The Daunting Dwarf:

Guide to Dwarvish Enhancements

By Darkgolem



Dwarves are one of the more fun races to play in DDO, able to be tough
warriors, zealous clerics, or capable thieves.  The enhancement
system in DDO allows players to make a dwarf character who fulfills
these roles very well, and allows players to specialize within these
classes excellenlty.

The Basics

A quick summary for those
unfamiliar with the way enhancements work for DDO is in order. 

First, you get 4 action points every level.  They are earned
gradually as you work your way to your next level. You use these action
points to purchase enhancements.  You much qualify for an
enhancement to purchase it.  Enhancements require a certain amount
of action points to already have been spent, less powerful similar
enhancements and sometimes for you to have a feat, before you can
purchase them.  Because of the requirements for various
enhancements, you should plan on how you wish to spend your action
points when you begin character creation.

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album55&id=Dwarf_Enhancements&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Dwarvesh Enhancements"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album55/Dwarf_Enhancements.sized.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 187px;" align="left">

Choosing Your Role

A random or unplanned
selection of enhancements for your dwarf character will sometimes turn
out to make your character some what ... confused in their
capabilities.  It's best that you plan what role you wish to fill
in a party, and then build your enhancements to fit that role.

Dwarvish Battlemaster

The dwarvish battlemaster
is interested mastering delivery of damage in battle.  They
specialize in dealing special attacks such as trip or stunning blow,
and are excellent against dwarvish traditional foes, giants and
ogres.  They are able to minimize the affect of armor upon their
combat ability, not at all slow or awkward.

• Dwarven Armor
  Mastery - the ability to gain a higher and higher dex bonus while
  wearing heavy armor helps the battlemaster avoid being hit.
• Dwarven Armored
  Agility - With this enhancement you can be more able feats such as
  tumble, jump and balance.
• Dwarven Goblinoid
  Hatred – Gaining an additional bonus to attack against goblinoids is
  useful, somewhat, thought at higher levels presently irrelevant.
• Dwarven Giant Dodger
  – always a useful enhancement, the battlemaster meets giants all the
  way into upper levels
• Dwarven Axe Attack –
  Gaining a bonus to attack rolls for a relatively low cost is very handy
• Dwarven Tactics -
  bonuses to special abilities such as trip, hamstring or stunning blow
  is very useful, make sure you want and get the feats involved.

Dwarvish Bulwark

The dwarvish bulwark is
interested in being a solid defensive force in a battlefield. 
Resistant to poison and magic, with mastery of shields and lots of hit
points, the bulwark is very hard to hurt.  With the right feats,
the bulwark is a anchor for a party to fight around.

• Dwarven Toughness –
  grants you extra hit points from the tougness feat, making you a
  veritable mountain of hit points.
• Dwarven Armor
  Mastery – grants you a higher armor class while using heavy
  armor.  Key for a dwarvish bulwark.
• Dwarven Giant Dodger
  – against giants the dwarven bulwark is even harder to hit.  With
  giants being common at almost all levels, this is very useful an
  enhancement indeed.
• Dwarven Spell
  Defense – a very important ability for the dwarvish bulwark, who draws
  many attacks from hostile casters.
• Dwarvish Poison
  Resistance – very helpful to avoid the effect of poisons, though less
  so that than spell resistance (since blocking can avoid poison effects
  from some foes)
• Dwarven Shield
  Master – increased the damage reduction a dwarf gets from using a
  shield to block.
• Dwarvish
  Constitution – increasing fortitude saves and hit points, this is a
  great enhancement for a dwarvish bulwark.

Dwarvish Priest

The Dwarvish Priest is in
many ways a mix of ability in melee against traditional foes of
dwarven-kind and a healer.  Not only is the dwarvish priest
responsible for keeping friends up and fighting, they also reflect the
traditional abilities of dwarves to others of their own kind and non
dwarves as a whole.

• Dwarvish Faith – key
  for a dwarvish priest, since the extra spell points granted here assist
  the priest in both using combat and recuperative spells for themselves
  and friends
• Dwarvish Goblinoid
  Hatred – helps make up for the slightly lower strength a dwarf priest
  might have compared to a fighter.
• Dwarvish Giant
  Dodger – Being able go toe to toe with giants and their kin is
  something dwarves are known for… how could a dwarvish priest be any
  different?
• Dwarvish Spell
  Defense – shores up the poor reflex save dwarf priests have against
  evocation spells
• Dwarven Axe Attack –
  Dwarves are expected to excel with axes, and how else could a dwarvish
  priest represent his or her kindred?

The Enhancements:

border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Name

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Cost

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Progression

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Requirements

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">BEnefit

style="height: 12.75pt; width: 48pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17" width="64">Dwarven Armor Mastery 1 x:num="" width="64">2 x:num="" width="64">0 width="64">

width="64">Grants +1 to the max Dex 
bonus on your armor style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Armor Mastery 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">4 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">14 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Armor Mastery 1, Level 5 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants +2 to the max Dex  bonus
on your armor style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Armor Mastery 3 size="-1">6 size="-1">30 Dwarven
Armor Mastery 2, Level 10 Dwarf

Grants
+3 to the max Dex  bonus on your armor style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Armored Agility 1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">0 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Reduces the armor check penalty that applies to many of your
skills by 1, regardless of armor worn style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Armored Agility 2 size="-1">2 size="-1">14 Dwarven
Armored Agility 1, Level 5 Dwarf

Reduces
the armor check penalty that applies to many of your skills by 2,
regardless of armor worn style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Armored Agility 3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">33 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Armored Agility 2, Level 10 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Reduces the armor check penalty that applies to many of your
skills by 3, regardless of armor worn style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Axe Attack 1 size="-1">2 size="-1">10 Level
4 Dwarf

You
gain additional +1 bonus to attack rolls when using a battleaxe,
throwing axe, greataxe, handaxe, or dwarven axe style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Axe Attack 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">4 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">32 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Axe Attack 1, Level 10 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">You gain additional +2 bonus to attack rolls when using a
battleaxe, throwing axe, greataxe, handaxe, or dwarven axe style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Axe Damage 1 size="-1">2 size="-1">0

Level
4 Dwarf

You
gain additional +1 bonus to damage rolls when using a battleaxe,
throwing axe, greataxe, handaxe, or dwarven axe style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Axe Damage 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">4 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">32 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Axe Damage 1, Level 7 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">You gain additional +2 bonus to damage rolls when using a
battleaxe, throwing axe, greataxe, handaxe, or dwarven axe style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Constitution 1 size="-1">2 size="-1">6

Level
3 Dwarf

Grants
a +1 increase to constitution score style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Constitution 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">4 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">24 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Constitution 1, Level 8 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +2 increase to constitution score style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Faith 1 size="-1">1 size="-1">0

Grants
Dwarven clerics a 15 point increase to spell points style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Faith 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">14 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Faith 1, Level 5 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants Dwarven clerics a 30 point increase to spell points style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Faith 3 size="-1">3 size="-1">29

Dwarven
Faith 2, LEvel 9 Dwarf

Grants
Dwarven clerics a 45 point increase to spell points style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Giant Dodger 1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">11 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Level 4 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus against giants style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Giant Dodger 2 size="-1">2 size="-1">26 Dwarven
Giant Dodger 1, Level 8 Dwarf

You
gain an additional +2 dodge bonus against giants style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Giant Dodger 3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">41 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Giant Dodger 2, Level 12 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">You gain an additional +3 dodge bonus against giants style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Goblinoid Hatred 1 size="-1">1 size="-1">0

Grants
an additional +1 bonus to attack goblinoids style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Goblinoid Hatred 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">14 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Goblinoid Hatred 1, Level 5 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants an additional +2 bonus to attack goblinoids style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Goblinoid Hatred 3 size="-1">3 size="-1">33 Dwarven
Goblinoid Hatred 2, Level 10 Dwarf

Grants
an additional +3 bonus to attack goblinoids style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Poison Resistance 1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">0 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +1 bonus on saving throws against poison style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Poison Resistance 2 size="-1">2 size="-1">10 Dwarven
Poison Resistance 1, Level 4 Dwarf

Grants
a +2 bonus on saving throws against poison style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Poison Resistance 3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">3 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">25 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Poison Resistance 2, Dwarf Level 8

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +3 bonus on saving throws against poison style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Shield Mastery 1 size="-1">1 size="-1">0

You
can reduce the damage you suffer when blocking to 1/- style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Shield Mastery 2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">2 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">10 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Dwarven Shield Mastery 1, Level 4 Dwarf

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">You can reduce the damage you suffer when blocking to 2/- style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Shield Mastery 3 size="-1">3 size="-1">21 Dwarven
Shield Mastery 2, Dwarven Level 7

You
can reduce the damage you suffer when blocking to 3/- style="height: 51pt; width: 148px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="68">Kundarak Search 1 style="width: 10px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">1 style="width: 15px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">0

style="width: 49px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1"> Least Dragonmark of Warding style="width: 400px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +1 bonus to Search skill style="height: 25.5pt; width: 148px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="34"> Kundarak Search 2

style="width: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">2 style="width: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">10

style="width: 49px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1"> Lesser Dragonmark of Warding, Level 4 Dwarf

style="width: 400px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +2 bonus to Search skill style="height: 25.5pt; width: 148px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="34"> Kundarak Search 3

style="width: 10px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">3 style="width: 15px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">25

style="width: 49px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1"> Greater Dragonmark of Warding, Level 8

style="width: 400px; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +3 bonus to Search skill style="width: 148px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top; height: 12px;"> size="-1">Kundarak Search 4

style="width: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top; height: 12px;"
x:num="">4

style="width: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top; height: 12px;"
x:num="">49

style="width: 49px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top; height: 12px;"> size="-1"> Kundarak Search 3, Dwarf Level 12

style="width: 400px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top; height: 12px;"> size="-1">Grants a +4 bonus to Search skill style="height: 12.75pt; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Spell Defense 1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">1 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
x:num="">0 style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">

style="background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"> size="-1">Grants a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"
height="17">Dwarven Spell Defense 2 size="-1">2 size="-1">10 Dwarven
Spell Defense 1, Dwarf Level 4

Grants
a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"
height="17">Dwarven Spell Defense 3 style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"
x:num="">3 style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"
x:num="">25 style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Spell Defense 2, Dwarf Level 8

style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Grants a +3 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects Dwarven Tactics 1

2

2

Dwarf Level 2

Grants a +1
bonus on the dc of combat feats, making it harder for your enemies to
resist combat maneuvers such as trip, hamstring or stunning blow.

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Tactics 2

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">4

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">16

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Tactics 1, Dwarf LEvel 6

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Grants a +2 bonus on the dc of combat feats, making it
harder for your
enemies to resist combat maneuvers such as trip, hamstring or stunning
blow. Dwarven Tactics 3

6

30

Dwarven Tactics
2, Dwarf Level 10

Grants a +3
bonus on the dc of combat feats, making it harder for your
enemies to resist combat maneuvers such as trip, hamstring or stunning
blow. style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Toughness 1

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">1

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">7

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarf level 3

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Increases the total benefit your recieve from the toughess
feat by 5

Dwarven
Toughness 2

2

18

Dwarven
Toughness 1, Dwarf Level 6

Increases the
total benefit your recieve from the toughess feat by 10

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Toughness 3

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">3

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">29

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Dwarven Toughness 2, Dwarf level 9

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(212, 201, 125);"> size="-1">Increases the total benefit your recieve from the toughess
feat by 15

Dwarven
Toughness 4

4

40

Dwarven
Toughness 3, Dwarf Level 12

Increases the
total benefit your recieve from the toughess feat by 20

Feel this guide is leaving
you short?  Say so href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=11632">in our
forums here!