Duergar

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Overview

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Physical Description

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

• Height: 3'9" to 5'9" / 4'9" (Size: 1, Medium)
• 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.

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.

Base Stats & Archetypes

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.
♦ Duergar are considered to be Medium-sized; their size is 1.

Archetype: Miner

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.

♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance.
♦ They gain a Skill-Focus in all Analysis and Athletics skills.

Archetype: Warrior

Duergar Warriors take combat seriously by investing in the best weapons and armours one can craft.

♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Strength and Endurance.
♦ 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

Duergar have a culture surrounded by crafting and engineering, these Duergar use their intelligence to work machines and crafting like no other.

♦ This Duergar gains a +2 attribute bonus to Intelligence.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in all Engineering Skills.

Archetype: Pilferer

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.

♦ This Duergar gains a +1 attribute bonus to Perception and Agility.
♦ They also gain a Skill-Focus in one [Combat] skill group and all Larceny skills.

Archetype: Bully

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.

♦ This Duergar gains the 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 (at Tier 2) and Gigantic (at Tier 3) perks immediately.
As above, these perks do not count towards your total number of perks obtained.

Traits

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.

♦ 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.
♦ Duargars gain a Skill-Focus in all Equipment skills.

Ability: Duergar Stealth

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.

♦ Invisibility costs 50AP per round.
♦ 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.

Duergar Stealth: Skill Perks

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:

♦ Muffled: Invisibility now grants the full +100 bonus to all stealth detection instead of just sight.

♦ Effortless: Invisibility now only costs 25AP per round instead of 50.

♦ Blind-Fighter: Invisibility is no longer lost by taking damage, touching or harming others or interacting with objects.
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.

♦ Great Unknown: Invisibility negates all stealth penalties due to size; the Duergar is treated as being Medium sized or smaller while invisible.

Ability: Duergar Growth (Growth)

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.
(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.)
♦ Effect: Growth causes the Duergar to grow one size category larger (2x base size), inheriting all size adjustments for the duration.

Duergar Growth: Skill Perks

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:

♦ Effortless: Growth now only costs 50AP to activate.

♦ 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.

♦ 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.

♦ 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.

♦ 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.