The official height ranges
The free 2024 rules (on D&D Beyond and in the SRD 5.2.1) give each of their nine species a size category and a rough height range. The Player’s Handbook has a tenth, the aasimar, which can be Medium (about 4–7 ft) or Small (about 2–4 ft) like the human; add one under People if your party has one. The chart draws every species at the middle of its range, so a goliath stands at 7′ 6″ and a halfling at 2′ 6″.
| Species | Size | Height | On the chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goliath | Medium | about 7–8 ft | 7′ 6″ (229 cm) |
| Orc | Medium | about 6–7 ft | 6′ 6″ (198 cm) |
| Dragonborn | Medium | about 5–7 ft | 6′ 0″ (183 cm) |
| Human | Medium or Small | about 4–7 ft, or 2–4 ft if Small | 5′ 6″ (168 cm) |
| Elf | Medium | about 5–6 ft | 5′ 6″ (168 cm) |
| Tiefling | Medium or Small | about 4–7 ft, or 3–4 ft if Small | 5′ 6″ (168 cm) |
| Dwarf | Medium | about 4–5 ft | 4′ 6″ (137 cm) |
| Gnome | Small | about 3–4 ft | 3′ 6″ (107 cm) |
| Halfling | Small | about 2–3 ft | 2′ 6″ (76 cm) |
Humans and tieflings choose Small or Medium when the character is created, so a Small tiefling can stand eye to eye with a gnome. The 2024 books call these species; older editions called them races.
What height changes at the table
Less than you might expect. Small and Medium creatures both occupy a 5-by-5-foot square, every one of these species has a Speed of 30 feet except the goliath’s 35, and a Heavy weapon only gives Disadvantage if the wielder’s Strength (for melee) or Dexterity (for ranged) is below 13.
Size does count in a few rules. A mount must be at least one size larger than its rider, so a Small halfling or gnome can ride a pony (Medium) while a Medium dwarf or elf needs a riding horse (Large). A grapple or shove only works on a target no more than one size larger than you, so a Small character can’t grapple a horse and a Medium one can. The halfling’s Naturally Stealthy lets it hide behind any creature at least one size larger, such as a Medium companion. The goliath’s Powerful Build counts it as one size larger for carrying capacity, and from 5th level its Large Form makes it Large for up to 10 minutes.
Height itself, within a size, matters for description and roleplay: who can see over the crowd, who fits through the crawlspace, who has to look up to meet the paladin’s eyes. That is what the chart is for. Every figure uses the tool’s generic outline, so it shows height only, not a species’ build.
Line up your party
Click a name in the People list and type your character’s name, then set their height anywhere inside their species’ range. With exactly two characters left on the chart, the summary gives the difference and where the shorter one’s eyes land on the taller one. Add a character’s art with the Photo button (it stays on your device), download the PNG and drop it into your campaign notes or your group chat.
Species heights, sizes and rules on this page are from the System Reference Document 5.2.1, except the aasimar, which is only in the Player’s Handbook.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The people you add, edit or remove on this page aren’t saved, so it always opens with the chart above (your head-height line setting, and a unit you pick here, are saved). To build a chart the browser remembers, use the height comparison chart.