Homebrew Duergar | Gresia Species Details

Duergar are distant cousins of the dwarves whose ancestors were transformed by centuries living in the deepest places of the Gresian Underdark. That fungal realm is saturated with strange magical energy, and over generations, early Duergar absorbed traces of it. They were further altered when the Kheth'lak, a race of sapient fungoids, invaded and captured them - using them as livestock to host their spores. Many Duergar died during this time, but those that survived did so thanks to a strange reaction to the fungal magics within the Underdark. Their bodies rejected the spores, becoming resistant to infection and disease, and developed psionic magics; these traits have been passed on to their modern descendents. In time, they liberated themselves from their fungoid captors and forged a new life for themselves in the Underdark and beyond. - The Adventurer's Guide to Gresia

Lore

In our era, the Duergar live in strongholds in the highest levels of the Underdark, connected to the surface by great mechanical elevators that reach up to small, fortified outposts in the snowy north. These strongholds are teeming with mechanical technology built on reverse engineered designs based upon those used by the long extinct Brass Elves.

The Duergar are a hardy, ingenious, stoic folk who live within a society built on foundations of hard-work and honour. They are cautious and slow to trust, but once befriended are some of the most loyal companions one could ever hope to meet. Their society is built on a clan structure, but unlike most traditional families a Duergar clan consists of both blood relatives and life-long friends. To be inducted into a Duergar clan, both as a fellow Duergar but especially as an outsider, is the single greatest honour a Duergar can bestow. Members of these clans share a common hall, a large structure designed as a common place and residence for all members of the clan. Each member of the clan holds a personal abode within the hall, carved out from the stone for them by others members of the clan upon their induction.

The Duergar clans mostly govern themselves, acting as a pure democracy without figurehead, but they do still follow the common law and answer to the King and Queen that rule their stronghold. These Kings and Queens are elected as leaders of the stronghold by their people, and rule for a decade. There is no limit on re-election.

The Duergar diets consists of mostly mushrooms, as well as fruits and meats that can be found in the Gresian Underdark. They do not keep livestock, choosing instead to tend great towers of fungas grown in vertical farms.

 

Lifespan and Appearance

Like the Gresian Dwarves, Duergar typically have a life span of 200 years. They are children up to the age of 20, adolescent up to the age of 40, young adults up to the age of 60, and adults up to the age of 140 where they reach the traditional age of retirement, becoming elderly.

The Duergar have skin in shades of grey, evolved over millenia to act as camouflage against the stone walls of the Underdark. Their eyes glow bright, like the bioluminescent mushrooms that litter their cavern walls, taking on hues of red, purple, green and blue. Their hair grows in monotone shades of black and white, and unlike their Dwarvish cousins, female Duergar cannot grow beards (the males still can, but not at as fast a speed or to as great a length as Dwarves). It is not uncommon for the Duergar to decorate their faces and bodies in tattoos or paints that display their clan heritage. They typically stand between 3.5 and 5 feet tall.

Duergar | Gresia Traits

As a Duergar, you have the following racial traits.

Essence of the Underdark

The magic of the Underdark lies dormant within you, waiting to be unlocked.

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the blur spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component.

Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the invisibility spell on yourself with this trait, without requiring a material component.

Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and Duergan (which will have to be added to your character sheet manually).

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid. You are also considered a dwarf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a dwarf.

Size

As Duergar can be between 3.5 and 5 feet tall, you can choose between being Small or Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of purple.

Duergan Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the poisoned and to fight diseases. You also have resistance to poison damage.

Psionic Fortitude

You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed or stunned condition on yourself.