I agree totally with Jean Wells about Dwarven
women having beards. Concerning the remark
about never meeting a female dwarf without a
beard, the players in this area have never met a
dwarf woman with a beard! This also seems to be
a matter that would fit better under the description
of Dwarves in the Monster Manuals or Players
Handbook rather than in the DMG. It makes no
difference though since each DM can decide for
himself if female dwarves have beards. They
won’t in my campaign.
<author=x>
<issue=x>

Interoffice message

Hey, Jake! You're the guy in charge around
here, and I need a decision. We keep on getting
these crazy letters about beards and dwarves, in
spite of all we've done to cut off the pointless arguing.
Because I can't help being a nice guy, I suppose
we ought to publish these, but this should be
absolutely the last word on bearded female
dwarves. 

-- Kim
(Dragon #44)
 

He oughta know

To the Editors:
I would first like to establish my credentials for
the purposes of this letter. I am a Dwarf in good
standing of the acclaimed Beerbelly Clan. I am
aging fast, being some 500 years old, but I still
have my wits about me and am of sound mind, if
not body.

Being Dwarves, we of the clan, which now resides
in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, are
naturally into the FRP scene. We receive, through
our agents, every fantasy game or publication
which has any mention at all of Dwarves. Our goal
is to keep everything as factual as possible, which
gets tough when you consider that we Dwarves
number very few these days. It was because of
this, however, that the issue of our fairer sex and
their facial hair came to my attention. After reading
Michael Mattis’s letter, Mr. Gygax’s reply, and <link>
Erol Bayburt’s letter, all of us clan members were a <link> 
little miffed So it is that I take Holy Typewriter in
hand and file the true facts about Dwarven
women and beards.

Most Dwarven women do have beards and I
must say that most look quite good in them. However,
just as there are human males who have little
or no facial hair, so too are there Dwarven women
with little or no facial hair. This is hereditary and, in
some instances, by tribe. Personally, we find nothing
wrong with anybody, male or female, having a
beard. We consider it strictly a matter of personal
taste or lack thereof. 

So there you have it, the absolute truth. If anyone
is to question this opinion, I would seriously
consider if he or she is qualified as a Dwarf to give
any opinion on the subject. I would also question
the legitimacy of any other letters from people
claiming to be Dwarves. You just can’t trust people
these days

Odorf the Dwarf
Superstition Mts., Ariz
(Dragon #44)


He oughta know

Dear Editor.
I would like to reply to the opinion on female
dwarves and their beards — the fact is that there
are no female dwarves whatsoever. Dwarves, as
most people have come to feel, are the “technos”
of most worlds; this means they have an advanced
technology level (and) they clone themselves. This
explains why you never hear of any female
dwarves.

Mark Manzano
Chevy Chase, Md.
(Dragon #44)


She oughta know
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Dear Editors:
Will this endless quibbling never cease? Who
CARES if female dwarves have beards or not?
(TD#41) Why not let each DM or player or gaming <link>
group decide for themselves, for Ghu’s sake?!

Answer me this: Will the fact of dwarven
women having or NOT having beards affect the
outcome of the game in any major capacity? In
my humble opinion, the answer is “no.” Not, of
course, unless the DM has designed a “beard
catcher” as one of his nasty little traps, and a female
character of the dwarven persuasion (although
no one ever had to persuade me to be a
Dwarf-lady!) happens to be one of the party who’d
sprung the trap and.  .  .

OY! This is getting out of hand! Now you’ve got
me doing it!

C’mon, EGG and the rest of you guys! Grow
up! If you’re going to argue, then do it about something
worthwhile — like “do we go techno and
nuke Iran off the face of the earth or do we send in
a party of chaotic neutral fighter-mage mercs to
teleport the hostages home and drop the
Ayatollah with a black arrow.


(Mrs.) Lori Tartaglio
Mercerville, N.J.
(Dragon #44)



Hey, Kim! I agree: That's it on bearded dwarven
women! See if you can find another piece on pole
arms . . . ! (Boy, you try to bring a little enlightenment
into a few people's lives and whadda ya get?
"Grow-up" letters . . . Jeezz.) 

-- Jake
(Dragon #44)
 

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