D&D 5E Dwarves Could Use A Rethink

[Yaarel]

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....

The dvergar are notable formations and patterns in rock, including veins of metal. They are the earth element.

They also relate to water. They inhabit both stone and mud. An extensive description of a dvergar family, has each one shapeshifting into water animals to swim in the water, including salmon, otter, and even the serpent Fafnir relates to a snake that can swim. So, the water element.

But the dvergar are also fey, relating to fate, cursing with bad luck, for an unsuccessful fate.

From a D&D perspective, I dont mind the "Negative Energy" of a curse, relating to the Shadowfell, opposite the "Positive Energy" blessing, relating to the Feywild.

 

[Yaarel]

Among the North European traditions, there are at least two kinds of dwarves, the Norse dvergar and the Germanic dweorgas.

The Germanic one is in Saxon areas of Germany, and Anglo-Saxon areas of Britain. Here for this one, the term "dweorgas" is the plural of Old English dweorg.

The Norse dvergar appears to be normal human size. The Germanic dweorgas appears to be short, perhaps about hip-high to an average height human, or perhaps about knee-high.

A late Norse legendary saga translates German heroic texts into Old Norse around 1300. It takes place in Germany, relating to the life of Thidrekr (Theodoric the Great who lived around 500). It mentions an encounter with the German dwarf Alfrikr (Alberich), reacting to his small size. This Germanic dweorgas is the very first reference to a short dwarf in Norse texts.

British texts include Anglo-Saxon marginal glosses using the term dweorh to translate terms like Latin nanus, evidencing how the Germanic dwarf is short. Hence, the English term "dwarf" also comes to mean small.

By contrast, earlier, native, Norse texts, describe the dvergar as having the body of a "giant" (thurs), where most giants are human size, despite individuals that can grow indefinitely larger.

The Dvergatal identifies Regin as a dvergar. Viking Era carvings about 1000, and Post-Viking Era about 1300, visually depict Regin as the same size as the human he interacts with.

The overall assessment is, different localities have different views about what a dwarf is, and what an elf is. Generally, the Norse dvergar is human size, and the Germanic dweorgas is short.

 

[Casimir Liber]

The dvergar are notable formations and patterns in rock, including veins of metal. They are the earth element.

They also relate to water. They inhabit both stone and mud. An extensive description of a dvergar family, has each one shapeshifting into water animals to swim in the water, including salmon, otter, and even the serpent Fafnir relates to a snake that can swim. So, the water element.

But the dvergar are also fey, relating to fate, cursing with bad luck, for an unsuccessful fate.

From a D&D perspective, I dont mind the "Negative Energy" of a curse, relating to the Shadowfell, opposite the "Positive Energy" blessing, relating to the Feywild.

Heh cool, duergar making a link with a water patron/deity (let's say olhydra) to assist with tunnelling and mining....could make for some nasty surprises in a duergar lair or army...(chuckles fiendlishly)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Heh cool, duergar making a link with a water patron/deity (let's say olhydra) to assist with tunnelling and mining....could make for some nasty surprises in a duergar lair or army...(chuckles fiendlishly)

“Does anyone else hear the sound of rushing water?”

 

[Eubani]

Why is that it seems all fantasy settings show Dwarven societies / kingdoms in decline? Show them at a height or ascending in itself would be a change that could make Dwarves more interesting to play or as part of a setting.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh cool, duergar making a link with a water patron/deity (let's say olhydra) to assist with tunnelling and mining....could make for some nasty surprises in a duergar lair or army...(chuckles fiendlishly)

I love the watery surprises. The dvergar might even be some of those watery creatures.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Why is that it seems all fantasy settings show Dwarven societies / kingdoms in decline? Show them at a height or ascending in itself would be a change that could make Dwarves more interesting to play or as part of a setting.

You’re not wrong, but I bet part of it is to keep the rise & current dominance of humans at the center of most FRPG settings.

You could have a fascinating setting in which Elves and Dwarves are in the same relative positions as the declining Spanish empire and rising British empire. Or Romans Vs Carthaginians. Or Persians & Greeks. Etc.

After all, Elvish empires of the past are mentioned in many settings as well.

But then you have to account for why humans matter. Where do they fit? Because your human players are going to want to know.*






* IME, humans are the one race you can guarantee whose absence will kill a campaign.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You’re not wrong, but I bet part of it is to keep the rise & current dominance of humans at the center of most FRPG settings.

You could have a fascinating setting in which Elves and Darves are in the same relative positions as the declining Spanish empire and rising British empire. Or Romans Vs Carthaginians. Or Persians & Greeks. Etc.

After all, Elvish empires of the past are mentioned in many settings as well.

But then you have to account for why humans matter. Where do they fit? Because your human players are going to want to know.*






* IME, humans are the one race you can guarantee whose absence will kill a campaign.

IME no one needs humans to be dominant in order to play them.

 

[Yaarel]

But then you have to account for why humans matter. Where do they fit? Because your human players are going to want to know.

I view elves and dwarves as creatures of fate. They know that the fate of the universe actually revolves around humans, but the fates cant understand why. So they maintain endless curiosity about humans trying to figure it out.