Dwarf Whisky

The bubbles may imply it's beer, but you just don't understand
the complex chemical reactions occurring within Dwarf Whisky

So Dwarves like to drink. It's their favorite thing aside from making stuff and bullying Elves. Given that they have a dedication to quality and power and a hearty constitution, their Whisky must be some powerful stuff. In my campaign, they don't leave home without it and it's not just their drink of choice but a useful tool.

All Dwarf characters begin the game with Dwarf Whisky. It's an encumbering item, and a character can never have more than one quart of the stuff. The complex blend of ingredients and extremely high alcohol content cause it to be in constant danger of evaporating or spoiling under the wrong conditions.


Non-Dwarf characters can neither hold their liquor when it comes to Dwarf Whisky- most can't even take a whiff of the stuff without their eyes watering, nor can they use it for the multitude of purposes a Dwarf can. Non-Dwarves found to be in possession of Whisky are, as far as dwarves are concerned, guilty of a crime and must either yield possession of said Whisky, display a notarized permit (an encumbering item engraved on a stone medallion), or be taught a lesson and be relieved of the liquor in question.

Dwarf Whisky has a usage die which must be rolled each time it is used. It begins as a d8 and moves down the dice chain each time a 1 is rolled. (d8, d6, d4, gone). Gathering and adding exotic ingredients such as moss, fungus, rare minerals, mild poisons, etc allow a roll on the usage die as well, with a roll of the highest result causing the usage die to increase once up the dice chain. These ingredients themselves will spoil and lose their potency if not used immediately.

Uses of Dwarf Whisky:

• Getting wasted: -2 to Dex, +2 to Cha. Takes 1 turn. Can be used up to 3 times in succession. Each use after the first requires a save vs poison or fall unconscious.
• Alchemy: can substitute for 1 common liquid ingredient
• Fire!: extending torch life, refueling a lantern, creating a Molotov cocktail (1d6+burning), etc. Requires the appropriate equipment and 2 rolls of the usage die.
• Carousing: +25% xp from carousing over a Haven Turn. Completely exhausts the Dwarf Whisky.

Replenishing Dwarf Whisky:

• Buy it from another Dwarf: 50sp. It's considered extremely bad form for a Dwarf to be without Whisky and they'll be shamed unless they have a really good drinking story.
• Mix and distill it: Spend a Haven Turn crafting a batch of the stuff and 25sp of ingredients. Must have access to a barrel, fire, and the 11 secret herbs and spices (finding ingredients is considered a trivial task for a Dwarf). Those with the Crafting skill specializing in brewing can create master-crafted Whisky with a successful skill roll. Master-crafted Whisky has a d10 usage die. It is considered taboo to sell master-crafted Whisky, as only those capable of distilling it themselves are worthy.
• Pray to the Dwarf Gods: In times of severe need when absolutely no other means exist, devout prayer has been known to turn a trickle of underground water, the tears of a Dwarf maiden or child, or the blood of an enemy to Whisky via transubstantiation. These cases are rare to the point of being legendary and could be considered cause for Sainthood among Dwarves.