Duergar {Gray Dwarves}
Duergar (Gray Dwarves) Ability Scores
| Ability | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | 18 |
| Dexterity | 3 | 17 |
| Constitution | 11 | 18 |
| Intelligence | 3 | 16 |
| Wisdom | 3 | 18 |
| Charisma | 3 | 16 |
Duergar, or gray dwarves, are typically evil, but player characters can be of any alignment. Most good or neutrally aligned races are suspicious of duergar.
Ability Score Adjustments: The initial ability scores are modified by a B2 penalty to Charisma and a +1 bonus to Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores are as shown.
Recommended Languages: Duergar, deep dwarf, drow, illithid, kua-toa, troll, troglodyte, ghoul, undercommon, sign language.
Infravision: 120 feet.
Special Advantages: Duergar are stealthy. Parties or individuals at least 90 feet ahead of the party gain a surprise bonus. This causes a -2 penalty to the opponent's surprise rolls. If a door or other screen is opened, the bonus is lost. Duergar receive a +2 bonus on their own surprise rolls. In addition to the standard saving throw bonuses against magical attacks (see Saving Throws), duergar are unaffected by paralysis, illusion and phantasm spells. They are immune to all magical and alchemical poisons. Against natural poisons they gain the standard dwarf saving throw bonus.
In addition they possess the innate magical abilities of enlarge and invisibility. They can use each of these powers once per day. A duergar uses the enlarge ability as though he were a wizard twice his own level. A 2nd-level duergar uses enlarge as though he were a 4th-level wizard. He may use it only to affect himself and whatever he is wearing or carrying.
Special Disadvantages: Duergar are adversely affected by bright light such as sunlight or a continual light spell. They are not affected by the light of torches, lanterns, magic weapons, light or faerie fire.
Affected by bright light, his enhanced ability to gain surprise is negated. Dexterity is reduced by -2 and hit rolls are made at a -2 penalty.
In situations where a duergar is in darkness but his opponents are in bright light, his Dexterity and surprise advantages are unaffected, but he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack rolls. Other dwarves distrust duergar and react to them at -3 penalty. If the character kits are being used, this penalty is cumulative with any incurred when choosing a particular kit.
Racial Enmities: Ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans suffer a -4 penalty to attack Duergar. These dwarves do not gain any advantage when fighting orcs, half-orcs, goblins, or hobgoblins.
Additional Experience Cost: Duergar require 20% additional experience points.
Life Expectancy: 400 years.
Duergar, or gray dwarves, live deep underground, sometimes below the deep dwarves. They rarely venture above ground, finding it painful, except during heavily overcast days or at night. The light does not cause them damage, but it does affect their ability to see clearly. A typical duergar is 4 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. Emaciated, they possess pasty skins and white or dull gray beards. Men and women may be bald, and those who are not usually shave their heads.
Most duergar are lawful evil with neutral tendencies. Other dwarves find their ways repulsive. Duergar war on other dwarf races, and sometimes even join forces with orcs and other evil races to raid dwarf strongholds.
They frequently compete with deep dwarves for living space and minerals. Usually the duergar are bested in such struggles. Consequently, numerous duergar strongholds are exceptionally poor, having been driven into areas rejected by others. In some cases, however, this may have been to their advantage and may have led them to the discovery of hidden subterranean wealth that they could secretly acquire.
Duergar may at one time have lived with other dwarves before they were driven into the deep for their worship of evil gods. They may have been created by the evil gods to balance the races of lawful good dwarves. If that is the case, they will have a divine mission to eradicate or enslave all dwarves of good alignment.
Even though their society is evil, they still retain many of the social structures of hill and mountain dwarves. They are clan based, but their crafts are usually inferior to those of other dwarves.
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