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

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like female dwarfs having beards, its a distinct cultural trait that differentiates their biology and beauty standards from Humans. Dwarfs are far more hirsuite than humans being almost furry (I was thinking of making baby dwarfs covered in fur but decided that was a trait of gnomes instead).

I also make Gnomes imc hermaphrodites, most gnomes in a clan will be genderless with only one developing female reproductive organs to become a Clan Matriarch, and around 3-6 developing male reproductive capability as her mates.

Do players play dwarves or gnomes in your game?

 

[Charlaquin]

(The Rankin-Bass Hobbit movie has zero women in it, which is remarkable and raises some real questions about what kind of community Laketown was.)

The fun kind, obviously

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The fun kind, obviously

Dragon Fire Island

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I still think that for the recent Hobbit movies, they should've swapped gender on one or more of the dwarves in the party. It would've been easier than inventing a character from whole cloth.

That's not worldbuilding. That's Tolkein trying to come up with a reason that, yet again, women are largely invisible in his work. (The Rankin-Bass Hobbit movie has zero women in it, which is remarkable and raises some real questions about what kind of community Laketown was.)

"Uh, no, there's female dwarves all over! They, uh, just look pretty much the same as male dwarves!"

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

But honestly, I don't know anyone who actually plays dwarves (as opposed to wielding Lord of the Rings like a weapon) who is passionate about female dwarves having beards.

Do you know who is passionate about the issue?

Male dwarves.

Also? Female dwarves.

Really, when you get right down to it, there are really a lot of players that are pretty passionate too. I mean, I'm on the internet. I've shudder seen the pictures.

 

[Tonguez]

Do players play dwarves or gnomes in your game?

Admittedly I’ve only DM’d one possibly-female dwarf and not many dwarfs generally

yes to gnomes, though generally they're played as male-presenting and well their genitalia tend to be absent from play.

Plus my gnomes differ from D&D standard and look more like this

 

[Weiley31]

raises some real questions about what kin

Well for starters, I hear it's a GREAT place to pick up dragon chicks!

 

[MGibster]

But honestly, I don't know anyone who actually plays dwarves (as opposed to wielding Lord of the Rings like a weapon) who is passionate about female dwarves having beards.

I don't either. The one time I ran an all dwarf campaign the women donned fake bears so they could seize the government offices.

 

[Iry]

Everyone knows dwarves have no gender. They craft their own offspring with care and love over several years, requiring a DC 20 stonecarving check. It's rude to even ask a dwarf about that kind of thing.

 

[S'mon]

So after getting the Wildemount book I decided to read summaries of past Critical Role episodes. In the course of this I've discovered that in the world of Exandria it is apparently the norm for female dwarves to grow beards, which I'll admit is a detail I'm not a fan of. Personally I preferred the 4E take, where female dwarves often had very long and ornate hair styles. It also kind of bothers me that the short and stocky race is the only one whose females are bearded by default.

Out of curiosity, how do you all feel about this topic?

IMCs older married female dwarves grow beards, it's a sign of maturity. Berronar is always depicted with a beard. Unmarried female dwarves don't have beards - either they aren't old enough to grow them yet (all those 4e-era-art dwarf-maids would fall into that category), or they depilate.

There's a dwarf female Cleric (female player) Dagny Glintshield in my Princes of the Apocalypse Campaign. She's beardless, and it'd be rude to ask her age.