D&D 5E Dwarves Could Use A Rethink

[Dannyalcatraz]

In a game run back in the 1990s (not necessarily in D&D) a buddy of mine and I ran warrior PCs linked by shared experiences. His PC was a giant with dwarfism (6’5”); I played a Dwarf who towered over others of his kind at 5’5”. They each other’s adopted brothers.

Which makes me think: an actual familial relationship between dwarves and giants could be interesting.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Has anybody mentioned the Dwemer from The Elder Scrolls as a possible inspiration yet?

they are closer to elves than dwaves.

 

[Don Durito]

Problems with Dwarves:

• They're almost univerisally depticed as male.
• They're highly (Northern European) culturally specific.
• They unnappealing aesthetically
• They're boring mechanically
• They've become highly stereoptyped in terms of character and behavior

And finally.

• The last point above has basically become central to their appeal so that if you change the first two, they lose that basic dwarfiness, and it's no longer all that clear if a revamped Dwarf is actually preferable to just making a new race.

 

[dave2008]

According to Wikipedia, the modern English dwarf comes from the Old English word dweorg which has some cognates in other languages including devergr in Old Norse. And if you can't trust Wikipedia who can you trust?

D&D dwarves aren't too far from some mythical versions as a short tough person who know how to craft well and lives in a mountain isn't exactly breaking new ground. Maybe we could make dwarfs more lusty like they are in some of the myths? I've never seen a dwarf female played as a temptress before but there's at least one Swedish ballad about it. I don't know if that'd fly well with modern sensibilities though. Plus, as someone already mentioned, dwarves aren't sexy.

What myths say they are short tough people. I don't recall that from any of the Norse myths at least.

 

[Neonchameleon]

In a game run back in the 1990s (not necessarily in D&D) a buddy of mine and I ran warrior PCs linked by shared experiences. His PC was a giant with dwarfism (6’5”); I played a Dwarf who towered over others of his kind at 5’5”. They each other’s adopted brothers.

Which makes me think: an actual familial relationship between dwarves and giants could be interesting.

As so often with good ideas round classic D&D races Warhammer Fantasy got there first; there's a direct relationship not between dwarves and giants as related species in that setting, but between ogres and halflings.

 

[FrozenNorth]

In the Khemti campaign I'm running, I am leaning into a "we built this city" vibe for dwarves. They once were enslaved, won freedom 50 years ago, and so within many dwarves' recent memory they recall working the pyramids, construction sites, and quarries. But their god isn't in prominence in human cities. So there's a bit of bitterness there.

Was it built on rock and/or roll?

 

[MGibster]

What myths say they are short tough people. I don't recall that from any of the Norse myths at least.

The German poem Das Lied vom Hurnen Seyfrid (circa 1500?) there's a dwarf named Alberich with the strength of 12 men. Some of the poem is likely drawn from oral tradition though how closely it adheres to Norse is unknown to me. Of course whether we're talking about elves, dwarves, trolls, or other mythical creatures, they're not exactly codified like was see in D&D. i.e. They're not in nice neat categories with similar attributes.

 

[dave2008]

The German poem Das Lied vom Hurnen Seyfrid (circa 1500?) there's a dwarf named Alberich with the strength of 12 men. Some of the poem is likely drawn from oral tradition though how closely it adheres to Norse is unknown to me. Of course whether we're talking about elves, dwarves, trolls, or other mythical creatures, they're not exactly codified like was see in D&D. i.e. They're not in nice neat categories with similar attributes.

Yes, that is what I am asking. Were does the modern (20th century+) version of dwarves come from? Or was it a fabrication from many didn't myths, legends, and folklore?

 

[turnip_farmer]

What myths say they are short tough people. I don't recall that from any of the Norse myths at least.

I don't know much about Norse myths, but the 'short' part is right there in the name. 'Dwarf' and it's various cognates are believed to come from a proto-Germanic word for 'small'.

 

[dave2008]

I don't know much about Norse myths, but the 'short' part is right there in the name. 'Dwarf' and it's various cognates are believed to come from a proto-Germanic word for 'small'.

A lot of the creatures associated with dwarves in Norse mythology are never actually described as being short. So that is one of the disconnects for me. Maybe I need to duel track the etymology of the word "dwarf" and the origins of the myth and folklore of small people. However, that sounds like to much work!