Greeting to the Guild and here's my first question

[Sylmenor]

Greeting everyone. First I got to say that I'm impressed  by the many settings that has been showed here. I definitly feel that I'm at the right place to get what I need to finally finish my setting that I've been working on since 10 years ago. I'm looking forward to learn, exanges ideas and having fun within that guild.

To briefly describe my setting, it's a world relatively inspired by the western europe during the middle age. By example, most human kingdoms are born from the ashes of a fallen empire. Also there's a monotheist religion that have a great influence over the kingdoms. While there is nine human kingdoms, there's about four elven kingdoms that are not neccessairly allied and have all their own distinctives cultures. Also there's two orcish kingdoms, without mentioning the orcish territorries that can't be called kingdoms or nations. Finnally, I have three dwarven kingdoms. Most kingdoms, empires and nations have its own culture or feel. I can say the themes of that campaign are politic intrigues, wars and faction rivalties.

The thing I've always been stuck to is actually the dwarves. My dwarvens kingdoms are way too generic to my tastes! I'm having hard to find something else than the beer loving warriors clichés, lol. I know too much there's a lot more about them. Its not because I don't like the dwarves nor that I don't care about them. On the contrary, I love them, but I always lacked the inspiration to do something about them. Also I'm tired of the dwarven isolationist kingdom stereotype, but I can't see why they would not be. Thanks in advance for your advices and tips. My english may not be perfect, sorry about that.

[Seraph]

It sounds like you've got a good start here!  I am glad to hear you are not falling prey to the "elves/dwarves/orcs" as monocultures trap.  I look forward to seeing details as to HOW they all have distinct cultures, though.

As to dwarves, since you ask, here are some thoughts.  You probably want to avoid the dwarven kingdoms becoming too "themed" but you could also play up and spin some of the other dwarven stereotypes.  Perhaps there is an industrious dwarven kingdom with a major logging industry (hence axe-wielding dwarves).  This one might have a major conflict with an elven forest nation (also playing into a trope).  Since this nation would likely be largely above-ground, it would be harder/impossible to be isolationist.  They would have important trade relations with human kingdoms, maybe even with an orcish kingdom. 

Perhaps there is a very technologically advanced dwarven race with gunpowder and pseudo-steampunk elements. 

You could give different religious ideas to the different dwarf kingdoms too.  Perhaps one engages in ancestor-worship, while another is very earth-centered, and a third believes in a monotheistic creator deity.

Perhaps being "clan-centered" is not universal to dwarven kingdoms, but is a part of others. 

And this is only dealing with standard "dwarf-tropes."  You should also have a number of other features of each to provide color.

[LoA]

You know if it was me, and I wanted to make a setting with dwarves in it and wanted to give them distinction, I would take more influences from Asian cultures rather than Celtic. Shamans, martial artists, monks, and kenjutsu rather than axes.

Frankly I would be asking myself "Why do I want Dwarves in my setting? Is it just because this is a fantasy setting, and I feel like I need dwarves? Or is it because I genuinely want dwarves?"

As for me, I kind of gave up on standard humanoid races, and have been diverting my efforts to create a more diverse array of species and phylum's. But this is me, and this is about you.

One thing I like to do when thinking about races is "how can I twist this?" For instance, in one setting I made the vast majority of orc-like creatures into a scholarly race rather than a barbarian horde (although some of them we're still pretty vicious), and bestowed upon the honor of "mindless killing machines" onto a huge clan of depraved, destructive, Mongol-eque Alicorns (although certainly not all of them). And no I have no shame in trying to make a race of sentient horses. That's right people I LOVE Charlie the Unicorn, and only wish he had wings.

Perhaps there is a very technologically advanced dwarven race with gunpowder and pseudo-steampunk elements.  

See "Dragonmech"

And a warm welcome to the CBG! Don't badmouth turtles...

[Seraph]

Hell, if you're just looking for a cultural analog for dwarves, there are lots of possibilities.  "Celts" is often pretty vague, though "Scottish" dwarves is a common trope.  Also possible are German dwarves, or "Russian" dwarves (especially if they live somewhere cold).  Dwarves as vikings are pretty common, since it was Norse mythology that introduced them.  You can also go more Hebrew with them if you like.  No reason why you couldn't do Asian as Newb suggests.  Some elements of the Japanese Shinto could function well with an earthy animistic group of dwarves, and the Katana (Samurai Sword) has been shown by studies to be the best kind of sword ever made.  If your dwarves are expert craftsmen as dwarves are usually depicted to be, such an honor as "The best swords in the world" would be fitting.

I envision very famous Dwarven swordmakers spending months or years producing a single exquisite quality sword that puts all others to shame.  These are swords that are fought and killed over, and carry a reputation anywhere in the world.  Adventurers might come to these swordsmiths to entreat a sword, only to be sent away, or made to go on quests just to prove that they are worthy to carry such a weapon.  I am taking some inspiration at the moment from the "Hatori Hanzo" swords from the Kill Bill movies.  

I've never made orcs scholarly as a group, but I have put the twist that they are not savages but a proud warrior race more like the Spartans than the Huns.  

If you are looking for ideas about dwarves, though, there are a series of threads dedicated to them.  Happy hunting!
Part One
Part Two: Religion
Part Three: Drinking
Part Four: Diets

[Sylmenor]

The industrious dwarves are an excellent example. You makes me realize that even if the dwarves loves so much the mountains they still need ressources that could be only from outside of their kingdom. Already I can now see why now the dwarves would have more interrests on exterror politics. By example, if the dwarven kingdom have a good trade exchange with a human kingdom and that one goes to war with another, the dwarve haves the best interrest to get involved and try to best as they can to make the allied kingdom win. Now that I'm able to get my dwarves to be more involved with their neighbour's, I think it'll be easier to think about new dwarven cultures. Thank you for those examples, Seraphine.

As for the monoculture trap, I know what you mean. That's why in many campaign I find that the humans are only interresting race, because they are not mono cultural, in most time.

For some reasons it has been easier to find other elven culture. Well, of course one of the elven kingdom a high elf classic one. Another is good old wood elf fashioned kingdom. One of the other kingdoms have a japan like culture where spirituality, respect, honor, stoism and warrior thinkings is prominent. The last elven kingdom developped its culture by being annexed by a now fallen human empire. Their culture has been half assimilated by the empire. These elves are now known to be great artist in many ways and to live like human to a certain degree. Soon, I'll gladly make a post about details of "how" and "why" the races have differents culture.

[Sylmenor]

That's how I could create other orcs and elve culture, by twisting them. For my tastes the races still have the classic feels, but yeah, I know what you guys mean. And by the way, the orcs are actually more a warrior race than a blood thirsty savage one lol. Well, both versions are there in my campaign.

I got no problems with turtles, so its cool, okay? :P

[LoA]

I got no problems with turtles, so its cool, okay? :P

Just warning you for your own sake. I've had Gamera sicked on me....

[Ghostman]

Hello Sylmenor, and welcome to the CBG! Feel free to raid this old creation of mine for dwarf ideas: http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,74915.msg75133.html#msg75133

[Sylmenor]

@Newb -A Gamera!? Clearly, I'd better not mess with turtles here!

@Ghostman -Thank you, that's quite interresting and that's the level of twist I want to put on my dwarves.