Difference between revisions of "Duergar"

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< back to '''[[Playable Races]]'''
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=Overview=
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==Physical Description==
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Resembling shorter, broader humanoids standing on average 4'9" tall, Duergar are more robust than the average humanoid but their stout-powerful build makes them strong and sturdy. Duergar typically have skin-tones similar to humans although some take on a charcoal-grey tone. Some grow large bushy beards while others are bald and clean-shaven, culturally the status of one's facial hair isn't as important as it is to traditionalist Duergar.


==Culture==
<div style="float:left; margin:15px; max-width:30ch;">__TOC__</div>
Duergar usually work in large settlements and cities where they can work their craft, the skilled workers of the Cerulean Kingdom. A strong work ethic and boundless stamina when it comes to their work, Duergar mine, smelt and manufacture for their own benefit, not just to their contractors. Duergar are free to pursue other ventures including those on the darker side of the law, which all Duergar can excel at but only a small population do. Their ability to become giants and turn invisible makes the great and formidable combatants, thieves and fixers.<br>
<div style="max-width:135ch; margin:auto; text-align:left;">
Duergar are open to both Magic and Engineering but favour engineering feats more. A Duergar Smithy will often have facilities to craft weapons and armour and then enhance them materially and magically.<br>
Whether this be due to the past achievements of Duergarkind or the cultural influence of Traditionalists, but many Duergar tend to think highly of themselves and their works and take offence to criticism levied at them. Most would instinctly argue and move to prove their detractors wrong, and less scrupulous Duergar may use their natural abilities to enforce their superiority if they can get away with it. Not all Duergar are so hot-headed, but the likelihood of an outburst of emotion might be stemmed by their shorter-than-average stature.


==Social==
=Duergar=
Duergar work and reside mainly within the Cerulean Kingdom cities and towns which contain many sturdily-built walls and buildings which they prefer, reminding them of mountainside fortresses of their homelands. They're friendly and cooperative with most races and some even feel parental obligation over the smaller races, they're less lenient with bigger races, especially if they cause trouble.<br>
'''Appearance'''<hr>
Some less lawfully-inclined Duergar will try to use their natural physical advantages over others, becoming giants if it makes things easier for them. Those that commit to being giants evermore tend to find the Saffron Alliance more suitable for their stature and become more friendly to giant races and more opportunistic with smaller ones.<br>
Resembling shorter, broader humanoids standing on average 4'3" tall, Duergar are more robust than the average humanoid, their stout-powerful build makes them strong, sturdy and ponderous with their movements. Duergar typically have skin-tones similar to humans although some take on a charcoal-grey tone with black or white hair to match. Some grow large bushy beards while others are bald and clean-shaven. Duergar are also surprisingly dense for their size; with a full-grown adult weighing in between 600 to 800lbs, capable of crushing a human under their own body weight. A Duergar's head, hands and feet are proportionally larger than a humans' for their height, approximately twice as wide and thick. Regardless of their height, Duergar are unmistakably massive.
Duergar and Humans see themselves as equals, similar enough to call them 'Gars of another Ma'. Duergar see the '''[[Dweman]]''' be a twinned-race of the Viridian Republic and favour each other as distant relatives; it is said that the Duergar's ability to grow to giant size may have led to what the Dweman have become today.


=Game Facts=
'''Culture'''<hr>
* Height: 3'9" to 5'9" / 4'9" (Size: 1, Medium)
Duergar usually work in large settlements and cities where they can work their craft, the skilled crafters of the Cerulean Kingdom. A strong work ethic and boundless stamina when it comes to their work, Duergar mine, smelt and manufacture for their own benefit, not just to their contractors. Duergar are free to pursue other ventures, including those on the darker side of the law. Their reputation for having the natural ability to become giant-sized and turn invisible makes them great and formidable in combat. Duergar are open to both Magic and Engineering but favour engineering feats more. A Duergar Smithy will often have facilities to craft weapons and armour and then enhance them materially and magically.
* Genus: Humanoid
* Rarity: Common
* Faction(s): Cerulean Kingdom, Saffron Alliance


Despite the weird use of another race's name in place of Dwarf. Duergar are effectively the 'Dwarves' of this setting, except they retain the spell-like abilities of their namesake. Using the '''[[Potential]]''' skill effectively can allow Duergar players to use Duergar Stealth to become invisible and muffle their movements and then use 'Enlarge' to turn into small giants for as long as they can maintain it. Duergar come in both classic-dwarf and dark-dwarf colourations, but it's cosmetic, both types can use the same abilities.
In Duergar homes and settlements, lots of furnishings and facilities are positioned much lower for their convenience and also reinforced for stability. This becomes a frustration in other places where things as simple as sitting on a chair becomes a hassle as their extreme weight can sometimes cause them to break under the weight of their body. Even Duergar clothing is specially made with thicker and sturdier materials, clothing like their shoes tends to constructed with heavy soles and thick leathers and metal plates for extra durability.


The Duergar's '''Stout-Powerful''' trait mimics the Dwarf's original slow speed but immunity to equipment and load based slowdown. It also grants them a Skill-Focus in Equipment skills so they can specialise in armour right away.
'''Community Relations'''<hr>
Duergar work and reside mainly within the Cerulean Kingdom cities and towns which contain many sturdily-built walls and buildings which they prefer, reminding them of mountainside fortresses of their homelands. They're friendly and cooperative with most races and some even feel parental obligation over the smaller races, they're less lenient with bigger races, especially if they cause trouble. Duergar who disregard the law will often try to use their natural advantages over others, becoming giant-sized to intimidate others or become invisible to get away with crimes or escape capture.


=Base Stats & Archetypes=
Duergar and Humans see themselves as equals, not just because they're humanoids, but also because of the ambition and enthusiasm for shared interests. The average Duergar is kind of like your average middle-aged dad, they have their interests in sports, building things and drinking. Some are a bit gruff and grumpy, others tend to be mild-mannered or jolly spirits giving as much hospitality as they can. Duergar generally like to do things which rely on muscle-power and endurance rather than acrobatics, which is why they have a keen interest in crafting machines and equipment, finding heavy weapons and firearms a suitable solution to a hostile threat.
==Duergar==
''Duergars are strong and tough, though their short height can often leave some things out of reach without help. Many of their archetypes revolve around the acquisition and manufacturing of materials and equipment to which they can use to great effect, however the shadier side of their society will leverage their inner magic for personal gain.''


♦ Duergar gain a +2 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance, but suffer a -1 penalty to Agility.
Some Duergar can feel a kind of parental responsibility for little folk, but they have enough sense and pride to change their tune when the little folk start acting up in front of them, forcing their hand. When it comes to giants, Duergar try to use their innate abilities enlarge themselves to equal size up to level the playing field, if they cannot equal or surpass them, they'll attain maximum size for their own safety. Duergar do have a sense of humour, utilizing their invisibility to spook people at unexpected angles or sit in front of a doorway at an enlarged size, so it can't be opened from the other side. It is not illegal to use their abilities in their culture, but being caught committing crimes with them is not.
♦ Duergar are considered to be Medium-sized; their [[size]] is 1.


===Archetype: Miner===
=Race Meta=
''Duergar that work in the mines have built up a lot of stamina and strength from chipping away at stone, but because of this they become good eyes at what's valuable or junk.''
* Duergar stand between the heights of 3'6" and 5'0", averaging 4'3" tall. Their size is Medium '''(1)'''.
♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance.
* Genus: Humanoid
♦ They gain a Skill-Focus in all '''[[Analysis]]''' and '''[[Athletics]]''' skills.
* Faction(s): Cerulean Kingdom


===Archetype: Warrior===
=Gameplay=
''Duergar Warriors take combat seriously by investing in the best weapons and armours one can craft.''
'''Attributes'''
  ♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance.
  ♦ The base P-Point cost to increase '''Strength''', '''Endurance''' and '''Charisma''' scores is reduced by '''1 point'''.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one '''[Combat]''' skill group and all '''[[Defence]]''' skill group.
♦ Their Base Attack bonus is increased by 5.


===Archetype: Smithy===
'''Skills'''
''Duergar have a culture surrounded by crafting and engineering, these Duergar use their intelligence to work machines and crafting like no other.''
  ♦ Duergar gain a Skill-Focus in the [[Metaforce]], [[Athletics]] and [[Fabrication]] skills.
  ♦ This Duergar gains a +2 attribute bonus to Intelligence.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all '''[[Engineering]]''' Skills.


===Archetype: Pilferer===
'''Special'''
''Some Duergar take advantage of their dark abilities to take what isn't theirs or be in places they shouldn't. While all Duergar have the ability, some take advantage of it.''
♦ '''Slow''': Duergar have a base movement speed of '''4 steps''', instead of 6.
  ♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Perception and Agility.
♦ '''Steady''': Duergar are immune to the effects of [[Inventory|Light and Heavy Load]] penalties, they still suffer full penalties for '''Max Load''' penalties.
  ♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one '''[Combat]''' skill group and all '''[[Larceny]]''' skills.
♦ '''Super-Heavyweight''': Duergar are treated as being '''+1 Size-Rating larger''' for the purposes of calculating their '''weight''' and strength. They are still '''dimensionally''' the Size-Rating they actually appear to be.
  ♦ If a Duergar is knocked down, they will need to perform a '''Standard-Action (50 AP)''' to get up during their turn-start phase, and '''100 AP''' to get up outside their turn.
  ♦ Duergar '''cannot swim''', they will immediately sink into any body of liquid.
♦ Duergar suffer a '''-50 penalty''' to Stealth checks to stay quiet while moving, Stealth based on sight or staying still are '''unaffected'''.


===Archetype: Bully===
==Racial Traits==
''Some Duergar grow much bigger than your average Duergar. When they do, they often take advantage now that they're in the upper weight brackets. Duergar that continue to grow end up settling in with the Saffron Alliance before long.''
When a Dromite invests in the '''Potential''' skill, they can unlock new ranks and related to their Racial Traits and Perks.
♦ This Duergar gains the '''[[Big (Perk)|Big]]''' perk: their base size category is now Medium+ (Size: 1.5). Their average height is now 8-9ft.
This perk does not count towards the Perks needed to access Tier 2 and Tier 3 perks.
♦ Each time this Duergar unlocks access to a new tier of Perks, they can obtain the '''[[Huge (Perk)|Huge]]''' (at Tier 2) and '''[[Gigantic (Perk)|Gigantic]]''' (at Tier 3) perks immediately.
As above, these perks do not count towards your total number of perks obtained.


=Traits=
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center; margin:auto;"
==Passive: Stout-Powerful==
|-
''Duergars are adept at wearing heavy armours and outfits without hindering their mobility, however their stout forms do make them less agile than most races.''
! Name !! Requirements !! Effect
  ♦ Duergars have a movement speed base of 4 steps instead of 6 at medium size.
|-
  ♦ Duergars do not suffer encumbrance effects from high-weight outfits, equipment or full inventories. They still cannot carry more than their maximum capacity.
! colspan=99 | The Duergar gains a new Racial trait for every Potential Skill-Rank they own:
  ♦ Duargars gain a Skill-Focus in all '''[[Equipment]]''' skills.
|-
| '''Invisibility'''
| colspan=2 |
At will, Duergar can become hard to see. This effect is partially suppressed when interacting with objects or people:
♦ Ability activation is an '''Advanced-Action (100 AP)''', then it becomes a '''Channelled Standard-Action (50 AP)''' until dismissed.
♦ This ability's activation and concentration costs '''1 Meta-point''' per round. Additional MP costs occur if the Duergar's Invisibility is '''disrupted'''.
This action causes the Duergar to become '''Invisible''':
♦ The Invisible state grants the Duergar a '''+100 bonus''' to [[Stealth]] checks bonus to being detected by sight. The user may still be detected by sound and any influences upon their environment.
♦ While Invisible, the Duergar cannot be '''targeted''' by attacks relying on '''sight''' alone.
(If the attacker can rely on other forms of target-acquitision, then they only gain a '''+25 Defence bonus''' only.)
♦ Invisibility will be '''disrupted''' if the Duergar '''interacts or collides''' with objects or individuals, the Duergar can spend '''1 MP''' in order to maintain their invisibility for one additional turn, if not; Invisibility ends.
  ♦ The Duergar can choose to become '''translucent''' and visible to others at any time '''without''' disrupting their Invisibility. They can then resume Invisibility at a moment's notice.
|-
| > '''Reduce Density'''
| '''Invisibility'''
|
The Duergar can train themselves to be quieter and lighter while '''Invisible''':
♦ The Duergar's Stealth bonus now applies to '''moving quietly''', as well as sight.
  ♦ Invisibility temporarily '''suppresses''' the penalties associated with the '''<code>Super-Heavyweight</code>''' trait. The Duergar's weight is '''lessened''' as a result.
|-
| >> '''Superior Invisibility'''
| '''Reduce Density'''
|
The Duergar can now maintain the effect of Invisibility more easily than ever before:
♦ Activation is now a '''Standard-Action (50 AP)''', and maintaining the effect is reduced to a '''Quick-Action (25 AP)''' per round.
♦ The Duergar '''no longer''' has to expend Meta-points to maintain Invisibility, but they still will have to spend MP to '''repair''' disruptions.
|-
| '''Enlarge Self'''
| colspan=2 |
At will, a Duergar can enlarge their body and their possessions to giant size:
♦ This ability's activation is a '''Full-Round Action (All AP)'''. There is no channelling cost.
  ♦ This ability's costs '''3 Meta-points''' to activate, there is no other channeling cost.
♦ If the Duergar wishes to return to '''normal''', or to a different state; they can simply perform the action again.
This ability grants the Duergar the '''Enlarged''' state;
♦ While Enlarged, the Duergar's [[Size]]-Rating is increased by an amount equal to their '''base Size-Rating'''.
♦ The Duergar can only return to their normal size by using the ability again to '''dismiss''' the effect.
♦ If the Duergar is somehow smaller than Size-Rating 1, then this ability enlarges them from Tiny to Small then Medium.


==Ability: Duergar Stealth==
The Duergar's current equipment and Outfit are also transformed by this ability, with some limitations:
''At will, Duergar can become hard to see and hear. This effect is partially suppressed when interacting with objects or people and lost completely when harmed.''
♦ Any belongings in the Duergar's '''possession''' is similarly enlarged, including weapons and their outfit.
  ♦ Invisibility costs 50AP per round.
♦ Objects that leave the Duergar's possession will '''remain''' enlarged for one round, before returning to their original size.
  ♦ Effect: The Duergar can become invisible to normal sight, they gain a +100 bonus to stealth bonus to being detected by sight. The user may still be detected by sound and any influences upon the environment. Non-sight based stealth still uses the Duergar’s Stealth skill. Magic or other revealing effects may be able to detect and decloak an invisible Duergar.
♦ A Duergar '''cannot''' enlarge other creatures, nor can they re-enlarge belongings that '''left''' their possesion for more than one round.
|-
| > '''Adjust'''
| '''Enlarge Self'''
|
The Duergar harnesses their Scaling powers to add extra utility:
♦ The Duergar may now '''re-Enlarge''' objects that left their possession after the effect previously expired.
♦ They can also now enlarge other objects and '''individuals''' just by touching them, however the duration of the effect '''remains''' the same once contact has ceased.
(The action to 'touch' an object or individual with 'Enlarge' is a '''Standard-Action (50 AP)''', the effect's duration is one round '''after''' the Duergar no longer has '''physical contact''' on the target).
  ♦ This trait's function to 're-effect' and 'touch' targets applies to '''any other sub-abilities''' the Duergar may gain from their '''Potential''' skill (including Invisibility).
|-
| >> '''Superior Enlarge Self'''
| '''Adjust'''
|
The Duergar pushes their physical form to their limits:
  ♦ The Duergar can now use the '''<code>Enlarge Self</code>''' ability to grow a second time, even while Enlarged.
(Enlarging a second time takes the Duergar's '''current''' Size-Rating and increases it by that amount.)
♦ The Duergar can still fully '''dismiss''' the ability to return to their base Size '''regardless''' of what state they are in, as normal.
The Duergar gains the ability to shrink, instead of grow:
♦ The Duergar can now use this trait to reduce their size to '''half''', or a '''quarter''' of their original size as a '''Standard-Action (50 AP)'''.
♦ The Meta-point cost is reduced to '''1 MP''', instead of the normal 3 MP.
♦ If they reduce themselves below Medium size: then the steps go from Medium to Small then Tiny.
♦ To dismiss the reduction, the Duergar must use a '''Full-Round Action (All AP)''' and '''3 MP''', like with any Enlargement.


===Duergar Stealth: Skill Perks===
The Duergar can now expend more Meta-points than needed to gain some advantages when using their abilities:
At Competent Rank and higher, the Duergar may gain extra bonuses to the '''Duergar Stealth''' ability, a new bonus is selected at each rank of the '''[[Potential]]''' Skill:
♦ The Duergar can expend '''+1 MP''' to '''change''' the action speed and cost of '''<code>Enlarge Self</code>''' to become a '''Standard-Action (50 AP)''' instead of Full-Round (All AP).
♦ The Duergar can expend '''+2 MP''' to use '''<code>Enlarge Self</code>''' to go from base size to their Stage-Two size in '''one round''' instead of two.
|}


  ♦ '''Muffled''': Invisibility now grants the full +100 bonus to all stealth detection instead of just sight.
==Racial Archetype==
==Duergar Wonderlandian==
'''Attributes'''
  ♦ The base P-Point cost to increasing the '''Strength''', '''Endurance''' and '''Charisma''' attribute scores is reduced by '''1 point'''.
♦ The Duergar gains a '''+1 attribute bonus''' to their '''Charisma''' score.


♦ '''Effortless''': Invisibility now only costs 25AP per round instead of 50.
'''Skills'''
♦ Duergar Wonderlandians do not gain any Skill-Focuses.


  ♦ '''Blind-Fighter''': Invisibility is no longer lost by taking damage, touching or harming others or interacting with objects.
'''Special'''
Instead, only brief visibility for being harmed or harming others will be the punishment for such events and will reset at the Duergar's next turn. Touching and interacting maintains full coverage.
  ♦ The Duergar gains the trait '''Adjust''', even if they '''do not''' meet the normal requirements.


  ♦ '''Great Unknown''': Invisibility negates all stealth penalties due to size; the Duergar is treated as being Medium sized or smaller while invisible.
The Duergar gains a special ability to mirror the proportions of other individuals or environments:
  ♦ When the Duergar is in the presence of any individual(s) with a Size-Rating '''greater''' than their own, the Duergar will be able to immediately enlarge to match the Size-Rating of their target at '''no cost''' to Action-Points or Meta-points.
♦ If there are no valid animate beings in range, then the Duergar will instead attempt to '''emulate''' the scale of their surroundings: '''enlarging''' in places built for '''giants''' and '''shrinking''' in places built for '''smaller''' races.
♦ If the Duergar spends more than '''20 hours''' at a Size-Rating different to their own, then their current Size-Rating becomes their '''new''' base Size-Rating.
♦ The Duergar can only alter their scale at a rate of x4 their base size per day, but there is no upper limit to their Size increase as they would with '''<code>Enlarge Self</code>'''


==Ability: Duergar Growth (Growth)==
Despite this, the mimicry effect is not optional, the Duergar only has a limited amount of time to act before their size changes to match their surroundings:
''At will, Duergar can grow multiple times their original size, increasing their size category by x2 its current value. (Medium 1 to Large 2). Growth does not heal the Duergar but their increased mass scales up their health points to their new size. Once a Duergar enlarges themselves they can perform all actions as if they were of normal size. They must use this ability in order to shrink back down again.''
  ♦ '''Growth''' costs 100AP to activate. This ability does not need concentration to maintain its effect. If the user uses this ability again, they will return to their base size.
  ♦ The Duergar has a number of '''minutes''' equal to their '''Charisma score''' before the activation of their ability becomes '''compulsory'''.
  (Activating the ability to grow/shrink and activating the ability to return to normal size are two separate actions and cannot be performed in the same turn.)
  ♦ The Duergar '''cannot dismiss''' the Enlargement effect until they spend '''one hour''' in the company of individuals with a '''smaller''' Size-Rating.
♦ Effect: '''Growth''' causes the Duergar to grow one size category larger (2x base size), inheriting all size adjustments for the duration.
(If the individuals involves are a Size-Rating smaller than Medium, then the Duergar may end up smaller than Medium-size, as low as Tiny size).


===Duergar Growth: Skill Perks===
If the Duergar gains enough Charisma, they can overcome the compulsory effects of this ability:
At Competent Rank or higher, the Duergar may gain extra bonuses to the '''Growth''' ability, a new bonus is selected at each rank of the Potential Skill:
♦ When the Duergar gains a total of '''+5 Charisma''', they can make a d100 check every hour. If the result is '''<code>100 - (the Duergar's Charisma * 10)</code>''' or more, they can '''suppress''' the compulsory effect for one hour.
♦ When the Duergar gains a total of '''+10 Charisma''', they can now fully control the ability with '''no compulsions'''.


♦ '''Effortless''': '''Growth''' now only costs 50AP to activate.
</div></center>


♦ '''Revitalizing''': '''Growth''' now heals 5% of the user’s maximum HP and 10% of the user’s resource pools per Potential skill rank. This effect may only trigger once per rest, and must be invoked during the activation of '''Growth'''. If used with Overgrowth, Revitalizing triggers once per size category beyond base size.
=Gallery=
 
<center>
♦ '''Overgrowth''': '''Growth''' may now increase the user’s size by two size categories, the AP cost is doubled if performed from base size, but costs normally when used while enlarged.
<gallery heights=500px widths=500px mode="traditional">
 
Duergar4.png
♦ '''Adjust''': '''Growth''' may affect unattended objects, outfits or equipment obtained during or after using '''Growth'''. Causing aforementioned items to grow to fit the user’s size category. Resizing is a voluntary action. This bonus cannot be used to shrink oversized objects or equipment when '''Growth''' is used to return to base size. Enlarged objects remain enlarged until dismissed by the user or the user returns to a smaller/base size.
</gallery>
 
</center>
♦ '''Shrivel''': '''Growth''' can instead be used to shrink the Duergar down by as many size categories as they can with their base ability.
> When used with '''Overgrowth''', they can shrink down 2 size categories instead of just one.
> When used with '''Adjust''', objects can be shrunk down to fit the Duergar's new size.
> '''Revitalisation''' cannot trigger when used with '''Shrivel'''.
 
==Passive: Dark-Vision==
''Duergar can see in pitch-black environments up to 60ft, Dark-vision is monochromatic, which means in areas absent of light, they can only see in shades of grey, not colour.''
♦ The Duergar's vision type is: Dark-Vision.


[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Races]] [[Category:Humanoid]] [[Category:Cerulean]] [[Category:WIP]]

Latest revision as of 17:37, 5 November 2022

  • Duergar1.jpg
  • Duergar2.jpg
  • Duergar3.jpg

Duergar

Appearance

Resembling shorter, broader humanoids standing on average 4'3" tall, Duergar are more robust than the average humanoid, their stout-powerful build makes them strong, sturdy and ponderous with their movements. Duergar typically have skin-tones similar to humans although some take on a charcoal-grey tone with black or white hair to match. Some grow large bushy beards while others are bald and clean-shaven. Duergar are also surprisingly dense for their size; with a full-grown adult weighing in between 600 to 800lbs, capable of crushing a human under their own body weight. A Duergar's head, hands and feet are proportionally larger than a humans' for their height, approximately twice as wide and thick. Regardless of their height, Duergar are unmistakably massive.

Culture

Duergar usually work in large settlements and cities where they can work their craft, the skilled crafters of the Cerulean Kingdom. A strong work ethic and boundless stamina when it comes to their work, Duergar mine, smelt and manufacture for their own benefit, not just to their contractors. Duergar are free to pursue other ventures, including those on the darker side of the law. Their reputation for having the natural ability to become giant-sized and turn invisible makes them great and formidable in combat. Duergar are open to both Magic and Engineering but favour engineering feats more. A Duergar Smithy will often have facilities to craft weapons and armour and then enhance them materially and magically.

In Duergar homes and settlements, lots of furnishings and facilities are positioned much lower for their convenience and also reinforced for stability. This becomes a frustration in other places where things as simple as sitting on a chair becomes a hassle as their extreme weight can sometimes cause them to break under the weight of their body. Even Duergar clothing is specially made with thicker and sturdier materials, clothing like their shoes tends to constructed with heavy soles and thick leathers and metal plates for extra durability.

Community Relations

Duergar work and reside mainly within the Cerulean Kingdom cities and towns which contain many sturdily-built walls and buildings which they prefer, reminding them of mountainside fortresses of their homelands. They're friendly and cooperative with most races and some even feel parental obligation over the smaller races, they're less lenient with bigger races, especially if they cause trouble. Duergar who disregard the law will often try to use their natural advantages over others, becoming giant-sized to intimidate others or become invisible to get away with crimes or escape capture.

Duergar and Humans see themselves as equals, not just because they're humanoids, but also because of the ambition and enthusiasm for shared interests. The average Duergar is kind of like your average middle-aged dad, they have their interests in sports, building things and drinking. Some are a bit gruff and grumpy, others tend to be mild-mannered or jolly spirits giving as much hospitality as they can. Duergar generally like to do things which rely on muscle-power and endurance rather than acrobatics, which is why they have a keen interest in crafting machines and equipment, finding heavy weapons and firearms a suitable solution to a hostile threat.

Some Duergar can feel a kind of parental responsibility for little folk, but they have enough sense and pride to change their tune when the little folk start acting up in front of them, forcing their hand. When it comes to giants, Duergar try to use their innate abilities enlarge themselves to equal size up to level the playing field, if they cannot equal or surpass them, they'll attain maximum size for their own safety. Duergar do have a sense of humour, utilizing their invisibility to spook people at unexpected angles or sit in front of a doorway at an enlarged size, so it can't be opened from the other side. It is not illegal to use their abilities in their culture, but being caught committing crimes with them is not.

Race Meta

  • Duergar stand between the heights of 3'6" and 5'0", averaging 4'3" tall. Their size is Medium (1).
  • Genus: Humanoid
  • Faction(s): Cerulean Kingdom

Gameplay

Attributes 

♦ The base P-Point cost to increase Strength, Endurance and Charisma scores is reduced by 1 point.

Skills 

♦ Duergar gain a Skill-Focus in the Metaforce, Athletics and Fabrication skills.

Special 

♦ Slow: Duergar have a base movement speed of 4 steps, instead of 6.
♦ Steady: Duergar are immune to the effects of Light and Heavy Load penalties, they still suffer full penalties for Max Load penalties.

♦ Super-Heavyweight: Duergar are treated as being +1 Size-Rating larger for the purposes of calculating their weight and strength. They are still dimensionally the Size-Rating they actually appear to be.
♦ If a Duergar is knocked down, they will need to perform a Standard-Action (50 AP) to get up during their turn-start phase, and 100 AP to get up outside their turn.
♦ Duergar cannot swim, they will immediately sink into any body of liquid.
♦ Duergar suffer a -50 penalty to Stealth checks to stay quiet while moving, Stealth based on sight or staying still are unaffected.

Racial Traits

When a Dromite invests in the Potential skill, they can unlock new ranks and related to their Racial Traits and Perks.

Name Requirements Effect
The Duergar gains a new Racial trait for every Potential Skill-Rank they own:
Invisibility

At will, Duergar can become hard to see. This effect is partially suppressed when interacting with objects or people: 

♦ Ability activation is an Advanced-Action (100 AP), then it becomes a Channelled Standard-Action (50 AP) until dismissed.
♦ This ability's activation and concentration costs 1 Meta-point per round. Additional MP costs occur if the Duergar's Invisibility is disrupted.

This action causes the Duergar to become Invisible: 

♦ The Invisible state grants the Duergar a +100 bonus to Stealth checks bonus to being detected by sight. The user may still be detected by sound and any influences upon their environment.

♦ While Invisible, the Duergar cannot be targeted by attacks relying on sight alone.
(If the attacker can rely on other forms of target-acquitision, then they only gain a +25 Defence bonus only.)

♦ Invisibility will be disrupted if the Duergar interacts or collides with objects or individuals, the Duergar can spend 1 MP in order to maintain their invisibility for one additional turn, if not; Invisibility ends.
♦ The Duergar can choose to become translucent and visible to others at any time without disrupting their Invisibility. They can then resume Invisibility at a moment's notice.
> Reduce Density Invisibility

The Duergar can train themselves to be quieter and lighter while Invisible: 

♦ The Duergar's Stealth bonus now applies to moving quietly, as well as sight.
♦ Invisibility temporarily suppresses the penalties associated with the Super-Heavyweight trait. The Duergar's weight is lessened as a result.
>> Superior Invisibility Reduce Density

The Duergar can now maintain the effect of Invisibility more easily than ever before: 

♦ Activation is now a Standard-Action (50 AP), and maintaining the effect is reduced to a Quick-Action (25 AP) per round.
♦ The Duergar no longer has to expend Meta-points to maintain Invisibility, but they still will have to spend MP to repair disruptions.
Enlarge Self

At will, a Duergar can enlarge their body and their possessions to giant size: 

♦ This ability's activation is a Full-Round Action (All AP). There is no channelling cost.
♦ This ability's costs 3 Meta-points to activate, there is no other channeling cost.
♦ If the Duergar wishes to return to normal, or to a different state; they can simply perform the action again.

This ability grants the Duergar the Enlarged state; 

♦ While Enlarged, the Duergar's Size-Rating is increased by an amount equal to their base Size-Rating.
♦ The Duergar can only return to their normal size by using the ability again to dismiss the effect.
♦ If the Duergar is somehow smaller than Size-Rating 1, then this ability enlarges them from Tiny to Small then Medium.

The Duergar's current equipment and Outfit are also transformed by this ability, with some limitations: 

♦ Any belongings in the Duergar's possession is similarly enlarged, including weapons and their outfit.
♦ Objects that leave the Duergar's possession will remain enlarged for one round, before returning to their original size.
♦ A Duergar cannot enlarge other creatures, nor can they re-enlarge belongings that left their possesion for more than one round.
> Adjust Enlarge Self

The Duergar harnesses their Scaling powers to add extra utility: 

♦ The Duergar may now re-Enlarge objects that left their possession after the effect previously expired.
♦ They can also now enlarge other objects and individuals just by touching them, however the duration of the effect remains the same once contact has ceased.
(The action to 'touch' an object or individual with 'Enlarge' is a Standard-Action (50 AP), the effect's duration is one round after the Duergar no longer has physical contact on the target).

♦ This trait's function to 're-effect' and 'touch' targets applies to any other sub-abilities the Duergar may gain from their Potential skill (including Invisibility).
>> Superior Enlarge Self Adjust

The Duergar pushes their physical form to their limits: 

♦ The Duergar can now use the Enlarge Self ability to grow a second time, even while Enlarged.
(Enlarging a second time takes the Duergar's current Size-Rating and increases it by that amount.)
♦ The Duergar can still fully dismiss the ability to return to their base Size regardless of what state they are in, as normal.

The Duergar gains the ability to shrink, instead of grow: 

♦ The Duergar can now use this trait to reduce their size to half, or a quarter of their original size as a Standard-Action (50 AP).
♦ The Meta-point cost is reduced to 1 MP, instead of the normal 3 MP.
♦ If they reduce themselves below Medium size: then the steps go from Medium to Small then Tiny.
♦ To dismiss the reduction, the Duergar must use a Full-Round Action (All AP) and 3 MP, like with any Enlargement.

The Duergar can now expend more Meta-points than needed to gain some advantages when using their abilities: 

♦ The Duergar can expend +1 MP to change the action speed and cost of Enlarge Self to become a Standard-Action (50 AP) instead of Full-Round (All AP).
♦ The Duergar can expend +2 MP to use Enlarge Self to go from base size to their Stage-Two size in one round instead of two.

Racial Archetype

Duergar Wonderlandian

Attributes 

♦ The base P-Point cost to increasing the Strength, Endurance and Charisma attribute scores is reduced by 1 point.
♦ The Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to their Charisma score.

Skills 

♦ Duergar Wonderlandians do not gain any Skill-Focuses.

Special 

♦ The Duergar gains the trait Adjust, even if they do not meet the normal requirements.

The Duergar gains a special ability to mirror the proportions of other individuals or environments:

♦ When the Duergar is in the presence of any individual(s) with a Size-Rating greater than their own, the Duergar will be able to immediately enlarge to match the Size-Rating of their target at no cost to Action-Points or Meta-points.
♦ If there are no valid animate beings in range, then the Duergar will instead attempt to emulate the scale of their surroundings: enlarging in places built for giants and shrinking in places built for smaller races.
♦ If the Duergar spends more than 20 hours at a Size-Rating different to their own, then their current Size-Rating becomes their new base Size-Rating.
♦ The Duergar can only alter their scale at a rate of x4 their base size per day, but there is no upper limit to their Size increase as they would with Enlarge Self

Despite this, the mimicry effect is not optional, the Duergar only has a limited amount of time to act before their size changes to match their surroundings:

♦ The Duergar has a number of minutes equal to their Charisma score before the activation of their ability becomes compulsory.
♦ The Duergar cannot dismiss the Enlargement effect until they spend one hour in the company of individuals with a smaller Size-Rating.
(If the individuals involves are a Size-Rating smaller than Medium, then the Duergar may end up smaller than Medium-size, as low as Tiny size).

If the Duergar gains enough Charisma, they can overcome the compulsory effects of this ability:

♦ When the Duergar gains a total of +5 Charisma, they can make a d100 check every hour. If the result is 100 - (the Duergar's Charisma * 10) or more, they can suppress the compulsory effect for one hour.
♦ When the Duergar gains a total of +10 Charisma, they can now fully control the ability with no compulsions.

Gallery

  • Duergar4.png
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