So, while I was extremely bored at work, I got to thinking about how in fantasy RPGs (mostly D&D & Pathfinder) any race can be any class nowadays, much different from when I started back in the 1st ed days. Now variety is cool and all, but some classes just don't seem to fit some cultures. Like monk and dwarf. They don't really seem to be the kind of zen type folks to do that. So, presented here without stats so that you can apply whatever monk abilities there are in your game, I give you the Dwarven Actor.

Dwarven theater is much different than what most other races would consider theater. It consists almost entirely of choreographed fights, with almost no speaking. These fights have all manner of wild and intricate moves, and generally take place in a raised square, hexagon, or octagon surrounded by posts and ropes. In our world, it would most likely be seen as a form of professional wrestling. There are no illusions among the dwarves about it being "rigged" or "fake". It is theater, and as such it has scripted actions with a pre-ordained outcome, like any play. Some performances have become classics, and though some things are different in the individual performances, certain things remain the same. In "Young Yuri Bullstrangler" one of the performers is in a bull costume (or perhaps minotaur. Details of Yuri have been lost through the centuries) and will eventually fall to a barrel roll from Yuri and then be choked out by him. Modern scripts are tailored to individual fighters, often with signature moves, much like a modern WWE match. Another favorite classic script is "The Duel of the Golems", where two dwarves in armor made of iron and stone fight, and the iron golem will always win. These predetermined outcomes do NOTHING to stifle the spectators' enthusiasm. Indeed, they will watch a new performance one night, cheering mightily, and then go to see it again the next night, and cheer just as loud despite knowing who will win a match, though they will always call it a "show". racer back style wears for a wedding
An odd bit of equipment they sometimes use are "ringer helmets", vaguely bell shaped helmets that are secured with straps and produce a particular tone when struck, making a blow to the head seem much more dramatic. (This is also thought to be the origin of the human term "ringer" for a fight where the winner is predetermined) One favorite performance is "Ivar's Wedding Party", a tale of a bride and groom whose families hated each other, drank far too much at the party, and got into a huge fight. In this performance, the helmets are vital, as the blows to the head make a tune, somewhat in the style of "The Anvil Chorus." To make the many tones, this is a HUGE performance. A typical performance will have two to four actors, but "Ivar's Wedding Party" will have anywhere from twelve to twenty actors! This huge melee coupled with the ringing music is a reason this has always been a favorite among dwarves. It can create quite the cacophony, with the ringing, the slams against a hollow floor, and the cheers from the crowd. (Incidentally, dwarven cheering is a reason some human and elven theaters do not allow dwarves when performing a play with any type of fight scene in them.)

A dwarven actor who goes adventuring will be geared up simply with their "grappling gear"; a sumo type loin cloth that covers the groin and buttocks (mostly. Thankfully many dwarves wear an additional undergarment beneath this.) They will wear a tight shirt or none at all in order to show off their physique. They also have fingerless gloves with some type of brass knuckle built in, as these are used against ringer helmets, and may or may not wear their own ringer helmet. In the ring they will be barefoot, but will use whatever footwear is practical when adventuring. For weapons, they prefer their own fists, but will also use a variety of blunt weapons that they are trained with for use in the ring (or as some wrestling fans know them, "foreign objects.") They are skilled at dodging, catching projectiles, and all other things typically associated with monks, as these skills all enhance a good performance.