The PCs have gone into a dwarven city and they’re surrounded by dwarves. Maybe you’re running a game in Midgard, and there’s business in the Ironcrags. More dwarves.
Why did you put so many dwarves in the game? Now your players are going to talk to, like, fifty dwarves, and you didn’t prepare for that many different voices or ideas for dwarves.
Don’t panic. Roll 4d20 and consult the Quick-Work Dwarf table. You’ll make quick work of finding a full name for your background dwarf, their non-adventuring job, and some character hook that you can play up—all in the time it takes for your players to get nervous about why you’re rolling d20s behind the screen. You can also just pick something; no one’s watching. Just make it something you like.
After that, your new dwarf can steer the players back toward the action. And if the players take a liking to this one, you can build on it without slapping your forehead every time someone wants to talk to one dwarf.
Quick-Work Dwarf
| d20 | Given Name | Family Name | Job/role | Characteristic |
| 1 | Grundur | Highpeak | Trader | Always has a story about his grandfather that this situation reminds them of |
| 2 | Durstag | Stonewarden | Clan elder | Regrets the loss of every beard hair |
| 3 | Murgin | Ironbeard | Runecarver | Oils their beard fastidiously |
| 4 | Thrumble | Minedweller | Brewer | Excellent at braiding hair, will do it for the whole party |
| 5 | Braelin | Diamondsharp | Stonecutter | Prefers to be in the dark |
| 6 | Eirik | Stouthaft | Jeweler | Won’t let go of a grudge |
| 7 | Ollig | Whiteforge | Armorer | Mead connoisseur |
| 8 | Rogrid | Goldenhead | Foreman | Comments on the structural integrity of buildings |
| 9 | Samdil | Granitehold | Scribe | Grumbles about wind and sunlight |
| 10 | Faldur | Quarrydeep | Historian | Counts things out loud |
| 11 | Chella | Steelmace | Smith | Chews on pebbles |
| 12 | Nonna | Shieldcast | Guide | Keeps their weapon or tools polished to a sheen |
| 13 | Betlit | Rumblefist | Sculptor | Keeps track of all the money, no matter who’s holding it |
| 14 | Thuna | Silvervein | Soldier | Challenges people to small competitions |
| 15 | Brogan | Twohammers | Drummer | Doesn’t like any monster with more than the “normal” number of arms |
| 16 | Elin | Rocktooth | Cartographer | Has a great attitude, gets along with everyone |
| 17 | Solveig | Lavatunnel | Warrior | Listens to the earth for sounds of approaching events |
| 18 | Eirika | Deeperdown | Miner | Know-it-all |
| 19 | Ingot | Ancientchant | Berserker | Likes watching the stars |
| 20 | Gilda | Coppermantle | Priest | Makes big fires when they camp |
This is great, we need all the races!
This is fantastic—all the races are needed!