# Dwarf (monster)

h dwarf 

Difficulty

4

Attacks

Weapon 1d8

h dwarf 

Difficulty

4

Attacks

Weapon 1d8

Base level

2

Base experience

22

Speed

6

Base AC

10

Base MR

10

Alignment

4 (lawful)

Frequency (by normal means)

3 (Rare)

Genocidable

Yes

Weight

900

Nutritional value

300

Size

Medium

Resistances

None

Resistances conveyed

None

A dwarf:

 can tunnel through walls.
 needs a pick-axe to tunnel through walls.

 has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso.

 is omnivorous.

 is not a valid polymorphable form.

 is a dwarf.

 is strong.

 likes gold.
 likes gems.
 can pick up weapons and food.

 has infravision.
 can be seen through infravision.

Reference

monst.c, line 446

h dwarf lord 

Difficulty

6

Attacks

Weapon 2d4, Weapon 2d4

h dwarf lord 

Difficulty

6

Attacks

Weapon 2d4, Weapon 2d4

Base level

4

Base experience

51

Speed

6

Base AC

10

Base MR

10

Alignment

5 (lawful)

Frequency (by normal means)

2 (Quite rare)

Genocidable

Yes

Weight

900

Nutritional value

300

Size

Medium

Resistances

None

Resistances conveyed

None

A dwarf lord:

 can tunnel through walls.
 needs a pick-axe to tunnel through walls.

 has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso.

 is omnivorous.

 is a dwarf.

 is a lord to its kind.

 is male.

 is strong.

 likes gold.
 likes gems.
 can pick up weapons and food.

 has infravision.
 can be seen through infravision.

Reference

monst.c#line461

h dwarf king 

Difficulty

8

Attacks

Weapon 2d6, Weapon 2d6

h dwarf king 

Difficulty

8

Attacks

Weapon 2d6, Weapon 2d6

Base level

6

Base experience

83

Speed

6

Base AC

10

Base MR

20

Alignment

6 (lawful)

Frequency (by normal means)

1 (Very rare)

Genocidable

Yes

Weight

900

Nutritional value

300

Size

Medium

Resistances

None

Resistances conveyed

None

A dwarf king:

 can tunnel through walls.
 needs a pick-axe to tunnel through walls.

 has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso.

 is omnivorous.

 is a dwarf.

 is an overlord to its kind.

 is male.

 is strong.

 likes gold.
 likes gems.
 can pick up weapons and food.

 has infravision.
 can be seen through infravision.

Reference

monst.c#line469

Dwarves are monsters that are usually found in the Gnomish Mines, along with gnomes. They are part of the humanoid monster class.

Contents

1 Generation

1.1 Equipment

2 Strategy
3 References

Generation
Dwarves are common in the early game, and are especially easy to find in the Gnomish Mines; randomly generated dwarves are always peaceful towards dwarven and gnomish characters, and will mostly be peaceful towards other lawful characters.

Equipment
Most dwarves start with iron shoes and a dwarvish cloak (independent 6/7 chance for each).
1⁄4 of dwarves will have a dwarvish iron helm and dwarvish short sword. Of these dwarves, half will receive either a dwarvish spear or axe with equal probability, and a dwarvish roundshield; the other half receives a dwarvish mattock. These dwarves have a further 1⁄3 chance of receiving a dwarvish mithril coat
Of the other 3⁄4 of dwarves, 1⁄3 start with a pick-axe, and the others get a dagger.[1]
As overlords, dwarf kings will always receive armor that is at least +0, and weapons that are at least +1.  This guaranteed enchantment applies to mattocks, but not pick-axes (as they are tools).  Note that their equipment can still be cursed.

Strategy
Dwarves are slow, but can be well equipped. Dwarf lords and dwarf kings have two weapon attacks, which makes them quite deadly when wielding a dwarvish mattock, and they can have excellent AC from their starting armor.
Dwarves with digging tools, like the mattock or pick-axe, will use them to dig through the level.
It may be worth it for a lawful character to anger and kill dwarves for their equipment, but care should be taken, as this will anger every gnome and dwarf in your line of sight, and will lower your alignment for each one killed. Pets are able to kill peaceful dwarves with no consequences.
Dwarves using a dwarvish short sword, axe, dwarvish mattock, or dwarvish spear have better armor than dwarves using a dagger or pick-axe. This is useful knowledge if you are looking for a dwarvish iron helm or mithril-coat.
Since dwarf kings and mind flayers share the same glyph, you should use farlook to correctly identify a purple h, especially at lower dungeon levels or in the Gnomish Mines, where the random h class monster can be a mind flayer.

References

↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 367