Duarling (5e Race)

Duarling

"Strong as an ox, happy as a hound, and lacking any particular want for subtlety." - Korvan Lestalt, friend of at least one of the duarling, and self-proclaimed scholar.

Physical Description

Shorter than a dwarf and taller than a halfling, they resemble very muscular and often hairy halflings. Most lack the stoutness of dwarves, but given their love of food or drink some achieve a health girth despite their powerful metabolisms.

History

A half dwarf, half halfling breed, rare enough to make establishing them as a race too much effort for most people, and even institutions of learning. But some anthropologists refused to be held down, and once a full family of duarlings were discovered it was put down in at least one tome probably gathering dust somewhere in a dusty library. They're usually as tough a dwarf and as cheerful as a halfling, and they drink and eat enough for both put together. They happily swing dwarven hammers and sing halfling songs, and their quick wits and muscular builds put together with their indomitable spirits make them perfect adventurers.

Society

Most Duarlings are born into either a dwarven or halfling lifestyle, and are quick to pick up both. They're greedier than most halflings and a bit less tough than your average dwarf, but still make ideal miners or farmers, usually after they've had their fill of traveling the world.

Duarling Names

While they don't have traditional birth names of their own, typically taking from dwarven names or halfling names, almost all duarlings that pick up the adventuring lifestyle will be granted or take a special surname that they feel best represents their talents. Examples include names like "Hammerbones", "Jawbreaker", "Pastrygnaw", "Alemaster", and "Sharkfearer".

Duarling Traits

Short but scrappy, these natural adventurers are born for battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores each increase by 1.
Age. Duarlings reach adulthood by the age of thirty, and what few we have records of seem to have lived into the middle of their third century before disappearing without a trace, possibly to return to whatever foul god allowed them to exist to return their life energy and whatever secrets they've stolen during their lifetimes.
Alignment. Fond of friends and thrashing evil, most duarlings are some form of good, usually lawful good. Those who get out to see the unfairness of the world might come to resent rules, or come to follow them only when it's easier than not doing so.
Size. Most stand just beneath four feet, towering above halflings but still looking up to your average dwarves. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Darkvision. 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.
Half-Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. Also, in a bizarre twist of fate, you are also resistant to thunder damage for some reason, possibly the density of their bones?
Triumph de Bashin'. The thrill of combat drives you to fight on. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack or spell attack, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier plus your level. You can use this trait once, and regain use of it when you complete a short or long rest.
Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die. You must use the new result, even if it is a 1.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Dwarven, and Halfling.

Random Height and Weight

Table: Duarling Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
2′ 6″	+3d6	60 lb.	x 1d4 lb.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races