Overview
At a glance
- Size
- Medium
- Speed
- 30 ft
- Darkvision
- 120 ft
- Best at
- Staying alive
TankFrontlinerSurvivor
The 2024 dwarf is one species with no subraces. Everyone gets what the old hill dwarf had, an extra hit point every level, plus poison resistance, 120-foot Darkvision and a short burst of Tremorsense on stone. The old armor and weapon training is gone, and so is the slower speed: dwarves now walk 30 feet like everyone else.
Your background sets your ability scores, so a dwarf fits any class. What the dwarf adds is durability, and every class can use more of that.
Thrain's take
I have buried a lot of adventurers. Very few of them were dwarves. An extra hit point a level does not sound like much until it is twenty of them, and poison is what kills people in places like the ones we map. Pick a dwarf when you want to be the one still standing.
Strengths
- Dwarven Toughness: +1 hit point per level, on any class
- Resistance to Poison damage and Advantage on saves against Poisoned
- 120-foot Darkvision, double most species
- Stonecunning: Tremorsense on stone finds hidden and invisible things
Weaknesses
- No skill proficiency, spells or extra movement
- Nothing that helps you deal damage
- Stonecunning only works on or touching stone
Dwarf Traits
Darkvision
120 feet. In most dungeons you will see further than the torch-carriers.
Dwarven Resilience
Resistance to Poison damage, and Advantage on saves to avoid or end the Poisoned condition. Poison is one of the most common damage types monsters deal.
Dwarven Toughness
+1 to your Hit Point maximum, and +1 more every time you gain a level. At level 20 that is 20 extra hit points.
Stonecunning
As a Bonus Action, Tremorsense out to 60 feet for 10 minutes while you are on or touching stone. Uses equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest. It pinpoints creatures touching the same surface, including invisible ones.
Best Classes for a Dwarf
Legendary: build around it
Epic: excellent
Rare: good
Uncommon: works
Common: weak fit
Cleric
A front-line cleric with heavy armor and extra hit points holds Concentration on
Spirit GuardiansSpirit Guardians3rd-level ConjurationConcentrationCastingActionRangeSelfDuration10 minutesSaveWisdomDamage3d8 RadiantProtective spirits flit around you in a 15-foot Emanation 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. When you cast this spell, you can designate creatures to be unaffected by it. longer than anyone. The classic dwarf for a reason.
Legendary
Fighter
The fighter wants to be in front, and the dwarf wants to survive being in front. Darkvision keeps you swinging when the lights go out.
Legendary
Barbarian
A d12 hit die plus Dwarven Toughness makes the biggest hit point pool in the game. Rage covers weapons, the dwarf covers poison.
Epic
Paladin
Heavy armor, extra hit points and poison resistance. You will be the last one standing next to your own aura.
Epic
Druid
A Wisdom caster who often ends up in melee. The extra hit points keep Concentration going.
Epic
Wizard
On a d6 class, +1 hit point per level is a bigger share of your total than on anyone else. Not exciting, but it keeps you alive.
Rare
Sorcerer
Same story as the wizard: the fragile caster gets a buffer. Tremorsense helps you spot ambushes before you are in them.
Rare
Ranger
120-foot Darkvision and Tremorsense make a strong scout underground. Above ground, less so.
Rare
Monk
Monks have middling hit points and fight up close, so the toughness helps. Nothing else in the dwarf speeds you up.
Rare
Rogue
Tremorsense is good for finding hidden enemies, but a rogue wants mobility and skills, which the dwarf does not offer.
Uncommon
Warlock
Fine. Darkvision overlaps with Devil's Sight if you planned to take it, and nothing else helps a Charisma caster.
Uncommon
Bard
A tougher bard is still a bard. The dwarf gives the face of the party nothing to talk with.
Uncommon
Dwarf Builds
Support tankThe Stone Priest
- Class
- Cleric (Life Domain)
- Divine Order
- Protector (heavy armor)
- Background
- Acolyte (Magic InitiateMagic InitiateOrigin featChoose a level 1 spell from the same list you selected for this feat's cantrips. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest.)
13STR
10DEX
14CON
8INT
17WIS
13CHA
Heavy armor, more hit points than a cleric of any other species, and Life Domain healing. Stand in the doorway, keep everyone up, and let the enemy waste turns on you.
Build this dwarf
Free to start. No card needed.
Damage tankThe Unbreakable
- Class
- Barbarian (Path of the Berserker)
- Background
- Soldier (Savage AttackerSavage AttackerOrigin featYou've trained to deal particularly damaging strikes. Once per turn when you hit a target with a weapon, you can roll the weapon's damage dice twice and use either roll against the target.)
17STR
13DEX
15CON
8INT
12WIS
10CHA
A d12 hit die, an extra hit point every level and Rage resistances. Frenzy adds damage to your first hit each turn when you attack recklessly while Raging.
Build this dwarf
Free to start. No card needed.
Dwarf FAQ
Is the dwarf good in D&D 2024?
Yes, especially for front-line classes. Every dwarf gets +1 hit point per level, poison resistance, 120-foot Darkvision and Tremorsense on stone. It adds no damage, but very few species keep you alive as well.
Are there hill dwarves and mountain dwarves in D&D 2024?
No. The 2024 rules have one dwarf with no subraces. Dwarven Toughness, the old hill dwarf trait, is now part of every dwarf. The mountain dwarf's armor training is gone.
How fast are dwarves in D&D 2024?
30 feet. The old 25-foot speed is gone, so a dwarf keeps pace with the rest of the party.
What is the best class for a dwarf?
Cleric or fighter. Both fight in the front line, where extra hit points and poison resistance matter most. Barbarian is close behind and ends up with the most hit points of any build.
Take your dwarf into a campaign
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This guide includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2
by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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