Dwarf

Dwarves are an ancient, proud race. Situated in their hallowed mountain halls, rich in grandeur, dwarves are united in their clan and traditions.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dwarves are bipedal mammalians, well suited to a life underground in low-ceilinged tunnels. They typically stand above four but no more than five feet tall fully grown, and despite being slightly shorter than the average humans, dwarves weigh nearly as much with their stocky builds and denser bones.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dwarves reproduce sexually, typically gestating a single fetus for around the same length of time as humans, though twins or triplets do occasionally occur. Although capable of having significantly more children, dwarven culture is such that Dwarves tend to have only a single child ever twenty five to fifty years, devoting all their energy to raising that child to perfection. As such, Dwarven populations grow significantly more slowly than humans despite their significantly longer lifespans.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dwarves mature physically at around the same rate of humans, with both males and females generally beginning to develop beards around the age of fifteen, typically becoming fully grown around the age of twenty to twenty-five. However culturally, dwarves and still considered young until their fiftieth birthday (being seen more like teenagers until this point). After that point, dwarves are considered adults within the dwarven community, working for the clan in various jobs and have refined their skills to what would already be considered masterful by human standards. Sometime after the age of fifty dwarves typically begin to seek partners and have children, though a pair of dwarfs will typically only raise a single child at a time. Dwarven lifespans last 350 years on average, though a Dwarf is considered a "longbeard" by their two hundredth and fiftieth birthday, and some particularly long-lived dwarves have been known to see their fourth century.

Ecology and Habitats

Dwarves can be found worldwide, though they most frequently make their homes in mountains and hills and in the great subterranean networks of caverns and tunnels that connect throughout the underdark. 
Dwarves readily adapt their environment to suit their needs, most notably in the construction of their monumental citadels, but dwarves also construct enormous bridges spanning underground chasms, labyrinthine mines that stretch for miles, or stone carvings the size of castle towers, and huge terraces for underground and mountain farming plots. Dwarven cities can be huge and stretch for miles, or practically hollow out mountains to use as their underground holdfasts.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dwarves have much the same dietary needs as humans, but their preferences have adapted slightly to their subterranean lives. Although they are omnivorous, a large proportion of the dwarven diet consists of meat. These typically consist of domesticated livestock, with Goat, Pig, and Chicken being the most common, alongside Rothe (a variety of cattle native to the underdark), and the occasional underdark fish. In addition to meat, dwarves readily supplement their diet with various underdark mushrooms and fungi, as well as root vegetables, typically potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, and onions.
 Finally, no mention of dwarven diets would be complete without mentioning dwarven beer and spirits. Dwarves are renowned for their brewing, and fermented beverages play a major role in dwarven culture. This is most typically a dark beer, which dwarven brewers place great pride in, and which tends to stronger and sturdier than human brews (partially due to dwarves' generally higher alcohol tolerance), but is occasionally a lighter variety, malted, or even in some cases meads or ciders (the former being one of the main ways dwarves consume fruit).

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Dwarves tend to have slightly wider, chiseled looking faces with strong jawlines and brows. Both male and female dwarves grow facial hair.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Worldwide

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dwarves are well accustomed to their lives underground. The average dwarf is accustomed to seeing even in the dimmest light, capable of detecting even the faintest traces of natural light, or even the slight chemically produced light or faint bioluminescent microorganisms present in the rocks and sediments of their homes. Dwarves have developed a high resilience to poisons and toxins, emerging from both the large proportion of mushrooms with make-up a typical dwarven underdark diet, as well as due to their constant inhalation of the semi-toxic and stale underdark air.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A dwarf's name is typically chosen by a clan elder in accordance with traditions, and every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through generations. Dwarven names belong to the clan, not the individual, and a dwarf who brings shame to the clan or misuses a clan name may be stripped of their clan identity and name, the gravest possible punishment for a dwarf as it marks them as an outsider. Dwarves often identify themselves by their first name, followed by their parentage, ancestry, and finally clan name, meaning a dwarf's full name might identify relatives or ancestors as many as fifteen generations back.
Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Bruenor, Cobble, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Fender, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Mallot, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Tallinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondral
Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sanne, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra
Clan Names: Balderk, Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Coldforge, Dankil, Feldam, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Helbrinak, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lungark, Lutgehr, Rakenkrak, Rumnaheim, Steelshield, Sternmantle, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart

Major Organizations

The most prominent organizations led by dwarves in any given region tend to be the various clans and dwarven strongholds which influence the world's geopolitics. The oldest of these organizations is the ancient Dwarven Kingdom of Cair Kholdûr, but other lesser dwarven powers exist, such as the various Dwarven Freeholds of Attika. Beyond these various isolated dwarven settlements and outposts exist, many remnants of ancient dwarven realms from the days when the mountain ranges of the world were all connected by a vast network of passageways through the underdark. These include the Dwarven city-state of Miner's Rock, as well as the Dwarven settlements in the Burning Badlands and Greatfire Plateau. Minor dwarven settlements and holdfasts exist elsewhere, but many of these entities and communities are subsumed within the larger geopolitical powers, such as the Brokenshield dwarves of Whiteport, and are content to keep to themselves.

Beauty Ideals

Among the most controversial of topics within the dwarven community is the subject of beards. Both male and female dwarves grow beards, and these beards are an important part of dwarves' health underground, as since they are significantly thicker and feature more hairs per follicle than human beards, they are home to a diverse ecosystem of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms which help act as an air filter for dwarves living underground, filtering out toxic fumes and microscopic dust particles. As a result, caring for one's beard is not only a stylistic choice, but is also an important act of personal hygiene. Two general schools of thought have emerged on the matter, with the first generally holding that a dwarf's beard should be well maintained and carefully groomed, and another arguing they should remain unkempt and unwashed to improve dwarven health underground and take better advantage of dwarves natural air filters. Among the first group, dwarves take great care to braid, knot, and comb their beards, often weaving beautiful rings, hair ties, and intricate designs into their beards and scenting them with oils or soaps as a way of representing status and respect within the community, with longer more intricate beards typically denoting higher status or greater importance, while among the second, beards are left to grow wild and unchecked and never washed as a matter of course, to better preserve the beneficial microorganisms within a dwarven beard. In both cases, a dwarf's beard is a matter of immense personal dignity and pride, while loss of one's beard is seen as akin to a loss of dignity or status within a community. 
In addition to these two groups, a third group has emerged in recent dwarven history among dwarven women. These dwarven women, most frequently those living in close-proximity to non-dwarfs, have begun the habit of cutting their beards and going clean-shaven as a symbol of femininity and status. This practice has tended to emerge in places where dwarven culture intermixes with those of other races, and is a topic of immense controversy in the dwarven community, with some alleging it defies tradition and represents a loss of dwarven culture, with others arguing it represents personal choice and identity and a dwarven willingness to evolve and take inspiration from others.

Gender Ideals

While in some isolated and ill-informed communities has given rise to the belief that there are no dwarf women, and that dwarves instead spontaneously generate from holes in the ground, as any dwarf will tell listeners "it's true you don't see many dwarf women, but in fact, they're so alike in voice and appearance, they're often mistaken for dwarf men!" There may be some truth in this, as to the casual observer of underground dwarven communities, it may be nearly impossible to distinguish between dwarven men and women. Dwarven culture is generally equitable and makes almost no distinction between the sexes or genders. Both male and female dwarves may serve the clan as warriors, blacksmiths, rulers and administrators, and both genders share responsibility for childrearing and religious duties. Dwarven women are typically seen as more valuable, as they more essentially contribute to the long term health of the Clan and are essential to maintain its population, and so may therefore be more protected or less likely to be sent away on long military expeditions or trade missions, but dwarven women are also famously strong-willed, and if a dwarven women chooses to fight as a warrior or seek danger no dwarf would interfere.

Courtship Ideals

Dwarven courtship is a lengthy and complex process, as bound by arranged marriages and relationships as by affection and genuine interest. While dwarves aspire to loving relationships and are generally monogamous, love in a relationship is less seen as an innate trait between two dwarves, and more as a cultivated practice or skill which develops over time. Dwarven relationships are closely  by the clan, and arranged marriages and heavily favored matches are widespread among dwarven communities. These often serve important social and political functions, such as uniting two feuding branches of a clan or strengthening social bonds between distant clans, securing important political or economic guarantees, or producing the most capable progeny, with love generally featuring as an afterthought and assumed to be something which will develop (and indeed, Dwarven priests who arrange such marriages do pay special attention to the general personality of potential spouses and seek to avoid creating incompatible partnerships). Once such arrangements have been made, dwarven courtship follows a fairly standard process in which partners proceed through ha carefully orchestrated process of introductions, gift-giving, cooperative tasks, official functions and ceremonies, and carefully choreographed public and family appearances, and finally marriage ceremonies. Many dwarves supplement such official traditions with secret or private traditions of their own, which allow prospective partners to meet and bond before marriage, but for many dwarves the process of courtship truly begins after the marriage ceremonies, and many dwarves view their spouses more as respected collaborators and co-creators, to be consulted and whose advice can be sought on the most intimate of projects.

Relationship Ideals

Dwarves are loyal to the utmost, and have a strong belief in the importance of the community ahead of that of the individual. This strong emphasis on absolute loyalty and the fusing of individual identity with that of the clan also means that once dwarves bond to non-dwarves and begin to think of them as part of their adopted clan, there is no sacrifice a dwarf would forego to protect their brethren. The survival of the community as a whole, rather than the individual, is always emphasized in dwarven culture, and dwarves expect each other and themselves to readily set aside personal needs in the name of serving the clan as a whole. Dwarves also aspire to honesty and directness, and expect the same of others.

Average Technological Level

Dwarves have attained a similar technical ability to the other goodfolk. Like elves, Dwarven smiths and artisans still retain some advanced and ancient techniques, enabling dwarven master smiths and artisans to craft tools, weapons, and artwork rivaling even those of the elves. Although dwarves generally don't use arcane magic, they are capable enchanters of magical weapons and trinkets, and readily wield divine magic. Dwarves tend to be stubborn and traditional, and are therefore slow to adopt new technological advancements, but in their lifetime a dwarven smith can attain a quality in their work far superior to a human craftsperson, and dwarves readily adopt certain mechanical advancements like lifts, pulleys, and various clockwork and steam devices to help power their forges and facilitate life in their great fortresses.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Dwarvish is one of the oldest major languages, with a robust alphabet using runes, and as a result of the close cultural ties and traditional nature of dwarves worldwide, this language has remained largely the same over the generations. Mild differences in accent exist between the more traditional and isolated mountain dwarf clans, and the lowland hill clans which have more contact with outsiders, but these differences are mutually intelligible, and even ancient dwarvish is fairly similar to its modern day descendant.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Dwarven culture is driven by three main values; gods, gold, and clan. Dwarves are a faithful and religious folk, and many are motivated by a genuine devotion to the gods of the Dwarven pantheon. No god has more importance for dwarves than Moradin, their creator, known to dwarves as the all-father, and who dwarves believe directs all his creations to follow his example and work diligently towards the success of the clan. Just as Moradin worked for perfection in crafting his creations, dwarves believe they have an obligation to direct the same tireless energy and quest for perfection in whatever they do. Dwarves regard the fruits of their labour with the same love and devotion that other races reserve for their children, as dwarves believe each item they craft is not only a step in perfection for themselves, but a monument praising Moradin, and all the works of a dwarf taken together are the physical representations of the accomplishments of dwarf's life in the name of Moradin. 
Moradin directs his followers to master their crafts and accomplish great deeds to honor themselves, their clan, and their legacy, and this desire pushes dwarves to search for gold and gems, that they might craft beautiful works of art and gild their halls to better proclaim the glory of Moradin the creator and dwarfkind. Dwarves line their halls with beautiful artwork and intricate stone carvings which might actually detail the legacy and accomplishments or history of the clan or a specific individual, or recount important dwarven myths and legends. The stronghold is meant to be an island of stability, within which dwarves can live their entire lives in comfort and security, and to that end the dwarven strongholds must be eminently defensible and well-provisioned, and a full treasury is a prerequisite for both these demands. Paradoxically, these needs also seem to bring more danger upon the dwarves, as a strongholds reputation for wealth, comfort, and splendor grows, so to does the undesirable attention paid to it by certain dangerous and envious parties looking to take such wealth or make a reputation for themselves. This is in part the reason for the ingrained hatred of dwarves for Orcs, Goblins, Dragons, and the general suspicious nature of dwarves toward outsiders of any race. Dwarves have strong senses of justice and right and wrong, and will carry even perceived slights or insults directed towards them as personal grudges for decades, and the gravest crimes against and cruelties toward dwarfkind live like scars in the consciousness of every dwarf, even generations removed from the original event or victim. 
Most important to dwarves, the clan is the basic unit of dwarven society. Acting as an extended family which dwells together, everything a dwarf does in life is devoted to helping or improving the clan, bringing security and stability to its members and greater glory to the group. Most of these clans control their own strongholds, which successive generations of dwarves work to improve, acting as a living legacy and monument the clan, recording the momentous events, history, and accomplishments of the dwarves who live there.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Dwarves are widely renowned for their fine brewing abilities, producing mead and ale which is popular well beyond their halls and has a reputation of being stronger and more fortified than their human-brewed counterparts, and ale features as a central part of many dwarven cultural traditions and even dwarven religion. It is often said that this is because dwarven constitutions are stronger than those of humans and that dwarves are more resistant to the effects of intoxication. This is only partially true, as while it does require greater quantities of ale to intoxicate a dwarf, alcohol intoxication effects dwarves differently than humans.
While humans drink to forget, dwarves drink to remember, as the more a dwarf drinks, the more powerful and vivid the memories of their past become, especially events with strong emotional significance. When dwarves drink in groups, this effect tends to magnify amongst them. As a result, ale features prominently in many dwarven traditions and celebrations, and a clan might joyfully sing of triumph, reminiscing over the defeat of a dragon long ago, or weep as they recall the death of a beloved elder or ancient homeland. In some cases, this effect can become so powerful that individuals experience cognitive dissonance, their senses completely overcome by the power of the memory and emotions, and feel as though they are experiencing the memory over again as vividly as when it really happened.

Common Taboos

One of the most basic taboos in dwarven culture is to damage or interfere with a dwarf's beard. A dwarf's beard (or choice to go without) is their reputation and honor, and disrespecting a dwarf's beard is a personal affront to the dwarf themselves. Tugging a dwarf's beard may make a person an enemy of that dwarf for life, and dwarves may have their beards cut as a form of punishment or exile, indicating they have lost their dignity and reputation, and in some cases such a punishment may even disqualify dwarves from succession. 
Dwarves are also intensely focused on honor and reputation, especially when it comes to a dwarf's relationship towards their clanmates. A dwarf who leaves their comrades behind in combat, or who chooses personal benefit to the detriment of the clan may be ostracized, and dwarves who seem to put personal interests ahead of those of the clan too often may soon find themselves without a clan to depend upon. Dwarves are also expected to be honest and forthright, and breaking an oath to one's clanmates is seen as a betrayal or failure of the highest order.

History

Dwarves are an old race on the planet, with memory's nearly as long. Each dwarf is supposedly handcrafted in the forges of Moradin before being birthed into the world, and in all things they do dwarves strive for excellence. Well before the Age of Heroes, dwarves had already carved their monumental holdfasts deep within the mountains and begun to chisel their clan's histories and accomplishments into the rock. 
While others quarrel over the surface world, the Dwarves are at home under the ground, where dwarven kingdoms can stretch for miles through networks of subterranean caverns and passageways. While the Dwarves now are scattered in their ancient halls across the world, it is said that during the age of heroes, a underground network linked all the dwarven holds in a great, world-spanning subterranean empire. While these links through the underdark have been mostly severed, Dwarves still thrive worldwide in great kingdoms and fortresses.

Common Myths and Legends

Many dwarven myths revolve around the chief god of their Pantheon, Moradin, who dwarves regard as 'the all-father,' and the wider dwarven pantheon. Dwarves believe that Moradin forged the first dwarves in his workshop, gifting the inert metal with life when he cooled the heated castings with his breath, and it is Moradin, the dwarves claim, who created the world. 
Many dwarven myths serve as important parables and lessons, such as the relationship between Moradin and Abbathor, the dwarven god of greed. Dwarves regard Abbathor with suspicion and a healthy degree of caution, as they believe it is Abbathor who causes dwarves to covet wealth and seek to accomplish more for themselves and distort the joy of working into an obsession merely with creation, and know that this drive must be tempered. Abatthor is both a motivator and a danger. 
The oldest dwarven myths tell of the days when the dwarven clans of the world were united in one great subterranean dwarven realm, in an age past, long before the age of heroes, when all the mountain ranges of the world were connected in one great network. During this time, dwarves traveled the underways of the world, spreading to all corners and building great testaments to their accomplishments and digging to the very roots of the world. Tragedy struck, and as the war in heaven spiraled out of of control, the world was sundered and split and the dwarves were scattered and isolated. Legend still tells that somewhere, deep in the depths of the earth, these hidden pathways still exist, dormant and undiscovered, waiting for the day dwarven mines finally reach them once more and dwarfkind can finally connect itself once more. 
Other darker, more sinister legends tell of the so-called 'lost clan.' This myth tells the lost clan became obsessed with delving ever deeper into the underdark, driven by greed and a desire to unite the dwarven clans once more in a great subterranean empire, always convinced the wealth and power they hungered for lay just beyond the next strike of a pick or shovel of earth. Eventually, this obsession spread throughout the clan, and all other activity ceased as forges grew cold and temples to Moradin stood empty, the dwarves abandoning their gods. The dwarves worked themselves to exhaustion and beyond, and eventually contact with the clan stopped entirely and disappeared. While little is known about what fate befell these dwarves, it is theorized that the Duergar are the heretical descendants of this clan, though they only begin to appear well after the lost clan faded from history.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Elves. "It's not wise to depend on the elves. No telling what an elf will do next; when the hammer meets the orc's head, they're as apt to start singing as to pull out a sword. They're flighty and frivolous. Two things to be said for them though; they don't have have many smiths, but the one's they have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come streaming out of the mountain, an elf's good to have at your back. Not as good as a dwarf maybe, but no doubt they hate the orcs as much as we do." 
Halflings. "Sure they're pleasant folk. But show me a halfling hero, an empire, a triumphant army, even a treasure for the ages made by halfling hands. Nothing. How can you take them seriously?" 
Humans. "You take the time to get to know a human, and by then the human's on her deathbed. If you're lucky, she's got kin- a daughter or granddaughter, maybe- who's got hands and heart as good as hers. That's when you make a human friend. And watch them go! They set their hearts on something, they'll get it, whether it's a dragon's hoard or an empire's throne. You have to admire that kind of dedication, even if it gets them into trouble more often than not."

Dwarf

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.

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 playing a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.

Size: Medium

speed: 25 ft.

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.

sub races:
Hill Dwarf
Mountain Dwarf
Duergar

race features:
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of yours 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 battleaxes, handles, light hammers, and war hammers.
Tool Proficiency. You are proficient with a set of 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.

Lifespan

350 years

Average Height

4 - 5 ft.

Average Weight

150 lbs.

Average Physique

Dwarves stand slightly shorter than most humans, but are robust and stocky, with broad waists and shoulders, and weigh nearly as much as a normal human.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Dwarven skin ranges through the normal human palette, and also includes deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Dwarves tend to be hairy, with hair colors encompassing the normal human range of colors.

Related Ethnicities

• Duergar
• Hill Dwarf
• Mountain Dwarf