Mechanically I love dwarves for characters:
Dwarves are great for any class that isn't fighter, and due to their save throw bonuses they make good fighters too.
Design-wise I hate dwarves:
wait why is a dwarf fighter the worst option for the race?
I kind of thought Fighter (maybe Cleric) is what they had in mind when the Dwarf was designed.
I usually avoid the heavier armor because of the movement restrictions. Stick with light or bracers and make good use of a dex bonus.so you dont wear medium or heavy armor, ever?I don't hate Dwarves but I don't play them because of their movement rate. I tend to enjoy playing mobile characters and a medium creature with a 20ft movement is not a very mobile character. They don't even get the advantage of being harder to hit for small size.
My dislike for them is purely mechanical. I liked playing Dwarves in AD&D. It wasn't so much movement focused.
They make can interesting characters just mechanically weak for what I like to do.
Oh and also because I don't like keeping track of the armor check penalties.
wait why is a dwarf fighter the worst option for the race?Mechanically I love dwarves for characters:
Dwarves are great for any class that isn't fighter, and due to their save throw bonuses they make good fighters too.
Design-wise I hate dwarves:
It's not -- sorcerer is. It isn't the best option -- but dwarven fighters do really well -- especially with archtype fighters.
It's not -- sorcerer is. It isn't the best option -- but dwarven fighters do really well -- especially with archtype fighters.wait why is a dwarf fighter the worst option for the race?Mechanically I love dwarves for characters:
Dwarves are great for any class that isn't fighter, and due to their save throw bonuses they make good fighters too.
Design-wise I hate dwarves:
Just saying that though, really wants me to make a dwarven sorcerer now. Sometimes the worst combo, makes for the most fun play. Then again, sometimes it just makes one miserable. :/
Greg
Just saying that though, really wants me to make a dwarven sorcerer now. Sometimes the worst combo, makes for the most fun play. Then again, sometimes it just makes one miserable. :/Greg
A dwarf can make a good draconic disciple out of a sorcerer. The feats available in the APG offer some nice options to help with this, and if you are willing to get that Cha high those natural attacks can be brutal with power attack. For a follow up to the dragon disciple I recommend a level (or two) in arcane archer (provided you pay attention to the "Not yet here but coming someday we promise" Errata posted on these boards -- arcane archer offers up martial weapons which you need to get into eldritch knight) then into eldritch knight for the BAB. You lose more spell levels but heck you were already giving those up to some extent.
Dwarves can also make nice aberrant sorcerer arcane trickster types -- though this takes lots of patience to pay off.
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A dwarf can make a good draconic disciple out of a sorcerer. The feats available in the APG offer some nice options to help with this, and if you are willing to get that Cha high those natural attacks can be brutal with power attack. For a follow up to the dragon disciple I recommend a level (or two) in arcane archer (provided you pay attention to the "Not yet here but coming someday we promise" Errata posted on these boards -- arcane archer offers up martial weapons which you need to get into eldritch knight) then into eldritch knight for the BAB. You lose more spell levels but heck you were already giving those up to some extent.
Dwarves can also make nice aberrant sorcerer arcane trickster types -- though this takes lots of patience to pay off.
I will say you have an odd view of what's the best class for Dwarfs....
Maybe you just hate them because you don't understand them =)
Don't respond with how sorcerer is the best class for dwarfs.
More hate people!
Edit: sorry I butchered the quote from abraham
I'm not even sure what you are saying anymore:
My view on the "best" classes for dwarves (mechanically speaking) are:
1st: Cleric or Druid
2nd: Barbarian or inquisitor or cavalier
3rd: Paladin or fighter
4th: rogue or alchemist
5th: anything else
6th: Sorcerer
However if someone was going to do a dwarven sorcerer the above is the advice I would give them. At the point they've passed the "powerful" choices for the race they should look for something interesting to play with out of what's left.
I understand dwarves fine -- I've played several and have enjoyed each such character that I have played -- I generally *don't* play dwarves anymore simply because they tend to be easy for me (as mentioned above with all those bonuses to playing a dwarf mechanically it becomes much easier to do anything else with them).
Personally I think dwarf is great for the new magus as well -- granted you don't get an Int boost, but the Con and Wis boost are still good, the Cha penalty doesn't hurt and since you'll (eventually) be in full plate the mobility abilities of the dwarf really help too. Heck I even like the dwarven Urgosh as a weapon as it is extremely versatile in abilities for such a character.
back when this game was still beta, the half -orc had a negative to intelligence and everyone said how he made a lousy wizard.
Well THAT made me want to play a half orc wizard!
yea ok ok, I did eventually go eldritch knight but still....
and for the record, Ive played more than one dwarf bard.... so negative 2 to your charisma isnt that big of a deal.
back when this game was still beta, the half -orc had a negative to intelligence and everyone said how he made a lousy wizard.
Well THAT made me want to play a half orc wizard!
yea ok ok, I did eventually go eldritch knight but still....
and for the record, Ive played more than one dwarf bard.... so negative 2 to your charisma isnt that big of a deal.
Bards are a lot less held to Cha than they use to be... and that's a good thing in my opinion.
But Mcarvin, butchering quotes is a sure way to generate more hate ;)
I think Dwarves are fine for any role you want in game. Ok, no that's not true ;) Paladins are so CHA focused the penalty hurts *a lot* Sorcs are also 'bad' choices-so dependent on CHA for his core ability: it's like a Halfling Fighter (-2STR, small weapons) sure, you *can* make it work, but you have to accept the drawbacks. I have to admit that with the PF move of Paladins as CHA based (casting, abilities etc...) I have been a lot less excited about my Dwarven Paladin...
I think Dwarves make great Clerics, Fighters, Barbs, and Druids. As was pointed out before, Dwarven Druid is kind of a no-archtype model though.
Someone earlier daid that offense is sexy... alluding to the idea that if you can't DPR than you can't compete. *shrug* to each his own. There are circumstances where DPR trumps and others where defense (saves, hp) are trumps. AS they have said about football, "offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships."
As a side note, my lovely wife loves dwarves! Her first game with us (over a year ago) she had Barbie, the Dwarven Barbarian-Blonde, Busty and Boisterous!. She hates elves because, "They have stupid ears." :D
GNOME
Well he did get the whole quote and he did come back and label who said it so he has that going for him...
A butchered quote would be something like taking out specific words from my statement so that I said something very different from what was written.
For example:
If I were to say:
I hate gnomes and love smurfs.
and he was to post that I said:
I hate...smurfs.
Then he would be misrepresenting what I said and butchering the quote (by cutting things out -- yes that is a pun... or at minimum a play on words).
Now I'm still not sure what he thought I was saying in that quote -- but hey this is the internet so that's ok.
He only hates Smurfs because the GNOMEs always say no! :)
lol
GNOME
Love the Smurf icons! Too classic :D
Maybe today will be a good day at work?
GNOME/SMURF ;)
My view on the "best" classes for dwarves (mechanically speaking) are:
1st: Cleric or Druid
2nd: Barbarian or inquisitor or cavalier
3rd: Paladin or fighter
4th: rogue or alchemist
5th: anything else
6th: Sorcerer
I agree with most of your assessment. I wrote it this way independently, which really only differs on Paladin & Monk:
1st: Cleric, Druid, Inquisitor, Monk2nd: Barbarian, Cavalier
3rd: Fighter, Ranger
4th: Paladin, Rogue, Alchemist, Bard, Wizard, Oracle, Summoner, Witch, Sorcerer
Someone earlier daid that offense is sexy... alluding to the idea that if you can't DPR than you can't compete. *shrug* to each his own. There are circumstances where DPR trumps and others where defense (saves, hp) are trumps. AS they have said about football, "offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships."
I'm the one who said "Offense is sexy" and I didn't mean to imply that DPR is the only measure of ability. I meant exactly what the sportscasters mean when they say, "Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." Dwarves are all about defense, which doesn't get them much love in the stands, although their abilities do get recognized by the pros.
Blue,
We absolutely agree, then. I apologize if how I paraphrased you alluded to a (at least) tacit agreement with the DPR Crowd :)
GNOME
Dwarven sorcerer would be interesting to play, can see them as elemental earth or fire easily. Likewise a celestial sorcerer allied to the dwarven churches.
So they might not start with an 20 or 18 charisma, but even with a 14-16 they are still effective.
In the past I have played dwarven fighters, rogue (assassins), paladins and my current dwarf is a rogue/witch who talks in the third person and tells his friends about his strange dreams. How you play is more than just stats after all.
It's rare to find players with female dwarves, I think this is because many games/novels in the past have given them beards. Also in popular culture/media the 'so called' beautiful females are slim and tall, not stocky.
Dwarves work hard, value friendship and tradition, they would make steadfast companions, an important asset in the unpredictable world of adventuring. If you got captured you know your dwarven allies would tirelessly work to free you again. If you had a joint project you know the dwarf ally would do atleast their share.
I will say that in the past my players have played every dwarf as religious and with a crafting hobby-bordering on obsession. But then every elf they played worshipped a nature god and were vegetarians too. Each time I tried to point out alternatives to the sterotypes, but they seemed to want to play and enjoy the standard.
Many years ago a friend played a female dwarf, Thelma Heartsplitter, the Orcbane. She was a totally awesome fighter type (she was used in Warhammer Fantasy RP) that was nigh invincible when fighting orcs! It was truly luck of the dice, trust me! She was finally felled when a Skaven sorc broke both of her legs with magic and his fellows overwhelmed and devoured her. She was such a solid fighter that when she died, the rest of the party was dumbfounded.
In fact, they fled. "If they can do that to Thelma, they can do that to any of us!"
Good times ;)
I had once thought to play a female dorf, she was going to be the outlandishly lucky follower of Haela Brightaxe, Goddes of joy and luck in battle :) I could just imagine her knee deep in goblins and gnolls, singing at the top of her lungs, happily chopping down the next enemy foolish enough to challenge her. (the entire character concept was born from the fact the dwarves of the Forgotten Realms *have* a goddess of joy... which seemed counterintuitive in the fae of Dwarf Stoicism...)
GNOME
It seems to me that the majority of people dislike or despise dwarfs...
Can someone explain why?
Bonus points if your explanation is funny or creative.
I like dwarfs. I am curently playing a dwarf druid. What I really hate are the Gnomes and Halflings.
There is a particular type of player who wants to play an idiot dwarf ftr/bbn who can't use a shield because he's carrying a keg in that hand, who has a name like "Wolf-Eye the Awesome," and who attacks the town guard or any NPC the player randomly takes a dislike to.
I have encountered this type of player more than once; it boggled my mind that two completely different people could come up with an almost identical character, who was so very annoying in all the identical ways.
This didn't make me hate dwarves, but it did make me nervous about them. But it really isn't the dwarves' fault.
In another context, I came up with a dwarf character in a MMO, and I was amazed at how much outright abuse he received. I've never once had an elf or a halfling get anything like the viciousness heaped on that poor dwarf, who was never anything but polite and gracious to anyone he met.
Weird.
-The Gneech
I would think a Dwarf would make decent Magus. I'd be playing one in an upcoming Internet game but it didn't fit the character that evolved in my mind. :( Maybe my next Magus. With boosts to Str and Con a Dwarf targets two of the Magus MAD points. Also a Dwarven Waraxe is nothing to snear for the Magus.
I like Dwarves...a good solid choice in a race. They stick with what they know how to do and DO IT WELL! Two of my fellow PC's play Dwarves in fact.
All yer hatred should'n a be fer dwarves, lad. Yer hatred should be fer the lame, one-dimensional stereotypes that people seem to dwell upon. I love playing dwarves and trying to come up with interesting ideas to add as much dimension to them as possible. One of my favorite characters was a dwarf monk who was trying to shed as much dwarven concepts from him in order to find out the true meaning of being a dwarf and eventually bring himself closer to dwarven perfection. He was kind of a dwarven-buddhist. He was a blast to play. But, I also have played very traditional dwarves that exposed strong sense of tradition and family were loyalty and bravery are very important. I like to think of dwarves as a feudal Japan-like culture with a strong amount of Norseman thrown into the mix. The two are not as different than one might think. It is almost like saying Scottish is the opposite of Chinese. From a cooking perspective, this might be true, but from a sense of honor and family, they similar.
I just had a dwarf paladin.
He died last week, got squashed by a Spriggan.
We discovered hours later that I forgot to factor in my plus 4 AC because the spriggan was enlarged.
LOL.
o well.
we talked it off because the lil dude was tiny at first and sprung up and he didnt have time to adjust to his defensive stature (it had come up behind him)
never EVEN realized that spell casting was based off CHA for pallys now. I was still using wis.
Doesnt matter. just because you have -2 to a main stat doesnt mean you can't play that character or it makes a bad one.
What if your role was 2 points lower?
I hate playing with people (and think its ridiculous) that they have to play a character with an 18 or 20 in the main stat from like first level.
ever play with an entire group of characters that have ALL 10's before racial modifers?
try it some time! its fun!
(spell casters usually cant cast spells over 2nd level without magic enhancements, or have to wait to cast 3rd level spells until the get an ability boost.
yea yea its annoying at higher levels with more spells, but for the first few levels its eye opening.
I agree that +2 to saves is a great racial feature, but offense is sexier than defense and will attract more players.
You can have sexy any day. I prefer "alive"
In previous editions no race got +2 int. Now four races can.
The game may have changed but the feelings linger on.
Yes, but any race can have a low charisma, so dwarves don't really have a corner on that market.
Most races bottom out at 8 cha. Dwarves bottom out at 5. There's a big difference between the guy that kinda blends into the background and the guy you'd like to embed in the background.
I totally agree! Sometimes it's fun to play out a stereotype in character, and sometimes it's fun to pointedly break a stereotype. Adventurers are good at both.
Well, the CG beer guzzling brawler has kind of become the stereotype for PCs.
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Once upon a time, I laid out a "Campy Dwarven Name Generator" that would build compound dwarf names from a selection of words in various categories:
Minerals (Granite, Marble, Stone, etc)
+
Weapons (Axe, Hammer, etc)
Metals (Gold, Silver, Steel, Iron, etc)
+
Facial Hair/Features: (Beard, Brow, Nose, Braid, etc)
The funniest names I ever got from it were Feldsparfalchion and Zincsideburns.
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Once upon a time, I laid out a "Campy Dwarven Name Generator" that would build compound dwarf names from a selection of words in various categories:
Minerals (Granite, Marble, Stone, etc)
+
Weapons (Axe, Hammer, etc)Metals (Gold, Silver, Steel, Iron, etc)
+
Facial Hair/Features: (Beard, Brow, Nose, Braid, etc)The funniest names I ever got from it were Feldsparfalchion and Zincsideburns.
LoL =D
Honestly, since 3.5 im not even sure WHY there is a Gnome AND a halfling race.
they just arent different enough to me.
Sizeist!
There is a lot more going on with halflings and gnomes than "we're small".
Halflings are a lot like smaller, lesser humans, something they may detest, but something they often exploit, too. It means they can get jobs where strength is not important and being smaller (taking up less space and needing less food) is useful (halfling sailors are a big thing - they need half as much space as humans, which means a lot of extra cargo! Plus, they're quite agile, which is good on a ship, especially in the riggings.).
It also means that they can easily fade into the background, become practically invisible and learn things they would otherwise not learn.
In addition, they are very optimistic. And the halfling recklessness is legendary. Maybe not quite recklessness, but halflings usually jump on any opportunity to Get Rich Quick. They would probably have died out if they weren't so lucky on top of all that. Their curiousity and lust for adventure gets them into trouble and their luck gets them back out again.
Gnomes are completely different. They hail from the fairy realms, and were fey creatures themselves once upon a time. Their mindset is, in many respects, quite alien to that of humans.
They can be mischievous (a common trait for the fey folk) or merely obsessed with what a human would think inconsequential. And ever since they migrated from the wild realms of the fairies and into the comparatively tame material world of humans, their boredom has become a disease.
They have a frenzied, almost desperate drive to make new experiences. They literally need that, for if they don't make new experiences often enough, they will Bleach - all colour will drain out of them and they will die long before their time (and since they're still somewhere between immortal and merely long-lived, that time is long indeed)
Speaking of colour: Gnome skin, hair and eyes come in all colours nature knows. That's not "all colours nature knows for hair, skin and eyes". It's all colours nature knows. Gnomes can have bright green skin (like grass in summer) or startingly blue hair (like cornflowers), or anything else.
Their fey heritage grants them a special adeptness for illusion magic.
I don't think they're similar at all, not any more than humans and elves and orcs are similar for all being medium.
3e might have treated the smaller races badly, but Pathfinder picked up the slack.
It shames me to think of choosing character race/class combos purely on a statistical stand point, it hurts the roleplayer in me!
Couldn't care less about the speed thing. That definitely won't make me decide against a dwarf.
I like Dwarves...a good solid choice in a race.
Only in long distance races, though, if endurance counts for something. Or maybe a cart race or something where they don't do the running. Otherwise their slow speed makes them a very bad choice in any race.
I just had a dwarf paladin.
He died last week, got squashed by a Spriggan.
We discovered hours later that I forgot to factor in my plus 4 AC because the spriggan was enlarged.
No.
The bonus only applies against giants. That is, humanoids with the giant subtype, like trolls or fire giants.
Size doesn't really figure into it (though giants tend to be at least large).
I just had a dwarf paladin.
He died last week, got squashed by a Spriggan.
We discovered hours later that I forgot to factor in my plus 4 AC because the spriggan was enlarged.
No.
The bonus only applies against giants. That is, humanoids with the giant subtype, like trolls or fire giants.
Size doesn't really figure into it (though giants tend to be at least large).
yes i guess your right, i didnt really think about it,always thought spriggans "poof" became 'giants'.... didnt think about it in terms of "racial" more as in "giant" ie "size"
I just had a dwarf paladin.
He died last week, got squashed by a Spriggan.
We discovered hours later that I forgot to factor in my plus 4 AC because the spriggan was enlarged.
No.
The bonus only applies against giants. That is, humanoids with the giant subtype, like trolls or fire giants.
Size doesn't really figure into it (though giants tend to be at least large).
I once shrunk Trolls down to small size to make "Pygmy Trolls" so I had small giants. :D
"I hate to break it to yah bub but dwarven clerics with travel and liberation domains move at 30 (all the time), or 40 (with the domain spell longstrider)......And that is while decked out in masterwork stoneplate!"Move 20ft I do not play any thing with that low of a movement.
K great an other build there but point is still moving 20ft sucks
"I hate to break it to yah bub but dwarven clerics with travel and liberation domains move at 30 (all the time), or 40 (with the domain spell longstrider)......And that is while decked out in masterwork stoneplate!"Move 20ft I do not play any thing with that low of a movement.
K great an other build there but point is still moving 20ft sucks
Works fine for the small races (you know, the only two small types in the entire game with a move speed of 20 but still they get along).
Honestly a Dwarven stalwart defender that focuses in the use of a bow makes a wonderful "pillbox" sort of character, and dwarven monks don't have movement problems.
Also I'll second the idea that dwarves do really well in the new magus class. I've had a very successful run with such a character.
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I like the fluff for dwarfs. The slight tinge of Norse in the stereotype is also kind of awesome. I personally see dwarfs as the most dependable race in the world.
You ask and elf for a ride home from the airport, he'll turn back if something pressing come up. He'll feel bad, and it's understandable, but you're still at the airport.
A Gnome will show up, but you're an extra couple hours late cause you had to take the time to bail them out of the security checkpoint for constantly trying to get into restricted areas.
A Dwarf will get in the car and start driving to the airport, and come hell or high water. The only way he's not picking you up like he promised is if all the armies of creation, from the Hosts of Heaven, to the Legions of Hell, manage to hit him all at once.
...On the ride home from the airport, you're having a conversation with a blood stained dwarf who's telling you about how he caught that pit fiend with one hell of a right cross, while wondering aloud if all solars scream like little girls when you're slamming them repeatedly into the concrete.
I like the fluff for dwarfs. The slight tinge of Norse in the stereotype is also kind of awesome. I personally see dwarfs as the most dependable race in the world.
You ask and elf for a ride home from the airport, he'll turn back if something pressing come up. He'll feel bad, and it's understandable, but you're still at the airport.
A Gnome will show up, but you're an extra couple hours late cause you had to take the time to bail them out of the security checkpoint for constantly trying to get into restricted areas.
A Dwarf will get in the car and start driving to the airport, and come hell or high water. The only way he's not picking you up like he promised is if all the armies of creation, from the Hosts of Heaven, to the Legions of Hell, manage to hit him all at once.
...On the ride home from the airport, you're having a conversation with a blood stained dwarf who's telling you about how he caught that pit fiend with one hell of a right cross, while wondering aloud if all solars scream like little girls when you're slamming them repeatedly into the concrete.
I want to play in YOUR games. :D [Here, has an cookie for your awesome post.]
...On the ride home from the airport, you're having a conversation with a blood stained dwarf who's telling you about how he caught that pit fiend with one hell of a right cross, while wondering aloud if all solars scream like little girls when you're slamming them repeatedly into the concrete.
Answer: They do, especially if you use their eyesocket as a grip to hold on better while doing so.
I like dwarf, what's better then a beer drinking, party loving, honorful (in some way or the other), combat enthusiatic guy, whos the sort of "best friend" and "worsed foe"?
Also, nothing is more funny then a player playing a dwarf with a scottish accent. :)
Dwarfs rule!
P.S.: @Tyrael Maal: Awesome post and totaly /sign
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I like the fluff for dwarfs. The slight tinge of Norse in the stereotype is also kind of awesome. I personally see dwarfs as the most dependable race in the world.
You ask and elf for a ride home from the airport, he'll turn back if something pressing come up. He'll feel bad, and it's understandable, but you're still at the airport.
A Gnome will show up, but you're an extra couple hours late cause you had to take the time to bail them out of the security checkpoint for constantly trying to get into restricted areas.
A Dwarf will get in the car and start driving to the airport, and come hell or high water. The only way he's not picking you up like he promised is if all the armies of creation, from the Hosts of Heaven, to the Legions of Hell, manage to hit him all at once.
...On the ride home from the airport, you're having a conversation with a blood stained dwarf who's telling you about how he caught that pit fiend with one hell of a right cross, while wondering aloud if all solars scream like little girls when you're slamming them repeatedly into the concrete.
WHOOOAH! This injured me and it hurts in a good way! You, Sir, grok Dwarves more deeply that Prof, Tolkien himself!
...I personally see dwarfs as the most dependable race in the world... A Dwarf will get in the car and start driving to the airport, and come hell or high water. The only way he's not picking you up like he promised is if all the armies of creation, from the Hosts of Heaven, to the Legions of Hell, manage to hit him all at once.
...On the ride home from the airport, you're having a conversation with a blood stained dwarf who's telling you about how he caught that pit fiend with one hell of a right cross, while wondering aloud if all solars scream like little girls when you're slamming them repeatedly into the concrete.
Now I want a pic of Harsk dressed as a city mail carrier. :)
You ask and elf for a ride home from the airport, he'll turn back if something pressing come up. He'll feel bad, and it's understandable, but you're still at the airport.
Actually, no. Provided you're friends with the elves, he will show up, unless it's a matter of life and death. There is little that is more important to elves than friendship, their definition of honour is staying true to your friends, and betraying a friendship is the highest sin.
A Gnome will show up, but you're an extra couple hours late cause you had to take the time to bail them out of the security checkpoint for constantly trying to get into restricted areas.
Nah. I don't think the gnome will stay in long. He'll either talk his way out of the cell, or just disappear out of it in mysterious circumstances.
A Dwarf will get in the car and start driving to the airport, and come hell or high water. The only way he's not picking you up like he promised is if all the armies of creation, from the Hosts of Heaven, to the Legions of Hell, manage to hit him all at once.
Actually, you've got it backward: For a dwarf, the good of the clan always comes first. You're supposed to understand that he had to turn back, because your discomfort means nothing against the clan's security.
I do not hate dwarves. I just find them... inferior.
What does a dwarf DO that another race doesn't do BETTER?
One would think "Bonus to Wis, so Cleric, duh!". But with a -2 to Cha, he shoots himself in the foot with channeling.
Fighter has already been touched upon: Basic Fighters get the big benefit of moving at full speed in plate at lv7. So archetype that gives up armor training is mandatory. But then the dwarf is still as slow as another race that is reduced to his speed. Enjoy your acrobatics, I guess?
He COULD make a decent druid, but c'mon, R. A. Salvatore made one for the Cleric Quintet as a JOKE. It is sillier than a gnome berserker.
Which leads to the barbarian. Bonus stat is not in Str. Humans, Half-orcs, Half-Elves all do it better.
Rogue? Maybe. Good to have some survivability and perception as one. Weird though. Also, all the other races have better potential.
So.... yeah. Point me to a class a dwarf can come out and say "THIS CLASS IS MINE!". Elves have wizards, Half-elves have multiclassing, Halflings do rogues, bards and sorcerers really well, gnomes do sorcerers and bards, half-orcs are great at anything regarding combat, and humans can do anything better than anyone else.
One would think "Bonus to Wis, so Cleric, duh!". But with a -2 to Cha, he shoots himself in the foot with channeling.
Its one less channel, and if you're trying to damage undead with channeling you're doing something wrong. You can more than make up for it with the extra channel feat. In return you get +2 to most saves, +1 extra to fort, and an extra HP per level, and darkvision. The movement doesn't matter at all because you'll be in slow armor anyway.
Fighter has already been touched upon: Basic Fighters get the big benefit of moving at full speed in plate at lv7. So archetype that gives up armor training is mandatory. But then the dwarf is still as slow as another race that is reduced to his speed. Enjoy your acrobatics, I guess?
Fighters are taken out of the fight more often by a missed will save than anything else. Dwarven fighters have an effective +3 bonus to their will saves.
He COULD make a decent druid, but c'mon, R. A. Salvatore made one for the Cleric Quintet as a JOKE. It is sillier than a gnome berserker.
Cavern ecologist, hill dwarf, Former mayor who's villiage was taken out in a land slide after the town denuded the hillside... there's a serious few ways to go with this.
Which leads to the barbarian. Bonus stat is not in Str. Humans, Half-orcs, Half-Elves all do it better.
Same will save problem as fighters, and dwarves do it longer.
Rogue? Maybe. Good to have some survivability and perception as one. Weird though. Also, all the other races have better potential.
Saves, autospot traps/hazards in stone, extra hp for the squishy person stabbing not so squishy things.
One would think "Bonus to Wis, so Cleric, duh!". But with a -2 to Cha, he shoots himself in the foot with channeling.
Perhaps some houserules are needed for that, for example, dwarves take either -2 Cha or -2 Dex (players choice). Or even for fighters +2 Str instead of +2 Con - I wouldn´t allow to let them exchange the Wis bonus for Str, as this would probably result in an overpowered fighter. Then again, if you say, to hell with arbitrary balance considerations, that might just be the solution.
Considering the barbarian, having higher HP is nothing to sneeze at - the barbarian gets bonus str from raging, but having even more HP is "the dwarf that just won´t die". quick´n´dirty dwarf barbarian with the standard heroic build leads to str 14, dex 13, con 17, int10, wis10, cha10. HP 15(17 raging), dwarven waraxe two-handed att+3(+5 raging) 1d10+3(+6raging) does not sound that bad for a start to me. Of course, higher STR equals higher damage overall, but having lots of hp is not that bad as well.
Back to topic, I love playing dwarves, and would always take the Cha penalty, because being gruff and taciturn but good at heart is easy for me to play :-) OTOH, I love playing wizards, so I should consider a dwarf wizard next time I play D&D/PF again. Meandering off topic, I might even use a 1st-level multiclass option fighter/wizard and play a somewhat torn character who was trained traditionally but felt the need to be a rebel against that tradition at the same time. When he had his "coming out", he was ostracized and had to take up adventuring.
He COULD make a decent druid, but c'mon, R. A. Salvatore made one for the Cleric Quintet as a JOKE. It is sillier than a gnome berserker.Cavern ecologist, hill dwarf, Former mayor who's villiage was taken out in a land slide after the town denuded the hillside... there's a serious few ways to go with this.
There are enough ways to make a decent dwarven druid, especially when we remember that nature is not all forests and green meadows.
Plus, the argument "Someone wrote a silly character that was like that into a novel" is a phenomenally bad excuse to pass on a concept.
If it were true, I could single-handedly make it impossible to take Pathfinder seriously: I'd have a novel with 77 characters (each core rules race/class combo) and make them all silly as hell. There, you can't play anything, ever again! (And before you start to talk about extra books: I'll just write a trilogy or something like that).
dwarves do it longer.
Submitted to SnorgTees as a shirt idea!
If it comes through, I'll share the price money with you. ;-)