Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Dwarven Tunnel Runner

Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted explores the Underdark for a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Dwarven Tunnel Runner character build. Life in the Underdark is challenging to say the least. Dangerous creatures lurk in lightless caverns while civilizations threaten each other for dominance. The most important rule to remember is never let the enemy get the drop on you! The tunnel runner serves an important function and fulfilling their duty makes them distant from their society as this 5E D&D character lives and operates alone in the wilds. Let’s delve into it.

Behind the CBG — Dwarven Tunnel Runner

Every CBG we create considers the journey as much as the final outcome. We aim to present a guide suitable for any level of 5E D&D play whether you’re pursuing an epic campaign from start to finish, starting beyond 1st level or choosing a character for a one shot. Then we take those concepts and develop an NPC or creature version of the character build for DMs to incorporate into their games. All of this gets packaged up and laid out in a PDF you can find over at Dungeon Master’s Guild. We’ve got dozens of pay what you want products at DMG, many of them best sellers so if you want to check those out start with the Dwarven Tunnel Runner here.

All about the character story

Each CBG starts with a character concept sticking to a particular schtick, from the Mind Breaker’s psyche crushing smites to the Dwarven Tunnel Runner’s command of the winding ways beneath the ground. Sometimes puns and pop culture references instigate the creation of a CBG too. A tunnel runner performs a vital duty and the role demands a highly skilled individual. Detached from a larger squad and often acting alone means a rogue’s skills suit these tasks remarkably well.

For us it’s important to consider who these characters are as individuals and why they follow these particular paths. One special thing to note with this CBG is while we always aim to make the journey to 20th level as practical as possible — none of these characters “come online” after an awkward slog through many levels — the Dwarven Tunnel Runner hits the sweet spot earlier than any other CBG at 5th level. The following three levels afterwards represent big leaps forward too.

A duergar tunnel runner excels in dungeons and the Underdark more broadly but their array of skills makes them valuable in many scenarios. This character can remain unseen and keep themselves out of harm’s way until they execute a perfectly timed ambush whether they’re on their own or part of an adventuring party. Players can supplement the tunnel runner’s features, skills and tactics by constructing their own traps and stowing a few hunting traps in their gear too.

Hunting Trap

When you use your action to set it, this trap forms a saw-toothed steel ring that snaps shut when a creature steps on a pressure plate in the center. The trap is affixed by a heavy chain to an immobile object, such as a tree or a spike driven into the ground. A creature that steps on the plate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 piercing damage and stop moving. Thereafter, until the creature breaks free of the trap, its movement is limited by the length of the chain (typically 3 feet long). A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Each failed check deals 1 piercing damage to the trapped creature.

Tunnel Runner NPC for 5E D&D

Full disclosure — the NPCs and creatures we make in CBGs are some of my favorite bits of 5E D&D content to create. We step back and look at the character build to find the standout features that feel like signature abilities. The juice! From there we consider what sort of person or people would possess or gain these abilities and build a stat block around them. More often than not the section of a CBG For Dungeon Masters presents a generic creature.

The Tunnel Runner’s signature action represents their use of traps and deterrents to skirmish with foes, ambush enemies and wage a one man guerilla war against invaders. Personally I’m over the moon the guys chose duergar as this character’s race. The gray dwarves have long been my favorite dwarven subrace and one of my favorite character options in general. I tend to like playing characters with subterranean origins for some reason. Also duergar are the superior dwarves and really got a raw deal from their kin after escaping illithid enslavement.

All About Tactics. A tunnel runner needs to use the environment to their advantage. Tactics like cover and other actions in combat give them an edge against superior numbers. Even a simple hunting trap can become a powerful tool in their arsenal.

“Stalker’s Shot. As a bonus action on its turn the duergar can apply on of the following traps to the next attack it makes with its crossbow: Smasher. If the attack hits the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed 10 feet away. Smoker. The area in a 10 foot radius around the target is filled with thick smoke that blocks vision, including darkvision. The smoke persists for 1 minute. Sticker. If the attack hits the target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained by webs. The creature can try to free itself or another creature within its reach from the webs as an action with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. The webs dissolve on their own after 1 hour.”

If your next 5E D&D game needs a character who slips through lightless caverns unseen — whether you’re the DM or a player — check out the Dwarven Tunnel Runner Character Build Guide here.

*Featured image — Duergar see themselves as the true manifestation of dwarven ideals, clever enough not to be taken in by the treacherous deceptions of Moradin and his false promises. Their period of enslavement and the revolt against the mind flayers led by their god, Laduguer, purged the influence of the other dwarven gods from their souls and thus made them into the superior race. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]

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