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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 27245" data-attributes="member: 94">Dwarven MilitarySince we've all sort of agreed that most dwarves will serve a good portion of their lives in a military capacity. let me ask a question about traditional dwarven weapons.My question is simple: WHY? Why do dwarves gravitate to certain weapons?Hammers-- this is a no brainer, it's a tip of the hat to Morad... err, excuse me, I mean the Forge-Father.Crossbows-- a traditional dwarven weapon. Is it because they are too short to weild longbows properly? Is a crossbow an inherently superior weapon in a narrow tunnel with a low ceiling?Axes-- Why axes? This one continues to stump me. Because dwarves are pragmatic about everything, there must be a reason. It doesn't double as a tool for them, unless we suppose that they are out clear-cutting the mountainsides from time to time. I once suggested two possibilities:1) The axe focuses a great deal of power on a narrow edge. If dwarves are shorter and fighting in tighter quarters-- and with shorter arms-- it may give them a physics advantage over swords.2) I kind of like this one: It requires less metal to craft than a sword. They may have no compunction about clearing a forest to make axe-handles, but they would think twice about their bottom line-- ORE-- when it comes to weapons.Finally, I'd like to ask the group what they think about two weapons that SHOULD be iconic dwarven weapons, but don't seem to have caught on:1) Picks. Again, pragmatism. They're going to spend a lot of time with picks anyway. And yet, when I think of pick fighters, it's usually in the hands of a silly gnome.2) Spears. In a narrow tunnel, where it is impossible to get to the sides or rear, a dwarven spear hedge would be formidable indeed-- especially if the front couple of ranks are immovable dwarven defenders! I very much like the idea of a dwarven military with big blocks of crossbowmen, phalanxes of spearmen at the core, and axe wielding skirmishers throughout.Wulf</blockquote>

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