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Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons) | HearLore
Common questions
When did the dwarf first appear as a playable character in Dungeons and Dragons?
The dwarf first appeared as a playable character in the original 1974 edition of Dungeons and Dragons. This emergence occurred from the wargame Chainmail where miniature figures of varying sizes were used together for the first time.
What is the average height and physical description of dwarves in Dungeons and Dragons?
Dwarves average four feet in height with stout, broad bodies. Male dwarves grow thick facial hair, while the depiction of female dwarves has varied significantly over the decades depending on the specific campaign setting.
Who is the creator god worshipped by dwarves in Dungeons and Dragons?
Dwarves generally worship Moradin, whom they believe is their creator. According to their legends, Moradin fashioned the dwarves into a likeness of himself using gems and metal before breathing life into them.
How many subraces of dwarf have been described in Dungeons and Dragons publications?
More than a dozen subraces of dwarf have been described over the history of Dungeons and Dragons publications and rules editions. These include hill dwarves, mountain dwarves, deep dwarves, duergar, and gully dwarves among others.
What is the origin of the dwarf concept in Dungeons and Dragons?
The concept of the dwarf draws a direct lineage from Norse and Teutonic mythology, specifically from the Germanic story The Ring of the Nibelungen and the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. The early version of the dwarf was also heavily influenced by Poul Anderson's 1961 novel Three Hearts and Three Lions.
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
The dwarf first appeared as a playable character in the original 1974 edition of Dungeons and Dragons, emerging from the wargame Chainmail where miniature figures of varying sizes were used together for the first time. This early version of the dwarf was heavily influenced by Poul Anderson's 1961 novel Three Hearts and Three Lions, which featured a dwarf named Hugi with a distinct Scottish accent that became a template for future portrayals. In those initial rules, the dwarf was limited to playing only as a fighter and could not progress beyond the sixth level, a restriction that reflected the game's early focus on combat-oriented roles. The concept of the dwarf was not merely a game mechanic but a direct lineage from Norse and Teutonic mythology, specifically drawing from the Germanic story The Ring of the Nibelungen and the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. These ancient ancestors provided the foundation for a race that would eventually become one of the most iconic figures in fantasy gaming history.
Beards And The Rules
Dwarves average four feet in height with stout, broad bodies, and male dwarves grow thick facial hair, yet the depiction of female dwarves has been a subject of intense debate and shifting rules over the decades. In The Lord of the Rings novels, which greatly inspired Dungeons and Dragons, female dwarves were able to grow beards as well, a trait that some authors like R. A. Salvatore followed in their writing. The game rules' official position on this matter was rarely concrete, varying by dwarven culture or ancestry, with The Complete Book of Dwarves noting that deep dwarf women wear their beards long unlike other dwarf women who are typically cleanshaven. In the World of Greyhawk setting, all dwarves including females grow and wear beards, but only a portion of females are known to shave, while in the Forgotten Realms they can grow full beards but also usually shave, and in Eberron they do not grow facial hair at all. The art of various editions, especially later ones, frequently portrayed dwarven women as beardless, a decision influenced by artist William O'conner who was given specific direction to change the way female dwarves were depicted in the preview for the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. Rob Heinsoo stated that O'conner's art gifted the team with a magnificent new look for dwarf women that was strong, sensual, earthy, and feminine, with an exotic beauty that no one would think to splash a beard on, yet this was not reflected in fourth edition rules and still varied depending on the campaign setting.
The Stone And The Script
Dwarves generally worship Moradin, whom they believe is their creator, and according to their legends, Moradin fashioned the dwarves into a likeness of himself using gems and metal before breathing life into them. In many campaign settings, the dwarven pantheon of gods consists of the leader Moradin, as well as Abbathor, Berronar Truesilver, Clanggedin Silverbeard, Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dumathoin, Muamman Duathal, and Vergadain, with Laduguer serving as the god of the duergar. Dwarves possess a runic-type script called Dethek, which translates directly into Common, and they prefer to not write on that which can perish, thus inscribing on metal or stone. Books can be made from bound metal sheets, and the stone tablets they write on are called runestones in common tongue, described as being diamond-shaped, about an inch thick, and of some very hard rock. Inscriptions spiral around the edge, being read from the outer edge toward the center, with words separated by spaces and sentences by crossed lines. Capital letters have a line drawn above them, and if any glyphs are painted, names of beings and places are commonly picked out in red while the rest of the text is colored black or left as unadorned grooves. A numbering system also exists, essentially a variation of pentadic numerals, as well as ideographs for clans, tribes and races, with some tablets bearing reliefs that can be used as stamps for various purposes.
Which campaign settings feature unique dwarf subraces in Dungeons and Dragons?
Unique dwarf subraces appear in settings such as Athas, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, World of Greyhawk, and Spelljammer. Athasian dwarves stand less than 5 feet tall and have no hair, while gully dwarves live in ruined cities and sewers.
Over the history of Dungeons and Dragons publications and rules editions, more than a dozen subraces of dwarf have been described, each with unique traits and environments. Hill dwarves are the standard dwarven race, while mountain dwarves live deeper underground and have fairer skin than hill dwarves. Aleithian dwarves are deep-dwelling psionic dwarves who follow the dragon god Sardior, and in the 4th Edition of the game, Azers are a product of the enslavement of dwarves by giants and titans. Badlands dwarves have adapted to life in the inhospitable wastes, developing a natural knack for finding water and tolerance to heat and thirst, while deep dwarves dwell underground and have a greater ability to see in the dark but are sensitive to light. They are more resistant to magic and poison than standard dwarves, and dream dwarves are contemplative dwarves in touch with the world around them, which they call the earth dream. The duergar, or gray dwarves, are an evil and avaricious subrace that live in the Underdark, with the name duergar derived from Norse mythology. Bleeding Cool editor Gavin Sheehan praised the more detailed background for duergar in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, calling their lore fascinating and intriguing and declaring them a force to be dealt with in no easy way. Frost dwarves are extra-planar dwarves who reside on the Iron Wastes of the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, having once been duergar enslaved by frost giants, while glacier dwarves reside in cold glaciers, mining a special material known as blue ice. Seacliff dwarves make their home in high seaside cliffs and are excellent swimmers, showcasing the vast diversity within the dwarven race.
The World Of Athas
On Athas, the planet of the Dark Sun campaign setting, dwarves stand less than 5 feet tall and weigh nearly 200 pounds, with each dwarf pursuing a singular obsession called a focus that requires at least a week to complete. Athasian dwarves do not live underground, but some communities focus on unearthing long-lost dwarven strongholds, and physically, the dwarves of Athas are unique among their kind, having no hair at all. Athasian dwarves can breed with humans to produce muls, who are sterile offspring that share the strength and resiliency of dwarves with the size of humans. In the Dragonlance setting, the dwarves are divided into three distinct groups which are sub-divided into clans, with hill dwarves consisting of a single clan called the Neidar. Flint Fireforge, one of the Heroes of the Lance, is a Neidar, while mountain dwarves consist of several clans, two of these being the Hylar and the Daewar clans. Gully dwarves, or Aghar, are thought to be the offspring of gnomes and dwarves, first referred to in the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman as a miserable lot. Several clans live together, following the rule of their chieftains or one particular powerful leader, and gully dwarves are known to be vicious fighters when cornered. They are generally stupid and often hold menial jobs, characterized as a tiny, dirty, unorganized folk, but as having heart. The highest an average gully dwarf can count is 2, though some have become smart enough to count to 3, and they are smaller than normal dwarves. They have no land of their own and live in ruined cities, sewers, and dirty parts of cities, with blogger Graeme Barber criticizing their portrayal as unintelligent sub-humanoids who are profoundly mentally disabled to the point of not really even having a language as stereotypical. Gully dwarves could be used as player characters in the Dungeons and Dragons game, but they were by design weaker than other character options and so only appealing to few players who enjoy the underdog status they provided.
The Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms world of Faerûn has several major dwarven subraces, with shield dwarves, also known as mountain dwarves, being the dominant dwarves in the northern parts of Faerûn. These dwarves tend to be fatalistic due to generations of declining numbers, while gold dwarves, also known as hill dwarves, are the dominant dwarves in southern Faerûn and are generally a more upbeat group than their northern cousins. They primarily reside in and around the Deep Realm, an underground realm surrounding a Grand Canyon-like gorge, and arctic dwarves, also known as the Inugaakalikurit, are found in the northernmost reaches of Faerûn, being smaller and stronger than most other dwarves and immune to cold. Urdunnir, also known as dwarves, have the magical ability to shape metal and stone and can walk through the latter, while wild dwarves are short, primitive dwarves found in the deep jungles of Faerûn. Gray dwarves, or duergar, are mainly found in the Underdark and have an aversion to light. Bruenor Battlehammer, a Shield Dwarf, is the king of Mithril Hall in the Forgotten Realms setting who reclaims his homeland from monsters including a shadow dragon named Shimmergloom that he kills single-handedly. Their gods include Deep Duerra, Gorm Gulthyn, Haela Brightaxe, Marthammor Duin, and Thard Harr, creating a rich tapestry of dwarven life and culture within the Forgotten Realms.
The Greyhawk And Spelljammer
In the World of Greyhawk setting, the group of humans known as Flan call dwarves, and they are found throughout the Flanaess, particularly numerous in the Lortmils, Principality of Ulek, Glorioles, Iron Hills, Crystalmists, and Ratik. Lord Obmi is a notable dwarf of the setting, a servant of Iuz and member of the Boneshadow organization, adding a layer of political intrigue to the dwarven presence in this world. Dwarves in the Spelljammer campaign setting operate in huge spacefaring asteroids, honeycombed with tunnels, showcasing their adaptability to environments far removed from traditional underground settings. These spacefaring dwarves demonstrate the versatility of the race, capable of thriving in the vacuum of space while maintaining their characteristic love for stone and metal. The integration of dwarves into the Spelljammer setting highlights the race's ability to adapt to new and challenging environments, expanding the scope of their adventures beyond the confines of the earth.
The Legacy Of Stone
Dungeons and Dragons novels prominently featuring dwarves include the Dragonlance series with Dragons of the Dwarven Depths by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, The Last Thane by Douglas Niles, Dark Thane by Jeff Crook, The Dwarf Home trilogy by Douglas Niles, The Dwarven Nations trilogy by Dan Parkinson, The Gates of Thorbardin by Dan Parkinson, and Gully Dwarves by Dan Parkinson. The Forgotten Realms features The War of the Spider Queen series by R.A. Salvatore and The Icewind Dale Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore, further expanding the dwarven narrative. Next to J.R.R. Tolkien's work, being a core player character race in Dungeons and Dragons has contributed significantly to popularizing the concept of the dwarf in contemporary culture. The depiction of dwarves in Dungeons and Dragons has been cited as the inspiration for the dwarves in World of Warcraft, demonstrating the lasting impact of the game on fantasy media. Dwarves are generally good in alignment, with Ilan Mitchell-Smith writing that dwarves, along with other races allowed for use by players such as elves and halflings, are defined in terms of subjectivity and ultimately humanity as opposed to many other creatures who serve as a type of monstrous other. Philip J. Clements observed that dwarves tend to embody an extreme vision of masculinity, highlighting the cultural significance of the race within the game and beyond.