System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   3	
  
If	
  you	
  note	
  any	
  errors	
  in	
  this	
  document,	
  please	
  let	
  us	
  know	
  by	
  
emailing	
  askdnd@wizards.com .	
  
Races 
Racial Traits 
The	
  description	
  of	
  each	
  race	
  includes	
  racial	
  traits	
  
that	
  are	
  common	
  to	
  members	
  of	
  that	
  race.	
  The	
  
following	
  entries	
  appear	
  among	
  the	
  traits	
  of	
  most	
  
races.	
  
Ability Score Increase 
Every	
  race	
  increases	
  one	
  or	
  more	
  of	
  a	
  character’s	
  
ability	
  scores.	
  
Age 
The	
  age	
  entry	
  notes	
  the	
  age	
  when	
  a	
  member	
  of 	
  the	
  
race	
  is	
  considered	
  an	
  adult,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  the	
  race’s	
  
expected	
  lifespan.	
  This	
  information	
  can	
  help	
  you	
  
decide	
  how	
  old	
  your	
  character	
  is	
  at	
  the	
  start	
  of	
  the	
  
game.	
  You	
  can	
  choose	
  any	
  age	
  for	
  your	
  character,	
  
which	
  could	
  provide	
  an	
  explanation	
  for	
  some	
  of	
  yo ur	
  
ability	
  scores.	
  For	
  example,	
  if	
  you	
  play	
  a	
  young	
  or	
  
very	
  old	
  character,	
  your	
  age	
  could	
  explain	
  a	
  
particularly	
  low	
  Strength	
  or	
  Constitution	
  score,	
  
while	
  advanced	
  age	
  could	
  account	
  for	
  a	
  high	
  
Intelligence	
  or	
  Wisdom. 	
  
Alignment 
Most	
  races	
  have	
  tendencies	
  to ward	
  certain	
  
alignments,	
  described	
  in	
  this	
  entry.	
  These	
  are	
  not	
  
binding	
  for	
  player	
  characters,	
  but	
  considering	
  why	
  
your	
  dwarf	
  is	
  chaotic,	
  for	
  example,	
  in	
  defiance	
  of	
  
lawful	
  dwarf	
  society	
  can	
  help	
  you	
  better	
  define	
  your	
  
character.	
  
Size 
Characters	
  of	
  most	
   races	
  are	
  Medium,	
  a	
  size	
  category	
  
including	
  creatures	
  that	
  are	
  roughly	
  4	
  to	
  8	
  feet	
  tall.	
  
Members	
  of	
  a	
  few	
  races	
  are	
  Small	
  (between	
  2	
  and	
  4	
  
feet	
  tall),	
  which	
  means	
  that	
  certain	
  rules	
  of	
  the	
  game	
  
affect	
  them	
  differently.	
  The	
  most	
  important	
  of	
  these	
  
rules	
  is	
  that	
  Small	
  characters	
  have	
  trouble	
  wielding	
  
heavy	
  weapons,	
  as	
  explained	
  in	
  “Equipment.” 	
  
Speed 
Your	
  speed	
  determines	
  how	
  far	
  you	
  can	
  move	
  when	
  
traveling	
  (	
  “Adventuring”)	
  and	
  fighting	
  (“Combat”). 	
  
Languages 
By	
  virtue	
  of	
  your	
  race,	
  your	
  character	
  can	
  speak,	
  
read,	
  and	
  write	
  certain	
  languages. 	
  
Subraces 
Some	
  races	
  have	
  subraces.	
  Members	
  of	
  a	
  subrace	
  
have	
  the	
  traits	
  of	
  the	
  parent	
  race	
  in	
  addition	
  to	
  the	
  
traits	
  specified	
  for	
  their	
  subrace.	
  Relationships	
  
among	
  subraces	
  vary	
  significantly	
  from	
  race	
  to	
  race	
  
and	
  world	
  to	
  world.	
  	
  
Dwarf 
Dwarf Traits 
Your	
  dwarf	
  character	
  has	
  an	
  assortment	
  of	
  inborn	
  
abilities,	
  part	
  and	
  parcel	
  of	
  dwarven	
  nature. 	
  
	
   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. 	
  
	
   Alignment.	
  Most	
  dwarves	
  are	
  lawful,	
  believing	
  
firmly	
  in	
  the	
  benefits	
  of	
  a	
  well -­‐‑ordered	
  society.	
  They	
  
tend	
  toward	
  good	
  as	
  well,	
  with	
  a	
  strong	
  sense	
  of	
  fair	
  
play	
  and	
  a	
  belief	
  that	
  everyone	
  deserves	
  to	
  share	
  in	
  
the	
  benefits	
  of	
  a	
  just	
  order. 	
  
	
   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. 	
  
	
   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. 	
  