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

[Maxperson]

and there's a not-small percentage of the human population that's pretty sure dwarves and elves are the males and females of the same species.

That would explain why they fight so much.

 

[see]

There are lots of images of female dwarves in various sources but I can't think of one image in an official published book that showed a female dwarf with a beard.

Demihuman Deities, pages 6, 7, 51, 79, and 83.

 

[HammerMan]

The bearded female dwarf is from Tolkien and D&D brought that over early on. That said, even if dwarven females have beards, a female player of a female dwarf could have hers be beardless. There's no good reason not to make that exception. Even Tolkien made an exception. Elves in Middle Earth are beardless. All of them. Well, except for that one guy, Cirdan. He's the one elf with a beard. Apparently one of Tolkien's players wanted to be different.

listen to women... if they say they don't want it, don't do it.

 

[Oofta]

Demihuman Deities, pages 6, 7, 51, 79, and 83.

That was published a couple of decades ago, I haven't looked at it in a long time. You are correct though, it's an FR specific book that shows some of the female dwarven clerics with beards. What's odd is that I double check my old Complete Book of Dwarves, no beards. Same with 3.5 PHB and onward, no beards.

Given that there aren't many images of female dwarves in older edition books, I agree there is one image in a book dedicated to deities printed in the late 90s that few people currently playing the game have ever seen. All the rest that I can find? Not a whisker to be found. Meanwhile, female dwarves in my games will continue to look something like:

 

[Maxperson]

listen to women... if they say they don't want it, don't do it.

Show me the stats that 100% or even 50% of women don't want it. I await objective proof with the hard numbers.

In the mean time, my female dwarves will continue to have bears and if a women plays in my game, decides to play a dwarf, and wants that changed I'll change it for her specific PC like I said in the post you quoted.

 

[HammerMan]

Show me the stats that 100% or even 50% of women don't want it. I await objective proof with the hard numbers.

no, I have 0 reason to make a survey. You are acting like we shouldn't listen. I'm glad you don't work at WotC.

In the mean time, my female dwarves will continue to have bears and if a women plays in my game, decides to play a dwarf, and wants that changed I'll change it for her specific PC like I said in the post you quoted.

because you see nothing wrong with making half the player base have to ask to play an exception for a basic race.

what does default beard/no beard matter to YOU?

 

[Oofta]

Show me the stats that 100% or even 50% of women don't want it. I await objective proof with the hard numbers.

In the mean time, my female dwarves will continue to have bears and if a women plays in my game, decides to play a dwarf, and wants that changed I'll change it for her specific PC like I said in the post you quoted.

Well, I did a thorough and scientifically accurate poll and 100% of the women I surveyed said "No" while threatening to make me sleep on the couch or "What the **** are you talking about?". Admittedly a poll size of 2 is a bit on the small side, but I stand by my conclusion.

 

[Maxperson]

no, I have 0 reason to make a survey.

I asked you to show proof of your hard claim about what the facts are. This response tells me that you're making unsubstantiated claims that are based on anecdotal evidence, not objective proof.

You are acting like we shouldn't listen.

Listen = don't listen. Got it.

what does default beard/no beard matter to YOU?

My races are patterned after Tolkien. For example, my elves have been tall since 1e, not short like D&D made them. Dwarves of both genders have beards. Halflings are like hobbits. Very, very few go adventuring.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, I did a thorough and scientifically accurate poll and 100% of the women I surveyed said "No" while threatening to make me sleep on the couch or "What the **** are you talking about?". Admittedly a poll size of 2 is a bit on the small side, but I stand by my conclusion.

When we have a super big argument, my wife goes to sleep on the couch. I've tried to tell her I'll go, but the couch is super comfy to sleep on so she insists.

 

[BrokenTwin]

I honestly don't understand why it's a big deal. Saying "dwarven women traditionally grow beards" does not in any way prevent a player from saying "my dwarven woman goes clean-shaven". It's not like I'm saying all dwarven women have a third ear growing in the middle of their forehead. The player don't need to beg and plead to be able to decide how their character grooms themselves. It's hair. And adventurers are usually assumed to break the traditional mold to begin with.
If anything, I would assume that offering both bearded and unbearded dwarven women as normal and the default assumption would be the more inclusive option.