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.
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.
| Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Adamant resolve, craft expertise, improved stonecunning |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Axe focus, improved darkvision (+30 ft.), save bonus |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Ability boost (Con +2), axe specialization |
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Athletics, Profession, Insight, Engineering, Intimidate, and Arms Lore
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Dwarf Paragon is proficient with Basic weapons plus any one other weapon group of your choice. They are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor and with shields (but not with tower shields).
If not using weapon groups, a Dwarf Paragon is proficient with simple and martial weapons.
Adamant Resolve
Your will is as strong as adamantine, allowing you to ignore pain and injury, at least for a time. You gain a delayed damage pool equal to 3 × your dwarf paragon level. When attacked, you may redirect all or part of the damage to take to your delayed damage pool. Apply damage reduction and resistance before redirecting the damage. You may not redirect damage that would exceed the maximum capacity of the damage pool.
Any additional effects of an attack, such as poison, are still incurred immediately even if the entire damage of the attack is redirected to the delayed damage pool.
Your delayed damage pool empties at the end of your turn each round, inflicting any damage stored in the pool to you, bypassing any damage reduction or resistance you possess and resetting the pool to 0.
Any healing you receive can be applied to increase your current hit points, remove delayed damage, or both. You may divide healing between the two in any way you choose.
Craft Expertise
A dwarf paragon may add his class level as a racial bonus on all Profession checks made to craft an item.
Improved Stonecunning
At 1st level, a dwarf paragon’s racial bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework increases to +4. The range at which he receives an automatic Perception 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 whenever underground.
Axe Focus
A dwarf paragon gains Weapon Focus (Axe) as a bonus feat at 2nd level. If he already possesses this feat, he gains an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon group.
Improved Darkvision
At 2nd level, a dwarf paragon’s darkvision range increases by 30 feet.
Save Bonus
A 2nd-level dwarf paragon’s racial bonus on saves against poison and against spells and spell-like effects increases by 2.
Ability Boost
At 3rd level, a dwarf paragon’s Constitution score increases by 2 points.
Axe Specialization
A dwarf paragon gains Weapon Specialization (Axe) as a bonus feat at 2nd level, and it’s benefits apply to all weapon in that weapon group.