for prize along with the attached champion-
  ship title whenever they face another opponent in the 
  ring. Usually these battle girdles are lavishly decorated 
  with large, expensive gems and their frontal areas are 
  made of precious metals that have been elaborately 
  hammered, engraved, and enameled. 
  Dandy: This is a wrestler who has a costume and gim-
  mick that is a bit over the top on the aspect of ﬂashiness. 
  As quick attention grabs became the standard norm 
  after the early days of the simple grappling matches, the 
  various guilds saw their excessive share of dandies in the 
  ring.
  Goof: A wrestler who has been given opportunity 
  after opportunity to prove himself in the ring by at least 
  providing a halfway interesting match to watch, but who 
  falls short every time. Goofs usually wind up in the most 
  egotistically overrated and dead-ended wrestling guilds, 
  where they often believe that they had reached the level 
  of stardom as this rundown organization practically 
  gives them a championship title.
  Guild: As wrestling became more and more popular 
  as a spectator event, the various details surrounding such 
  competitions became more complex and as a result, or-
  ganized guilds that catered to handling the matches were 
  formed. These guilds, usually organized and ruled by a 
  single individual known as a guildmaster, became the 
  acceptable structure that the dwarven wrestlers joined. 
  While a wrestler can visit another region and thus par-
  ticipate in another wrestling guild, they hardly hold the 
  same degree of respect and integrity that comes with 
  performing in one’s own native guild. Likewise, when 
  a particularly unsuccessful wrestler becomes labeled as 
  a “worthless goof” by his own native guild, it’s not too 
  uncommon to see him leave his homeland and family to 
  chance upon better success in another guild.
  Mark: As stylish forms of wrestling began to become 
  more popular amongst the dwarven circuits, the audi-
  ence would often verbally interact with the wrestlers. 
  Often the insults and jeering would escalate between 
  the two until one side or the other would begin making 
  serious, less than savory threats at one another. “You’re 
  marked for death!” was one such threat, often made 
  by the wrestlers, who would taunt back at their worst 
  oﬀenders and challenge them to enter the ring. Since 
  then, “mark” has come to mean someone who’s not a 
  wrestler, but rather a loud-mouthed “wannabe” out in 
  the crowds. 
  There’s also another reference to the use of the word 
  marks, and it also held the meaning “marked for death”. 
  This “mark” however, was directed at a wrestler who had 
  a hit out on him by another wrestler. Usually this was 
  used in reference to “shoot”, where as a hired assassin 
  in the audience would attempt to slay the “marked” 
  wrestler with a crossbow. 
  
  70
  Ring: In the old days, when wrestling competitions 
  were little more than grappling matches, a marked oﬀ 
  circle of hard dirt was ﬁne for a surface. As dwarven 
  wrestling became more stylish, the moves also became 
  more elaborate and the simple, drawn circle no longer 
  seemed appropriate (or safe) enough. Seeing a need for 
  style, function, and padding for their wrestling perform-
  ers, dwarven architects began to experiment with vari-
  ous alternatives. While keeping the name of “ring”, the 
  ﬁnal surface became a structure of wood, metal, rope, 
  old blankets, ﬂax linen, and leather padding in the form 
  of a raised octagonal shaped platform. This structure is 
  typically sixteen foot by sixteen foot, stands about four 
  to six feet high oﬀ the ﬂoor, and has three sets of sturdy 
  ropes surrounding its sides. Eight sturdy ring posts of 
  wood, stone, or metal hold the structure at the eight 
  corners of the octagonal ring. The ropes are tightened 
  for safety as well to provide a sense of elastic dynamics, 
  and attached to the ring posts whose padded, exposed 
  areas are also known as “turnbuckles”.
  Dwarven wrestlers prefer this structure of the ring in 
  comparison to the earlier variants as this version allows 
  a greater variety of moves while providing some sense 
  of impact protection. Often such rings are secured with 
  a thick metal spring that rests underneath the center 
  of the surface, providing additional structural support 
  plus a greater degree of “bounce” and noise whenever a 
  performer happens to land on the padded surface.
  Shoot: To shoot is to simply attempt to hurt or gang 
  up on an opponent in a manner that would be deemed to 
  be unfair by even the worst of rule breakers. Usually this 
  involves introductions between a foreign object and the 
  opponent’s head, with small clubs, ceramic plates, stone 
  tankards, and wooden stools being perhaps the most 
  popular. If the action happens to get particularly brutal, 
  it’s not uncommon to see a few cohorts of the villainous 
  performer jump into the action and beat the opponent 
  into submission with the better portion of a wooden 
  door or bar table. The term shoot originated during 
  the early days of style wrestling when a few sore losers 
  started paying oﬀ a couple of audience members to serve 
  as assassins. In the event that the hiring wrestler should 
  start to lose a match, the assassin would attempt to shoot 
  the opponent with a crossbow. Though crossbows and 
  other such weapons have long since been banned from 
  wrestling events, the term shoot still remains.
  Slate: This is quite simply a selection of matches 
  that make up one evening’s wrestling event. The slate 
  is named after a large, rectangular piece of thinly cut 
  gray slate rock upon which the various matches and 
  their competitors are written down beforehand for the 
  prospective audience to see.
  Spanker: This term, in addition to “tosser”, refers to 
  an unruly human or non-human wrestler who takes de-
  light in humiliating their shorter opponents by turning 
  them over their knee and spanking them like a child. 
  Though such acts are reasonably common in human 
  faire events, spanking can get one killed if performed 
  during a dwarven guild match. See also tosser.
  Title: As the more stylish form of wrestling com-
  petitions became more and more popular amongst 
  the dwarves, it was determined that there should be a 
  degree of ranking champions who hold a title that they 
  must put on the line against each worthy opponent that 
  they face. Should this opponent win, they would gain 
  the glory of being the champion of that particular title 
  until another opponent happens to best them, then a 
  new champion would be declared. In the early days, 
  each guild had only one title, and that was basically the 
  champion of that particular guild. As interest for more 
  progressive ranks grew, so did the number of titles. 
  Often each guild now has four or ﬁve diﬀerent titles, 
  with the highest ranks being that of “Champion of the 
  Realms” or the bit excessive “Champion of the Planes”. 
  Also popular are “Champions of Tag Teams” and vari-
  ous titles that are second to the main champion which 
  are named after the particular mountain home that the 
  guild is located in, such as the title “Champion of Gray 
  Fox Mountain”.
  Tosser: Though “tosser” refers to any non-dwarven 
  wrestler, the term often means a human who enters the 
  ring competition. The name comes from the old faire 
  works, where strong human opponents would often 
  pick up their dwarven rivals and toss them out of the 
  ring to the delight of the crowds. See also spanker.
  Work: As many of the dwarven wrestlers sought to 
  increase their wealth and status by bringing in the ad-
  dition of human coin, the start of regular travel along 
  the seasonal faire circuits became a standard norm for 
  many wrestlers. While their presence was more than 
  welcome, the true wrestling skills of the dwarves were 
  not. It was a human event, after all, and the last thing 
  that a human crowd wanted to see was their own kind 
  bested in a match by a stuﬀy old dwarf. As such, many 
  dwarves were paid to pull punches, follow a set of pre-
  agreed moves, and in the end, intentionally lose. While 
  pulling oﬀ an act believable enough for the naïve hu-
  man audiences, the dwarven crowds quickly saw these 
  staged matches and considered the performers to be 
  paid “workers” rather than true, worthy sportsmen. 
  Thus, any match that was suspected of being staged was 
  called a “work”.
  Worker: A “wrestler” who fakes a match for proﬁt. 
  For more information read the entry on work.
  
  71
  CHAPTER EIGHT 
  NPC AND PRESTIGE CLASSES
  Speciﬁc Clachduin NPC Classes
  SLONELECTA
  The Slonelecta are some of the most respected, and 
  perhaps least understood, of the Clachduin classes. 
  Exclusively female, the Slonelecta serve as midwives, 
  counselors in aﬀairs of the heart, and healers. Their 
  domain is chieﬂy concerned with childbirth, but their 
  magical talents and usually advanced age make them 
  much sought after in aﬀairs requiring wisdom, sound 
  judgment, and conﬁdentiality, especially in the murky 
  world of personal relationships; if anyone wants to 
  truly know what is going on in a community, they 
  would do well to seek out the Slonelecta.
  Hit Die: d4
  Class Skills
  Concentration (Con), Craft (Alchemy)(Int) 
  Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Infor-
  mation (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all 
  skills taken individually)(Int), Profession 
  (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis)
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modi-
  ﬁer) × 4
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 
  6 + Int modiﬁer
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of 
  the Slonelecta NPC class.
  Spells: Slonelecta cast spells like 
  the Adept NPC class.
  Base Attack Bonus: Slonelecta 
  use the Adept NPC class base attack 
  bonuses.
  Saves: Slonelecta use the Adept 
  NPC class saving throw table.
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁ-
  ciency: Slonelecta are skilled with 
  either a knife or a dagger, but no 
  other weapons. Slonelecta are 
  not proﬁcient with any type of 
  armor nor with shields.
  Brew Potion: At 3rd level 
  a Slonelecta gains the Brew 
  Potion item creation feat as a 
  bonus feat.
  Slonelecta Spell List
  Slonelecta choose their spells from the following list:
  0 level: create water, cure minor wounds, detect 
  magic, detect poison, guidance, light, mending, purify 
  food and drink, read magic, resistance, virtue
  1st level: bless, cure light wounds, charm person, 
  detect chaos/evil/good/law, endure elements, protection 
  from chaos/evil/good/law, sanctuary, sleep
  2nd level: augury, calm emo-
  tions, cure moderate wounds, 
  endurance, lesser restoration, 
  make whole, resist elements, 
  silence, zone of truth
  3rd 
  level: 
  continual 
  ﬂame, create food and water, 
  cure serious wounds, day-
  light, dispel magic, helping 
  hand, magic circle against 
  chaos/evil/good/law, prayer, 
  protection from elements, 
  remove blindness/deafness, 
  remove curse, remove dis-
  ease
  4th level: cure critical 
  wounds, discern lies, divina-
  tion, emotion, neutralize poi-
  son, repel vermin, restoration
  5th level: break enchantment, 
  commune, dispel chaos/evil/good/
  law, healing circle, raise dead, 
  scrying, true seeing
  SEYDER
  The Seyder are the warrior-bards 
  of the Clachduin. Training in 
  both the combat arts as well as 
  the bardic arts, the Seyder are as 
  home on the battleﬁeld as on the 
  stage. There are not nearly as 
  many Seyder as there are bards in 
  general as the rigors of the pro-
  fession require a certain physi-
  cal toughness and a dedication 
  to training that is lacking in 
  most bards.
  Hit Die: d8
  
  72
  Class Skills
  Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher 
  Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information 
  (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump 
  (Str), Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Listen 
  (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), 
  Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft 
  (Int), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha)
  Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modiﬁer) × 4
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int 
  modiﬁer
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the Seyder.
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciencies: A Seyder is pro-
  ﬁcient in the use of all simple and martial weapons as 
  well as light armor and shields.
  Base Attack Bonus: Seyder use the Fighter base at-
  tack bonuses.
  Saves: Seyder use the Cleric saving throw table.
  Spells: Seyder cast spells from the bard spell lists as 
  bards do.
  Bardic Music: Seyder use bardic music as a normal 
  bard does.
  Bardic Knowledge: Seyder gain and use bardic 
  knowledge as a normal bard does.
  Prestige Classes
  ALPINE ASCETIC
  Above the tree line, along the shores of alpine lakes, and 
  in silent, mountainside grottos is a peace and solitude 
  rarely found in the lowlands. The same landscape prof-
  fers treacherous falls, ﬁerce weather, and avalanches. 
  Young areas of the world boil and seethe inside; the 
  beasts that roam the heights grow strong, far from the 
  hand of civilization.
  The alpine ascetic reﬂects the quiet and ponderous 
  nature of the high peaks, as well as the potential fury of 
  the same. He represents the hidden depths of limestone 
  caverns or the silent majesty of glacier-clad volcanoes. 
  Yet, within the ascetic is a capability for destruction, 
  controlled only by his own enlightenment. Such a dwarf 
  shuns the trappings of dwarven culture for a path of 
  self-reﬂection and a moral code that belongs to him 
  alone. He may be altruistic or aberrant in his beliefs, 
  but those values set him apart from other dwarves.
  Alpine ascetics are enigmatic mystics, combining 
  martial prowess with the study of arcane or divine 
  magic. The lifestyle chosen by these dwarves requires 
  a capable sort. Many seek out challenges in their envi-
  ronment in order to protect others, or to test themselves 
  and the road to perfection they’ve chosen. Adventure is 
  a trial; companions ﬁll the gaps in unusual situations.
  Alpine ascetics are always monks, but vary in the 
  types of spells they use. Many are druids, closely tied 
  to the wilderness in which they dwell, while others 
  are wizards, studying their art far from the suspicious 
  eyes of their fellows. Ascetic sorcerers are common, 
  their strange powers and unruly ways drive them to 
  seek only their own company. Clerics with a desire for 
  personal communion with the divine coupled with 
  the need to be free of temple trappings might seek the 
  ascetic way. Often encountered alone, NPC alpine as-
  cetics of sinister demeanor are bitter foes, while those 
  of nobler bearing can be just what a beleaguered group 
  of travelers needs in a tight spot.
  Hit Die: d8
  Requirements
  To become an alpine ascetic, a character must fulﬁll the 
  following criteria:
  Alignment: Any lawful
  Race: Dwarf
  BAB: +3
  Alpine Ascetic Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort Save
  Ref Save
  Will Save
  Special
  Spells
  1
  +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Monk abilities
  2
  +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Goat climb
  3
  +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Wild wanderer
  +1 level of existing class
  4
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Mountain stance
  5
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Stone bones
  6
  +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  +1 level of existing class
  7
  +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Blindsight (15 ft.)
  8
  +6
  +6
  +2
  +6 
  Stoneskin
  9
  +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Blindsight (20 ft.)
  +1 level of existing class
  10
  +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Peak leaper
  
  73
  Base Will Save: +6
  Skills: Balance: 4 ranks, Climb: 4 ranks, Concentra-
  tion: 4 ranks, Jump: 4 ranks, Survival: 2 ranks
  Feats: Blind-Fight
  Spells: The ability to cast arcane or divine spells.
  Special: A character seeking to become an alpine 
  ascetic must have the still mind class feature. Further, 
  an aspirant to this class must spend much of his non-
  adventuring time alone, meditating and wandering in 
  mountainous and underground areas.
  Class Skills
  The alpine ascetic’s class skills (and the key ability for 
  each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentra-
  tion (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowl-
  edge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature), Move Silently 
  (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), 
  Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modiﬁer.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the alpine ascetic 
  prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: The alpine ascetic 
  gains no new proﬁciency in weapons or armor.
  Monk Abilities: The alpine ascetic continues to 
  progress in unarmed damage, AC bonuses, and unar-
  mored speed as if he were a monk of his monk level 
  plus his alpine ascetic level. He also only subtracts ‒3, 
  instead of ‒5, from his base attack bonus to determine 
  his attack progression for iterative unarmed attacks, 
  just like a monk.
  Goat Climb (Ex): The alpine ascetic learns to climb 
  sheer surfaces with animal deftness. At 2nd level, he 
  may engage in accelerated climbing without penalty 
  and does not lose his Dexterity bonus to AC when so 
  doing. Further, the alpine ascetic gets a +10 insight bo-
  nus to any Climb check made to catch himself during 
  a fall. 
  Wild Wanderer (Ex): Living alone in the trackless 
  mountains, the alpine ascetic learns to fend for himself 
  and adapts to the trials of the harsh environment. At 
  3rd level, the character gains +4 to any saving throw 
  to resist weather conditions, and is rendered immune 
  to altitude sickness. The ascetic’s overland movement is 
  treated as if he had a trail in any terrain, except a sandy 
  desert. He is still hampered by surfaces and weather as 
  normal.
  Spells: At every 3rd alpine ascetic level (3rd, 6th, and 
  9th), the character gains new spells per day and new 
  spells known (if applicable) as if he had gained a level 
  in one of his preexisting spellcasting classes. He gains 
  no other class features of that class, such as bonus feats, 
  additional familiar abilities, and so on. If the ascetic 
  had more than one spell-using class, the player must 
  select to which class this level is added.
  Mountain Stance (Su): At 4th level, the alpine 
  ascetic learns to channel his ki into the ground, and 
  earth energy into his legs, thus acquiring an immov-
  able stance a number of times per day equal to 3 + 
  the character’s Constitution bonus (minimum 3). The 
  ascetic is considered one size category larger for the 
  purposes of any bull rush or grapple attack and the ef-
  fects of wind and water. He cannot be tripped while in 
  the stance. Despite the size-category modiﬁcation for 
  grappling, he is considered to be normal size for the 
  purposes of determining how many opponents can 
  grapple him and whether he may join a grapple. In this 
  stance, the ascetic gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and 
  a +2 insight bonus to any Reﬂex save made to deﬂect 
  arrows, but cannot use any skills or abilities or take any 
  action that requires him to move from his position. He 
  may end this stance at will, and must do so to make a 
  Reﬂex saving throw against any area attack that aﬀects 
  more than a 10-ft. radius around him. The ascetic may 
  choose to forgo the Reﬂex save and maintain his stance. 
  This ability may not be used to defy gravity.
  Stone Bones (Ex): By virtue of a mystic union with 
  his mountainous home, the ascetic’s bones become 
  denser granting him +1d2 to his unarmed damage and 
  a DR of 1 when he attains 5th level. The damage bonus 
  is multiplied in the event of a critical hit.
  Blindsight (Ex): Time spent in caverns in medita-
  tion hones the ascetic’s senses so he is aware of every-
  thing around him. At 7th level, he gains blindsight in a 
  15-ft. radius, increasing to 20 ft. at 9th level. The ascetic 
  can ﬁght and act as normal, regardless of lighting, and 
  invisibility is irrelevant, but ethereal creatures cannot 
  be detected. This blindsight does not rely solely upon 
  any one natural or supernatural sense, so it is not ne-
  gated by silence or deafness spells and the like. The abil-
  ity must be activated as a standard action, but may be 
  maintained as a move-equivalent one, lasting 1 minute 
  per alpine ascetic level after concentration ends. While 
  the ascetic meditates, this ability is always on.
  Stoneskin (Sp): The 8th-level alpine ascetic gains 
  the ability to make his skin hard as stone. For a number 
  of minutes per day equal to half the character’s alpine 
  ascetic class level + his Wisdom bonus, he can place 
  himself under the eﬀects of the stoneskin spell. These 
  minutes need not be consecutive.
  Peak Leaper (Su): So in tune with the vibration of 
  the mountains is the 10th-level alpine ascetic that he 
  may use dimension door a number of times per day 
  
  74
  equal to 1 + his Wisdom bonus. The distance he may 
  travel is doubled if both surfaces are unworked stone. 
  He casts the spell as a sorcerer of a level equal to his 
  alpine ascetic level plus any spellcaster levels he pos-
  sesses. The amount of weight the ascetic can transport 
  with him is always half the normal limit for the spell.
  Ex-Alpine Ascetics
  An alpine ascetic who ceases to be of lawful alignment 
  can no longer advance in the alpine ascetic prestige 
  class. The character retains any abilities gained up until 
  that point, however.
  Multiclass Notes: The alpine ascetic may freely 
  multiclass with the monk class and any other class 
  he possessed before joining the prestige class. That is, 
  the character may take a level of alpine ascetic, return 
  to the monk class at his next level, then return to the 
  alpine ascetic for his next, take a spellcaster level from a 
  class he possessed before joining the alpine ascetic class 
  at the next, and so on.
  HEARTHBREAKER
  The deeps of the earth hide evils untold. Most of these 
  iniquitous things are the perverted oﬀspring of cor-
  rupted beings who were banished from the domains of 
  their nobler kin long ago. Of course, the drow imme-
  diately spring to the knowledgeable adventurer’s mind, 
  but the duergar and the derro are oft overlooked. These 
  degenerate dwarves have raided and pillaged the settle-
  ments of their decent kin (and each other) throughout 
  the ages; enmity runs deep between these disparate 
  groups.
  Beyond those dwarves sullied by their association 
  with dark entities and distorted culture, there are those 
  of supposedly ﬁner stock that fall to pettiness and 
  tyranny. The mad, would-be emperors, outlaws, and 
  murderous lunatics of other races all have their coun-
  terparts among dwarvenkind, albeit in fewer numbers. 
  Worse, whole communities come under the sway of the 
  misguided or the malevolent, leading to strife between 
  groups of “good” dwarves.
  The hearthbreaker is a dwarf who knows one or 
  both of these situations all too well. He knows there’s 
  darkness in the dwarven race, and it has got to be 
  stopped. Dwarves deal with their own problems. But, 
  like the diversity of expressions of good and evil in the 
  dwarven race itself, not all hearthbreakers are righ-
  teous in intent. Some are mercenaries, who sell their 
  knowledge and skills to anyone willing to pay the right 
  price. Others hate their fellow dwarves, or merely revel 
  in power and deceit. The duergar and derro have their 
  own hearthbreakers as well.
  Depending on their tendencies, hearthbreakers serve 
  all sorts of purposes. One may track dwarf outlaws in 
  the subterranean realms, while another leads those 
  who hire him through the back door of a dwarf delve to 
  a treasure vault, cutting through the guards eﬃciently 
  and silently. Hearthbreakers serve as spies, assassins, 
  and elite units during times of war. Evil hearthbreakers 
  engage in all sorts of unsavory activities against their 
  race. Regardless of alignment, these killers are dis-
  trusted by their fellows, and spend a great deal of time 
  away from dwarven society. A few settlements go so far 
  as to require a hearthbreaker to wear a special tonsure, 
  tattoo, or other sign of his occupation when at home.
  Most hearthbreakers are rangers with rogue abili-
  ties, since characters with this class combination are 
  best suited to the class. Mid-level rogues can meet the 
  requirements, and nothing stops any other class from 
  becoming a hearthbreaker, so long as the character 
  meets the class’ requirements. Many are ﬁghters or bar-
  barians, and an occasional druid is found among the 
  ranks. Hearthbreaker NPCs tend to be watchful loners, 
  serving some mysterious end that only they know.
  Hit Die: d8
  Hearthbreaker Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Spell Progression
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  +0
  +0
  +2
  +2
  Dwarf killer
  0
  –
  –
  –
  2
  +1
  +0
  +3
  +3
  Sneak Attack +1d6
  1
  –
  –
  –
  3
  +2
  +1
  +3
  +3
  Bloodletting
  1
  0
  –
  –
  4
  +3
  +1
  +4
  +4
  Beard cutter (+1)
  1
  1
  –
  –
  5
  +3
  +1
  +4
  +4
  Sneak attack +2d6
  1
  1
  0
  –
  6
  +4
  +2
  +5
  +5
  Crippling strike
  1
  1
  1
  –
  7
  +5
  +2
  +5
  +5
  Beard cutter (+2)
  2
  1
  1
  0
  8
  +6
  +2
  +6
  +6 
  Sneak attack +3d6
  2
  1
  1
  1
  9
  +6
  +3
  +6
  +6
  Death attack
  2
  2
  1
  1
  10
  +7
  +3
  +7
  +7
  Beard cutter (+3)
  2
  2
  2
  1
  
  75
  Requirements
  To become a hearthbreaker, a character must fulﬁll the 
  following criteria:
  Race: Dwarf.
  BAB: +4.
  Skills: Disable Device: 5 ranks, Move Silently: 6 
  ranks, Open Locks: 5 ranks, Survival: 5 ranks.
  Feat: Track.
  Special: The character must have suﬀered at the 
  hands of one or more of the dwarven subraces, and 
  must have killed at least one dwarf for every level he 
  has gained before joining this class.
  Class Skills
  The hearthbreaker’s class skills (and the key ability for 
  each skill) are Bluﬀ (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration 
  (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy 
  (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Forgery 
  (Int), Gather Information (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate 
  (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen 
  (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profes-
  sion (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), 
  Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modiﬁer.
  Hearthbreaker Spells Known
  Levels
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2*
  –
  –
  –
  2
  2
  –
  –
  –
  3
  3
  2*
  –
  –
  4
  3
  2
  –
  –
  5
  4
  3
  2*
  –
  6
  4
  3
  2
  –
  7
  5
  4
  3
  1*
  8
  5
  4
  3
  2
  9
  5
  5
  4
  2
  10
  5
  5
  4
  3
  * Spells are gained only if the character has a Charisma 
  score high enough to provide bonus spells of this level.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the hearthbreaker 
  prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: The hearthbreaker 
  gains no new proﬁciency in weapons or armor.
  Spells: Beginning at 1st level, the hearthbreaker can 
  cast a narrow variety of spells (chosen from the hearth-
  breaker spell list) as arcane spells. Hearthbreakers 
  receive bonus spells per day for high Charisma, and to 
  cast a spell a hearthbreaker must have a Charisma score 
  of at least 10 + the spell’s level. Saving throw DCs for the 
  spells equal 10 + spell level + the character’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer. When the hearthbreaker gets 0 spells of a 
  given level, he only gets the bonus spell for that level (if 
  any). Hearthbreakers casts spells as sorcerers, without 
  need for preparation, and use their hearthbreaker class 
  level as their spellcaster level.
  Dwarf Killer (Ex): The hearthbreaker understands 
  his own kind, and the nature of the dwarven subraces as 
  well. A 1st-level hearthbreaker turns this knowledge to 
  his advantage, gaining all of the beneﬁts of the ranger’s 
  favored enemy class feature when dealing with dwarves 
  (see PHB, Chapter 3, Ranger, Class Features). Alignment 
  does not prohibit the use of this ability against other 
  dwarves of the same dwarf subrace as the character. 
  The hearthbreaker suﬀers a -2 circumstance penalty to 
  Charisma checks when interacting with any dwarf who 
  knows of his unsavory occupation, though that dwarf 
  is unlikely to become openly hostile. Individual NPCs 
  who know and trust the character ignore this penalty.
  Sneak Attack (Ex): This class feature functions 
  exactly like the rogue ability of the same name (see 
  PHB, Chapter 3, Rogue, Class Features). At 2nd level, 
  a hearthbreaker’s sneak attack does +1d6 points dam-
  age, with a additional +1d6 points of damage added at 
  5th level and 8th level. If the hearthbreaker gets sneak 
  attack bonuses from another source (such as rogue 
  levels), these bonuses stack.
  Bloodletting (Ex): Upon gaining 3rd level, when the 
  hearthbreaker hits with a successful sneak attack, his 
  victim must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC equals 
  the damage taken), or begin to bleed as if struck by a 
  weapon with the wounding special ability (see DMG, 
  Chapter 8, Magic Items, Weapons, Magic Weapon Spe-
  cial Ability Descriptions). If the hearthbreaker is using 
  a weapon with the wounding special ability, the wounds 
  stack. That is, each successful use of this ability in con-
  junction with a wounding weapon causes a wound that 
  bleeds for 2 hit points per round.
  Beard Cutter (Ex): Named after a derogatory 
  dwarven slang term used to refer to hearthbreakers, 
  this ability grants the more experienced hearthbreaker 
  bonuses when dealing with dwarves. A 4th-level 
  hearthbreaker gains +1 to the bonuses granted by the 
  dwarf killer ability, as if the character had selected a 
  new favored enemy. The character gains another +1 bo-
  nus at 7th and 10th levels, for a total of +3. The bonuses 
  from dwarf killer and beard cutter do not stack with 
  the favored enemy ability, unless the character also 
  selects dwarves as a favored enemy. If a hearthbreaker 
  selects dwarf as his second favored enemy, for example, 
  he gets an additional +1 to dwarf killer. If he goes on to 
  
  76
  select a third favored enemy, then this bonus rises to 
  +2, as normal.
  Crippling Strike (Ex): At 6th level, the hearthbreak-
  er gains the crippling strike ability (see PHB, Chapter 3, 
  Rogue, Class Features, Special Abilities).
  Death Attack (Ex): At 9th level, the hearthbreaker 
  gains the death attack ability, which functions exactly 
  like the assassin prestige class ability of the same name 
  (see DMG, Chapter 2, Prestige Classes, Assassin, Class 
  Features).
  Hearthbreaker Spell List
  Hearthbreakers choose their spells from the following 
  list:
  1st level: cause fear, change self, detect poison, detect 
  secret doors, detect snares and pits, expeditious retreat, 
  jump, invisibility to animals, magic weapon, spider 
  climb.
  2nd level: alter self, charm person or animal, death 
  knell, knock, misdirection, pass without trace, sleep, 
  undetectable alignment.
  3rd level: ﬁnd traps, hold person, invisibility, keen 
  edge, meld into stone, nondetection, suggestion.
  4th level: confusion, freedom of movement, haste, 
  improved invisibility, poison, stone shape.
  MOUNTAINHEART
  Dwarves are a martial race, yes, and from their ranks 
  come master craftsmen, wily merchants, and stout 
  priests. Yet there are some of these folk that are a breed 
  apart. The mountains they call home oﬀer more than 
  underground splendor and wealth; they present some 
  of the most rugged wilderness and changeable weather 
  in the entire world. Some dwarves heed the call of these 
  untamed places and walk the sunlit world under the 
  shadows of high peaks and storm clouds. They dance in 
  the rain and lightning strikes of alpine thunderstorms, 
  or challenge the treacherous whiteness of mountain 
  blizzards.
  Such odd dwarves have magic inborn. The call of the 
  wild stirs their eldritch souls, luring them away from 
  hearth and clan to the world above. It’s then that many 
  leave behind the shrines and temples of the dwarf-
  homes and ﬁnd their spiritual fulﬁllment in nature 
  itself. Some of these persons still owe allegiance to their 
  kinfolk and monarchs, acting as protectors of dwarven 
  prospectors and traders traversing the high country. 
  Others are tied to no group, reveling in the dangers of 
  the windswept crags alone. A few make war on their 
  former homelands, perhaps in an attempt to “protect” 
  the mountains from the delving. For their part, the 
  former relations of a mountainheart are used to the 
  madness that sorcery brings upon many dwarves. The 
  peaceful mountainheart is, then, an accepted outsider, 
  tolerated and respected for her power, but never fully 
  trusted. Those few mountainhearts who do ﬁght against 
  their kith ﬁnd the hatred reciprocated fully.
  Mountainhearts are at home in the ﬁercest of 
  weather, and they’re sure guides in precipitous terrain. 
  More than one of these wild-spirited dwarves has taken 
  up the path of adventuring to free the mountainous ar-
  eas of the land from the depredations of wicked things. 
  Many a venturesome group has been grateful to have 
  such company in the unforgiving wilderness.
  Druids with natural arcane talent are the most 
  common type of mountainheart, single-classed druids 
  making the bulk of the other class members. Non-druid 
  class members are most likely rangers whose inner ﬁres 
  are stoked by the power and majesty of the highlands. 
  Dwarf barbarians, and dwarves orphaned as young-
  sters and left on their own, may also achieve this kind 
  of unity if their blood is strong with magic. Only rarely 
  do traditional and dogmatic characters, like clerics and 
  wizards, join this class. Non-player mountainhearts 
  wander their peaks and valleys involved in their own 
  interests. 
  Only 
  rarely are these 
  persons evil, but 
  very often their 
  worldviews 
  are 
  slightly … askew.
  Hit Die: d6
  Requirements
  To 
  become 
  a 
  mountainheart, 
  a character must 
  fulﬁll the follow-
  ing criteria:
  Mountainheart Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Spells
  1
  +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Earth sense, weather sense
  +1 level of existing class
  2
  +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Ledge runner
  +1 level of existing class
  3
  +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Weathered
  +1 level of existing class
  4
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Mountain roots
  +1 level of existing class
  5
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  DR 1/– 
  +1 level of existing class
  6
  +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Lightning kin
  +1 level of existing class
  7
  +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Fire friend
  +1 level of existing class
  8
  +6
  +6
  +2
  +6 
  DR 2/– 
  +1 level of existing class
  9
  +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Mountain shapes
  +1 level of existing class
  10
  +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Rock of ages
  +1 level of existing class
  
  77
  Alignment: Any neutral.
  Racial Traits: Dwarf.
  BAB: +3.
  Base Fortitude Save: +4.
  Base Will Save: +5.
  Skills: Climb: 3 ranks, Knowledge (nature): 5 ranks, 
  Survival: 6 ranks.
  Feats: Endurance. 
  Spells: The character must have the ability to cast 
  spells. If the character uses arcane spells, one or more 
  of these spells must use electricity or cold as its energy 
  type.
  Special: The character must have endured three 
  extreme mountain weather and/or natural occurrences 
  and come out alive. These incidents can range from 
  freak blizards, thunderstorms and mountain torrents, 
  to a landslide. Volcanic activity is also acceptable.
  Class Skills
  The mountainheart’s class skills (and the key ability for 
  each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentra-
  tion (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal 
  (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession 
  (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modiﬁer.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the mountainheart 
  prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: The mountain-
  heart gains no new proﬁciency in weapons or armor.
  Spells: At each mountainheart level, the character 
  gains new spells per day and new spells known (if ap-
  plicable) as if she had gained a level in one of her pre-
  existing spellcasting classes. She gains no other class 
  features of that class, such as bonus feats, additional 
  wild shape ability uses, and so on. If the mountainheart 
  has more than one spell-using class, the player must 
  select to which class this level is added. 
  Earth Sense (Su): The mountainheart may use 
  preternatural senses and landmarks to determine true 
  north at any time upon taking a level in the class.
  Weather Sense (Su): At 1st level, a mountainheart 
  may automatically determine the weather for the next 
  full day in an area with a 10-mile radius. She may also 
  determine the weather for the next 1d4+1 days by mak-
  ing a Survival check (DC 15).
  Ledge Runner (Ex): Advancing to 2nd level grants 
  a mountainheart a +5 insight bonus to Balance, Climb, 
  and Jump checks when she’s in contact with unworked 
  earth or stone. The bonus drops to +2 if the stone is 
  artiﬁced or the surface is worked metal. Finally, the 
  mountainheart’s overland movement is never worse 
  than if she were following a trail in all terrain, excepting 
  a sandy desert. In that case, her movement is normal. 
  (See PHB, Chapter 9, Movement, Overland Movement 
  for more information.) Obstructions, surfaces, and 
  visibility still hamper movement, however, this ability 
  stacks with the woodland stride druid ability.
  Weathered (Ex): A mountainheart grows so used to 
  the weather of alpine terrain that, by 3rd level, she is all 
  but immune to it. In any form of precipitation or fog, 
  the character’s visibility improves by half over what a 
  normal character would have, as does her movement. 
  Bad surfaces hamper the mountainheart only half as 
  much as normal (thus, her movement is halved in deep 
  snow, not quartered). She no longer has to make any 
  saving throws for altitude sickness, gets +4 to saving 
  throws to resist environmental heat, and gains cold 
  resistance 5.
  Mountain Roots (Ex): At 4th level, a mountainheart 
  is considered one size category larger for the purposes 
  of any bull rush, grapple, or trip attack, and the eﬀects 
  of wind and water. Despite the size-category modiﬁca-
  tion for grappling, the mountainheart is considered to 
  be her normal size for the purposes of determining how 
  many opponents can grapple her, and whether she may 
  join a grapple. Further, the character gains a +4 insight 
  bonus to Reﬂex saving throws made to avoid avalanche 
  damage.
  Damage Reduction (DR) (Ex): The skin of a moun-
  tainheart is hardened and weathered as a result of 
  exposure and a mystical tie to the earth. At 5th level, 
  she gains a DR of 1/admantium. This damage reduction 
  rises to 2 at 8th level.
  Storm Kin (Ex): At 6th level, a mountainheart’s 
  tie to the natural weather of her chosen terrain allows 
  her to sense incoming lightning, improving any saving 
  throw related to lightning or electricity attacks by a +4 
  insight bonus. She further gains a similar +2 saving 
  throw bonus against sonic attacks, sonic resistance 1, 
  and electricity resistance 5.
  Fire Friend (Ex): Forest ﬁres are all too common 
  in the mountains, and the occasional lava ﬂow can be 
  deadly. The mountainheart gains ﬁre resistance 5 at 7th 
  level.
  Mountain Shapes (Sp): At 9th level, the mountain-
  heart may take the shape of a Small- or Medium-size 
  earth elemental, or an ice or electricity paraelemental, 
  in a manner that resembles the druid’s wild shape 
  (elemental) ability in regards to healing, limitations, 
  and abilities gained (see PHB, Chapter 3, Druid, Class 
  Features). This ability stacks with any other elemental 
  wildshape ability the character may have. The moun-
  
  78
  tainheart may use this ability a number of times per 
  day equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum 1).
  Rock of Ages (Ex): Upon reaching 10th level, the 
  mountainheart ceases to age exactly like the timeless 
  body ability of the druid and monk.
  PYROCLASTIC CELEBRANT
  Unusual lumps appear in the ground, swelling and 
  rising until they gush forth ﬁery earth, killing plants, 
  beasts, and sentient beings alike. Lakes warm and 
  then boil as the heat of the earth invades their depths, 
  sterilizing the pool of all except the hardiest of life. 
  Snowcapped crags explode in a tempest of ash, ﬁre, and 
  molten rock, devastating whole regions. 
  Dwarves are intimately familiar with the seeming 
  rage of the earth at its depths and heights. Ever delving, 
  the stout folk use dynamic aspects of the earth’s inner 
  activity to aid them. Steam is vented for use in mining 
  devices, for heating, water, and for traps. Lava makes 
  a marvelous moat, and an even better forge ﬁre. It is 
  the tectonic action of the world that creates the valuable 
  minerals dwarves treasure.
  All of these things inspire the would-be pyroclastic 
  celebrant. Her reverence and awe of the earth’s might 
  is unmatched, placing it in the realm of the divine. 
  The fascination she feels draws her inexorably toward 
  a desire for real unity with the elemental forge that cre-
  ates and moves the world around her. The pyroclastic 
  celebrant is not enthralled by mere ﬁre or earth; her 
  desire is unity with what she sees as the very essence 
  of creation and destruction. To this end, such an in-
  dividual pursues the study of the elements of ﬁre and 
  earth to the exclusion of most other things.
  Reverence for the earth and its nature is one thing, 
  but most dwarves see the pyroclastic celebrant’s obses-
  sion as dangerous, if not crazy. Placing the elements 
  on equal footing with the divine borders on sacrilege 
  to some. Most seekers of this prestige class leave their 
  homes willingly to pursue their passion; others are cast 
  out after an incident or two. Yet, a few celebrants of 
  the class manage to subdue their ﬁxations and remain 
  valuable members of their clans.
  Any combination of divine and arcane spellcaster 
  can become a pyroclastic celebrant, except members 
  of the bard class, who lack suﬃcient elemental spells 
  in their spell lists to meet the class’ requirements. The 
  most common combination is the druid/sorcerer, fol-
  lowed very closely by dwarven clerics of ﬁre and earth 
  with a sorcerous nature. Wizards seldom become py-
  roclastic celebrants, because the nature of the class is 
  hardly conducive to keeping books and maintaining a 
  laboratory. Celebrants encountered in the wild run the 
  gamut of behavior, but are more often mad than not.
  Hit Die: d6
  Requirements
  To become a pyroclastic celebrant, a character must 
  fulﬁll the following criteria:
  Race: Dwarf.
  Base Fortitude Save: +3
  Base Will Save: +6.
  Skills: Knowledge (arcana): 2 ranks, Knowledge 
  (geology): 4 ranks.
  Feats: Maximize Spell. 
  Spells: The ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells and 
  2nd-level divine spells. The arcane spells known must 
  include at least one ﬁre or light Evocation spell or a spell 
  that creates smoke or noxious gas from each level.
  Class Skills
  The pyroclastic celebrant’s class skills (and the key abil-
  ity for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), 
  Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geol-
  ogy) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), 
  Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str). If the 
  Pyroclastic Celebrant Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort Save
  Ref Save
  Will Save
  Special
  Spells
  1
  +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Elemental kin
  +1 level of existing class
  2
  +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Earth master
  +1 level of existing class
  3
  +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Fire master
  +1 level of existing class
  4
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Pyroclastic partner
  +1 level of existing class
  5
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Lava walker
  +1 level of existing class
  6
  +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Lava touch
  +1 level of existing class
  7
  +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Lava blood
  +1 level of existing class
  8
  +6
  +6
  +2
  +6 
  Greater pyroclastic partner
  +1 level of existing class
  9
  +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Lava swimmer
  +1 level of existing class
  10
  +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Flow form
  +1 level of existing class
  
  79
  celebrant had Knowledge (religion) as a class skill be-
  fore joining the class, she retains that skill as a class 
  skill.
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modiﬁer.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the pyroclastic cel-
  ebrant prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: The pyroclastic 
  celebrant gains no new proﬁciency in weapons or ar-
  mor.
  Spells: At each pyroclastic celebrant level, the char-
  acter gains new spells per day and new spells known 
  (if applicable) as if she had gained a level in one of her 
  preexisting spellcasting classes. She gains no other class 
  features of that class, such as bonus feats, increased 
  ability to turn undead, and so on. Since the pyroclas-
  tic celebrant has more than one spell-using class, the 
  player must select to which class this level is added. 
  One prepared and/or known spell of each level must be 
  earth, ﬁre, light, or smoke related. The character may 
  neither learn, nor prepare ice or cold spells, nor may 
  she use spell completion or spell trigger magic items of 
  a similar nature.
  Elemental Kin (Ex): The pyroclastic celebrant is 
  plainly aspected toward both earth and ﬁre in a way 
  that creatures of similar alliance can intuit the aﬃlia-
  tion. As such, a 1st-level member of this class gets a +5 
  circumstance bonus to any Charisma check with all 
  creatures of the earth or ﬁre subtypes. Unfortunately, 
  with any creature with the cold or water subtypes, the 
  pyroclastic celebrant suﬀers an opposite modiﬁer (-5 to 
  all Charisma based checks). At this point, the character 
  need not make any Fortitude saving throws to resist 
  environmental heat, and gets a +5 circumstance bonus 
  to Fortitude saves against smoke.
  Earth Master (Ex): An intimate tie with the sub-
  strate of lava is necessary, so the pyroclastic celebrant 
  dedicates herself to the mastery of the earth element. At 
  2nd level, the celebrant’s connection to the earth is se-
  cured, and she adds +2 to saving throw DCs and caster 
  level checks for any earth spell she casts. The character 
  may rebuke or command earth creatures a number of 
  times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma bonus. Pyro-
  clastic celebrants who have access to the Earth domain 
  gain this number of additional rebuking attempts, but 
  no additional turning attempts against air creatures.
  Fire Master (Ex): Fire mixed with earth begets lava. 
  A 3rd-level pyroclastic celebrant is tied to both ﬁre an 
  earth, gaining mastery over the former as a result. This 
  ability functions exactly like earth mastery, except that 
  it aﬀects ﬁre spells and creatures.
  Pyroclastic Partner: When the pyroclastic celebrant 
  reaches 4th level, any familiar she has gains the ﬁre 
  subtype and the (Earth) type modiﬁer. If the character 
  has no familiar, she may summon one (subject to all of 
  the normal familiar rules), and it gains the above abili-
  ties. This creature is also immune to smoke inhalation. 
  As a ﬁre creature, it takes double damage from any cold 
  attack against which it fails a saving throw. With its 
  improved evasion ability, however, the familiar takes 
  normal damage from cold attacks that allow Reﬂex 
  saving throws when this save is failed, but no damage if 
  the saving throw succeeds.
  Lava Walker (Su): Time spent in calderas and near 
  lava ﬂows toughens the pyroclastic celebrant’s body so, 
  at 5th level, the character acquires ﬁre resistance 12, 
  sonic resistance 3, an immunity to smoke, and +4 to 
  saving throws versus inhaled substances. The character 
  also gains the ability to move at normal speed across 
  lava ash as if they were solid ground. Such materials 
  found on slopes and in other unusual positions may 
  still require Climb checks or other skills to traverse, 
  however.
  Lava Touch (Sp): The pyroclastic celebrant’s body 
  starts to generate its own extreme heat when the char-
  acter reaches 6th level. Activated as a move-equivalent 
  action, one of the celebrant’s hands glows red-hot, 
  sputtering with ﬂame intermittently. The character 
  makes unarmed attacks with this hand as if armed, 
  doing 1d6 points of heat damage in addition to normal 
  unarmed damage. For 1d3 rounds after such an attack 
  hits, the victim takes half of the original heat damage 
  again; ﬂammable materials may begin to burn on their 
  own during or after the attack. This ability may be used 
  once per day for every two levels of the pyroclastic 
  celebrant prestige class the character possesses plus the 
  character’s Charisma bonus. Each use may deliver a 
  number of attacks equal to the use total.
  Lava Blood (Ex): The blood of a 7th-level pyroclas-
  tic celebrant boils like molten rock; thus the character 
  gains the ﬁre subtype and her hair occasionally smokes 
  or smolders, but doesn’t burn. A hit point worth of the 
  celebrant’s blood causes 1d2 hit points of heat damage 
  to vulnerable objects and creatures. If the damage is 
  2, the aﬀected entity suﬀers 1 point of heat damage on 
  the ﬁrst round of contact, and an additional point of 
  heat damage one round later. The latter damage can be 
  avoided if the victim takes a move-equivalent action to 
  remove the hot droplet.
  Greater Pyroclastic Partner: The pyroclastic 
  celebrant’s familiar becomes a Tiny elemental creature 
  of lava when the character reaches 8th level. While it 
  retains the general shape of the animal it once was, 
  
  80
  it appears as a creature made of magma, occasionally 
  sheathed in ﬂame. The familiar keeps its former 
  attacks and abilities, but it gains the darkvision (60 
  feet), natural armor bonus, breath weapon, spell-like 
  abilities (including summon mephit), fast healing, and 
  damage reduction of a magma mephit. The magma 
  familiar also does 1 hit point of additional ﬁre damage 
  with its natural attacks. The familiar’s type changes 
  to “outsider”, but it is not a conjured creature, and 
  therefore not aﬀected by the third eﬀect of protection 
  spells against its alignment.
  Furthermore, the material plane is considered the 
  familiar’s home plane (it’s not extraplanar there), and it 
  may be brought back to life via raise dead or resurrection 
  like a normal familiar.
  Lava Swimmer (Ex): Her body ﬁnally developed to 
  withstand the tests of the boiling stone in the crater of a 
  volcano, a 9th-level pyroclastic celebrant gains a swim 
  speed of 20 feet when in lava, and can breathe while 
  immersed in the ﬂow. The celebrant can see through 
  glowing magma at half of her normal darkvision range, 
  and gains immunity to inhaled toxins.
  Flow Form (Su): At 10th level, the pyroclastic 
  celebrant may take the form of an azer, gaining that 
  creature’s natural bonus to AC, special attacks, 
  special qualities, and +2 to Strength, Dexterity, and 
  Constitution. Hide checks made in areas that do not 
  contain ﬁre are at a ‒4 penalty or worse. The character is 
  treated as an azer for all purposes, except her alignment 
  remains the same; she retains all of her other abilities 
  and class features in azer form.
  While the character is an outsider for the purpose of 
  most spells, she is not considered extraplanar while on 
  her home plane, nor is she considered a conjured crea-
  ture. This ability may be used a number of times per 
  day equal to 1 + the pyroclastic celebrant’s Charisma 
  bonus.
  SOULSICK SLAYER
  Every race has members that fail in their appointed 
  tasks, and each one has its own view of those that fall 
  short. Dwarves are industrious and loyal; they take to 
  a task and ﬁnish it right. Dwarven custom demands 
  steadfastness, uprightness, and stoicism in the face of 
  hardship. However, some can’t live up to the trials of 
  their lives, and a few shirk their duties due to tempta-
  tion, or worse: laziness. While kin may be forgiving, no 
  one is as hard on a dwarf as he is on himself.
  When a dwarf takes on the duties of a priest or cru-
  sader, the robes and armor of a cleric or paladin, much is 
  expected of him. If he rises to become a worker of minor 
  miracles, given the favored eye of the forge gods, he has 
  to be a paragon of dwarven virtue. Traditionally, dwarf 
  clerics are leaders, teachers, warriors, and scholars; they 
  are central to their communities. Paladins are inspiring 
  commanders, and the front line in any struggle against 
  evil. When one of these dwarves falls, the weight of that 
  failure is a hundred fold the burden of any other. Yet, 
  some do falter, whether through loss of faith due to 
  tragedy, or by being led astray by base desires.
  Of those that fail in their divine calling, most go on 
  to practice another occupation, even if they’re cast out 
  of dwarven society. Others become villains like black-
  guards, or make deals with dark entities to retain their 
  divine power. A few, however, cannot reconcile their 
  morals, belief in tradition and honor, and wholesome 
  desires with their fallen state. They despair and turn 
  from the divine, and the dwarven way of life, to the 
  only other thing they can rely upon: themselves. 
  Principle, bred into the bone and soul, prevents 
  these dwarves from taking their own lives, or throw-
  ing life away in foolish battle. Yet, after self-exile from 
  dwarf holdings, they seek death in combat as only one 
  cut oﬀ from god, family, and country can. They strive 
  and slay, learning to draw strength and power from 
  their existential sorrow. The enemies of such dwarves 
  Soulsick Slayer Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Spell Progression
  0
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  1
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Faith in self
  2
  0
  –
  –
  –
  –
  2
  +2
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Agnostic bulwark
  3
  1
  0
  –
  –
  –
  3
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Sorrow’s rage (1/day)
  3
  2
  1
  0
  –
  –
  4
  +4
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Grim determination
  3
  3
  2
  1
  0
  –
  5
  +5
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Howl of the lost
  3
  3
  2
  2
  1
  0
  6
  +6
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Sorrow’s rage (2/day)
  3
  3
  3
  2
  2
  2
  7
  +7
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Faith in self
  3
  3
  3
  3
  2
  2
  8
  +8
  +6
  +2
  +6 
  Agnostic bulwark
  4
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  9
  +9
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Sorrow’s rage (3/day)
  4
  4
  3
  3
  3
  3
  10
  +10
  +7
  +3
  +7
  True rage
  4
  4
  4
  3
  3
  3
  
  81
  rue the day that battle is joined, for the soulsick slayer 
  is a warrior like no other. He cares little for life, but will 
  not give himself to death, ﬁghting with fury, anguish, 
  and contempt for the divine, be it holy or unholy. He 
  has magic born from a desire to show all of the powers 
  that they aren’t needed.
  Most soulsick slayers were ﬁghter/clerics, while a 
  few were just priests, and fewer still were paladins. Ad-
  venturing slayers are common, for they seek little more 
  than an enemy to best them in an ill-fated battle. The 
  companions of such a dwarf cannot get close to him, but 
  know that they can rely on his hammer, axe, or magic 
  until bitter fortune takes him. NPC soulsick slayers are 
  usually encountered alone, hunting monsters in a terri-
  tory they have staked out for themselves, perhaps in the 
  interest of protecting innocents that live nearby.
  Hit Die: d10
  Requirements
  To become a soulsick slayer, a character 
  must fulﬁll the following criteria:
  Alignment: Any non-evil. Former 
  paladins must be lawful as well.
  Race: Dwarf.
  BAB: +4.
  Base Fortitude Save: +5.
  Base Will Save: +3.
  Skills: Intimidate: 2 ranks, Knowl-
  edge (religion): 6 ranks, Survival: 2 
  ranks.
  Feat: Iron Will.
  Special: The character must have lost faith or fallen 
  from grace as a cleric or paladin with the ability to cast 
  1st-level or higher divine spells, losing that class’ abili-
  ties and spells, and be either unable or unwilling to 
  atone.
  Class Skills
  The soulsick slayer’s class skills (and the key 
  ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Con-
  centration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), 
  Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), 
  Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex),Spellcraft (Int), 
  Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modi-
  ﬁer.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the soulsick slayer 
  prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: Soulsick slay-
  ers gain no new proﬁciency with weapons or armor.
  Spells: A 1st-level soulsick slayer has developed 
  faith in himself as a dwarf without a connection to the 
  divine, thus he can cast a limited list of divine spells. 
  These spells are all chosen as spells known from the 
  slayer’s former cleric and domain spell lists. Soulsick 
  slayers receive bonus spells per day for high Wisdom, 
  and to cast a spell they must have a Wisdom score of at 
  least 10 + the spell’s level. Saving throw DCs for these 
  spells equal 10 + spell level + the character’s Wisdom 
  modiﬁer. When the slayer gets 0 spells of a given level, 
  he only gets the bonus spell for that level (if any). Soul-
  sick slayers casts spells as sorcerers, without need for 
  preparation, and use their soulsick slayer class level 
  plus their cleric level as their spellcaster level. 
  Former paladins use and choose spells the same way, 
  except they may only choose spells from the paladin 
  spell list, and do not get orisons or 5th level spells at 
  all.
  
  82
  Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: The 
  soulsick slayer is restricted in the alignment of spells 
  he may cast as if he were a cleric (see PHB, Chapter 3, 
  Cleric, Class Features). 
  Faith in Self: At 1st level, and again at 7th, a for-
  mer cleric soulsick slayer may choose a domain power 
  from one of his former domains, the ability to turn or 
  rebuke undead, or extra turning. The ability chosen is 
  regained, and any level dependant applications use the 
  slayer’s combined cleric levels and soulsick slayer levels 
  as the eﬀective level of the ability, improving as the 
  character gains levels, if applicable. 
  At each of the above listed levels, former paladins 
  may choose any two of aura of courage, detect evil, lay 
  on hands, purity of body (as a 5th-level monk), turn 
  undead, remove disease, or extra turning. The ability 
  functions as if the character were a paladin of a level 
  equal to his soulsick slayer levels plus his paladin levels, 
  improving as the character gains levels, if applicable. 
  If an ex-paladin soulsick slayer (Pal10/Soulsick Slayer 
  1) chooses remove disease, for example, he can use the 
  remove disease ability as an 11th level paladin could (3/
  week). As soon as that character attains another level of 
  soulsick slayer, he gains another use of remove disease 
  per week, as would a paladin.
  Agnostic Bulwark (Ex): The cold resolve to be un-
  moved by the divine hardens a soulsick slayer that has 
  attained 2nd level against divine magic cast by those 
  allied with the gods. Against any such magic, including 
  friendly spells and any spell cast by a celestial or infernal 
  outsider, the character’s total Will saving throw bonus + 
  his soulsick slayer class level is used as a spell resistance 
  score. This SR must be overcome by a successful caster 
  level check for the divine spell to be eﬀective. At 8th 
  level, the soulsick slayer adds both his Constitution and 
  Charisma bonuses to this total. Spell resistance granted 
  by this ability does not stack with any other sort of SR; 
  always use the highest value. Some divine spellcasters, 
  in some worlds, use sources of spiritual energy besides 
  direct channeling from divine beings, and their magic 
  is unaﬀected by this ability.
  Sorrow’s Rage (Ex): A 3rd-level soulsick slayer learns 
  to channel the grief and anger he feels at his fall into a 
  killing fury. Weeping in his wrath, the character gains 
  all of the advantages and drawbacks of the barbarian 
  class’ rage ability (see PHB, Chapter 2, Barbarian, Class 
  Features). The slayer gains additional rage ability uses at 
  6th and 9th levels. The slayer’s increased Constitution 
  bonus increases his agnostic bulwark SR at 8th level and 
  higher.
  Grim Determination (Ex): The soulsick slayer 
  longs for death, yet refuses to give into it easily, and 
  fears what waits in the afterlife. This strange, internal 
  dichotomy grants the slayer the ability to cheat death 
  at 4th level. Soulsick slayers with this ability do not 
  fall unconscious and begin dying (per PHB, Chapter 8, 
  Injury and Death) until they reach a negative hit point 
  total equal to 0 ‒ their soulsick slayer class level. Death 
  does not occur until a slayer reaches a negative hit point 
  total equal to ‒10 ‒ his Charisma modiﬁer. (It is pos-
  sible for a slayer with a low Charisma to die before he 
  falls unconscious.) The soulsick slayer may add his total 
  Fortitude saving throw bonus to the percentage chance 
  to stabilize when he’s dying.
  Howl of the Lost (Su): The despair the soulsick slayer 
  lives with is heart numbing, and he may share this grief 
  with others, with a cry of utter misery, after he attains 
  5th level. When the slayer howls, all creatures within 60 
  feet must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 10 + the 
  soulsick slayer’s class level + his Charisma modiﬁer). 
  Those that fail the save are stunned for one round, and 
  then aﬀected as if by an emotion spell with a despair 
  eﬀect. This latter eﬀect lasts until the creature leaves 
  an area within 60 ft. of the slayer that howled, and for 
  a number of rounds equal to the soulsick slayer’s class 
  level thereafter. A soulsick slayer may use this ability a 
  number of times per day equal to his Charisma modi-
  ﬁer +1 (minimum 1). Howl of the lost is a sonic, mind 
  aﬀecting compulsion.
  True Rage (Ex): At 10th-level, the soulsick slayer is 
  no longer winded after he rages if he makes a successful 
  Fortitude saving throw (DC 25). Further, his rage bo-
  nuses are equivalent to those of a 15th-level barbarian 
  (see PHB, Chapter 3, Barbarian, Class Features).
  Ex-Soulsick Slayers
  A soulsick slayer will never willingly accept the aid of 
  magic tied to the gods, and he loses a number of experi-
  ence points equal to the spell’s level times 50 should 
  he ever do so, and the spell overcome his agnostic 
  bulwark. This includes any curative potions and magic 
  items that come from a deiﬁc source. (Thus a potion of 
  cure light wounds made by a cleric would cause an ex-
  perience loss, while one manufactured by a bard would 
  not.) A running tally should be kept, because any slayer 
  that ever loses 2,000 XP total may never advance in 
  the class again. If he loses 5,000 XP, he loses all class 
  abilities permanently; his faith in himself is proven 
  unwarranted. As a special case, a soulsick slayer may 
  choose to return to life as the result of a raise dead, 
  resurrection or true resurrection spell. Should he do so, 
  however, he has acknowledged the power of a deity and 
  immediately loses all soulsick slayer class abilities. Re-
  incarnate has a similar eﬀect only if that spell is tied to 
  
  83
  the power of a divinity, which is probably a moot point 
  anyway, since the reincarnated character is 1st level. If 
  a soulsick slayer forms a tie with any deity, or atones for 
  his former crimes or loss of faith, he loses all abilities 
  associated with the soulsick slayer class. At the DM’s 
  option, soulsick slayer class levels may be exchanged for 
  barbarian levels, cleric levels, or ﬁghter levels (as appro-
  priate) should this joyous event happen. Most slayers 
  who are resurrected become priests of the resurrecting 
  deity. It is recommended that ex-paladin soulsick slay-
  ers never again be allowed to rejoin the paladin class, 
  except in the most exceptional cases.
  Dead Soulsick Slayers
  Many soulsick slayers become ghosts at death, refusing 
  to enter the afterlife. Such wayward spirits may only 
  be laid to rest if brought back into the 
  arms of an appropriate religion.
  VAULT CRACKER
  Some say that dwarves construct the 
  deadliest traps in existence, and that their 
  underground halls are full of monstrous 
  devices to slay the unwelcome and 
  unwary. Here, the sulfuric acid 
  naturally occurring in a cav-
  ern is diverted to guard the 
  king’s treasure vaults with 
  leering stone dragons that 
  spit it at those without the 
  proper key. There, the pas-
  sage is carved at a slight 
  angle dipping to the left, 
  but one great enough to 
  allow the sliding blocks 
  installed in the right 
  wall easy movement. It 
  is whispered among 
  would-be 
  thieves, 
  that even major 
  thoroughfares 
  in the villages 
  and cities of the 
  stout folk are 
  trapped. Each 
  dwarf 
  living 
  there 
  knows 
  to traverse a 
  trapped section 
  of road just 
  so, 
  avoiding 
  calamity.
  The prowess of dwarves at constructing such devices 
  is beyond doubt. That they endanger themselves with 
  paranoid trap laying is probably apocryphal. Yet, from 
  a race that can construct such nastiness to protect their 
  hallowed halls also comes those best at the game of 
  circumventing traps to get at what they guard. In dwarf 
  society, such a rebel is unusual. Perhaps he is a clanless 
  wanderer, his home lost, or mayhap greed got the best 
  of a journeyman mason; outlawed in his home, he had 
  to ﬂee.
  Regardless of his history and character, in a situa-
  tion where stone or metal is involved, the dwarven vault 
  cracker is second to none. Practiced at constructing 
  the very devices he foils, this rascal uses his natural 
  dwarven traits to become a master burglar. Unlike 
  most other races, the vault cracker needs no light. He 
  intuitively ﬁnds the oddities in stone construc-
  tion, easily uncovering the weaknesses 
  in metals. Honed reﬂexes and natural 
  dwarven resistances to poisons and 
  magic save him from his failures. 
  Great skill leads this dwarf to rich 
  reward, whether the treasure room 
  is goblin or elven.
  
  84
  Rogues with a sorcerous heritage make the best 
  vault crackers. Posing as a traveling skald can be useful, 
  so some bards choose this life as well. While few others 
  have the skills needed to join, with a little underworld 
  training and a magical knack, an NPC expert could 
  certainly be a vault cracker. Like rogues, these experts 
  pose as craftspeople while among polite society.
  Hit Die: d6
  Requirements
  To become a vault cracker, a character must fulﬁll the 
  following criteria:
  Alignment: Any non-lawful.
  Race: Dwarf.
  BAB: +3.
  Base Will Save: +4.
  Skills: Craft (trapmaking): 5 ranks, Disable Device: 
  5 ranks, Open Lock: 5 ranks, Search: 6 ranks.
  Spells: The ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells 
  without preparation.
  Special: The character must possess the evasion 
  class ability.
  Class Skills
  The vault cracker’s class skills (and the key 
  ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), 
  Balance (Dex), Bluﬀ (Cha), Climb 
  (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher 
  Script (Int), Disable Device 
  (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather In-
  formation (Cha), Hide (Dex), 
  Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move 
  Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), 
  Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim 
  (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use 
  Rope (Dex).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modiﬁer.
  Vault Cracker Spells Known
  Levels
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2*
  –
  –
  –
  2
  2
  –
  –
  –
  3
  3
  2*
  –
  –
  4
  3
  2
  –
  –
  5
  4
  3
  2*
  –
  6
  4
  3
  2
  –
  7
  5
  4
  3
  2*
  8
  5
  4
  3
  2
  9
  5
  5
  4
  3
  10
  6
  5
  4
  4
  * Spells are gained only if the character has a Charisma 
  score high enough to provide bonus spells of this level.
  Vault Cracker Advancement
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Spells Per Day
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1
  +0
  +2
  +2
  +0
  Uncanny dodge
  0
  –
  –
  –
  2
  +1
  +3
  +3
  +0
  Color darkvision
  1
  –
  –
  –
  3
  +2
  +3
  +3
  +1
  Scent of gold, slow fall (20 ft.)
  1
  0
  –
  –
  4
  +3
  +4
  +4
  +1
  Improved evasion 
  1
  1
  –
  –
  5
  +3
  +4
  +4
  +1
  Master of the vault
  2
  1
  0
  –
  6
  +4
  +5
  +5
  +2
  Slow fall (30 ft.)
  2
  1
  1
  –
  7
  +5
  +5
  +5
  +2
  Slippery mind
  2
  2
  1
  0
  8
  +6
  +6
  +6
  +2 
  Master of the vault (+2)
  3
  2
  1
  1
  9
  +6
  +6
  +6
  +3
  Slow fall (40 ft.)
  3
  2
  2
  1
  10
  +7
  +7
  +7
  +3
  Stone tell
  3
  3
  2
  2
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the vault cracker 
  prestige class:
  Weapon and Armor Proﬁciency: The vault cracker 
  gains no new proﬁciency in weapons or armor.
  Spells: Beginning at 1st level, the vault cracker learns 
  to cast a narrow variety of spells (chosen from the 
  vault cracker spell list) as arcane spells. Vault crackers 
  receive bonus spells per day for high Charisma, and 
  
  85
  to cast a spell a vault cracker must have a Charisma 
  score of at least 10 + the spell’s level. Saving throw DCs 
  for the spells equal 10 + spell level + the character’s 
  Charisma modiﬁer. Vault crackers casts spells as 
  sorcerers, without need for preparation, and use their 
  vault cracker class level as their spellcaster level. When 
  a vault cracker gets 0 spells of a given level, he only gets 
  the bonus spell for that level (if any).
  Uncanny Dodge (Ex): With a knack for avoiding 
  traps and blows, a vault cracker always adds his vault 
  cracker level to his rogue level to determine the eﬀects 
  of this ability. See the Player’s Handbook Table 3-15: 
  The Rogue. Thus, a Rog5/Sor4/Vault Cracker 10 would 
  have the uncanny dodge of a 15th-level rogue.
  Color Darkvision (Su): The vault cracker can 
  discern color with his darkvision at 2nd-level. Once 
  activated as a standard action, this power lasts 1 minute 
  per vault cracker level.
  Scent of Gold (Su): A vault cracker has a nose for 
  valuables such that, by 3rd level, he can smell metallic 
  and mineral treasure if it’s within 30 feet. He can identify 
  familiar “scents” and use this ability to recognize 
  fakes. Wind and the presence of other odors have no 
  eﬀect on this ability. Each foot (or fraction thereof) of 
  material between the vault cracker and the valuable 
  item counts as ﬁve feet of open space; stone and metal 
  barriers count double (each foot equals 10 feet). This 
  ability gives the vault cracker a +5 circumstance bonus 
  to Appraise checks for metals, stone items, and gems, 
  cannot be fooled by fakes, and grants a +10 insight 
  bonus to Search checks to locate the same. Scent of 
  gold must be activated as a move-equivalent action 
  and may be similarly maintained via concentration, 
  lasting for one round per vault cracker level after 
  concentration ends.
  Slow Fall (Ex): A 3rd-level vault cracker 
  gains a slow fall ability that functions exactly 
  like the monk ability of the same name. Upon 
  attaining this ability, the character takes 
  damage from falls as if the drop were 
  20 feet shorter. The distance increases 
  to 30 feet at 6th level, and 50 feet at 
  9th.
  Improved Evasion (Ex): At 
  4th level, the vault cracker gains 
  the improved evasion ability (see 
  PHB, Chapter 3, Rogue, Class 
  Features, Special Abilities).
  Master of the Vault (Ex): 
  Such is his skill that, at 5th 
  level, the vault cracker may 
  take 10 on Disable Device, 
  Escape Artist, Hide, Open Lock, and Search checks, 
  even under stressful or distracting conditions. Further, 
  the vault cracker gains an additional +2 on all checks 
  related to stonecunning, and a +2 circumstance bonus 
  to Escape Artist checks to squeeze through tight areas 
  at 8th level.
  Slippery Mind (Ex): At 7th level, the vault cracker 
  gains the slippery mind ability like the rogue ability 
  of the same name (see PHB, Chapter 3, Rogue, Class 
  Features, Special Abilities).
  Stone Tell (Sp): A 10th-level vault cracker can cast 
  the stone tell spell a number of times per day equal to 1 + 
  his Charisma bonus as a druid with a caster level equal 
  to the vault cracker’s class level. Unlike the normal 
  spell, this ability works on any stone or metal object, or 
  any object with those materials as components—such 
  as a wooden chest with metal hinges or bands. The 
  orientation and location of metal parts on an item not 
  wholly composed of the stuﬀ aﬀects the knowledge 
  such a part might have. A metal lock on the outside of 
  a chest might not know what’s in the chest, but it would 
  know if it was trapped itself.
  Vault Cracker Spell List
  Vault crackers choose their spells from the following 
  list:
  1st level: detect poison, detect secret doors, detect 
  snares and pits, endure elements, expeditious retreat, 
  feather fall, identify, invisibility to animals, jump, 
  reduce, spider climb, unseen servant.
  2nd level: delay poison, hold animal, invisibility to 
  undead, knock, levitate, locate object, resist elements, 
  sanctuary, silence, warp wood.
  3rd level: clairaudience/clairvoyance, ﬁnd 
  traps, gaseous form, meld into stone, neutralize 
  poison, nondetection, protection from elements, 
  stone shape.
  4th level: arcane eye, dispel magic, freedom 
  of movement, legend lore, locate creature, 
  nondetection, rusting grasp.
  
  86
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  System Reference Document, Copyright 2000–2003, Wizards of 
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  Dwarves: Hammer of the Dwarven Lords, Copyright 2004, 
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