D&D 5E Dwarves Could Use A Rethink

[Don Durito]

Only that those pictures have basically been posted before

Those are basically the same types of armor as this is art belongs to the same game. Only the helmet is different because it shows lords and heroes and not rank and file troops (but you can find those models in the game too).

And some of the D&D art is not far of in design, just lower quality (especially the guy on the right)

Yes. Those are the rather ridiculous ones that were posted before yes. And the D&D one's are equally ridiculous.

None of them look like something you would see in history. The dwarf with the helmet wings wouldn't be so bad without the helmet wings, but he does have helmet wings (and a ridiculous fantasy warhammer).

Of the D&D ones, only the one of the left looks close to something you might see in history although the shoulder spikes ruin it (and his pick is impractically heavy).

The original point was that Warhammer was much more realistic than 4e D&D. And on the face of what we've seen so far, no. Neither is remotely in touch with realism.

But god knows I don't really care, that's just based on the evidence of what people have posted so far.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I also like how we assume armor built for a different species of legendary smiths would look like Earth human armor.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I also like how we assume armor built for a different species of legendary smiths would look like Earth human armor.

it likely has some overlap as metal has only so many properties and there are only so many ways to skin a cat.

 

[Ixal]

it likely has some overlap as metal has only so many properties and there are only so many ways to skin a cat.

Some yes.
But for example dwarves are short compared to most other races, so it would for example make sense that they focus more on upper body armor than lower body.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A leg sweep is still a leg sweep, even on a Dwarf. Ditto an injury to the femoral artery or groin.

 

[Vaalingrade]

A leg sweep is still a leg sweep, even on a Dwarf. Ditto an injury to the femoral artery or groin.

It's really hard to land on a stubby boy though.

And again, cool art IMO is more important than historical accuracy in a thing that didn't exist in history.

 

[Don Durito]

Perhaps. But that is subjective. I find that art looks cooler if it also looks functional. I just find it hard to be excited by fantasy characters that are wearing armour and wielding weapons that look like some combination of painted cosplay cardboard and polystyrene.

But I don't actually expect D&D to look realistic.

 

[Yaarel]

That article may not be a scholarly source, but it is pretty closely aligned with scholarly thinking on the matter of dwarves - they are almost certainly the same beings referred to as svartalfar by Snori Sturluson (and seemingly only by Snori Sturluson). And they were probably not short. The scholar I consulted with for my reenactment work referred to the idea of short dwarves derisively as “Tolkien Stuff,” and when I asked him what I should say if asked what they did look like, he had a long think and then hesitantly said “like… dead people?” which makes sense to me, given that they live underground, which is also where hel is. And it jibes with the general ancient world conflation of hidden folk and ghosts. Maybe that’s the angle to take - tie them to the shadowdark.

Huh. The dvergar arent actually dead, but they do look like dead people, are often in deathlike trances, and are known for their destructive curses, unsuccessful fates.

An affinity for the Shadow Plane and its Negative Energy influence, kinda works.

Oh. And yeah, normal human sizes.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Interesting - I'm thinking of duergar kingdoms with links to shadow plane now. More surprises (mwahahahahaha)

 

[Casimir Liber]

Also - for alternate ideas on dwarves - I recall RuneQuest Mostali - for instance see here and here. So. One idea is to tie them more intimately to Elemental Plane of Earth and then have Clay Dwarves (say, hill dwarves), Rock Dwarves etc.

PS: loved RuneQuest lore (monsters, deities etc.) - was really refreshing, original and different to DnD. Sad I didn't get to play it more in the 80s but oh well....