Dworgs (10 RP)

Dworgs are a truly unfortunate race. Born primarily as slaves to orcs, the majority of dworgs are raised in captivity with their dwarven mothers or fathers who themselves were captured during a raid or skirmish between the races. What may surprise some, the name dworg is not actually a bastard blend of the two races, but is actually the word for mule in orc. The first dworgs were given that name because they are strong, steady workers who rarely tire, much like the beasts of burden for whom they are named.

Physical Description: Most dworgs appear as stocky orcs with wild facial hair and short, brawny legs. Their skin tones vary between slate and bronze, and their eyes seem to glow red when they anger or stand in bright light.

Society: Dworgs who escape slavery try to avoid a society that fears their heritage. Those who manage to find a home on the outskirts of civilization try to be better to people than they are treated.

Relations: A dworg keeps friends at arms’ length so they can’t bring any pain. Dwarves pity the race, while elves see it as a tragedy come to life. Other half-breeds are most accepting of the dworg, since many of them have similarly hate-filled backgrounds.

Alignment and Religion: In spite of their chaotic upbringing, most dworgs are lawful, and a good number of them are good. They worship whatever god will have them, but favor dwarven gods who can look past their orcish lineage.

Adventurers: Dworgs seek acceptance. By adventuring, they can earn that through the physical effort at which they are so good. Many try to avoid the barbaric ways of orcs, preferring to train as fighters, paladins, or rangers instead.

Names: Names given to dworgs by their orcish slavers are usually one-syllable grunts that make it easy to bark out orders in their barbaric tongue. Dwarves allow dworgs in their community to take dwarven names, but usually denote them with half- in some way, such as Roark Half-Hill and Drek Half-Hammer.

Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive1	Self-Taught2	Trained3
27 years	+2d6 years (29 – 39 years)	+3d6 years (30 – 45 years)	+4d6 years (31 – 51 years)

¹ This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
² This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, trainers, and witches.
³ This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4 ft. 4 in.	+2d8 in.	150 lbs.	+(2d8×7 lbs.)
Female	4 ft. 0 in.	+2d8 in.	115 lbs.	+(2d8×7 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

Dworgs usually have the following racial traits.

• Ability Score Modifiers: Dworgs are bred for their powerfully physical build, while things like Intelligence are ignored or outright punished by orcish breeders. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.
• Type: Dworgs are humanoids with the dwarf and orc subtype.
• Size: Dworgs are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Base Speed: (Slow and Steady) Dworgs have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Languages: Dworgs begin play speaking Dwarven or orc. Dworgs with high Intelligence scores can choose Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin and Orc.

Defense Racial Traits

• Stable: Dworgs gain a +2 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Offense Racial Traits

• Orc Ferocity: Once per day, when a dworg is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.
• Vardatch Training: Orcish tribes often train young dworgs in the use of a crude, axe-like weapon known as a vardatch. These dworgs begin with proficiency using the vardatch, allowing them to wield it as a one-handed weapon. A vardatch wielded by a dworg who also chooses Exotic Weapon Proficiency (vardatch) as a feat gains the disarm property.

Senses Racial Traits

• Darkvision: Dworgs have darkvision 60 ft. (they can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.)

Alternate Racial Traits

Dworgs can select any dwarf or orc alternate racial traits that replace traits listed here. In addition, dworgs can select the following racial traits.

• Defensive Training: Dworgs lucky enough to be saved by their dwarven families early on pick up the training that race gives their warriors to beat larger enemies. They gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. This replaces vardatch training.
• Hardy: Some dworgs gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.
• Hatred: Dworgs have a natural hatred for their progenitors, but some take this enmity to another level. They 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. This replaces vardatch training.
• Stonecunning: A dworg can inherit the dwarven ability to notice unusual stonework. It gains 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. This replaces stability.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

• Brawler: Reduce the Hardness of any object made of clay, stone, or metal by 1 whenever the object is struck by the brawler’s unarmed strike (minimum of 0).
• Darkseeker: Add +1/4 to the darkseeker’s effective class level to determine the extra damage he deals because of shadowed strike when wielding a light pick or a heavy pick. If the darkseeker has the Slashing Grace feat or another similar effect, she can treat the battleaxe, handaxe, or vardatch as a one-handed piercing melee weapon, and he gains this benefit when wielding the appropriate weapon for the feat as well.
• Fighter: Grant allies who can see and hear the fighter a +1 bonus on Will saves against fear, to a maximum of his bravery bonus. This counts as bravery and doesn’t stack with similar bonuses.
• Kineticist: Add 1/5 of an Extra Wild Talent feat that must be spent on a fire element wild talent.
• Midnight Legate: Add a +1/3 bonus to the damage dealt with counterstrike.
• Paladin: Add +1 to the amount of damage the paladin heals with lay on hands, but only when the paladin uses that ability on himself.
• Ranger: Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using a dwarven weapon, orcish weapon, or vardatch (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
• Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Intimidate checks.
• Shaman: The shaman gains 1/6 of a new shaman hex.
• Shifter: Add a +1/2 bonus to the shifter’s damage rolls with claw attacks.
• Slayer: Gain 1/6 of a new slayer talent.
• Vigilante: The vigilante gains 1/6 of a new rogue talent.
• Witchblade: Add a +1/2 bonus to the save DC of the witchblade’s hexes (max +4). This doesn’t stack with feats that grant a similar bonus.

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to dworgs: