ACKS - By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization (1e)

By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization (1e)

In this tome you will find the secrets of the great and proud race of dwarves¸ compiled¸ codified¸ and curated for use in your favorite old-school fantasy role-playing game. With the Cyclopedia¸ you get:

270 pages of lore and rules bounded in a stitch-bound hardcover and PDF edition
A full-color painted cover by Michael Syrigos
A full-color interior layout with full- and half-page art
Compatibility with Old School Renaissance RPGs such as ACKS¸ OSE¸ LL¸ and LOTFP

By This Axe is organized into ten chapters:

Chapter 1¸ Introduction¸ details the audience¸ purpose¸ and approach for this book.
Chapter 2¸ Dwarven Lore¸ provides an overview of the ethnicity¸ physiology¸ language¸ and customs of dwarves. It is narrated from the point of view of a sage in the world of the Auran Empire.
Chapter 3¸ Dwarven Characters¸ explains how to roll up a dwarven character in any one of six racial classes¸ including the craftpriest¸ delver¸ earthforger¸ fury¸ machinist¸ and vaultguard.
Chapter 4¸ Dwarven Templates¸ provides eight pre-generated templates for each character class in this book. Using these templates¸ you can easily make your vaultguard a highborn lord¸ your machinist an apothecary¸ or your craftpriest a reliquary guardian.
Chapter 5¸ Dwarven Earthforging¸ details a new style of magic¸ wielded by the earthforger class¸ whose innate talents have allowed them to channel the power within materials to reshape their form.
Chapter 6¸ Dwarven Automatons¸ presents rules for designing¸ building¸ and repairing clockwork and steampunk-type machines. The section includes over 20 example vehicles¸ objects¸ and other automatons to act as examples for the build process and/or to include in your game as items to encounter or use¸ or as blueprints in treasure hoards.
Chapter 7¸ Dwarven Domains¸ explains how your dwarven characters can establish themselves as rulers of domains and realms¸ with rules for agriculture¸ urban settlements¸ vassals¸ garrisons¸ and more.
Chapter 8¸ Dwarven Mining¸ expands the rules for domains to include mining for precious metals and quarrying for stone. Special rules for "delving too deep� allow your dwarves to greedily hunger for gold - risking potentially dire consequences.
Chapter 9¸ Dwarven Mycoculture¸ details the secret methods of mushroom farming used by the dwarves to feed their vaults and brew their marvelous ales and beers.
Chapter 10¸ Dwarven Relics¸ offers a catalog of over 35 rare and powerful dwarven relics¸ artifacts¸ and antiquities that might be guarded in sacred reliquaries¸ wielded by dwarf lords¸ or re-discovered in lost vaults and deep and hidden places.

By This Axe is designed for use with the Adventurer Conqueror King System™ (ACKS™) but is readily compatible with other fantasy role-playing games built on the same core rules.