Dwarven kingdoms

[Tush Hog]

As others have mentioned, the Gold Dwarves of the Forgotten Realms were said to be quite prosperous and expanding.

In Dwarves Deep, they were said to have an army around 200,000-300,000!

a few other places it was mentioned they had taken warfare to a whole different level with their technology.

I always thought this would be a fascinating place to set some adventures.

 

[Mercurius]

I was going to mention Throal - one of the best. Also, check out the dwarven kingdom for the Fighting Fantasy world, Titan. I remember liking that quite a bit. I think the mountain was capped in gold.

Well, thank Tolkien for that.

You mean thank mythology, in particular Norse but European in general.

Interesting question. Why most people force dwarves into the role of a declining species is beyond me. Yes I get Tolkien, but that was then, this is now. Move on.

Again, it isn't only Tolkien, who based his work on Northern European mythology. In fact, JRR said something to the effect that he was trying to create a kind of "ur-mythos" for Europe.

But as for why dwarves are usually in decline, I think it has to do with the common trope (in myths and Tolkien) of the rise of humans and the falling away of the "elder age." This is archeypal stuff, characteristic to a lot of fantasy.

Now you could buck the trend and do something like Dawnforge, when the elder age is just getting under way. Or you could do something in which humans are primitive and elves and dwarves are at their height, and they look down upon--even enslave--humans. Hmmm...that could be very interesting.

 

[DM Howard]

There are several Dwarven kingdoms in the Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting. One has even been taken over and used for slave labor. The demi-humans in that setting seem to be more on par with humans (even if humans are more numerous) and don't take and back talk from anybody.

 

[arnon]

There are the dwarves of Dawnforge (by FFG, anyone remember? ), an old and prosperous culture. But that is generally the way in Dawnforge, it is a setting where all the great nations & empires are forming, before the inevitable decline which many fantasy worlds depict.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

There are the dwarves of Dawnforge (by FFG, anyone remember? ), an old and prosperous culture. But that is generally the way in Dawnforge, it is a setting where all the great nations & empires are forming, before the inevitable decline which many fantasy worlds depict.

FFG produced three great d20 settings with Dawnforge, Midnight, and Dragonstar. All three are on my gaming bucket list.

 

[Lwaxy]

Now I need to check Dragonstar out, the other 2 are among my favs.