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v0.34:Dwarf

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Dwarf

Urist likes dwarves for their beards.
Biome

Any location

Attributes

· Learns · Humanoid

Cannot be tamed 
Size
Birth: 3,000 cm3
Mid: 15,000 cm3
Max: 60,000 cm3

Age
Child at: 1
Adult at: 12
Max age: 150-170
Cannot be butchered

Wikipedia article

This article is about an older version of DF.
A short, sturdy creature fond of drink and industry.
A graphite engraving of a dwarf.

Dwarves are "intelligent" humanoid creatures with disproportionately large livers that live in fortresses carved from mountains. They are well known for their stout appearance and the big beards covering the faces of the males. They are the featured race of Fortress Mode and are also one of the races playable in Adventure Mode. They are mainly interested in acquiring wealth and rare metals, especially adamantine.

Dwarven civilizations typically form peaceful trade-based relationships with humans. Their most hated enemies are the elves goblins.

Dwarven babies become children one and a half year after birth, grow up to become adults at their twelfth birthday, and live to around 150-170 years of age. Compared to humans, Dwarves are stronger, shorter, stockier, and hairier (male dwarven children begin growing beards immediately after birth). They are tough, with a heightened sense of their surroundings, and are highly focused and intellectual "intellectual" creatures.

Dwarves are the only race that sometimes enters a martial trance when beset by many foes, which gives them combat bonuses. They are also alcohol-dependent and work slowly if deprived of it for long. Some specimens have been known to develop an intolerance for sunlight.

In accounts of exploits or fun, the generic name Urist is sometimes used in place of any specific dwarf name. Several nicknames for dwarves also exist; some are less polite than others.

Although in the game modes Dwarves cannot be butchered, you can use the butcher option in Arena Mode to butcher a dwarf, giving you dwarf meat and prepared dwarf entrails.

Dwarves in Fortress Mode

As a trading race, Dwarves will send a caravan every year in Autumn. Immigrants will be more attracted to your fortress as your wealth grows, prompted by the stories of your wealth and the goods that the dwarven traders bring back from your fortress.

You cannot start your fortress where another fortress exists.

Dwarves in Adventure Mode

Dwarven fortresses (and their inhabitants) currently do not exist in Adventurer mode, although player-made fortresses that have been abandoned can attract Dwarf NPCs that will settle down in it.

Dwarven characters always start with steel or iron weapons and armor, making them the best-equipped race. [Verify] Unfortunately, human-made armor is too large for them to wear, and humans are the only race with shops, so all armor upgrades will have to come from looting elves, goblins, and other dwarves. Most human weapons must be wielded two-handed by dwarves, due to their size.

Ethics

Morally speaking, dwarven ethics most closely resemble human and elven ethics, agree somewhat with kobold and animal-people ethics, and disagree strongly with goblin ethics. Unlike elves, dwarves find the devouring of dead enemies unthinkable, and will not butcher or consume intelligent beings (goblins see this as a personal matter). They are entirely opposed to torture of any sort for any reason, unlike elves, humans, kobolds and animal-people (who find certain forms of torture acceptable) and especially goblins, who find all torture acceptable. Dwarves tolerate animal trophies but shun those who keep trophies of sapient beings, and find those who keep trophies of other dwarves appalling. Dwarves find the killing of animals, enemies and plants completely acceptable, unlike elves, kobolds and animal-people. An exception to this is the killing of neutral beings, which is okay as long as the killing had been officially ordered. A dwarf found to have participated in assault, theft, trespassing or vandalism will be seriously punished; some crimes such as killing other dwarves, breaking oaths, slavery and treason are punishable by death. On the other hand, lying is considered only a personal matter.

Mythology

In real-life mythology, dwarves are much like humans, but generally prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. In their fortresses they have accumulated treasures of gold, silver, and precious stones, and pass their time fabricating costly weapons and armor. They are famed miners and smiths, although, like humans, they can specialise in any number of trades. Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, and usually sport full beards. Though slow runners and poor riders, dwarves are excellent warriors and defenders of their strongholds. Dwarves have the ability to forge magical items, which shows off their culture's and species natural craftsmanship. For instance, dwarvish smiths created some of the greatest and most powerful items of mythology, which inspired the in-game strange moods and Legendary artifacts.

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