Dwarves without kilts... no, wait, but still wearing something else!

[Snowfall]

After the images of dwarves - umm... swinging free, flees your head, perhaps you can help with an age-old discussion.

I've played the gruff dwarf, the drunk dwarf, and a heavy metal rock band demigod dwarf. But I feel it's much more common to see the dwarf that sounds like a 4'3" version of James Bond (the good Bond, not the pansy Bond), or the father-in-law of an axe murderer dwarf, and certainly the crazy, but likely misunderstood, groundskeeper dwarf.

My plea is this, what are some good ways to roleplay a dwarf, especially dialogue, beyond he/she speaking with a scottish accent? And is there any way to avoid using the phrase "lad" when speaking to a halfling?

Example dialogue and actions would be appreciated. For example, in such situations as:

• when face to face with an orc
• giving advice to a halfling
• commenting on another stupid human mistake
• wooing the opposite sex

Thank you.

[Sofaking]

When face to face with an orc.

"WHY AM I ON THESE BLOODY STILTS!?"

[shakes019]

The key to all of these is to actually think about what your character values and believes, and play those straight. You don't have to have an accent, just play the traits that you know dwarves have.

- They value craftmanship, and produce high-quality arms and equipment.
- They are longer-lived than humans and halflings, and value their elders and orderly society.
- They hold long grudges and are quick to take offense.
- They don't have high expectations for the younger races.


when face to face with an orc
"You call that an axe? My uncle Frostgrim could craft better when he was half your age!"

giving advice to a halfling
"why am I even talking to you? Are you going to listen this time, or can I expect you to bahave like the idiot child you are?"

commenting on another stupid human mistake
"Well, it appears that today will not be different."

wooing the opposite sex
I'm not sure how this one would be role-played. I tend to view the Dwarf society as one where arranged marriage is pretty common, and sex out of wedlock is rare. So the question of wooing would be pretty moot. You can always fall back on:

"How're you doin'?"

[Xefas]

When face to face with an orc.

"WHY AM I ON THESE BLOODY STILTS!?"

Haha! I never thought I'd laugh at another 'dwarves are short' joke. Nicely done!

• Wooing the Opposite Sex

"I have great confidence that I'd still be attracted to you sober."

[loopy]

I'm playing my current Dwarven Factotum as a kind of 'Oxford Scholar' stereotype, with a lot of overly complex wordings and references to obscure texts. In fact my one abiding regret is not giving him spectacles.

[Swooper]

Dwarves in my homebrew campaign setting aren't Scottish. They're Russian Yup, no dwarven empire here, just a communistic Clan Council to rule the dwarves. (There's a link in my sig iirc)

But really, think about it. It fits. Races of Stone gave me the idea - the Daily Life chapter talks about how, in their underground mine-fortresses, dwarves don't have much personal space. They share most things with their clanmates. Their mindset demands that the good of the clan comes before the good of the individual. So... I thought it would be reasonable to extend this logic and make dwarves officially communists. This, in turn, demanded some RL references, like a Russian accent, Russian style names, Russian reversal jokes and the 'golden hammer and pick crossed on a red background' symbol

Use as you wish - I like it as a fresh angle to roleplay dwarves at, although it's not quite what you asked for.

[shakes019]

Dwarves in my homebrew campaign setting aren't Scottish. They're Russian
<snip.>
This, in turn, demanded some RL references, like a Russian accent, Russian style names, Russian reversal jokes and the 'golden hammer and pick crossed on a red background' symbol

Sadly, my attempt at a Russian accent sounds mysteriously like a Scottish one. :P

[Ascension]

Dwarves in my homebrew campaign setting aren't Scottish. They're Russian

That sounds like a really fun way to run dwarves. I'm not too fond of the whole Scottish-dwarf stereotype (Where'd that come from, anyway?). The lack of half-dwarves has always confused me, too.

The image of dwarves has become so iconic it's fun to mess around with people's preconceived notions about them. My pet project is a campaign setting in which they don't actually like living underground... the deep gnomes forced them into the tunnels to work as slaves. Over centuries of servitude they have adapted to their underground environment, but they still loathe it.

[Draz74]

Sadly, my attempt at a Russian accent sounds mysteriously like a Scottish one. :P

Heh ... and my attempt at a Scottish accent sounds mysteriously like a Russian one. (Since I actually know how to do a Russian one.)

[Snowfall]

When face to face with an orc.

"WHY AM I ON THESE BLOODY STILTS!?"

A short Orc, then? Actually, does using the word bloody make you Scottish? Or the very least from some island or extremely populated nation that's crazy about cricket?

Sadly, my attempt at a Russian accent sounds mysteriously like a Scottish one. :P

Ah yes, my problem exactly. All accents sound like they're Scottish... maybe that's the problem with the dwarves, not so much they're association with the Scots, but just our total lack of ability.

[Snowfall]

You don't have to have an accent, just play the traits that you know dwarves have.

- They value craftmanship, and produce high-quality arms and equipment.
- They are longer-lived than humans and halflings, and value their elders and orderly society.
- They hold long grudges and are quick to take offense.
- They don't have high expectations for the younger races.

Thanks, great suggestions!

But are dwarves typically short-tempered? I'd imagine they'd be pretty patient, or at least outwardly so.

[Ascension]

Ah yes, my problem exactly. All accents sound like they're Scottish... maybe that's the problem with the dwarves, not so much they're association with the Scots, but just our total lack of ability.

They don't sound Scottish if you give them an outrageous "Franch" accent. If you can make a stereotypical Frenchman sound Scottish, then I'm afraid I really can't help you.

This is not to say I like the concept of French dwarves, but it should at least be easy to do.

[Snowfall]

This is not to say I like the concept of French dwarves, but it should at least be easy to do.

Ah, thank you for the perfect image, a dwarf channeling the spirit of Pepé Le Pew...

"Ah, my bearded darling, it is love at first sight, is it not, no?"

"Ah! This leetle one wishes to commit suicide to prove her love for me. What a sweet gesture. Never-the-less, I must prevent eet!"

"I am ze captain, and you are ze first mate. Promotions will follow quickly!"

[riddles]

in fantasy, dwarves are usually played one of two ways:

- reserved, thoughtful. only acting in response to others. their affinity with stone lets the world flow around them. they just are. however, when roused, they are fearsome in defence of any ideals.

OR

- drunken warriors who will scrap at the drop of a hat, take crap from no man and generally be a nuisance while also possessing finely crafted weapons and having an overactive appreciation for gold and gems.

anywhere in between these two extremes is what i would consider a "good" dwarf. your classic (and therefore PC) dwarf is loyal, lawful, likes a good drink to remind him of the festhalls, likes his gold and gems but not to the point where it gets him/his mates killed and has an appreciation for finely crafted weapons/armour/stonehalls

[UglyPanda]

I think the whole "Dwarves are Scottish" thing is because Dwarves have huge beards and live in countries adjacent to medieval England. So writers figured, which country is close to England and their men have long beards? I'm not sure which author started it, it could have been Tolkien, but I haven't read those books in a while.

[Tsotha-lanti]

How on earth would Tolkien's dwarves have been remotely Scottish? If anything, he was very aware of the dwarves' Nordic roots, since that's where he got them. (Incidentally, isn't "dwarves" a misspelling he made that got popular? Should be "dwarfs"?)

... and where do dwarves live in countries adjacent to medieval England? I'm not too sure Scotland, Wales, or Ireland have dwarves in their myths; if anything, the Saxons and Normans would probably have brought legends involving dwarves to England.

[Snowfall]

(Incidentally, isn't "dwarves" a misspelling he made that got popular? Should be "dwarfs"?)

Hmm, I think you are right, though it is Dwarven vs. Dwarfen I think...

Reminds me of a song, actually:

Spoiler

Show

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
She has skin white as snow-

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
Did you learn her name?

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
No,
There's a dwarf standing guard.

BOTH
Agony!
Such that Princes must weep!
Always in thrall most
To anything almost,
Or something asleep.

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
If it were not for the thicket-

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
A thicket's no trick.
Is it thick?

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
It's the thickest.

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
The quickest
Is pick it
Apart with a stick-

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
yes, but even one prick-
It's my thing about blood.

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
Well, it's sick!

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
It's no sicker
Than you thing with dwarves.

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
Dwarfs.

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
Dwarfs...

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE
Dwarfs are every upsetting.

BOTH
Not forgetting
The tasks unacheivable,
Mountains unscalable-
If it's conceivable
But unavailable,
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

Agony!

[UglyPanda]

I don't mean that the English thought their was a country of Dwarves, I mean that in countless stories, you see races only existing within their respective countries, of which one has to be relatively adjacent to a human country. I only said Tolkien because everyone blames him for it, I'm personally not sure if he did so since I can't find my books.
Besides, it's personal opinion, not fact. I'm not sure of the origin, it was an educated guess.

[shakes019]

With regard to the history of the Dwarves: I think they were introduced by Norse Mythology, in which they were excellent crafters, prone to violence and grudges, and collected in family groups. They were also generally treated as villains to be defeated or overcome in some way.

Regarding the usage: "dwarfs" vs. "dwarves". Both are acceptable, and the 'v' is more common in North American English. If you're using the verb (as in "In size comparisons, the dragon dwarfs the giant."), then the 'v' is not used.

[Swooper]

With regard to the history of the Dwarves: I think they were introduced by Norse Mythology, in which they were excellent crafters, prone to violence and grudges, and collected in family groups. They were also generally treated as villains to be defeated or overcome in some way.

As someone who has read Völuspá (the book that is the source of most Norse myths and mythologies still known today), I feel obliged to correct that a bit. Crafters: yes, very much. They made, among other things, Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, but also finer things - when Loki cut the hair of Sif, Thor's wife, the dwarves made new hair out of gold. Finally, they spun the thread that was to hold the Fenris Wolf (out of things like the footsteps of a cat, the breath of a fish and such). Prone to violence: not so much. They were tricksters, not warriors. Collected in family groups: no more than was standard at the time, I believe. Most importantly, they were never villains - more neutral than anything, their help could be bought but never cheaply.

[Telonius]

"I have great confidence that I'd still be attracted to you sober."

"... should that occasion ever arise, Moradin forbid."

More seriously, I think that dwarven wooing would probably involve compliments about craftwork. Dates might involve building something together. I have this great image of a very serious relationship being marked by the couple sharpening each other's axe.

[dman11235]

As for wooing, check out the BoEF, that's what it's there for.

Also, RoS has their personalities down pretty well.

I do more of a norse/scot mix, with a splash of Irish in there. I add the scot for the whole non-nature feel that they have. Irish thrown in because I am Irish (well, a little, and my unlce is totally irish.

[Wolf53226]

More seriously, I think that dwarven wooing would probably involve compliments about craftwork.

Just to take this to the extreme:

"My, aren't you a sturdy lass!"
"I could carve me a breech in her stronghold!"
"Look at the rubies on that one!"

OK....I'm done, that is all.

[TheThan]

Dwarves in my homebrew campaign setting aren't Scottish. They're Russian Yup, no dwarven empire here, just a communistic Clan Council to rule the dwarves. (There's a link in my sig iirc)

But really, think about it. It fits. Races of Stone gave me the idea - the Daily Life chapter talks about how, in their underground mine-fortresses, dwarves don't have much personal space. They share most things with their clanmates. Their mindset demands that the good of the clan comes before the good of the individual. So... I thought it would be reasonable to extend this logic and make dwarves officially communists. This, in turn, demanded some RL references, like a Russian accent, Russian style names, Russian reversal jokes and the 'golden hammer and pick crossed on a red background' symbol

Use as you wish - I like it as a fresh angle to roleplay dwarves at, although it's not quite what you asked for.

I did Arabic dwarves.

[Snowfall]

(Incidentally, isn't "dwarves" a misspelling he made that got popular? Should be "dwarfs"?)

Ah hah, Wikipedia to the rescue, and who doubts wikipedia?

The plural form dwarfs has been traced to the 17th century. The alternative plural dwarves has been recorded in the early 18th century, but was not generally accepted until used by philologist J. R. R. Tolkien in his fantasy novel The Hobbit. Neither spelling represents the regular phonetic development of the Old English plural dweorgas, namely dwarrows; rather, they descend from a new plural formed in Middle English from the singular stem. Similarly, the old inherited plural dwarrows acquired a singular dwarrow.[5] Although dwarrow has passed from the language, both dwarfs and dwarves are in current use. Many grammarians prefer dwarfs, many fantasists prefer dwarves. The form dwarfs is generally used for real people affected by dwarfism; the form dwarves is used for the mythical people described by Tolkien and others.

Hmm, to be a grammarian or a fantasist, I think I'm leaning one way...

Actually, lots of useful history on that Wikipedia entry, including discussion of the whole Norse roots as well as Tolkien's influence.

Modern fantasy and literature has formed an intriguing weave of concepts, from the original dwarf, later Norse mythology, the dwarf of folk-tales, and other mythology. The modern stereotypical dwarf has distinctive features, such as short stature, excessive hair, and skill at mining and metallurgy. After Tolkien, the standard dwarf has become similar to those of later Norse Mythology. It has none of the associations with death and the afterlife, and the late association with shortness has stuck. It continues the image of old-age (through appearance), if not explicitly. Other characteristics of dwarves include long (but mortal) life, antipathy to elves and distrust to other races. Many but not all are portrayed as having Scottish accents.

[TheThan]

double post due to slow forums , please ignore

[Eldariel]

Dwarves had an important place in the Norse Mythology, yes, and if you're interested in that, watch the Opera of Nibelung's Ring. That unfortunately doesn't help with the accent though; I suppose German isn't horrible. Or just strive for Vikingish Dwarves; while not perfectly accurate, it's an interesting prospect.

[Mephisto]

How on earth would Tolkien's dwarves have been remotely Scottish? If anything, he was very aware of the dwarves' Nordic roots, since that's where he got them.

You just gave me the best idea ever.

VIKING DWARVES!

[Ganurath]

You just gave me the best idea ever.

VIKING DWARVES!

I think the Warhammer Dwarven culture works well. Millenia old, and inventors of such advances as forged metal, rune magic, and the rant golem.

[Zenos]

As someone who has read Völuspá (the book that is the source of most Norse myths and mythologies still known today), I feel obliged to correct that a bit. Crafters: yes, very much. They made, among other things, Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, but also finer things - when Loki cut the hair of Sif, Thor's wife, the dwarves made new hair out of gold. Finally, they spun the thread that was to hold the Fenris Wolf (out of things like the footsteps of a cat, the breath of a fish and such). Prone to violence: not so much. They were tricksters, not warriors. Collected in family groups: no more than was standard at the time, I believe. Most importantly, they were never villains - more neutral than anything, their help could be bought but never cheaply.

I remember a story about a pair of dwarves who killed a giant and made ale from the giant's blood which granted wisdom or something.