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[Dvergar]

afaik Tarn Adams is attempting to move away from the Tolkien dwarf, and even back away from any wordly mythology, I wouldn't be surprised to see beardless, boneclub-wielding, desert dwarves pretty soon.  Therefore, there really can't be any objections against wooden weapons based on current stereotypes.

[Neonivek]

afaik Tarn Adams is attempting to move away from the Tolkien dwarf, and even back away from any wordly mythology, I wouldn't be surprised to see beardless, boneclub-wielding, desert dwarves pretty soon.  Therefore, there really can't be any objections against wooden weapons based on current stereotypes.

We weren't making arguements based upon current steriotypes. This isn't "Ohh they are too Dwarven to use wooden weapons" this is "They have access to metal in abundance"

The arguements are that the Dwarves lack three of the four components for wooden weapons, excluding ones meant to be made out of wood.

The current idea, brought up by Footkerchief, that I want to work on is "Price" or "Law" become an issue then Dwarves could have a culture shift to include wooden/stone weaponry.

The 4th issue: Esoterics: would have to be dealt with in a sort of "The World of Martial Arts" sort of way and not exactly a cultural phonomina.

[Grendus]

That one seems like it could definitely apply to dwarves.  Some maps don't have easy-to-find metal, and metal weapons from the caravan are expensive

Personally that would be interesting if the Dwarves could adjust to situational changes.

I think the purpose of having wooden weapons would be so the dwarves could adjust to situational changes. Dwarves who can't dig due to an aquifer or are simply in metal-poor soil may be forced to use wooden and stone weapons for a long time. Meanwhile, a fortress sitting on 7 z-levels of magnetite infused limestone with a giant volcano in the middle wouldn't ever dream of using wooden weapons when they could have mighty steel weapons.

I think we're looking at this the wrong way. Training weapons should be implemented separately. These could be made out of any material, and would simply be blunted versions of real weapons (like capping an epee for training fencing). Weapons could be made out of any material from wood and stone to steel, and the dwarves would adapt, and as the civilization built up there could be a certain cultural norm against or for certain weapons. For example, the fortress with almost no metal would think of bone and wooden gear as normal and only nobles and champions use metal. Dwarves who have a ton of steel or iron to arm themselves in would be shocked by their leather-clad kin who defend themselves with wooden spears and bone crossbows thinking them to be elvish savages.

[Neonivek]

I think the purpose of having wooden weapons would be so the dwarves could adjust to situational changes. Dwarves who can't dig due to an aquifer or are simply in metal-poor soil may be forced to use wooden and stone weapons for a long time.

It is just the level of Foresight and Technology Mongering I am worried about.

They have worked with metal for thousands of years. Why do they still retain such downscale knowledge?

The point of having it be conditional is that they don't start off with effective weapons or even start to make them at first. A lot of cultures when dropped into an alien environment cut off from their technology simply die off, that is one of the risks you take.

It reminds me of the episode of Star Trek where the Chief Medical Officer was injured and had a serious infection. So she had to tell the captain how to make medicine out of some random herbs on an alien planet. It seriously broke the suspension of disbelief in several ways.