Dwarves
"From a history of barbarism and warfare, the dwarves have risen to a position of enormous economic might. For eight centuries dwarves have dominated banking and finance in the bourgeoning mercantile industries of Khorvaire, leaving their brutal past behind them. They remain a race of proud warriors, and they present an appearance of elegant sophistication—beards cut close, armor trimmed with fur and brocade, and the fury of an ancient barbarian warrior simmering deep beneath the fair façade."
"Clan plays a significant role in Mror culture. Built into the sides of mountains and deep underground, each clan lays claim to one or more secure holdfasts. Each governs its own holds and acts as an independent state. The great clans rule through a body called the Iron Council, a group of lords made up of representatives from various clans."
"A dwarf is a stoic warrior when they must fight, but they never start a quarrel unless driven to it. Loyalty and kindness are chief virtues and to most dwarves it’s always better to make a new friend than to dismiss someone as an enemy; and while while many dwarves known for their thrift, generosity is also an important virtue to the Mror."1
"Dwarves are often slow to reveal emotion or information, and stoic around anyone not of their immediate family. They choos their words deliberately, careful to avoid giving away information that could be used against them. They cling to property, whether it’s land, belongings or privileged information. A dwarf is fierce in protecting the things that they care about."
"Loyalty is one of the prime virtues of dwarves; loyalty to family, clan, their nation— and their allies."2
Description
Physique. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. "Dwarves’ skin is typically deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long. Dwarf men value their beards highly and groom them very carefully. Dwarves favor elaborate styles for their hair, beards, and clothes."2 "Facial hair is common among the Mror, but styles vary by clan and family. Many clans weave beads into beards, with the design of the bead invoking the favor of a Sovereign or honoring a clan."1
Age. Dwarves reach adulthood at age 40. They hit middle age around 155 and are considered old past age 220.
Size. A dwarf's size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:
Size modifier = 2d4
Height = 3& feet 8 inches + size modifier in inches
Weight = 115 lb + (2d6 lb × size modifier)
Suggested First Names. Annaka, Bruennen, Durnnam, Gerthin, Greddark, Karkanna, Kellark, Menna, Turanank, Zranakarak.
Clan Names. Doldarun, Droranath, Kolkarun, Lanarak, Londurak, Mroranon, Narathun, Soldorak, Soranath, Toldorath, Tordannon.
Racial Traits
Creature Type. Your creature type is Humanoid.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
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.
Negotiator. You are proficient in the Persuasion skill. You have advantage on Persuasion checks made to negotiate or bargain.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Stonecunning. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Perception or Investigation) or Intelligence (History) ability check related to the nature or origin of stonework, if you're not proficient in the skill, you add your proficiency bonus. If you are proficient, you add double your proficiency bonus. If you already have Expertise in the skill you gain no benefit. This also applies to false stonework made of other substances.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with a set of artisan’s tools of your choice.
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.
Dwarven Nationalities
These are the principle ethnicities of the dwarves of Khorvaire. You do not need to pick one of these. If you want your dwarf to be from somewhere else where dwarves live some other kind of a way, that's fine. That said if you prefer to pick from predefined choices here are three.
Mror Dwarves
The Mror dwarves are hardy mountain dwellers who take great pride in their history, clans, and ancestral heritage. They maintain a factional society divided into strongholds called holds, each ruled by influential clans whose collective traditions define dwarven life. To most, clan loyalty trumps all other affiliations. Mror dwarves cherish personal and family honor above individual glory, viewing personal achievements as contributions to the legacy of their clan. Families and clans maintain strong feudal relationships, each holdfast governed by a ruling clan whose name carries respect and responsibility. Mror dwarves place a high value on tangible wealth and craftsmanship, not out of greed so much as because fine possessions and treasures often represent storied history or clan prestige. They are generous and proud gift-givers, frequently offering valuable items with deep symbolic meaning.
Karrnath Dwarves
Karrn dwarves embody the nation's values of discipline, hardiness, and the nation's martial culture. These dwarves are often descendants of dwarves who settled in Karrnath long ago or those whose ancestors fought alongside humans in the wars that forged Galifar. Karrnathi dwarves view family lineage as a matter of pride but secondary to their loyalty to kingdom and crown. They have a reputation for severity and grim practicality, but they also have an underlying sense of duty toward their communities. A Karrn dwarf will show compassion through disciplined action and quiet diligence rather than through affection. While slow to trust outsiders, Karrnathi dwarves forge tight bonds of camaraderie with those they deem worthy through shared trials or combat.
Brelish Dwarves
Brelish dwarves are cosmopolitan city-dwellers who seamlessly blend dwarven tradition with the dynamic multicultural atmosphere of Breland— particularly the great city of Sharn, where their numbers and influence rival that of humans. Long ago separated from their mountain roots, these dwarves have embraced urban life, making their homes amid soaring towers and crowded streets. Even so they maintain dwarven virtues of diligence, loyalty. Brelish dwarves take pride in steady work and civic responsibility, often finding fulfillment in professions that require consistency and craftsmanship, from cobblers and stonemasons to archivists and artificers. Though they live among faster-paced races like humans, halflings and gnomes, Brelish dwarves rarely rush; they believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Many serve long tenures in guilds, civic offices, or universities, shaping the fabric of civic life in Sharn or other Brelish cities through persistence rather than pretense.
License
Content on this page is licensed under the CC0 1.0 Universal License, excluding quotes and images.