Dwarf: Dour, hearty, stalwart, focused
Racial Advantage:
Darkvision gives dwarven monks the advantage in the dark.
Racial Disadvantage: Dwarven monks are usually a long way from home in very unfamiliar surroundings. This can prove disconcerting and distracting to a hero seeking oneness with the universe.
HOME COMMUNITY
Table 1: Home Climate
What is the land like where you were born and raised? Roll twice on this table to find out. The first roll determines the temperature range in your home land, and the second determines the dominant terrain type. This choice may have some bearing on the type of terrain you find comfortable.
Climate: Temperate. Cold winters, but warm summers.
Terrain: Hills. Includes highlands, cliff dwellings, and any other rugged terrain
Dwarf communities tend to center on the mines that are central to the dwarven economy
Large Mine. Up to 200 dwarves work a mine of this size.
FAMILY
It’s said that you are who you are either because of your parents or in spite of your parents. Whichever is the case for your character, few factors have a greater influence on you than your family. Note that throughout this section, “family” is intended in the broadest possible sense. Your family might be your fellow island castaways, the other beggars in Fish-Eye Alley, or the kindly monks who took you in as an orphan. In fact, one of the questions you should ask yourself as you use Tables 3 through 12 is “Who do I consider family, exactly?”
Table 3: Family Economic Status
How wealthy is your family? While this information doesn’t have any direct bearing on the wealth of your character, it may be a useful bit of background information to help describe your character’s attitudes. It’s also a good motivational hook for your DM.
Moderate. Your family owns at least a small dwelling or can make rent payments without significant concern. The family’s income slightly exceeds its needs.
Wealthy. Your family owns a dwelling and may own other property. Family income significantly exceeds basic needs
Table 4: Family Social Standing
How do other people in your community view your family? If your family is prominent, their social standing may extend to include surrounding areas, or perhaps even the entire country!
Social Standing - Noble. Your family is at the very pinnacle of social standing in your community.
Table 5: Family Defense Readiness
When trouble comes knocking at the door, how will your family respond? In areas where conflict is rare, military training may seem quite extraordinary, even distasteful. In areas where the threat of danger is real and constant, not being prepared is viewed as the worst kind of stupidity.
Dwarves in particular usually have some form of martial training due to the constant threat of danger from their underground dwellings.
Outstanding. Your family has a tradition of military service, and family members are taught from birth to be courageous and stalwart companions when battle is joined. The family armory contains magic weapons and armor.
Table 6: Family Private Ethics
Some families have a shared ethos that impacts the decisions and actions of their members. In general, small communities composed of relatives or near relatives rarely tolerate shady or evil residents.
Good. Your family is known for involvement in the community and acting to help others.
Table 7: Family Public Ethics
Regardless of what the actual ethics of the family may be, the perception in the community may differ due to a variety of circumstances.
Undeserved. Whether your family is unfairly painted as cheats or has a better reputation than they deserve, it’s clear the community has the wrong idea. - The family is viewed as greedy sods who are only running the minds ot line their pockets. This isn’t true of course.
Table 8: Family Religious Commitment
Does your family have a specific religious commitment? If you answer that question “Yes,” the obvious follow-up question is “Who?” Your family may worship a pantheon, a state religion, a group of deities based on alignment, or a “cosmic truth” like law or chaos. If you make an unusual choice, substitute that option wherever the table references a “deity.”
Remember that this represents your family’s religion, not necessarily your own.
Strong. Your family is deeply committed to a patron deity (Moradin - The Allhammer).
Table 9: Family Reputation
You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives. This table describes how the community feels about your family, based on the behavior of its members.
This table overlaps a bit with Table 4 and Table 7, because all three answer the question “What do they think about your family?” Once again, if you get wildly different answers, brainstorm an unusual reason or simply roll or pick again.
Good. Your family is known as stalwart companions.
Table 10: Family Political Views
Politics plays a big role in every family. Even in a quiet kingdom with a beloved monarch, your family may have a strong and avowed commitment to supporting the ruler and his/her family.
A sense of discord with the current system can create any number of really interesting background details for both you and your DM to use.
Radical. Your family is in open revolt against the current system and existing rulers.
Table 11: Family Power Structure
How does your family organize itself? Most families have some form of structure, even if it is only the “respect” of a child for a parent.
The more complex the family business or intrigues, the more detailed the family power structure should become
Oligarchy. The richest members control your family
Table 12: Ancestors Of Note
Every family has its favored sons, gifted daughters, and crazy aunts and uncles. If you want a truly strange family, roll on this table more than once.
This table uses the term “ancestor” because it’s likely that these well-known people aren’t around to influence the character’s career directly. But with your DM’s approval, there’s no reason you can’t simply substitute “family member” for “ancestor” anywhere on this table.
Every ancestor you select should prompt you to write a one - or two - sentence description of who that person was and why they matter to your family. This information does not need to include a complete character template, just enough data for your DM to use as hooks for an adventure and for you to have interesting stories to tell about your family.
Cleric. Your family produced a cleric of some repute.
Victorious Hero. Your family produced a great military leader who was ultimately victorious.
Forgotten. Your family’s ancestors of note are unknown or forgotten. Information about them could be revealed in a future adventure, however.
EDUCATION
No one is a trained fighter or wizard from birth. Someone taught you how to swing that sword, pick that lock, or perform that religious ceremony. The following tables learn what your education was like before the day you began adventuring. After that point, you’re on your own.
Table 13: Early Childhood Instruction
All characters learn some basic skills as children. This instruction may provide a direction for their later interests and careers. This table tells where you focused as a child—your favorite subject.
Keep in mind that your skill selection should reflect your childhood education. If you don’t want a particular skill suggested by this table, simply roll or choose another.
Childhood Education Focus: Outdoors. You learned basic wilderness survival skills.
Table 14: Formal Education
Most families that can afford it make sure their children get some formal schooling. Sometimes this education is a part of an apprenticeship program, or it may be a natural outgrowth of helping with the family business. It’s okay to use this table more than once, but make sure your choices here are backed up on your character sheet.
Advanced Math. You mastered more complex mathematics.
Table 15: Learning A Trade
For most characters, the idea of making a living as an adventurer starts as little more than a dream. Instead, most characters are apprenticed to a trade, inducted into the religious or military order the family is affiliated with, brought into the family business, sent to the fields for planting and harvesting, or given some other task-related instruction.
Craft. You’ve learned a craft (any of the categories possible for the Craft skill)
Monastery/Knightly Order. You have been accepted for training by an order of monks or paladins.
LIFE EVENTS (THUS FAR)
Life isn’t just training for a profession of course. Think of your own life and all the events—good and bad—you’ve lived through. It’s likely that your character, growing up in a fantastic, dangerous world, has had at least that many triumphs and tragedies.
Table 16: Early Childhood Events
Some events in early childhood have lasting impacts on a character’s future development
Astronomical Event. You were born under a strange moon, a comet in the sky, or some other phenomenon.
Table 17: Youth Events
Many characters get their first sense of the wide world they live in during their teenage years. Use this table to determine what exciting or heartbreaking events were the highlights of your character’s youth.
Battle. You aided in the defense of the community against raiders or a marauding monster
Great Romance. Lingering effects may include a jilted lover or a current relationship — and a reputation for boorishness or tenderness
Table 18: Pivotal Events
Some events are so significant that they change the entire course of a character’s life. These events are not necessarily tied to a specific age or experience level but might occur at any time. Remember that you don’t have to use this table if you don’t want to.
For many, this table represents the last significant thing that happened to your character before the first adventure begins.
Climactic Battle. A significant monster or villain threatens the community and is eventually either destroyed or driven off.
RELATIONSHIPS
Next we’ll turn our attention away from events and toward people. By populating your character’s world with interesting family, friends, and enemies, you make the world seem more real, and you give your DM all kinds of tools to make adventures more exciting. Perhaps your sister gets kidnapped. Or maybe your uncle is now the captain of the watch, and he’ll let you sneak into the tower if you can get a certain flower for his wife.
Table 19: Parents
Probably the most important basic relationship a character has is with his or her parents. If previous tables have told you about your parents, you may want to choose an entry on this table, rather than roll one.
Two Living Parents. Both are alive and healthy
Parents Lost or Unknown. You may learn more about them in a future adventure, of course.
Table 20: Siblings
Second only to the parent/child relationship is the relationship between a child and siblings. This table determines how many brothers and sisters you have.
Middle. You have 2 older siblings and 1 younger siblings.
Table 21: Grandparents
Many humans have living grandparents. In the longer-lived races, grandparents or great-grandparents are even more common. You should decide how many of your character’s elders are still a part of the character’s life.
Great-Grandparent alive. At least one, maybe more. Make a note of how many and who they are. Roll again to check on your grandparents.
Grand parents unknown. They died before you were old enough to remember them.
Table 22: Extended Family
This table includes uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, links by marriage, links broken by marriage dissolution, etc. The tangle of familial relationships can be as detailed or as simple as you desire.
Many Living Relatives. You have 10 living relatives
Table 23: Friends
These friends might actually be other heroes that your character will adventure with, or they may be NPCs for your DM to use for mood, setting, or plot. In any event, create as many or as few as you feel necessary, in as much detail as you wish.
Few. You don’t make friends easily, but you’re a good friend to them. You have a few close friends.
Table 24: Enemies
Enemies, from local bullies to major villains, can shape your life as much as your more positive relationships. At the least, a good set of enemies provides your DM with an excellent foil for heroic adventures! This is another table you can roll on more than
once, if you want.
Jilted Lover. You wronged someone in a matter of the heart.
Social Rival. You wronged someone (either actually or only in that person’s imagination) in a social or business context.
Table 25: Instructors
Many people form strong bonds with teachers, mentors, superior officers, etc. For the purpose of this table, we’ll call them instructors. This relationship provides not only excellent basis for creating NPCs, but also suggests what your 1st-level class might be. Once you’ve checked this table, make a note of your instructor’s name, location, etc.— and decide whether your instructor is still alive.
Basic. A particularly good instructor taught you the basic skills (choose alive or dead, note NPC details)
Angry. You have angered or otherwise alienated an instructor of note.
Category 1
First Name: Brulen
Surname: Ironfist
Nicknames:
Date of Birth:
Age: 88
Category 2
Do you have any distinguishing facial features: Birthmark
Do you have any personal handicaps?: Nope
Do you have any scars?: You wanna see them?
Which facial feature is the most prominent?: Beard
What kind of clothing do you like to wear?: Comfortable, loose
What is your Species/Ethnicity?: Dwarf (Hill)
Category 3
Do you have any words or phrases you overuse?:
Are you pessimistic or optimistic or maybe somewhere in between?: Glass is half full, mate. 'Til I empty it.
Do you ever put on airs?: No, not really.
How is your sense of humor/what makes you laugh?:
What is your greatest fear?: Failing my family and clan
What makes you heroic? Or what makes you villainous?: Think we're gonna find that out, really. I have no idea right now.
Category 4
Is your family big or small?
Do you have any issues with your family?
Do you have any siblings? What is your relationship like with them?:
Do you have/own any pets? If not, what would you own?:
Category 5
What has been your greatest achievement?
What has been your greatest failure?:
Did you grow up rich, poor, or middle class?:
What is your best childhood memory?:
What is your worst childhood memory?:
What would you be willing to die for?:
What are your ambitions?:
What is your greatest extravagance?:
What is your life motto?:
Category 6
Do you believe in love at first sight?:
Are you in a relationship?:
When did you last knock boots with someone else?:
Have you ever been in love?:
Have you ever had your heart broken?:
Category 7
Do you believe in the Force?:
What do you think of the Force?:
What are your thoughts on afterlife?:
Category 8
What is the worst thing that could be done to a person?:
What is your definition of freedom?:
When was the last time you lied to someone?:
How do you view lying?:
When did you last make a promise to someone?:
When was the last time you broke a promise?:
Category 9
What are your eating habits like?
Do you have any allergies?:
What's your drink of choice?:
Are you a minimalist or a hoarder?:
Category 10
What is your character archetype?:
What would you do if you won the lottery?
If you could travel through time, where would you go? Who would you meet?
What would you ask a fortune teller about your future?:
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