Hill Dwarf
PHB
Silver Dwarf
The legacy of dwarves is in the foundations of our greatest cities, the towers of our mightiest castles, and the steel of our keenest blades. To not attribute to them the survival of civilization would be the greatest disservice.Dwarves are creatures of the earth, as solid as it's stone and as enduring as its peaks. They are often called stubborn, but with roots as deep as theirs, unrelenting is likely the more accurate term. Wherever they go or whatever their calling, they burn bright and hot and leave their mark on the world.
The culture of dwarves is built upon three great pillars; industry, community, and tradition.
Industry: It is in a dwarf's nature to create, innovate, and strive for greatness. There isn't a trade or craft in the world that they won't excel in. Don't be fooled by their brash, unrefined demeaner, for they are the ones behind the most elegant and subtle creations in this world.
Community: What is the purpose of creation with noone to share it with? For dwarves, it is for their clans that they toil so endlessly. The care and effort they put into fostering their communities rivals their smiths in the forge. Even when they do not live among their people, dwarves sow deep roots and cultivate strong bonds with their neighbors.
Tradition: Without fuel, the brightest flames dwindle to embers and are snuffed out. Dwarves may be a driving force of innovation, but they believe more than any that tradition ensures the survival of great things. Too much has been lost that can never be replaced, and it is a dwarf's responsibility to uphold centuries of community, creation, and knowledge.
ability score increase:
Increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
age:
Dwarves mature at the same rate as Humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing Heavy Armor.
Languages:
Common and Dwarvish (or a different language of your choice based on your character's backstory)
race features:
Darkvision. Accustomed to life Underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on Saving Throws against poison, and you have Resistance against poison damage.
Tool Proficiency. You gain Proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) or Intelligence (Investigation) check related to stonework, you are considered proficient in the skill and add double your Proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal Proficiency bonus.
In Cantara
Silver Dwarves come from the remnants of old Thela; their ancestors were responsible for building the great structures and cities that still stand today as a testiment to their prowess. Now they are spread across the isles, striving for greatness in whatever craft they dedicate themselves to. Many still reside in the great halls within the Malogna Mountains and Barrier Peaks, others thrive in the city-states as artisans and engineers, while some clans have taken to the seas as enterprising merchants. These dwarves are most populous in ancient Dhom Kholdur and its sister city Tyr, but there isn't a city in the central isles that doesn't have a sizeable dwarven community.Religion: Dwarves of Cantara follow their ancient god Brightrock and their disciples, who's example they strive to live up to. They believe that like any creation, they are born as raw material and through the forge of life formed into a finished piece. It's only through your accomplishments and tribulations that you become who you are.
The fire of Brightrock may burn strong, but many dwarves also have a deep spiritual side. Most notably they tend to associate with spirits of creation like Thal and Illyo, spirits of the earth like Dyalla, or spirits of trade, order, and community like Orin.
Appearance
Silver Dwarves come in all shades, but are most often born with a bronze complexion. They have metallic colored eyes of gold, silver, copper, or steel blue. Their hair comes in many colors and often features gold or silver streaks. Male dwarves almost without exception wear long, robust beards. These beards have great cultural signifigance to dwarves and are a prized part of their identity. While they are capable of growing them, female dwarves tend not to keep beards. Instead, their head hair grows just as fiercely and is traditionally kept long and treated similarily to men's beards. Despite these traditions though, there is a broad spectrum of self-expression that is embraced by dwarves. Dwarves of any gender are hairy creatures, and how they choose to express themselves with that hair is a deeply personal matter.Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds.
Names
Hill dwarves keep traditional names, which means they are sharp and rhythmic like their language. The given names of dwarves don't hold any meaning in dwarvish, as it is important to dwarves that their names belong to their wearers. To them, names are something that you give meaning to with your deeds and accomplishments, and become your banner to plant in history.Clan names are inspired by their culture, environment, deeds, and attributes. The name of a dwarven clan may come from an ancient Matriarch's legendary deeds, such as Tunnelwarden. It could be from a unique quirk of their appearance that runs in the family, like Boulderchin, or a traditional way they present themselves, like the Twinbeard clan. The names from many clans come from their homeland, family occupations, and what the clan values. For Hill Dwarves, this means you'll find clans with names like Seasmith, Amberflask, or Mountainguard.
Dwarven clans are great sprawling trees, many of which are older than memory and as wide as the sea. Having your character come from an existing clan rather than coming up with your own can be a great way to tighten your character's bond with the world, particularily if the clan is featured in your campaign setting. If you choose, work with your DM to pick a suitable clan for your character, or to integrate the clan you come up with into the setting.
Influence: Hill dwarven names keep to the familiar styles of Tolkien fantasy and its derivitives. Their names are primarily Germanic in influence, in particular Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, German, and Gothic. When taking inspiration from real languages, you're encouraged to have fun playing with sounds and making it your own. While subtlety is effective, feel free when creating your character to pull from the stereotypes and come up with something that feels very "dwarven".
Given Names: Astrok, Bomir, Burgwulf, Cathir, Dhuveil, Droga, Eadwyr, Eibhlin, Elrbuck, Frila, Grilvir, Hamustr, Hjalrick, Joramen, Khorik, Lufrik, Maegenfirth, Makeam, Rhagenweald, Thomre, Tilvin, Wilsiga,
Clan Names: Bitterblade, Broadshoulder, Copperforged, Duskmaul, Drakemantle, Mountainborn, Oremaster, Rubyfinger, Shadowfoot, Tunneldiver, Windhammer
Name Generators
