D&D General Should Bearded Female Dwarves be the Default?

[Charlaquin]

But according to the lore orcs are also magically fertile. Which means they can be a separate species as well.

Exactly. The existence of Magic completely throws a wrench in any definition of species based on real-life genetics. We don’t even know for certain that there is such thing as genes in D&D, so there’s no sense trying to apply a geneticist understanding of species there. But, species are a closer analogue for the relationship (or, lack of relationship) between humans and orcs than race, based on how those words are typically used.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh! I didn't know that. Then yes, that would be true as well.

Yup, Elves and Orcs are magical beings of Chaos. Not bound by species distinction...

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

The 5E Monster Manual actually does use a Dwarf-Orc hybrid as an example of a non-Human Half-Orc. Half-Orcs are half Orc, not Human-Orc hubrids. The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount also discusses Dwarf-Elf children, and Half-Elves of non-Human heritage I'm general.

Where does the Monster Manual discuss dwarf-orc hybrids? I've read the book like 5 times and never came across that. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Weiley31]

All I know is that I read a thing online that explained the reason Dragons can breed with species like humans and such(how else ya get half-dragons?) Is that the reproductive system of dragons are similar to the humanoid/human species.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

(how else ya get half-dragons?)

(Not really important to the thread, but rituals and dragonblood can create half-dragons without breeding necessary, but half dragons aren't fertile, IIRC)

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Is that the reproductive system of dragons are similar to the humanoid/human species.

The most common ways that dragons breed with humanoid species is by their Shape Change abilities that let them change their anatomy, so this is normally how they are created. How the genetics of something like this works is not clear and probably shouldn't have an answer, but they could just use the explanation of "magic, I guess" and call it good.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think its pretty clear that genetics just straight-up don’t work the same way in D&D as they do in real life. Genes probably aren’t even a thing in D&D.

 

[Parmandur]

Where does the Monster Manual discuss dwarf-orc hybrids? I've read the book like 5 times and never came across that. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Certainly, Monster Manual, page 245, emphasis added:

"Orc Crossbreeds. Luthic, the orc goddess of fertility and wife of Gruumsh, demands that orcs procreate often and indiscriminately so that orc hordes swell generation after generation. The orcs' drive to reproduce runs stronger than any other humanoid race, and they readily Crossbreeds with other races. When an orc procreates with a non-orc humanoid of similar size and stature (such as a human or a dwarf), the resulting child is either an orc or a half-orc. When an orc produces young with an ogre, the child is a half-ogre of intimidating strength and brutish features called an ogrillon."

So, when making a Half-Orc, any humanoid parent is viable, with dwarves singled out as an example.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Certainly, Monster Manual, page 245, emphasis added:

"Orc Crossbreeds. Luthic, the orc goddess of fertility and wife of Gruumsh, demands that orcs procreate often and indiscriminately so that orc hordes swell generation after generation. The orcs' drive to reproduce runs stronger than any other humanoid race, and they readily Crossbreeds with other races. When an orc procreates with a non-orc humanoid of similar size and stature (such as a human or a dwarf), the resulting child is either an orc or a half-orc. When an orc produces young with an ogre, the child is a half-ogre of intimidating strength and brutish features called an ogrillon."

So, when making a Half-Orc, any humanoid parent is viable, with dwarves singled out as an example.

Ah, I must've forgot about that. They probably should've put that information in the Half-Orc section of the PHB instead of the Monster Manual. How many players have the monster manual?

 

[Parmandur]

Ah, I must've forgot about that. They probably should've put that information in the Half-Orc section of the PHB instead of the Monster Manual. How many players have the monster manual?

Yeah, it's not the most upfront thing, but the lore is there.