Homebrew Dwarfborne Species Details

Be they the children of migrant humans seeking refuge in dwarven kingdoms, or of dwarven merchants who struck rich in the wide open world, Dwarfborne come from proud and ambitious races on both sides. Some say that dwarven blood tempers human impatience, while others say that human heritage allows them to be more flexible than the stone. Some half-dwarves live in human settlements, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved one's age while life marches ever onward for them. Others live with dwarves, restless and chafing against the strict rules of dwarven society while being treated like children by their elders. Though Dwarfborne crave stability and community, they can often only find it by making a name for themselves as adventurers, wandering and finding their true families amongst other misfits and outcasts.

 

To humans, half-dwarves look like tall dwarves, and to dwarves, they look like short humans. They typically sit in the middle range of heights between their parents, although they're a little bulkier than the average human. Dwarfborne share their dwarven parent's hairiness, though some choose to shave extensively to mask their dwarven ancestry. Half-dwarves can be as varied as either race, though they tend to have the coloration of their human parents. They are incredibly resilient, and more adaptable than their dwarven parents, making Dwarfborne hardy enough to survive extreme climates and environments.

 

The existence of Dwarfborne is as old as their ancestors, though less common. There is no taboo against humans and dwarves breeding, but it is a somewhat rare occurrence.

 

Dwarf blood is generally more difficult to recognize for the untrained eye, which allows Dwarfborne to fit into any human society more comfortably than Dwarven societies.

 

Dwarfborne use either human or dwarven naming conventions. As if to emphasize that they don't really fit into either society, half-dwarves raised among humans are often given dwarven names, and vice-versa. Dwarfborne typically retain some attachment to their clan names.

 

Dwarfborne Traits

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

Skill Versatility

You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, and one set of artisan's tools

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

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

Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

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 Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in the “Combat” section).

Dwarven Combat Training

You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

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) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.