Half-dwarvess; any suggestions?


Homebrew and House Rules


Everyone knows the half-elf and the half-orc, but for some reason, despite their long role as a member of the playable races and their traditional alliances with humanity, the dwarves have never been able to get mainstream support for crossbreeding with humans.

So, I was curious to see if anyone A: would also like to see an option to play as a half-dwarf character in Pathfinder, or B: would have suggestions on what thye might look like?

If it helps at all, there were 3.5 stats for half-dwarfs in the "Races of Anasalon" splatbook for Dragonlance, which for reference looked like this:

Half-dwarves may pass as dwarves with a +8 bonus to Disguise checks, but they are usually too tall and human-like to fool their dwarven kin. Half-dwarf characters possess the following racial traits.
• Humanoid (dwarf): Half-dwarves are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
• A half-dwarf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Weapon Familiarity: Half-dwarves have the same weapon familiarity as dwarves.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft and Appraise checks. Half- dwarves inherit the dwarf’s keen eye for craftsmanship, and their human heritage expands this to more than just stone and metal.
• Stability: A half-dwarf gains a +2 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing firmly on the ground. Though not as stocky as their dwarf parents, half-dwarves still have a lower center of gravity than humans.
• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Any. Half-dwarves often take up their human parent’s regional language as a bonus language.
• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass half-dwarf takes an experience penalty, his highest-level class does not count.


A. I avoid the Tolkien races whenever possible, so it wouldn't matter to me.

B. Essentially, either a stocky human or a tall dwarf, what with that +8 Disguise bonus.

Verdant Wheel

are you interested in the Mul from Dark Sun or another incarnation?


What I really want is some dorks, half dwarf and half orc. Had this idea for a dork brawler that liked to smash objects, think dwarf FCB + orc smasher feat.

Sovereign Court

1 person marked this as a favorite.

What was that Green Ronin book again...Bastards and Bloodlines? I would strongly recommend it for all your halfbreed races inspiration.


There was also "Races of Consequence" which hybridized every possible combination of the PHB races except anything that would mix a half-elf or -orc with a parent race.


obligatory link to hybrids and halfbreeds, which has a mule race (not to be confused with the dark sun version, ours is named such because they are a work race with the demeanor of Eeyore).


I have lots of half races in my games. I use the half -elf and half -orcs as templates for human crosses, but I also have had a Half-Goatfolk Half-Orc. Two campaigns before that I had a major reconciliation between the Elves and Orcs of my world and there were many Forks (half-elf half orcs, elforcs).

Another DM I know is outright against it. Some people are unusually hostile to the idea.


Half-Dwarf
Type Humanoid (dwarf)
Size Medium
Base Speed: Norma
Ability Score +2 to any ability
Languages: Linguist
Misc. Hardy
Misc. Dwarf Weapon familiarity
Misc. Stonecutting
Senses: Darkvision 60ft


Looks like a dwarf only with half save boost converted into disguise and better speed. Sorry, but nothing interesting really...


There is the dworg from the Midnight campaign setting.


I too am interested in the stats of a half-dwarf.

Verdant Wheel

how about base it on Half-Orc to start.
convert Orc Blood and Weapon Familiarity appropriately (to Dwarf)
then remove Intimidating and Orc Ferocity

what to put in their place? (ideas)

Endurance (trait): as feat, but only +2, sleeping in armor bit remove
Strong and Fast: encumbrance does not lower base speed (even better on 30 feet!)
Strong as an Ox: add CON bonus to ST ability score for effective carrying capacity
Hard Work: 1/day ignore one fatigue effect
Work Through Rest: may engage in light work and still be considered resting up to CON bonus days in a row
Unfazed: +2 to Fortitude to saves against fatigue, nausea, poison, stun


As someone pointed out Mul from dark sun (which is one reason I love that setting) are a thing. That would be how I'd design half dwarves.


Shouldn't they have both the human and dwarf subtypes? Like half-elves get both human and elf.


I went and found the 3.5 Mul traits. Here they are.
Ability scores: +2 Str, +4 Con
Medium
Base speed: 30ft
Hardy: Muls only need half as much rest to eliminate the effects of fatigue and exhaustion.
Faster Natural Healing: Muls heal damage at twice the normal rate, recovering 2 HP per level per day. At 10th level they gain fast healing 1, and at 15th level they gain fast healing 3.
Inborn Power: Muls gain 3 extra power points at 1st level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class or not. They can use the power points provided to manifest their offensive prescience power. If you take levels in a class that offers a repertoire of psionic powers, simply add the 3 points to your power point total, and add your inborn power to your list of powers known. Mulls use their inborn power at a manifester level equal to their character level. They use Charisma to set the save DC unless they have levels in a psionic class such as psion or psychic warrior that uses a different ability score to set the DC. In that case, they choose either Cha or the psionic class's relevent ability score to set the save DC.
Languages Muls start play with Common. They can pick Dwarven.
Favored class Fighter
They also have a +1 level adjustment.

I cleaned it up a bit. I copied Inborn Power word for word though. Therefore, I don't think Mul are a very good place to start, since not everyone that wants half-dwarves wants psionics or power points (like me). And that's the Mul's (and everything else from Dark Sun) shtick.

I'd use Rainzax's build. Probably go with Strong and Fast and Hard Work with the others as alt traits.


Half Dwarves??? Those dwarves from the Hobbit are waaaaaayyy to sexy.


Thorin Oakenshield might be a half-dwarf, given how tall he is. This is the movie version I'm thinking of. Cause he is a super tall for a dwarf.

On another note, did you guys know that Aragon has elven blood? Elrond is like his uncle or something. A great-uncle to the nth degree, but still.

Back to the dwarf problem. How does this grab you?
HALF-DWARF RACIAL TRAITS
Type: Half-Dwarves count as Humanoids with the Dwarf and Human subtypes.
Ability Scores: +2 to any ability score.
Size: Medium
Base Speed: 30 feet
Dwarven Blood: Half-Dwarves count as Humans and Dwarves with regards to magical effects.
Hard Work: Once a day Half-Dwarves can ignore fatigue effects.
Strong and Fast: Half-Dwarves wearing heavy armor can still move at full speed.
Weapon Familiarity: Half-Dwarves are considered proficient with the dwarven waraxe and any dwarven weapons.

Other than Work through Rest, Unfazed, Stonecutting, Darkvision and Strong as an Ox, what other traits could they get as alternate traits?

Verdant Wheel

to me,
a half-race getting Weapon Familiarity in one of their parent race's weapons means they identify more strongly with that race, and that parent race approves of the union with other races. Do dwarves 'accept' half-dwarves? something to think about.

i would definately port Darkvision

also word the Strong and Fast ability as the Dwarves "their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance"

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Homebrew and House Rules / Half-dwarvess; any suggestions? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Homebrew and House Rules