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Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

Would it be possible to ask him? This is something I'd really like to know the answer to. DID any of them ever have one, and if not, why? And does anyone else have questions like this needing answers?

Incidently, none of my wizard characters ever had one, but it was mostly for convenience' sake. To much trouble to keep up with in-game, and given some of the drawbacks, it didn't really seem worth the effort for the meager rewards. Only one NPC wizard of mine has one, an Archmage with a prankster-ish fairy dragon familiar named (apropriately enough) Pennatella. (The joke is in the name...)

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Originally posted by Nicolai Withander


I just find it utter useless!!! A familiar that is!

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Originally posted by _Jarlaxle_

Don't tell me you don't know the mightiest beeing ever oO

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869366/The_most_powerful_character._EVER. ;-)

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Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Why are there no half-dwarves?

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Originally posted by Markustay

There is a specific group of them living on the eastern border of Anauroch, but I forget what they are called, and I'm not anywhere near my sources.

And yeah, for the most part they are treated as regular Dwarves (at least crunch-wise) in FR.

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Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

Interesting, but as I recall, while dwarves CAN interbreed with humans, the offspring tend to be sterile, and are hence called (somewhat derogitorily, I believe) "mules". I think that came from some 3.5 Eberron lore, or some such, but it would stand as "standard" for ALL D&D lore, I think. I do recall there being ONE half-dwarf/elf, and that was Drannor, for whom Myth Drannor was supposedly named, according to the 2nd ed book "Cormanthyr". apperantly, he was the product of the first (and likely ONLY) elf/swarf union.

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Dwarf-elf crossbreeds, known as "dwelf" in the singular and "dwelves" in the plural, are noted as having been common in the days of Eaerlann in FR11 – Dwarves Deep, p. 6.

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Humans, gnomes, and halflings are cross-fertile with dwarves. Elminster says elves and dwarves can have issue as well. Common in Ardeep, Eaerlann, and Myth Drannor of old, this is unheard-of today.

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"Half-dwarves" are not a distinct race. Save for their height (a head taller than most dwarves) all offspring of unions between dwarves and other races look and act (and are treated in the rules) as pureblood dwarves. Dwarven halfbreeds always have the stocky build and hirsute appearance of purebloods.

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

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Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

Interesting, but as I recall, while dwarves CAN interbreed with humans, the offspring tend to be sterile, and are hence called (somewhat derogitorily, I believe) "mules". I think that came from some 3.5 Eberron lore, or some such, but it would stand as "standard" for ALL D&D lore, I think. I do recall there being ONE half-dwarf/elf, and that was Drannor, for whom Myth Drannor was supposedly named, according to the 2nd ed book "Cormanthyr". apperantly, he was the product of the first (and likely ONLY) elf/swarf union.

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There's more than that one. There are two named ones that I know of, and references to others.

Of the named ones, one was Isinghar "Feyrune" Ironstar, described as a dwelf runecarver and archmage of Ammarindar, who was one of the secondary casters in the raising of the mythal over Myth Glaurach. This is from the Myth Glaurach article that was part of the Mintiper's Chapbook series.

The other named dwelf was Dlarbraddath. We don't know if that was his actual name; we just know that a section of Myth Drannor was "named for the gardener who laid it out, a being said to have an elven mother and a dwarven father!" (page 19, Campaign Guide to Myth Drannor, Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set). I think it more likely he was named Dlarbradd.


The Myth Glaurach article also notes, in the footnotes, that

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Dwarf-elf crossbreeds, known as "dwelf" in the singular and "dwelves" in the plural, are noted as having been common in the days of Eaerlann in FR11 – Dwarves Deep, p. 6.

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Page 6 of Dwarves Deep says:

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Humans, gnomes, and halflings are cross-fertile with dwarves. Elminster says elves and dwarves can have issue as well. Common in Ardeep, Eaerlann, and Myth Drannor of old, this is unheard-of today.

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and

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"Half-dwarves" are not a distinct race. Save for their height (a head taller than most dwarves) all offspring of unions between dwarves and other races look and act (and are treated in the rules) as pureblood dwarves. Dwarven halfbreeds always have the stocky build and hirsute appearance of purebloods.

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There's no notation there about half-dwarves in the Realms being sterile. I think that you're conflating Dark Sun's muls with half-dwarves of the Realms. Muls are sterile, as I recall, and they are also half-dwarves -- but they're also specific to Dark Sun.

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Dwelves....okay, I'll stop myself early before I start doing haiku about stone shelves and dungeon delves....

As stated above (and like half-elves), they favor and adopt the lifestyle/culture under which they are raised. Same goes for which gods they revere.

Both elves and dwarves have serious cognitive dissonance when it comes to dwelves, as (unlike half-elves or half-orcs, IMO) there's no set form or expectation for how they'll look. It's anyone's guess if you'll end up with a dwarf's body size and shape with elven features and ears or an elf's body but stocky vs. svelte and rather hairier than the norm. Dwarven parents may mourn their child's inability to grow a decent beard, thanks to their elven half, while elves may grumble that the child is more interested in the dirt rather than the tree from which it springs. Most likely, they're only comfortable among some societies that embrace acceptance and unity (like Myth Drannor or Miyeritar or elsewhere).

That said, I was surprised by that Myth Glaurach note. Methinks I'll have to talk to Eric and find out what else he's had the Blackstaff up to while I've not been watching....if only for my own curiousity, of course.

Steven
(and some day I'll tell y'all about the Pentad, an alliance of the churches of five gods of four races...but not today, as only three dwelves worshiped among them, and none of them reached high priest stage or any ranking of note)

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Originally posted by Sill Alias

Where can I find more lore about the half-dwarfs?

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Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

Ah, okay, it was Dark Sun. Knew it was one of the other worlds. Thanks for refreshing my memory on that score, Wooly. However, I do wonder why they would be sterile there and not elsewhere.

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Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis

Ah, okay, it was Dark Sun. Knew it was one of the other worlds. Thanks for refreshing my memory on that score, Wooly. However, I do wonder why they would be sterile there and not elsewhere. I seem to remember there being a similar restriction on half-elf/half-orcs. That they either cannot interbreed, or if they can, the offspring cannot have children. Any reason for that?

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Originally posted by Genis

Wait, there's a stupid question thread and nobody told me? I belong here.

Just let me think of a stupid question quick.

Also the half dwarf question, i've often wondered the same thing.

It's been a while since I've read any dragonlance, how exactly do the elves in Krynn differ from the elves on Faerun?

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