The Dwarf is a staple of Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop RPG the video game is based on. Some fans are familiar with the high fantasy roots of the Dwarf but even pedestrians can likely know what the typical Tolkien-style Dwarf looks like.
This means there are also some unfortunate stereotypes about these Dwarfs as they get labeled as alcoholic sword-and-board fighters. This is one way to play them in Baldur's Gate 3 but there are other roles there they perform as well as any other race.
Gold Dwarf - Life Domain Cleric
Some might fault the Gold Dwarf for only having a +2 to Constitution which does not act as a primary attack for any class. But Life Domain Clerics are primarily meant to heal and dish out occasional frontline assistance. This beefiness is perfect for them and the drawback on attack doesn't matter much to the class.
The weapon proficiencies for Gold Dwarfs allow them to use weapons ordinarily reserved for other classes in case players do get a chance to attack. After getting inspired, there really is nothing a Gold Dwarf Cleric can't do when it comes to support.
Shield Dwarf - Barbarian
Despite the word "shield" in the name of the Shield Dwarf, the character works fantastically as a damage-dealing Barbarian. It's one of the best Barbarian races in the game due to the +2 in both Strength and Constitution, the two most valuable statistics for a Barbarian.
Despite the proficiencies the Drawfs get, it's perfectly fine to be unarmored and still get the maximum use out of both the Shield Dwarf and the Barbarian. Just be sure to keep a ranged weapon around to maintain the Rage status.
Gold Dwarf - Druid
The Druid is a wisdom-based spellcaster that makes use of the Gold Dwarf's +1 to this attribute. Beyond that, the shape-shifting powers of the Druid make great use of the extra Constitution, helping the player tank damage as a frontline animal.
Playing with friends can help cover some of the bases but there is a great deal of usefulness in being able to tank or cast spells with the same character. Perhaps the best highlight is the Gold Dwarf's proficiency with weapons, enabling the character to hit harder than other races of Druid.
Shield Dwarf - Great Weapon Fighter
Although Defence and Protection are tempting subclasses for the Shield Dwarf, the extra Constitution allows the class to sacrifice AC for extra damage. Great Weapon Fighting as a Shield Dwarf combines the natural heartiness of the race with extreme damage bursts.
All the subclasses of the Fighter are good choices, though, with the +2 Strength bonus. Second Wind allows the Great Weapon Fighter to heal just in case there are any critical hits, but the majority of the time will be spent dishing out colossal physical damage numbers with the Shield Dwarf.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available in Early Access on PC and will be available on August 3rd, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version will be available on September 6th, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is still in development.