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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Aug 2018 : 01:30:03
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Again, it's all about what's sexy. Drow have gotten a lot of coverage -- way too much, in my opinion -- so we know about their food sources and such.
Me, I think that dwarves and other races would do pretty much the same thing. If it works for one race, it'll work for another.
We just don't know about it, because we've not had 326.7 novels and 106 sourcebooks devoted to dwarves and dwarven characters. |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2018 : 01:45:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Again, it's all about what's sexy. Drow have gotten a lot of coverage -- way too much, in my opinion -- so we know about their food sources and such.
Me, I think that dwarves and other races would do pretty much the same thing. If it works for one race, it'll work for another.
We just don't know about it, because we've not had 326.7 novels and 106 sourcebooks devoted to dwarves and dwarven characters.
True. I also think that just as the drow are distinct for molding their environment with magic, the dwarves should be portray distinctly for using their great knowledge of engineering and limited space to achieve wondrous feats of efficiency.
I am just struggling to bring that to life in my game.
I want dwarves to feel special and distinct from other races.
Because really, everything can be explained with "trade" for any race.
I try to go a few steps more. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2018 : 13:02:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
Thanks for all the thoughts. I'm not trying to be difficult.
I do not like hand waving and I try extremely hard to detail every part of my groups world, no matter how seemingly anal or inane the detail seems to be.
Thanks for your patience!
I can understand that. The more detail, the more real it seems. Plus you can come up with something that really sets the dwarves apart from what humans do. Say, rows of large, wedge-shaped rocks that has a fast-growing and tasty (as far as dwarves think it is) moss. It grows fast enough that they can harvest twice a summer and it can be ground up to produce flower for bread. It can even be used to make a satisfying dwarven ale.
mmm very nice! Who doesn't love a good moss bread every now and then?
I do enjoy the Purple Mushroom wine that we picked up in Waterdeep.
We know it was crafted by dwarves. We don't know what sub race or mushrooms.
I've always asserted in my world that the dwarves rely greatly on mushrooms. To eat whole, dried, ground up as flour, to ferment and to feed any animals.
I have just noticed that for drow, the entire ecology seems to be very fleshed out. Though much is just "trade" reliance.
The entire ecology seems to be much less fleshed out for the other stationary underground races.
I keep thinking of the mountain dwarves from Dragonlance, and their outdoor grain fields.
I just haven't seen anything similar detailed or discussed in FR.
I think there is a huge need for that lore. (Did I mention I'm a dungeon ecology freak?)
:)
Same with gnomes. Woefully undetailed IMO.
You know, I never really thought about it much, but the dark elves rarely come to the surface (though they do so for raids periodically, but its not like all the time). I wonder how many goblinoid races actually venture into the upperdark expressely for the purpose of trading with races like drow and duergar to provide them with some basic commodities that are grown on the surface. I can see both subterranean races liking having things like grains, sugars, and spices from the surface, as well as things like simple meats, even if its from creatures like rabbits, squirrels, rats, chickens, geese, turkeys, etc... Such creatures may not be able to survive in the underdark, but they could be transported and "harvested" back in their hometown. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2018 : 19:07:12
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| "And tonight my friends, an extra special main course that I have been told the surface dwellers call "Roadkill Surprise". Enjoy!" |
"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."
My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
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Starshade
Learned Scribe
Norway
279 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2018 : 16:23:05
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We got in Norway something we call "Saeter", I think the English word is Shieling, a mountainside meadow used as seasonal pasture for animals. But; It is equally used to make Hay; the haymaking shieling was quite important.
Making fodder for animals indoors is often done historically, harvesting the fen and bog grass, mountainous terrain as the Icewind Dale should work nicely.
On D&D... I suspect it is simpler to grow fungi on the wastes from a underground settlement, and use it as animal fodder, than to bring all in from the surface. Lots of animals is quite fond of eating mushrooms, especially Sheep and Caribou. |
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Eilserus
Master of Realmslore
USA
1446 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2018 : 18:14:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Again, it's all about what's sexy. Drow have gotten a lot of coverage -- way too much, in my opinion -- so we know about their food sources and such.
Me, I think that dwarves and other races would do pretty much the same thing. If it works for one race, it'll work for another.
We just don't know about it, because we've not had 326.7 novels and 106 sourcebooks devoted to dwarves and dwarven characters.
True. I also think that just as the drow are distinct for molding their environment with magic, the dwarves should be portray distinctly for using their great knowledge of engineering and limited space to achieve wondrous feats of efficiency.
I am just struggling to bring that to life in my game.
I want dwarves to feel special and distinct from other races.
Because really, everything can be explained with "trade" for any race.
I try to go a few steps more.
Ice Crown Entertainment came out with a Moria supplement years ago that has alot of interesting info on the dwarves of Moria. Lots of good information in it. One example is they can smelt such pure metal that they have a gold coin referred to as High Gold, that is worth 2 gp in comparison to other nations. Lots of things about engineering too. :) |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
746 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2018 : 22:56:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Eilserus
quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Again, it's all about what's sexy. Drow have gotten a lot of coverage -- way too much, in my opinion -- so we know about their food sources and such.
Me, I think that dwarves and other races would do pretty much the same thing. If it works for one race, it'll work for another.
We just don't know about it, because we've not had 326.7 novels and 106 sourcebooks devoted to dwarves and dwarven characters.
True. I also think that just as the drow are distinct for molding their environment with magic, the dwarves should be portray distinctly for using their great knowledge of engineering and limited space to achieve wondrous feats of efficiency.
I am just struggling to bring that to life in my game.
I want dwarves to feel special and distinct from other races.
Because really, everything can be explained with "trade" for any race.
I try to go a few steps more.
Ice Crown Entertainment came out with a Moria supplement years ago that has alot of interesting info on the dwarves of Moria. Lots of good information in it. One example is they can smelt such pure metal that they have a gold coin referred to as High Gold, that is worth 2 gp in comparison to other nations. Lots of things about engineering too. :)
Thanks! Any place where it can still be found? |
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Realities of Dwarven Living
