If you’ve ever wondered about the facial hair situation with female dwarves, this is the post for you.
Do female dwarves have beards in DND?
Some female dwarves have beards in DND. Others sport light facial hair or sideburns. Female dwarves can also have fully-shaven faces with little to no facial hair. The geographical location, culture, and preference of the individual dwarf determine whether or not they possess a beard.
In this short guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about female dwarves and beards in DND.
Do Female Dwarves Have Beards in D&D? (Official Answer)
When answering questions about DND, I always go back to the sourcebooks.
I also check with the fantasy stories that form the historical basis of DND: novels by J.R.R Tolkein and R.A. Salvador.
According to the latest information pulled from the DND Players Handbook, dwarven women are “beardless and even attractive.” I don’t know why that “even” was necessary, but there it is.
However, some dwarven women do sport beards.
For example:
- Dwarven women can grow beards in the Forgotten Realms
- Dwarven women also occasionally grow sideburns in the Forgotten Realms
- Dwarven females in the GreyHawk fantasy world sometimes grow beards
- Dwarven females usually keep their faces shaven with no facial hair in Ebberon
Speaking of the literature that inspired Dungeons and Dragons, the dwarves written into The Lord of the Rings wore powerful beards – even the women.
Here is a good video that also discusses the question, “Do female dwarves have beards in DND?”:
When Do Female Dwarves Have Beards in DND?
Female Dwarves have beards in DND when the Dungeon Master (DM) and/or Players decide that they will have beards.
While it is true that many female dwarves in D&D do not have beards, there are some that do.
This is usually due to the fact that the Dungeon Master or players have decided that they will have beards.
Dwarven women can also possess beards if:
- The beard is essential to the plot of the campaign
- The beard is written into a pre-made adventure
- If a player is homebrewing a special dwarven character to play
For example, a female dwarf might possess a beard as long as her body.
She uses it to climb trees, swing from branch to branch, and even fight enemies. Another example of a female dwarf with a beard might be a god of war and destruction, where her avatar in the mortal world is a female dwarf with an impressive beard.
The bottom line is that the DM or players can make a dwarven woman with a beard if they want to.
Why Do Female Dwarves Have Beards in DND?
Dwarven women might grow beards for the same reason that dwarven men do.
Namely, to show their virility and strength.
Also, it has been speculated that the beards of dwarven women might serve as a form of insulation, keeping them warm in their cold mountain homes.
Additionally, the thick facial hair might also help to protect dwarven women from the harsh elements.
Their beards deflect wind, dust, and debris.
Finally, it is worth noting that many Dwarven cultures view beards as a sign of wisdom and respect.
As such, it is not surprising that dwarven women would want to cultivate this highly prized facial feature.
Whatever the reason, there is no denying that dwarf women with beards are a sight to behold.
Types of Female Dwarf Beards in DND
There are several different types of beards that you might see on a female dwarf in DND.
Those types can be categorized like this:
- Wispy
- Sideburns
- Facial hair
- Mustache
- Goatee
- Full beard
Wispy Dwarven Beard
A wispy beard is the kind of beard that barely qualifies as a beard at all.
The most delicate of all the dwarven beards, it is often considered to be the most feminine. It is finely textured and usually only extends a few inches from the face.
It’s the kind of beard that looks like you just forgot to shave for a couple of days.
Dwarven Sideburns
Sideburns are the kind of facial hair that most dwarven folk can agree is pretty cool.
Sideburns grow along the sides of the face, framing the cheeks and jawline. They can be either thin and wispy, or thick and full.
No matter how you prefer them, sideburns are an excellent way to add a little bit of style to your dwarf.
Dwarven Facial Hair
Facial hair is any hair that grows on your dwarven woman’s face, including light mustaches, beard stubble, and short goatees.
If you’re looking to grow a beard, then you’ll need to let your facial hair grow out for a few weeks.
Or months, as it may be, before you can start trimming it into the desired shape.
Dwarven Mustache
A mustache is a strip of facial hair that grows above your dwarven character’s lips (and below their stubby nose).
Mustaches come in all shapes and sizes.
It would be unusual (and quite rare) for a dwarven woman to grow only a mustache.
In fact, that may be the perfect reason to plunk one down in your next adventure.
Dwarven Goatee
A goatee is a small patch of facial hair that grows on the chin.
Neatly trimmed or messy and wild, a goatee on a female dwarf is always a sight to behold.
Consider this description I once gave of a non-player character:
She was a squat little woman, with a wild mop of curly hair that would have made a mountain goat jealous.
But it was her goatee that really set her apart.
It was long and lustrous, hanging down past her waist. She took great pride in it, combing it meticulously every morning and braiding it into complex patterns.
It was said that she could use it to strangle a man at fifty paces, and that she once used it to trip up an orc who was twice her size.
But whatever the truth of those tales, one thing was certain: her goatee was the envy of all the other dwarves in the clan.
Full Beard
A full beard is exactly what it sounds like: a beard that covers your female dwarve’s entire face.
With a full beard, she might be almost identical to her male counterparts.
Especially when donning full armor or other heavy clothing.
Final Thoughts
I’ve never played a woman dwarve with a beard but a few have made appearances in various one-shots and DND campaigns over the years.
One this is for sure: they always leave an impression.
Related posts:
- Can DND Characters Change Alignment? (Explained)
- What Is DND Homebrew? (Explained With 57 Examples)
- Are Half-Elves Immortal in DND? (Solved & Explained)
- Can Rogues Use Magic in DND? (Solved & Explained)
Sources
Wizards of the Coast (DND Player’s Handbook)
