Dwarves Deep
Encyclopedia
Dwarves Deep is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. The book, with product code TSR 9300, was published in 1990, and was written by Ed Greenwood
, with cover art by Brom
and interior art by Andy Price.
and dwarven society of the Realms. Pages 3–5 detail what it is to be a dwarf, including dwarven character, everyday beliefs, dwarven manners, customs, dwarven nature, the doom of the dwarves (low birthrate), festivals and moots, professions, what it means to be a handsome dwarf (hirsute), and the metals most marvellous admired by dwarves. Page 6 details how love and marriage work between dwarves, including courting, marriage, having children, and halfbloods (with humans
, gnomes
, and halfling
s). Pages 7–8 detail the various dwarven races of the Realms, including the Shield (or Northern) Dwarves, the Gold (or Southern) Dwarves, the Gray Dwarves
, and Wild Dwarves (who receive full stats on page 9). Page 10 details dwarven craft and feats of dwarven engineering. Pages 11–12 describe the dwarven language, including runestones, and dwarven words and names. Page 13 details dwarven clans, including clan organization, clan law, clan professions, and the known clans of dwarves. Page 14 discusses dwarven brotherhoods, their term for adventuring bands. Pages 15–26 present the gods of the dwarves
, including new deities Sharindlar, Marthammor Duin
, Gorm Gulthyn, Haela Brightaxe, and Thard Harr. Pages 27–36 give details on the priests
of the dwarves and the clergy of each deity. Pages 37–42 present dwarven magic spells while pages 43–45 dwarven magic items
. Pages 46–47 detail the Great Rift
, which has been ruled by the dwarves for centuries. Pages 48–50 details "the Deeps", a vast underground region; page 51 contains statistics for the deepspawn monster. Pages 52–60 reveal the Lost Kingdoms of long ago dwarves. Pages 61–62 detail dwarves in the Sword Coast North in the modern time of the Forgotten Realms. Pages 63–64 presents "current clack", a collection of tidbits of useful information that adventure scenarios could be based on.
This book also includes a fold-out color poster subterranean map of the Deep Realm showing the areas and levels ruled by the dwarves. The inside front cover contains an explanation of dwarven names, while the inside back cover contains a number of tables with sample dwarven names. The inside gatefold cover contains an illustration of a typical dwarven runestone while the outside gatefold cover presents the full Dethek language runic alphabet.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The book, with product code TSR 9300, was published in 1990, and was written by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
, with cover art by Brom
Gerald Brom
Gerald Brom is an American gothic fantasy artist and illustrator, known for his work in role-playing games, novels, and comics.-Early life:Brom was born March 9, 1965, in Albany, Georgia. As the son of a U.S...
and interior art by Andy Price.
Contents
The 64-page booklet is wrapped in a removable gatefold cover. The book includes a one-page introduction by Ed Greenwood, where he explains that this book details the dwarvesDwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
and dwarven society of the Realms. Pages 3–5 detail what it is to be a dwarf, including dwarven character, everyday beliefs, dwarven manners, customs, dwarven nature, the doom of the dwarves (low birthrate), festivals and moots, professions, what it means to be a handsome dwarf (hirsute), and the metals most marvellous admired by dwarves. Page 6 details how love and marriage work between dwarves, including courting, marriage, having children, and halfbloods (with humans
Human (Dungeons & Dragons)
Humans are a race available for player characters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although short-lived by comparison, humans are the most populous of all Dungeons & Dragons races. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specializations like...
, gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
, and halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
s). Pages 7–8 detail the various dwarven races of the Realms, including the Shield (or Northern) Dwarves, the Gold (or Southern) Dwarves, the Gray Dwarves
Duergar (Dungeons & Dragons)
In Dungeons & Dragons fantasy, the duergar, or gray dwarves are a cruel and evil subrace of dwarves.-Publication history:The duergar are named after the dvergar of Norse mythology, who were the builders of Gleipnir...
, and Wild Dwarves (who receive full stats on page 9). Page 10 details dwarven craft and feats of dwarven engineering. Pages 11–12 describe the dwarven language, including runestones, and dwarven words and names. Page 13 details dwarven clans, including clan organization, clan law, clan professions, and the known clans of dwarves. Page 14 discusses dwarven brotherhoods, their term for adventuring bands. Pages 15–26 present the gods of the dwarves
Dwarf deities
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Morndinsamman, the dwarven pantheon of gods, consists of the leader, Moradin, as well as Abbathor, Berronar Truesilver, Clanggedin Silverbeard, Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dumathoin, Muamman Duathal, and Vergadain...
, including new deities Sharindlar, Marthammor Duin
Marthammor Duin
Marthammor Duin , is the dwarven deity of Travel and Protection in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
, Gorm Gulthyn, Haela Brightaxe, and Thard Harr. Pages 27–36 give details on the priests
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
of the dwarves and the clergy of each deity. Pages 37–42 present dwarven magic spells while pages 43–45 dwarven magic items
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
. Pages 46–47 detail the Great Rift
Great Rift (Forgotten Realms)
The Great Rift is a location in the fictional setting of Faerûn, in the Forgotten Realms, for Dungeons & Dragons.-Description:The Great Rift is the traditional home of Faerûn's gold dwarves, though there is also a human city nearby, called Khôltar...
, which has been ruled by the dwarves for centuries. Pages 48–50 details "the Deeps", a vast underground region; page 51 contains statistics for the deepspawn monster. Pages 52–60 reveal the Lost Kingdoms of long ago dwarves. Pages 61–62 detail dwarves in the Sword Coast North in the modern time of the Forgotten Realms. Pages 63–64 presents "current clack", a collection of tidbits of useful information that adventure scenarios could be based on.
This book also includes a fold-out color poster subterranean map of the Deep Realm showing the areas and levels ruled by the dwarves. The inside front cover contains an explanation of dwarven names, while the inside back cover contains a number of tables with sample dwarven names. The inside gatefold cover contains an illustration of a typical dwarven runestone while the outside gatefold cover presents the full Dethek language runic alphabet.