Sundered Dwarves

Unlike most dwarves, sundered dwarves live on the surface. Sundered dwarves are not a race until themselves. In most cases, they were once hill or mountain dwarves, and they were cut off from their kin and traditional ways of life. The Khalorak [Broken Folk] may have been driven to the surface by volcanoes or earthquakes that shattered their subterranean homes, or perhaps by orcs or dragons. Finding no safe haven underground, they were forced above.

Some may have chosen to abandon their homes and give up the subterranean life.

Over the centuries sundered dwarves adapted as best they could, but abandoning their natural habitat has taken its toll. They have lost much of their racial pride and tend to be a miserable and dirty people. They have developed an irrational phobia of dark places, yet are uncomfortable under the open sky, in rain, and with most surface conditions.

Sundered dwarves may be found living among other races. They may be laborers, blacksmiths, but tend to make only enough money to scrape by when living in cities or towns. They may make up the majority of the inhabitants in a ghetto, or small groups of them may be found living or adventuring with other races.

Although their traditional homes are gone, sundered dwarves continue to follow the crafts, especially stonemasonry and smithing, but they will not go underground if they don't need to. They will work for humans or elves.

Sundered dwarves are unlike any other dwarves, tending to be dirty and unkempt, though not as filthy as gully dwarves. They live on the surface and suffer from claustrophobia.

For all intents and purposes sundered dwarves are very similr to their original race.

Recommended Languages

Common, any dwarf dialect, elven, goblinoid, orc, gnomish, kobold, halfling, hobgoblin, ogrish.

Sundered dwarves have found it useful to learn the languages of several of their neighbors, both friendly and hostile. The number of languages that can be learned is limited by the nonweapon proficiency slots allotted to languages and the maximum allowed number of languages as determined by Intelligence. However, their primary language should be their native tongue. A character's native tongue does not cost the character any nonweapon proficiency slots. This includes reading and writing in their native tongue.

Important note Being able to speak another language does not mean the character can read or write in that language. This will cost the character appropriate nonweapon proficiency slots.

Additionally, the kinds of languages sundered dwarves may learn should be determined by the campaign background. If a character lives in an area that has had no contact with goblins, he is unlikely to have learned goblinoid. The languages for dwarves listed should also be considered as suggestions only. Dwarves may learn any language that suits their background. Some suggested languages are: the deep tongue, drow, elven, the local human common tongue, trollish, ogrish, or even one or more of the dialects of their dwarven cousins. Of course, much of this depends pn the character's background.

Most of the different subraces of dwarves can usually communicate with each other with little difficulty, but some slang or jargon may vary from race to race or even from stronghold to stronghold. Think of the English language. For the most part, Americans, Canadians, Australians, the British, and New Zealanders can communicate with each other on a basic level, but each has its parlance. Even each variation has its subdialects.

Special Disadvantages

Sundered dwarves are claustrophobic. A sundered dwarf must roll a successful saving throw vs. death in order to overcome his fear of the underground before he can enter dungeons, caves, and tombs. If the check fails, he may not enter. Once underground he must make a saving throw each day. If he fails, he will want to leave the underground by the most direct route.

Underground, a sundered dwarf attacks with a -2 penalty to his rolls. Should he fail his claustrophobic saving throw, the penalty increases by -1 for each additional day he stays underground. If he fails to reach open air, he may attempt further saving throws each day to overcome his claustrophobia. These saving throws are made at the same penalty as the dwarf's current attack roll penalty.

Because sundered dwarves do not live underground, these dwarves do not get the benefit of underground detection proficiencies or abilities.

Racial Enmities

Sundered dwarves retain the usual dwarven enmities towards orcs, half-orcs, goblins, ogres, and hill giants.

they feel they need to do to survive. Few have been wildly successful, and those who have been are not the sirty and miserable dwarves described above. Many will take to trades that they are greatly skilled at, like blacksmithing, armoring, weaponsmithing, cutting gems, or hiring out as mercenaries. While these occupations do not tend to make one wealtthy, some have managed to find occupations that allowed them to grow in wealth, such as adventuring, even if they have some difficulty going underground.

Most sundered dwarves live in ghettos on the outskirts of most cities, or the dirty parts of the city, such as the thieves' quarter or the old city.

General Alignment

Sundered dwarves are usually lawful neutral in alignment. Their society retains its traditional lawful organization, but is more concerned with maintaining its laws than ensuring that all citizens share in its benefits.