Good Dwarf builds?

[Trexler ♤]

wanting to play a dwarf in my modded playthrough, any good builds people recommend? I'd like to avoid barbarian since I want to wear armor

[Kernest]

Barbarians can wear armour, they just usually don't because they can get better AC without. Their Rage only gets penalized from wearing heavy armour.

I don't have any suggestions on race-specific builds though.

Since they changed racial stat bonuses, the differences between races are relatively minor.

[[TG] zac]

Well sadly Armored Hulk barbarian doesn't exist in 5e (Pathfinder 1e barbarian variant that uses heavy armor and gets unarmed attacks), Battlerager doesn't exist in game (even if it did its trash in 5e) and Rune Knight doesn't exist in game so that takes a lot of the thematic choices away.

Barbarian can still work you will just be stuck with medium armor at best.
If you are willing to mod you could give Bloodrager a try.
Its a port from Pathfinder 1 & 2e and toned down a bit to 5e standards.
Its basically what you would get if a sorcerer and a barbarian popped out a very angry magic baby.

Author only has 4 of the bloodlines in ATM but they are decently good.

Duskblade would also be another nice option.
Its from 3.5 and is basically a better eldritch knight that charges their spells into their weapon and smacks/shoots people.
Depending on subclass it can focus more on magic or heavier armor and a fighting style.
(though I am not keen on the charges it uses to do so in his mod, original was only limited by spell slots)

Paladin/sorcerer
Paladin/bard
Paladin/warlock are also all good choices, especially since hexblade & conquest paladin has been implemented by a few mods.

[Thomas D.]

A Thrower: https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Dwarven_Thrower

[FunkyMonkey]

Originally posted by Kernest:

Barbarians can wear armour, they just usually don't because they can get better AC without. Their Rage only gets penalized from wearing heavy armour.

I don't have any suggestions on race-specific builds though.

Since they changed racial stat bonuses, the differences between races are relatively minor.

The only way Barb gets better AC without armor is if they abuse STR elixirs. And even then, 14 DEX and medium armor is better, because you can use all sorts of gear that are tagged as armor. Not to mention you can use Bloodlust elixirs because you have high STR naturally.

Going without armor is a trap.

[FunkyMonkey]

Honestly, Barb dwarf is iconic. If you start with 16 STR, 14 DEX and 16 CON and take the Gold dwarf for extra HP, you can get a really tanky barb. With Adamantine scale mail and 14 DEX you have 18 AC and you're immune to crits with high HP and half damage on all weapon attacks. You're not going down. You can later on take the +2 STR Elixir if you play with Astarion and get up to 22 STR. With Legacy of masters you have effectively same STR stat as you get with the best STR elixir, but you can use the Bloodlust elixir and they don't. You are also immune to crits. And you can even wear the Helm of autonomy for WIS save proficiency.

[Grinch]

dumb combo:

Gold Dwarf sub race + Dragon Sorcerer (gold dragon obviously, for the drip) for 13 AC without armor and + 2hp per lvl

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Trexler ♤:

Good Dwarf builds?
wanting to play a dwarf in my modded playthrough, any good builds people recommend? I'd like to avoid barbarian since I want to wear armor

You might enjoy war cleric.
Otherwise I suggest Paladin or Fighter to make the best of the dwarf image.

[Garf412]

my TAv is ALWAYS Duergar Dwarf 6 Levels Swords bard (feat +2 dex) Fighter 3 Rogue 3, duel wield hand crossbows
Gear (end game) =
Warped headband of Intellect, Cloak of Cunning Brume, Armour of Agility, Disintegrating Night Walkers, Legacy of the Masters, Crushers Ring, Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, Chancer's Carcanet, Handmaidens Mace, Viconia Walking Fortress.

I can do a google doc full build layout if anyone is interested.

[Moonbane]

Duergar+Assassin

Dwarfbarian thrower using the dwarven thrower.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Trexler ♤:

Good Dwarf builds?
wanting to play a dwarf in my modded playthrough, any good builds people recommend? I'd like to avoid barbarian since I want to wear armor

With all the mixed builds mentioned, try The Bard mentioned here
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3124459563
Longstrider spell will help you compensate the short legs.

[Moonbane]

Mind you, that the dwarf doesnt have to be longstrider caster. Its castable on anyone in the party, and a ritual spell outside combat.

[.Master Jiren, The Strongest]

Back in my day, Dwarf and Elf were classes themselves rather than races, and as such had their own gimmick. Essentially they were warriors with a bit of magic.

So for a dwarf I like Wizard
1) They Come From The Hills!: take all the earth manipulating spells
2) Builder's of the Maker's: Dwarves were great builders, Wizard gets several structure spells, which is perfect. Too bad none of them are in BG3.
Starting with 1 level in fighter for the obvious armor and weapon is good for a dwarf if they don't get it with their racial features.

also the most iconic dwarf of my time: Gilius Thunderhead from Golden Axe.
Basically just a tempest cleric who uses a battle axe.

obligatory new-age dwarf which is just a stone dwarf druid.

[Detective Costeau]

I like Dawrf Monk.
Not for any special build idea or cool synergy or anything, it's just funny.

[IlluminaZero]

Originally posted by .Master Jiren, The Strongest:

Back in my day, Dwarf and Elf were classes themselves rather than races, and as such had their own gimmick. Essentially they were warriors with a bit of magic.

Wasn't 1st Edition Dwarf basically Human Fighter with higher natural saving throws and reduced weapon options? Or are you referring to something else? It was Elves that were basically Eldritch Knights / Arcane Tricksters.

[jonnin]

The dwarf subclass that has armor is a great pick for classes that normally don't get armor: monk, wizard/sorc, even rogues and bards and warlocks can tier up to medium with it.

My current run is a dwarf monk, reboot of khelgar actually (NWN2). One of my best early access runs was a dwarf wizard, but to be fair, back then he could learn cure wounds from a scroll.

First edition the non human races were classes. Second edition, the non humans were allowed classes and could have 2 and 3 way split multi classes but only specific ones, eg a halfling could be a fighter/thief and a wizard/thief but never a fighter cleric (or something like that) and elves could get the dreaded figher/mage/thief who leveled too slowly to function. Early edition races restricted classes too, no non-human paladins or monks, and there were others. At one point in there females of most races got a max str penalty. The game really didn't mature until about version 3. Getting rid of pointless restrictions (not just race and class, but multiclassing, armor class, and more) and convoluted mechanics (thaco!!) really made it a lot better.