dwarf
Dwarves, sometimes called the Stout Folk and Deep Folk, are a tough, tradition-abiding folk known for their strong martial traditions and beautiful craftsmanship.
For dwarves, loyalty is more than a word and they often feel that it should be both valued and rewarded. Dwarves believe it a gift and mark of respect to stand beside a friend in combat, and an even deeper one to protect that ally from harm. Many dwarven tales subsequently revolve around the sacrifice of dwarves for their friends and family. Just as dwarves are known for their dependability as friends and allies, dwarves also harbour grudges far longer than many other races. This might be on an individual basis between a dwarf and one who has wronged them, or against entire races, even if warfare with the enemy had long since ceased.
Dwarves are careful and deliberate, with a more serious disposition than other races, who they sometimes view as flighty or reckless. A dwarf does all things with care and a stubborn resolve, with brash or cowardly behavior unusual for them. However, dwarves do succumb easily to wrath or greed, which are their most common vices.
Dwarves who left their homeland to become adventurers do so for a number of reasons. In part, a dwarf might be motivated by simple avarice, given the dwarven love of beautiful things. As often, however, a dwarf might be motivated by a drive to do what is right for others (particularly their clan) or a love of excitement because, as settled as dwarves were, they rarely tire of thrills. But even these wayward dwarves retain the spirit of their brethren, hoping that their accomplishments abroad could bring honor to themselves, their clan, or both. Given that successful dwarven adventurers are likely to recover rare items or defeat enemies of the dwarven people during such challenges, this is a hope not entirely without merit.
Dwarves can see in the dark, out to about 60 feet (18 meters). Many dwarves have an affinity for the caverns in which they live, possessing a knack for recognizing unusual patterns in stonework that could seem almost supernatural at times.
"Dwarves are creatures of stone, and like stone they change only in response to extremes. The dwarves of the many worlds share much in common, but never allow those similarities to blind you to their unique traits.” — MordenkainenWhether or not the dwarven claim that they'd been carved from the world's stone is true, dwarves share many qualities considered similar to the stone they live with. Strong, hardy, and dependable, dwarves are polite, particularly to elders, and possessed a wisdom beyond that of many other races. Dwarves value their traditions, regardless of the subrace they come from, and look for inspiration from ancestral heroes known as Paragons. Dwarves are also known for their stubborn nature and cynicism, traits widespread amongst the dwarves but which contribute to and are commonly offset by their bravery and tenacity. Dwarven friendship is hard to earn, but is strong once won. Naturally dour and suspicious, the stout folk are slow to trust others, specifically those outside their family, suspecting the worst of an individual until the outsider has proved their good will many times. Once this trust is gained, dwarves hold their friends to it and view betrayals, even minor ones, with a vicious propensity for vengeance. A common gnomish oath, remarking on this dwarven sense of justice, is as follows: "If I'm lying, may I cross a dwarf."
Abilities
Dwarves are unusually tough for humanoids, in more ways than one. 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. Dwarves also have extremely dense bodies and are difficult to push around as a result, as well as having the capacity to bear loads that other races might find hindering with little ill effect. Dwarves also have a sense about them that few races do, with a preternatural awareness of their surroundings useful for a subterranean race as well as good judgment all-around in general. This sense is commonly referred to as the Stone-Sense by the dwarvenkind. Many dwarves are difficult to like and lack the charm of many other smaller races, such as halflings or gnomes, though this is not a trait common to all dwarves and some possess a great deal of charismatic power. Furthermore, dwarves are not entirely unsocial and more than a few have a natural knack for bartering or judging the value of an offer, something that sits well with their legendary crafting abilities. Such dwarves often become merchants, usually traveling between underground cities and aboveground "surface" cities, selling highly valued, well-made dwarven crafts.Basic Information
Biological Traits
Dwarves are a short race, as their name implies, standing from 4'3"–4'9" (1.3–1.45 meters) on average, with gold dwarves a bit shorter. What dwarves lack in height they make up for in bulk; they are, on average, about as heavy as humans. A dwarf could weigh anywhere from about 160–220 lbs (73–100 kg). Dwarven males are a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like humans, dwarves have a wide variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, typically pale among shield dwarves and deeply tanned or brown amongst gold dwarves. Hazel eyes are common throughout the race, with blue eyes more common amongst shield dwarves and brown or green eyes found amongst the gold dwarves.
Both male and female dwarves grow plentiful beards and hair, leading to the common mistake of other races often thinking female dwarves do not exist at all. Especially Gold dwarves take the care of facial hair to an extreme, carefully oiling and grooming it, with some adding perfume and ornamentations. Different hair- and beardstyles, braiding and ornamentation are seen as symbols of status and denominators of profession and lineage. Most dwarves with darker complexions have curly, textured hair that lends itself to even more elaborate styling.
Dwarves are a long-lived race, though not so much as elves, and reach physical maturity somewhat later than humans. A dwarf is traditionally considered an adult once they reach age fifty. Dwarves age much like humans but over a longer period of time, remaining vigorous well past 150 years. Most dwarves live to see their bicentennial and a few live to be over 400.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Dwarves highly value the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarves particularly respect their elders, from whom they expect sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders. This idea carries on to relations with other races and dwarves are deferential even to the elders of another, non-dwarven race.
Likewise, dwarves, perhaps moreso than most other races, turn to their gods for guidance and protection. They look to the divine for comfort and inspiration. Individual dwarves might be faithless, but the race as a whole, regardless of subrace, has a strong inclination for religion and almost every community maintained at least one temple or ancestral shrine. Along with worship to gods, dwarves tend to practice faith in Paragons, those who have advanced their fields of study and furthered dwarven innovation in the eyes of dwarvenkind.
Clans
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.
Most dwarven clans focus on one or two kinds of crafting, such as blacksmithing, jewelry, engineering, or masonry. Dwarves strive to avoid overspecialization by sending some of their youths to other clans to serve as apprentices, which also helps to foster racial unity. Because of their longevity, these apprenticeships might last decades.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Homelands
Most dwarves prefer living in underground cities near the surface and above the Underdark, built around mines that provide much of their livelihood. Carved into stone, these cities might take centuries to complete but are practically ageless once finished. Though dwarves are typically a martial race by nature, these cities have civilian populations that make up about one fourth of the total population and which are made up primarily of the young, the elderly, and the artisans. As of the 14th century onward, dwarves could be found all across Faerûn, although the greatest numbers were in the Underdark, the North, the Great Rift, and the Cold Lands. In their own homelands, dwarves continuously carve out new living space, mining the mountains' riches as they did so. Dwarves in general stuck to these locales, disliking travel, particularly along waterways, but those who lived in human lands could make themselves quite comfortable. Most who do, make a living as mercenaries, smiths, or artisans of various kinds. Dwarves are eagerly sought after as warriors, their reputation for courage and loyalty making them excellent choices for bodyguards. Most dwarves do not know how to swim, and avoid staying near waterways or bodies of water.
Most dwarves prefer living in underground cities near the surface and above the Underdark, built around mines that provide much of their livelihood. Carved into stone, these cities might take centuries to complete but are practically ageless once finished. Though dwarves are typically a martial race by nature, these cities have civilian populations that make up about one fourth of the total population and which are made up primarily of the young, the elderly, and the artisans. As of the 14th century onward, dwarves could be found all across Faerûn, although the greatest numbers were in the Underdark, the North, the Great Rift, and the Cold Lands. In their own homelands, dwarves continuously carve out new living space, mining the mountains' riches as they did so. Dwarves in general stuck to these locales, disliking travel, particularly along waterways, but those who lived in human lands could make themselves quite comfortable. Most who do, make a living as mercenaries, smiths, or artisans of various kinds. Dwarves are eagerly sought after as warriors, their reputation for courage and loyalty making them excellent choices for bodyguards. Most dwarves do not know how to swim, and avoid staying near waterways or bodies of water.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
lowlight vision, darkvision
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Dwarvish or Dwarven is the name for a family of languages used by dwarves. The dwarves call their own language Dethek, but most other races use that term to refer to the runic alphabet in which the language was written.
Although the language in its pure form and exclusive vocabulary has fallen somewhat in disuse by the mid‒14th century DR especially in surface cities, Dwarvish is still found all over Faerûn inscribed into weapons, buildings and mystical items.
The language follows dwarves all over Faerûn and beyond, making it an extremely widespread language. Communities and races that have been separated for some time evolve their own distinct dialects.
Dwarvish has similar grammatical constructs to common. This is no doubt due to the fact that both languages evolved alongside one another. These shared rules mean that speakers of common would find it relatively easy to learn and translate Dwarvish.
Scientific Name
homo brevis pumilio
Lifespan
350
Average Weight
130-145 cm
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Related Ethnicities
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