Dwarves

I particularly like dwarves for the traits usually associated with the race as a whole, not individuals. So forget the comedy relief shit, the Dwarven race is a proud race of miners and blacksmiths that work the finest metals known in the world, have underground agriculture and a strong sense of scale and grandness. They're the best architects, the most skillful metalworkers and the greediest bastards below earth. Their need for military, as they always have few men defending too many tunnels from too many critters, makes even their commoners have need for self-defense.

All in all, they're great.

From a DMs perspective they're a fun opportunity to make a useful people for the campaign. Theyre usually a very productive race that works hard but still enjoys merry-making, which tends to make them admirable as well as relatable, unlike elves. They're skilled craftsmen, which will make the players like them if they need stuff made. Theyre hardy, stubborn, industrious, and versatile. This means that you can have a settlement of them virtually anywhere, no matter how hostile. Since players like having cool stuff made for them, theyre immediately invested in the dwarves, you can make a whole session of just getting to where the dwarves are.

>When did you realize the reason dwarves are so popular amongst neckbeards is because they are essentially power fantasy for fat people?
Somewhere between Now and No

I'm just going this bit from user
>usually a very productive race that works hard but still enjoys merry-making.
To me they are very laid back and try to enjoy the world while they can while also building some very neat shit along the way.

I like Dwarves because out of all the common races they have the most established and develop culture and aesthetic.

Dem geometric patterns and shapes bruh

Fantasy dwarves are based on Tolkien's dwarves which were pretty much just dwarves from norse mythology. Giving them old norse names is fitting in a sense. Tolkien didn't even come up with most of their names by himself.

Dorfs are Scottish geologist manlets. What's not to like?

>which were pretty much just dwarves from norse mythology
Look, I get it. It's all edgy and cool to be contrarian and say how Tolkien actually copied everything from x and y but please keep your claims at least somewhat honest.

Tolkien's dwarves only share names, and a vaguely similar origin (if you don't follow Völuspá) with Norse dwarves. The actual characteristics that we associate with dwarves come from other sources.

>built as fuck
>can build shit
>engineers
>are socially capable
>not fat
>succesfull at life

>neckbeard power fantasy

They make awesome not!russians, down to the chronic cultural alcoholism.

Also:
youtube.com/watch?v=ngR8ntp9M60

I noticed this pretty early on when I first came here years ago. People here always bitch about elves but have no problem with playing Gimli over and over and over and over again.

Opens the playing field up to engineering fuckery, and in general I personally love the idea of exploring crazy labyrinthine spaces made by drunken fuckers in between fighting and crafting things.

Bonus goes to the fact that you never know what they did to either die off or cloister in their advanced dungeon dad abodes.

When did you realize you were fucking GAY?

>fat people
Hairy manlets sure.
Viking-boos sure.

Dnd, and gaming in general, has never glorified fat people.

I always liked that they were about human vices.

Stubborn, clannish, greedy.

They're a collection of faults and failings. By far the most "human" of the fantasy races.

As a full Dwarfaboo, let me explain.

First thing that drew me to the Dwarves, specifically in Lord of the Rings and Warhammer Fantasy Battles, was there love of tradition. This runs from the various craftsmen professions and trades, familial obligations, and political influences. A very ordered society with little in fighting. But it can be deceptive. With all of this adherence to tradition, one might think that progress is looked down upon. While this can be the case, innovation is never wholly ruled out but it must be approached slowly. The best place to see if this is in the WHFB Dwarves' Engineer Guild.

Second; HONOR
When a Dwarf makes a promise, they keep that promise even if it kills them. Especially if it kills them. But this honor is not just what the Dwarves swears to, but the grievances inflicted upon on them. The Dwarven sense of justice is one that I really enjoy; balancing of the scales. Blood for blood, materiel for materiel, etc. I would say Dwarves adhere to the saying 'Don't get mad, get even.' but Dwarves absolutely get mad. So its more like 'Get mad, then get even.' I really like that.

Third; attention to detail
Dwarves are always the best craftsmen in the setting. This goes beyond the weapons, holds, and armor. While all of these are made with the love and care one would expect from Master tradesmen with matching quality, it isn't what really hooks me. Its the little things. From the pipes and steins that the Dwarves pass down through the generations, the chairs and nicknacks around their home.

Last; Family
Families, immediate and extended, are extremely important. These social groups will stand together far beyond when other species will splinter. I've never heard of a Dwarven hold being betrayed from within or a Dwarf Spy betraying their own.

Dwarves aren't the only race I play, but they are the ones I play the most.

Dwarves work because they can be wish fullfillment for many groups of people. Neckbeards who want to imagine themselves as manly, hardworking and boorish are just one

All races are power fantasy for multiple groups of people. What's the point?

Eighth grade swim meet.

Should've been

"Eight grade swim meat". Come on.

If dwarves are power fantasy fat people and manlets what does that make Elves? Power fantasy lanklets?

you know, it has recently dawned on me.

Every setting has different elves, but there should be something in common. Something that unifies them as elves.

And, as said, dwarves are collections of human vices. Elves too, but the important distinction is that dwarves should be likeable despite those vices. So, elves' main trait, the one that holds true despite all stting differences, is that they should be unlikeable.

It's simple, really. It doesn't matter if it's "snobbish cunts who ruined the world", "hicks living in woods" or "literally nazis", the main trait of elves should be thelack of relatability. This is why fae elves are popular - they're unlikeable. Elves are people made to prove wrong, to trample upon, This is their place in proper fantasy and this is their diverse race's unifying characteristic.

bump

that half orc speaks to me on a spiritual level

Reminds me of this.

>are socially capable
>dwarves
kek

...

After spending time on Veeky Forums.

Tell me though, does that have anything to do with Tolkein's elves, which set many of the modern trends, due to the books popularity? Because I don't see it. Legolas in the books was a bit arrogant, but was useful to the team, had a good relationship with Gimli, at least over time, and was generally useful. What you're talking about seems specifically just Veeky Forums meme elves. What I find is that when you do all the things you're talking about, make them just generally not enjoyable, people don't enjoy them. And what that leads to is people wanting to remove them from future games because they bring the mood down. This assessment comes from interactions with people who have actually done this because of the traits you described. So congratulations, you ruined a part of the standard fantasy setting.

>Legolas in the books was a bit arrogant, but was useful to the team, had a good relationship with Gimli, at least over time, and was generally useful
This is what I think is mostly happening. They are aloof, maybe even for good reasons that they don't open up to the less long-lived races so easily, but they can be loyal friends and allies if you give them some time. This is usually called a character flaw and fantasy races should have these.

And there is really nothing stopping anyone from making unsympathic stubborn, xenophobic, vengeful and constantly drunken dwarves.

>And there is really nothing stopping anyone from making unsympathic stubborn, xenophobic, vengeful and constantly drunken dwarves.
Yeah, it's fine, but reflecting on personal experience, looking at my time playing Skyrim, it was fun to face off against the Thalmor, and take those arrogant assholes down a peg, but what that did, their eternally arrogant attitude, their antagonistic policies, and their visual ugliness, made me less likely to pick them in character creation, or be able to sink into that role. Ultimately, if you're going to make a group the default enemies, it's fine, but that's better reserved for creatures less encouraged for players o choose, the standard evil races. The ones that players need to be able to slip into need to have some redeeming qualities, and be ultimately somewhat endearing, at least to some people.

The elf-hate meme seemed to get more popular as Skyrim came out.

Considering the Thalmor went full jackass in that game its not a surprise.

Would still be retarded to extend that hatred to every elf of every setting.

I like beer, and have made a few batches myself.

I like mad science, and between Warhammer/Dwarf Fortress dwarves really embody that sense of "we built it because we could"

I'm greedy in the same way as dwarfs. Not in the sense of taking more than my fair share, but just being able to run poker chips and cardboard coins through my fingers is satisfying.

Unfortunately I'm clean-shaven, but that's because I look pretty gnarly crossing the hump from baby-face to decent beard.

I actually like dwarves because they're the main source of over the top fortifications and fine adventuring gear (fuck the elves and anything elven).
They're also generally depicted as having a rather tight society based on trade and industry, which means they're generally far more realistic than 99% of non human societies in fantasy.

Do you remember when skyrim came out? Half of the meme shit that sprouted from it was retarded, hell the internet almost shot itself to death from all the arrow to the knee jokes.

It's a big picture thing, less a details thing. Svartalfs (what's the plural?) were subterranean, and made beautiful and powerful things (Fenrir's leash, Freya's hair? Or whose hair was it? A lot of female Aesir and Vanir jewellery), and were a race apart and older than mortal man in the ordered creation of the cosmos. Tolkien was a genius, but the general structure of his dwarves is definitely Scandinavian. Honestly, I'd say his focus on reiterating European folklore was why his work was so strong.

> I've never heard of a Dwarven hold being betrayed from within or a Dwarf Spy betraying their own.

I've just realised how to make the scummiest dwarf ever. A true reviled villain to all of dwarfkind.

I've always been fascinated with blacksmithing and weaponcraft when I was a kid. In nearly every established setting with dwarves, they were fantastic craftsmen, so I was kind of drawn to them. It was also the beards. I'd grow a beard like that if I could.

>tfw I've only met one player in my life that wanted to play a dwarf even once
>tfw everyone I DM for wants to be a CN elf asshole

I like the typical portrayal of Dwarven architecture being sturdy and highly ordered, and how they themselves tend to be of similar disposition. It's also something about short, stocky, hairy humanoids, though I don't really know why.

>It's also something about short, stocky, hairy humanoids, though I don't really know why
It's your neanderthal genes sensing kindred spirits

Don't suppose you're running an online game? I'd love to play good ole LN/LG Dwarf.

>implying knife ears are pussies
say that to my face not online see what happens

You apparently are for making your post about elves when there was no need for it.

I hate dwarves.

youtube.com/watch?v=2vlsdk_UwN0

If you're still here, user, I want you to have this.

Muh superior race fags. Maybe Nazis.

As someone who thinks warhammer dwarves are best dwarves, what makes me love them the most, apart from the cosy mountain dwellings and their general aesthetic, is how fucking seriously they take themselves and how stubborn they are.

Diplomacy just goes straight out the window with dwarves, it's just "fuck you, we have a grudge." The lore that backs them with this in mind is always fun and comical. When you look at the reasons for other races being at war they always make sense, but with dwarves it's literally because some people who are a part of this race wronged them thousands of years ago.

>dwarfaboos think these are good insults
>The Pointlessly Tall

>implying it didn't make you laugh

"The Pointlessly Tall" always makes me laugh, but not for reasons that a dwarf would like.

day 1 on tg

They're literally Jews: the fantasy race.

I really liked the comic where two clans are at the brink of war when the two patriarchs are arguing and then realize that they don't remember who started the conflict in the first place. Just after they reconcile and decide to live in peace, a book of grudges falls on them, killing them both and their families argue over who conceded the fight first, starting the conflict anew. I wish I had all those comics still.

And to all of the above I have the following:

So What?

Any argument against something trivial like a favorite race or class is just another BadWrongFun argument. Pointless.

Besides, Dwarves are hardly the most offensive. We could have a regular Chakats thread.

Shut up & get raped already. Those Goblins are horny.

Not just fat people. Fat, ugly bearded people. It also explains why Veeky Forums hates elves: they're tall, slim and attractive.

Dwarfs are awesome because they are the bluecollar dudes of the fantasy genre.

Hardworking, dependable, craftsmen, honourable, prideful.

As a productive member of Society what's not to love about dwarfs?

Dwarf players are either the smelly, unkempt autist you wouldn't leave your children with, or the most chill guy at the table.

Female Dwarf players are usually legbeards though

They're a race of hairy thick men. Dwarves and half-orcs are my favourite for this reason.

They're ugly manlets. Dwarves are just there for comic relief these days thanks to Peter Jackson.

Dwarfs are far from just comic relief, even if they do have an aspect of that with regards to their height and stubborness.

Dwarfs offer some very unique RP opportunities that are not often exploited because everyone is so hellbent on making their character Mary Sues.

Dwarfs are the one race that can be chill most of the time and take a backseat in campaign, and then have bursts of stubborn emotion in a way that doesn't feel contrived or ham fisted.

They are the wildcard character that can do interesting things without the rest of the group going "Sigh, user's just trying to fuck around for the sake of it again".

>scrawny
>fragile
>fugly weak

No he LITERALLY copied most of the dwarven names from old norse myth.

> Hairy
> Broad, coarse features
> Skilled with metalworking and jewelry
> Knows the value of gold, family, and tradition
> Will murder you with an axe if the situation calls for it

You may be on to something there.

Underrated post, on an unrelated note, I live in The Black Country, which was the place that inspired Mordor.

I wish i was joking.

The Thalmor are basically the High Elves' NSA, so of course they are dislikeable.

If you say they alone made you dislike all elves seems strange to me.
Oh, by the way, you completely ignored the wood elves and dark elves there. Aaaand the fact that orcs or Orismer are technically elves as well. As are the dwarves, or dwemer.

Your post made me hard. Also explains why dwarves tend to get on well with my favorite race (Dragonborn) when you consider that DB are essentially what Sangheili would be if they existed in high fantasy.

10/10 post user, would do a dwarf/DB buddy cop dynamic with you in game

It just rustles my jimmies.

I dunno man, I like vikings but I'm extremely disinterested in dwarves in general.

Going inna mines and building a whole world underground, other than that, they're probably on the absolute bottom of the list of races I'd pick for a player character.

I'd play a dwarf for you.

Svarstad?

This, I haa friend who loved viking shit and despised glorious Roman empire even if he's Italian. He also liked random humor and found coll and funny stuff like beards and drinking. Guess what, all of his characters were barbarian dwarves. He was also tall and good looking, so I never understood why his power fantasy was being a manlet

Now I hate those shitty manlets even more. Fucking ideologies

There is a very rustic freedom in vikings that echoes with alot of people

White people are all savages at heart

>Italian
>white

Tolkiens schtick was writing mythic cycles based on European mythology. He didn't copy it in a pejorative sense, he used the folklore as a basis for the stories he created.

>Fantasy dwarves are based on Tolkien's dwarves
Correction, fantasy dwarves are based on Gimli. If Gimli liked doing something dwarves now like it. It's the same as the Star Wars fandom tendency to go 'someone did that thing in the film and they were race X, therefore race X does that thing'.

You forgot the manlet part, also their women are always either obscured or like half-blokeish with beards.

I don't really see how this is a problem though?

Tolkiens dwarves are pretty much jews.