Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lopez 04-16-05, 04:00 PM	Well my party is starting a new campaign and I thought it would be good to play a regular Dwarven Fighter...My only problem is, is that I love to roleplay and I just can't seem to get a feel to how to roleplay one. I have seen all the movies and books that contain Dwarves, and I know how they say aye and stuff like that...I guess I just want to know how do you players play dwarves? This is so I can get an idea on how to play mine. Thanks in advance! -Sam
Derren S. 04-16-05, 04:12 PM	A race is no straitjacket. You can follow the clichée and play your dwarf like Gimli or you can try something different like for example a well spoken dexterous swashbuckler or anything else. We can't help you at lest not without knowing the alignment and general personality.
Rim-Soulfang 04-16-05, 04:42 PM	PvP style: I spent my reward on Ale and *****s.
Mrdeathclaw 04-16-05, 04:51 PM	and why do all dwarfs have an irish accent? and why do they always drink?
Vapthorne 04-16-05, 07:44 PM	and why do all dwarfs have an irish accent? and why do they always drink? Because it's a cliche. My best advice on roleplaying aspect to don't think of it as roleplaying a Dwarf. Roleplay your fighter based off his personality, background, and concept.
HypnoticMonk 04-16-05, 07:49 PM	There are many quizzes online where you can ask different details about your character. (Alas, my system went down so I lost all my links) At times, when creating a character, I have taken that kind of quiz before playing a single session just to help me figure out what kind of personality I wanted him to have.
jaerad 04-16-05, 07:56 PM	and why do all dwarfs have an irish accent? and why do they always drink? 1) All Irish people are short, stout, and bearded. 2) That's an easy one. Where do you think the race gets its CON bonus? Drinkin' man! See by drinking copious amounts starting at an early age, Dwarves are able to increase their fortitude with regard to drink - and this extends in later life to an increased fortitude in general. This is also why poisons have a lesser effect on Dwarves - they're used to poisioning themselves. ....:shifty:
Callista 04-16-05, 08:23 PM	Heh. Dwarves... Well, it depends on what dwarven culture is like in your campaign world. If it's like the default D&D setting, then dwarves in general think a lot of family, tradition, and honor. They tend towards Law and Good (cultural, again). The Charisma penalty makes them a little short-spoken and more matter-of-fact than anything else--they say it like it is, rather than being diplomatic about things. They may think this is actually an advantage; rather than beating around the bush with flowery speech a Dwarf will simply say what he means and be done with it. CON bonus means dwarves are tough... they expect a lot of themseves and probably of others. A Dwarf who becomes ill could easily attempt to hide the fact, going on with his duties despite weakness. Dwarves are honest, matter-of-fact, blunt, and often patriotic. A Dwarf's allegiance is not easily given, but he'll defend what he serves... king or country or clan or deity... They're big on duty as well. So, that's the typical dwarf. Now you have to decide whether your character is going to be typical, close to it, or not at all. Decide your character's personality; what s/he likes and doesn't. And, since this is a dwarf, the way other dwarves react to him is a big deal--whether or not he cares what they think (dwarves do tend to care what other dwarves think of them)--it will matter because they expect him to care. Even a "typical dwarf" can be interesting; Gimli is a really cool character, and he's quite typical (except for the whole "putting up with that skinny elf" deal). If you find yourself reflexively doing something because it fits the stereotype, though, first ask yourself: Why does my character act this way? Because it's expected of him? Because his elders acted this way? Because he believes it's right or honorable? If you can answer those questions, even a stereotypical dwarf will evolve into a character with a personality in his own right. Atypical dwarves: Remember, the clan's reaction, and that of dwarves in general, is going to affect how your dwarf looks at the world. Maybe he's a Bard... he's probably totally misunderstood by his community, looked on as somewhat of a pansy, or rejected for being unwilling to settle down. Or maybe he's evil; and while he seems like the picture of dwarven perfection, he's been secretly plotting to overthrow the king and replace him. Or he could be an odd sort for some other reason--Was he raised by non-dwarves? Is he from a different culture than the norm, maybe barbarians or city dwarves? Hope you have fun with your dwarf character. Dwarves are cool. :)
Phrennzy 04-16-05, 08:58 PM	Okay - First, Dwarves are short. So demand to be in the front of the party at all times. If you get stuck behind someone taller than you, get up and crouch down behind the player of the PC you are stuck behind. Grab their shoulders and try to pull yourself up over them, saying , "I can't see anything! What's going on?" Also, Dwarves like gold. So grab all you can. And gems. Gems are good too. Let everyone else have the magic, you get the gold and gems. Actually, take the gold and gems and magic and sell the magic for more gold and gems. Dwarves have big beards - you should too. If you can't grow one, go buy one. This will help you understand the character that much more, and allow you to do a better job at roleplaying him. Yes, him. All dwarves are male. Even the female ones. All dwarves have an accent. When you speak, do your best Irish or Scotish impression. If you cannot do a good Irish/Scottish impression, do a bad "Scotty from Star Trek" impression. If you cannot do that, piece together audio clips from Sean Connery and play them when you need to speak. Try to get another party member to change their name to Moneypenny for more realism. Dwarves hate horses. You should refuse to ride on a horse. In fact, you should kill any horse you come across. Dwarves also hate elves. You should refuse to ride on an elf. In fact, you should kill any elves you come across. Make sure you wear plate armor, regardless of your class, which should be fighter anyway, and use a hammer or axe, or both if you can wield them in one hand. And use a big shield. The bigger the better. If you are using a shield shorter than you, it is too small. A shield to a Dwarf is like a belt buckle to a cowboy - the bigger the better. So, with these few tips, I am sure you are off to a memorable gaming session. Let us know how it goes!
DrMorganes 04-17-05, 10:07 AM	Races of Stone has quite a bit of information on dwarven culture, and explains some of the stereotypes rather well. I'll paraphrase a bit: Dwarves in general (or as a people) hold honor and duty up as the highest virtues. The closeness that comes from living underground necessitates that a people place the good of the society above the desires of the individual. This physical closeness also explains why dwarves show little emotion. When it's difficult to get away from others, one typically is very careful about making waves. Dwarves - in general - consider frequent expression emotions or opinions rude. As such, it's a sign of deep trust and respect for a dwarf to share his emotions and opinions with his companions. With this in mind, it's up to you to decide where your specific dwarf falls within the spectrum. Is this dwarf more outgoing than his fellows? If so, why? He'll probably get along a bit better with other races, but other dwarves will likely see him as irritating or immature. Does he strive to do his duty - no matter what the personal cost - and therefore bring honor to his family and his clan? As a fighter, you may also find the "Dwarves at War" article in February's Dragon useful. It's chock full of nifty thoughts on how dwarves approach battle. Concepts like "expend firepower, not manpower", "survive the fight", and "take down the biggest threat first" come with crunchy game mechanics to give practical advice on how dwarven combat training works.
2nd Ed Paladin 04-17-05, 02:01 PM	When I make a character I tend to base it on a typical member of that race as described in the PHB but I usually add a few quirks just to make the character more original. Off the top of my head a few ideas for a dwarf fighter would be: 1. Have his abstain from alchohol for some reason, maybe a family member was killed and he couldn't help because he was too drunk. 2. He shaved his beard for some matter of honour. 3. He's more of a swashbuckler than an axe and shield fighter. 4. Deathly afraid of boats, allergic to horses and wears a horse maned helmet that he swears is a griffon mane (hail Flint) 5. Play a female dwarf - rarely see one of those 6. He's afraid of the dark or claustrophobic Hope that helps, have fun
jaerad 04-17-05, 02:15 PM	Try to get another party member to change their name to Moneypenny for more realism. This can also be accomplished with the use of the Leadership feat. Just make a cohort named Moneypenny. Talk to her, and she can relay info. to the party. This will give you access to more clips. Also consider getting some cohorts named Q, and Shaken-not-Stirred.
Gedrin 04-18-05, 01:52 AM	IMC, Dwarves are an honorable, rigid, people who have a strong commitment to the ideals of good. There are reasons for this in the campaign that go beyond "they're dwarves". IMC, Dwarves have universal education, a strong consulor/imperial government, just law enforcement, and a highly structured guild/apprenticship system that nearly everyone in society participates in. You may want to ask your DM why most dwarves in your game world hold a code of honor. Were they educated with one in mind? Do they have strong family ties where the family shares the honors and dishonors of it's members? Why are they generally good? Do they have some sort of inate racial tie to goodness? Maybe the culture places high value (through honor) on certain ideals? Why are they gruff? Maybe they're only gruff to outsiders? Maybe they are only gruff when dealing with critical matters, that, because of their code of honor, they take with deadly seriousness? IMC, most dwarves treat adventurers gruffly because the word "adventurer" is the same as saying, "heavily armed and unemployed". Lots of possibilities, but a good idea would be to find out the "why" of things in your game world, and go from there. Figure out how your character would react to and interpret those "whys" and go from there.
mcnoo 04-18-05, 08:25 AM	and why do all dwarfs have an irish accent? and why do they always drink? Halflings are stereotypically irish, dwarves are all scottish, by law. Is this some sort of role reversal that goes on over in Americaland, or just personal ignorance?
Aliquid 04-18-05, 07:29 PM	Halflings are stereotypically irish, dwarves are all scottish, by law. Is this some sort of role reversal that goes on over in Americaland, or just personal ignorance?From what I have seen, many Americans regularly get mixed up between Irish and Scottish. Reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live sketch.... about the All Things Scottish store... "If it's not Scottish, it's crrrap"
ridiculous 04-18-05, 09:18 PM	Okay, here is my take on dwarves. I'm pretty sure you know of someone who could be a dwarf... you know, the guy who doesn't speak much or express himself too much, but when he does he means it. The guys who doesn't trust anyone except a few people, but when he does consider you a friend, you are a friend. That and what everybody else said. If you know one just watch him speak and find little things you could do too (I often do that with characters, I find someone who's like the character and I imitate him). Above all, use anything but a god damn axe. If asked, explain that axes are tools used to cut down trees. If the person insists, explain him/her that dwarves live underground. There are no trees there.
Xanthia 04-19-05, 12:10 AM	Well my party is starting a new campaign and I thought it would be good to play a regular Dwarven Fighter...My only problem is, is that I love to roleplay and I just can't seem to get a feel to how to roleplay one. I have seen all the movies and books that contain Dwarves, and I know how they say aye and stuff like that...I guess I just want to know how do you players play dwarves? This is so I can get an idea on how to play mine. Thanks in advance! -Sam Angry Scotsman Or, if you want more details: Tipsy, Angry Scotsman with an axe
DuskyFruit 04-19-05, 06:45 AM	When I usually play a dwarven fighter he is, gruff, stubborn and he really drinks alot, my dwarves tend to rush into combat when the opportunity presents itself and they usually wear spiked gauntlets or plain gauntlets and sometimes take two weapon fighting and throw anything (from CW) feats so I can start the fighting by throwing my primary weapon and then rush in punching my way through the enemies to get to my weapon.
Aliquid 04-19-05, 11:42 AM	Above all, use anything but a god damn axe. If asked, explain that axes are tools used to cut down trees. If the person insists, explain him/her that dwarves live underground. There are no trees there.Hmmm. I wonder if dwarves use axes for battle due to their blacksmith and mining culture. Consider the following. In a dwarven society, the strongest men are probably blacksmiths or miners. Blacksmiths build up their muscles by swinging hammers onto anvils, and those who mine often build up their muscles by swinging picks. Now, moving into battle, sure they could use hammers and picks to fight with, but swinging a blade does more damage. Switching to an axe rather than switching to a sword would be much easier, because swinging an axe uses the same muscles as swinging a hammer/pick. Fighting with a sword would take a whole different type of training. It’s a matter of transferring an already existing skill-set. i.e. teaching a pick wielding miner to become an axe wielding killer…. well that’s much easier than teaching him to be a sword swinger. Please note that I am making this up as I go along ;)
kam_Islash 04-19-05, 07:38 PM	My dwarves are always scottish and drink beer a lot. You shall have my sword. And my bow. And my axe. Oh thank GOD! Walking aroundf in that chainmail all day, he'd BETTER be wearing axe. ///
darkness ninja of light 04-19-05, 07:53 PM	Above all, use anything but a god damn axe. If asked, explain that axes are tools used to cut down trees. If the person insists, explain him/her that dwarves live underground. There are no trees there. No, no, no, the dwarves wield axes and live underground to protect themselves FROM the trees! http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=150
Daoud 04-19-05, 08:29 PM	Easy role-playing tip for dwarves: Most of my dwarven characters are chaotic. Therefore, they chaffed at the rules and lawfulness of clan society. You are playing a fighter type? How about a Barbarian? The con bonus means your rages will last longer. Or a dwarven monk? Or if you go straight fighter I would definately echo those that reccomended specializing in a weapon besides an axe or a hammer. My two copper pieces, "Son of Keep on the Borderlands"
Lincoln Hills 04-19-05, 08:36 PM	Consult a reliable source, I suppose. Tolkein sums the dwarves of his setting up thusly: They are a tough, thrawn race for the most part, secretive, laborious, retentive of the memory of injuries (and of benefits), lovers of stone, of gems, of things that take shape under the hands of the craftsman rather than of things that live by their own life. But they are not evil by nature... they used their own strange tongue, changed little by the years: for it had become a tongue of lore rather than a cradle-speech, and they tended it and guarded it as a treasure of the past... All this is subject to change depending on your DM's campaign world: and yet I would wager that of all the races your campaign offers, he'll be slowest to change his dwarves. They form an archetype that resists change.
Reinsuoknera 04-20-05, 04:03 AM	Why is it that everybody always says that dwarves always drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol? 2nd ed. Book of the Dwarves states that Dwarves don't drink a lot. It claims that they only drink during social functions and that they only drink enough to get relaxed. The Dragon issue for Dwarves also agrees with this if I remember correctly. Just thought it needed to be said. If anything ever goes wrong in an adventure blame the other PCs racial dieties. Dwarves believe that Moradin built the world perfect and that the other racial dieties tied him up and made changes that messed it up.
Callista 04-20-05, 06:39 AM	Okay, here is my take on dwarves. I'm pretty sure you know of someone who could be a dwarf... you know, the guy who doesn't speak much or express himself too much, but when he does he means it. The guys who doesn't trust anyone except a few people, but when he does consider you a friend, you are a friend. That and what everybody else said. If you know one just watch him speak and find little things you could do too (I often do that with characters, I find someone who's like the character and I imitate him).Or girl. Seriously, if I were anything but human, I'd be a dwarf. That description fits me--I don't trust anyone easily, but once I trust someone, I trust them fully. I prefer to listen rather than talk (probably because of my own CHA penalty, which causes me to say the wrong things, socially, if I don't think about them). Then there's the "keep your word, work hard, be loyal" ethic. But the picture you paint of dwarves seems to be of near-perfection, though--but dwarves are not perfect. Everyone has flaws. Honesty, for example, is sometimes taken to extremes. Dwarves tend to be blunt: If they don't like you, they'll tell you--no beating around the bush or polite conversation. They won't obey (or at least don't like) social customs that don't mean anything (For example, in our culture: "How are you doing?" "Fine, and you?" "Fine." Means nothing... yet it's repeated umpteen times a day.) If they think the caviar you just served them tastes terrible, they'll tell you... if you look like something the cat dragged in, they'll tell you. Diplomacy is not on their list of valued skills--which is fine when dealing with other dwarves (or people like me), but not very nice when you put a dwarf in the presence of the king. Tending so strongly towards Lawfulness as the average dwarf does, he also tends towards pride. When you put strict standards on yourself, obey them, and don't see anyone else obeying them, pride is a great temptation. In the case of the dwarf, racial pride is common; they don't see anyone who is quite as tough or honest as a dwarf; so naturally they tend towards thinking dwarves are the best sort of people out there.
Phrennzy 04-20-05, 10:29 AM	Well my party is starting a new campaign and I thought it would be good to play a regular Dwarven Fighter...My only problem is, is that I love to roleplay and I just can't seem to get a feel to how to roleplay one. I have seen all the movies and books that contain Dwarves, and I know how they say aye and stuff like that...I guess I just want to know how do you players play dwarves? This is so I can get an idea on how to play mine. Thanks in advance! -Sam Okay, so now for the serious post. I would not use any kind of scottish/irish accent. Not unless you can REALLY pull it off - but I tell you what, it can get annoying quick. Use whatever weapon you like. Axe and Hammer may be the traditional weapon, but then, you may not be the traditional dwarf. You've decided to go out into the world instead of staying under the mountain. So maybe you've learned to use a longsword. Or a Greatsword. Or a kama. Whatever YOU think would be cool. A Spiked Chain even. But that stuff isn't really too much roleplay. What I do is write up a background. That always helps me get into the character's head. Why is he adventuring? What happened in his life that makes him leave home? What was his life like growing up? What is his relationship like with his family and his dwarven friends? What are his views on elves, humans, halflings, etc? I find that answering these kinds of questions quickly gets me into his head and then I can roleplay better. Try ansering them and see what you get. The character may go in a direction you didn't consider, which is a more organic way to grow a PC.
Leibel 04-21-05, 11:53 AM	1) You must use an axe - to not do so is heresy 2) Heavy armor is mandatory 3) Dwarves like gems and gold but don't show it off(it's a dated source but the 2e MM says dwarves don't show off wealth lest they provoke jealousy if not worse in others) 4) Emphasize family, honor, tradition, etc 5) Don't be afraid to be religious as dwarves have a religious side- even if your not a cleric(If your a cleric take war domain so you can follow #1) 6) Be a little gruff and to the point; leave the long winded articulate stuff to the elves and the technical jargon to the Gnome 7) To all non-Dwarves: DON'T MESS W/ THE BEARD 8) Express a preference for hand-to-hand combat(of course w/an axe) over magic and bows. 9) Do use a bow - a crossbow though; long bows and elven double bows are for humans/elves. 10) Do be patient and give people chances to prove themselves 11) Ties into #4: Protect your family/town/temple first(especially if your a Dwarven Defender) 12) You do not have to be overly macho, always drinking and a bragger; dwarves can be quiet, diplomatic. 13) Assuming certain other races/classes are in the group you can the bad cop in a good cop/bad cop interrogation; you need not even talk just stand there in full plate w/the axe out while the (cute) human (female) rogue does the good cop thing.
LCD2YOU 04-21-05, 12:14 PM	in a nutshell: With a Scottish Accent. Long on stomach, short on brains. For Dwarf males, chase after anything with breats. No beards prefered. Drink heavily. Remember some stouts and porters were meals in and of themselves. Don't bathe. When you see a "racial enemy", behave like your typical English football fan after you've had a case or two too many and your team is losing. That's all for now. Edit: Remember the dwarvish word, old and new tongue, for treasure: MINE!
Leibel 04-21-05, 02:37 PM	1) You must use an axe - to not do so is heresy. Besides what other weapon has d10/x3 for damage/critical. 2) Heavy armor is mandatory. 3) Dwarves like gems and gold but don't show it off(it's a dated source but the 2e MM says dwarves don't show off wealth lest they provoke jealousy if not worse in others). Tell other PC's not to show of wealth too. 4) Emphasize family, honor, tradition, etc. Dwarves do have a softer side you know. 5) Don't be afraid to be religious as dwarves have a religious side- even if your not a cleric(If your a cleric take war domain so you can follow #1). Do religious things - help feed orphans, build hospitals, etc. 6) Be a little gruff and to the point; leave the long winded articulate stuff to the elves and the technical jargon to the Gnome. 7) To all non-Dwarves: DON'T MESS W/ THE BEARD. 8) Express a preference for hand-to-hand combat(of course w/an axe) over magic and bows. But don't go too far and say we must always fight hand-to-hand(very unadvisable - likely to get lots of fellow PC's + yourself killed) 9) Do use a bow - a crossbow though; long bows and elven double bows are for humans/elves. 10) Do be patient and give people chances to prove themselves. Dwarves are not always racist against Orcs/Goblins/Elves and well everyone else - they do regard members of races as individuals. 11) Ties into #4: Protect your family/town/temple first(especially if your a Dwarven Defender). 12) You do not have to be overly macho, always drinking and a bragger; dwarves can be quiet, diplomatic. Ties into the Lawful aspect of dwarves but do follow the law(might be why it's called lawful) and let your opinion be known if someone breaks or circumvents the law. 13) Assuming certain other races/classes are in the group you can the bad cop in a good cop/bad cop interrogation; you need not even talk just stand there in full plate w/the axe out while the (cute) human (female) rogue does the good cop thing.
Salla 04-21-05, 08:07 PM	The basic answer is ... any way you want. Race has no bearing on personality. If you want to be a stereotypical dwarf, see the majority of the above posts.
Aliquid 04-21-05, 09:15 PM	Race has no bearing on personality.I completely disagree. We are talking about a different species here, not just a different culture. Being a different species, you will have a different body type and brain type, as a result, being a dwarf has a measurable bearing on your height, vision, constitution, resistance to poison, resistance to spells, and charisma (as well as other differences which are based on nurture, rather than nature. Bonus vs giants, etc). Why would a dwarf have all of those innate differences from a human, yet have the exact same personality types? Personality is based on both nature and nurture, and a dwarf is entirely different on both those points when compared to humans. It’s true, not all dwarves will have the exact same personality, but when you compare the average dwarf to the average human…. there will certainly be a noticeable difference.
Callista 04-22-05, 09:07 AM	Hey, even culture has a bearing on personality. I and my whole extended family come from Germany. Thanks to the culture of that country (a Lawful culture, as opposed to America's mostly Chaotic one), I could describe only one person in my entire extended family as Chaotic (my CN sister)--and she was only four when we left Germany to come to the US. The contrast between, say, my aunt, who is in her forties and left for the US in her twenties; and her children, who were born and raised in America, is quite striking. So, yes, culture has a big role to play--and the people I'm talking about are all part of the same species, with not enough genetic difference between them to even tell them apart from the non-Germans around them. With the Dwarf, who has genetic differences as well as cultural differences (and, might I add, comes from an isolated culture at that), the effect of culture is very striking. So, yes--if you have an odd dwaf, better have a backstory that explains why.
The_Fan 04-26-05, 08:08 AM	There's a mix of good and bad suggestions on this thread. I won't repeat any of the good ones or pick out the bad ones, I'll simply add some things people might not have thought of: Dwarves are short. Very short. Not as short as halflings and gnomes, but nearly so. You can't get around this fact. Ask any short person what it's like to live in a world made for people a foot or more taller than them, and they will likely have a lot of horror stories about tall shelves, counters, sliding under chairs, etc. And that's just people who fall in the 4'10-5'2" range...dwarves are shorter than any human that wouldn't be considered deformed. People also tend to look down on short people...no pun intended, it's just the way physiology works. A short person is at a disadvantage in any social situation due to their lower perspective and inability to look people in the eye. Dwarves are also disproportionately large for their height. The average male dwarf has the same BMI as a 323 lb man of 5'10". The average female dwarf would be comprable to the average 5'4" woman weighing 240 lbs. This is obviously not fat, it has a lot to do with different bone and muscular structures more comprable to a gorilla than a human. Dwarves have thick bones, denser muscle bundles, and arms that reach almost to their ankles. This obviously presents as many difficulties in human society as their height, since they are likely to not fit in most chairs, though the arms somewhat offset their inability to reach high shelves. Finally, dwarves live much longer than humans. Not as long as elves, but a dwarf of 125 years is just entering middle age, while a human of the same age is likely wormfood. This leads to an entirely different view on time, since a dwarf is likely to see at least two centuries. Conflicts are therefore not over immediate gains but long-term goals. It doesn't matter if you lose the hill as long as you keep the mountain, for instance. Dwarves have a variety of unique racial abilities that come from their upbringing. For instance, dodge bonuses against giants. All dwarves are taught from an early age how to defend themselves against giants such as trolls and ogres. Imagine how you would feel about elephants if you were taught from an early age how to avoid an attacking elephant. Even if you'd never seen an elephant. Even more shaping of their mindset would be their combat training against orcs and goblinoids. Imagine now (pardon the analogy) that you were taught your entire life the best ways to fight a Mexican. Thus their view of orcs and goblins probably borders on outright racism. If there are any in the party, expect their to be some friction. You might want to borrow some phrases used by real-life bigots to underscore this friction, such as saying to the half-orc "You're a credit to your people" when he does well or "Isn't that just like an orc?" when he does poorly. Of course, this kind of thing should be reserved for mature roleplayers, and not a group that is likely to take offense. Dwarves also receive craft and appraise checks with stone and metal that compares to them having invested two out of class skill ranks in each, the max you can get at first level. You can of course invest more, but you should consider your dwarf to be at least that proficient. Their stonecunning also means that they are likely at least casually aware of all stone in their area. Much like a trained special forces soldier is always at least casually aware of anyone in the immediate vicinity who might be a threat or anythingthat could be used as a weapon should things get ugly, a dwarf is so accustomed to having to deal with the danger of caveins they probably don't even realize how aware they are. You might give him unusual mannerisms like running his hand along the walls as he walks or tapping the floor ahead. These are just possibilities. Dwarves have even more racial abilities, and each one could be used to help flesh out your character. How does he view magic, for instance? Consider your character's class and background in this context, and you are likely to be well on your way to getting in his mindset.