Another dwarf focus thread

[Majikal]

Focus                                                              (Gameplay)

   What your character wants in life, or what they need in life, is their
focus.  Your character's focus can be placed in your objective, which is
altered by the "change objective <objective>" syntax.  While almost all
races have some ideal they are trying to work towards, one of the most
well known is the dwarven race.  Dwarves have a unique tendency amongst
themselves to select an objective and stick to that objective--through
thick and thin--until it is completed, at which point they select a new
and more challenging goal.

See also:
   Dwarf, Dwarf Roleplay, Objective

I've always felt like I had a good grasp on focus, and a large open-ended focus has always been my joy of the role, but recently something as simple as wanting to play an instrument on a pc made me curious of something.

Would a dwarf pick up a hobby that entertained them, such as whittling or painting (neither being focus involved) that cut into their time. Or would this just bother them because it's time they could spend working towards their focus. Assuming their focus was something that required their time and dedication such as 'become a master swordsman'. Would that mean that while a dwarf spent time doing something that was only mentally amusing, would they be bothered that they didn't devote that time to say.. swordplay?

Not sure how clear I worded that, I'm pretty medicated right now. Would a dwarf have time/drive for non-focus related hobbies is what I'm asking.

[Marc]

"I like lute music.  It relaxes me.  When I am relaxed I do better work and I need to be at my best to make the greatest izdari set in the world/slay a mekillot/lasso the moons.  I will learn to play the lute so that I am a more relaxed dwarf."

Your hobby wont distract you from your focus.  You cannot be distracted from your focus.  You're focused on your focus.  Your hobby helps your focus or at least you think it does.

[Lizzie]

Also, if your focus requires the use of your hands in any way at all, then learning to play an instrument will help keep your fingers in good shape, strengthen your dexterity, and the process of learning musical, whether percussion, string, or other, is a process of logical thinking. Logical thinking is always good for a focus.

[valeria]

I'm pretty sure that a dwarf could maintain a hobby, as long as they could justify the hobby as (like the examples by the previous posters) somehow related to their focus.  It's the same thing with joining a clan or maintaining a profession, when the focus is personal.

[catchall]

I think it's reasonable to imagine a dwarf might end up latching onto activities that outsiders wouldn't regard as being particularly focus-related, because they found some way that they believe it relates to their focus..  However, in my personal opinion, it should be a fairly direct link and not just an excuse to play a human with high STR.  It shouldn't be something as vague as "I'm going to whittle because it will make me a more relaxed and well-rounded person which is good for achieving my focus."  That's more like "human with a goal" than "dwarf with a focus."   Dwarves aren't interested in being well-rounded for its own sake, and hobbies unrelated to their focus shouldn't relax them.  They should cause them incredible anxiety because they are neglecting their focus.  Setting aside your goals for a while when you're tired of them in order to come back to them later with more energy is the behavior of weak, uncommitted humans.  Dwarves don't get sick of their focus and they don't need a break from it.   No matter how you spin it, indulging an unrelated hobby is a break.  It's like saying you need a break from breathing so you can breathe better. 

In my opinion working -directly- on their focus should relax them.  Working out your fingers?  Well, okay, but wouldn't any self-respecting dwarf be doing finger exercises that directly relate to the activities of their focus objective?  Focused on becoming a famous performer?  Sure, pick up a lute!  Want to become a scrab tamer and think, for whatever reason, that lute music will do the trick?  Go for it!  Want to become the world's best chef?  Chances are, your dwarf will think that the lute is a waste of time.

IMO, if you want to play the kind of PCs that picks up frivolous hobbies on a lark, you are looking for a human, half-elf, elf, or half-giant.  Pretty much any race but a dwarf. 

[Zerero]

Focus: Become the greatest warrior in the Known

Why would you pick up a lute and start playing? Well, because obviously playing the lute would make you appear more friendly and therefore people might try and engage in conversation with you. One of those people might be a great, ancient warrior who would be willing to take you under his wing in some bad ass warrior training. Or, uh, those strings are good for your fingers? And it makes you calm?

I don't know, it seems like you could come up with an excuse for a lot. I don't know where the borders start to form.

[QuillDipper]

Wouldn't that be part of the fun? Having a dwarf who comes up with some super obscure and totally lame excuse for everything related to their focus?

"Ah, yes, buying these fancy pants will make me the greatest swordsman in the Known because what kind of swordsman would be wearing these rags?"

[Kryos]

Note:  everyone's just giving their opinions, so I will to.  Based on the docs, and trying to play dwarves now and again:

Have to say, no.  Dwarves aren't human beings, they don't *think* like we do.  They are alien.  Trying to rationalize why something is doable with regards to their focus likely doesn't even enter their brains.  This is something a lot of folk here seem to be forgetting.

A dwarf with the focus 'see the entire world with my own eyes' is not going to pick up a lute and start playing it.  He might, though, join the Byn.  Because even in their alien mindsets, dwarves have reasoning.  There are many places in the world where if you can't fend for yourself, something horrible will kill and or eat you.  So, a year in the Byn has lots of benefits:  he volunteers for every contract that is off to somewhere he hasn't seen, and he toughens up so he can ride off to new places.  He might even talk to a lot of people in taverns, asking them about where they've been and what they've seen. 

But he's never, ever, going to just randomly walk out, pick up a lute, and try to learn to play it. 

A dwarf with the focus 'join the circle' however, would never join the Byn.  The Byn has a reputation, and being a veteran would lower his chances of success.  He would, however, take the chance to learn about, of, and how to play, nearly any instrument that crossed his path (especially if a bard was playing that instrument).  If he wasn't a Tuluki citizen, he would work with great zeal to become one. 

There isn't wiggling room for indulgences, because dwarves are simply not wired to think that way.

[Kalai]

The difference is in the approach.

Seeing pants/lute and making an excuse to tie them to focus ... a bit questionable.

Thinking ... 'How will I be the greatest swordsman?' 'I will need to be skilled and recognized for that skill.'
 'To be recognized for that skill I will need to have an outfit worthy of the greatest swordsman.'
   'I must go out and seek appropriate pants fulfilling qualities <x> <y> <z>.'
     'These are nearly perfect but not quite. I will buy them and seek out a craftsman who can learn from and fulfill more suitable pants from this example.'
 'Rhythmic music ties those who fight together closer together and improves their skill.'
   'In order to perfect my skill I must seek out music and tie myself into the rhythm by which people fight, learning to both harness and disrupt it.'
     'The lute is an instrument that will be suitable for rhythm, song and therefore breathing training, and has a known ability to appeal to emotions such as those that fighting music channels.'
        'The lute is therefore the ideal musical instrument to learn in pursuit of being the greatest swordsman.'

tl;dr: Pursuing a focus is better active than reactive, but you can wander off on quite the tangents anyway, as long as it is the best plan.  

[Cutthroat]

I think a dwarf would consider his or her focus and look at the fewest steps required to attain it. That is, the best way to achieve the focus without dying (thus failing your life mission). I think a dwarf's hobby would have to be pretty closely related to their focus, and staying alive while achieving said focus. Anything less would be a waste of time to the dwarf. It doesn't really make sense to want to be the best warrior and spend time crafting silk or learning an instrument, because dwarves aren't immortal and have a limited amount of time to reach their focus.

That is for the objective foci though. It is possible as a dwarf to have a "maintenance" focus, like to protect someone or something in particular or do a particular thing every day. In which case having a hobby would be more justifiable and your options for a hobby would be more numerous.

[Barzalene]

I neverwanted to play a dorf till just now! It was the pants

That said I am in the no hobbies for distraction camp.

[Kalai]

Here's an example thought path of how I might pursue this example focus.

Focus: Being the greatest swordsman in the Known.
Actual Elements:
 Skill with swordsmanship.
 Recognition.
 There can be only one.

Steps to achieve:

Skill with Swordsmanship:
 Establish what improves skill with swordsmanship.
   Inquire with those likely to have some knowledge what improves skill with swordsmanship.
   Currently known: Practice, learning from others, a well-balanced weapon. Pursue these.
   Theories: Exercise. A diet rich in ocotillo bulbs. Music, specifically rhythmic. Investigate and test these claims. Keep the effective.
Recognition:
 Tell stories of my accomplishments as a swordsman and hire others to tell stories of my accomplishments as a swordsman.
   Get such stories in the first place: accomplish swordsman-related things.
 Present myself as a great swordsman.
   Determine what results in people perceiving a great swordsman (taste in weaponry, elaborate sheathes, impressive pants). Acquire it.
 Authority: Determine who has the authority to decide who is the greatest swordsman.
   When these people recognize my talent as a swordsman, or are dead and replaced by the more perceptive, I will have accomplished my goal.
There can be only one:
 Smear the reputation of other swordsmen so they are not recognized as better than I.
 Once I have learned all I can from a teacher, if they remain better than me, arrange for their death or discredit.
 Seek out knowing who others think the best swordsman is. Learn from them, surpass them, or kill them.
 Discourage others from seeking the title. Since I wish to be the best swordsman, encourage the use of axes.

Results are a dwarf who likes to chat with people about swords, puts them down as an inferior weapon and brags about how they did amazing things with them anyway, and disparages other swordsmen. He might be into fashion or weaponscrafting or food or spice or music - but, really in the same sense that Arm and D&D get me into bonecarving, or anthropological research; it's very much tied back to an obsession, he happened to hear about how music can really put you in the mood to fight better and is therefore doggedly pursuing this investigation. Never not thinking about how what is going on applies to focus. If it can't apply to what he's interested in the words/experiences just go in one ear and out the other. On the other hand, has at least a brief interest in anything that possibly could, to establish if it does.

[lordcooper]

Anyone else think Kalai has just described the greatest Byn Sergeant ever?

[Zerero]

Here's an example thought path of how I might pursue this example focus.

Focus: Being the greatest swordsman in the Known.
Actual Elements:
 Skill with swordsmanship.
 Recognition.
 There can be only one.

Steps to achieve:
...

This is a great post and has inspired me. Thank you!

[Kalai]

This is a great post and has inspired me. Thank you!

Great, I'm glad!

[KankWhisperer]

How would dwarfs reproduce? Or would it only be dwarfs with a focus related to it? I have met some. To me dwarfs are hard to fathom because I believe they would go extinct as far as current docs go.

[lordcooper]

Dwarves are aware that they will get old one day.  An old dwarf may need the help of a younger dwarf to complete their focus.

[Kalai]

How would dwarfs reproduce? Or would it only be dwarfs with a focus related to it? I have met some. To me dwarfs are hard to fathom because I believe they would go extinct as far as current docs go.

Remember, you can achieve your focus! Once you do your goals change. Sometimes, they may be reproductive. Sometimes, young dwarves are quite an asset to have around.

If you have a maintenance focus, reproduction may help or hinder its accomplishment. Protecting Tuluk, for example, is greatly aided if you can produce and raise a few patriots who share your zealotry towards the Sun King, and allow you to continue your focus past your current life.

As stated, dwarves are not immortal. If your goal is not one that has a set endpoint, or is particularly long-term, indoctrinate the next generation!

[RogueGunslinger]

Dwarves are aware that they will get old one day.  An old dwarf may need the help of a younger dwarf to complete their focus.

Are you kidding? Kids are like little dwarf slaves to help you with your focus.

[valeria]

For every dwarf with a remarkably dangerous focus, I bet there are three or four dwarves with more mundane, homey focuses.  They just aren't PC dwarves because "have the cleanest apartment" would be very boring to RP.

[lordcooper]

There's also probably the occasional dwarf with a maintenance focus revolving around having children.  That's a lot of kids.

[IntuitiveApathy]

Note:  everyone's just giving their opinions, so I will to.  Based on the docs, and trying to play dwarves now and again:

Have to say, no.  Dwarves aren't human beings, they don't *think* like we do.  They are alien.  Trying to rationalize why something is doable with regards to their focus likely doesn't even enter their brains.  This is something a lot of folk here seem to be forgetting.

A dwarf with the focus 'see the entire world with my own eyes' is not going to pick up a lute and start playing it.  He might, though, join the Byn.  Because even in their alien mindsets, dwarves have reasoning.  There are many places in the world where if you can't fend for yourself, something horrible will kill and or eat you.  So, a year in the Byn has lots of benefits:  he volunteers for every contract that is off to somewhere he hasn't seen, and he toughens up so he can ride off to new places.  He might even talk to a lot of people in taverns, asking them about where they've been and what they've seen. 

But he's never, ever, going to just randomly walk out, pick up a lute, and try to learn to play it. 

A dwarf with the focus 'join the circle' however, would never join the Byn.  The Byn has a reputation, and being a veteran would lower his chances of success.  He would, however, take the chance to learn about, of, and how to play, nearly any instrument that crossed his path (especially if a bard was playing that instrument).  If he wasn't a Tuluki citizen, he would work with great zeal to become one. 

There isn't wiggling room for indulgences, because dwarves are simply not wired to think that way.

I don't know, I'm in the "justifiable distractions" camp when it comes to dwarves and their foci.

In your first situation, what if as a young dwarf, he heard tales of a famous travelling musical troupe which played in all parts of the Known?  Would he not consider that (a) joining or creating such a troupe of his own would be a good way to complete (or at least give him a good start on) his focus, and that (b) learning to play the lute would be a good way to join or create such a troupe?  What if this particular dwarf realizes his fingers are more dextrous than his body is tough, or that being a mercenary in the Byn is a dangerous occupation and might get him killed before he is able to see the world and/or wants a backup plan of creating his troupe in case his Sergeant asks him to go on what he considers a suicide mission?  I consider it a hallmark of the dwarf that they are stubborn when it comes to their focus - it would take something evidently better to cause a dwarf to change tact to achieve their focus.  But one should also consider how wise the dwarf is - are they able to see another route for how much better it is immediately?  Are they so guillible that they can be easily convinced a different way to achieve their focus is better even though it's not?  I really think there's so much more room for varied play that many players allow for - dwarves while alien, aren't run by perfect machine logic.

I think things need to be set in and taken in context for any character, dwarves included, and since we have great leeway in constructing backgrounds for our characters, there's a whole lot of room for creating justifications for dwarven characters with respect to doing things that might not, on their surface, seem related to a given focus.

[Delusion]

For every dwarf with a remarkably dangerous focus, I bet there are three or four dwarves with more mundane, homey focuses.  They just aren't PC dwarves because "have the cleanest apartment" would be very boring to RP.

That sounds like an awesome focus. You'd have to keep your place pristinely clean, then break into, or hire someone to break into, every last dwelling place in the city to mess them up, spread sand around, that sort of thing, just to be doubly sure that nobody can surpass your apartment for sheer cleanliness.

[/derail]

As for dwarven kids, I see them being totally compatible with dwarven lifestyles. Dwarf families, perhaps less so, unless the mother and father have focuses that are closely aligned or otherwise relate to family. But even if they aren't given towards families, they can always abscond with the kids and put them to work. Long-term planning and all.

[Scarecrow]

Dwarves have a different mindset from humans, but they are still biological entities, and all biological entities have an urge to reproduce, so I'm sure dwarves are just as breedy as humans.

Also some of the funnest dwarf focuses are the weird, kooky non-combat ones. Like 'become an elf' or something.

[Kryos]

Note:  everyone's just giving their opinions, so I will to.  Based on the docs, and trying to play dwarves now and again:

my stuff

your stuff

From the dwarf docs:

Although something of a minority in population, the dwarven nature is well known among all races. Uniformly a short and stocky lot, dwarves possess heights of endurance often unattainable by other races. Physically, dwarves stand between around 50 to 58 inches in height, and are nearly as broad at the shoulders as they are tall.

Speculations on the past aside, all Zalanthan dwarves are completely hairless, with slightly pointed ears and great masses of muscle. Mentally, dwarves have a degree of stubborn single-mindedness that other races often find intolerable.

As compared to humans, dwarves are stronger and possess more endurance. Their thick-bodied frames, however, make them generally less agile; and because of the incredible singleness of purpose in the dwarven mind, they are usually somewhat less wise.

Some composition of their bodies and minds tends to make dwarves highly resistant to magick of all kinds, and their high endurance usually renders them virtually (or literally) immune to poisons.

Roleplaying:

Dwarves, whose origins are unknown, typically attempt to find one single goal (called a Focus) to which they adhere, and they will never abandon that goal for as long as they live (or until it is completed, when a dwarf feels the need to set himself or herself to a new, more difficult task than the last). Fear is generally not a lever one can employ with dwarves, for they will not be shaken from their purpose, whatever it might be at the time, even if it means their death.


There's some key phrases in here that really make me believe I can't agree with what you're saying. They are: Mentally, dwarves have a degree of stubborn single-mindedness that other races often find intolerable. . . . and because of the incredible singleness of purpose in the dwarven mind, they are usually somewhat less wise.  typically attempt to find one single goal (called a Focus) to which they adhere, and they will never abandon that goal for as long as they live, Fear is generally not a lever one can employ with dwarves, for they will not be shaken from their purpose, whatever it might be at the time, even if it means their death.

In other words, they are in so many ways not human.  Humans when faced with death will typically try to live on, if at all possible, even if it means abandoning goals or setting them back by some large measure.  A dwarf won't.  Humans will form a different goal if their others are shattered, a dwarf won't.  Humans are fickle and change attitudes with age and experiences, a dwarf won't.  This is their singular reason for being, it is what makes them do all that they do.

Your example includes the potential situation where a dwarf who 'wants to see all the known with his own eyes' meets traveling performers.  In that case, I would agree that the dwarf might take up to working with them, with the only factor being:  do they travel to places I have not been?  If they do not, they would hold 0 interest to that dwarf, and he or she would ignore them.  If they do, he or she would work with them until they show him all the places they travel to, then quickly abandon both them any any interest in performing that coincided with his affiliation to them.  And he would be off to find the next way to see more of the world.

In other words, this is no indulgence, but a clear cut decision if it helps the dwarf further their focus, or not.

Again, just my thoughts:  but if we as players allow them to come closer to human by giving leeway for human like behavior, I feel we cheapen the world.