Bearded Female Dwarves: The Latest Word

[Tonguez]

OT Again - well sort of

Platypus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremata
Family: Ornithorhynchidae
Genus: Ornithorhynchus
Species: Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Monotremes are mammals.

As Li Shenron said systematic classification of animals isn't a precise science and moreover the old Linnaeus system (as above) is very much falling out of flavour in favour of cladistic systems.

The Old System split all animals into Mammal - Bird- Reptile- Amphibian- Fish which meant that things like Platypus had to be shoe-horned in somewhere. Newer Cladistic systems have shown that Birds should infact be listed as Reptiles and whilst debate still remains as to Monotremata it has been pointed out that Platypi share more reptialian traits than they do mammal viz

• egg laying and reptilian ovaries
  reptilian bone structures (like those of a cynodonts incidentally)
  very low metabolic rate
  reptilian gait (legs at sides)
  venomous spurs (unique in mammals but common amongst reptiles)
  Monotremes have a cloaca (a single intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts) which is a reptilian feature

in terms of mammalian traits they have fur, produce milk (but have no teats) and have some mammalian bone structures (but so did Therapsids). SO anyway Monteremes are either very primitive mammals, advanced reptiles or something else (ie Therapsids) I myself like the idea that they are Therapsids...

Now how is this relevant to DnD - um it does allow for classification of monsters and races in a slightly different manner eg as I suggested earlier Kobolds might be therapsids too, I have also conceived Lizardmen as being more avian than 'reptile' and even suggested that Dragons could be classified as either Avians or Therapsids.

As to dwarfs - the idea that they are marsupials is appealing in an ick! kind of way

 

[Staffan]

Quite so!

Developing that sort of material takes much creative effort and a good deal of time as well.

In the case of the esteemed Terry Pratchett, OBE, it apparently doesn't take that much time. I haven't kept up with Discworld lately, but he used to crank out two books a year - that's a pretty speedy rate of writing!

 

[demiurge1138]

In the case of the esteemed Terry Pratchett, OBE, it apparently doesn't take that much time. I haven't kept up with Discworld lately, but he used to crank out two books a year - that's a pretty speedy rate of writing!

He still does, but one is for his "young adult" line, which is just about identical, except for a younger protagonist and slightly less footnotes.

Demiurge out.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

It does my heart good to know that the esteemed E.G.G. reads both Nero Wolfe and Pratchett

 

[Droogie]

First i ever heard of beardless female dwarves was D&D3E. I don't think AD&D2 said one way or the other (at least in the PH), so we just assumed it was the same as AD&D1 (i.e., bearded).

Actually, I think the first place I saw beardless dwarf chicks was in the OD&D gazzatteer
Dwarves of Rockhome .

And I do prefer beardless dwarven females in my game.

 

[Klaus]

I wonder why it is that it is mostly males who find the idea of bearded females so disturbing?


Alright, guys, I'll bet you'd be surprised to find out how many real-world women shave or use other methods of hair removal on places other than their legs. And I don't mean Brazilian bikini waxes. Women have testosterone too, especially after menopause.

I asked around the female gamers I know (including half of my group) and not a single one of them would consider playing a fully-bearded female dwarf.

Light facial hair (such as thos found in women of Portuguese descent), yes. Full beards, no.

In fact, I attribute the original idea of 'bearded dwarven females' to the lack of familiarity with such light facial hair ('buço' in Portuguese).

Much like the idea that drow has mustaches (a common depiction in 2e) comes from the misinterpretation of the drow illustration in the 1e Fiend Folio (where the upper lip is reflecting light, but was misinterpreted as being a full-blown, Solamnia-style mustache).

Me, I prefer my dwarf females thusly:

 

[Tonguez]

Me, I prefer my dwarf females thusly:

At first sight I'd assume Human and Halfling with an axe - where's the Dwarf?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

In the case of the esteemed Terry Pratchett, OBE, it apparently doesn't take that much time. I haven't kept up with Discworld lately, but he used to crank out two books a year - that's a pretty speedy rate of writing!

Heh...

If one does 20 ms. pages a day, one can complete a large novel in a month. I know, because I did an average of 15 pages a day without any trouble, because all the background ("bible") material was completed.

Pratchett doing two books a year is a nice, leisurely pace allowing a LOT of time for working on the difficult background material.

Positively yours,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Pants are for the weak!

As well as for those out of breath or particularly lustful

Heh,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

..

Me, I prefer my dwarf females thusly:

What your players like or dislike, and for that matter your fantasy of the appearance of dwarven females look like, has no bearing on the fact that they have full beards.

Authoratatively yours,
Gary