Height, Age, and Weight in DnD 5e: How 38 Races Stack Up (2024)

Last Updated on January 22, 2023

In this article, we’ll be going over height, age, and weight playable races in 5e.

We’ll discuss the few mechanics of this, how to roleplay age-appropriately, and anything silly that exists in 5e related to these topics.

Table of Contents

How Does Size Work in 5e?

Every creature and even object, has a size in D&D 5e that impacts the mechanics of 5e. For playable races, this is typically medium, although certain outliers do exist.

This means that most player characters are between 4 and 8 feet tall, along with a few other mechanics.

One of the main mechanic points of size is how much space a creature takes on the battlefield. For both medium and small creatures, this is one 5×5-foot square.

In the table below we show how much space a creature takes up.

Creature Size

SizeSpaceNumber of 5×5 foot squares
Tiny2 ½ ft x 2 ½ ft.½ of a square
Small5 x 5 ft.1 square
Medium5 x 5 ft.1 square
Large10 x 10 ft.4 squares
Huge15 x 15 ft.9 squares
Gargantuan20 x 20 ft.16 squares

Size can also affect how much a creature can lift and carry. Medium or small creatures can carry a number of pounds equal to 15 times their strength score and lift double that.

For each creature size larger than medium, you double that equation (meaning a gargantuan creature can lift 240 times their strength score).

This is important for playable races like the Goliath who are size medium but treated as size large when it comes to carrying capacity or lifting, pushing, and dragging items.

How Do I Calculate My Character’s Height and Weight?

Fifth edition D&D uses a simple formula to calculate the height and weight of most playable races. Each uses a base number and a random number.

For height, this is your Base Height + your Height Modifier (which is in inches). For weight, this is your Base Weight plus your Height Modifier multiplied by your Weight Modifier.

We’ll use humans as an example (which you can see below). Humans have a Base Height of 4’8”, a Height Modifier of 2d10, a Base Weight of 110 lb. and a weight modifier of 2d4.

  • Height = 4’8” + 11 (2d10) = 5’7”
  • Weight = 110 lb. + (11(2d10) x 5(2d4)) = 165 lb.

This method is for coming up with a random weight, but anything within or near the range would be acceptable.

Mechanically, the only way these can really affect your characters is when you end up in very specific traps or puzzles.

A small creature can generally do anything that a large creature can do, but it shouldn’t be able to easily reach a button that is 6 feet up a wall.

RaceBase HeightBase WeightHeight ModifierWeight ModifierAverage Height and Weight
Aarakocra4’4″901d61d64’8″ 106 lbs.
Bugbear6’0″1102d102d47’1″ 291 lbs.
Centaur6′6001d102d128’7″ 678 lbs.
Dragonborn5′ 6″1752d82d66′ 3″ 238 lbs.
Dwarf, Hill3′ 8″1152d42d64′ 1″ 150 lbs.
Dwarf, Mountain4′ 0″1302d42d64′ 5″ 165 lbs.
Elf54902d101d45’4″ 119 lbs.
Elf, Drow4’5″752d61d65’0″ 103 lbs.
Elf, High4′ 6″902d101d45′ 5″ 123 lbs.
Elf, Shadar-kai4’8″902d81d45’5″ 133 lbs.
Elf, Wood4’6″1002d101d45’5″ 133 lbs.
Firbolg6′ 2″1752d122d67′ 3″ 266 lbs.
Giff6′ 6″4002d82d87′ 3″, 517 lbs.
Githyanki5’0″1002d122d46’1″ 165 lbs.
Githzerai4’11”902d121d46’0″ 129 lbs.
Gnoll6’11”2761d62d47’3″, 296 lbs.
Gnome2′ 11″352d413′ 4″ 40 lbs.
Goliath6′ 2″2002d102d67′ 1″ 277 lbs.
Grung24231d1212’7″ 30 lbs.
Half-Elf4′ 9″1102d82d45′ 6″ 155 lbs.
Half-Orc4′ 10″1402d102d65′ 9″ 217 lbs.
Halfling2’7″352d413’0″ 40 lbs.
Halfling, Longshanks4′ 2″ (50″)802d81d64′ 11″ 116 lbs.
Human4’8″1102d102d45’7″ 165 lbs.
Kenku4′ 4″502d81d65′ 1″ 86 lbs.
Kuo-toa4′ 7″1103d62d45′ 6″ 165 lbs.
Leonin6′ 6″1802d102d68’5″ 257 lbs.
Lizardfolk4′ 9″1202d102d65′ 8″ 197 lbs.
Loxodon6′ 5″2952d102d45′ 8″ 197 lbs.
Minotaur5′ 4″1752d82d66′ 1″ 238 lbs.
Orc5′ 4″1752d82d66′ 1″ 238 lbs.
Satyr4′ 8″1002d82d45’5″ 145 lbs.
Tabaxi4′ 8″902d102d45′ 0″ 120 lbs.
Tiefling4′ 9″1102d82d45′ 6″ 155 lbs.
Tortle4′ 11″4151d122d45′ 6″ 350 lbs.
Vedalken5′ 4″1102d102d4d5′ 10″ 140 lbs.
Warforged5’10”2702d646’5″ 298 lbs.
Yuan-ti4′ 8″1102d102d45′ 7″ 165 lbs.

How Do I Determine the Age of My Character?

Each playable race has a general lifespan, and your age can be anything in that range.

Typically, a playable race will also specify the age at which most members reach maturity. It’s a good idea to have your character be “mature,” but it’s by no means necessary.

You might often see a race’s age section mention some sort of relation to human longevity.

A certain species might “age at the same rate as humans,” or they might “mature at the same rate as humans” but live much longer or shorter. In these cases, just refer to the Human’s stats on the table below.

5e Age Chart (in years)

RaceAdulthoodLongevity
Aarakocra330
Bugbear1680
CentaurSame as humans.
Dragonborn1580
Dwarf50350
Elf100750
Firbolg30500
GithLate teens100
Gnome40350-500
GoliathSame as humans.
Grung150
Half-Elf20>180
Half-Orc1475
Halfling20150
Human18100
Kenku1260
Kuo-toa750
LeoninSame as humans.
Lizardfolk1460
Loxodon60450
MinotaurSame as humans.
Orc1250
SatyrSame as humans.
TabaxiSame as humans.
TieflingSame as humans, but live slightly longer.

*Before I leave you, I am once again here to say: Tortles should have the longest lifespans. At very least they should be on par with elves. WotC did this turtle-folk species injustice by making them a short-lived race.

Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk.

  • About Author
  • Latest Posts

Height, Age, and Weight in DnD 5e: How 38 Races Stack Up (1)

Rich Kibble

Rich is an avid D&D player and DM. He has been playing since the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st and 2nd editions. He has run campaigns of various editions with family and friends for over 20 years. Playing DnD 5th Edition in person at local game stores and online with VTT’s over the past 10 years has provided a consistent connection to how the game has grown. He strongly believes in understanding the source material, but catering the games to your individual players. Feel free to ask anything in the comments or drop him an email: [emailprotected].

Height, Age, and Weight in DnD 5e: How 38 Races Stack Up (2024)

FAQs

How to roll for height and weight in D&D? ›

The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character's extra height (in inches) beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character's extra weight (in pounds) beyond the base weight.

How to calculate carry weight DnD 5e? ›

Your carrying capacity is your Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that you can carry, which is high enough that most characters don't usually have to worry about it.

How to calculate initiative 5e? ›

The formula for calculating initiative is a d20 + your character's Dexterity modifier. If you have a bonus from feats or magic items, add that too. Initiative measures a character's ability to act fast at the start of a battle, and it's used to establish the order of turns in a fight.

What is the ratio between height and weight? ›

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness. BMI screens for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it does not diagnose the body fatness or health of an individual.

How do I manually roll DND stats? ›

How do you roll ability stats? Rolling ability stats in D&D 5e is straightforward. You roll 4 six-sided dice (4d6) and then discard the lowest roll. This process is repeated until you have six numbers, which you then allocate to your six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

How tall is a female half elf? ›

Size: Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall.

How do you roll 100 in D&D? ›

What is 100 on a d100? A roll of 00 and 0 is 100. When rolling die, you can't roll 0. For example, when you roll a d20, the lowest you can roll is a 1 and the highest a 20.

What are the rules for weight in 5e? ›

You can push, drag, or lift a weight in pounds up to twice your carrying capacity (or 30 times your Strength score). While pushing or dragging weight in excess of your carrying capacity, your speed drops to 5 feet. Size and Strength. Larger creatures can bear more weight, whereas Tiny creatures can carry less.

How is weight measured in DND? ›

The characters physical weight is generally just up to the creator. It does not really play in to the game. There are tables that give the traditional weight and height based on the races but those, as with anything in Dungeons and Dragons, can be fudged. Encumbrance is the weight of the items carried/worn.

How to calculate hit dice? ›

Roll one hit die (of which the size is determined by your character's class). Add your Constitution modifier to the result (or subtract it if your modifier is negative). Increase your maximum hit points by the result. Expand your hit dice pool with one hit die.

What does initiative count 20 mean in D&D? ›

As such, Lair Actions are thematic to that area, and are activated at Initiative Count 20. This means you treat the lair action as if it rolled a 20 on initiative, so there's a chance some creatures in the initiative count will take their turn before the Lair Action activates.

How do you calculate the weight of a creature? ›

Make sure to measure girth in relation to the location of the animal's heart. Measure the length of the animal's body, as shown in distance A-B in the illustration. Using the measurements from steps 1 and 2, calculate body weight using the formula HEART GIRTH x HEART GIRTH x BODY LENGTH / 300 = ANIMAL WEIGHT IN POUNDS.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 6129

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.