FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very
rare ([Dungeon Level II])
NO. APPEARING: 2-8 or 201-300
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 6"
HIT DICE: 1+2
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals [M], [Q]; Lair
[B] (magic only), [F]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (or more)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: [SB]
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Save at +4
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average to genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil (neutral) <(malicious,
wicked)>
SIZE: S (4' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 71-90 (2/level)
Attack/Defense Modes:
B,
C,
D
/ F,
G,
H
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Variable | Variable
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE, 1st
level:
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE, 2nd
level:
The duergar are the seldom-encountered
race of evil dwarves.
They are also known as the gray dwarves
or gray ones.
Malicious in the extreme,
duergar dwell in subterranean depths where
their evil need not withstand the light.
Normally but a handful of these wicked
creatures will be discovered,
but occasionally a lair will be discovered
with hundreds of duergar there.
<spaces added below>
For every 4 normal duergar encountered
there will be 1 with double<(x2)> HD,
i.e.,
1 in 4 is 2nd level.
If 9 are encountered outside their lair,
<technically, 2-8>
an additional duergar of triple<(x3)>
or quadruple<(x4)> HD (3rd or 4th level) will be leading the group.
First-level <1st-level>
duergar carry:
pick,
hammer,
spear
-
chain, and shield and
are encountered 75% of the time;
<horseman's military pick, hammer, chain mail, small shield>
<l>
2nd level carry pick, light crossbow - chain and shield and are encountered 25% of the time. <l>
Additional weapons and armor are as follows:
| No. Appearing | Level (Class) | Weapons & Armor | Level/XP Value |
| + 1 / 16 | 3rd level | hammer, short sword - plate and shield | |
| + 1 / 16 | 4th level | hammer, short sword - plate and shield | |
| + 4-6 | 5th level | hammer, short sword - plate and shield | |
| + 2-3 | 6th level | hammer, short sword - plate and shield | |
| + 1 | 7th-9th level | hammer*, short sword* - plate and shield | |
| + 4-6 | 3rd-6th / 3rd-6th level cleric/assassins | any usable* / any usable* | |
| + 1 | 7th-9th / 7th-9th level cleric/assassins | any usable* / any usable* |
(*5% chance/level for magical item;
where split level,
add one-half of lower to higher to find
approximate actual level,
rounding upwards)
<l: mgi tables>
There will be noncombatant young duergar
equal to 10% of the total number of normal fighters,
i.e., 21-30 young.
The duergar lair will always be subterranean,
extensive, and consist of many passages, rooms, chambers, and secret areas.
<l: dmg.a?>
There may (25%) be some monster kept as
a guardian in the lair complex.
There is a 75% probability that there will
be 10-40 slaves there.
Roll 1d20 to find
the type of slaves kept:
1-8 = mountain
dwarves or orcs,
9-12 dwarves
or goblins,
13-16 gnomes
or xvarts,
17-18 halflings (stout)
or kobolds,
19 = svirfneblins
or norkers,
20 = adventurers or
others.
Adventurer types will be typical, <l:
rg?>
and "others" will be drow,
grimlocks,
etc.
Duergar have been known to dwell with derro
(q.v.) and similar evil creatures,
but such communities are rare.
Duergar surprise on a 3 in 6.
They are surprised only 1 in 10.
As with normal sorts of dwarfkind,
duergar save vs. magical attacks (death
magic, polymorph, rod et al, and spell) at +4.
They are immune to paralysis & poison.
<v>
Spells of the illusion/phantasm category
do not affect duergar.
All duergar have the following psionic
disciplines:
expansion,
invisibility,
molecular attraction, and reduction.
<molecular agitation>
Performance level is equal to HD of xperience.
<v>
Q: The duergar from the Monster
Manual II is listed with
the psionic
ability molecular attraction.
Is there
such an ability?
A: No; this was a typo. The
actual discipline
is molecular
agitation.
(131.63)
Duergar have infravision
of 12" range.
They speak the silent speech of subterranean
creatures,
their own tongue,
and Dwarf.
Some speak other tongues as well.
<above all added to DMG>
Duergar appear as emaciated,
evil-visaged creatures.
Their skin is medium to dark
gray.
They favor garb of drab color,
typically that which blends into their
environment.
They live longer than do normal dwarves,
some reaching 500 or more years of age.
<update age tables + link>
Duergar (DSG):
The duergar, or gray ones, practice their evil in a disciplined
and orderly fashion. This has allowed
the race to prosper and
dominate in areas where other, more numerous,
creatures have
failed to thrive. Coupled with this inherent
discipline, the gray
dwarves are also hard workers and tenacious
combatants.
In many ways, the duergar culture resembles
that of their
higher cousins, the mountain and hill
dwarves. All of the dwarf
races rely heavily on mining
for economic prosperity, and all are
skilled at working metals and stone. The
duergar are particularly
adept at designing fiendish traps that
imprison unwary prey and
often inflict a slow and painful death.
The duergar differ somewhat
from their cousins in their frequent employment
of slave
labor, and their complete disregard for
the welfare of those
slaves.
When arrayed for battle, the duergar make
a formidable force.
They are particularly known for their
complete mercilessness on
the battlefield, and for their love of
torture. Captives that are
deemed unsuitable for slavery are usually
put to death in the
most fiendish, macabre, and time-consuming
methods imaginable.
As a race, the duergar seem to have no
major ambitions of conquest
and domination, but they fight fiercely
and savagely both to
preserve what they have and to gain control
of any portion of the
subterranean world that appeals to them.
The latter usually
occurs when precious metals or gems are
found outside the
duergar realms. In these cases, the gray
dwarves quickly mount
a military expedition and attack any creatures
dwelling in the cov-
eted caverns. The duergar, for practical
as well as alignment reasons,
prefer to exterminate their foes in these
instances rather
than simply drive them off. This tactic
serves to eliminate threats
of reprisal.
Many duergar become skilled craftsmen,
particularly in the
areas of sculpture and metalworking. The
gray ones trade their
work with neighboring races and receive
slaves and technological
devices that are beyond their capabilities.
For more information on the duergar, see Monster Manual II.
