Altair_the_Vexed
2007-02-23, 06:59 PM
I'm a little nervous about doing this - suggesting that there could be a gender divide in a PC race - but for a while I've been thinking about female dwarves in my campaign setting.
It bugs me a little to think that dwarven women are as hairy and muscular as their menfolk - "indistinguishable from dwarven men" said Tolkein, for one. There are lots of opinions about how female dwarves should be, and as the stereotypical and iconic literary dwarves are all male, I thought that perhaps there was room to explore what dwarven women are like...
Dwarf
Stats and rules presented in the PHB represent a male dwarf.
Female dwarf
Though males are often seen above ground, the less common female dwarf is rarely spotted outside of the depths of dwarven settlements. Male dwarves on average outnumber their womenfolk by three to one. Consequently, most dwarven cultures regard females as a precious commodity, to be protected and kept secret and hidden. Dwarven females are equally skilled at crafts. A conservative female dwarf is likely to remain in her clan community all her life, and to marry by arrangement of the clan elders. In some cultures it is normal for her to marry more than one male, in most cultures it is normal to bare children by different males - only in the most puritanical dwarven cultures are females expected to be exclusively bound to one male. Many dwarven women are exceptionally skilled at advising the male clan leaders, becoming - from behind the throne - the true powers in the clan. In some dwarven cultures, female rulership is the norm, with all males serving the will of a queen and her female relatives.
Female dwarven adventurers are often rebels against what they see as the stifling oppression of male-dominated dwarven culture. Lacking their male counterparts' physical strength, they most often turn to cunning fighting. Common classes among dwarven women are Bard, Monk, Rogue, Ranger.
Physical Description: Female dwarves are considerably slighter and marginally shorter than the males. They have little to no facial hair, and fine body hair, much like a human. Skin tones range from deep brown to a light tan, and hair colour is generally black, grey, red or brown.
Base height: 3'2", Height modifier: +2d4, Base weight: 50lb, Weight modifier: x(2d4)
Alignment: Any - but dwarves are usually lawful, and tend towards good. However, adventuring female dwarves tend to be neutral or chaotic, as most female dwarves that leave the community are rebels against their male-centred socities.
• +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma.
• Small: As a Small creature, a female dwarf gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
• Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if she were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing her approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal
+2 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks
+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks
• Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass dwarf ’s rogue class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing
Please Evaluate And Criticize Helpfully!
It bugs me a little to think that dwarven women are as hairy and muscular as their menfolk - "indistinguishable from dwarven men" said Tolkein, for one. There are lots of opinions about how female dwarves should be, and as the stereotypical and iconic literary dwarves are all male, I thought that perhaps there was room to explore what dwarven women are like...
Dwarf
Stats and rules presented in the PHB represent a male dwarf.
Female dwarf
Though males are often seen above ground, the less common female dwarf is rarely spotted outside of the depths of dwarven settlements. Male dwarves on average outnumber their womenfolk by three to one. Consequently, most dwarven cultures regard females as a precious commodity, to be protected and kept secret and hidden. Dwarven females are equally skilled at crafts. A conservative female dwarf is likely to remain in her clan community all her life, and to marry by arrangement of the clan elders. In some cultures it is normal for her to marry more than one male, in most cultures it is normal to bare children by different males - only in the most puritanical dwarven cultures are females expected to be exclusively bound to one male. Many dwarven women are exceptionally skilled at advising the male clan leaders, becoming - from behind the throne - the true powers in the clan. In some dwarven cultures, female rulership is the norm, with all males serving the will of a queen and her female relatives.
Female dwarven adventurers are often rebels against what they see as the stifling oppression of male-dominated dwarven culture. Lacking their male counterparts' physical strength, they most often turn to cunning fighting. Common classes among dwarven women are Bard, Monk, Rogue, Ranger.
Physical Description: Female dwarves are considerably slighter and marginally shorter than the males. They have little to no facial hair, and fine body hair, much like a human. Skin tones range from deep brown to a light tan, and hair colour is generally black, grey, red or brown.
Base height: 3'2", Height modifier: +2d4, Base weight: 50lb, Weight modifier: x(2d4)
Alignment: Any - but dwarves are usually lawful, and tend towards good. However, adventuring female dwarves tend to be neutral or chaotic, as most female dwarves that leave the community are rebels against their male-centred socities.
• +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma.
• Small: As a Small creature, a female dwarf gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
• Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if she were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing her approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal
+2 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks
+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks
• Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass dwarf ’s rogue class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing
Please Evaluate And Criticize Helpfully!