Dwarf

“Yer late, elf!” came the rough edge of a familiar

voice. Bruenor Battlehammer walked up the back of his
dead foe, disregarding the fact that the heavy monster lay
on top of his elven friend. In spite of the added discomfort,
the dwarf’s long, pointed, often-broken nose and graystreaked
though still-fiery red beard came as a welcome
sight to Drizzt. “Knew I’d find ye in trouble if I came out
an’ looked for ye!”
—R. A. Salvatore, The Crystal Shard
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.
Short and Stout
Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors,
miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they
stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and
compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing
nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are
also easily a match for any of the larger folk.
Dwarven skin ranges from 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.
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 to be more than 400 years old, so the
oldest living dwarves often remember a very different
world. For example, some of the oldest dwarves living
in Citadel Felbarr (in the world of the Forgotten Realms)
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 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 the mountains
where the dwarves mine 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 halflings
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.
Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially
weaponsmiths, armorers, and jewelers. Some
become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after
for their courage and loyalty.
Gods, Gold, and Clan
Dwarves who take up the adventuring life might be
motivated by a desire for treasure—for its own sake, for
a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to
help others. Other dwarves are driven by the command
or inspiration of a deity, a direct calling or simply a desire
to bring glory to one of the dwarf gods. Clan and ancestry
are also important motivators. A dwarf might seek to
restore a clan’s lost honor, avenge an ancient wrong the
clan suffered, or earn a new place within the clan after
Slow to Trust
Dwarves get along passably well with most other races.
“The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is
about a hundred years,” is a dwarf saying that might be
hyperbole, but certainly points to how difficult it can be
for a member of a short-lived race like humans to earn a
dwarf’s trust.
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 many smiths, but the ones they
have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come
streaming down out of the mountains, 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 can
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 in trouble more
often than