Beryl Saltboulder's page

Beryl Saltboulder was born in the deep forges of Stone City, a child of a clan known for its unwavering loyalty to the dwarven crown and its uncanny instinct for reading stone as if it were alive. From an early age he showed the dwarven virtue called the long patience—the ability to endure, to stand firm, and to hold the line long after others faltered. This temperament carried him through training as a warrior, then a temple guardian, and finally into the ranks of the king’s sworn stewards, elite protectors entrusted with sacred vaults and ancient sites beneath the mountain.

His final assignment was the Nexus of Khar‑Zul, a volatile convergence of ley‑lines buried deep below Stone City. Scholars studied it, priests feared it, and stewards guarded it. Beryl’s duty was simple: keep watch, keep calm, and keep the Nexus contained. But the day came when the earth shuddered, the ley‑lines buckled, and the Nexus ruptured in a catastrophic implosion that tore stone into dust and hurled dwarves like pebbles in a storm.

In the chaos, an alchemist—desperate and half‑mad—pressed a vial into Beryl’s hands. It was an experimental Stoneskin potion, unstable and untested, but it was the only hope of surviving the elemental onslaught. Beryl drank it without hesitation. The potion reacted violently with the Nexus surge, and instead of coating his skin in stone, it fused with his blood. His veins thickened into molten ore, his bones hardened into Deepsteel, and his heartbeat slowed to the rhythm of the mountain itself.

When the Nexus finally collapsed, Beryl Saltboulder clawed his way out of the rubble as the sole survivor. Priests who examined him whispered that he had been touched by the Stone Fathers, ancient spirits of the deep earth. Stone no longer resisted him—it recognized him. His prayers were answered not with radiant light but with the grinding, protective strength of the mountains. In time, he carved the runes of his oath into his armor and embraced the mantle of a Stone Lord.

Word of the disaster reached the dwarven king, who was already troubled by disturbances in the mines and the growing unrest beneath Stone City. He had recently met a band of surface adventurers—Astella, Estella, and Daniel—whose deeds impressed him enough to grant them royal assistance. One of his own stewards, Brunhild Blackarrow, had chosen to remain in Stone City to support them, but the mines the king wished investigated were sealed with locks that only a steward of the crown could open.

The king summoned Beryl and placed a heavy, rune‑etched key into his hand. “You survived what no dwarf should,” the king told him. “The Stone Fathers have marked you. Go. Find these adventurers. Aid them. And open the way where they cannot.” The Deepsteel in Beryl’s blood hummed in quiet agreement, and he accepted the charge without hesitation.

Before departing, Brunhild Blackarrow briefed him on the party—their names, their deeds, and the trust the king had placed in them. Beryl understood that his role was not merely to escort them but to stand where the stone grew thin, to hold the line where others might break, and to uncover what forces had stirred beneath the mountains strong enough to destroy a Nexus.

When Beryl Saltboulder finally approaches Astella, Estella, and Daniel, he does so with the quiet gravity of a dwarf who has seen the earth itself open and swallow his kin. He carries the king’s authority, the key to the sealed mines, and the slow, unbreakable strength of Deepsteel in his blood. Wherever the party goes next, he will stand beside them, steadying the stone, listening to the deep earth, and ensuring that the disaster that claimed the Nexus never happens again.

Beryl Saltboulder
Dwarf paladin (stonelord) 4 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide 16)
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10 (+12 to notice unusual stonework)
Aura courage (10 ft.)
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Defense
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AC 24, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+10 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural, +2 shield)
hp 44 (4d10+16)
Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +6; +2 vs. poison, +4 vs. spells and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training, fortification 25%, stoneblood; DR 2/deepsteel; Immune fear
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee dagger +7 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . dwarven boulder helmet +7 (1d4+4) or
. . gauntlet (from armor) +7 (1d3+3) or
. . heavy shield bash +7 (1d4+3) or
. . mwk dwarven double waraxe +8 (1d10+4/×3) or
. . unarmed strike +7 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Ranged composite longbow +5 (1d8+3/×3) or
. . dart +5 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks hatred, stonestrike
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +3)
. . At will—detect evil
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18 (22 vs. bull rush, 22 vs. trip)
Feats Dwarven Hatred Style, Elemental Channel, Steel Soul[APG]
Traits tar taargadth trained, valashmai veteran
Skills Acrobatics -2 (-6 to jump), Appraise +1 (+3 to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +2, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +10 (+12 to notice unusual stonework), Profession (soldier) +9, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Appraise to assess nonmagical metals or gemstones, +2 Perception to notice unusual stonework
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant
SQ defensive stance, lay on hands 1/day (2d6)
Other Gear +1 full plate, mwk heavy steel shield, arrows (100), composite longbow (+3 Str), dagger, dart (8), dwarven boulder helmet[ARG], mwk dwarven double waraxe[ARG], bandolier[UE], bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, holy text (Arkath)[UE], masterwork backpack[APG], spider's silk rope (50 ft.)[APG], trail rations (5), waterskin, weapon cord[APG], wooden holy symbol of Arkath, wrist sheath, spring loaded, 226 gp, 5 sp, 1 cp
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Tracked Resources
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Arrows - 0/100
Dagger - 0/1
Dart - 0/8
Defensive Stance (13 rounds/day) (Ex) - 0/13
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) - 0/0
Lay on Hands (2d6 hit points, 1/day) (Su) - 0/1
Stonestrike +1 (4 rounds/day) (Su) - 0/4
Trail rations - 0/5
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Special Abilities
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Aura of Courage +4 (10 ft.) (Su) Allies in aura gain a morale bonus to saves vs. fear.
Damage Reduction (2/deepsteel) You have Damage Reduction against all except Deepsteel attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Defensive Stance (13 rounds/day) (Ex) +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 to Will saves, +2 to AC when defending, but may not move.
Defensive Training +4 Gain a dodge bonus to AC vs. monsters of the Giant subtype.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Dwarven Hatred Style Racial bonus for hatred increases to +2.
Elemental Channel (Earth) Channel Energy can affect a chosen elemental subtype of outsiders.
Fortification 25% You have a chance to negate critical hits on attacks.
Greed +2 to Appraise to determine price of nonmagic goods with precious metals or gemstones.
Hatred +2 Gain a racial bonus to attacks vs. Goblinoids/Orcs.
Immunity to Fear (Ex) You are immune to all fear effects.
Lay on Hands (2d6 hit points, 1/day) (Su) As a standard action (swift on self), touch channels positive energy and applies mercies.
Steel Soul Hardy's save vs. spells and spell-like abilities becomes +4
Stoneblood (25% fortification, +4 to stabilize) (Ex) 25% fortification, +4 to stabilize.
Stonecunning +2 +2 bonus to Perception vs. unusual stonework. Free check within 10 feet.
Stonestrike +1 (4 rounds/day) (Su) Gain bonus to att/dam/CMB, ignore 8 hardness & if on earth/stone add to CMD.