Why is there no dwarf-hate?

[Wraith Form]

There is no dwarf hate.

That is patently untrue. I hate them.

Sincerely,

Legolas

(no, but seriously, I really despite the little waste-products, especially the apparent requirement that every dwarf is a Scots)

(on the other hand, I'm quite fond of Scots)

 

[Clavis]

That is patently untrue. I hate them.

Sincerely,

Legolas

(no, but seriously, I really despite the little waste-products, especially the apparent requirement that every dwarf is a Scots)

(on the other hand, I'm quite fond of Scots)

I always played them (when they even came up) with a rough Germanic accent.

Probably the influence of Alberich from Wagner's ring cycle. I always saw the Dwarves as equivalent to the Nibelung.

 

[Warren Okuma]

Well, let's not forget their insularity and general distrust towards many other races.

Picture this scene: You are in front of a bar full of dwarves. You hear dwarven conversation and laughter coming from the inside. All in all, it sounds like they are having a good time.

Then you step inside. Suddenly, all conversation stops, and all the dwarves stare at you, as if to say: "What are you doing here?" or "This is the wrong bar for you!" You take the hint and go outside again. Behind you, you can hear how the conversations start again.

This kind of attitude is likely common among dwarves, and likely to explain the -2 Cha modifier.

They are just waiting for you to buy a round on the house. Sigh.

 

[Warren Okuma]

Fresh from arguing the merits of hobbits vs kenderlings, it occured to me that the only traditional demihuman race which isn't the subject of personal taste wars is dwarves.

Elves cop it for just for being elves, before you even start on Drizzt, drow, and the multiple subraces.

Gnomes get it for being too much like dwarves, except for tinkers, which a lot of people hat on their own merit.

Half orcs/elves? Silly and/or irrelevant, depending on who you ask.

Why do dwarves stir so few passions?

So you are saying that there is a shortage of anti-dwarf threads? Threads that cut down Dwarfs? Or threads that show the shortcomings of Dwarves?

 

[Turjan]

Picture this scene: You are in front of a bar full of dwarves. You hear dwarven conversation and laughter coming from the inside. All in all, it sounds like they are having a good time.

Then you step inside. Suddenly, all conversation stops, and all the dwarves stare at you, as if to say: "What are you doing here?" or "This is the wrong bar for you!" You take the hint and go outside again. Behind you, you can hear how the conversations start again.

So that's another thing they have in common with Scots?

 

[CrimsonWineGlass]

My favorite character ever was a dwarf. As far as characters go and I want to just have fun, I roll a dwarf. Though I don't think I've ever really gone full blown with the gruff, secretive badger concept. I tend to play them more as laid back, enjoy some good humor, fairly distrustful, down to earth, don't care much for philosophy, etc. Basically, they are simple and fun. The way I see it though, the average dwarf would be underground mining or smacking at the anvil, so if I'm playing a dwarf, he's obviously not average, giving me a lot of room to play with. Other races are natural adventurers, most elves and half-elves do it, humans are prone to it, halfling adventurers are usually tricksters, gnomish adventurers are usually hungry for information in some way, and half-orcs don't have much of a home so they tend to do it as well. Only dwarves stand out as adventurers, they prefer to stay at home with a mug of mead than to go out and chop up a lich, so the ones who do are strange already.

 

[justawhit]

The DM from my first gaming group hated dwarves with a passion. When he started playing D&D his first character was a lawful good dwarf which died on the first encounter. Ever since he would play elves and if a dwarf died he would enjoy it. BTW, he would usually detest lawful good characters too. I don't think he has ever looked into therapy.

Why should the dwarven race have one culture? In a campaign several dwarven cultures can exist. Keltic, Germanic, & Nordic cultures can add depth to the dwarven race. Sometimes I've thought a Latin culture can take dwarves in another direction emphasizing skills in Engineering, Sculpting (from clay or stone), marble work, or warfare. Has anyone thought about adapting dwarves to a Slavic culture? Maybe people think dwarves distrust outsiders when it is actually about dwarves not wanting people to know they party to polka music! Why have a party with a ton of beer, great food, and no polka? Forget about the Wagnerian operas, bring out the accordian!