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| https://www.deviantart.com/afuchan |
The Dwarves of Sangmenzhang are a people fallen into ruin and wandering, undone by a myriad of atrocities inflicted upon them by the Gods for their hubris in seeking the void lotus and the Un-Godself. Wasting diseases, betrayals between clans, heavenly madness and the very Mountains of the Moon turned against the dwarven people. Thousands of years ago they were princelings and lords, with blades of moonlight and gilded garb. Now they wander, merely a shadow of their once proud culture.
Dwarves of Sangmenzhang as a class serve as a foreign, exotic adventurer who drape themselves in the vestiges of their lost legacy to survive an increasingly uncertain world.
The Dwarves of Sangmenzhang
Requirements: None.
Prime Requisite: Wisdom.
Hit Dice: d6.
Dwarves of Sangmenzhang
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Level
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Breath Attacks
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Poison or Death
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Petrify or Paralyze
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Wands
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Spells or Spell-like Devices
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1-3
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12
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13
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16
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12
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14
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4-6
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9
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11
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14
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10
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12
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7-9
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7
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9
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12
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8
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10
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10
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4
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7
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8
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6
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8
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The Dwarves of Sangmenzhang
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Level
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Experience
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Hit Dice (d6)
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1
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0
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1
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2
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1,200
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2
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3
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2,400
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3
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4
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4,800
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4
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5
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9,600
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5
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6
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20,000
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6
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7
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40,000
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7
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8
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80,000
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8
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9
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160,000
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9
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10
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280,000+
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2+ HP Only
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Equipment: Dwarves of Sangmenzhang can make use of weapon or armor, though they will not wield swords that are not of either dwarven make or masterwork quality.
Blessed Swords: Dwarves of Sangmenzhang who make use of masterwork or ancient swords increase the damage dice of such weapons by one degree (d6 to d8, d8 to d10). If ever their sword is broken, the Dwarf loses their Fearless ability until they are able to find a suitable replacement weapon or they kill the entity that broke their weapon.
Fearless: The Dwarves know well the horrors of the world and the alien realms beyond it. A Dwarf of Sangmenzhang is immune to all kinds of fear, be it magical or mundane. Only through loss of a Blessed Sword can a Dwarf of Sangmenzhang feel fear. Such fear is one of the greatest pains a Dwarf may ever know.
Know Ruins: Dwarves of Sangmenzhang possess knowledge of the Purple Land, handed down to them for generations. When within a ruin or dungeon, a Dwarf may make a Wisdom Save. Upon a success, they may discern how old the ruins are, what race or culture built them, and if any stonework has been defaced or greatly manipulated by something outside that cultural group.
Legacy of Sangmenzhang: The Dwarves of Sangmenzhang come from a powerful and storied history, and though their empire is broken now, those who carry their ancestral blood, carry forward the legacy of their people. As a Dwarf of Sangmenzhang adventures, they are able to better tap into the might of their ancestors. The night after a Dwarf of Sangmenzhang advances in level they suffer a terrible nightmare and past life regression.
At first level and every odd level after that the Dwarf of Sangmenzhang becomes more attuned to the latent powers of their ancestral blood, granting them access to a talent as determined below. If a dwarf rolls the same legacy talent more than once, they gain an additional effect, after which a similar result should be re-rolled.
d8
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Legacy Talent
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1
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Seeker of the Void - Your ancestors sought to free themselves from the shackles of existence.
You possess the ability to clear your mind to a void state, reducing the duration of any mind-altering spells and abilities by a number of turns equal to your level. If you gain this talent again, you deal 1d4 damage to entities which use psionic powers against you. |
2
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Dweller in Mists - Your ancestors once hunted the Yak-men of the Mountains of the Moon, stealing from them all they held precious.
You move an additional 30’ when the weather is storming, raining, or foggy. If you are not heavily encumbered, movement through these weathers is made in as though you move in complete silence.
If you gain this talent again, mountain spirits, wind elementals, and ghosts of the mountains will be neutral to you until you act against them.
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3
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Adherent of the Mara - Your ancestors controlled demons of foulest temptation, devouring them and controlling their mantles of power.
You may make your garments appear as you wish, though at a touch the illusion vanishes. You may, as you choose, make your face appear as though it is a paragon of beauty and attractiveness. This too, is lost upon a touch.
If you receive this talent again, you may cast the charm spell, once per day.
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4
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Slaver of Mountains - Your ancestors shackled the earth to their wills, only to be undone by their slaves when Sangmenzhang fell.
You may cobble together a tiny slave out of a small pile of stones, mud, dirt, and a small bit of your blood. This slave will spy on your enemies, polish your weapons, and act utterly subservient. It has HD 1, AC 9, #ATT 1, DMG 1d3-1, MV 60, and Saves equivalent to yourself. It can hide as a pile of its base material with a success rate of 5-in-6.
If you receive this talent again, all creatures composed of earth or stone have their morale reduced by 2 in your presence. If such a creature does not usually have morale, it does now.
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5
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Moonless One - Your ancestors made compacts and waged wars against the alien entities of the Mountains of the Moon.
Your damage dice against creatures from other planes of existence is increased by a degree (d6 to d8, d8 to d10). You can tell when such a creature is in another form due to them appearing as though illuminated in faint moonlight; though this can be hidden or obfuscated easily.
If you receive this talent again, you may at night summon into your hand a hidden blade of moonlight. This blade functions as a dagger, though it is unseen save for a shimmering glint. It may damage spectral entities.
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6
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Malign Jeweller - Your ancestors bound the souls of lesser oni and weak-willed men into gems and precious stones.
You may wield a gemstone as a holy icon, turning wicked spirits and craven mortals away as though you were a cleric of half your level (minimum of Level 1). A gem used in this way crumbles to ash after 1d3 turns. You cannot destroy such entities with a gem.
If you roll this talent again, you may “destroy” such entities as a cleric of half your level, but the destroyed entity is instead trapped within the gem as though they were subjected to a soul jar spell. If the gem is ever out of your possession, the entity can make a Save vs Spells to return to the physical world.
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7
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The Ungodded - Your ancestors achieved the void state and denied the Gods their souls.
You may, each day, choose whether or not you will be subject to divine spells such as those cast by clerics and holy-men. If you choose to be subjected, you may receive the benefits of their spells, as well as the maluses of those cast against you. If you refuse, you cannot receive the benefits of divine spells, but you gain a +1 to your Saves and damage from enemy divine spells is reduced by a dice degree (d8 to d6, d6 to d4, et cetera).
If you receive this talent again, upon dying your soul detonates, dealing a number of d6 equal to your level in damages to any beings which hold the Gods as their masters. Planar, spiritual, and otherworldly entities lose all their supernatural abilities for a number of hours equal to the damage taken.
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8
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Eater of the Void Lotus - Your ancestors, indulgent in profane hedonistic rites, glimpsed a sight beyond sights.
Upon consuming opium, tea, lotus, or being poisoned, you are able to detect magic for the duration of your intoxication. While intoxicated you do not suffer harm from blinding effects and everything appears to you as though it is made of swirling colors and starlight.
If you receive this talent again, you are able to meditate while imbibing opium, tea, lotus, or other intoxicants. During this time you may scry upon any distant location you have been to, or upon any being whose name and face you know. Spiritual entities can sense they are being spied upon, but they will not recognize you, instead feeling an emptiness is gazing upon them.
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Additional Generators
d6
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Backgrounds
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1
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Wandering Clan - Your people, your family, your clan are deeply scattered. You grew up wandering throughout the Purple Lands, suffering at the hands of depraved humanity, wicked slug-men, and foul beasts. You know your homeland is gone and has been gone for many ages.
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2
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Blessed Swordsmen Clan - Your clan would be the blessed honor guard, the holy assassins, the greatest of warriors---if Sangmenzhang was not in ruins. Though your people cling to their rites and honor, you know there is no glory in selling your skill to the hedonistic nobles of the Purple Lands. In that there is only money enough to survive.
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3
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Ancient Royalty - Your family believes that they once were princelings, once were mountain lords and void-seeking gurus. In ancient scrolls, in tongues undecipherable save to scholars, they claim the blood of royalty. If this is to be true, you have right to reclaim the homeland. Pity you must serve and toil to gain the power and wealth to do such a campaign.
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4
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Jewelmonger Clan - Your family, always bombastic in the marketplace and jovial to the private client, whispered terrible truths within their own homes. Your clan had powers, witching powers of sorts; and they always sought to invest in mines and pearls so they might be prepared against the “craven, unclean masses.” You know there is power in gems, beyond the coin they are worth.
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5
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Ascetic Clan - Your clan existed within a temple, in which they sought an ancient truth long believed forgotten in the ruins of Sangmenzhang. As a child you imbibed all forms of lotus poison, suffered beatings when materialism gripped you, and only upon your first dream of an ancient legacy did you come to know your purpose.
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6
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Wayward Cult - You were part of a degenerate cult, a lost dwarf among many other wayward souls, bent at the knee in worship to foul daeva and feckless Gods. Your offerings and sacrifices always delighted the spirits, and only upon your recognition of your legacy did you come to realize you’d shackled yourself to the ancient enemies of your people. You are free now, but the Purple Lands are filled with many such cults and fouler beings who’d see you break.
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d8
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Appearance Part 1
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Appearance Part 2
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1
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Your body is tattooed to appear as though skinless. Muscles and bones.
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Your teeth are sharp, fanged, like a rakshasa.
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2
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Your body is tattooed blue, with scripture of the Ungod scarified upon it in keloid.
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Your eyes are sunken, like deep shimmering gold at the bottom of a well.
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3
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You have the fur and bones of yak-men braided into your hair.
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Your incisors have been replaced with curved, golden teeth. Like tusks on a div.
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4
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Your flesh is tattooed in lotus patterns, when you imbibe such dread flora the markings glisten.
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Your hands are tattooed red as blood, and upon each palm is a hamsa eye to ward off spirits.
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5
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You keep a sash of fine blue silk bound round one hand, trailing to the hilt of your blade. With a snap, it is in your hand.
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A gemstone is embedded in your forehead, on moonless nights you can hear insane weeping from within.
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6
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Demonic faces, agonized in torment, are scarified upon your body. They appear to shift positions each morning.
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You wear shackles of stone as though they were bangles, upon which are engraved the names of ancient traitors.
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7
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Your hair is billowing and pale, shifting in color to dark greys and blacks when rain is to come.
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Your hands are black as night, seemingly made of obsidian. Each finger ends in a long, draconic talon.
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8
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Your face is tattooed in a stylized skull, said to be the visage of an ancestor who was denied their purpose.
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Your eyes are black as night, and only when making direct eye contact can a shimmer of white light be seen within.
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