Dwarf, Dread Dread dwarves, known simply as dwarves in Ravenloft are a subrace of dwarves unique to the dread realms. They resemble the duergar of o ther worlds in appearance, and to some ext ent in temperament, but lack that races psionic abilities.
History: The history of the dread dwarves before the came to Ravenloft is unknown, but t hey seem to
be a splinter group descended from the same ancestors as the Duergar. Dread dwarves first appeared in Raveloft with the arrival of the domain of Bluetspur. Large numbers of dwarves entered Barovia alongside the Thuranni, afterwards spreading out across the dread r ealms. When the domain of Darkon emerged from the mists it already had a large dwarf population, including two settlements inhabited almost exclusively by the stout folk.
Personality: Dread dwarves are similar to most dwarves in that they tend to be serious and stubborn, with a strong work ethic and deep loyalty to family and clan. Dread dwarves are an intensely dour lot
however, often seeming almost joyless. They realize on some level that they have been abandoned by their god, cut off from their race’s mythic legacy, and thus approach life with little more than grim acceptance. Dread dwarves are usually slow to anger, but when enraged can be a terrible force. They see little to no value in beauty and entertainment, focusing entirely on function, practicality, and work.
Appearance: Dread dwarves re semble to duergar of other worlds, with almost monochrome skin and
hair. Their skin ranges from sickly white to deep grey, but has a r eddish blush absent in Duergar. Hair color ranges from medium gray to dark black, lightening to white as they age. Eye color is more variable, often brown but sometimes grayish blue or amber. Dread dwarves use their hair, particularly their beards, to indicate social status. Wearing a beard inappropriate to one’s position is considered either odd (if the beard indicates a lower position than one has in reality) or almost unbelievably rude (if the beard indicates an inaccurately high status). Basic laborers and most craftsmen are clean-shaven. cle an-shaven. Warrior wear locks growing from their jawline and below. Only scholars and the elderly wear full beards with mustaches. Dwarf clothing tends to be sturdy, slightly uncomfortable, and utte rly lacking it color or ornamentation. The same can be said of their t heir tools and buildings. Any jewelry worn by a dread dwarf is likely a family heirloom, value for its history rather than its appearance.
w ill interact with most of Relations: Dread dwarves don’t particularly like any o f the other races. They will the other races for the sake of commerce, but otherwise prefer to be left alone. Dread dwarves have a particularly hard time getting along with Tibbets (seen as unbearably lazy and lacking in discipline) and elves (seen as far too concerned concerne d over utterly frivolous matters).
Alignment: Dread dwarves are almost always lawful, with chaotic individuals usually cast out early in life. Morally most dread dwarves are neutral, but they seem notably more likely to turn to evil that to
good.
Dread Dwarf Lands: Dread dwarves originated from Bluetspur, but any remaining in that domain are
probably slaves. Most dread dwarves live in Darkon, home to the dwarf only community of Tempe Falls, or otherwise in the northern core, excluding Falkovnia (though some may live there in secr et). A significant number of dread dwarves live in isolated mining towns in the mountains of Lamordia. Ther e is also a substantial population of dread dwarves living underground in Barovia, but these individuals almost never interact with humans other than t he Thuranni.
Religion: Dread dwarves traditionally worshiped both the soul-forger (Moradin) and the Gray P rotector
(Laduguer) but worship of both has declined tremendously since their arrival in Ravenloft. Most now only pay lip service to their ancestral de ities, and many have turned to worship of Ezra (particularly the home faith and the Nevuchar Springs sect) o r the lawgiver.
Adventurers: Dread dwarf adventurers are rare, but not as much as one might think. Many dwarven adventurers are motivated by revenge and grudges against losses they suffered to creatures of the
night. Others are mercenaries, motivated mainly by gree d. A few may be outcasts, reluctantly searching for a place to fit in. Dread dwarves tend toward martial classes and psionic/psychic classes.
Language: Dread dwarves speak the same language as dwarves on other worlds.
Names: Dread dwarves use the same names as dwarves in other worlds.
Dread Dwarf Racial Traits Dread dwarves have the same racial traits as standard dwarves, with the following exce ptions.
+2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Wis, -4 Cha: Dread dwarves are stronger than common dwarves of other realms, but even more unpleasant to deal w ith. Deep Warden: Dread dwarves get a +1 bonus to attack roles and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against aberrations. This replaces defensive training and racial hatred.
