Morgrym Dolgringrun's page

About Morgrym Dolgringrun

Notes
I reused an old alias for this game
Given Rhona is an excellent somewhat enlightened dwarf, I have gone to the other extreme and gon hardline traditional. I’ve added some things to help push Morgrym from being too two dimensional, though.
I think the translation problems are interesting for a while (which is why I’ve gone that way), but intend to buy Common at 2nd level so players don’t get frustrated - unless it turns out to be awesome enough people want me to stay that way

Step 1: Write at least 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to the image of your character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile etc.
1: the rings in his beard. Each is a channel ring linked to someone he cares about, and who cares about him.
2: pushing dwarven society to be diverse with internal conflicts, rather than a monoculture.
3: Naive about the ways of the surface world
4: Orthodox, Traditional Dwarven - but conflicted about it.
5: Beard decorations and outfit convey status and are important.
6: Hates bright light
7: Trouble speaking with non-dwarves (at least at the start) but not with dwarves.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another could be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1: (IC) to create something truly lasting, with an epic story, that becomes a legend within dwarven culture. Morgrym thinks this will be an item, or an artefact.
2: (OOC) to have Morgrym make a ‘last stand’ - only one standing in a TPK, or a “you shall not pass” on a bridge.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves them but that they are not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that centre around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1: Morgrym loves the surface world. He’s pretty much required to be dismissive of it, but he loves the sky - stars and sunrises especially. He’s entranced by all the colour - colour was a luxury in the Deeps, and all the vivid greens, yellows and reds are more glorious than any gem. As a traditionalist forgepriest he pretty much can’t feel these things. The secret is that he’s dragging out his mission as much as possible, and clutching at any opportunity to keep him “up top”.
2: Morgrym’s elder brother wasn’t killed by goblins during the war. An elf took him out with friendly fire. Should Morgrym ever find out he will be culturally required to enact vengeance.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. Feel free to use characters mentioned in the Player’s Guide.
Note: Sanctified rings come in pairs and crack when they are removed, or the person who wears them dies. Morgrym has six rings, but one is cracked and stored inside his holy symbol.
1: the cracked ring one is for Morgrym’s older brother Dern, who died in the goblin invasions. He gave the ring to Morgrym when he left to fight, and Morgrym still remembers exactly where he was when he heard it crack.
2: the first ring in his beard has a twin with his clanleader Carnrym “Thunderstrike” Dolgringrun. Thunderstrike wears a ring for all of his clan. He claims that it ensures resources are not wasted trying to save one already dead, and ensures murdered sentries are quickly detected. This doesn’t explain why Thunderstrike has a room in his house with every cracked ring mounted on the wall under a nameplate.
3: the second ring in his beard has a twin with his mother, Ashilde. The priest who trained Morgrym crafted it for her when Morgrym was delivered to him.
4: the third ring in his beard has a twin with the priest Hakkur Goldshield, who trained Morgrym.
5: (hostile) the fourth ring in his beard has a twin with Lord Damon Gunter. Morgrym is sworn to obey Gunter while on the surface, but he finds the idea of a dwarven cleric of Kord to be abhorent. Damon is smart enough to have picked up on that, and is actively looking for ways to send Morgrym away.
6: Gavriel Ironhammer (I believe is a dwarf) is the man Morgrym is supposed to convince to share his new secrets. Gavriel is not averse to the idea - with sufficient inducement - but Morgrym is secretly stalling the negotiations. Gavriel is smart enough to have picked up on this but believes (partially correctly) this is due to…
7: Galadriel Ironhammer is Gavriel Ironhammer’s niece. Named for a local hero that saved her mother her elven name is distinctive but not truly untraditional (naming someone for a hero is incredibly traditional, that hero being elven is not). Morgrym and Galadriel have been seeing each other, and recently Morgrym spent a week’s wages buying the channel ring. She agreed to wear it, but also politely indicated she wasn’t interested in moving underground.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavour.
1: Can’t stand seeing people messing something up. Compelled to offer advice or step in when they see someone is “doing it wrong”. This does not extend to non-dwarven culture as much, but will involve politely showing people a better way.
2: Thrifty past the point of miserly and into obsessive compulsive disorder
3: Terrified of being found out as having human dwarven limits. Overly Macho, prone to competitions.

Background

The stratification of dwarven society is literal.

Those on the surface have food in plenty. The live fast paced lives, coming into contact with the other races every day. Like sand they are blown this way and that, forced to change and conform.

Those in the upper reaches of the underground draw on the food from above, and the mineral resources that abound. They are the specialists; the craftsmen, the bureaucrats and the priests. They hold to the old ideas, but test the ideas from above, discarding many but keeping the few that hide in the dross. Hard as rock, they hide veins of precious rarity inside, and it is from them the great dwarven constructions are created.

The lower depths, however, are a desert. Food is scarce in the deep underdark. Minerals are common, and water is not unusual, but simply surviving is a struggle. The surface might only be a mile away vertically but the tunnels that lead up can take weeks to traverse, so trade is rare and a meal can be worth its weight in silver. The dwarves who eke out a living here have become as unchanging as the bedrock. The thriftiness of other dwarves was born here, where every resource must be hoarded and waste means death. Deep dwarves are Traditional, because there is no fat to allow experiment, and any change could tip the balance of survival. Hardy because if something can be eaten, it must, and a death to poison is a kinder death than hunger. Stubborn: because those not stubborn enough to live in the deep underdark make their way to the upper levels.

Morgrym was born to the Dolgringrun clan, a clan of deep dwarf miners described as “traditionalists” by other deep dwarves. When young he displayed a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together astounding even by dwarven standards, and was trained as a Blacksmith - a high status role in the deep dwarves. Over time his talents grew and it became obvious he had been chosen by Moradin.

Twenty three years ago Morgrym’s older and only brother Dern heard of the goblin wars on the surface, and went up to fight. Morgrym was just a child, but Dern gave him a sanctified ring. A few weeks later the ring broke, and Morgrym was heartbroken.

Despite the fact his clan were miners, low status, and not religious caste, Morgrym’s natural talents meant that he was sent to the higher caverns to learn the way of the Forgepriest. There he was apprenticed to Hakkur Goldshield. Hakkur ensured that in addition to being trained as a smith, Morgrym was trained as a priest - religious doctrine and some social skills.

Morgym is still quite young by dwarven standards. His first mission was to the surface, where he was to persuade Gavriel Ironhammer to share his new breakthrough. While there he met Galadriel Ironhammer and a romance has started to blossom.

Morgrym reports to Damon Gunter - the highest ranking dwarven priest - while in the surface world. The two despise each other.

Appearance
Morgrym wears the armor of a peacetime dwarven warrior; lightweight metal in a style of heavier plate but light enough not to encumber. Over this he wears the heavy, reinforced leather apron of a smith.
His red, well kept beard bears five intricate rings, each bearing the sign of Moradin.
On his back he carries a heavy wooden shield, and a cold iron warhammer.

Morgrym Dolgringrun
LG Medium Humanoid (Dwarf)
Cleric (Forgemaster) 1
Init +1; Senses Darkvision 90ft, dazzled in brightligh; Perception +3
----- Defense -----
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +2 shield, +1 dex)
hp 12 (1d8+3 con+1 fav);
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5
+5 racial vs spells, +5 racial vs spell like abilities, +3 racial vs poison, +1 vs mind affecting, -2 vs bright light
----- Offense -----
Speed 20 ft
Melee Warhammer +2 (1d8+2 x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks zz, zz
Memorised Spells (CL 1; concentration +4)
0th—Enhanced Diplomacy, Guidance, Create Water
1st—Animate Rope (Domain), Crafter's Fortune, BLANK
Domain Animate Rope
----- Statistics -----
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 13 (+4 vs. Bull Rush and Trip)
Feats Steel Soul
Skills
Skills = 2+3+2b
Craft (Armorsmith) +7 = 1b+3c+3int (+1 metal)
Profession (Blacksmith) +7 = 1b+3c+3wis (+1 metal, +4 for money)
Diplomacy +2 = 1r +3c-2cha
Knowledge: religion +7 = 1r +3c+3int
Sense Motive +7 = 1r+3c+3wis
Linguistics +7 = 1r+3c+3int

Racial Modifiers +2 crafts and profession that deal with stone or metal. +4 profession to earn money.
Traits provincial, armor expert, spark of creation, glory of old
Languages Dwarven
----- Initial Equipment -----
50gp traveller’s dictionary
25 parade armour (+2 to most social skills with dwarves)
20 armored kilt (battle or forge specific)
24 warhammer, cold iron
20 heavy wooden shield
16 clerics kit
1 grooming kit
5 sanctified ring x5
5 block and tackle
1 rope
5 anvil
55 masterwork artisan’s tools (Armorsmith)
7 gp

----- Special Abilities -----
Traits
Glory of Old (Regional) (Ex): +1 trait bonus on saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and poison.
Spark of Creation (Magic)(Ex): You gain a +1 trait bonus on Craft checks, and the cost of creating magic items is reduced by 5%.
Headstrong (Drawback):You feel compelled to correct every action and argument that contradicts your worldview. Whenever you witness an action or hear an argument that contradicts your alignment, you must attempt to stop or correct that action or argument. If you either don’t try to stop it or fail in your attempt to stop it (as adjudicated by the GM), you are shaken for 1 hour.
Armor Expert (Combat): When you wear armor of any sort, reduce that suit’s armor check penalty by 1, to a minimum check penalty of 0.
Feats
Steel Soul (Ex): hardy bonus vs spells and spell-like abilities becomes +4.
Class
Artificer's Touch (Sp): You can cast mending at will, using your cleric level as the caster level to repair damaged objects. In addition, you can cause damage to objects and constructcreatures by striking them with a melee touch attack. Objects and constructs take 1d6 points of damage +1 for every two cleric levels you possess. This attack bypasses an amount ofdamage reduction and hardness equal to your cleric level. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Aura (Ex): A cleric of a good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity's alignment (see detect evil for details).
Spontaneous Casting:A good cleric (or a neutral cleric of a good deity) can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The cleric can “lose” any prepared spell that is not an orison or domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with “cure” in its name).
Steel Spells:A forgemaster adds the following spells to her spell list:
1st—crafter's curse, crafter's fortune, lead blades; 2nd—chill metal, heat metal, shatter; 3rd—keen edge, versatile weapon; 8th—iron body, repel metal or stone.
Divine Smith (Su):Whenever a forgemaster casts a spell that targets a weapon, shield, or armor, the spell takes effect at +1 caster level. If the spell has one or more metamagic feats applied, she reduces the total level adjustment to the spell by 1 (minimum 0).
Runeforger (Su) (3+int)/day:A forgemaster may inscribe mystical runes upon a suit of armor, shield, or weapon as full-round action, using this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. These runes last 1 round per cleric level, but inscribing the same rune twice on an item increases this duration to 1 minute per level, three times to 10 minutes per level, and four times to 1 hour per level. Erase affects runes as magical writing. A forgemaster learns forgemaster's blessing at 1st level and may learn one additional rune at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter. Only one type of rune marked with an asterisk () may be placed on an item at any given time.
Rune: Glowglyph: The inscribed item sheds light as a torch. As a standard action, the bearer can command the rune to erupt in a burst of light as a shield with the blinding special ability with a burst radius of 5 feet per glowglyph rune inscribed on the item. This expends all glowglyph runes on the item.
Racial
Stability: Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Craftsman: Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. This racial trait replaces greed.
Deep Warrior: Dwarves with this racial trait grew up facing the abominations that live deep beneath the surface. They receive a +2 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the aberration type and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple such creatures (or to continue a grapple). This racial trait replaces defensive training.
Minesight: Dwarves with this racial trait increase the range of their darkvision to 90 feet; however, they are automatically dazzled in bright light and take a –2 penalty on saving throws against effects with the light descriptor. This racial trait replaces darkvision.
Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Industrious Urbanite: Dwarves who have adapted to the expectations of their host cities make double the normal progress on Craft checks to create nonmagical items and gain a +4 bonus on Profession checks to earn money. This racial trait replaces hatred.
Hardy: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
Stonecunning: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "dwarven" in its name as a martial weapon.
Xenophobic: Isolationist dwarves despise non-dwarven humanoids. They speak only Dwarven and do not gain any bonus languages from possessing a high Intelligence score. In addition, they learn only one language per 2 ranks of Linguistics they possess. However, their untrusting nature gives them a +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects, except for fear affects. This racial trait replaces a dwarf’s normal languages. note that if there is not a dwarven speaker then this would be switched back out for Languages