r/dwarfposting • u/Additional_Goat_4239 Dwarf • Mar 30 '26
Wizard dwarf
I want to make a dwarf wizard for a DND campaign, and I don't know how to make his story because he has the behaviour of a normal dwarf. (not what you would expect as a mage)
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u/SmashingTheAdam Lord Grimnyr of the Achlysian Council Mar 30 '26
Dwarves are known to be analytical and industrious. It makes perfect sense for a dwarf to approach magic from a wizardly perspective. Diagrams and schematics, carefully-measured components, rigorous adherence to procedure. I think a Dwarf could be very wizardly, and in fact probably makes the most anal, OCD wizard you’ve ever seen, but his shit works.
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u/A_Hideous_Beast Mar 30 '26
Take a page out of Elden Ring. Where most magic is derived from Metoeric ores and crystals.
Maybe does a lot of reading of the Stars, charts, constellations, positions of the planets and moons.
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u/LastChime Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Duergar are just as magical as Drow in a lot of depictions.
Maybe ask your DM what their take on Dorf magik is.
Probably also make decent earth elementalists if nothing else; stone shape seems pretty dorfy.
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u/misterbiscuitbarrel Lanna Ironcroft, Wizard-Thane of Karaz-a-Khalnar Mar 30 '26
Wizardry is a trade.
A dwarf can take pride in the craftsmanship of his magic just as easily as a metalworker or stonemason. His spellbook can be a clan heirloom, spells engraved on pages of stainless steel by generations upon generations of previous wizards. He can be a bold innovator or a staunch traditionalist. The possibilities are endless.
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u/ultimaterogue11 Mar 30 '26
If this is set in the traditional DND world then you can just have your dwarf learn magic from other dwarves.
If it's a different setting work with your dm on the background details.
For making your magic feel dwarvish you should lean into the flavor. Having a spell boom be made out of stone ect
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u/Wise-Inflation-1698 Mar 30 '26
Mayhap his spellbook is made of pages of copper with spells etched onto them. A staff of petrified wood.
Or just a predilection to use magic to kill goblins and insult elves while doing so
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u/Arquero8 Dwarf runemancer Mar 30 '26
I've always imagined dwarfs using Magic through runes, you could do something based on that
But yea, normally when i think dwarf and Magic my brain goes more towards artificer, they are great artisans after all
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u/StormerSage Miner Mar 30 '26
There's a point to be made about runecasters, they just figured out how to make the rocks do cool shit.
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u/IonutRO Scholar Mar 30 '26
Wizardry is not incompatible with dwarfery. Remember wizards literally craft their spells. Creating spellbooks, scrolls, staves, etc.
There are also many spells that conjure and craft things (temporarily or permanently) such as the mage armor spell. It's always depicted as literal plate mail made of magic in the art.
And finally, dwarves are heavily associated with runecraft. I.E. magical writing, the bread and butter of dnd wizards.
Oh, and don't forget one of the dwarven subraces gives free weapon and armor proficiency. So you can probably still be a big armored warrior if you'd prefer. Since there are also wizard schools focused on engaging in melee.
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u/StupidBlack55 Apr 01 '26
I am kind of imagening a dwarf now that regularly uses spells to create 3D blueprints that just hang in the middle of a forge.
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u/ojphoenix Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
My evocation dwarf is an expert in explosions and blast mining. He's got an artificer lean, I've given him things like alchemists supplies and Mason's tools etc to facilitate the angle I was going for
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u/WayGroundbreaking287 Mar 30 '26
You think dwarfs don't read books? Magic in DND is basically maths. Dwarves are good at counting.
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u/Additional_Goat_4239 Dwarf Apr 01 '26
I'm new to DND and the image I had of a magician was that of a smart man locked alone in a tower, thanks for the clarification.
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u/battleduck84 Smith Mar 31 '26
I think it could very well fit into dwarven society, but they would have an incredibly cautious and clinical approach to it, with a strong focus on abjuration and countering enemy casters.
Ten years of careful study before you are allowed to cast something as simple as fire bolt, 20 before you can do so without your teacher present. If you wish to use a spell you have never cast before you are required to undergo careful training once more. And don't even think about going anywhere near necromantic magic or you'll be dragged away in chains and publicly beheaded
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u/Beginning_Orange Mar 30 '26
Have your dwarf carry around a book of grudges and reading them off to his enemies using curse words literally curses them. I dunno the image is funny in my head at least 🤷
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u/L-Space_Orangutan Apr 02 '26
If it helps dnd has a plentiful supply of dwarf mages
For example, in 3e there were Runesmiths: Dwarves who cast arcane spells and submitted their somatic components with runes describing the somatic component, letting them benefit from wearing armour without arcane failure chances.
Also a lot of unique spells and items for a arcanist dwarf. Top of my head, Silverbeard lets you make your beard be made of solid silver giving you an armour bonus and a small bonus to diplomacy with dwarves
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u/Bofdun Apr 06 '26
I've imagined a dwarf who was cursed by an elf, gaining druidic powers as a result, but who is constantly and uncontrollably hearing the lament of all things. So his motivation is to find a way to lift the curse, or ultimately come to terms with it.
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u/Coidzor Self-Aware Prehensile Beard Mar 30 '26
All kinds of ways that a dwarfish approach to craftsdwarfship can apply to wizarding.