FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level IV])

NO. APPEARING: 3-30
ARMOR CLASS: [SB]
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 3
% IN LAIR: 20%
TREASURE TYPE: [SB]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: [SB]
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Very to genius
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Individuals only
    Attack/Defense Modes: Individuals only
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Variables preclude a fixed number

The derro are a degenerate race of dwarf-like stature,
possibly a cross between evil humans and dwarves.
They inhabit the great subterranean realms common to drow and their ilk (kuo-toans, mind flayers, troglodytes, etc.).
Although the derro hate light and suffer from nausea in sunlight,
they venture out upon the surface of the earth at night through secret shaft openings to steal and kidnap humans for slaves.
Rumor says that some humans are actually eaten as well.
Derros have high dexterity (15-18), so AC must be adjusted accordingly.

Armor and weapons are as follows.
    ** Forty <40> to 50% of the time studded leather and a repeating light crossbow (15" maximum range, 2 shots per round, 10-bolt capacity, 1-3 points of damage) will be used. <>
        Derro poison on the arrows <x> gives an additional 2-12 points of damage unless a save is made.
    ** Studded leather armor, a hook fauchard (a weapon over 6-feet long that does 1-4 points of damage and is 25% likely to pull a man-sized or smaller victim off balance),
        and a dagger will be used 20-30% of the time.
    ** Scaled leather armor (dragon hide or something similar which is equal to mail in protection), a dagger, a buckler (spiked, equal to a dagger in attack),
        and an aklys are used 10-20% of the time.
        An aklys is spiked and hooked so as to be half as effective as a hook fauchard in pulling opponents down or off balance. <edit, link to UA>
    ** Ten to 20% of the time scaled leather armor, a buckler, a spear, and a leather pick (doing damage as a military pick) will be used.
<** added for clarity, a little more formatting could be done>
<scaled leather armor = ?>

    ** For every 3 derroes encountered, there will be 1 having 4 hit dice. <HD>
    ** For every 6 derroes encountered, there will be 1 having 5 hit dice. <HD> <added comma>
    ** If 10 or more are encountered, there will be a 7-hit dice <HD> leader and a 6-hit dice <HD> lieutenant.
All of these higher level derroes are in addition to the initial number encountered.
All higher level derroes wear scaled leather and use superior weapons..
    ** If 20 or more derroes are encountered, there will be a savant leader (detailed below) <link> and 2 student savants as well.
<** added for clarity>

Lair: A derro lair will always have 30 plus 3-12 additional normal derroes,
a corresponding number of higher level leaders,
1-3 savants,
2-5 student savants,
15-40 slaves (80% female),
and 1-3 gargoyles (70%), or a lamia (30%) as allies.

Savants:

Savant derroes are sage-like,
with the ability to USE any sort of magic item && weapon.
They CAST spells as follows:
 

affect normal fires	[anti-magic shell]	[blink]	[light]	[lightning bolt]
[minor creation]	[charm person]	[cloudkill]	[ESP]	[hypnotic pattern]
[ice storm]	[invisibility]	[levitate]	[paralyzation]	[repulsion]
[shadow magic]	[spider climb]	[ventriloquism]	[wall of fog]	[wall of force]

They have apprentices known as student savants, or merely students.
The latter know only a minor field of study and are only 25% likely to be able to use a nonfighter magic item.
Derro savants have 5-8 hit dice; <HD> students have 4-7.
Scholars have 2-3 useful (and used) magic items of offensive and/or defensive nature,
while students will have 1 lesser item.
Savants will know 6-9 spells,
students 1-3.
They also [comprehend languages] and [read magic].
Performance is at the 12th level of ability.
Typical magic items possessed are any potion; any scroll; rings of fire resistance, invisibility, protection, and spell storing; any wand; studded leather +1 armor and shields;
any swords up to +3, bracers of defense, brooch of shielding, cloak of protection, etc.; and any mscellaneous weapons.
<make links, joined 2 paragraphs into 1>

The derroes are said to have a major stronghold somewhere deep beneath the ground,
and there their savants plot and scheme to devastate the upper world and enslave all of mankind.
Derroes have poor infravision (30-foot range) but good ultravision (120 feet). <links>
They speak a language of their own, some Common, and know the trade vernacular of the underground world.

Derroes are very much like humans,
only shorter and slightly more muscular in proportion to their height.
Their features tend towards grossness.
Their hair is pale tan or yellow,
their skin is very white with a bluish undertone,
and their eyes are very large.

Derro (DSG): These savage little creatures are found in many places
throughout the Underdark, but never in large communities. Often
they live near enough to the surface to be able to raid for slaves
and food there. Derro society is very chaotic and intraracial violence
is commonplace.

Derro perform little work and thus do not trade much with other
races. They prefer to steal the possessions of others rather than
make anything themselves. Occasionally the derro enter into an
uneasy alliance with the duergar or the drow, but these pacts are
always short lived and usually end in violence.

Once every 20 or so years, derro savants unite their race and
embark upon a vicious war of raid and plunder throughout the
underworld. These wars always end in utter defeat for the derro,
but their high reproductive rate allows them to recover and prosper
again.

For more information on the derro, see Monster Manual ll.
 

<http://www.silverblades-suitcase.com/minis/humanoids.htm : 2 other derro minis>

<headings added, could do some more formatting or arrangement>

<
example stats, from DL4

Derro (AC 4/7, MV 9", HD 3, hp V, #AT 1 or 2, DMG by weapon, SA Yes, SD Yes, AL CE, THACO 15/16)

Derro Savant (AC 4, MV 9", HD 5-8, hp V, #AT 1 or 2, DMG by weapon, SA Yes, SD Yes, AL CE, THACO 12/15)

>

Yorlum wrote:
Gary,

Did you ever have any plans for expanding the Derro? I found their brief write up in MM2 almost inviting a campaign set up centering around the savants...

Just curious to see how you'd intended to fit them in.

Heh...

Richard S. Shaver and his "Mysteries" 

Yes indeed, the Derro were to work with the evil Dwarves, the former not being too numerous, needing the dwarven race to assist in working their malign plans for surface dwellers. Who needs orbiting mind control lasers when there are rays focused from below for the same dark ends?! 

Heh,
Gary
 

clore wrote:
Quote:
Your experience is certainly with bad editors.
I have had both sorts.
 

But never one good enough to catch egregious misspellings of common words like "dero", "dinichthys", "doppelganger", "erinnyes", "lemur", "tarasque", and "Tartarus"? 
 

Frankly, sir...

You are a bore.

Did it ever occur to you that some words are not as others have spelled them so as to make the attached monster information unique?

That aside, I was speaking primarily of fiction editors.
Have you ever written any fiction that was published?

Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by BOZ
for LE dwarf-kin, i think you mean duergar not derro. 

The Derero are evil and dwarfish, but not like Dwarves per se.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by mythusmage
Think Greys with an attitude problem.

Derros first came on the scene when the most popular point of origin for ETs with Venus, there were stray Nazis on the Moon, and penguins were not what they seemed.
Your basic Lovecraftian pastiche as presented by a second rate hack who simply couldn't get the joke.
...
Alan!
 

How unkind to Richard S. Shaver <frown>

You mean to tell me that you don't believe there are Derros infesting a subterranean realm below us, influencing us with their evil ray machines, kidnapping our women? <EEK!>

I am at a loss...

Gary
 

<cf. Sharpe Shaver, Amazing Tales, 1945>