How would DWARVES view a growth defect

[The Shadowdove]

Hey forum-lurkers,

Random conversation our group had after mistaking a gnome for a dwarf. Somehow none of our characters had seen a dwarf before.

This lead to an in character discussion with the gnome NPC and among ourselves about how dwarves would view birth defects. The gnome was inspired and gladly gave us the information we sought, as he now found an interesting research topic to present to his people.

So. How do you think dwarves would treat a clansman who was born with stunted or hyper growth? Picture a Dwarf that's shorter than a halfling, or as tall as an average human.

I imagine this dwarf would have a strong likelihood of being self conscious of their height, as kin are important to dwarves in most settings.

Personally I think most dwarves would welcome them and try to make them feel unashamed through typical tough love and integration, with exclusions including xenophobic or evil clans. Perhaps they might suspect multiracial breeding.

In forgotten realms I could see this being a thing. What better way to be a gold digger than to seduce a dwarven king or queen?

Curious to see what you creative folks come up with.

-Dove

[Hawkstar]

I figure taller-than-average dwarves might require a bit of social accommodation, but the important thing to remember about them is that they're known by their families and clans, not their individuality. A gnome or human trying to pretend to be an over or under-sized Dwarf doesn't go very far when the locals are more concerned about your parents and your parent's parents (and the brothers and sisters of your parents and parent's parents, etc) than your appearance.

Besides - everyone knows dwarves don't interbreed.

[CaptainSarathai]

Besides - everyone knows dwarves don't interbreed.

Dwarfs do interbreed. They did in older editions, at least. They were called Mul, and they were the worst traits of the two component races, so the stout "homeliness" and hairiness, and consuming greed of the dwarfs, and then whatever "bad" you could say about the other race.
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Depending on where the dwarfs live, being too tall could be literally crippling. Imagine having to spend your whole life stooped and hunched over, cramped into spaces too small for you. That could be what led the dwarf out to adventure though - they simply "out grew" their ancestral home.
A dwarf who is too short wouldn't be too bad off, but they'd need to be useful.

I think that dwarfs are generally a "good" race, although they definitely tend a lot more toward lawful traditionalists. So they won't kill or exile a dwarf born with a defect, but they will expect that dwarf to carry on just like any other physically-able dwarf. If they can't, then they'll push them to.
Dwarfs seem the type to resent "dead weight" and would probably be pretty mean (although not outright hostile) to someone who didn't fit in.
For the actual atypical dwarf, this would be awful. Dwarfs are tight-knit, and hold their family and extended family/clan in high esteem. To think of themselves as a disappointment to these people, especially if they are being criticized or mocked by these people, would probably leave a gaping hole in the dwarf's sense of 'self.'

I think dwarfs are easily made into outcasts, and I think that they are quite likely to do it to themselves, such as,
"They tell me it's okay that I can't grow a beard like the others, but I know - ma and da are embarrassed by me. My brothers Froki and Fryrd don't let me join their drinking games. The women in the hold aren't interested in me. It would be better off if I just went away."
And I think that this is exactly the way that the dwarfish community wants it. They're Good enough not to take direct action, but Lawful enough that they hope the offending member will "do what's right" and remove themselves from the situation.

With their loyalty to the larger group/family/clan, I don't think you'd find an offending dwarf who blames the clan for their treatment. If they do, they likely won't speak such a thought aloud. They would stick to "the party line" and say,
"I was different. They didn't force me to leave, I just knew that it was better this way, and so this was my choice. It is the most that I could for my clan."