Dungeon Settlers Races: Human, Lizardman, Elf & Lycan
All races compared
| Race | Settlement capabilities | Weapon aptitudes | Diet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human | +20% Logging, +20% Construction, +30% Cooking | +1 Sword, +1 Greatsword, +1 Fire Magic | Eats anything with no mood penalty |
| Lizardman | +20% Mining, +20% Taming, -20% Research, -20% Cooking | +2 Greatsword, +1 Shield, +1 Blunt, -2 Fire Magic, -2 Nature Magic, -2 Water Magic | Meat eater: Plant Rage (-2 mood for 5 minutes) after eating only plants; ignores carnivore-food penalties |
| Elf | +30% Research, +30% Farming, -20% Logging | +2 Bow, +2 Nature Magic, +1 Water Magic, -1 Greatsword | Vegetarian: Carnal Guilt (-2 mood for 5 minutes) after eating meat; ignores vegetarian-food penalties |
| Lycan | Not published by CanOpener | Strong Agility and Perception; CanOpener says Lycans suit bows and spears | Not documented yet |
Race data checked:
Aptitude changes how many skill points a weapon tree costs, not how well the settler actually fights with it, so any race can use any weapon. Capabilities are the job speeds used in the settlement: logging, construction, cooking, mining, taming, research and farming.
Human
"Beings who desire endlessly..."
The default recruit. Good builders and cooks with a light lean toward swords and fire magic, and no diet restrictions.
- Capabilities: +20% Logging, +20% Construction, +30% Cooking
- Aptitudes: +1 Sword, +1 Greatsword, +1 Fire Magic
- Diet: Eats anything with no mood penalty
- Quirk: Growth Fatigue: -2 mood while their XP sits full and they have not leveled up
- Availability: From the start; most recruits in the early pool are Human
Sources: Community wiki Recruits page (Jul 2026); Forgotten Games beginner guide; Pete Complete first look; Steam forum
Lizardman
"A true descendant of the dragons never shies away from battle! En'kaktu!"
A front-liner. Built for greatswords, shields and blunt weapons, poor at research and cooking, and close to useless with magic.
- Capabilities: +20% Mining, +20% Taming, -20% Research, -20% Cooking
- Aptitudes: +2 Greatsword, +1 Shield, +1 Blunt, -2 Fire Magic, -2 Nature Magic, -2 Water Magic
- Diet: Meat eater: Plant Rage (-2 mood for 5 minutes) after eating only plants; ignores carnivore-food penalties
- Quirk: Starting stat bonus moved from Perception to Willpower (about +40% Willpower on average) in demo patch v0.3.21
- Availability: From the start; Kragas is the campaign's starting Lizardman
Sources: Community wiki Recruits page; CanOpener patch notes v0.3.21 (11 Jun 2026); 10 Advanced Tips video
Elf
"They say they can hear the song of the forest. It's something beyond my understanding, though."
The researcher and farmer. Strong with bows and nature magic, weak at logging, and a vegetarian.
- Capabilities: +30% Research, +30% Farming, -20% Logging
- Aptitudes: +2 Bow, +2 Nature Magic, +1 Water Magic, -1 Greatsword
- Diet: Vegetarian: Carnal Guilt (-2 mood for 5 minutes) after eating meat; ignores vegetarian-food penalties
- Quirk: Planned to unlock through settlement Reputation, but recruitable from the start in the builds documented so far
- Availability: Appears in the recruit pool, less often than Humans
Sources: Community wiki Recruits page; 10 Advanced Tips video (diet); Steam forum
Lycan
The first Beastfolk race, added for Early Access. A wolf-inspired physical damage dealer that is weaker by day and stronger at night.
- Capabilities: Not published by CanOpener
- Aptitudes: Strong Agility and Perception; CanOpener says Lycans suit bows and spears
- Diet: Not documented yet
- Quirk: Nocturnal: during the day their max health and max energy drop, at night they are stronger. Players advise sleeping after nightfall to top up
- Availability: Recruitable in Early Access (first shown in the July 2026 supporters test)
Sources: CanOpener announcement, 11 Jun 2026; 3rd Supporters Program notes, 8 Jul 2026; patch v0.4.12; Steam forum
Matching races to jobs
- Research: Elves (+30%). Lizardmen are the worst choice (-20%), and the developers joked in their devlog about Lizardmen wandering around the research table.
- Cooking and construction: Humans (+30% cooking, +20% construction).
- Mining and taming: Lizardmen (+20% each). Taming matters more once Gloth capture arrives in Update 4.
- Front line: Lizardmen with a shield, greatsword or blunt weapon. Kragas, the starting Lizardman, is built this way.
- Ranged damage: Elves (+2 Bow) and Lycans (Agility and Perception).
Background and traits matter as much as race: they decide which skill trees a settler can open. See backgrounds and traits and the skill trees.
Feeding a mixed settlement
Diet is the easiest race mistake to make. A kitchen that only makes meat porridge will keep Elves in Carnal Guilt, and a vegetable-only kitchen puts Lizardmen in Plant Rage. Run two food lines, and remember that meals eaten in a proper dining room give a longer mood bonus. The food and farming guide and the mood guide cover the details.
Races still to come
- Dwarf: Update 5 (no date)
- An unnamed race: Update 6 (no date)
- More races: 1.0 (estimated Q3 2028)
Race questions
How many races are in Dungeon Settlers?
Four in Early Access: Human, Lizardman, Elf and Lycan. The Lycan is the first Beastfolk race and was added for launch. A Dwarf race is planned for Update 5 and another race for Update 6.
Why is my settlement always recruiting Humans?
Humans make up most of the early recruit pool, so Elves, Lizardmen and Lycans turn up less often. Players on the Steam forum ask for better odds; for now the answer is to refresh the recruit list and keep gold ready for a good non-Human candidate.
What should Elves and Lizardmen eat?
Elves are vegetarian and get Carnal Guilt (-2 mood for 5 minutes) from meat. Lizardmen get Plant Rage (-2 mood) after eating only plants. Humans eat anything. A mixed settlement needs a meat line and a vegetable line in the kitchen.
Are Lycans worth using?
Lycans lose max health and energy during the day and are stronger at night, which makes them less consistent than the other races. Players who use them mostly pair them with spears or bows. Sleep them after nightfall so they refill at their higher night values.