Description
Dwarves average four feet in height, with squat, broad bodies. Male dwarves grow thick facial hair. The female dwarves in The Lord of the Rings novels, which greatly inspired D&D, were able to grow beards as well. Some authors, such as R. A. Salvatore, have followed suit in their writing, though the game rules' official position is that females do not grow beards—the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons portrayed dwarves as "beardless and even attractive". In specific campaign settings, the potential for female dwarven facial hair sees much variation: In the World of Greyhawk some females can grow beards but those generally shave, in the Forgotten Realms they can grow full beards but also usually shave, and in Eberron they do not grow facial hair at all. In older editions of the game, female dwarves did grow beards in various campaign settings.
The book Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson strongly influenced Dungeons & Dragons, having a dwarf named Hugi with a Scottish accent. Most popular portrayals of dwarves feature such an accent. Dwarves tend to be more useful for combat-oriented players, as they gain a number of special abilities and bonuses in combat, mostly related to their hardiness and smaller stature compared to humans. Dwarves are also resistant to poison and magic, can see in the dark (a skill called infravision in earlier editions and darkvision beginning with third edition), and can detect different types of mining-related features underground. The dwarven ability to detect a sloping passage underground is also taken directly from Anderson's book.
Dwarves are generally good in alignment. Ilan Mitchell-Smith wrote 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".
Dwarves usually worship Moradin, of whom they believe themselves to be the creations. According to their legends, Moradin fashioned the dwarves into a likeness of himself using gems and metal. He then breathed 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. Other dwarven gods may be present in different campaign settings.
Dwarves get along fine with gnomes, who are often regarded as close cousins of the dwarven race. Dwarves are accepting of humans, half-elves and halflings. Dwarves often do not get to know humans well as they live longer than the average human, and prefer to become friendly with the humans' family in general. Dwarves mistrust half-orcs, and fail to appreciate elves, whom they only ally with in their many battles against orcs, goblins, gnolls, bugbears and trolls.
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