Dwarf

C l a n s a n d K i n g d o m s Dwarven kingdom s stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in som e dwarves this love festers into avarice. W hatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. Trustworthy m em bers of other races are w elcom e in dw arf settlements, though som e areas are off limits even to them. The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves w ho live far from their ow n kingdom s cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ nam es in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf. Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weaponsm iths, armorers, and jew elers. Som e becom e m ercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty.   G o d s , G o l d , a n d C l a n D warves w ho take up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for treasure—for its ow n sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the com m and or inspiration of a deity, a direct calling or simply a desire to bring glory to one of the dwarf gods. Clan and ancestry are also important motivators. A dw arf might seek to restore a clan’s lost honor, avenge an ancient w rong the clan suffered, or earn a new place within the clan after having been exiled. Or a dwarf might search for the axe w ielded by a mighty ancestor, lost on the field of battle centuries ago.   S l o w t o T r u s t Dwarves get along passably well with most other races. “The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years,” is a dwarf saying that might be hyperbole, but certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race like humans to earn a dwarf’s trust. Elves. “ It’s not wise to depend on the elves. No telling what an elf will do next; when the hammer meets the orc’s head, they’re as apt to start singing as to pull out a sword. They’re flighty and frivolous. Two things to be said for them, though: They don’t have many smiths, but the ones they have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come streaming down out of the mountains, an elf’s good to have at your back. Not as good as a dwarf, maybe, but no doubt they hate the orcs as much as we do.” Halflings. “Sure, they’re pleasant folk. But show me a halfling hero. An empire, a triumphant army. Even a treasure for the ages made by halfling hands. Nothing. How can you take them seriously?” Humans. “You take the time to get to know a human, and by then the human’s on her deathbed. If you’re lucky, she’s got kin— a daughter or granddaughter, maybe— who’s got hands and heart as good as hers. That’s when you can make a human friend. And watch them go! They set their hearts on something, they’ll get it, whether it’s a dragon’s hoard or an empire’s throne. You have to admire that kind of dedication, even if it gets them in trouble more often than not.”   D w a r f N a m e s A dw arf’s name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dw arf’s nam e belongs to the clan, not to the individual. A dw arf w ho m isuses or brings sham e to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwarven name in its place. Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Bruenor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra Clan Names: Balderk, Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart   D w a r f T r a i t s Your dwarf character has an assortm ent of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.   Age. D warves mature at the sam e rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 3500 years.   Alignment. M ost dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of fair play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.   Size. D warves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.   Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by w earing heavy armor.   Darkvision. A ccustom ed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it w ere dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.     Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in chapter 9).   Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and warhammer.   Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brew er’s supplies, or m ason’s tools.   Stonecunning. W henever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your norm al proficiency bonus.   Languages. You can speak, read, and write Com m on and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dw arf might speak. Subrace. Two main subraces o f dwarves populate the worlds of D&D: hill dwarves and mountain dwarves. Choose one of these subraces.   H i l l D w a r f As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. The gold dwarves of Faerun in their mighty southern kingdom are hill dwarves, as are the exiled Neidar and the debased Klar of Krynn in the Dragonlance setting. Ability Score Increase. Your W isdom score increases by 1.   Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.   M o u n t a i n D w a r f A s a mountain dwarf, you're strong and hardy, accustom ed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. You’re probably on the tall side (for a dwarf), and tend toward lighter coloration. The shield dwarves of northern Faerun, as well as the ruling Hylar clan and the noble Daewar clan of Dragonlance, are mountain dwarves.   Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.   Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.   Glacier Dwarf Traits As a glacier dwarf, you are native to the highest mountain peaks, where your kin dwell within massive ice packs. Glacier dwarves have a parcticularly fierce rivalry with frost giants, and their wars crack the ice for miles around.   Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Dexterity scores are both increased by 1.   Ice Walk. You can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost you extra moment.   D u e r g a r In cities deep in the Underdark live the duergar, or gray dwarves. These vicious, stealthy slave traders raid the surface world for captives, then sell their prey to the other races of the Underdark. They have innate magical abilities to become invisible and to temporarily grow to giant size.