LARP Characters 101: The Dwarf
LARPs (check out What is Live Action Role Playing?) are occasions to slip into the skin of all kinds of different people and occupational groups. For newbies, it’s not always easy to pick the right character. To give new LARPers a smooth start and veteran players a few new ideas, we’ve put together this guide to all-things-dwarf, including do’s, don’ts, professional advice and clever tips for your gear.
Who are the Dwarves?
Dwarves are a small, stocky and very robust bipedal folk. Their most distinctive feature are the long beards they all proudly wear. Dwarves belong to an ancient 
mining people that has lived underground for thousands of years in their gigantic, breathtaking cave systems and cities. Life among rocks and minerals turned the Dwarves into skilled craftsmen, known the world over for their high quality blacksmithing, ornate masonry and accomplished jewelry. Despite their crafty prowess and wisdom, their underground isolation has made them grumpy and antisocial. They keep to themselves and do not regard other peoples highly (especially the elves).
The Dwarf’s Role in LARP
The allure of LARP is inhabiting your character to the fullest. Once you’ve settled on a certain fantasy people you have to embody their typical mannerisms and behavior. As a dwarf you should definitely value your heritage very highly: don’t just come up with your own name, make one up for your parents, too. In movies and novels, Dwarves are often called by the names of their ancestors, for example, “Gimli, son of Gloin” or “Balin, Fundin’s son.” Should you come upon members of your people, you need to be able to name your clan. While you’re at it, draw yourself a little family tree so nobody can catch you off guard.
Dwarf behavior is crotchety, gruff, loud, opinionated and aloof. If you have an opinion, insist on it! If gold or artworks are involved, nothing can get in your way. Once you’ve set your eyes on the prize, be greedy and possessive till you get it. Although an innate disgust for other peoples, especially elves, characterizes the Dwarves you shouldn’t be perpetually belligerent with the “tree huggers.” That requires too much energy. Just ignore them. They’re not worth your attention.
What you should avoid:
In the heat of the moment, always remember these bearded chaps have a hard exterior but a good heart inside. Never be malicious or unreasonable in your surliness. And sitting around the campfire at night you can take down your unapproachable ways a notch: Dwarves party for their lives and love good company. They drink and sing with the best of them.
But don’t make the mistake of becoming a party dwarf, rude and debauched for the entire con. Never forget your pride! And don’t spoil others’ fun just because you disagree with them. Good arguments can disabuse you of your opinion. The same rule of thumb goes for your possessiveness. Don’t hurt or kill your fellow players just because you have something pretty in sight. Dwarves cherish friendship. It takes a while for the little guys to develop trust, but then they’ll do anything for you. When it comes to skirmishes, they fight on the front line, clearing the way from beneath. Even when outnumbered the brave dwarf is not intimidated. If you’re LARPing as a dwarf, get geared up for a lot of battles.
Dwarf Looks for LARP
Clothing and General Appearance
First things first: the beard is an ideal of male beauty for dwarf men and an absolute must for your outfit. If you see a dwarf without a beard then his opponents have humiliated him or he has been cursed by the gods. In this case you should hide under a rock and avoid the public eye at all costs. Let your beard grow, attach a fake beard to your face or wrap your beard around your head. Whatever you do, don’t draw it on. You won’t make any friends. You should also keep your beard in excellent condition. After all, it’s your status symbol. If you really want to make a splash, decorate your facial hair with braids and jewelry (see figure). For lady Dwarves a thick beard isn’t exactly necessary, of course. Bushy eyebrows and/or thick, artful braids are a good alternative.
Although the Dwarves in The Hobbit are almost always of normal stature, Dwarves at LARPs should be short and stocky. Stuffing a pillow under your clothes has not proven itself in practice because it’s too soft and slips out of place during battle. It’s better to wrap your waist with a blanket and fix it in place with a belt. You can also use our Belly Pillow Holder and stuff it with a small blanket. Clothing made of thick, heavy material gives you extra mass.
What you wear can make you appear smaller. Wide trousers, wide-cut boots, wide gauntlets, and gambesons help as well, as do clothes of different lengths and colors and flat helmets and headwear, such as an Arming Cap or Bacinet.
Aside from optical illusions, your clothes should fit the character of the dwarf, who usually wears dark, muted earth tones and more rarely all black. One or two color accents are O.K. as long as the color isn’t too bright. Colors such as burgundy and olive green are great for dwarf garb, and they should be made of coarse, robust materials and leather or metal. Avoid elegant fabrics such as velvet and brocade. A little gold trim, however, can work. That goes for metal jewelry such as belt buckles and armbands, but don’t overdo it with embellishment. Freedom of movement and your ability to fight in battle are your top priorities as a dwarf. And while we’re at it: Dwarves are often seen in skirts at LARPS, which does wonders for your range of motion! Just don’t wear a plaid kilt. Characters who wear kilts aren’t Dwarves. They’re Scots.
Dwarf Armor
Here you’re looking at a typical dwarf character for LARP. He’s wearing the following clothing and gear:
– Dwarf Leather Armor Set green & brown :
– Dwarf Surcoat brown & green
– Dwarf Pauldrons green & brown
– Cross-strap Harness brown
– Dwarf War Skirt brown & green
Other Costume Parts & Accessories:
– Robin Hood Shirt
– Robin Hood Leather Pants
– Slave Bracers brown
– Simple Frog brown
– Long Leather Belt with Ring brown
– Steampunk Ankle Boots Men black
– Hand Axe Foam Weapon
– Amish Professional Full Beard (with braids)
– Beast Eyebrows Real Hair (trimmed)
– Sheik Theatrical Nose made of latex
Although Dwarves are good blacksmiths and love metal, you can wear artfully crafted leather armor for an authentic effect. It’s important, however, that the shape isn’t too bulky or pompous: first and foremost, it must protect your body while not being too cumbersome. If you go for metal armor, pay close attention to its weight and bulkiness – you should always appear confident and agile in battle. A good compromise between protection and range of movement, hauberks are also popular among Dwarves. Accessorize with mail coifs and mail gauntlets.
As for weaponry, Dwarves prefer large, heavy thrusting weapons such as maces, hammers and axes. Dwarves use cutting weapons such as swords and daggers as a second weapon if at all. If you want to make your own LARP weapon, don’t overdo it with size. Ornate cutting weapons such as foils are not appropriate for the dwarf character.
Dwarves love to carry shields, and the same aesthetic applies: they should be handy, stable and most importantly, they should protect you! Frilly, decorative shields don’t really fit the concept. If you want to make your own shield, don’t overdo it with the size.
Professional Tips
If you want to make your dwarf character even more realistic, take a look at our dwarf make-up tutorial. It’ll get you nice and weathered-looking for your LARP. And one last FYI: Dwarves sometimes live to be 100+, and our horror skin gives you a realistic aged look (see figure). Just dab it onto your skin using a wide make-up brush or sponge and let it dry completely. Your skin will look wrinkly and ancient.
Here’s to adventure all around!
The diggers @ maskworld.com
