Dwarf Subspecies [Fantasy]

[AlexanderHowl]

So, I was wondering if anyone was willing to share their subspecies of dwarf? I will share one of mine. They are called the Stonesingers.

Stonesingers [40]

Attribute Modifiers: IQ+2 [40]

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 2 [4]; Magery 0 [5] plus Magery 3 (One College, Earth, -40%) [18]; Night Vision 5 [5]

Disadvantages: Lecherousness (12-) [-15]; Weakness (1d per 30 minutes; Sunlight) [-15]; Xenophilia (12-) [-10]

Spells: Seek Earth (H) IQ+3 [4] and Shape Earth (H) IQ+3 [4]

Stonesingers are a subspecies of dwarf created through the transmission of the Stonesinger Plague, a STI spread among the dwarven species. Dwarves infected with the disease add the Stonesinger template to their dwarven template (children born to infected mothers are usually immune to the disease, which is one of the reasons why it has not wiped out standard dwarves). The disease can spread to other sapient humanoid species, adding the Stonesinger template to their racial template, though non-dwarves cannot transmit the infection to non-dwarves, only dwarves.

The only reason why dwarves tolerate the existence of the Stonesingers is that they possess an innate ability to work earth and stone. In dwarven communities, they will be isolated and given slaves to satisfy their carnal desires, which have the added bonus of creating more Stonesingers without losing anymore dwarves. Outside of dwarven communities, Stonesingers will gather together in small underground communities, where their behaviors are accepted and celebrated. The Stonesinger Plague requires a HT roll (+4 for non-dwarves) to avoid after unprotected intimacy with an infected individual and, after infection, the transformation takes 120 days to complete, with the infected manifesting the positive traits first and then the negative traits last, and with the infected being contagious only after the transformation is completed.

[Gumby Bush]

Sandspire Dwarves [+0]:
Replace Pickaxe Penchant with Sandspire Training (covers Polearm, Crossbow, Survival (Desert), Staff, Spear, and Architecture).
Replace Stubbornness with Intolerance (Reptilians).
Replace Resistant to Poison (+3) with Filter Lungs. Reduce Night Vision to 3 and add Temperature Tolerance 2 (Hot).

I wrote it as a lens for DF dwarves. They are basically intended as desert dwarves in a setting where some dwarves maintain an ancient grudge against the reptilian races.

[Proteus]

I've always wanted to see dwarves glven something like:

Altered Time Rate 1 (Non-Combat Speed, -60%; Accessibility, only for tasks involving earth, metal, or minerals, -30%) [20]

They'd be twice as fast at digging, tunneling, masonry, smithing, jewelry crafting, etc. as normal humans, which seems fully in character.

However, 20 points still seems kind of high for such an ability. Although I suppose I might feel differently if a PC dwarf decided to go into business as a weapon-smith or jewelry-maker and work out all the math for profits, etc.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by Gumby Bush

They are basically intended as desert dwarves in a setting where some dwarves maintain an ancient grudge against the reptilian races.

Do they have the ability (alchemical or magical) to create sandstone out of sand? I can imagine them building weirdly elegant, termite-mound-like towers in the middle of the desert.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I've always wanted to see dwarves glven something like:

Altered Time Rate 1 (Non-Combat Speed, -60%; Accessibility, only for tasks involving earth, metal, or minerals, -30%) [20]

They'd be twice as fast at digging, tunneling, masonry, smithing, jewelry crafting, etc. as normal humans, which seems fully in character.

Unless I'm reading Powers p42 very wrong, I think that would make them three times as fast at those tasks...

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Unless I'm reading Powers p42 very wrong, I think that would make them three times as fast at those tasks...

Whoops! You're right. So, can we give them Altered Time Rate 0.5, to allow working 50% faster for 10 points?

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I've always wanted to see dwarves glven something like:

Altered Time Rate 1 (Non-Combat Speed, -60%; Accessibility, only for tasks involving earth, metal, or minerals, -30%) [20]

They'd be twice as fast at digging, tunneling, masonry, smithing, jewelry crafting, etc. as normal humans, which seems fully in character.

However, 20 points still seems kind of high for such an ability. Although I suppose I might feel differently if a PC dwarf decided to go into business as a weapon-smith or jewelry-maker and work out all the math for profits, etc.

If, given Gold & Appel Inc's correction, you still feel [20] is a bit much, having the character get a free +1 or even +2 to such abilities (in addition to working 3x as fast) wouldn't be an outlandish boost. Note you're actually looking at -90% worth of Limitations, but are limited to -80% as the actual reduction; that "free" +1 or +2 is roughly comparable to the -10% (worth [10]) you lost above, by way of a Talent.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Proteus

Whoops! You're right. So, can we give them Altered Time Rate 0.5, to allow working 50% faster for 10 points?

That would be a house rule, as there is no SM 0.5 on the table on Campaigns p550 (or anywhere else), but it sounds reasonable to me.

[AlexanderHowl]

Tunneling (Slow; Cosmic, No Roll Required, +100%) [10] would be better than ATR for tunneling. It would allow one yard of progress per minute and would create stable tunnels without requiring any rolls. Another idea would be Modular Abilities (Cosmic Powers; Trait-Limited, Efficient, -50%) [5], which would allow them to ignore the first -2 for taking less time, meaning that dwarves could take 20% less time to produce anything.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Tunneling (Slow; Cosmic, No Roll Required, +100%) [10] would be better than ATR for tunneling.

If one wanted to describe dwarves who were only good at tunneling rather than at the other tasks described, and who could create tunnels magically without using any physical effort or digging tools, then such a build might be appropriate. I was thinking about Tolkien-type dwarves rather than about mole-men, though such folks do sound like a different potential variant.

The Modular Abilities for different types of Efficient is interesting, but still seems to be beat by 300% performance for 20 points (or, notionally, 150% performance for 10).