How to play Dwarves?

[sjanimal]

Elves.  I've played a few elves in my time.  I'd like to think I'm good at them.  You play kinda like a human, but more paranoid, tribal and larcenous.  It's more complicated than that, but I'd like to think I can slip into the elven mindset when called to.

Halfevles.  I can do halfelves.  Loners by nurture...seeking to find someplace where they fit in -- the kind of people that get along better with animals than people.  I think I can play a passable halfelf.

Humans.  Well hopefully I can play a human okay.  I am human, right? (we hope)

But dwarves...I just don't get dwarves.  I want to.  I've tried to figure them out.  When I look to other people, they seem to play their dwarves as really gruff and dour.  I'm not convinced this is fantastic role playing.  To me it seems like they're just trying to be Gimli from the Lord of the Rings.  No, I'm not calling it bad role playing.  Play yer character like you want to.

But it still leaves me with the question -- how do you play a dwarf?  I'm curious if there are any experienced players that can share their thoughts about dwarves with me.  

Also, how do you write an objective?  Like what is a good versus a bad objective?  Don't quote the Docs to me.  I've read the Docs.  I want to know, how do you think of a good objective for a dwarf?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[Cuusardo]

Have you talked to any of the Helpers?  Chances are they can give you some great advice.

[Agent_137]

Damn, I just realized I haven't made a dwarf PC yet. I'll have to get on that. Maybe not my next PC, but the one after.

I have this odd love-hate relationship with my current char. He's fun, but there's a bunch of other concepts I want to play . . .I think he came at the wrong time for me. Poor guy. Maybe I'll store him.

Oh, right, dwarves, how to play a dwarf. Hm....Focus . . .

I don't think dwarves have to be dour and anal. I've meet cheery dwarves and I thought they were done especially well. I think, personality and focus will intermingle and feed off each other. But I think the personality is really the base. It not only affects what focus is chosen, but also how the dwarf goes about attaining that focus. So write up your personality, then pick a focus that personality would pick.

Or, chose a focus you want, and think about what kind of personalities would have that focus. Then pick one of those and flesh it out more.

[jhunter]

It's all about focus. -Everything- needs to be considered in how it affects your focus. Personality is always up to the player of course.

[Sandstorm Phoenix]

You're gonna laugh at me, but I think the reason dwarf PCs seem so gruff and dour has more to do with the general lack of female dwarf PCs than it does with Gimli.   At least that's my theory based on the grand experience of having known and interacted with 2 whole dwarf PCs in three or four years on Arm.

The happy, socially well-adjusted dwarf never talked about sex, finding wimminfolk, settling down, or tried to hit on non-dwarven women.

The grumpy, sour dwarf was all the time trying to get someone, anyone to sex him up.  Rarely ever worked for him.  He stayed pissed off, it seems.

I've been toying with the idea of having my next PC be dwarven, so I'm glad you started this thread.  Sorry I don't have anything to add to it, but I'll be watching it eagerly.

[Dan]

I try not to just pull a focus out of a hat, if you will.

What is the drawfs guild, subguild, and backgroud going to be? Try to write down the characters life changing events and possibly a timeline of set and already accomplished goals, then you can make a focus to jump into the game with. Works for me. Also, I try to more or less ignore people unless there is some way they will help me with my focus.

Also, it is possible to stray from your focus for a time, only to the point where straying from your focus doesn't damage its progression towards completion. Like getting drunk every now and then, so long as it doesn't hurt the focus, dwarves aren't little machines.

[Rhyden]

Alright, sjanimal, I've played a fair number of dwarves in my experience, I think I'm pretty good at it...

During my time playing a dwarf (this could be utterly wrong), I usualy try to make them really stubborn and rude, of course this can alter with the type of dwarf you're playing...it makes sense...these are wee guys who look slightly 'off' compared to most of the other humanoids in civilization (height + hairless) and probably get teased and mocked by the taller people all the time. For whatever reason, they have a right to be pissed off for some reason.

When I have dwarves, they tend to like ale, a lot. They usually keep their obsidian stored up, erm, when I try to be rude...it just means if somebody tells me 'hello', I may reply with a 'feck off, long-shanks', if they're in a bad mood. It could be an: 'If yer not buyin' me an ale, ye can feck off' if they're in a good mood (once again, this varies with your dwarf).

(I mainly try to base my dwarves off LOTR and Trollslayer, for those who've read these books)

Whatever dwarf you play...try to act as a bit pissed off, even for the simple reason that most custom things in Zalanthas are made for the taller species. Try to be rude (to a certain extent) and be...dwarvish!

:!: Whatever your dwarf, try to play them with your own way!

-Rhyden

[Dan]

That was a joke, right?

[Fnord]

Everything you think, say, or do is "checked" by your focus. To keep it simple,  basically everything a dwarf experiences should be considered a help, hindrance, or irrelevant towards their focus. Elaborate as you wish beyond that, but those are the basics as I see them.

With that in mind my next dwarf's focus will be to become the first dwarven Borsail noble. He mul you long time. :twisted:

Edit... oh yeah. Age. Dwarves live a long ass tme. They are likely to pursue their focus more slowly and surely than say an ambitious human.

[Agent_137]

I couldn't disagree with Rhyden more. Let's not cookie-cutter the typical fantasy bitter dwarf with a beard who swings an axe or a hammer and drinks a lot of ale. Thanks.

Do what Dan said. Put some thought into a real personality. Dwarves can be happy and kind. Dwarves can be social. Dwarves can be silent Dwarves can be lots of things. Their personalities vary as much as any other race, except they've got the whole focus thing going for them.

[SRB]

The focus itself is what has kept me from trying out a dwarf thus far in my time here.

Perhaps soon I will try one, to get the feel for it. They seem like a blast.  

[Xygax]

Yeah, I think it's a good idea to let go of Tolkien concepts when playing Arm.  Our dwarves are not necessarily gruff and unfriendly alcoholics.

In fact, a dwarf is as likely to be uncharacteristically NICE as he is to be gruff, if he think you're capable of helping him achieve his goals.  The Tolkien style dwarf may lead you to a very one-dimensional life which may not be very interesting, also.

- X

[Canadian Beaver]

I've only had one dwarf, but he was a blast. Dwarves are great because they always have their focus to work on. Other types of chars can tend to get boring after awhile and stale. Anyways, as others have said before, I think the only thing to really consider when playing a dwarf is their focus. Having friends and allies can greatly help a focus, or possibly hinder it. Every dwarf is different due to their varying focus.

[Bogre]

If dwarves are being gruff towards you, I think it's cause you are of no matter to them cause you don't affect their achievement of their focus.

[Rhyden]

Whatever, I like my dwarves gruff and tough...no pansy crap...but I suppose I still need to read that book that Arm's based on...what was it again? Oh well.

I agree with the 'focus' bit though, focus really gives your dwarven character something to thrive for, which is what we do with all our characters, am I right? But with dwarves, its a more powerful goal than with other races.

[Agent_137]

Whatever, I like my dwarves gruff and tough...no pansy crap...but I suppose I still need to read that book that Arm's based on...what was it again? Oh well.

I agree with the 'focus' bit though, focus really gives your dwarven character something to thrive for, which is what we do with all our characters, am I right? But with dwarves, its a more powerful goal than with other races.

Dark sun, and don't even sweat that. Free yourselves from outside concepts, study the docs, and go from there. A gruff dwarf now and then is good, but if all your dwarves are gruff . . . wouldn't that get old?

[Cold_Dark_Aurora]

Out of curiosity, is it okay to create a basic focus that (the player knows) would never be attained?

For example, say I want to make a dwarf character whose out for revenge against another person for doing him/her some grand injustice in the past, all of which is explained in the char's history.  Thing is, the person the dwarf is hunting does not technically exist in the game (or atleast not played by a PC)?

That's just one example.

Or should I aim for smaller goals, and build up to them?  Like.. a dwarf who wants to bring down that one big kill in a hunt, or something.

[Agent_137]

In my opinion, that's totally up to you and your dwarf's personality. Granted, any large focus will need to be broken down into steps, so if you take a large focus you'll likely need lots of smaller foci just to mange it. But there's no limit to the size or scope, big or small.

Keep in mind two things though:
New focuses -are- related to the previous in in some way shape or fashion. Your focus can't be "Find the best rug, ever." And then move on to "Breeding bahamets" after you find that rug. Unless you feel that breeding bahamets would allow you to have the perfect guard dog for your ultimate apartment. Having the ultimate apartment would be your focus, in this case.

Also keep in mind that having a virtual enemy can be fun, but you also can ask another player to hop into that role later on to make it more fun.

The only trouble with a virtual enemy would be roleplaying it well.  I wouldn't do it personally, too difficult to make my reactions and his reactions realistic. I keep VNPC interactions on a short term basis only. But if you got some great ideas for it, go for it.

[Tlaloc]

Out of curiosity, is it okay to create a basic focus that (the player knows) would never be attained?

For example, say I want to make a dwarf character whose out for revenge against another person for doing him/her some grand injustice in the past, all of which is explained in the char's history. Thing is, the person the dwarf is hunting does not technically exist in the game (or atleast not played by a PC)?

This is completely fine, I think. However, if such a Focus is created, I suggest you email the Mud with the specifics. That way, if anyone feels like it, it CAN become a reality, and something easily fulfillable.

Incidentally, most Foci should be difficult, if not almost impossible, to achieve. Such is the nature of the Focus.

[Canadian Beaver]

Incidentally, most Foci should be difficult, if not almost impossible, to achieve. Such is the nature of the Focus.

Hmm, somewhat agreed. My one dwarf's focus was attainable, although, requiring a lot of work and a lot of connections. I've often though of setting a fairly easy focus at first though as well, so when you attain it, you can look at where your char is in his life and set a more realistic focus for them to work towards. Such as a family, career change, or who knows what.

Sometimes a simple focus is good to start out with. Gives you something to build up your char before moving on to something more heavy.

[Canadian Beaver]

Incidentally, most Foci should be difficult, if not almost impossible, to achieve. Such is the nature of the Focus.

Hmm, somewhat agreed. My one dwarf's focus was attainable, although, requiring a lot of work and a lot of connections. I've often though of setting a fairly easy focus at first though as well, so when you attain it, you can look at where your char is in his life and set a more realistic focus for them to work towards. Such as a family, career change, or who knows what.

Sometimes a simple focus is good to start out with. Gives you something to build up your char before moving on to something more heavy.

[Cowboy]

The other character trait that I found useful with the dwarf character is that they are "fearless."   They do what others shrink from, they always take point,  they are the first one into the that nasty, dark place.  Agreed, the fearlessness is a product of focus but it should be a a strong part of each dwarf.  Many dwaves are killed becasue of it...but if you think of the dwarf characters you liked or remember,  fearless was probably a good part of who and what they were.

[Comrade Canadia]

Well, in order to figure out the dwarven personality, -I'd- like to figure out a bit more.  Could somebody answer these questions for me?

1.  Why does your average dwarf have trouble with sirihish, even though there is no actual dwarven society to speak of?  

2.  Why IS there no dwarven culture?  How can an entire race exist without any noticeable society of its own?  

There aren't dwarven sections to towns, dwarven villages, dwarven tribes, or anything like that.  They, as far as I can tell, exist entirely in human society... and yet still can't speak sirihish properly.  Are they idiotic?  Or is there a secret dwarven culture that they all come from I haven't been told about?  And I mean... one that ALL dwarves come from.

3.  How far do we go from Tolkein's dwarves?  

I mean, the only that differentiates Zalanthanian dwarves from Middle Earth dwarves is the lack of beard, lack of distinct society, and lack of mining.  Aside from that, uh, they're pretty much exactly the same.  Imms have always said they're -not- Tolkein dwarves, but I think we need something more drastic to differentiate them.  A focus, even if not something Tolkein's dwarves have is... in character for them, if you follow me.  

4.  Do they even belong in Zalanthas?  I actually would argue no.  

Dwarves in Dark Sun to me always felt like last minute additions.  Dark Sun was all about taking fantasy cliches and twisting them... the dwarves barely even got a twist!  Elves and halflings sure as hell some serious changes, and orcs were completely changed into gith!  Muls and half-giants were welcome additions.  Dwarves?  Knocked off the beard and gave 'em a focus.  They receive no society, no noticeable personality, and... well, they're just tacked on.  

5.  If I'm not the only one who views these as problems, how do we solve them?

I say that we need to either remove the race from the game entirely, or actually give them a freaking society.  They can live entirely in human cities, but perhaps give them sections of town - have trades which dwarves dominate - and give them all sirihish at max for the love of god.  I don't even know why mirukkim exists.  How the hell does a language remain alive when its only speakers don't even have a real society to preserve it?  

ANYWAYS, there's my rant.  I've never liked armag dwarves because they have always felt like someone just wanted a dwarf in their fantasy world, but didn't bother to explain why they were there.

-Dave

[jhunter]

There might just be dwarven societies in the game somewhere, that's all I'm going to say on that.

I do think that there should be more of a presense of dwarves having their own culture and more places that are run/owned by dwarves.

It just seems odd that these stubbornly driven beings...don't really have shit in the scheme of things.

[JollyGreenGiant]

There might just be dwarven societies in the game somewhere, that's all I'm going to say on that.

I do think that there should be more of a presense of dwarves having their own culture and more places that are run/owned by dwarves.

It just seems odd that these stubbornly driven beings...don't really have shit in the scheme of things.

Unless I'm mistaken (and I could be, since I'm not taking the time to look it up thoroughly), dwarves went through a long period where most of the race was enslaved.  Stubborness and drive can sometimes be enough to succeed, but in many cases, it also takes a touch of imagination and a spark of genius, which dwarves as a race tend to lack.