Well, the first thing is that I'm giving scaling racial bonuses based on character level. And yes, there is steam power, but it belongs exclusively to one clan of dwarves, which I've already specced out. Plus, it doesn't help that I left most of my notes at home.
Out of the standard race, this is what I've kept:
• +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
• Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons. (this is only here until I redo racial weapons. After this, every race, except maybe humans, will have their own special weapon groups)
• Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass dwarf ’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing
This is what I've scrapped:
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
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The bonus versus orcs doesn't make sense for my campaign. They similarly don't really dislike giants, since giants tend to be alright folks, just a mite taller than the folks on average.
I thought about giving them a wisdom bonus. They won't be the only race to have one, regardless, so it wouldn't help too much.
The bonus versus spells I kind of want to change into something like a dwarven defender. Maybe something like this:
Just Plain Ornery: Dwarves are hardy creatures. Whenever a dwarf does not move in a round, he may choose to become "empowered like the stone," and just as stubborn as one too. Magic just doesn't hurt them like normal folk. When in stubborn mode, they gain a +3 to resist spells and spell-like effects. they also take less damage from spells: 1 less for every die of damage. Any movement, even involuntary, ends this effect.
It still seems to be lacking something though.
