TEXT: Victims of the Demon Lord
  WRITING, DESIGN, and art direction:  
  Robert J. Schwalb
  editing:  
  Tom Cadorette
  Layout and Proofreading: Kara Hamilton
  Graphic Design: Hal Mangold  
  and Kara Hamilton
  ILLUSTRATIONs: Mirco Paganessi with Biagio 
  d.Alessandro, Eric Lofgren, and Svetoslav Petrov
  For Gold and Glory is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.  
  All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Victims of the Demon Lord, For Gold and Glory,
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos  
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  Schwalb EntErtainmEnt, llc
  PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com
   www.schwalbentertainment.com
  ~Credits~
  Since ancient times, those who dwell under hill 
  and mountain have mystified the world. A people 
  living apart from the other ancestries, fiercely 
  independent, they dig into the bones of the earth to 
  pry gold and gems from the unyielding stone. Called 
  dwarfs for their short stature, their relationship with 
  others in the world are oft marked by tumult and 
  violence, frequently clashing with their neighbors 
  over disputes both real and imagined. When not 
  fighting the faerie or greedy men, the dwarfs 
  fix their attention upon their work, carving out 
  tunnels, hammering ore into weapons and armor of 
  unsurpassed quality, and polishing gems until their 
  brilliance rivals that of the sun. 
  But in these uncertain times, with the shadow 
  spreading across the world, the dwarfs face new trials 
  that beset them, new enemies boiling up from the 
  darkness below and from the lands all around. One by 
  one their mighty fortresses fall, forcing those who flee 
  the destruction to seek haven as refugees in the realms 
  of mankind until the day they can return to claim what 
  is rightfully theirs.
   For Gold and Glory examines dwarfs living in 
  Rûl, revealing the secrets of their origins and how 
  they fit into the tapestry of people who share these 
  lands, providing those who want to play a dwarf 
  character with the lore the need to flesh them out 
  in detail. In addition, this supplement also offers 
  character creation rules that, when used in place of 
  those presented in the main rulebook, will help players 
  develop a rich and interesting background to better 
  ground their dwarf characters in the setting.
  
  2
  Grimnir’s Curse
  The priests of the Honored Dead have many 
  responsibilities in serving the spirits of their 
  ancestors. One of the most sacred tasks set for 
  them has been to keep secret the true origins of the 
  dwarfen peoples—if the truth were known, the shame 
  would be too much for dwarfs to bear. Instead, they 
  promulgate legends and myths, telling of how the 
  dwarfs needed no creators as they pulled themselves 
  and their kin fully formed from the rock, or how 
  the dwarfs sprang from the spilled blood of a fallen 
  titan, one of those ancient enemies of the gods now 
  imprisoned on the stormy moon, Tarterus. Stories 
  such as these emphasize dwarfen independence, 
  reminding dwarfs they have no need for gods or 
  divine patrons other than the spirits of their ancestors. 
   Dwarfs were not always short, stout, and hairy. Long 
  ago, Grimnir and the other Dark Gods formed them 
  as a striking, regal people, who were tall, statuesque, 
  and perfect in every way, being in appearance their 
  worthy servants in the mortal world. Along with these 
  gifts, the gods bestowed on them cunning, revealed 
  the secret of fire, and gave them the knowledge to care 
  for themselves in the strange new world.
  For a time, these peoples lived and served their 
  makers, content with giving over their works to their 
  patrons and receiving their bounty from the heavens. 
  But this arrangement would not last for the people 
  also knew death, as all died at their appointed times, 
  while the gods remained forever. Why should the 
  gods be immortal when their creations were doomed 
  to die? In time, the mortals’ resentment grew into 
  open rebellion. They threw down their altar, ceased 
  their sacrifices, and turned their eyes to the heavens, 
  eager to stake their claim on the gift of immortality 
  the gods refused to share. And if the gods would not 
  share, the people would take it for themselves.
   Atop the highest mountain in all the lands, the 
  people began work on a mighty tower, raising it 
  higher and higher to reach the distant gates of the 
  divine realms so that their the armies could march on 
  them, climbing the innumerable stairs to invade the 
  heavens and claim what they believed was rightfully 
  theirs. Grimnir and the other Dark Gods saw what 
  their creations had wrought and became angered. 
  Grimnir cast down the great tower and then laid a 
  heavy curse upon the blasphemous who rebelled.
  Grimnir took from them their beauty and stature, 
  reducing them in form and appearance until they 
  became stunted, ugly things, gnarled and twisted by 
  their greed. He then turned their eyes downward so 
  that they would, forever after, concern themselves 
  with the world in which they lived rather than with 
  the heavens above them. Finally, Grimnir renounced 
  them, scattering them across the land to make their 
  way with neither gift nor comfort from their makers.
  Henceforth, the people became known as the 
  dwarfs, and through the march of centuries they 
  have burrowed deeply into the earth that fascinates 
  them so, seeking its hidden treasures with the same 
  maniacal fervor in which they once sought to wrest 
  immortality from the gods.
  Short and Stout
  Dwarfs bear Grimnir’s curse in both body and mind. 
  No longer the tall and striking reflections of their 
  creators, they did at least remain strong, tough, and 
  possessed of crafty intelligence, even if their minds 
  always seem to inevitably drift toward gold, jewels, 
  and treasure. Dwarfs stand between three and four 
  feet tall and their thick, muscular bodies can weigh 
  up to 250 pounds. Dwarfs have a great fondness for 
  food and drink, leading many to thicken around their 
  middle, but a heavy gut is no mark of shame for them; 
  rather, a healthy belly reflects a dwarf’s good fortune 
  and tastes for the finer things. 
   Hair covers dwarfs’ bodies and is at its thickest in 
  the armpits and groin. The hair thins as it spreads 
  out along their chests, backs, bellies, down their arms 
  and legs, and up their necks. Dwarfs of both genders 
  wear facial hair, taking great pride in it. Beards are 
  common, though many wear muttonchops or thick 
  moustaches. Dwarfs often braid their beards into 
  intricate patterns or adorn them with gold and silver 
  rings and beads. Others might grease their facial hair 
  so that it holds fanciful shapes, while others just let 
  the hair grow so long that it drags upon the ground.
   Dwarfs tend to be ugly by human standards, having 
  exaggerated facial features, such as pronounced 
  brows, bulbous noses, and wide, over-expressive 
  mouths. They do display the same range of coloration 
  found in humans, and one can find dwarfs with pale 
  skin or dark, red hair or black, and everything in 
  between. Dwarfen communities tend to be clannish 
  however, so while dwarfs from different areas might 
  show a range of appearances, dwarfs from one 
  community tend to be uniform in appearance. 
  Dwarfish
  All dwarfs speak Dwarfish, the language of 
  their people. A harsh, guttural language of 
  long, compound words and few vowels, other 
  peoples find it difficult, though by no means 
  impossible, to learn. Its written form features a 
  runic alphabet that shares much in common with 
  the ancient language of trolls, suggesting the 
  two languages might have been one in ancient 
  times. Dwarfs prize reading, and all dwarfs 
  are expected to learn to read as part of their 
  upbringing; the “unlettered” bring shame to their 
  families and clans.
  
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  Long Lives, Forever Dwarfs
  By human standards, dwarfs live a long time. A typical 
  dwarf can expect to live up to two centuries and some 
  live even longer. Some priests believe the dwarfs 
  partly succeeded in attaining more life for themselves, 
  even if they did not achieve immortality, but most 
  explain their long lives by the dwarfs’ natural 
  durability. Their great stamina insulates them against 
  the raft of infirmities that lay low other peoples. 
  Dwarfs can shrug off sickness, drink and eat to excess, 
  and can take a fair amount of physical abuse without 
  slowing down.
   Dwarfs do die, of course, and like all mortals, their 
  souls descend to the Underworld or Hell depending 
  on how they lived. Unlike other souls, those residing 
  in the Underworld can move freely from that gloomy
   place and into the mortal world thanks to the beliefs 
  of their people. These ancestor spirits watch over their 
  kin and work influence them from beyond, hoping to 
  steer them onto better paths. In time, the soul forgets 
  and returns to a new body. Grimnir’s curse ensures 
  dwarf souls always return to the world in dwarf bodies 
  without exception.
  Buried Kingdoms
  The desire for riches might consume the dwarfs, 
  but they are not blind to the dangers their success 
  might bring them. Each gold nugget, each jewel 
  recovered from the depths risks drawing the attention 
  from other peoples, who would gladly take for 
  themselves that which was gained through dwarfen 
  labor. For this reason, dwarfs hide their kingdoms 
  deep underground, protecting the routes in and out 
  with myriad tricks and traps to ensure no goblin, 
  no adventurous human, no troglodyte, or anyone 
  or anything else can find their way to their vaults 
  without facing great risk. While all dwarfen 
  kingdoms have access to the lands above, such 
  entrances are sealed by potent wards to prevent 
  passers-by from stumbling inside. These wards 
  prevent the doors from being opened, or conceal 
  them from view.
  The tunnels leading to the dwarf kingdoms twist 
  and turn, climb and descend, widen and narrow, 
  with tempting side passages that lead explorers 
  deeper and deeper underground. To frustrate 
  intruders, dwarfs often conceal shortcuts and 
  main routes behind false walls and illusions to 
  keep trespassers from reaching their destination. 
  So labyrinthine are these tunnels, many 
  people who come seeking dwarfen gold find 
  themselves lost, wandering around in the 
  dark until hunger, thirst, mishap, or some 
  wandering horror finally ends their suffering.
  Whether found by superior cunning or 
  with the aid of an escort, dwarfen kingdoms 
  never fail to amaze. Even the smallest 
  outposts can astonish, for dwarfs spare no 
  effort in beautifying the places in which they 
  live. Each kingdom and community acts as a 
  monument to the dwarfs, a lasting symbol of 
  their skill and accomplishments. Thus, one can 
  find broad roads lined with the statues of dwarfen 
  warriors, friezes displaying the settlement’s 
  history, bas-reliefs of grim-faced, bearded dwarfs, 
  eyes always seeming to follow, vaulted ceilings, 
  wide pillars, and bridges, walkways, and paths 
  along which stand stone doors through which 
  lie living spaces, galleries, halls, and even greater 
  chambers.
   
  Dwarfen realms all feature three key 
  chambers. The High Hall serves as a gathering 
  place where the leader and advisors meet, citizens 
  air grievances, and judgments and decisions 
  are handed down. The dwarfs inter their dead 
  
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  in the Hall of Ancestors and their priests conduct 
  ceremonies and commune with the spirits who 
  watch over them. Finally, the Great Vault holds 
  the accumulated riches, from stacked bars of gold 
  to chests filled with glittering jewels, as well as 
  all the relics and other treasures important to the 
  community. All citizens share in the public wealth.
  Kings and Queens
  Each community, regardless of size, looks to a 
  regent as a figurehead or leader. Called king or 
  queen, these leaders judge disputes, lead their 
  fellow dwarfs into battle, and represent the 
  community in its dealings with other dwarfs and 
  outsiders. The regency is an inherited position, 
  passing down to the eldest child. While regents 
  command great influence in their communities, 
  the various guilds—miners, smiths, gem-cutters—
  check their power and can overrule edicts, 
  negate treaties, and force their leaders to pursue 
  different agendas.
  Exiles and Lost Lands
  In spite of their strong defenses and the elaborate 
  safeguards installed to protect their holdings, the 
  near-constant state of war has seen many dwarfen 
  kingdoms abandoned and destroyed, the survivors 
  forced to find refuge in other kingdoms or, worse, in 
  human lands. Dwarfs have no shortage of enemies, 
  battling trolls, troglodytes, goblins, monsters, and 
  worse over the centuries, each seeking the dwarfs’ 
  treasures or to revenge themselves against the hated 
  people. The lost kingdoms have become tombs, 
  dusty, cobwebbed, and littered with the bones of 
  dead dwarfs wherever they fell. Monsters haunt the 
  shadows, and vile peoples squat in and foul the once-
  fine halls and emptied vaults.
   Dwarfs look to these lost lands with anger, as stark 
  reminders of the treachery of other peoples and the 
  tragedy that seems to inevitably befall those cursed 
  by Grimnir. Brash dwarfs might pledge to take back 
  their homelands and reclaim their treasures, but 
  such quests usually end in failure and death as there 
  simply aren’t enough dwarfs left to mount an effective 
  raid against these lost realms. Still, this doesn’t stop 
  dwarfs from trying, and many find glorious deaths at 
  the ends of their long campaigns.
  Although dwarfs are loath to surrender their lands, 
  each fallen kingdom sees the surviving peoples, often 
  the young and elderly, who might find sanctuary at 
  another holdfast or descend the mountain slopes 
  to find refuge among the other peoples. The heavy 
  casualties and wars of attrition saw refugees fleeing 
  into the Empire over the centuries in such numbers 
  that dwarfs can be found almost anywhere on the 
  continent, from the frozen wastes in the south to the 
  edges of the Desolation in the north. Most displaced 
  dwarfs are second- or even third-generation survivors, 
  but even though they have lived among other people, 
  they faithfully preserve their customs and beliefs, 
  knowing their ancestors are watching and that the 
  opportunity to reclaim what was lost might one day 
  arise.
  The Honored Dead
  The specters of dead dwarfs haunt the living, 
  their cold eyes following them wherever they 
  roam, watching and weighing the deeds of their 
  descendants. Dwarfs feel the attention of the Honored 
  Dead and thus always seek to acquit themselves 
  honorably in all their dealings lest they bring shame 
  to their forbearers. Most times, the ancestors exist 
  as invisible and silent companions, but some of the 
  living learn to commune with these spirits, and those 
  skilled at communicating with the dead might go on 
  to become priests of the Honored Dead. You can find 
  out more information about the dwarfen religion in 
  Uncertain Faith. 
  Industriousness in All Things
  For dwarfs, the highest virtue is one’s labor. Nothing 
  is more satisfying than a job well done and thus 
  dwarfs keep themselves busy, pushing themselves 
  to the brink of exhaustion in any task they set for 
  themselves. When working the mines, they dig deeper 
  and swing their picks harder than any other people, 
  pressing on no matter how much sweat pours from 
  their bodies. At the forge, dwarfs never rest on their 
  laurels, always looking for ways to improve upon their 
  designs and produce even greater wonders. It is not 
  enough to be good at one’s labor—one must always 
  strive to be better.
  Towering Pride
  The true origins of the dwarfen peoples might be 
  a secret from the world, but ignorance does not 
  alleviate the private shame all dwarfs hold in their 
  hearts for their ancestors’ deeds. It is a feeling of 
  deep frustration, sorrow, and dissatisfaction that 
  has no explanation or obvious cause. Dwarfs use 
  pride to mask their misgivings, never passing up an 
  opportunity to boast about their accomplishments 
  and superiority in all things. As one might expect, 
  dwarfen pride wins them few friends and often 
  contributes to the many struggles they have had with 
  the other peoples of the world.
   More than their penchant for boasting, though, is 
  their love to mock and criticize other peoples. Dwarfs 
  can level insults and criticism better than any. Dwarfs 
  see themselves as masters at the forge, construction, 
  sculpture, engineering, and many other arts. They can 
  usually tell when they encounter something made 
  by a people other than dwarfs and waste little time in 
  pointing out its flaws. The works of others rarely meet 
  
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  their approval, and almost never garners their praise, 
  as they will always find something wrong, even if they 
  have to invent it.
  Dwarf Names
  The dwarfs of Rûl use names that either have 
  Germanic roots or sound as if they do. As a 
  result, dwarfs and jotun (A Glorious Death) have 
  some overlap in naming conventions, which 
  suggests they share common origins. Sample 
  names can be found in Shadow of the Demon 
  Lord.
  Overpowering Greed
  When the Dark Gods bent the dwarfs’ heads to the 
  ground, they instilled in them a lust for precious 
  things: gold, silver, rubies, and emeralds, and other 
  rare metals or stones that might exist. This desire 
  drives dwarfs deep into the earth, into places anyone 
  else would deem dangerous and foolhardy. The 
  promise of treasure, of wondrous gold and glittering 
  jewel, vexes dwarfs their entire lives, and no dwarf 
  ever passes up a chance to lay hands on riches.
  The avaricious streak might be strong, but it isn’t 
  overpowering. Dwarfs rarely resort to theft to enrich 
  themselves as stealing is dishonorable and brings 
  shame to themselves and their kin. Instead, dwarfs 
  seek out wealth, either by mining or by selling their 
  services to employers in exchange for a steep fee after 
  a fierce and lopsided negotiation.
  Contracts and Negotiations
  Being suspicious and untrusting means dwarfs do 
  not enter into bargains lightly. Even among their 
  own kind, they require a bit more than an oath and a 
  handshake. For any transaction that involves riches, 
  dwarfs draw up elaborate contracts that might run 
  dozens of pages in length, filled with convoluted 
  language that shifts the risk to the other party while 
  offering the dwarf the best protections. Of course, 
  dwarfs are wise to such contractual tricks, and 
  negotiations between dwarfs can be fierce and last 
  several days before they can reach terms. For those 
  unfamiliar with the ways dwarfs do business, signing 
  a contract whipped up by a dwarf is a quick way to 
  lose one’s shirt.
  Dwarfs take their contracts seriously. They don’t 
  mind dickering over the details, and most make a 
  game of it, but once a contract is signed, there’s no 
  reneging. Dwarfs abide by the letter of their contracts 
  and expect their partners to do the same. If their 
  partners break the contract, dwarfs spare no effort in 
  getting the compensation laid out in the document. 
  Wars have been fought over contractual disputes and 
  dwarfs never accept anything less than what is owed 
  to them.
  Gold Lust
  Dwarfs in madness’s grip find the lust for gold 
  grows unbearable and find it harder and harder 
  to resist the impulse to take whatever valuables 
  they find. Gold Lust is a common dwarfen 
  affliction that arises in those who have suffered 
  great strain and stress. Dwarfs pity those who 
  succumb to this malady and do their best to 
  guide them back to sanity and, if they fail, 
  lock them away before they bring shame on 
  themselves and their people. 
   
  When a dwarf would go mad, roll a d6. On an 
  even number, roll a d20 to determine the form 
  the madness takes as normal. On an odd number, 
  the dwarf becomes afflicted with gold lust. 
   
  Gold Lust If you can see an object worth 1 gc 
  or more, you become impaired until you take the 
  object. At the end of each minute, roll a d6. A roll 
  of 5 or higher ends the madness.
   
  If you’re using Unhinge the Mind, Gold Lust 
  can manifest as short-term madness, in which 
  case you use the above rule, or long-term 
  madness. If a dwarf character would gain long-
  term madness, roll a d6. On an odd number, the 
  character gains a random long-term madness, 
  while the character gains gold lust on an even 
  number. 
   Gold Lust (Long-Term) Your lust for precious 
  metals and stones overpowers you. Whenever 
  you see an item worth at least 1 gc, you must 
  get a success on a Will challenge roll or become 
  impaired until you take it.
  Unyielding Hatred
  Dwarfs have long memories and can recall every 
  slight and every wrong done to them. The most 
  egregious acts worry at them, needling them to settle 
  the score. In time, this feeling grows into unreasoning 
  hatred for anyone responsible for the wrong. So when 
  they encounter the object of their hate, they channel 
  all their anger into their attacks, singling out that 
  foe until they slake their thirst for vengeance. While 
  dwarfs do hate specific creatures, they do not let this 
  anger rule them. They know the difference between 
  vengeance and suicide. Just because dwarfs hates 
  trolls doesn’t mean dwarfs will rush out to kill trolls or 
  die trying—trolls are tough, and notoriously resistant 
  to being killed. Instead, dwarfs nurse their hatred and 
  perfect their fighting prowess until they can be sure 
  they will bring down their foes. 
  Dwarf Relations
  The dwarfs have skirmished with orcs, fought goblins, 
  battled trolls, and waged war against faeries, humans, 
  and just about everyone else in the world. Blame 
  falls on both sides of the dispute, usually over some 
  minor insult or misunderstanding over a contract, 
  but the dwarfs have suffered attacks and insults from 
  peoples who sought to rob their vaults or to exploit 
  their goodwill. Having had dealings with people of all 
  kind and found in them all some cause for complaint, 
  dwarfs suspect the worst from everyone they meet. 
  They believe it’s just a matter of time before their 
  
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  low expectations are proven right. Thus, dwarfs deal 
  carefully with other peoples and prefer to keep them 
  at a distance before they can be betrayed.
   Humans: Even though many dwarfs live among 
  humans, they do not trust them. Dwarfs see humans 
  as a short-lived, impulsive, and erratic people 
  who lack the patience to do anything right or the 
  perseverance to master anything they attempt to 
  learn. Despite this, dwarfs and humans have found 
  ways to set aside their disputes and come together 
  against common enemies many times over the 
  centuries. Most notably, dwarfs joined forces with the 
  Kalasans to break the Witch-King’s dark reign and, 
  more recently, dwarfs joined forces with Horus to 
  liberate the borderlands of Tear. So long as humans 
  keep up their side of the bargain, they can count the 
  dwarfs as allies, albeit distant and aloof ones at best.
  Changelings: Dwarfs do not encounter changelings 
  often. The stench of iron keeps most faeries far from 
  dwarfen kingdoms, so few dwarfs are at risk of having 
  their children replaced by thieving faeries. Dwarfs 
  who do encounter changelings typically avoid them, 
  seeing them as evidence of faerie mischief: it is the 
  height of folly, dwarfs believe, to associate with a thing 
  made to cover a crime. Few dwarfs see changelings as 
  people and instead treat them as talking spells.
  Clockworks: Clockworks fascinate dwarfs. While 
  dwarfs find the act of binding souls to machinery 
  to be a disturbing violation of the natural order of 
  things, their interest in engineering and workmanship 
  overrides their misgivings. They might examine 
  clockwork bodies to learn how they work and marvel 
  at the ingeniousness of their design, though no dwarf 
  would ever willingly offer a complement about the 
  work even if secretly impressed by it. 
  Dwarfs: Dwarfs prefer the company of their own 
  kind to others. Even when they meet dwarfs they 
  do not know, their guard drops and they swap news 
  and boasts, while remarking on the foolishness of 
  the lesser peoples. Dwarfs who begin a night as total 
  strangers might wind up singing songs together as 
  they stuff their faces with food and drink.
  Fauns: Dwarfs consider fauns to be yet one 
  another example of the bizarre and unseemly peoples 
  haunting the hidden places in the world. Dwarfs don’t 
  trust fauns and prefer to avoid them. 
   Goblins: There’s no love lost between dwarfs and 
  goblins. Their mutual animosity goes back to a time 
  before human dominance. The wars between the 
  dwarfs and the faeries raged for nearly a century, and 
  while dwarfs dislike most faeries, goblins earned the 
  full force of their disdain after causing endless trouble 
  for the dwarfen people by collapsing their tunnels, 
  raiding their vaults, and generally wreaking havoc in 
  their communities. Attitudes toward goblins have not 
  softened over time, even now that the goblins have 
  been exiled from the hidden kingdoms and stripped 
  of their immortality.
  Dwarfs remain ever vigilant against attacks from 
  the myriad goblin tribes who make their home 
  underground. Outside dwarfen homelands, tensions 
  between goblins and dwarfs continue and outbreaks 
  
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  of violence usually occur in places where the two 
  peoples are forced to live in the same community.
  	 Halflings:	Dwarfs have no strong opinions about 
  halflings. The two peoples do not often cross paths. 
  If anything, dwarfs might consider halflings weak 
  and timid, soft from living free from the violence and 
  horror that has defined much of dwarfen history. 
  However, halfling courage is the stuff of legend 
  and dwarfs who get to know them find themselves 
  growing to like and even respect them.
   Orcs: In recent years, clashes between dwarfs and 
  the Empire involved fighting against orcs. As orcs 
  prove time and again to be vicious, merciless killers, 
  a deep hatred for their kind has taken hold in most 
  dwarfen communities, such that dwarfs refuse them 
  access to their realms and some even go so far as to 
  hunt orcs who trespass on their territories. Hatred 
  for orcs runs hottest in the dwarfen kingdoms, but is 
  tempered somewhat outside these lands by the reality 
  of having to living alongside them. Still, dwarfs living 
  in human lands are bothered by orcs, finding them 
  unsettling and abhorrent.
  Elementals: Dwarfs and gnomes share many of 
  the same lands. While not all meetings have been 
  peaceful, the two peoples have learned to coexist. 
  Some gnomes, after being driven out from their 
  homeland found refuge in the dwarfen kingdoms and 
  though they do not have all the rights and liberties 
  enjoyed by the dwarfs, they can live in peace with 
  them.
   While dwarfs do get along with gnomes, they 
  have not had much success in dealing peacefully 
  with salamanders. The troubles stem from a short 
  and bitter war over the Burning Vaults, a range of 
  volcanic mountains forming the western barrier 
  of the Desolation. Dwarfen prospectors explored 
  the area and discovered diamonds. They left, but 
  returned in greater numbers, intending to establish 
  an outpost to mine the region. Not long after, the 
  salamanders descended the slopes to drive out the 
  invaders and a bloody battle was fought between the, 
  The salamanders managed to drive off the dwarfs, but 
  suffered high casualties as a result, and since then, a 
  simmering hatred exists between the two peoples.
  Dwarfs are unaware of the other elemental peoples. 
  Faeries: Wars between the faeries and dwarfs 
  raged long before mankind began expanding 
  across the continent. Much of the fighting involved 
  dwarfen encroachment on faerie territory, but it also 
  involved manipulation by the trolls, who sought to 
  make dwarfs their slaves. Caught in between the two 
  enemies, the dwarfs despise both and the hatred 
  persists to this day. 
  Dwarf Characters
  Shadow of the Demon Lord includes everything you 
  need to create a dwarf character. Using the rules in 
  that book, you can make a character rapidly with 
  just enough information to portray the character 
  in the game. Here, you will find advanced rules for 
  making dwarfs, with alternate features and a slew 
  of tables to develop your character’s background. If 
  you use the rules presented here, it’s important to 
  use the supporting tables as they help you flesh out 
  your character and determine your professions, the 
  languages you know, and your starting equipment.
  Creating a Dwarf
  Choose an Attribute Scores option
  Random Attribute Scores Strength 8 + 1d3, Agility 7 
  + 1d3, Intellect 8 + 1d3, Will 8 + 1d3
  Standard Attribute Scores Strength 10, Agility 9, 
  Intellect 10, Will 10
  Perception equals your Intellect score + 1
  Defense equals your Agility score
  Health equals your Strength score + 4
  Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health
  Size 1/2, Speed 8, Power 0
  Languages and Professions You speak, read, and 
  write Dwarfish.
  Darksight You can see in areas obscured by 
  shadows and darkness within medium range as 
  if those areas were lit. Beyond this distance, you 
  treat darkness as shadows and shadows as lit.
  Hated Creature Choose a creature from the Hatred 
  table. Your hatred grants 1 boon on attack rolls 
  made against creatures you hate.
  Robust Constitution You take half damage from 
  poison. You make challenge rolls with 1 boon to 
  avoid or remove the poisoned affliction.
  Level 4 Dwarf Expert
  Characteristics Health +6
  You learn one spell from a tradition you have already 
  discovered or gain one of the following talents.
  Shake it Off You can use an action to heal damage 
  equal to your healing rate and remove one of 
  the following affliction: fatigued, impaired, or 
  poisoned. Once you use this talent, you cannot use 
  it again until after you complete a rest.
  Sturdy as the Mountain You ignore the Strength 
  requirements for wearing armor and using 
  weapons. In addition, whenever you would be 
  knocked prone, you can use a triggered action to 
  make a Strength challenge roll. On a success, you 
  do not fall prone.
  Dwarf Development Tables
  You can use the tables presented here to create a 
  dwarf character with a detailed background. If you 
  use these tables, do not roll for random starting 
  professions or starting wealth using Shadow—use the 
  tables included here instead. You must roll dice for 
  each table and take the results from each roll.
  
  8
  Family Tables
  The family tables describe your immediate kin and 
  your upbringing.
  Ancestors
  3d6
  Ancestors
  3
  Your ancestors were exiled after committing a 
  crime of theft, cowardice, or treason. Subtract 3 
  from your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  4–5
  Your ancestors were prospectors and explorers, 
  seeking new veins of gold and silver deep under 
  the mountains. 
  6–8
  Your ancestors were ordinary and unexceptional 
  people and did little of note or consequence.
  9–12 
  Your ancestors toiled in the mines, extracting 
  precious stones and metals from the depths.
  13–15
  Your ancestors were master artisans, famed for 
  their skill far and wide. Add 1 to your Starting 
  Lifestyle roll.
  16–17
  Your ancestors were great warriors and fought 
  in the wars against the faeries, goblins, trolls, 
  and other foul creatures. Add 1 to your Starting 
  Lifestyle roll.
  18
  Your ancestors were nobles and at least one of 
  your ancestors might have been a king or queen. 
  Add 3 to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  Family Circumstances
  3d6
  Family Circumstances
  3
  You were orphaned at a young age and have no 
  memory of your parents or siblings. Subtract 6 
  from your Childhood roll and skip the Familial 
  Relations roll.
  4–5
  You were born to a destitute family. Subtract 3 
  from your Childhood roll.
  6–8
  Your family was poor. Subtract 1 from your 
  Childhood roll. 
  9–12
  Your family was just getting by. 
  13–15
  Your family lived comfortably. Add 1 to your 
  Childhood roll. 
  16–17
  Your family was wealthy. Add 3 to your 
  Childhood roll. 
  18
  Your family was rich. Add 6 to your 
  Childhood roll.
  Familial Relations
  3d6
  Relations
  3
  Your family disowned you. 
  4–5
  You do not get along with your family. 
  6–8
  You neither like nor dislike your family. 
  9–12
  You get along with your family.
  13–15
  You have a close relationship your family.
  16–17
  You have a strong bond to your family and 
  everything you do is to honor them and to 
  improve their lots. You visit your family often.
  18
  You live for your family and everything you do 
  you do for them. 
  Siblings*
  d6
  Siblings
  1
  You have no siblings
  2
  You have one sibling
  3
  You have two siblings
  4
  You have three 
  siblings
  5
  You have four 
  siblings
  6
  You have five siblings
  *For each sibling, roll a d6.
  You have a brother on an odd
  number and a sister on an
  even number.
  Sibling Age
  4d6
  Age
  4
  Identical or fraternal twin, triplet, or quadruplet
  5–14
  Older
  15–24
  Younger
  Parent and Sibling Fate*
  3d6
  Fate
  3
  Insane
  4–5
  Unknown
  6–8
  Dead
  9–12
  Alive
  13–15
  Alive but disgraced
  16–17
  Alive and well-regarded
  18
  Alive and famous
  *Roll once on this table for each
  parent and sibling. If the character
  is dead, roll on the Cause of Death
  table to find out how. You can use
  the other tables to add detail as you
  like to your other siblings.
  Cause of Death
  3d6
  Cause of Death
  3
  Murder
  4–5
  Accident unrelated to profession
  6–8
  Disease, famine, or exposure
  9–12
  Natural causes
  13–15
  War
  16–17
  Accident related to profession
  18
  Suicide
  
  9
  Appearance Tables
  Use the following tables to determine your character’s 
  general appearance. Choose your gender, skin, hair, 
  and eye color, as none of those things matter.
  Age
  3d6
  Age
  3
  You are a child, 20 years old or younger. You are 
  Size 1/4 and you halve your height and weight. 
  Roll on the Childhood table.
  4–5
  You are an adolescent, 21 to 30 years old. Reduce 
  your height and weight by 25%. Roll on the 
  Childhood table and once on the Life Experience 
  table.
  6–8
  You are a young adult, 31 to 50 years old. Roll 
  on the Childhood table and twice on the Life 
  Experience table.
  9–12
  You are an adult, 51 to 75 years old. Roll on 
  the Childhood table and four times on the Life 
  Experience table.
  13–15
  You are a middle-aged adult, 76 to 100 years old. 
  Roll on the Childhood table and five times on the 
  Life Experience table.
  16–17
  You are an older adult, 101 to 150 years old. Roll 
  on the Childhood table and six times on the Life 
  Experience table.
  18
  You are a venerable adult, 151 years old or older. 
  Roll on the Childhood table and eight times on the 
  Life Experience table.
  Build*
  3d6
  Build
  3
  You are quite small. Reduce your height by 3d6 
  inches and your weight by 2 pounds per inch. 
  4–5
  You are short. Reduce your height by 2d6 inches 
  and your weight by 2 pounds per inch.
  6–8
  You are thin. Reduce your weight by 3d6 pounds.
  9–12
  You are of average height and weight
  13–15
  You are heavy. Increase your weight by 5d6 pounds.
  16–17
  You are tall. Increase your height by 2d6 inches 
  and your weight by 2 pounds per inch.
  18
  You are enormous for a dwarf. Increase your height 
  by 3d6 inches and your weight by 3 pounds per inch.
  *The Build table modifies your starting height and weight.
  Regardless of gender, your starting height is 42 inches and
  weight is 150 pounds.
  Appearance
  3d6
  Appearance
  3
  You are hideous. You lack body hair, have a mass 
  of scars obscuring your facial features, and a 
  hobbling, lurching gait. Do not roll on the Facial 
  Hair table.
  4–5
  You are quite brutish, even by dwarfish standards. 
  You are probably filthy from all your grubbing and 
  have mites, scars, and a strong, unpleasant odor. 
  6–8
  You have an unusual physical quality others find 
  off-putting. You might have overlarge ears, a big 
  nose, tiny eyes, or some other minor physical 
  abnormality. 
  9–12
  You are a typical dwarf, being hairy, a bit grubby, 
  and probably portly.
  
  10
  13–15
  You are an attractive dwarf specimen with one or 
  two fine qualities.
  16–17
  You are quite comely and you take care of your 
  beard and general appearance. You likely favor 
  finer clothes and keep your facial hair well oiled. 
  18
  You have a regal appearance and presence, 
  enough so that heads turn in your direction 
  wherever you go. You favor fine clothing, jewelry, 
  and ensure your facial hair is always well groomed 
  and maintained. 
  Facial Hair
  3d6
  Facial Hair
  3
  You have a thin, patchy beard.
  4–5
  You have a fancy moustache.
  6–8
  You have thick muttonchops or a long goatee.
  9–12
  You have a beard of average length and appearance.
  13–15
  You have a well-groomed beard and thick, 
  menacing eyebrows.
  16–17
  You have a long beard that hangs down past 
  your knees.
  18
  You have a long beard that drags on the ground.
  Background Tables
  The background tables determine from where your 
  character came and what your character did before 
  the game begins. Start by rolling on the Childhood 
  table and then on the Life Experience table a 
  number of times as determined by your age. The 
  Life Experience table might direct you to roll on 
  another table to discover what happened during that 
  experience.
  Childhood
  3d6
  Childhood
  3 or 
  less
  You were captured by your people’s enemies and 
  forced to live as a slave. You escaped not long 
  after, but you couldn’t find your way home. Gain 
  one random wilderness profession.
  4–5
  You ran away from home and made your own 
  way in the world. You know how to speak the 
  Common Tongue.
  6–8
  You worked in the family business. Gain a random 
  profession
  9–12
  You worked in the mines from a very young age. 
  Gain the miner profession. 
  13–15 
  You were apprenticed to an artisan. Gain an 
  artisan profession of your choice.
  16–17
  You were apprenticed to the priests of the 
  Honored Dead. Gain the acolyte profession.
  18 or 
  more
  You studied under a scholar. You can speak, read, 
  and write the Common Tongue and High Archaic, 
  and you add one random Area of Scholarship.
  Life Experience*
  3d6
  Experience
  3
  You Died! Roll on the Cause of Death table to find 
  out how. You can either start over or be returned 
  to life by some stroke of luck. If you return to life, 
  you start the game with 1d6 Insanity. Or, if you’re 
  using Tombs of the Desolation, you can become a 
  revenant or vampire.
  4–5
  Roll on the Major Setback table.
  6–8
  Roll on the Minor Setback table.
  9–12
  Toil! You found work related to your profession. 
  You gain nothing from this experience except for 
  the satisfaction of a job well done and the pride 
  you take from pleasing your ancestors.
  13–15
  Roll on the Minor Windfall table.
  16–17
  Roll on the Major Windfall table.
  18
  Roll on the Strange Event table.
  *Roll on this table only if directed by the Age table.
  Major Setback
  d20
  Major Setback
  1
  You did something so profoundly wrong and 
  shameful you were exiled from your clan. You will 
  be executed if you ever return. You search for 
  redemption in death fighting against the creatures 
  you hate. Gain 1 Corruption.
  2
  A member of the creatures you hate captured you 
  and forced you to live as a slave for 2d6 years. 
  You recently escaped. Add slave to your list of 
  professions.
  3
  The creatures you hate overran your homeland 
  and slaughtered your clan. You are one of the few 
  survivors.
  4
  A demon possessed you. Gain 1 Corruption. 
  Either an exorcist cast it out or, if you have 
  Demon Lord’s Companion, you can start with the 
  Possessed story complication.
  5
  You did shoddy work and your reputation 
  suffered. Subtract 3 from your Starting Lifestyle 
  roll.
  6
  A vile disease swept through your community, 
  killing many and leaving others scarred. You either 
  bear the scars of your affliction or, if you have 
  Demon Lord’s Companion, you can start with the 
  Plagued story complication.
  7
  You spent 2d6 years in prison for a crime you 
  committed (gain 1 Corruption) or didn’t commit 
  (gain 1d3 Insanity). Add the years you spent in 
  prison to your starting age and gain the convict 
  profession.
  8
  A cave-in or some other natural disaster 
  destroyed your life. Subtract 3 from your Starting 
  Lifestyle roll.
  9
  You lost an eye, ear, or 1d3 fingers in a terrible 
  accident. If you have Demon Lord’s Companion, 
  you can add the Maimed story complication.
  10
  You displeased your ancestors and suffered as a 
  result. Subtract 1 from your Starting Lifestyle roll. 
  If you have Demon Lord’s Companion, you can 
  add the Cursed story complication.
  11
  Someone close to you died: a spouse, child, 
  parent, or sibling.
  
  11
  12
  You became hopelessly lost underground. You 
  spent 1d6 weeks trying to find your way out. You 
  emerged somewhere far from home and you have 
  not yet returned.
  13
  Disaster wiped out your community. You were the 
  sole survivor and left your old life behind.
  14
  You saw a hideous monster or demon. Gain 1d3 
  Insanity.
  15
  Horrible monsters, demons, or some other vile 
  threat overran your community, killing everyone in 
  your family. Gain 1d6 Insanity. If you have Demon 
  Lord’s Companion, you can add the Mad story 
  complication.
  16
  You angered someone important and were 
  shamed as a result. Subtract 3 from your Starting 
  Lifestyle roll.
  17
  You set out to find your fortune only to return to 
  your homeland penniless and in disgrace. Subtract 
  1 from your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  18
  You cause the death of a loved one.
  19
  You did something that brought shame on 
  yourself and your family. You were branded for 
  the act and driven out from your homeland. In 
  social situations involving other dwarfs, you make 
  attack rolls with 1 bane.
  20
  You made a dangerous enemy, one who seeks to 
  harm you. Work with the GM to create a suitable 
  nemesis.
  Minor Setback
  d20
  Minor Setback
  1
  You accidentally killed someone close to you and 
  the shame burns inside you.
  2
  You stole a few gold coins from a rival clan, 
  bringing shame to you and your family. 
  3
  You went out to fight your hated creature and 
  returned in defeat.
  4
  A tunnel caved in killing several of your friends. 
  The experience planted a seed of fear in you and 
  you now feel uncomfortable in confined spaces. 
  Gain 1 Insanity.
  5
  An enormous monster swallowed you whole. 
  You survived in its gullet for several hours before 
  being released in a flood of its excrement. Gain 
  1 Insanity.
  6
  You suffered a nasty injury and bear the scars still.
  7
  You saw something horrible. Gain 1 Insanity.
  8
  An argument, complication, or bad situation drove 
  a wedge between you and your family. You do not 
  get along and you haven’t seen them since.
  9
  Someone tried to kill you. You survived, but fear 
  they will try again.
  10
  You lost something valuable. Subtract 1 from your 
  Starting Lifestyle roll.
  11
  You got lost in the bottom of a bottle. You drank 
  heavily. If you have Demon Lord’s Companion, you 
  can add the Addicted story complication.
  12
  You stole something from someone who needed 
  it, hurt an innocent, or did something else 
  shameful. Gain 1 Corruption.
  13
  You lost a life-long friend. Roll a d6. It was your 
  fault on an odd number or their fault on an even 
  number.
  14
  You learned a dangerous secret. Work with the 
  GM to determine the secret.
  15
  You suffered a nasty head wound, which caused 
  you to forget many things. Lose one profession or 
  the ability to speak one language.
  16
  Someone you loved became injured as a result of 
  your actions.
  17
  You left home to start over somewhere else.
  18
  A spouse, child, sibling, or parent vanished.
  19
  Your community came under attack by robbers, 
  monsters, or something else. Subtract 1 from your 
  Starting Lifestyle roll.
  20
  A strong of bitter disappointments and failures left 
  you cynical.
  Minor Windfall
  d20
  Minor Windfall
  1
  An ancestor appeared before you and charged 
  you with recovering a fabled relic. You have set 
  your life’s work toward its recovery. 
  2
  You swore an oath of service to the Dwarf King 
  and venture into the world to bring honor and 
  fortune to your patron.
  3
  You discovered a talent for artistry. Add an 
  Artisan profession of your choice.
  4
  You traveled extensively. Add one language to 
  the list of languages you can speak.
  5
  You received from your parents the battleaxe 
  from one of your more famous ancestors. It is 
  your most prized possession.
  6
  You helped hunt down and destroy a creature 
  vexing to your clan.
  7
  You performed a great service to your clan and 
  are now considered a hero to your people.
  8
  You discovered an ornate key that you believe 
  opens a door to a treasure vault lost to your 
  people long ago.
  9
  You fell in love and might have gotten married. 
  Work with your GM to determine your love interest. 
  Each time you get this result, you have a child!
  10
  You have a child. Your offspring can be legitimate 
  or illegitimate as you decide. 
  11
  You made the acquaintance of someone important. 
  Choose Influence, Information, or Security. The 
  character can provide the benefit to you once (see 
  Connections in Shadow, page 207). Come up with 
  details about this character with the GM.
  12
  You got an education or furthered your education. 
  Choose one: Speak another language or gain a 
  random area of scholarship.
  13
  You changed careers! Gain a random profession.
  14
  You found something interesting. Gain one 
  Interesting Thing.
  15
  You saved your community from destruction or a 
  vile conspiracy. You are considered a hero to your 
  people and never have to pay for food or drink 
  while you are there.
  16
  You found a healing potion.
  17
  You escape certain death! Start the game with 
  Fortune.
  18
  You gain a suit of soft leather or hard leather armor.
  19
  You fought in the defense of your people. 
  For your efforts, you gained a medal. In social 
  situations involving dwarfs who see your metal, 
  you make attack rolls with 1 boon.
  20
  You found a small shield!
  
  12
  Major Windfall
  d20
  Major Windfall
  1
  You discovered a vein of gold deep in a mountain. 
  Add 6 to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  2
  You did a great service for a Dwarf King or Queen. 
  You gain an enchanted object of the GM’s choice.
  3
  You made an important connection. Choose 
  Influence, Information, or Security (see 
  Connections in Shadow, page 207). Come up with 
  details about this character with the GM.
  4
  You enjoyed great success in your business. Add 
  3 to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  5
  Your hatred grows. You gain a +1 bonus to 
  damage rolls against your hated creature.
  6
  You built a small house in the place where you 
  live.
  7
  You helped escort a caravan to a distant 
  destination. Add 1 to your Starting Lifestyle roll 
  and you can speak an additional language.
  8
  You acquired the deed to a mine at a place of the 
  GM’s choosing.
  9
  You found a sheet of rock on which is inscribed 
  1d3 + 1 rank 1 incantations.
  10
  An alchemist you help gifted you with 1d3 + 1 
  potions of the GM’s choice.
  11
  Your ancestors visited you and bestowed on you 
  their favor. You can invoke the favor when you 
  make an attack roll or challenge roll to make the 
  roll with 1 boon. When you invoke the favor, roll 
  a d6. You lose the favor forever if you roll an odd 
  number.
  12
  You made a friend of a powerful figure—an 
  archmage, high priest, general, or hero. The GM 
  determines the person’s identity and the benefits 
  your friendship provides.
  13
  You found a chest of coins! Add 3 to your Starting 
  Lifestyle roll.
  14
  You saved the life of another dwarf. The character 
  (as dwarf) accompanies you on your adventures 
  and serves until death. Work out the details with 
  your GM.
  15
  You gain an inheritance from a wealthy relative 
  or friend. This inheritance pays for you to have a 
  wealthy lifestyle or to purchase a rich lifestyle for 
  1 gc.
  16
  You gain a suit of armor or a weapon of your 
  choice.
  17
   You befriend a giant mole (as small animal with 
  the sightless trait) who accompanies you and 
  obeys your commands.
  18
  You are famous, known all across the lands in 
  which you live. Work out the details about how 
  you became famous with the GM.
  20
  Your ancestors revealed the moment of your 
  death. When you would die, you can choose not 
  to die and instead become unconscious for 1d3 
  hours. Once you make this choice, you cannot 
  make it again. 
  Strange Event
  d20
  Event
  1
  You sold your soul to a devil for riches only to be 
  betrayed by the devil and left penniless. Swap 
  out your hatred for devils if you hate a different 
  creature and start the game with 1 Corruption.
  2
  You and an elf fell in love. So profoundly wrong 
  was your romance, you gain 1d3 Insanity. 
  However, you make attack rolls in social situations 
  involving faeries with 1 boon.
  3
  You spent 1d20 years living among the gnomes. 
  From them, you discovered the Earth tradition.
  4
  You spent a few years in study. Add two areas of 
  scholarship of your choice.
  5
  You discovered a pool of foul ichor that spawned 
  hideous monsters. You touched the substance and 
  survived, but you gain 1 Corruption.
  6
  You became a fanatical follower of the Honored 
  Dead. The first time you ever make a fate roll, you 
  can roll twice and use either result.
  7
  A Dwarf King or Queen gave you a boon. For your 
  first adventure, you make attack rolls with 1 boon.
  8
  You are haunted by one of your ancestors. If you 
  have Demon Lord’s Companion, you can add the 
  Haunted story complication.
  9
  You did something shameful and cut all ties to 
  your homeland as a result. Now, you wander the 
  lands seeking a glorious end in the hopes that it 
  will redeem you in the eyes of your ancestors.
  10
  You took a nasty blow to the head. Reduce your 
  Intellect by 1, but you make challenge rolls to 
  resist gaining Insanity with 1 boon.
  11
  You know a secret way into one of the lost 
  dwarfen kingdoms. You intend to go there one 
  day and liberate it from the horrors that overran 
  it. Work out the details of this location with the 
  GM.
  12
  You fought troglodytes with your fellow dwarfs. 
  You destroyed a nest of them and their screaming 
  haunts you still. You treat troglodytes as having 
  the frightening trait, but you count them as a 
  hated creature.
  13
  You were slain in battle but later raised from the 
  dead. Gain 1d3 Insanity.
  14
  Choose a member of your group. Your ancestors 
  revealed this character will play an important part 
  in your life. When you or that character uses an 
  action to help the other, the result of the Intellect 
  is automatically a success and the action grants 
  an extra boon.
  15
  You were among those who fought the 
  salamanders and lived to tell the tale. Add 
  salamanders to your list of hated creatures.
  16
  You inherited a battleaxe or warhammer from a 
  relative. The weapon bears a mighty rune that 
  grants a +1 bonus to damage rolls on attacks 
  made using it.
  17
  You studied the ancient runes of your people and 
  discovered the Rune tradition as a result.
  18
  You were killed before you could finish a great 
  task. If you have Tombs of the Desolation, you 
  become a revenant.
  19
  You explored an area infested with strange mold. 
  The spores both weakened and enhanced you. 
  Reduce your Health by 1d3 but increase your 
  Perception by 1.
  20
  A priest of the Honored Dead revealed something 
  of your future. Roll a d6. On a 1, you learned you 
  were doomed and, if you have Demon Lord’s 
  Companion, you can add the Doomed story 
  complication. On a 2–5, the priest hints at what 
  is to come and granting you Fortune for the next 
  adventure. On a 6, you learn important secrets 
  and for your next adventure, you make attack rolls 
  and challenge rolls with 1 boon.
  
  13
  Dwarf Profession Tables
  Use the following tables in place of those in Shadow of
  the Demon Lord to randomly determine your starting 
  professions as directed by the previous tables. Your 
  profession also adds an item to your list of starting 
  equipment.
  Random Profession
  d6
  Profession Table
  1
  Scholar: Areas of Scholarship
  2
  Common Professions
  3
  Criminal Professions
  4
  Martial Professions
  5
  Religious Professions
  6
  Wilderness Professions
  Scholar: Area of Scholarship*
  d20
  Area of Scholarship
  1–2
  Architecture and engineering
  3–4
  Etiquette, heraldry, law, and politics
  5–6
  Astronomy and navigation
  7–8
  Dwarfen history and geography
  9–10
  Imperial history and geography
  11–12
  Literature, philosophy, poetry, theology, and the arts
  13–14
  Medicine and surgery
  15–16
  Natural sciences
  17–18
  Military sciences
  19–20
  Magical theory
  *Add 1 book covering topics related to your area of
  scholarship to your starting equipment
  Common Professions
  d20
  Profession
  1–2
  Apothecary or healer. Start with a healer’s kit. 
  3–4
  Artisan such as baker, bookbinder, brewer, 
  carpenter, chandler, cobbler, gemcutter, jeweler, 
  leatherworker, mason, potter, printer, scribe, or 
  tailor. You start with a tool kit.
  5–6 
  Artist such as painter or sculptor. If you’re literate, 
  you can choose writer or poet. You start with a 
  tool kit or writing kit.
  7–8
  Conscript. You start with a uniform and spear.
  9–10
  Entertainer such as actor, athlete, comedian, 
  dancer, orator, puppeteer, singer, or storyteller. 
  You start with a costume, dress, or fine clothing as 
  appropriate for your profession.
  11–12 
  Laborer such as porter, grave digger, or hauler. 
  You start with a backpack, shovel, coil of rope, 
  or something else chosen by the GM that’s 
  appropriate to your profession.
  13–14 
  Merchant. You start the game with raw goods 
  such as textiles, grains, or something else worth 
  1d6 ss.
  15–16
  Miner or prospector. You start with a pick and a 
  map of the region.
  17–18
  Musician using percussion, stringed, or wind 
  instruments. You start with a musical instrument.
  19–20 
  Trade such as dyer, tanner, or butcher. You start 
  with 2d6 bits.
  Criminal Profession
  d20
  Profession
  1–4
  Burglar or forger. You start with a set of lock picks 
  or tool kit.
  5–8
  Charlatan, confidence artist, informant, or spy. 
  You start with a disguise kit. 
  9–12
  Fence or smuggler. You start with 1d6 cp.
  13–16
  Mugger, pickpocket, or thug. You start with 1d6 bits.
  17–20
  Murderer. You start with a garrote.
  Martial Profession
  d20
  Profession
  1–4
  Constable, detective, or patroller. You start with a 
  lantern and flask of oil.
  5–8
  Guard or henchman. You start with a club and 
  uniform.
  9–12
  Jailer or torturer. You start with a pair of manacles 
  or torturer’s tools.
  13–16
  Mercenary. You start with a sword and a contract 
  for your last job.
  17–20
  Soldier. You start with a uniform, small shield, and 
  sword. 
  
  14
  Religious Profession*
  d6
  Profession
  1
  Anchorite, flagellant, fanatic
  2
  Evangelist or street preacher
  3
  Acolyte, devotee, or initiate
  4
  Militant, such as a crusader. You start with a mace.
  5
  Minister of a small temple
  6
  Minister of a large temple
  *Your profession is usually associated with your religion.
  You start with a symbol of your faith.
  Wilderness Profession
  d20
  Profession
  1–2
  Animal trainer. You start with a small animal that’s 
  friendly to you.
  3–4
  Apothecary or healer. You start with a healer’s kit.
  5–6
  Drover or herder. You start with a staff.
  7–8
  Guide, pioneer, or prospector. You start with a 
  map of the region.
  9–10
  Hermit. You start with a week of rations and a 
  waterskin.
  11–12
  Hunter or gatherer. You start with a bow and 
  12 arrows.
  13–14
  Nomad. You start with a horse.
  15–16
  Spelunker. You start with a lantern, pick, and 
  2 flasks of oil.
  17–18
  Tracker. You start with a spear.
  19–20
  Woodcutter. You start with an axe.
  Starting Equipment
  All characters start the game with equipment based 
  on their starting lifestyle and their profession or 
  professions. To determine your starting lifestyle, roll 
  3d6 and add to the roll all the modifiers gained from 
  your Life Experience rolls. Then find the total on the 
  Starting Lifestyle table (Lifestyles are described in 
  Shadow, page 100). In addition to the equipment, your 
  character starts the game with one Interesting Thing 
  (Shadow, page 26).
  Starting Lifestyle
  3d6
  Lifestyle
  3 or less
  Destitute
  4–5
  Poor
  6–12
  Getting By
  13–15
  Comfortable
  16–17
  Wealthy
  18 or more
  Rich
  Clothing
  Lifestyle
  Clothing
  Destitute
  Foul rags and a blanket
  Poor
  Patched, threadbare basic clothing with a 
  ratty cloak
  Getting by
  Basic clothing with a cloak
  Comfortable
  1d3 sets of basic clothing with one fine cloak
  Wealthy
  1d3 sets of well-made basic clothing, a set 
  of noble’s clothing, and a fine cloak
  Rich
  1d3 sets of noble’s clothing and a fine cloak
  Weapon
  Lifestyle
  Weapons
  Destitute
  Club or a sling with 20 stones
  Poor
  Staff, club, or sling with 20 stones
  Getting by
  Sling with 20 stones and either a hammer or 
  hatchet
  Comfortable
  Sling with 20 stones and either a hammer or 
  hatchet
  Wealthy
  Hammer or hatchet
  Rich
  Hammer or hatchet
  Personal Gear
  Lifestyle
  Personal Gear
  Destitute
  Sack
  Poor
  Sack, loaf of bread, and canteen filled with ale 
  Getting by
  Backpack, week of rations, small keg filled 
  with beer, and coil of rope
  Comfortable
  Backpack, week of rations, small keg filled 
  with beer, and coil of rope
  Wealthy
  Backpack, week of rations, small keg filled 
  with beer, bottle of spirits, and coil of rope
  Rich
  Backpack, week of rations, small keg filled 
  with beer, bottle of spirits, and coil of rope
  Special Gear
  Lifestyle
  Special Gear
  Destitute
  —
  Poor
  —
  Getting by
  —
  Comfortable
  Healing potion plus one of the following: an 
  incantation of one rank 0 spell, small shield, 
  healer’s kit, tool kit, or writing kit
  Wealthy
  Healing potion plus one of the following: an 
  incantation of one rank 0 spell, small shield, 
  healer’s kit, tool kit, or writing kit
  Rich
  Healing potion plus one of the following: an 
  incantation of one rank 0 spell, small shield, 
  healer’s kit, tool kit, or writing kit
  Wealth
  Lifestyle
  Wealth
  Destitute
  1d6 bits
  Poor
  2d6 bits
  Getting by
  1d6 cp
  Comfortable
  2d6 cp
  Wealthy
  1d6 ss
  Rich
  2d6 ss
  
  15
  Personal Effects*
  d20
  Item
  1
  Pipe with pouch of tobacco
  2
  A pewter tankard
  3
  A small, prized stone
  4
  A small stone idol of an ancestor 
  5
  A whittling knife
  6
  A sack of potatoes
  7
  A chip on your shoulder
  8
  1d3 bright rings for your beard 
  9
  An earring
  10
  A colorful shirt
  11
  An iron key
  12
  An axe
  13
  A badge of honor gifted to you by a dwarfen 
  regent
  14
  A hooded cloak
  15
  A yearning for home
  16
  A dozen dwarfen songs
  17
  Pride in a job well done
  18
  A lantern with 3 flasks of oil
  19
  A canary in a small cage
  20
  Box of cigars
  *Roll on this table regardless of your starting wealth.
  Personality Tables
  Use the following tables to help define your 
  character’s personality and the result should guide 
  you in portraying the character during play.
  Personality
  3d6
  Personality
  3
  You criticize everyone you meet, judging them 
  and dismissing them as being beneath you. Your 
  arrogance is astonishing to witness.
  4–5
  You are a bully and braggart. Others find you 
  impossible to be around.
  6–8
  You are quiet and humorless. You have no 
  patience for fools. 
  9–12
  Dour and gruff, you are unpleasant in social 
  situations.
  13–15
  You are serious and stern, but you do laugh from 
  time to time.
  16–17
  You are open and gregarious, unlike most other 
  dwarfs. You get along well with other people and 
  delight in being at the center of attention. 
  18
  Such is your personality that you make friends 
  wherever you go and are an inspiration to others.  
  Relationships
  3d6
  Relationships
  3
  You hate everyone. You use people to get ahead.
  4–5
  You have a hard time trusting other people and 
  always expect them to double cross you.
  6–8
  You trust only other dwarfs. People of different 
  ancestries have proven repeatedly they lack honor.
  9–12
  You trust dwarfs and people who earn it. 
  13–15
  You might be slow to build relationships but you 
  would do anything to protect those relationships, 
  even if it means your own life.
  16–17
  You find it easy to build relationships and can 
  overlook the flaws you find in others.
  18
  You see value in most living things and until they 
  give you reason to spurn them, you fight for their 
  rights to exist.
  Desires and Fears*
  1d6
  Desire
  Fear
  1
  Gold and gems
  Poverty
  2
  Honor
  Shame
  3
  Glory
  Ignominy
  4
  Redemption
  Disgrace
  5
  Immortality
  Your ancestors
  6
  Power
  Defeat
  *Roll once for Desire and once for Fear
  Obligations
  3d6
  Obligations
  3
  You haven’t yet made a promise that you’ve kept. 
  To hell with your ancestors! What have they ever 
  done for you? 
  4–5
  You try to keep your word, but you sometimes 
  break it.
  6–8
  You keep to the letter of any agreement and 
  exploit any gaps you find to your advantage.
  9–12
  You always do what you say you will do. After all, 
  your honor is everything to you.
  13–15
  You obey the laws and keep any contract you 
  sign, but you go no further.
  16–17
  You respect the letter and the intent of any 
  agreement you make. You are committed to 
  following through on any promise you make.
  18
  You never break your oath, but you only speak 
  your vows when you are certain that following 
  through with them will bring no shame to you, 
  your people, or your clan. Once sworn, you would 
  give your life to keep your promise.
  Morality
  3d6
  Morality
  3
  You are a wretched, foul creature, an individual 
  ruled by your appetites and desires. You do what 
  you want and whenever you want. 
  4–5
  You are the most important consideration, so you 
  put your needs first. To the victor goes the spoils. 
  6–8
  You do what needs to be done, even if it hurts 
  a few innocents along the way. The ends always 
  justify the means.
  9–12
  You do good and you do what some might 
  consider bad. What you do, though, is what you 
  must in the name of preserving your honor and 
  that of your ancestors.
  13–15
  Although you try to do good, your greed 
  sometimes gets in the way.
  
  16
  16–17
  You temper your lust for treasure with generosity. 
  You might gather wealth, but you always give some 
  of it away to those who need it more than you. 
  18
  You do good in the world not just to honor your 
  ancestors, but because doing so makes the world a 
  better place. You fight to protect those weaker than 
  you and act as a paragon of virtue in all things.
  Religious Belief
  3d6
  Religion
  3
  You believe the gods do not exist
  4–5
  You follow the Dark Gods
  6–15
  You worship the Honored Dead
  16–17
  You belong to the Cult of the New God
  18
  You belong to a heretical sect, worship the Devil, 
  or belong to a cult of the Demon Lord
  Piety
  3d6
  Piety
  3
  Your beliefs are distorted and considered 
  heretical by other members of your faith. 
  4–5
  Your beliefs do not affect your decisions.
  6–8
  Your beliefs sometimes weigh on decisions you make
  9–12
  You hold your beliefs strongly and they influence 
  the decisions you make.
  13–15
  You are a fanatic about your belief and you 
  condemn people who do not believe as you do. 
  Gain 1 Insanity.
  16–17
  You are skeptical about your beliefs.
  18
  You harbor strong doubts about your beliefs.
  Hatred
  d20
  Hated Creature
  1
  Creatures with 1 or more Corruption
  2
  Clockworks and constructs
  3
  Salamanders
  4
  Humans
  5
  Spirits
  6
  Undead
  7
  Troglodytes
  8
  Ogres
  9
  Beastmen
  10
  Orcs
  11
  Goblins
  12
  Elves
  13
  Faeries other than elves and devils
  14
  Monsters and oozes
  15
  Devils
  16
  Trolls
  17
  Giants
  18
  Dragons
  19
  Demons
  20
  Followers of religions other than the Honored Dead
  New Spells
  Dwarfs discovered the secrets of magic long ago after 
  stumbling across those words of power the genies 
  used to create the world. Capturing their power in 
  runes, the dwarfs created an entirely new tradition 
  of magic: Rune. The following spells are common 
  among dwarfs who study this tradition. 
  LASTING RUNE 
  RUNE UTILITY 0
  Target One creature or object you can reach that is under 
  the effects of a Rune spell with a duration of 1 minute or 
  longer
  You touch the target. If the spell’s normal duration is less 
  than 1 hour but at least 1 minute, it becomes 1 hour. If the 
  spell’s duration is 1 hour or longer, you double the duration.
  Sacrifice When you make an attack roll with a weapon, you 
  can use a triggered action to expend a casting of this spell. 
  If the attack roll results in a success, the attack deals 1d3 
  extra damage.
  RUNE OF CONCEALMENT 
  RUNE UTILITY 1
  Target One object you can reach
  Duration 1 minute
  You inscribe a gleaming rune on the target. For the duration, 
  the object is invisible to all creatures other than you.
  RUNE OF FORCE 
  RUNE UTILITY 1
  Target One weapon you can reach
  Duration 1 minute
  You inscribe a gleaming rune on the target weapon. For the 
  duration, whenever a creature gets a success on an attack 
  roll using the weapon, the target of the attack is moved 1d3 
  yards away from the creature. In addition, if the attack roll is 
  20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the 
  target of the attack falls prone.
  WALL OF RUNES 
  RUNE UTILITY 3
  Area A line, 20 yards long, 5 yards high, and 2 yards wide 
  originating from a point within long range
  Duration 1 hour
  A barrier of gleaming runes fills the area and remains for 
  the duration. The wall partially covers everything behind it. 
  When the wall appears, everything in the area must get a 
  success on a Strength challenge roll or become immobilized 
  until the spell ends. A creature immobilized in this way can 
  use an action to make a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane 
  and removes the affliction on a success.
   Creatures can move through the wall’s area, but they treat 
  it as difficult terrain. As well, when a creature moves into 
  the area from outside it, it must get a success or become 
  immobilized as above.
  
  17
  Grudge Bearer 
  Expert Path
  The spirits of the Honored Dead demand restitution 
  for every wrong done to the dwarfen people. Their 
  priests exhort their warriors and champions to seek 
  out the enemies of their kind and mete out justice, 
  whether that means slaughtering every one of the 
  chosen enemy, hauling back treasure promised to 
  them, or carrying out some other revenge crucial to 
  settling the score. Among the priests are those who 
  take it upon themselves to lead these expeditions, to 
  be living symbols of their ancestors’ wrath and strike 
  fear in the hearts of their enemies. These holy ones 
  are the grudge bearers and the depth of their hatred is 
  magnificent to behold.
  Nearly all grudge bearers come from the ranks of 
  the Honored Dead priesthood and supplement their 
  fighting ability with magic learned from the Battle 
  traditions. Others might come to the faith later in 
  life, having witnessed firsthand the horrors in the 
  world as warriors, and subsequently finding solace 
  in the teachings of their faith. Regardless of the paths 
  they take to become grudge bearers, they stand as 
  fearsome champions of all dwarfen kind.
   Grudge bearers tend to be more militant than other 
  divine servants and thus dress themselves for battle, 
  carrying hammers and axes with which they can 
  dispense justice for the wrongs done to their people. 
  Some grudge bearers carry enormous tomes in which 
  have been recorded every slight and every insult done 
  to their people, while others chant a litany of names 
  so they never forget their duty to their people and the 
  vengeance they deserve.
   You must have the Honored Dead as your religion 
  to choose this path.
  Grudge Bearer Story Development
  d3
  Story Development
  1
  One of your ancestors materialized before you 
  and revealed your destiny as champion of your 
  people. 
  2
  You discovered a tome containing all the wrongs 
  done to your kin. Angered, you pledged your life 
  to righting these wrongs.
  3
  You killed or helped kill an enemy to your people. 
  The satisfaction you felt from accomplishing this 
  impelled you to continue your work against other 
  foes.
  Level 3 Grudge Bearer
  Attributes Increase two by 1
  Characteristics Health +4, Power +1
  Languages and Professions Add fanatic to your list 
  of professions. If you have this profession already, 
  add another random religious profession.
  Magic You learn one spell or you discover the Battle, 
  Life, or Rune tradition.
  Great Hatred When a creature you can see deals 
  damage to you or a member of your group, you 
  begin to hate the triggering creature until you use 
  this talent again. Your hatred grants you 1 boon 
  on all attack rolls you make against the triggering 
  creature.
  Level 6 Grudge Bearer
  Characteristics Health +4
  Magic You learn one spell
  Singular Purpose While you are under the effects of 
  your Great Hatred talent, you cannot be charmed 
  or frightened. Using your Great Hatred talent 
  removes these afflictions from you.
  Channeled Hate When you attack a creature that 
  triggered your Great Hatred talent, you can use a 
  triggered action to expend a casting of a spell. The 
  spell deals 1d6 extra damage per rank of the spell 
  whose casting you expended (minimum 1d6 extra 
  damage). 
  Level 9 Master Grudge Bearer
  Characteristics Health +4, Power +1
  Magic You learn one spell
  Brutal Hatred While you are under the effects of 
  your Great Hatred talent, you impose 1 bane on 
  attack rolls made against you. In addition, your 
  attacks that deal damage against the creature you 
  hate deal 1d6 extra damage.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Victims of the Demon Lord/SotDL - Victims of the Demon Lord - For Gold and Glory.pdf