Overview
At a glance
- Size
- Medium
- Speed
- 25 ft, not reduced by heavy armor
- Darkvision
- 60 ft
- Ability scores
- +2 Con, plus +1 Wis (Hill) or +2 Str (Mountain)
- Best subrace
- Mountain Dwarf for martials, Hill Dwarf for clerics
TankHealerFront line
Under the 2014 rules your race sets your ability score increases, and every dwarf starts with +2 Constitution. That means more hit points and better concentration saves on any class. On top of it you get poison resistance, Darkvision, weapon training and a speed that heavy armor never slows.
The subrace decides the rest. The Hill Dwarf adds Wisdom and an extra hit point every level, which points it at clerics and druids. The Mountain Dwarf adds +2 Strength and medium armor, which makes it one of the best races in the game for fighters, barbarians and paladins.
Thrain's take
A dwarf does not win fights quickly. A dwarf is still standing when the fight ends. Plenty of players pick something flashier and spend the campaign making death saves. Pick a Hill Dwarf cleric in heavy armor and you will be the one handing out healing at the end.
Strengths
- +2 Constitution on every dwarf: more hit points and steadier concentration
- Advantage on saves against poison and resistance to poison damage
- Heavy armor never reduces your speed, even with low Strength
- Mountain Dwarf gives +2 Strength and +2 Constitution, the only Player's Handbook race with two +2 increases
Weaknesses
- 25-foot speed, slower than most races
- No Dexterity or Charisma bonus on either subrace
- Weapon and tool proficiencies matter little to many classes
Dwarf Traits
Ability Score Increase
+2 Constitution. Your subrace adds a second increase.
Darkvision
60 feet. Dim light counts as bright and darkness as dim, in shades of gray.
Dwarven Combat Training
Battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer and warhammer. Useful for a cleric or wizard who wants a real weapon, redundant for martials.
Dwarven Resilience
Advantage on saving throws against poison and resistance to poison damage. Poison is one of the most common damage types in the game.
Speed
25 feet, but wearing heavy armor never reduces it. A dwarf can wear plate with 8 Strength and keep moving.
Stonecunning
Double proficiency on History checks about where stonework came from. Rarely comes up, and great when it does.
Tool Proficiency
Smith's tools, brewer's supplies or mason's tools. Pick whichever fits your backstory.
Dwarf Subraces, Rated
Legendary: build around it
Epic: excellent
Rare: good
Uncommon: works
Common: weak fit
Mountain Dwarf
+2 Strength on top of +2 Constitution, plus light and medium armor proficiency. The best start a Strength martial can get, and medium armor on a wizard or sorcerer. Player's Handbook.
Legendary
Hill Dwarf
+1 Wisdom and Dwarven Toughness: 1 extra hit point per level, 20 more by level 20. The pick for clerics, druids and anyone who wants to be hard to drop.
Epic
The Hill Dwarf is in the SRD and its traits are below. The Mountain Dwarf comes from the Player's Handbook. Other books add the duergar, a gray dwarf with innate spells and Sunlight Sensitivity; ask your DM before you plan around it.
Ability Score Increase
+1 Wisdom, for 16 Wisdom and 16 Constitution on a cleric with the standard array.
Dwarven Toughness
+1 hit point maximum at level 1 and +1 more every level. On a wizard it is like moving up a hit die.
Best Classes for a Dwarf
Cleric (Hill Dwarf)
Constitution and Wisdom are the two scores a cleric wants. Life Domain heavy armor with no Strength penalty, and the extra hit points keep
Spirit GuardiansSpirit Guardians3rd-level ConjurationConcentrationCastingActionRangeSelfDuration10 minutesSaveWisdomDamage3d8 RadiantYou call forth spirits to protect you. They flit around you to a distance of 15 feet for the duration. If you are good or neutral, their spectral form appears angelic or fey (your choice). If you are evil, they appear fiendish. up.
Legendary
Fighter (Mountain Dwarf)
+2 Strength and +2 Constitution put 16 or better in both of your key scores at level 1. Plate, a shield and the Defense style make you the wall.
Legendary
Barbarian (Mountain Dwarf)
Strength for hitting, Constitution for Unarmored Defense and hit points. Rage covers weapon damage, and your race already covers poison.
Legendary
Paladin (Mountain Dwarf)
Strength and Constitution are covered, but Charisma has to come from the array. Still a sturdy paladin that keeps its auras up.
Epic
Druid (Hill Dwarf)
Wisdom and Constitution for a caster who holds concentration on
MoonbeamMoonbeam2nd-level EvocationConcentrationCastingActionRange120 feetDuration1 minuteSaveConstitutionDamage2d10 RadiantA silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Until the spell ends, dim light fills the cylinder. while enemies try to break it.
Epic
Ranger (Hill Dwarf)
Wisdom helps, but no Dexterity. Works as a melee ranger in medium armor; an elf or halfling does it better.
Rare
Wizard (Mountain Dwarf)
No Intelligence, but medium armor on a d6 class. A classic trick for a wizard who keeps getting hit, and it frees you from casting
Mage ArmorMage Armor1st-level AbjurationCastingActionRangeTouchDuration8 hoursYou touch a willing creature who isn't wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target's base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action..
Rare
Monk (Hill Dwarf)
Wisdom helps Unarmored Defense, but the 25-foot speed and no Dexterity hold you back early.
Uncommon
Warlock
Constitution keeps concentration, and Mountain Dwarf armor helps a Pact of the Blade warlock. No Charisma.
Uncommon
Sorcerer
Same as the warlock: tough and armored with Mountain Dwarf, but Charisma has to come from the array.
Uncommon
Rogue
No Dexterity and a slow walking speed on a class that lives on both.
Common
Bard
No Charisma or Dexterity. A dwarven skald is a great character, just not an efficient one.
Common
Racial Feats for Dwarves
Xanathar's Guide to Everything adds feats only some races can take. If your table uses it, two matter for dwarves:
- Dwarven Fortitude: +1 Constitution, and when you take the Dodge action in combat you can spend a Hit Die to heal. Good for a tank who wants enemies to keep swinging at it.
- Squat Nimbleness (dwarves and Small races): +1 Strength or Dexterity and 5 more feet of speed. It fixes the dwarf's only real weakness.
Among the Player's Handbook feats, Heavy Armor Master suits a Mountain Dwarf fighter or paladin, and War Caster or Resilient (Constitution) suits a Hill Dwarf cleric.
Dwarf Builds
HealerThe Hill Dwarf Life Cleric
- Race
- Hill Dwarf
- Subclass
- Life Domain
- First spells
BlessBless1st-level EnchantmentConcentrationCastingActionRange30 feetDuration1 minuteYou bless up to three creatures of your choice within range. Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw., 
Cure WoundsCure Wounds1st-level EvocationCastingActionRangeTouchDurationInstantaneousA creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs., 
Healing WordHealing Word1st-level EvocationCastingBonus ActionRange60 feetDurationInstantaneousA creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
13STR
10DEX
16CON
8INT
16WIS
12CHA
Heavy armor, a shield and the most hit points of any level 1 cleric. Heals the party back up, then wades in with Spirit GuardiansSpirit Guardians3rd-level ConjurationConcentrationCastingActionRangeSelfDuration10 minutesSaveWisdomDamage3d8 RadiantYou call forth spirits to protect you. They flit around you to a distance of 15 feet for the duration. If you are good or neutral, their spectral form appears angelic or fey (your choice). If you are evil, they appear fiendish. at level 5.
Build this dwarf
Free to start. No card needed.
TankThe Iron Wall
- Race
- Hill Dwarf
- Subclass
- Champion (level 3)
- Fighting style
- Defense
15STR
13DEX
16CON
8INT
13WIS
10CHA
Chain mail, a shield and the Defense style for 19 AC at level 1, with Second Wind and extra hit points behind it. Swap to a Mountain Dwarf for 17 Strength if your table uses the Player's Handbook.
Build this dwarf
Free to start. No card needed.
Dwarf FAQ
Is the dwarf good in D&D 5e?
Yes. Under the 2014 rules every dwarf gets +2 Constitution, poison resistance and Darkvision, and its speed is not reduced by heavy armor. The Mountain Dwarf is one of the strongest races for Strength martials, and the Hill Dwarf is a top pick for clerics.
Hill Dwarf or Mountain Dwarf: which is better?
Mountain Dwarf for fighters, barbarians and paladins, because +2 Strength and +2 Constitution covers both of their key scores. Hill Dwarf for clerics and druids, for the Wisdom and an extra hit point every level.
What is the best class for a dwarf in 5e?
Cleric with a Hill Dwarf, or fighter or barbarian with a Mountain Dwarf. Both put the dwarf's bonuses straight into the scores the class needs most.
Can a dwarf wear heavy armor without the Strength requirement?
Yes. A dwarf's speed is not reduced by heavy armor, so the Strength requirement on plate or splint does not slow you down. You still need proficiency to wear it well.
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This guide includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1
by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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