Twilight
Dwarf
FREQUENCY:
Very rare
NO.
APPEARING: 40-400
ARMOR
CLASS: 5
MOVE:
6”
HIT
DICE: 1
%
IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE
TYPE: Individuals M(x5); G, Q(X10), R, W in lair
NO.
OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/
ATTACK: By weapon
SPECIAL
ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL
DEFENSES: Save at +3 (or better) vs poison and paralyzation
MAGIC
RESISTANCE: As above
SAVE:
As above
INTELLIGENCE:
Very
MORALE:
50%
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
SIZE:
S (4' + tall)
PSIONIC
ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/ X.P.
VALUE: Variables preclude a fixed number
Twilight
dwarves are natives of the Dusk Realm, a parallel reality to the
world of Castle Triskelion. These demi-humans will always be found
in underground complexes and mines and they rely on trade with other
creatures to provide comforts and most food.
Twilight
dwarf lairs are very loosely structured compared to those of other
dwarves. Therefore, dwarves with levels as fighters, thieves,
assassins, and magic-users will be found, but not in specific
proscribed numbers. Twilight dwarves are not pious and have no
clerical members. Twilight dwarves are capable
of operating in more than one class simultaneously, so fighter/thief,
fighter/assassin, and magic-user/thief individuals may be
encountered. Twilight dwarves who share similar interests (such as
mining, gem-cutting, or practicing magic) tend to group themselves
into smaller informal guilds to share experience and resources.
Because of this arrangement, treasure in a twilight dwarf lair will
not be found in a treasure vault, but rather spread out as the
possessions of individual dwarves or as the communal treasure of
small groups.
Like
other dwarves, twilight dwarves are interested in wealth (especially
gold and gems), alcoholic beverages, and their work. They are keenly
interested in trade and not overly scrupulous about their trading
partners. Most twilight dwarves will charge reasonable amounts for
their services and goods, but there are always cheats and robbers in
every twilight dwarf enclave. While the alignment of most twilight
dwarves is neutral, there will inevitably good and evil dwarves in
every community.
Twilight
dwarves will use weapons that can be used in underground spaces.
They use maces, hammers, axes, and especially military picks in large
numbers. Swords, daggers, and military forks are also commonly used.
Missile weapons are of limited utility in the spaces they inhabit,
but they do employ heavy crossbows at times. Chain mail armor is
typically worn by the average twilight dwarf when they are expecting
trouble, and almost every twilight dwarf will have this type or a
better type of armor available (excluding those whose class prohibits
it).
Higher
level fighters have a 10% chance per level of having magic armor and
a 10% chance per level of having a magic weapon. Thieves, assassins,
fighter/thieves, and fighter/assassins have a 5% chance per thief or
assassin level of having magic armor and a 10% chance per thief or
assassin level of having a magic weapon. Magic-users and
magic-user/thieves have a 10% chance per magic-user level of having
1-4 additional magic items (potion, scroll, ring, wand/staff, misc.
magic) usable by magic-users. Twilight dwarves can use magic rings
without the 20% malfunction rate experienced by other dwarves.
Twilight
dwarves do not share the hatred of humanoids as other dwarves, and
have no “to hit” bonus against them. In fact, the twilight
dwarves may rely on trade with such creatures. When in melee combat
with ogres, trolls, and giants, these creatures must subtract 2 from
their rolls to hit the twilight dwarves, due to the twilight dwarves
relative experience and skill in fighting these much larger monsters.
Twilight
dwarves have no intrinsic resistance to magic, but have a bonus to
save against poison and petrification (such as by spell, gorgon
breath, basilisk gaze, etc.) based on their constitution score. For
characters with class levels, they have a bonus of +1 per 3½ points
of constitution (minimum of +3 bonus). For
twilight dwarves without class levels, use the +3 bonus.
Twilight
dwarves are allergic to direct sunlight. In the Dusk Realm, this is
of no concern, but on worlds that experience direct sunlight it is a
significant disadvantage. When touched by direct sunlight, a
twilight dwarf must make a saving throw versus paralyzation every
round of such exposure or become completely paralyzed. Their usual
bonus vs petrification does not apply. The twilight dwarf will
remain paralyzed until the sun is out of view. Moving the dwarf to
an area without sunlight or blocking the sun (including with clouds)
will cause the dwarf to revert in a turn (as long as the sun is
completely blocked for this entire time). While paralyzed, the
twilight dwarf and his or her possessions will appear to be made of
stone. Magic items have a normal saving throw allowed to avoid the
effect. When the dwarf returns to normal, the items carried will
always do so as well.
Twilight
dwarves can see, even in complete darkness, to 90'. Nevertheless,
they prefer to have fire or another light source on hand. Twilight
dwarves are competent miners, able to determine grades or slopes in
passages, to detect sliding or shifting walls or rooms, and detect
traps involving stonework 25% of the time. They can tell their depth
underground 75% of the time. Twilight dwarves who are mining
specialists will be even better at these skills.
Description:
Twilight dwarves are usually pale tan to dark brown with pale blue
or green eyes. Hair and beards are normally black. They wear long
dress-like garments of single colors, and twilight dwarves practicing
the same professions usually choose the same colors. Armor, if worn,
will also be extra long, extending to the ground, to cover their
feet. Twilight dwarf women are very uncommon, but do not have
beards.
Twilight
dwarves almost always suffer a deformity of the feet. The type of
deformity varies by the individual, but examples include unusual
numbers of toes, animal feet, and feet facing in the wrong
directions. Twilight dwarves are very self-conscious about their
feet and never show them to others, even other twilight dwarves.