Dwarf

**Dwarves**, sometimes called the **Stout Folk**, are a tough, tradition-abiding folk known for their strong martial traditions and beautiful craftsmanship. Dwarves are unusually tough. Dwarven stomachs, for instance, are resistant to virtually all poisons and it takes less effort for a dwarf to get back on their feet than other races.

## Appearance

### Distinction

Physically durable, insightful, primarily dwell underground, some females capable of growing beards

Dwarf has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

* **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.
* **Speed:** Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
* **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.
* **Tool Proficiency:** You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
* **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.
* **Dwarven Combat Training:** You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
* **Stonecunning:** Whenever you make an INT (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.

### Hill Dwarf

Also known as gold dwarf in their mighty southern kingdom, you have keen senses, deep intuition, remarkable resilience and tanned skin.

* **Ability Score Increase:** Your Constitution score increases by 2, Wisdom score increases by 1.
* **Dwarven Toughness:** Your HP maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

### Mountain Dwarf

Also known as shield dwarf of northern kingdom, 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.

* **Ability Score Increase:** Your Constitution score increases by 2, Strength score increases by 2.
* **Dwarven Armor Training:** You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

## Names and Ethnicities

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.

Most dwarven societies are divided into clans built along family ties and political allegiances. These clans are usually led by hereditary rulers, often monarchs of a sort and descended from the founder of the clan. Dwarves strongly value loyalty to these rulers and to the clan as a whole and even objective dwarves tend to side primarily with their kin over other races or communities. Dwarves particularly respect elders, from whom they expect sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders.

### **Hill Dwarf / Gold Dwarf**

Whoever wander into the gold dwarven strongholds may be surprised to find a people far more confident and secure in their future than most dwarves. Gold dwarves are a deeply materialistic race who believe that the resources of the natural world exist only to serve the purpose of conscious beings. To a gold dwarf, there is no greater purpose than to fashion the minerals of the earth into things of beauty.

Gold dwarves enjoy the company of small lizards as pets. For mounts, gold dwarves usually use riding lizards, war ponies, or, more rarely, hippogriffs.

They are known to be particularly stalwart warriors and shrewd traders. Gold dwarves are often trained specifically to battle the horrendous aberrations that are known to come from the Underdark.

### **Mountain Dwarf / Shield Dwarf**

Once the rulers of mighty kingdoms across Faerûn, the shield dwarves have since fallen by the wayside after centuries of warfare with their goblinoid enemies. Typically, shield dwarves take time to trust and even longer to forgive but the dwindling of their race has led many to be more open to other ways of thinking. Shield dwarves, while gruff, are not acidic in personality and generally enjoy the company of others, even if they are not of their own kind.

For pets, shield dwarves favor bats, canaries, or small lizards. Shield dwarves have been known to ride dire bats, war boars along with riding lizards, war ponies.

Most shield dwarves who venture beyond their homes to reclaim ancient strongholds or treasures long lost. Their fighters and runecasters are highly combat trained, leaning on the strong martial traditions of their people against the orcs, goblins, trolls, and giants.