D&D 5E Companion thread to 5E Survivor: Species

[Mind of tempest]

They have quite a bit going for them...way more than most other species.

History: they are one of the more iconic races in the D&D game. They are present all the way back in the very first edition of D&D, and have had a strong presence in every edition of the game since. Across the different editions, they have remained one of the most consistent options for character builds, with the same straightforward role, history, lore, and abilities. When you say "I'll play a dwarf," everyone at the table can instantly relate to your character: you're the melee fighter in heavy armor, with a big hammer or axe, and a fondness for ale. (I'm not saying this is good or bad, I'm just saying that it happens.) This ubiquity means that they are easy to imagine in nearly every game setting, from ancient Egypt to Forgotten Realms to Spelljammer. Other species strain and stretch to fit in; dwarves just...do.

Pop Culture: that classic D&D dwarf has always been popular in media, especially video games and movies. Deep Rock Galactic, Dragon Age, God of War, tons of games have the Tolkien-esque D&D dwarf idiom. Movies and television series like Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, and Game of Thrones have put forth more complex and "serious" roles for dwarf characters, helping folks reimagine them as more than just "beard with an axe." In recent years, "DwarfCore" music has even made it onto the music scene as well thanks to bands like Wind Rose and Clamavi De Profundis, which draw inspiration from the music of the Lord of the Rings movies and the lyrics from Tolkien's work.

Also, John Rhys Davis.

Game Mechanics: in 5th Edition in particular, the Mountain Dwarf is the only species that gets two +2 ASIs...and they are in both Strength and Constitution, which are the most critical ability scores for characters that focus on melee combat (especially the barbarian and the fighter). The Hill Dwarf doesn't get the bonus to Strength, but instead gets extra hit points...combine that with the +2 Constitution ASI that all dwarves get, and you have a reliable tank (and if your DM uses feats, you can grab Toughness at 4th level for even more hit points.) Duergar get a bonus to Strength, and they gain innate magical abilities that let them change their size and turn invisible.

I really don't think they will win (tall poppies and all that), but I would understand if they did.

it is just the pure hyper all are more or less variations on one pure idea that I bounce off, all dwarves feel the same.
has anyone made a setting which has as many different settings styles of dwarves in it as variations as that is really the last frontier of dwarves?

 

[CleverNickName]

It's true, all dwarves feel the same. But that's not the weird part.

The weird part is that for dwarves (and dwarves alone), that seems to be a strength. People not only like that about dwarves, they expect it.

 

[Mind of tempest]

It's true, all dwarves feel the same. But that's not the weird part.

The weird part is that for dwarves (and dwarves alone), that seems to be a strength. People not only like that about dwarves, they expect it.

yeah, who is the plays dwarves demographic anyway as I am failing to get who likes them for all being the same?

 

[Vaalingrade]

It's true, all dwarves feel the same. But that's not the weird part.

The weird part is that for dwarves (and dwarves alone), that seems to be a strength. People not only like that about dwarves, they expect it.

That's because the gruff and grumbly Scot is one of the most universally loved shitcks.

Consider the alternatives in the traditional set: racist jerks who the game agrees with or the offspring they have with humans, literally you in a game where you can be anything, actual humans but shorter who are pretty good but people hate that they aren't sociopaths like the others, annoying ripoffs of the short humans who mock science, fifty big, dumb guys.

 

[Tonguez]

yeah, who is the plays dwarves demographic anyway as I am failing to get who likes them for all being the same?

The numbers arent high though, which suggest that they are the median option more than anything ie because of the huge number of options in this list people will downvote things they hate, ignore the meh options and then upvotes will be a bit more random - that random sometimes defaults to dwarf cause dwarfs are kinda iconic and not as meh as everything else

 

[overgeeked]

I still don't get why a bunch of gamers don't know to focus fire.

 

[Mind of tempest]

That's because the gruff and grumbly Scot is one of the most universally loved shitcks.

Consider the alternatives in the traditional set: racist jerks who the game agrees with or the offspring they have with humans, literally you in a game where you can be anything, actual humans but shorter who are pretty good but people hate that they aren't sociopaths like the others, annoying ripoffs of the short humans who mock science, fifty big, dumb guys.

why do you think I have been trying to hammer out an alternative to elves?
personally, I find the dwarves offence towards my father's people, the scots are not the traditional ones in the nation.

 

[CleverNickName]

I've said it before:

There are no other races, there is only Elf.

Wood elf, high elf, sun elf, aquatic elf: elves
Humans, half-elf: proto-elf
Bugbear, goblin, goliath, hobgoblin, kobold, half-orc, orc: war elves
Kenku, Aarakokra: bird elves
Forest gnomes, all halflings: keebler elves
Merfolk, triton: fish elves
Lizardfolk, tortle, yuan-ti: reptile elves
Minotaurs, satyrs, centaurs, firbolgs: barn elves
Leonin, Tabaxi: cat elves
Dwarf, duergar, deep gnomes, rock gnomes: dirt elves
Aasimir, genasi, giths (both), shadar kai, tiefling: space elves
Warforged: mecha-elves

 

[overgeeked]

I've said it before:

"We are the Elves. Resistance is futile."

 

[CleverNickName]

We are eleven days into the contest, and 43 species have been eliminated. My final Survivor thread is just about halfway done, at 43% complete.

The top spot is a two-way tie between the Kobold and the Tabaxi, who have 17 points each. Right behind them are the Chromatic Dragonborn (16 points), the Lightfoot Halfling (15 points), and the Lizardfolk (15 points.)

The option closest to doom is the Eladrin Elf, with only 3 points. Also on the ropes are the Tortle (5 points), the Draconblood Dragonborn (6 points), and all remaining Humans (Mark of Making, Mark of Passage, 6 points each).