Senses of Humor by Culture in My Homebrew Setting

Because I tend to run pretty roleplay-heavy games when given the choice, a lot of the worldbuilding that I do is around characterizing the cultures in my homebrew setting. Knowing things like the environment and species of the world or the major epochs of history of the setting are useful for a number of reasons, but oftentimes, roleplaying benefits from more people-oriented information, like common sayings among certain groups or references to famous people in the setting. With that idea in mind, I want to tackle a very abstract idea that nonetheless very tangibly changes social interaction: sense of humor. 

I've often heard it observed that regional, national, cultural, or other categorical identities have particular senses of humor, and I imagine that would certainly be reflected in a world where the D&D races are as distinct and colorful as they are. So in that aim, here is a guide to the senses of humor of each of the major cultures in my homebrew setting, Evanoch. 

Daltoner: 

Daltoners have a fairly dark sense of humor, which is considered by many to be a product of the harsh lives that people live on the island of Dalton. Oftentimes, Daltoners will simply point out a particularly bleak perspective on a situation or issue, expecting those around them to appreciate how darkly comic their misfortune is. This leads to many offended feelings when Daltoners joke about difficult topics around people with more sensitive sensibilities. 

Daltoners also have a very literal take on language; communication in Daltoner communities often sticks to directly saying what is meant without figurative language. Their sense of humor often bucks this trend by using considerable wordplay, especially in the form of puns. It is considered a badge of honor if one's joke requires the audience to stop and rethink the last few sentences to make sense of it, and especially if it elicits a groan. 

Overall, Daltoners do not joke as often as other groups, and there is much less writing in Daltoner culture that is meant to be funny than there is in other modes of expression. Daltoners tend to view lots of joking around as a sign of weakness, and it is expected that people will only use it to deal with difficult situations rather than as a form of entertainment. 

A sample Daltoner joke: A Daltoner finds that after saving a dessert treat for a special occasion, it has gone bad. They say, "This dough and filling has become a little tart even for a tart." 

Faninite: 

Faninites have very gentle, positive senses of humor that is often directed towards improving the audience's mood. When people speculate about sense of humor, they often say that Faninites' focus on community-building translates into their use of humor to bring people together. As a result, many Faninite jokes include reference to a common interest or identity amongst those present. 

The Faninite sense of humor is also quite whimsical. Sometimes, a Faninite joke will simply be the sharing of a particularly silly or absurd idea. This is underscored by the fact that Faninites prize imagination and creativity, and there is almost a gentle competition between some Faninites to capture the strangest ideas as a way to spark wonder or amusement. 

Overall, Faninites makes jokes fairly often, and they only withhold a jovial spirit when it is clear that allowing a bad mood to pass is better than trying to brighten it. Although jokes and laughter are prized, making jokes is not considered an especially honored role; rather, jokes are a social tool to help and not an art that people aspire to. 

A sample Faninite joke: A Faninite's child cuts their hand while trying to sharpen a knife for the first time. The parent says, "Don't worry, little one--the enormous flying sky pigs only come to pester you the second time you cut your hand while sharpening." 

Elven: 

Elves have very reserved senses of humor and tend more toward solemnness than humor. The instances in which they make jokes are very rare, but they do occur. The most common reason for an elven joke is that a coincidence has occurred. Coincidences are considered good luck among elves, and making a joke about the coincidence is something of a way to mark the coincidence to those around--a way of sharing the coincidence's luck. 

A notable form of joking which has changed markedly over time is joking which was intended to criticize a social superior. Within a few elven generations back, it was considered frowned upon but not forbidden to joke at a social superior's expense if it was perceived that they had failed in their duties as a higher-ranking member of society. But when it was adopted more and more by the lower classes, it was repressed more and more by the upper classes. Today, it is considered highly rude to make critical jokes about anyone. 

Overall, because elves reserve humor for such rare and specific occasions, they are generally perceived as quite humorless to the other cultures. It is notable, though, that several of the most prized elven writers employ considerable wry humor in their works. There is something of a belief that elves inclined toward the arts are temperamental and rebellious; regular use of humor is looked down on by most elves. 

A sample elven joke: An elf is telling a story and gestures wildly, knocking a book off a nearby shelf. When they pick up the book, it is open to a chapter called "Put Me Back." The elf says, "I love a book that knows what it wants." 

Half-Elven:

Half-elves' senses of humor tend to blend some of the features of their parent races' cultural senses of humor. Like the Faninite sense of humor, the half-elven sense of humor prizes creativity and imagination. Meanwhile, many half-elves adhere to the elven jokes about coincidences and tend to joke only rarely (mostly to raise others' spirits). 

At the same time, half-elven humor has its own unique additions. Half-elves, who are especially interested in the creations of culture, tend to make jokes that refer to iconic characters and scenes from literature, drama, and other written art. As a result, their humor is usually either very successful with cultured people or very unsuccessful with people who haven't much experience with art. 

Overall, the half-elven community tends to try to adopt the sense of humor of the person or people they are speaking with at the time. Especially for half-elves who do not feel particular ownership over any cultural identity, blending in with, say, dwarves with a bit of dwarven humor is a common approach. As a result, half-elves tend to be interested in listening to diverse senses of humor as a way of preparing for matching it. 

A sample half-elven joke: A half-elf is among Daltoners, and someone drops a bottle of expensive whiskey. The half-elf says, "Well, Didion Grey, it looks like you dropped it, and now there's only a drop left." (Didion Grey is the name of a clumsy sidekick in a Daltoner novel.)

Dwarven: 

Dwarves' sense of humor is quite boisterous and high-energy--the people laughing longest and loudest in most taverns are dwarves. Joking is not just a social thing for dwarves; it's a way of thinking. Dwarves approach difficult problems with jokes, usually meant to undermine the belief in the difficulty of the task. Other cultures observe that dwarves seem to joke that the impossible is easy as a way of inspiring themselves. Keeping spirits and energy high is a huge part of communal life for dwarves. 

The average dwarf's sense of humor is relatively lowbrow and juvenile. The commonest topics of dwarven humor are scatological or sexual in nature, and it has been joked by many that children tend to find dwarves funnier in most cultures than their adult counterparts. While some are judgmental of this part of the nature of dwarven humor, dwarven elders remind young dwarves that a laugh is a laugh, and there's no need to be precious about where it comes from. 

Because dwarves are especially keen on developing comedy, they are responsible for creating two of the dominant forms of comedy being practiced today: the situational comedy and stand-up comedy. Working from the framework of modern drama, dwarves several generations ago began to write plays which relied on comedy rather than serious narrative stakes, and today the most popular comedic plays feature a range of elevated lyricism and juvenile gags. Stand-up comedy sprang up in 4560 (less than 200 years ago) and was primarily a dwarven art until it caught on outside dwarven communities in the last century.

A sample dwarven joke: A dwarf sees a fairly short person emerge from an outhouse. The dwarf calls out for everyone's attention and points, saying, "Look, the wee lad must have shrunk in there from leaving too much behind!" 

Gnomish: 

Gnomes' sense of humor is marked primarily by its fondest for absurdism. While Faninites enjoy the whimsically silly, gnomes love a silliness which is far more convoluted. Gnomes tend to laugh at ideas that are so complex that they begin to contradict logical sense. Other cultures tend to regard this as a natural extension of the ways that gnomish inventions can be highly convoluted and excessively complex; elder gnomes regard it as a logical conclusion of thinking creatively. 

Gnomes tend to develop highly personal systems of related jokes with close friends and family. In these systems, gnomes might trade hundreds of highly specific jokes about a single idea. They might also form some kind of running narrative, often about strange fictional characters created to joke about. As a result, gnomes are regarded as the ultimate keepers of the inside joke, as a single joke between friends could take hours of explanation to provide the necessary context for a stranger to understand. 

Gnomes already tend to emphasize the things that make them different from the other cultures, and their idiosyncratic senses and uses of humor is no different. Gnomes take pride in the gnomish sense of humor more than any other culture does its own sense of humor; most gnomish comedic art is regarded by many as essentially impenetrable unless one is a gnome. Nevertheless, a new wave of comedians adapting the situational comedy have developed a parodic take on the form which satirizes everyday life with increasingly bizarre ideas. 

A sample gnomish joke: Two best friends who have invented a fictional mutual friend named Brougan Grote are sharing facts about Brougan's life. One says, "She once invented a machine that sucks the air out of air and turns it into breath for tiny mechanical babies, but the patent office rejected her plans because they were written in inverted demonic." The other replies, "I remember that--she was so mad that she took the air-to-breath machine and tried to light it on fire, but it was full of air and blew up." 

Halfling:

Halflings' sense of humor is very slight--many people miss that a halfling has made a joke at all. One could accurately characterize the sense of humor as dry, but it's more than that--there is a sort of unspoken rule within halfling humor that states that no one can express notable emotion during the delivery of a joke. Halflings look down on people who laugh during or at their own jokes--it is considered boastful and gauche. 

The heart of what halflings find funny is in the backbone of the style of comedy they have created alongside dwarven contributions to comedy: halflings are the creators of improvised comedy. Many halflings get a sincere laugh out of simply obeying the prime rule of improv: agreeing to and adding to the contributions of others. Many halflings entertain themselves and each other by simply saying something outlandish enough to be amusing and having the next person add on to it until it has become truly over-the-top. 

Because halflings don't give much intonation while delivering jokes, non-halflings tend to perceive the halfling sense of humor as condescending, as they often only know that a joke has been made by other halflings laughing. As a result, other cultures view halfling humor as exclusionary and judgmental. And as a further result, halflings either choose to embrace their cultural sense of humor and accept the judgment of other races or minimize their halfling sense of humor to be included by other cultures. 

A sample halfling joke: A halfling is buying a loaf of bread. They hand over a few coins. The baker hands back a few smaller coins. The baker says, "Here's your change." The halfling replies, "May I weather it gracefully." 

Orcish: 

Orcs' sense of humor is especially marked by an appreciation of irony. Orcs are often delighted by irony even when it comes from an obstacle or from pain, and it is a tradition of almost superstitious status that irony must be observed with a joke. The joke is not meant to be especially surprising or original; the goal is merely to mark the passing of an ironic moment. Because jokes are so often repeated in orcish society, orcs tend to collect and repeat a small array of jokes they have learned from family and friends. 

One element of orcish humor which is fairly unique is the accepted use of satire to criticize those in positions of power. While orcs are not the most prolific of publishers of written art, the majority of existing orcish work is a collection of satiric plays, treatises, and monologues which use humor to remain out of a negative social space while still criticizing. The widespread acceptance among orcs that satire is in the realm of acceptability creates occasional tension when orcs satirize other cultures without cultivated appreciation for satire. Perhaps because of this, most orcish writers are shut-ins. 

An extension of this acceptance of satire is that even average orcs can expect to be the object of humor at any time. Joking at someone's expense is a long-running hazing ritual in orcish militias, and weathering a slew of insulting jokes is a mark of pride for adolescent orcs. Most orcs know to keep their fiercer jokes for other orcs, but most other cultures know about and avoid being a target of orcish humor. 

A sample orcish joke: A leader who emphasizes the importance of the gods is seen drinking during a prayer. An orc in the tribe says, "Our devoted leader's thirst for piety must have overcome him." 

There you have it--a guide to the senses of humor of each cultural group in my homebrew setting. Now I'm able to really customize the way that my NPCs interact with people. If I'm consistent with it, I'll be able to see my players begin to know and anticipate different senses of humor, and then, I'll be able to surprise them with an NPC who's got a curveball for their sense of humor, which is always a fun detail. And it will prompt me to add more laughter to my games, which is almost always a good thing. 

That's all for now. Coming soon: a profile on current research issues in my homebrew setting, important reminders from the original Dungeon Masters Guide, and why I strive for breadth rather than uniqueness in my homebrew setting. Until next time, happy gaming!

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