Things to make Dwarfs Even Better!

[British_Butcher]

:p Points to the title. technically this should be in the design place ... but this is just for US mighty dwarfs!

1. Eye patches:D
2.Wings
3. Cigars (after a killin spree)
4. Cannon arms
5. Can of worms to open
Plz follow my lead :wink: :wink:

[Karthos]

How 'bout

6. Some nice dwarf haters to put them in their place.

[Thargan]

You confuse me Karthos. Are you schizo-race?

[British_Butcher]

Fast !:p
7. er:idea: No /Dance Animation plz!!!!:D

[nurgleman]

8. The ability to poison dwarven ale.

[Necrophyt]

9. No damn pansy stunties.... at all.:cool:

[British_Butcher]

Invaders get off dwarf land yee scoundrels......
My pretty axe will be the end of you who oppress Us teh Dwarf nation! :mad:

[nurgleman]

Pffffhh come Nurglemas, Grandfather Nurgle's poxes and plagues will take care of you quickly enough and we can all rechoice in the rot and decay that follows. While you are useless in life, you will provide excellent breeding grounds for maggots and other delightful organisms. I hear nurgle has come out with an excellent low calorie plague this year.

[Spork]

10. The ability to cut off your beards and hand them over to orcs.

[ApricotSoup]

11. Some kind of skill based eating competitions.

[miber]

12. Bear mounts :D

[Grimr]

13. Tanks and/or bigger guns
14. Those guns better quality then the rest of the wrold, read empire.

[Ungrim]

15. Err PLEASE NO CIGARS :/, pipes instead.

[Snorri]

No respectable dwar should have wings. Levae that for elfs!! Pah!

Dwarfs are already brilliant.
Just wipe out the elves and we're perfect.

[Killgar]

No respectable dwar should have wings. Levae that for elfs!! Pah!

Dwarfs are already brilliant.
Just wipe out the elves and we're perfect.

I'm all for winged helms, gryphon and dragon style. The best deserves the best, am I right or am I right. 'Course I'll allways try to have a horned helm, but that's a whole nother can of worms.

[Feigro]

It's official. The dwarfs must have THIS (http://us.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/dwarfs/painting/inventions/images/popup.htm?mkviib.jpg)!

[Wulfhelm der Rote]

Just can think of hairy dwarf ladies...ugh..:mad:

[Snorri]

Sorry lad, I thought the OP was talkin' about wings on ye're back!!! I cannae think of a more ponsey thing tae have! Who needs tae have wings when ye've got a handy gycopter to fly around!?

Winged helmets are fine laddie, horned ones even better, but being a slayer ah'll just be sticking to me huge axe and mining pick.

Which reminds me.
16. Gigantic mining picks for weapons, imagine dwarf mucsel proppelling one of those towards your skull!!

[Grimr]

How about some tanks?

[Snorri]

Steamships!
Organ guns!
Flame cannons!
Airships!
Gycopters!
Steamtanks!

Gigantic runed axes!!

[GreyWarlord]

The only garment of excessive manliness. KILTS!!!

[Grimsgaze]

And fer Christmas I want:

A collection of troll ears I can pick off bodies and wear around my neck
A holdable tankard I can carry on display
A barber shop that can shave/spike my hair anyway I want
A goblin hewer and crew
My own chronicler
My own ale-barer
My own halfling cook
My own tombstone prepared in Karak Kadrin
Oh, oh, and an axe that's bigger than I am and realistically stains everytime you hack up an enemy!

And then I might start to be happy :)

[sirfrancisdrake]

massive bolt action rifles
steam powered armor
melee engineer's shield that fires a load of grapeshot
clockwork wings strapped onto a back.
massive tunnelling machines
animated dwarven statues
forges where you can craft junk
different types of bullets for the thunderers
gun emplacements
various types of tanks
trenches

[Valewalker Greythorn]

Invaders get off dwarf land yee scoundrels......
My pretty axe will be the end of you who oppress Us teh Dwarf nation! :mad:

three words..


FOR LOCH MODAN!:razz:
Hmm a lightning hammer and axe
/ale animation.... yeah that be sweet
KILTS!
some kind of super cool attack animation that looks like i knocked the orc im attacking into next tuesday..
and mabye a cool battle cry

[Timanous]

9. No damn pansy stunties.... at all.:cool:
since when are dwarfs pansys? I am not a dwarf player and they are not pansys....

[Thorval]

i want a pipe, and some type of steam/jet powered flying pack that launches me 40 or so meters into the air, and instead of full flying, a type of long glide back down.

[Harakoni]

16. stilts

[Bolg]

Elevator Shoes

And BEER FOUNTAINS!!!!

Today Mythic, tomorrow who knows.

:p

[Snorri]

And BEER FOUNTAINS!!!!


:p

That was the single, greatest suggestion, these forums have ever seen.
Grungni bless you.

[GreyWarlord]

Oh aye, you make me proud to be a dwarf...

[Clave]

17. A weapon made from a stick with an Orc/Elf head on the end.
18. Engineer grenades can be explosive Orc/Elf heads.

[Doom]

aye, an axe and a beer is all i need for my killing needs.



slayer for life.

[Xymos]

1. Bracers that I can put Orc teeth on to look like spiked gauntlets/bracers
2. A belt or necklace to thread Orc ears on.
3. A beer/ale hat! A place to hold 2 large steins of ale with 2 straws that lead directly to me mouth for a quick double chug!
4. Platinum/Mithril rings around the shaft of me battle axe that symbolize the death of 50 of me enemies.
5. An emote of a drunk walk, slow and sloppy and staggering!
6. At the local tavern, a singing, music playing band, of hot, freshly shaven, dwarven women to sing heroic battle songs while I pound a few hefty steins of beer with me commrades. *maybe after a long quest/instance you have to return for a few beers to recieve the full exp reward*
7. Someone said before, a barber shop for a fresh haircut/straight razor shave! Nothing better than some extra jewelry/bands in the beard for a new day's battle

[Kaikai]

Foot stools!
:grin:

[elthareon]

Foot stools!
:grin:
i wouldnt mind a dwarf as a foot stool either, there big bulging belly would be comfy to rest my feet on.

[Festo]

i wouldnt mind a dwarf as a foot stool either, there big bulging belly would be comfy to rest my feet on.

you would never get your feet close enough, a dwarf would cut them off before you got near.

pansy elf


:p

[Kaikai]

you would never get your feet close enough, a dwarf would cut them off before you got near.

pansy elf


:p

dats why you chop da stuntiez legs an arms orf first!! :D

[Snorri]

But... but... how are you going to chop our limbs off with your bowls dragging behind you?

[Kaikai]

But... but... how are you going to chop our limbs off with your bowls dragging behind you?

wot? greenskinz dont use crockery! we eatz you wif our hands! :D

[Snorri]

I chortled ;)

Next time i'll be straight to the point and just say I'm gonna lop your head off with an axe :D

[Kazgut]

Dwarfs should get the ability to automatically kill themselves after uttering the word plz.

[GreyWarlord]

And why not? It's not as if any true dwarf needs or asks for help in battle!

[Snorri]

Yea, add it. We aren't begging for help. :p We dont need it.

[Oak]

Snorri your mission should you choose to accept;

There's a 20 foot Orc WAAAARRRGH Boss awaiting you.
God Speed and good luck.

[Snorri]

LETS GET HIM LADS!!!
Charge!!!!

:cool:

Have you got a pic? I wanna see :)

Edit:
Isnt 20foot a bit too big even for orc standards? Isnt that taller than an ogre? Or is there some lore behind it?

Regardless, he'll be crushed by iron and steel!
The bigger they are... the harder I hit!!!

[Balthemor]

LETS GET HIM LADS!!!


Snorri snorri snorri? Since when have you needed help killing any greenskin?

[Snorri]

Snorri snorri snorri? Since when have you needed help killing any greenskin?

You are quite right, I merely thought I would share the fun.

Off I go then!

[Warfield]

How about they just make Runepriests look more like the table-top figures and not like a bloated gandalf?

[Rurik]

Pipes instead of cigars please.

A great beer hall or two to hang out in.

An in-game minigame of hneftafl you can play with other dwarves while drinking in the beer hall. http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/learning/boardgame.html

No Scottish accents, kilts, or anything connecting dwarves to Scotland. That's all Blizzard B.S.

- Rurik

[Balthemor]

No Scottish accents, kilts, or anything connecting dwarves to Scotland. That's all Blizzard B.S.



Can i say dwarvs are lithuanian? Because that country is cool like us

[Snorri]

"Bliizard B/S"

Actually, it was a stereotype used in many MMOs, blizzard didn't create it.

It is mainly because:

1) The dwarfs are heavy, sturdy drinkers.
2) Fondness for mountains :p
3) Their language (Kazhild) has thickly pronounced vowels which are sometimes gargled at the back of the throat.
4) Long beards, and lots of axes.

It is mainly number One and number Three - but this is why they are usually portrayed as scots.
In warhammer, their voices are particularly harsh and sound similar to rock grating against rock, and vowels are still gargled at the back of the throat. But they are not "Scottish" at all. Save from the dwarfs the northern holds, such as Malaki Makisson - but they're accents are so thick not many can understand them! ;)

When writing a dwarf's speech many roleplayers type like this:
"Ah know what ye mean laddie, but I cannae think why ah'd agree."

When the vast population of dwarfs from the World Edge Mountains would actually be written as:
"I know what you mean lad, but I can't think why I'd agree."

They don’t have accents, their voices are just very harsh and rumbling.

But they're vowels are sometimes violently spat from their mouths - I wonder how Mythic will do this :p

[MageLite]

Fingz dat wud make dem fick stunties better, numba one:

Kill 'em.

Der's not much else yoo can do fer dem fickoz.

[Snorri]

I bet that took you a while to come up.

[MageLite]

I bet that took you a while to come up.

Nah, I punch'd a snotlin' till e' did it fer me.

[Snorri]

Nah, I punch'd a snotlin' till e' did it fer me.

You sir, gave me a chortle. :cool:
Bravo.

[Rurik]

"Bliizard B/S"

Actually, it was a stereotype used in many MMOs, blizzard didn't create it.

It is mainly because:

1) The dwarfs are heavy, sturdy drinkers.
2) Fondness for mountains :p
3) Their language (Kazhild) has thickly pronounced vowels which are sometimes gargled at the back of the throat.
4) Long beards, and lots of axes.

It is mainly number One and number Three - but this is why they are usually portrayed as scots.
In warhammer, their voices are particularly harsh and sound similar to rock grating against rock, and vowels are still gargled at the back of the throat. But they are not "Scottish" at all. Save from the dwarfs the northern holds, such as Malaki Makisson - but they're accents are so thick not many can understand them! ;)

When writing a dwarf's speech many roleplayers type like this:
"Ah know what ye mean laddie, but I cannae think why ah'd agree."

When the vast population of dwarfs from the World Edge Mountains would actually be written as:
"I know what you mean lad, but I can't think why I'd agree."

They don’t have accents, their voices are just very harsh and rumbling.

But they're vowels are sometimes violently spat from their mouths - I wonder how Mythic will do this :p

Some interesting points. Lets think about them though for a moment.

As you say, 'dwarves are Scottish' is a standard MMO convention, this may well be the case, but I think its a mistake. Now why is this the current conception of dwarves? Is this something that sprang from a few games in the 90s? Since fantasy MMOs are the offspring of PnP RPGs, isn't the important question whether or not the original sources have dwarves as Scots? And then isnt it also important to look to the sources and influences of those RPGs, mainly fantasy fiction, and see how dwarves are portrayed there? Then even go back further and look at the things that influenced modern fantasy authors?

I think if you do all that, you will find that there is very little that ties fantasy dwarves to the locale of Scotland. Essentially, the bulk of material (cutural descriptions, lore, geography, artistic motifs, etc) suggests that dwarves - when placed in a realword context - are Central European or Scandinavian with a healthy dose of Celtic influence (what I mean by 'Celtic' is the original scope of Celtic peoples, which was nearly the whole of Europe, and included not only Britons, but Gauls, Germanic tribes, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Celts_in_Europe.png). Read through the good article covering dwarves in Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf. That article alone should clear up some of this 'dwarves are Scots' nonesense.

Now some of the points you raised:

1) The dwarfs are heavy, sturdy drinkers. This goes for so many cultures that I dont think its much of a reason. Anyway, Scotland is famous for its Scotch whiskey and not for its beer. If you were looking for a beer breweing culture Id say look to Germany, or Belgium, or Czech.

2) Fondness for mountains :P Scotland is a lovely place, but I would harldy describe it as mountainous - if you were looking for mountains in Europe youd probably end up in the Alps, or in Scandinavia, or the Carpathians.

3) Their language (Kazhild) has thickly pronounced vowels which are sometimes gargled at the back of the throat. This is not limited to Scottish people.

4) Long beards, and lots of axes. When I think of Scotland, in a stereotypical way, i think of highlands, kilts, Claymores (those are great swords, not axes), bagpipes, and a lot of other imagey - but I really dont think about 'long beards and axes.' If I think of long beards and axes I think about Asterix the Gaul - which is more accurate in terms of placing the culture behind the dwarves.

Anyway, what Im saying is, that much of this idea of dwarves have Scottish accents is bunk and the residue of the work of some video game designers who thought it would be a gas to give then Scottish accents. Just because a few bad games have done it does not make it law. If you look at the real influences behind the fantasy dwarf, youll see very little linking them directly to Scotland. Mythic should employ some actor from Belgium, or Sweden, or Czech Rep., or some such place to give their dwarves an accurate sound.

Also, in terms of Warhammer only, most of the geography in the game is tied to some real world locale - Ive seen in several sources that the World's Edge Mountains represent the Carpathian Mountains in Europe. The Carpathians are a very long way away from Scotland.

- Rurik

PS - Show me one piece of art from Warhammer, D&D, MURPS, or illustration from some fantasy novel that has a dwarf in a kilt. Ive yet to see one.

[Snorri]

Ryx you have compeltly misudnerstood me.

I dont agree with the "dwarfs as scots" one bit. I was simply stating why they are presumed as such by MMO developers. It is the easiest culture to relate the dwrafs too.

I would prefer it if Mythic scracthed the scottish accents, I just want hard grating voices... we are not the dwarfs from the northern holds, we are the dwarfs from the world edge... and we do not sound like scots.

I agree with your points :p I want to see mythic do something different. That is how I have always felt about the warhamemr dwarfs ;p

[Rurik]

Lynx you have compeltly misudnerstood me.

I dont agree with the "dwarfs as scots" one bit. I was simply stating why they are presumed as such by MMO developers. It is the easiest culture to relate the dwrafs too.

I would prefer it if Mythic scracthed the scottish accents, I just want hard grating voices... we are not the dwarfs from the northern holds, we are the dwarfs from the world edge... and we do not sound like scots.

I agree with your points :p I want to see mythic do something different. That is how I have always felt about the warhamemr dwarfs ;p

Right-o Snorri. I didn't mean to sound gruff, Im just on the warpath about this Scottish accent thing. The game designers that started it are in my Book of Grudges for sure :).

Would love to see a Mythic person respond here ....

- Rurik

[Snorri]

No, no, you've upset me now...
*Turns away*

If only someone were to buy me a barrel of beer... maybe I'd feel better again.

*Taps his empty purse*
*Hints*
:p

I didnt mind the scottish thing, but it has become such a huge streotype that it is painful to see that dwarfs are always being portrayed in the same way. The fluff of warhammer says that the very few northern dwarf holds (based on scots) and the world edge dwarf holds have compeltly different voices!!!

And we are playing the world edge dwarf holds in WAR! If they give us scottish voices, well.... it's just wrong! Simple as that! ;)

[Rurik]

Woah ... I just read this from Wikipedia's wrtie-up on Warhammer Orcs:

"Some Games Workshop designers claim that orc culture and military tactics are loosely based on Scottish Highlanders." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orc_%28Warhammer%29

[Sigmar]

hay i may be an Empire fan but i also love dwarfs,i think it would be kool if the dwarfs could maybe buy or Earn (from quests) some Runes for their weapons. now that wold totaly convert me to a dwarf player. :p

[Xymos]

What do you mean by runes?
What are they?
Where do you put them?
Why would you want them?
How?

[Kraus]

Dwarfs forsake magic so they craft runes that draw power into them - to draw power from the earth itself for them to use. They are typically used by dwarfs to augment things or to directly affect something. You would want runes because they increase your ability, and Runepriests will be able to make them temporarily... Personally I'm against something like that if theres nothing on the other side that will equal it, I'd rather the focus not being on having to madly rune gear up.

[Halfhand]

Some interesting points. Lets think about them though for a moment.

Essentially, the bulk of material (cutural descriptions, lore, geography, artistic motifs, etc) suggests that dwarves - when placed in a realword context - are Central European or Scandinavian with a healthy dose of Celtic influence

I agree that the 'Dwarves are Scottish' assumption is a common and rather tiresome error.

However, I would have to place the origins of fantasy dwarves almost entirely in Scandinavia.

Games Workshop admit that their IP was heavily influenced by the works of Tolkein and Tolkein himself was heavily influenced by Nordic folklore. Dwarves (of the kind commonly seen in fantasy roleplaying and the GW materials) are or Nordic origin. The main difference being that fantasy Dwarves generally don't turn to stone in sunlight. I'm trying, and failing, to find the information I have on Dwarven smiths in the Viking ages. I'll edit this post if I find it.

Tolkein (and all fantasy that followed) was influenced by Nordic folklore in other ways. Those of you who have read Beowulf may remember the Orc-neas. Grendel was one. They were a race of undead who had many Orc-like characteristics and are the basis for Tolkein's Orcs. I'm not going to go into the details of why except to list: appearance, blood and method of reproduction.

But, two things that relate more directly to Dwarves are: Slayers and Dwarven names. Slayers - while not exactly - are Berserkers; and Berserkers, were Vikings. Now...I'm not interested in starting an argument on how Slayers differ from Berserkers, the connection is an easy one to make.

Dwarven surnames are one of the biggest clues. Viking surnames were not really surnames. They were more like a mark of descent (both patriarchal and matriarchal). But Vikings often used bynames, or nicknames (heiti, uppnefi, or viðrnefni). These nicknames are exactly like fantasy Dwarven surnames. A famous example is Onund `Treefoot' Ofeigsson. He was named Treefoot because of his wooden leg (he lost his real one in the battle of Hafrsfjord).

And for PnP referrences...if you remember the AD&D 2nd edition books - AD&D tends to be a useful tidemark for the fantasy roleplaying industry - they often used a sample character who was a dwarf called Ragnar: a little tribute to the Viking warrior that had what is, quite possibly, the coolest name in history, Ragnar Lodbrok. So even TSR used Scandinavian names for Dwarves.

And I wrote all that without even mentioning the Skjaldborg, which fits very well with Dwarven ruggedness on the battlefield.

So much for Scottish accents.

[Snorri]

What do you mean by runes?
What are they?
Where do you put them?
Why would you want them?
How?

Runes are magical engravings that runesmiths can carve onto the blade of a weapon when it is being forged - this gives it powerful properties which can buff the user.

Runes can also be engraved onto armour, cannonballs, banners, flags, weapons, jewellery.

Why would you want them? They give very sweet bonuses to the user!!!
The Rune of Might gives the user Double strength against tough enemies.
The Rune of Fury gives + Attacks.
The Master Rune of Death can instantly kill a target if it inflicts 1 wounds.
The Rune of Fire does + damage to undead.
The Rune of Flight allows you to throw a hammer straight and true towards your foe - and then call it back.
Master Rune of Adamant gives you a + to Toughness.

There is a whole list of all the runes here: http://www.msu.edu/user/cooking3/dwarf.html#dwarf

How? Well, runesmiths know the secrets of the runes and use the power of their gods to imbue the different carvings with their power. You can have up to three runes on any weapon, but only one master rune.

In the game, runepriests will be using runes on other player's skin and temporarily on weapons and such to inflict damage and to cure/protect his allies

[Kraus]

And as CC methods as well, dont forget that :P

[vehemoth]

More screeenshots!

[Stuntie]

1: more beer (and making the real stuff with bits in it, not some hobbit pee manling ale).
2: An axe rack to hang ya favourite axes on in ya hall.
3: more beer.
4: One of those little knives with a gadget for getting those last bits of slaughtered gobbo out of your armour.
5: more beer.

The scottish thing comes from attempts to give Dwarves in WoW and other games some kind of distinct vocal presence, and the gruff Scottish accent was an easy one to mimic.


The Dwarves or Dvergar in Norse mythology are an underground race that also work metal to create the greatest treasures of the Gods including Mjolnir, Thors hammer.
They were created out of the flesh of Ymir, a Giant killed by the Gods and whose body forms the very earth itself. The terms for Dwarve and elf (Dvergar and alf) are pretty much interchangable in the Old Norse mythological texts (The Eddas). The idea of the pointy eared human size elf not being a Norse concept.

Given that Tolkein was a professor of Old Norse and Anglo Saxon he was heavily influenced by mythology.
Compare the names of dwarves listed in the Dvergartal (list of Dwarves) and a lot of familar names pop up - Dain, Gloin, Bombur, Thror, Gandalf.. etc.