| Racial Traits | Effect |
|---|---|
| Attributes: | +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. |
| Slow and Steady: | Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance. |
| 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. |
| Hardy: | Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. |
| Defensive Training - Giants: | Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. |
| Hatred - Orcs and Goblinoids: | Dwarves gain a +1 racial bonus on Attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes because of their special training against these hated foes. |
| Keen Senses: | Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. |
| Dwarven 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. |
The dwarf’s Constitution bonus is all but a universal boon, while their Wisdom bonus and Charisma penalty are both somewhat less important. A high Wisdom will give them better Will Saves and benefit their Lore skills, while Charisma will hinder them should they take a spellcasting class that uses Charisma as its primary attribute (Bard, Sorcerer, etc.), as well as retard their Persuasion and Use Magic Device skills.
Like all shorter races, the dwarf has a base movement speed of 20 feet/round, compared to the standard 30 feet/round taller races have. Unlike their fellows, however, dwarves are a sturdy lot, incapable of being hindered by the armor they wear; they’ll maintain their movement speed however encumbered they are, which will make them more or less as fleet of foot as any other heavily-armored warrior you may have.
While their Constitution and reliable foot-speed may well make them good candidates for warrior classes (Fighter, etc.), the Dwarf’s Wisdom bonus is also a fine argument for a Cleric. In fact, dwarven Clerics make rather competent warriors in their own right, although a few of their class abilities may suffer from the lack of Charisma. Fortunately the game provides you with such a companion - Harrim - mitigating the need to create one of your own.
Their other traits - Hardy, Defensie Training - Giants, Hatred - Orcs and Goblinoids - will also serve them well in a warrior capacity, as you’ll be expoed to plenty of trip attempts, giants (Trolls) and goblinoids throughout the game.
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