Dwarf 5e: The Complete Species Guide

Dwarves are short, bearded, and unreasonably durable. They drink, they forge, they remember grudges for generations, and their livers have approximately the same bonus action economy as a Rogue's Cunning Action.

In 5e mechanics, Dwarves are the durability species. High Con. Poison resistance. Stonecunning. Hit points that don't quit.

Base Dwarf Traits

All Dwarves get:

• +2 Constitution.
• Age: 50 to 350.
• Size: Medium.
• Speed: 25 feet (slower than most).
• Darkvision (60 feet).
• Dwarven Resilience: Advantage on saves against poison. Resistance to poison damage.
• Dwarven Combat Training: Proficiency with battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, warhammer.
• Tool Proficiency: Pick one (smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools).
• Stonecunning: Consider yourself proficient in History checks about stone (and double proficiency).
• Languages: Common + Dwarvish.

Subraces add more.

Hill Dwarf

+1 Wisdom. Dwarven Toughness: +1 HP per character level.

+1 HP per level is substantial. By level 20, that's +20 HP. Combined with +2 Con, Hill Dwarves are among the toughest non-Barbarian characters you can build.

Best for: Clerics (Wisdom), Druids, Rangers, Monks, anyone who wants extra survivability.

Mountain Dwarf

+2 Strength (so +2 Str + +2 Con from base). Dwarven Armor Training: proficiency with light and medium armor.

Mountain Dwarf is the rare race that gets +2 to two different stats. Perfect for Strength-based classes who also want high Con.

Best for: Fighters (Str-based), Paladins, Clerics wearing medium armor, Barbarians.

The armor proficiency is also great for multiclassing into armor-less casters (Mountain Dwarf Wizard can wear medium armor without a dip).

Class Combos

Dwarf + Cleric. Hill Dwarf for Wis + HP. Life Domain, War Domain, or any Wis-based. Extremely durable.

Dwarf + Barbarian. Hill Dwarf for +1 HP stacking with d12 hit die. Mountain Dwarf for +2 Strength.

Dwarf + Paladin. Mountain Dwarf for +2 Str + proficiency with medium armor before level 1. Classic.

Dwarf + Fighter. Mountain Dwarf. +2 Str, durability, armor training.

Dwarf + Wizard. Mountain Dwarf for medium armor proficiency (no Mage Armor needed) + +2 Con. Surprisingly strong.

Dwarf + Ranger. Hill Dwarf works for Wisdom + HP. Though Elves are more stereotypical, Dwarf Rangers are great archers.

Dwarf + Druid. Hill Dwarf. Wis + HP + Druid's natural durability.

Dwarven Resilience

Poison resistance + advantage on poison saves. Poison is extremely common in D&D monsters. Spiders, snakes, poison traps, some undead, demons, many others. This trait is consistently useful.

Stonecunning

Think proficient in History for stone-related knowledge, and double proficiency. Niche but flavorful.

Dwarf in Solo Play

Dwarves are A-tier solo, particularly Hill Dwarf. The +1 HP per level stacks meaningfully over time and turns a solo character into someone harder to kill.

Dwarven Resilience is always-on, always valuable. Poison is common. Being immune or resistant is a huge durability boost over the long term.

For more, see our classes ranked for solo play.

Final Verdict

Dwarf is a durability species. Hill Dwarf for Wis-based or extra-HP-wanted builds. Mountain Dwarf for Strength-based martial classes.

Start a Dwarf on The Endlessness, pick Mountain Dwarf + Paladin, and be the most unkillable character in the table (table of one).