D&D 5E Real world shorthand for D&D races

[The Grassy Gnoll]

As a DM, I'm sure you use real world racial stereotypes in your games, especially when 'shorthanding' NPCs.

Now, I have read lots of threads where Dwarf = drunken Scotsman.
As a Scot, I feel this is misguided and (somewhat) unfair.
Here's my take on the main four nonhuman races.

(warning: read with tongue firmly in cheek)

Dwarves.
Mountain and Hill, they live in places that are virtually all mountain.
They enjoy a drink and, if The Hobbit is any guide, love to sing.
They tend to be spiritually-minded.
They are most famous as miners.
Dwarves are Welsh.

Gnomes.
Rock or Forest, they live in verdant green uplands with hills and valleys.
They also enjoy a drink and are great travellers.
They tend to be talkative.
Gnomes are most famous as either inventors or lovers of the green places.
Rock Gnomes are Scottish.
Forest Gnomes are Irish.

Halflings.
Halflings live in wide open spaces amid the rolling green countryside.
They love food and good drink.
They enjoy a smoke.
On the whole they are peaceful - they don't like to fight.
Halflings are French.

Elves.
Elves live in wooded areas, in beautiful surroundings.
They live long lives and are thought somewhat inscrutable.
They revere knowledge and honour their elders.
They are famous as warrior poets.
Elves are Japanese.

Let the abuse begin.

 

[Mark CMG]

What could possibly go wrong here?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Yeah, shorthand = stereotypes. My Admiral Ackbar sense is tingling pretty strongly.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

My players insist on my putting on different voices for all the NPCs (and they have an unfortunate tendency to capture monsters and interrogate them). The whole "simple Somerset farmer" and "cockney barrow boy" only go so far.
I'm portraying the dwarves as Welsh, and I got thinking about it and thought that Welsh was a better fit than Scottish for the reasons stated. Which led me to think, what would Scottish accents be appropriate for? And from there I thought about Halflings - it's all very well playing them as.Somerset farmers but the FR aren't the Shire. Thought it might differentiate them from the standard peasants vocally and yet ties in with lovers of the finer things in life.
And no, I'm not going to pull a Trade Federation and do a Japanese accent for elves, but the cultural fit seemed apt, might give some clues as to the society they represent - highly cultured and happy to observe the beauty of a falling cherry blossom for hours but at the same time ascribing to a formalised martial/magical culture.

 

[Tormyr]

One thing I have done a little is give races universal accents regardless of where they actually live. I have not really gone beyond that, though.

Drow - French - from Christopher Perkins
Dwarves - Scottish - from countless
Tieflings - Russian - the Tiefling in our campaign is Razputtin, and we ran with it.
Halfling - Yorkshire - although I cannot really fake it all that well.
Gnolls - nothing in particular, but lots of growling
Dragonborn - only one we have is the PC.
Elves - Oxford English
Humans - "American" English

If your Dwarves are Welsh, maybe the Duergar could be Scottish?

 

[Unwise]

Danger, danger Will Robinson!

That being said, I run and play in a lot of near-earth games which involves putting other species into earths geography. Some seem to fit in rather nicely, but we try and keep it more geographical than cultural. For instance the halflings love the Tuscan hillsides and the green hills of Eire. We tend to slot them in where their mythology fits best.

Gnolls = Egypt for the jackel headed guys
Tenku = Egypt and they come in Ibis and Hawk varieties.
Shifters = Norse & north america mythos areas, rare Egyptian nobility.
Dwarves = highlands in the alps, scotland and northern wales.
Duergar and Deep Gnomes = norse areas
Teiflings = The 'Greek / Roman' empire was so successful because they made a pact with Asmodeus for his aid. They have declined now, but the old noble houses of the empire still have teifling blood.
Dragonborn = chinese nobles, mandarins and palace guards, a gift from the gold dragon emperor to the human jade emperor. Incredibly revered, but held to a very high standard.
Elves = Atlantis, trade posts along the coasts of every continent. They bought the sovereignty of Venice, so own the major trade power in the region.
Gnomes and Fey = As the civilized world expands, the connections to the feywild decline, so they tend to be in the wild untamed places. Eire is largely unsettled, so there are lots there.

By assigning areas like this, it is based on geographical preference or local myths, not on perceived cultural norms of the area.

 

[Krakenspire]

Geographical and historical influences can add a lot to a game. Not everyone is greatly creative and inventing new cultures can be difficult. As such a little research to give an overall feel to cultures is often useful.

In my current campaign world:

Eladrin - Japanese influenced cultural tendencies with a heavy overlay of militarism
Dragon born - Aztec type culture with city states run by dragons,
Elves - Incan type culture deep in the woods, ancestor mummification and worship
Half orcs - Apache and Iroquois influenced type cultures
Humans - Renaissance Italian state culture, many mercenaries art, culture trade, also height of the Spanish empire type culture with Knights, inquisition and a all powerful church in balance with the state, magocracy with strong Arabian nights feel
Teifling - Roma type culture including sea faring versions,
Halflings - conquered and forces into slavery, treated like slaves from the Caribbean or southern US
Dwarves - warring states period China.

 

[was]

Dwarves: Scottish.
...Rugged mountain dwellers and steep valley runners.
...Austere spirituality with firm ties to family/clan.
...Gruff and reserved, unless they are among their own, trusted comrades or drinking...note that drinking does not mean being drunk.
...Enjoy a good tussle.

Gnomes: Welsh.
...Hidden forest enclaves and rocky hillside homes.
...Spirituality influenced by nature.
...Love conversation, tend to stay at home but don't mind travelling.
...Neither seek out or avoid a fight.

Halflings: Irish.
...Verdant green lands and low valleys.
...Equal mix of of roamers and homebodies.
...Hold firm spiritual beliefs.
...Enjoy new experiences, love good food, drink and smoke.
...Fight when they must.

Elves: too many to chose from..elements from Austrian, Japanese, Nepalese etc...
...Heavy forests and beautiful buildings.
...Tend to stick to, and fiercely defend, their homelands.
...Spirituality emphasizes nature, knowledge and music.
...Neither seek out or avoid a fight.

...I think most of the races have a healthy respect for their elders/family

 

[Henry]

As a DM, I'm sure you use real world racial stereotypes in your games, especially when 'shorthanding' NPCs.

...
Let the abuse begin.

All this stereotyping falls prey to the "True Rock Gnome" Fallacy.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Halflings are French!!? Tolkien’s Hobbits are supposedly archetypal middle-Englanders, but French!? Why!?