Men and women of rock and stone are likely your first thought when it comes to dwarves. The small and hardy species has long been associated with the earth, though trying to decipher whether the dwarves first came out from the earth or the earth was first dug into by the dwarves is a futile question.
Dwarves are not literally made of stone, despite what some myths might say. They are flesh and blood, though their blood flows sluggishly compared to most species granting them a great endurance against poisonous substances. Of course the most defining feature of the species are their voluminous beards and body hair, which all dwarves of both sexes grow. This paired with their universally hardy nature results in a species with little in the way of sexual dimorphism, which tends to reflect in dwarven culture the world over.
When it comes to shaving, it is a matter of personal and local culture. Some dwarves see grooming and braiding their hair and beards as a distinct form of art. Others may leave themselves unkept at a glance, but consider losing one's beard to be a great stain on their honor. Still others may not care one way or another and leave their appearance up to simple preference.
Thanks to the species' long lifespan, dwarven families tend to be very large and at any time could include six or seven hale and active generations of dwarf before losing their elders to age. Many large families such as this defer to the influence of these elders over the centuries, which can sometimes result in long-lasting promises, friendships, or grudges well beyond when a tabaxi or dragonborn lineage might have moved on and forgotten.
Among the widespread dwarven species it is possible to categorize them among several distinct races. Cave dwarves, clay dwarves, coral dwarves, and crag dwarves are the most common.
Dwarves in the World
In Des Forabis most dwarves one encounters are clay dwarves. Skin and hair the color of wet clay; clay dwarves are about as ubiquitous as humans and live all across the continent. When one thinks of the quintessential dwarf whose hair and beard are all braided and ornamented, who collects jewels and carvings and works of art as treasure, who enjoys merriment and friends, that's usually a clay dwarf. Crag dwarves hail mostly from the Ilrom-Ral region, but can also be found in lesser numbers throughout the land. Crag dwarves are the other sort of quintessential dwarf; taller than clay, and tend to be pallid, gray-haired, speaking in voices like churning gravel and eyes glinting like gems in the dark.
Cave dwarves, or duergar, are very uncommon across the region. These folk hail from the Underdark, where they long ago adapted to the conditions without sun. Their skintones range from gray to purple to black - akin to drow elves - but their hair is white and fluffy as clouds. Some cave dwarves have the unusual affinity to magically grow to twice their size; an inexplicable trait for a race normally confined to tunnels.
Coral dwarves are not available as player characters yet. Nonetheless, you may occasionally meet these folk from the southern Prism Sea, who hail from volcanic islands. Unlike their northern cousins, coral dwarves long ago adapted to the tropical heat and only grow short beards.
Dwarf Player Characters
As a dwarf you were born at the culmination of a long lineage of sturdy, hardy folk. Your family may be vast and deeply important to your upbringing, or you may have never been a part of this traditional dwarven culture and instead grew up somewhere far away from those preconceptions. You may have spent your formative years underground, mining and building the way dwarves do. Or you may have never taken such a profession and instead been a shepherd or a student or an entertainer. Primarily, your culture as a dwarf will depend on where you grew up. Either way, your dwarven biology holds true: you are tough (and so are your beard hairs).
If you are a dwarf, it's possible you've had a long life before adventuring, as dwarves can live well over 300 years. If you are an older dwarf, you may already have family - children - of your own, and a home where they thrive. Or if you are a young dwarf, it's possible you may have grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents who would be worried or proud to see you go out into the dangerous world.
If you are a cave dwarf, consider the fact that you're likely an outsider in a world that is harsh to you; the open sky overhead filled with a sun bleeding way-too-much light. Think about what reason you would choose to adventure in such a place.
Dwarf Traits
Ability Score Bonus. You gain a +2 to Constitution.
Age. Dwarves are born as infants in a similar manner to humans, and reach maturity at 18 years. After reaching adulthood, a dwarf ages very slowly till a natural death around 350 years old.
Size. Your size is Medium. Most dwarves are a bit under 4 and a half feet tall, though crag dwarves sometimes surpass 5 feet. The average dwarf weighs about 150 pounds.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Additionally, your speed cannot be 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.
Cave Dwarf Traits
Ability Score Bonus. You gain a +1 to Strength.
Superior Darkvision. Replaces Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Psionic Fortitude. You have advantage on saving throws against illusions and against being charmed or paralyzed.
Duergar Magic. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Enlarge/Reduce spell on yourself once with this trait, using only the spell's enlarge option. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Invisibility spell on yourself once with this trait. You don't need material components for either spell, and you can't cast them while you're in direct sunlight, although sunlight has no effect on them once cast. You regain the ability to cast these spells with this trait when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Clay Dwarf Traits
Ability Score Bonus. You gain a +1 to Wisdom.
Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Crag Dwarf Traits
Ability Score Bonus. You gain a +2 to Strength.
Stonecunning. Your biology is intrinsically in-tune with the nature of stone. As a bonus action, you gain Tremorsense with a range of 60 feet for 10 minutes. You must be on a stone surface or touching such a surface with bare skin (such as your hands or bare feet) to use this Tremorsense. The stone can be natural or worked. Tremorsense allows you to know the location of any creature or vibrations in contact with or burrowing through the surface you are touching within range. After you use your Stonecunning, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
