Half-Dwarf

“Squat. Half-dwarf. Half-bred. Call ’em what you want. There’s no one I’d rather have watching my back.”

– Seamus Lane, collegeoflore

Walking between the ambitious world of the human and the traditional world of the dwarf, half-dwarves are constantly torn by their dual heritage. Half-dwarves are rare, both due to the unlikeliness of a human and dwarf coupling and the fact that such couplings rarely produce offspring. Despite their rarity, most cities with blended human and dwarven population will likely contain at least a handful of half-dwarves, either by intent or accident.

Squats, Half-Bred, Humankin

Depending on who you talk to half-dwarves look like short, stocky, hairy humans, or like tall, thin dwarves, unable to grow a beard worth noticing. In human communities, half-dwarves are often called “Squats”, in reference to their stout builds and mixed heritage. Among dwarves, they are called “Humankin” or, more derogatorily, “Half-Breds”. In either case, the life of a half-dwarf is often filled with ridicule, disdain, and, sometimes even worse, pity. As a result, half-dwarves tend to be loners and are ever focused on proving themselves through quiet deed rather than word. They tend to be hard-working, tough, and self-sacrificing.

By Hammer, Axe, or Blade

Half-dwarves often find fulfilment through work that others might consider menial, and especially delight in excelling in crafts typically favoured by their dwarven heritage. They are consummate stone-workers, smiths, and brewers. Those that embrace their more human side often find work as lumberjacks, woodcarvers, and carpenters. Many dwarves feel themselves drawn to the ranks of the town guard, where they can provide quiet dignified service to their community. Half-Dwarf Names Half-dwarves use human or dwarven naming conventions, depending on where they were raised, though it is common for them to acquire nicknames in either dwarven or common, depending on which heritage they gravitate towards, as they grow older.

Half-Dwarf Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increase by 1.

Age. Half-Dwarves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 300 years.

Alignment. Half-dwarves are mostly lawful, with a great respect for authority and order. They do not lean to good or evil and the best and worst can be found of them.

Size. Half-dwarves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your Dwarf blood, 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Enduring Vitality. Due to your Dwarf blood you recover all your Hit Dice on a long rest instead of only half, also when you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in chapter 9).

Skilled. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: smith's tools, brewer's supplies or mason's tools. You also gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

Half-Dwarf Variants

Some half-dwarves in Faerun have a racial trait in place of the Skilled trait. If your DM allows it, your half-dwarf character can forgo Skilled and instead take the trait Dwarven Combat Training or a trait based on your dwarf parentage:

A half-dwarf of hill dwarf descent can choose the hill dwarf's Dwarven Toughness.

descent can choose the hill dwarf's Dwarven Toughness. A half-dwarf of mountain dwarf descent can choose the mountain dwarf's Dwarven Armour Training.

descent can choose the mountain dwarf's Dwarven Armour Training. A half-dwarf of duergar descent can choose the duergar's Duergar Resilience or Duergar Magic.

Credits

Credit's The Homebrewery for the excellent tool that makes brew easy and to Seamus Lane over on http://collegeoflore.com for his Half-Dwarf flavour write up for which I am using here.

Version 1.1