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Dwarf
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Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains,
the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a
commitment to clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of goblins and
orcs—these common threads unite all dwarves.


Short and Stout
---------------

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of
stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so
broad and com pact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two
feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of
the larger folk.

Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the
most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth.
Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown,
though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards
highly and groom them carefully.


Long Memory, Long Grudges
-------------------------


Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living dwarves
often remember a very different world. For example, some of the oldest dwarves
living in Citadel Felbarr (in the world of the Forgotten R ealm s) can recall
the day, more than three centuries ago, when orcs conquered the fortress and
drove them into an exile that lasted over 250 years. This longevity grants
them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and
halflings lack.

Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the
passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the
traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of
their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don't abandon
those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of
the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in
battle, and devotion to the forge.

Individual dwarves are deteained and loyal,
true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of
stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow
to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done
to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance
can become a full-blown clan feud.


Clans and Kingdoms
------------------

Dwarven kingdoms 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. Whatever wealth they ca n ’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 members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though
some areas are off limits even to them.

The chief unit of dwarven society is
the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far
from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations,
recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and
curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf.

Dwarves in
other lands are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armorers, and
jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their
courage and loyalty.


Gods, Gold, and Clan
--------------------

Dwarves who take up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for
treasure—for its own sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an
altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the command 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
dwarf might seek to restore a clan’s lost honor, avenge an ancient wrong the
clan suffered, or earn a new place within the clan after having been exiled.
Or a dwarf might search for the axe wielded by a mighty ancestor, lost on the
field of battle centuries ago.


Slow to Trust
-------------

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 o f 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.”


Dwarf Names
-----------

A dwarf’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
dwarf’s name belongs to the clan, not to the individual. A dwarf who misuses
or brings shame 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


Dwarf Traits
------------

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of
dwarven nature.

**Ability Score Increase**.
Your Constitution score increases by 2.

**Age**.
Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until
they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

**Alignment**.
Most 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**.
Dwarves 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 wearing heavy
armor.

**Darkvision**.
Accustomed 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 were 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,
brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.

**Stonecunning**.
Whenever 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 normal proficiency bonus.

**Languages**.
You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard
consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into
whatever other language a dwarf might speak.



Subraces
--------

Two main subraces of dwarves populate the worlds of D&D: hill dwarves and
mountain dwarves. Choose one of these subraces.


Hill Dwarf
^^^^^^^^^^

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
Dragon lance setting.

**Ability Score Increase**.
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

**Dwarven Toughness**.
Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you
gain a level.


Mountain Dwarf
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As a mountain dwarf, you're strong and hardy, accustomed 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 Dragon lance, are mountain
dwarves.

**Ability Score Increase**.
Your Strength score increases by 2.

**Dwarven Armor Training**.
You have proficiency with light and medium armor.


Duergar
-------

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.