UA:Dwarf Paragon

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Dwarf Paragon

Known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, and their great love of stone and stonework, dwarves grow as strong as their mountain homes. Dwarf paragons exemplify this strength, gaining a deeper intuitive understanding of stone and stonework, building upon their already proven toughness, and promoting the crafts and strengths of their people whenever possible.

Dwarf paragons are doughty warriors, and powerful paragons often take the lead in battles as well as diplomatic engagements.

Making a Dwarf Paragon

Abilities: Strength is important for dwarf paragons because they often serve as defenders of their people and emphasize their own martial training. Constitution is important not only to a dwarf paragon’s ability to stay on his feet in battle, but also because physical toughness is a hallmark of the dwarf race.

Races: Dwarf paragons are all dwarves, of course, and like other racial paragons, their actions and efforts are motivated primarily by the interests of their people. Despite their focus on their own race’s innate abilities, they remain surprisingly open to adventuring with members of other races. In most cases, it is practicality that drives a paragon more than anything else once a dwarf paragon has decided on a course of action, he uses whatever and whomever is at hand to accomplish the task.

Dwarf paragons, like other members of their race, consider the building of trust and friendship a long, slow task that cannot be rushed. Although it might take a hundred years or more to earn a dwarf paragon’s complete trust, dwarf paragons are by no means a suspicious lot.

Alignment: Dwarf paragons can be of any alignment, but their interest in the success of their communities and their ingrained sense of dwarven honor ensures that many act in a lawful and good manner. Neutral dwarf paragons are found more frequently in areas where relations with other good races have become strained, or where the different races focus more on the interests of their people than on morality.

Table: The Dwarf Paragon

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Craft Expertise, Improved Stonecunning
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Improved Darkvision (+30 ft.), Save Bonus
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Ability Boost (Con +2)
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dwarf paragon class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dwarf paragons are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (but not with tower shields).

Craft Expertise (Ex): A dwarf paragon may add his class level as a racial bonus on all Craft checks related to stone or metal items.

Improved Stonecunning (Ex): At 1st level, a dwarf paragon’s racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework increases to +4. The range at which he receives an automatic Search check for coming near an example of unusual stonework increases to 20 feet. Also, he can intuit where true north lies in relation to himself (as if he had 5 ranks in Survival) whenever underground.

Improved Darkvision (Ex): At 2nd level, a dwarf paragon’s darkvision range increases by 30 feet.

Save Bonus (Ex): A 2nd-level dwarf paragon’s racial bonus on saves against poison and against spells and spell-like effects increases by 1.

Ability Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, a dwarf paragon’s Constitution score increases by 2 points.

Campaign Information

Playing a Dwarf Paragon

Dwarf paragons stand at the forefront of their people, ready to defend or promote the interests of their race through word and deed. Although they are as disparate a group as the members of any character class, most dwarf paragons undertake adventure freely, as along as it does not threaten or endanger a dwarven community.

Religion: Religion is an important part of many dwarven communities, and thus dwarf paragons often exemplify this aspect of dwarven life as they exemplify all others. Many dwarf paragons are also clerics of dwarven deities, and the two philosophies support and reinforce each other.

Other Classes: In general, the reactions of a dwarf paragon are governed more by how an individual or race interacts with the dwarven community than by class or personal training but some general attitudes are common to most dwarf paragons. Dwarf paragons generally get along well with dwarf fighters, paladins, and clerics, although they appreciate anyone who is willing to work in the best interests of the dwarven people. Dwarf paragons see wizards and sorcerers as important allies in the defense and promotion of the dwarven people, but powerful spellcasters of any kind can pose a threat to an entire community, making dwarf paragons wary of their power.

Advancement: Dwarf paragons are tough, skilled warriors who are most at home when deep underground. Because of their martial focus, dwarf fighters and paladins are likely to become paragons, although many clerics also find that their race’s innate abilities and interests blend well with their divine training, and they frequently take levels in dwarf paragon as well. Because of their race’s ability with weaponsmithing and other crafts, dwarf paragons are likely to look down upon weapons and gear made by members of other races.

Dwarf Paragons in the Game

Although many dwarf paragons grow into their power in the hearts of strong and strident dwarven communities, some rise from areas where dwarves have been oppressed or even defeated. Whatever their origins, dwarf paragons are tough, determined folk who seek out specialized training and master complex tasks to further the aims of their people. Dwarf paragons are often descended from heroes of older generations, and these individuals may seek to honor their ancestors’ memory through deeds of their own.

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