The earth shakes as a rugged Dwarf whispers an incantation, knocking his opponents to the earth. As they stare in awe, a wave of the Dwarf’s hand precedes an unearthly glow. Dancing flames form a circle around the figure as his attackers scramble away in terror.

The Dwarf Druid combines the strength and endurance of the Dwarf with the power and wisdom they harness from nature. 

The Dwarf race AND the Druid class can be found in the Player’s Handbook. Click here to pick up your own copy of The Player’s Handbook!

How to Make a Dwarf Druid

Class and Race Bonuses:

Because of the hardy nature of the Dwarven race, your Dwarf gets an automatic +2 bonus to Constitution. 

You have the option of 2 different subraces of Dwarf for your character, Hill Dwarf or Mountain Dwarf.

Hill Dwarves get a +1 bonus to their Wisdom, as well as Dwarven Toughness, which increases their hit point maximum by 1 for each level.

Mountain Dwarves get a +2 bonus to their Strength, as well as proficiency with light and medium armor.

The Hill Dwarf subrace is a more natural fit to the Druid class because of its wisdom bonus, but you choose either subrace to fit the kind of character you would like to play.

As a Druid, your character is proficient in Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. 

Determining your Ability Scores:

There are three main methods of determining your character’s ability scores: the standard array, rolling for stats, and the point buy system.

The Standard Array (Good for very balanced characters)

If you choose the standard array of ability scores, you will use the following ability scores: 

15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.

While these scores are fixed, it’s entirely up to you which stats you choose to apply each of these scores to. 

Rolling for Stats (Good for adding more variability to your character)

Rolling for a character’s stats is probably the most popular way of determining ability scores.

If you decide to roll for your character’s stats, make sure you have some D6s handy. 

Here is one of the most common methods of rolling for stats:

Step 1: Roll 4 x D6. Discard the lowest of the resulting numbers.

Step 2: Add the remaining 3 dice together. Write this number down.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 five more times. 

Step 4: You should now have 6 numbers written down. This is your array of ability scores. You can choose to assign each of these scores to whichever stats you would like.

Note: Some DMs may want you to use a different method of rolling to create your character. Make sure you listen to what your DM wants so that your party’s stats are decided fairly.

Point Buy (Good for keeping balanced but more customizable characters) 

The point buy method of choosing ability scores is a bit more mathematical. Some players or DMs may prefer this method because it makes it difficult for players to be overpowered compared to their peers.

In the point-buy system, you start with 27 points. Each ability score you choose has a cost associated with it, as is shown in the table below. You should ‘buy’ scores for all 6 abilities using these 27 points.

Ability Score	Point Cost
8	0
9	1
10	2
11	3
12	4
13	5
14	6
15	7

Choosing your Stats:

Keep in mind that your Druidic spellcasting relies on the Wisdom stat of your character. Because of this, it may be wise to maximize your Wisdom stat.

It is recommended that you make your Wisdom score highest to make your Druidic spellcasting more effective. However, you can tailor the rest of your ability scores to the kind of Dwarven Druid that you want to play.

Does your character have a strong connection to the hardiness and endurance of both nature and their dwarven roots? Constitution may be a good score to maximize for this character.

Do you want your Druid to be not only connected to their natural surroundings but also extremely knowledgeable about their environment and the magic that pervades it? You may want to make consider making their Intelligence score a secondary focus.

These may be some of the more traditional builds for Dwarven Druids, but you are certainly not restricted to just these stat focuses. Create an ability score build that best suits the kind of Druid you want to play.

Keep in mind that your Druid’s Dwarven background will automatically increase their Constitution score by 2. This can allow you to more easily give your character a high Constitution score, or you can utilize this bonus to augment a lower constitution score so you can focus on another ability.

Now, it’s time to choose your skill proficiencies. You can choose two of the following skills:

Arcana(Int), Animal Handling(Wis), Insight(Wis), Medicine(Wis), Nature(Int), Perception(Wis), Religion(Int), and Survival(Wis)

How to Play and Roleplay as a Dwarf Druid

A Dwarven Druid has a strong, reverent connection to nature. Through the mystical forces of nature, your character has learned to harness magic. Your character gains Druidic spellcasting on level 1.

At 2nd level, your character gains the ability to transform into a Wild Shape, the form of an animal that they have seen before. Your Druid will also choose a Druid Circle at this level.

As a Druid, your character has a strong, mystical connection to nature. This is compounded by the fact that they are a Dwarf—a race that makes its kingdoms in the heart of mountains.

Your character’s connection to nature and magic will depend on the kind of Dwarven Druid you decide to play. Choose a background and play style that best suits your character’s skills, history, and goals. 

Example Backgrounds

Your character may be a hermit, living in solitude and harmony with the land from which they draw their power. They have learned to harness not only the magical power of nature but also its practical applications and the boundless knowledge that it offers.

Your character may come from a background of poverty. They live off the bounty of the land because nature accepted and provided for them in their time of need.

Your character may be a skilled artisan. They find inspiration in the beauty of nature and have tailored the craftsmanship of their Dwarven heritage to create beautiful and high-quality works of art or craft.

While certain backgrounds may seem like a natural fit for your Dwarven Druid, the only limitation is your imagination.