Duergar

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide

Ultimate Psionics

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Duergar dwell in subterranean caverns far from the touch of light. They detest all races living beneath the sun, but that hatred pales beside their loathing of their surface-dwarf cousins. Dwarves and duergar once were one race, but the dwarves left the deeps for their mountain strongholds. Duergar still consider themselves the only true dwarves, and the rightful heirs of all beneath the world’s surface. In appearance, duergar resemble gray-skinned dwarves, bearded but bald, with cold, lightless eyes. They favor taking captives in battle over wanton slaughter, save for surface dwarves, who are slain without hesitation. Duergar view life as ceaseless toil ended only by death. Though few can be described as anything other than vile and cruel, duergar still value honor and rarely break their word.

Psionic Duergar: There are stories of those who dug too deep into the bowels of the earth, spelunkers who opened ancient cities and awakened things from beyond our worst nightmares. There these miners discovered creatures more akin to gods sleeping beneath the earth, beings neither demonic nor angelic in their forms and minds. There was a clan of dwarves who cast all caution aside, tunneling deep, following richer and richer mineral veins until they found something that shattered their minds, broke their bodies, and remade them in a new image.

What returned from that unknown place where logic no longer made sense, where the laws of physics did not always hold sway, and the weak minds of the current races couldn’t fathom were the duergars, who warned of a slumbering deity who would rule over all other deities if awakened. Duergars are reminiscent of the dwarves they once were, in that they are short and broad, of powerful stature, but that is where any likeness is lost. Their ways can seem to be callous and cruel, but it is from their experience deep in the earth that they are motivated. Even actions such as slavery are not only acceptable, but encouraged if it helps to continue the projects that keep That Which Sleeps Beneath from arising.

Physical Description: Psionic duergars’ eyes shine with a madness that has touched their entire bloodline. Their ashen skin is devoid of nearly all hair, except on their head and face, although male duergars tend to have a bald pate. While short and broad, standing roughly 4 1/2 feet tall, the rippling muscles of the duergars make most people uneasy, for beneath their skin, the muscles move of their own accord, snaking and twisting. Many duergars have long scars, often caused by their own delusions.

Society: Having witnessed what they perceive to be the truth of this world, there is no joy amongst the psionic duergars, only eternal toil. Deep underground, deeper than the dwarven kingdoms, they toil on deranged constructions that twist and turn in ways that give others headaches and nightmares. Driven by an intense need to create and build, those who stop to listen hear the duergars humming and singing while building. The duergars themselves claim they are saving the world by distracting the terrible deity that slumbers beneath the earth, keeping it asleep for the sake of all life. Their society has no joys, no color, no individuality. Everyone wears the same clothes, the same armor, the same weapons, and by birth they seem to know the lullaby chants of the mentally unbalanced.

Relations: To the psionic duergars, it is the other races who are mad. As a terrible monster that is beyond what words can describe threatens to awaken and devour the world and the gods themselves, the other races squander their lives away, playing useless games and waging meaningless war. Xephs, dromites, halflings and gnomes can provoke the insane rage of the duergars, for their constant activity threatens the duergar view of how to keep the titanic god sleeping. Other races are most often ignored or disdained for their failure to recognize the truth and the deadly threat. Most other races avoid the mad duergars, but there are those who wonder if the duergars might not be insane, and might actually be correct, and how terrifying that possibility might be.

Alignment & Religion: Almost all psionic duergars worship the sleeping horror by working, building, constructing, and redefining, while humming and singing the twisted lullaby that runs through their minds. All other gods are inconsequential, for the horrid thing, That Which Sleeps Beneath, will consume all if it awakens. Lawful neutral, or perhaps lawful evil, tend to be the natural tendencies of the duergars, for they see no use in helping others with their pointless daily problems, when they are busy saving the world from the threat of imminent destruction.

Adventurers: Psionic duergars only become adventurers because their unique brand of insanity plagues them with visions and whispers of the peace that others have in their heads. Driven by a need to fulfill these visions and quiet the voices within, duergars often seem obsessed with what they are doing. While capable companions, many are scared to adventure with duergars, for their tendency to whisper in their sleep and their skin’s unusual undulations can be unnerving.

A Note On Names: Psionic duergars abstain from traditional naming conventions, often viewing names as a pointless exercise in a doomed world. When young, they are ‘child,’ and then become ‘woman’ and ‘man’. Amongst the other races, they often take on a name because their companions ask them to; this name is often matter-of-fact and describes their perceived role in the world.

Names: Hammer, Smith, War, Hunter, Tailor, Shieldbearer, Slayer, Hatemonger.

Heights and Weights: Psionic duergars use a base weight of 110 lb. for males and 80 lb. for females, with a weight modifier of ×(2d4) for males and females.

Racial Traits

• Duergar are hearty and observant, but also belligerent. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –4 Charisma.
• Dwarf: Duergar are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
• Medium: Duergar are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Slow and Steady: Duergar have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Duergar Immunities: Duergar are immune to paralysis, phantasms, and poison. They gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
• Stability: Duergar receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while on solid ground.
• Enlarge Person (Sp): A duergar can use enlarge person once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.
• Invisibility (Sp): A duergar can use invisibility once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.
• Superior Darkvision: Duergar have superior darkvision, allowing them to see perfectly in the dark up to 120 feet.
• Light Sensitivity: Duergar are dazzled in areas of bright light.
• Languages: Duergar begin play speaking Common, Dwarven, and Undercommon. Duergar with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Psionic Duergar Racial Traits

A psionic duergar applies these racial traits in addition to the duergar racial traits.

• Psionic duergars have –2 Charisma instead of –4 Charisma.
• Darkvision: Psionic duergars can see in the dark up to 60 feet. This replaces superior darkvision.
• Poison Resistance: Instead of being immune to poison, psionic duergars get a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• Duergar Psionics: Psionic duergars gain the following psi-like abilities: 1/day—expansion and cloud mind. These abilities affect only the duergar and his gear. The manifester level for these effects is equal to the duergar’s level (minimum 3rd). The DC for cloud mind is equal to 10 + the power’s level + the duergar’s Charisma modifier. This replaces enlarge person and invisibility.
• Naturally Psionic: Psionic duergars gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a duergar takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.
• Psionic Aptitude: When a psionic duergar takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing duergar racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Blood Enmity: Duergar have long warred against their dwarven cousins and the hated drow. Duergar with this racial trait receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the dwarf or elf subtypes. This racial trait replaces the invisibility spell-like ability.

Daysighted: The cruel light of the sun harms some duergar less than others. Such duergar lack the light sensitivity racial trait, but have darkvision of only 60 feet.

Deep Magic: Duergar spellcasters labor long to overcome the inborn spell resistance held by so many of their underground foes. Duergar with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and a +2 racial bonus on dispel checks. This racial trait replaces the enlarge person and invisibility spell-like abilities.

Dwarf Traits: Duergar can select any dwarf racial trait that replaces stability. They can select dwarf racial traits that replace the hardy dwarf racial trait by giving up duergar immunities instead.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all duergar who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Cleric: Add a +1/2 bonus on checks made to craft magic items.

Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt.

Inquisitor: Add +1/6 to the number of times per day the inquisitor can use the judgment class feature.

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