Dwarves

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.
Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of black ice, stone, and metal. Much larger than traditional fantasy dwarves they average 5 feet tall, dwarves are broad and compact and they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly a feet taller.
Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with blue, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth or ice depending on their origin. 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 between 200 and 300 years old, also depending on their origin and clan. For example, some of the oldest dwarves living in Citadel Felbarr 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 determined 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 the 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 glaciers and mountains where the dwarves mine black ice, gems, and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwarves, this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and engros 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.

FROST DWARVES

Although dwarves live predominantly in mountains, they always live above the snow line. A few tribes have carved vast complexes in the sides of glaciers, but the constant movement of the ice sheets requires them to forever create new tunnels. Still, the rewards of finding rare black ice can make it well worth the effort.

When the advancing ice and snow-covered many of their more northern homes, frost dwarves built new realms closer to the Hearthlands. Where once there were only a few isolated tribes living in the high mountains, the increased snow and ice have enabled them to create new homes in what were once temperate mountains. A few tribes are even branching out into hilly terrain, searching for veins of gold and silver in lands previously considered unsuitable for long-term habitation. Frost dwarves are often expert crafters and armorers, though their forges burn with coldfire, a fire that generates intense cold rather than heat.
Although dwarves trade with the other races, they are mildly xenophobic. Their icy homes are vast fortresses, filled with hidden guardrooms and armories, not to mention lethal traps. Frost dwarves have few clerics, and those clerics they have tend to follow Ertha, goddess of earth, or Tiw, lord of battle. However, they have long understood the power of runes, which rune mages shape to form focal points for magical energy. Frost dwarves live for around 300 years. They have white hair and pale skin, though a few dye their hair darker colors (typically so they don’t stand out at a distance in non-wintry lands).
Male dwarves sport beards. The length one is allowed to wear one’s beard is determined by social status, and the number of braids determines their profession. Nobles, for instance, sport five long braids, priests and mages have four, warriors three, crafters two, and all other dwarves, just one.
Ability Score Increase Your TBD*** score increases by 1
Size Frost dwarves are much taller than their cousins and stand between 4 and 6 feet and their size is Medium.
Frost Dwarven Resilience You have advantage on saving throws against cold, and you have resistance against cold damage (explained in the “Combat” section).
Icecunning Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of ice work, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Black Ice Immunity Normally touching black ice burns skins but you have developed an immunity to it. Black ice does not harm you unless it is refined and worked into a weapon.

Hill Dwarf

As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. The gold dwarves of Faerûn in their mighty southern kingdom are hill dwarves, as are the exiled Neidar and the debased Klar of Krynn in the Dragonlance 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.

House Kundarak

Leader: Morrikan d’Kundarak
Headquarters: TBD***
If you want to keep something safe—jewels, secrets, prisoners—Kundarak is there to help. The Defenders Guild of House Kundarak trains locksmiths, security specialists, and more. It maintains the prison of Dreadhold, along with a number of smaller prisons. As useful as these services are, it’s the Banking Guild that truly defines the house.

Kundarak’s lands in the TBD*** include deep veins of precious metals, which the dwarves used to establish the banking industry of Khorvaire. Anyone who makes a living from coin—from bankers to goldsmiths—likely learned their skills at House Kundarak. The security of banks bearing the Kundarak manticore emblem is legendary. The house also provides a special service to those who can afford it: a system of extradimensional vaults, allowing a client to store their goods in one location and retrieve them at any other Kundarak enclave.
House Kundarak has a close alliance with House Sivis. As the House of Scribing, Kundarak has worked to earn the trust of its clients and to establish a reputation for unshakeable integrity. The house has no love of renegade dwarves using their marks to turn a profit, and such rogues strive to avoid the eye of Kundarak.
As the dwarves of the TBD*** have come into increasing conflict with the daelkyr, Lord Morrikan d’Kundarak has instructed house heirs to establish connections with the Gatekeeper druids. The druids have much in common with the house, being the creators of the wards that protect Eberron from the daelkyr.
Ability Score Increase Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Warder’s Intuition When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves' tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Wards and Seals You can cast the alarm and mage armor spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the arcane lock spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don’t need material components for them when you cast them with this trait.
Spells of the Mark If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Warding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells 1st alarm, armor of Agathys 2nd arcane lock, knock 3rd glyph of warding, magic circle 4th Leomund’s secret chest, Mordenkainen’s faithful hound 5th antilife shell

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 Faerûn, as well as the ruling Hylar clan and the noble Daewar clan of Dragonlance, are mountain dwarves.
Ability Score Increase Your Strength score increases by 2.
Dwarven Armor Training You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Asleif, Herdis, Svala, Thyra, Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra

Masculine names

Ari, Bardi, Geirstein, Hord, Ljot, Olvir, Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal

Family names

Balderk, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart

TRAITS

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.
Size Frost dwarves stand between 4 and 6 feet, the rest between 4 and 5. They average about 180 pounds. 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 the “Combat” section).
Dwarven Combat Training You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light 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.