Dwarf (2024) Guide 5e

Published on November 29, 2024

The stalwart and resilient Dwarves have returned to the core lineup in the 2024 Player’s Handbook!

Arcane Eye may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn more.

Looking for the legacy version of this article based on the 2014 rules? Click here.

What is this guide?

This guide is meant to give you an idea of whether or not the dwarf (2024) will be right for your 5e character build.

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good that option will be for your dwarf (2024). This color coding isn’t a hard and fast rule; there are plenty of sub-optimized options out there that will be viable to your party and will be fun to play.

  • Red : Isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
  • Orange : Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
  • Green : A good option
  • Blue : A great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
  • Sky Blue: An amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Dwarves in the 2024 Player’s Handbook

While the updates to Dwarves don’t stray far from their original identity, there are a few exciting tweaks that bring their traditional toughness and connection to stonework into focus. Gone are the days of subraces, and like all races in the 2024 update, Ability Score Improvements (ASIs) are determined by your background, not your race. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the updated Dwarf tick and which classes can work best for these unflappable adventurers!

What are Dwarves in 5e?

Source: 2024 Player's Handbook

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Dwarves typically stand around 4 to 5 feet tall but are built solidly enough that they match the strength of much larger creatures. They are deeply tied to the earth, both culturally and physically, thriving in mountainous halls, deep mines, or rugged outposts.

Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Dwarves are known for their resilience, craftsmanship, and strong sense of duty. They value tradition, honor, and community, often pursuing careers as warriors, clerics, and artisans. While some are content with the safety of their ancestral homes, others take up the adventuring life to protect their people or reclaim lost relics of their past.

Dwarf (2024) 5e Traits

Age: Dwarves are considered young until they are 50. They live about 350 years

Speed: 30 feet. Dwarves’ compact build no longer slows them down, a buff from the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

DarkvisionDwarves can see in darkness up to 120 feet, double the range of many other races. This is excellent for dungeon delving or fighting in dim environments, especially for builds that can make use of the range advantage.

Dwarven Resilience: This trait grants Dwarves Resistance to Poison damage and Advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the Poisoned condition. A free resistance to a common damage type and condition is always a welcome addition to any classes survivability.

Dwarven Toughness: Dwarves gain an additional hit point at 1st level, and this bonus increases by 1 every time they level up. This used to be a trait exclusive to Mountain Dwarves but has been rolled into the base race because the subraces have been removed. Basically every class will love these extra Hit Points.

Stonecunning: Stonecunning got a huge upgrade in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Now, as a Bonus Action, Dwarves can gain Tremorsense (60 feet) for 10 minutes, provided they are on or touching a stone surface. This ability can be used a number of times equal to their Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest and is a huge buff when fighting in situations where sight is limited. Tremorsense allows you to detect enemies that are heavily obscured or Invisible, and stone surfaces are relatively common in adventuring environments.

Which 5e Classes Work With Dwarves?

Artificer: Poison Resistance and extra Hit Points help offset the Artificer's low Hit Dice, while Tremorsense and Darkvision can aid in situational awareness. A Dwarf Battle Smith or Armorer Artificer can be surprisingly durable.

Barbarian: The extra Hit Points from Dwarven Toughness and Resistance to Poison damage synergize perfectly with the Barbarian’s role as a tank. Combine this with Stonecunning for situational battlefield awareness, and you’ve got a solid (heh) foundation.

Bard: Bards won’t be tanking any time soon, even if they are going Valor or Swords College, so the extra Hit Points and resiliency aren't amazing. They're really looking for something that will add to their utility toolbox, and Dwarves aren't it.

Cleric: Dwarves’ durability  make them a natural fit for Clerics, especially those in who prefer to wade into battle. Dwarven Resilience ensures you can stay on your feet to heal your allies or deal radiant justice.

Druid: Druids in the 2024 no longer change Hit Points when they Wild Shape, instead the gain Temporary Hit Points and only lose their Wild Shape when they become Incapacitated or die, so gaining extra Hit Points from Dwarven Toughness is a good look for Druids who want to tank in their Beast forms.

Fighter: Dwarves are a great choice for melee fighters (just look at Gimli). They get extra Hit Points and a free Resistance to Poison damage and the Poisoned condition. The additional senses bestowed through Darkvision and Stonecunning are cherries on the cake!

Monk: Monks are always looking for extra resiliency, and the Dwarf race provides that in spades. Combined with the additional senses bestowed through Darkvision and Stonecunning, and the race is a solid pick for these martial arts masters.

Paladin: Poison Resistance and extra Hit Points make Dwarves an excellent fit for Paladins. Their durability ensures they can survive long enough to dish out Divine Smites.

Ranger: Dwarves offer survivability and great sensory abilities, both of which are appealing to Rangers, especially those who will be delving into subterranean environments.

Rogue: The extra Hit Points and Poison Resistance provide a safety net for Rogues, who can often find themselves in precarious situations. Tremorsense and an improved Darkvision also have applications for detecting hidden foes or traps.

Sorcerer: While not an obvious choice, Dwarven Resilience can help squishy Sorcerers survive longer in combat. Stonecunning also provides niche exploration benefits for spellcasters.

Warlock: Poison Resistance and extra Hit Points help offset the Warlock’s low Hit Dice, while Tremorsense and Darkvision can aid in situational awareness. A Dwarf Pact of the Blade Warlock can be surprisingly durable.

Wizard: Dwarves are not typically associated with Wizards, but their resilience can help keep a Wizard alive, which is the most important part. Still, other races might better align with a Wizard’s needs.

Sources Used in This Guide

  • 2024 PHB: 2024 Player's Handbook
  • BR: Basic Rules
  • GotG: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
  • SotDQ: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
  • ERLW: Eberron: Rising from the Last War
  • EEPC: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
  • EGtW: Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
  • FToD: Fizban's Treasury of Dragon
  • GGtR: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
  • MotM: Monsters of the Multiverse
  • MToF: Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
  • MOoT: Mythic Odyessys of Theros
  • PAitM: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
  • PHB: Player's Handbook
  • SAiS: Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
  • SCoC: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
  • SCAG: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
  • TCoE: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
  • TTP: The Tortle Package
  • WBtW: The Wild Beyond The Witchlight
  • VRGtR: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
  • VGtM: Volo's Guide to Monsters
  • XGtE: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Adamantine best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Use the buttons below to fine tune the content you see in our guides.

What do these mean?