It’s been a while since I shared
anything … and I came across a duergar in a 5E module, and wondered what my
evil dwarves might look like. Setting
aside the 3E/5E version of the duergar, I went back to the Old English and
Norse mythology, and found all sorts of great sources of folklore, and in those
the duergar were more tricksters than brutes.
Here’s a great
folktale from 1944 that is inspiring to my creatures: The Duergar (archive.org)
When writing them up,
I didn’t want them to be just ‘evil dwarves’, so I made them nocturnal, gave
them surprising strength, and a bit of illusory magic to trick wayward
travellers. I wanted enough uncertainty
to keep players on their toes and make an encounter with a pack of duergar
memorable (and full of tension).
Thoughts? Feedback?
Stories of PCs drowned in a bog?
Drop me a note at archadethered@gmail.com
Duergar (Night Dwarves)
Short, thin cousins to
dwarves, the duergar are a lost branch that dwell in bogs, caves, and subterranean
vaults. They tend to have a mercurial
temper and take pleasure in leading travelers astray or into danger, or kidnap
children to be slaves to their clan, often casting glamours to trick and
conceal. They are ferociously strong for
their size, able to break logs with their hands and grind stones to dust. They wear drab colors and moleskin caps or hoods
over leather or chain mail.
In spite of their foul
reputation, they are remarkable finesmiths known for their chains, chests, locks,
and puzzles.
Duergar can be encountered
alone or in clutches of 2-12 – any group over 8 has a duergar chief, who
invariably is a master smith, wielding a magical axe or hammer crafted by their
own hand.
Duergar: Init +1; Atk handaxe +6
melee (1d6+4), AC 15 (chainmail); HD 3d10 (17 hp); MV 25’; Act 1d20; SP cannot
abide light, cantrip spell (+4 caster check), darkvision 90’, smell fine metals;
SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +1; AL C.
Duergar eyes cannot abide bright light
such as daylight or the equivalent and while exposed to it suffer a -4 penalty to
any attack, save, spell or skill check.
They can also smell and discern fine
metals such as silver, gold, mithral or the like within 100’ similarly to
dwarves.
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