Adapted from Dwarf- MTG Wiki, Dwarf - Pathfinder Wiki and Dwarf Ancestry- Archives of Nethys
The Geodans, known to other species as Dwarves, are a resolute and enduring people whose history is forged in the very bedrock of the Starfall Galaxy. They ascended from the Inner Sphere long before the cataclysmic Rift-Storm tore through the cosmos, establishing themselves as consummate builders and relentless explorers. Their civilization is founded upon the unbreakable principles of industry, craftsmanship, and territorial expansion. They are driven by a deep-seated desire to master their environment and carve enduring legacies into the void.
Core Identity: Builders, Miners, and Industrial Architects
Geodans are defined by their unyielding will and their innate talent for construction, engineering, and resource extraction. They view the galaxy not as a hostile void, but as a vast quarry of raw materials and untapped potential, waiting to be shaped by their prodigious skill. Every rock face holds a secret, every gas giant a resource, and every derelict a salvage opportunity. Their ambition drives them to excavate, forge, and construct monuments to their industrious spirit, from subterranean city-fortresses to colossal orbital shipyards. The concept of the Dei pack and the Yom resonates with them as a tangible measure of raw material and labor, a fundamental unit of their meticulous economic calculations.
If you want a character who is steadfast, industrious, values craftsmanship and loyalty, and is driven to build and explore, you should play a Geodan!
YOU MIGHT...
Spend countless hours meticulously planning and executing a complex construction project.
Feel a deep connection to the raw materials of the cosmos, seeing their hidden potential.
Value precision, durability, and efficiency in all things.
Be fiercely loyal to your guild and comrades, defending them with unwavering resolve.
OTHERS PROBABLY...
Find you stubborn or unyielding in your convictions.
Rely on your expertise in engineering, mining, or construction.
Are impressed by the scale and durability of your creations.
Are wary of your territorial nature and relentless pursuit of resources.
Physical Description
Geodans are powerfully built humanoids, typically standing between 4 and 5 feet tall, with broad shoulders, thick limbs, and sturdy, compact physiques. Their skin tones often reflect the minerals and earth of their homeworlds, ranging from deep grays and browns to metallic sheens. They are known for their impressive beards and intricate hairstyles, often braided with metal rings or glowing Mana Crystals, which are meticulously cared for and regarded as symbols of status and lineage. Their eyes are often deep-set and keen, reflecting a focused and determined gaze.
Geodans prefer practical, durable clothing and armor, often incorporating reinforced plating and integrated tools. Their attire is designed for the rigors of mining, construction, or combat in harsh environments. They frequently carry specialized tools of their trade, which are often works of art in themselves, passed down through generations.
Society
Geodan society is fundamentally organized into powerful Industrial Guilds. These guilds are not merely trade associations; they are the bedrock of Geodan civilization, coordinating every aspect of their existence, from government and military to economic production for entire star systems. A single Grand Guild might oversee an entire Cluster, its directives shaping the lives of billions. Loyalty to one's guild is paramount, often superseding even loyalty to family or one's own planet.
Their culture values meticulous record-keeping, profound respect for expertise and earned seniority, and an unyielding will. They are pragmatic, stern, and value deeds over words. Their guilds function as governments, militaries, and economic engines, ensuring that every Geodan contributes to the collective prosperity and defense. While seemingly insular, they are capable of forging formidable, if often temporary, alliances when their industrial interests align. The stories of Geodan resilience, their vast subterranean cities, and their relentless drive to build and explore are deeply etched into the legends of the Starfall Galaxy, a testament to a species that finds its freedom and purpose in the enduring strength of their creations.
Inner Sphere:
Within the Inner Sphere, Geodan guilds hold immense sway over mining operations, deep-space construction, and heavy manufacturing. Their presence is often unseen, buried deep within planetary crusts or at the heart of asteroid belts, where their massive industrial complexes churn out the raw materials and infrastructure that underpin the Inner Sphere's ecumenopolises. While pragmatic, their traditional adherence to guild law can sometimes clash with the flexible (and often corrupt) policies of the Commission. Their initial expansion involved meticulously mapping and exploiting valuable resource worlds, establishing vast mining networks.
Outer Sphere:
In the fragmented and often chaotic Outer Sphere, Geodan settlements are fortresses of industry. Geodan Guilds have sent out countless expeditionary forces into this region, many of whom never returned, swallowed by the void's dangers. Those that endure are often isolated, self-sufficient strongholds, fiercely defending their mining claims or forge-worlds from rival factions. They are less concerned with broad political alliances and more with securing vital resources and expanding their industrial might, often engaging in fierce, protracted Resource Wars.
The Frontier: The most audacious Geodan explorers and wildcat miners venture into the uncharted Frontier. These are the true pioneers, establishing solitary outposts in dangerous new systems, seeking veins of rare minerals, or remnants of ancient technology hidden in uncharted space. Life here is brutal, demanding constant innovation and unwavering resilience against the unknown.
Connection to the Rift and Technology
Geodans are not typically arcane users, but their mastery of engineering and their inherent connection to the geological currents of worlds make them uniquely attuned to the physical manifestations of the Rift. They understand the structural integrity of reality and the weak points where the Rift bleeds through. Their Rift-Drives are robust and meticulously maintained, designed for deep penetration and reliable extraction, even if they lack the finesse of a Vaelen Rift-Navigator. They are less concerned with the psychic nuances of Mana and more with harnessing its raw, physical power for their industrial processes or for reinforcing their formidable defenses.
The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was a stark reminder of the universe's unpredictable forces. While it devastated many of their surface installations, the inherent resilience of their subterranean fortresses and deep-space foundries allowed many Geodan strongholds to weather the storm, emerging scarred but unbroken. This event only reinforced their belief in self-reliance and the enduring strength of crafted structures.
Beliefs
Geodan beliefs are centered on the concept of enduring strength, the sanctity of craftsmanship, and the eternal cycle of creation through industry and resourcefulness. They typically revere concepts like the "Great Forge" or the "Cosmic Quarry," seeing the universe as a vast source of raw materials to be shaped and perfected. They might venerate deities of crafting, stability, or wealth, such as Virmum (Torag) or Melmum (Abadar).
They believe that true legacy is forged through tangible creations and that their purpose is to build enduring monuments to their industrious spirit. The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was a test of their resolve, a chaotic force that proved the resilience of their meticulously crafted structures and their unyielding will.
Popular Edicts: Build to last, honor your craft, secure vital resources, uphold guild law, demonstrate unwavering loyalty, explore for new materials.
Popular Anathema: Shoddy workmanship, wastefulness, betrayal of your guild, intellectual laziness, abandoning a project, relying on fleeting solutions.
Geodan Mechanics
Source Core Rulebook pg. 35 4.0
Hit Points: 10
Size: Medium
Speed: 20 feet
Ability Boosts: Constitution, Wisdom, and one Free Ability Boost.
Ability Flaw: Charisma.
Languages: Common, Geodan You can learn additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Geodan Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Geodan heritages.
Deep Geodan: You are accustomed to the deep places of space and rock. You gain darkvision.
Forgeborn Geodan: Your lineage is tied to the great foundries and their intense heat. You gain resistance 1 to fire.
Stonelore Geodan: You have an intuitive understanding of stone and metal structures. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to identify items made of stone or metal, or to Recall Knowledge about geological features or subterranean architecture.
Surface Geodan: Your ancestors adapted to life outside deep caverns, under the open void or on rugged planetary surfaces. You gain a +5-foot status bonus to your Speed, but you do not gain darkvision from your Geodan ancestry.
Trade Guilder Geodan: Your heritage is steeped in mercantile traditions and the flow of resources. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks when bartering or negotiating trade agreements.
Geodan Ancestry Feats
You can select Geodan ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Hefty Hauler (General): You can carry more. Increase your Bulk limit by 2.
Rock Solid (General): Your sturdy build makes you difficult to move. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Fortitude saves against being Shoved or Tripped.
Stone Sense (General): You are accustomed to the vibrations through rock. You gain imprecise tremorsense out to 10 feet while you are touching stone or metal.
Tinker's Eye (General): You have a knack for intricate devices. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Repair items.
5th Level Feats
Defensive Stance (General): When you use the Guard action, your circumstance bonus to AC increases to +3 against one chosen foe.
Guild Architect (General): Your understanding of structures is profound. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to identify structural weaknesses or to Recall Knowledge about complex engineering.
Resourceful Prospector (General): You have an uncanny ability to find valuable materials. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Survival checks to Forage or Society checks to Seek out rare goods.
9th Level Feats
Ancient Engineering (General): You can discern the workings of ancient, even alien, technology. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Recall Knowledge checks about ancient technological artifacts or forgotten engineering principles.
Unwavering Loyalty (General): Your conviction is unbreakable. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Will saves against effects that would force you to betray your allies or your guild.
13th Level Feats
Master Builder (General): Your construction skills are legendary. When you Craft or Repair an item, you can do so in half the usual time.
Temporal Resonance Adaptation (General): You have learned to attune yourself to temporal distortions. You gain a +1 status bonus to saves against time dilation effects caused by the Rift or unstable Metronomes.
17th Level Feats
Indomitable Stronghold (General): When you are defending a fixed, constructed position, you gain resistance 5 to all damage. This resistance applies even if the structure is destroyed, for 1 round.
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Geodan Player Character, leveraging their core values of industry, craftsmanship, loyalty, and their connection to geology and technology:
Adventure Hooks for Geodan Player Characters
The Collapsing Mana-Mine:
Hook: A newly discovered, incredibly rich Mana-crystal vein in a remote asteroid belt (or a deep cavern system on a Frontier world) has become unstable. The geological structure is collapsing, threatening to trap a significant amount of valuable Mana and a team of trapped miners (perhaps a mixed crew, including Ysoki engineers or Human prospectors). The Geodan Industrial Guild puts out a desperate call for skilled architects and engineers to stabilize the mine and extract the Mana before it's lost or causes a catastrophic Rift-Bloom.
Geodan Appeal: This hook directly appeals to the Geodan's expertise as miners and industrial architects. The PC would be motivated by the challenge of a complex engineering problem, the preservation of valuable resources (Mana), and the rescue of fellow workers (even non-Geodans, due to their value for labor). Their Stone Sense, Guild Architect, and Master Builder feats would be crucial for navigating the unstable environment, shoring up collapsing sections, and devising a solution.
The Ancient Forge's Awakening:
Hook: Rumors persist of an ancient, pre-Cataclysm Geodan "Great Forge" or a legendary workshop hidden deep within a long-abandoned Inner Sphere industrial moon. This forge is said to be capable of crafting items of immense power, perhaps even Mana-infused artifacts, but it has fallen into disrepair or been corrupted by Rift-Taint. A rival guild, or perhaps a desperate Commission faction, seeks to reactivate it for their own ends, potentially unleashing unforeseen dangers.
Geodan Appeal: This hook taps into the Geodan's reverence for craftsmanship, ancient engineering, and their drive to build enduring legacies. The PC would be driven to reclaim or restore this lost piece of their heritage, ensuring its power is used honorably. They might need to outwit rivals, bypass ancient security systems, and cleanse the forge of any Rift-Taint, using their Ancient Engineering and Tinker's Eye feats to decipher its workings.
The Resource War's Unbreakable Line:
Hook: A vital Geodan forge-world or a strategic asteroid refinery in the Outer Sphere is under relentless assault by Grolak Marauder Hordes or a cunning Nomad-Kin war-band, both seeking to seize its valuable resources. The defending Geodan forces are stretched thin, and a critical defensive structure is on the verge of collapse. The PC, a loyal guilder, is part of a desperate mission to reinforce the defenses, repair damaged infrastructure, and hold the line against overwhelming odds.
Geodan Appeal: This hook directly appeals to the Geodan's unwavering loyalty to their guild and their territorial nature. The PC would be motivated to defend their people's assets with unyielding resolve. It would involve intense combat, rapid repair efforts, and potentially devising improvised defenses, highlighting their Rock Solid, Defensive Stance, and Indomitable Stronghold feats.
The Temporal Anomaly of the Metronome:
Hook: A newly discovered, highly unstable Metronome (a device or natural phenomenon that creates temporal distortions) is found in the Frontier, causing localized time dilation and strange temporal echoes. It's disrupting Mana-flow and threatening to unravel the fabric of reality in the immediate vicinity. A small, desperate team (perhaps including a Lashunta scholar or an Android specialist) seeks a Geodan with their unique understanding of structural integrity and their Temporal Resonance Adaptation to help stabilize or dismantle the Metronome before it causes a wider Cataclysm.
Geodan Appeal: This hook presents a unique engineering challenge that goes beyond mere construction. The PC's ability to understand and adapt to temporal distortions would be crucial. They would need to analyze the Metronome's structure, predict its chaotic shifts, and devise a way to safely interact with it, proving their mastery over even the most unpredictable forces of the cosmos.
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