Duergar (Dungeons & Dragons)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dungeons & Dragons creature
Duergar
Alignment
Type
Source books
First appearance

In Dungeons & Dragons fantasy, the duergar, or gray dwarves are a cruel and evil subrace of dwarves.

1 Ecology
2 Society
3 Settings and sources
4 Creative origins
5 References

[edit] Ecology

[edit] Environment

Duergar typically make their homes in the Underdark.

[edit] Typical physical characteristics

The duergar are very similar in appearance to surface dwarves, but have distinct pale gray skin, very fair hair, and bright eyes.

[edit] Alignment

Duergar are usually hard-hearted neutral.

[edit] Society

The duergar alternate between working in concert with the drow and being at odds with them, as the drow believe themselves superior even to the duergar. Duergar are stoic and hard-working, toiling under the gaze of Laduguer, their strict and unforgiving deity, in order to create wealth. They have a deep-seated grudge against other dwarven races due to their exile from their midst and legends stating that the rest of dwarvenkind abandoned the duergar to Illithid rule thousands of years ago.

[edit] Settings and sources

Duergar have the ability to become invisible in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, where they dwell in the Underdark in cities such as Gracklstugh. The Expanded Psionics Handbook updates the duergar to be a naturally psionic race, with the psi-like abilities to turn invisible and expand in size once per day.

[edit] Creative origins

The duergar are named for the duergar of Norse mythology, who were the builders of Gleipnir.

[edit] References

Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989).

Cordell, Bruce. Expanded Psionics Handbook (Wizards of the Coast, 2004).

Scott, Amber. "Ecology of the Duergar." Dragon #325 (Paizo Publishing, 2004).

Dungeons & Dragons creatures
Creature types: Aberration • Animal • Construct • Dragon • Elemental • Fey • Giant • Humanoid • Magical beast • Monstrous humanoid • Ooze • Outsider • Plant • Undead • Vermin
Categories: Dragonlance creatures • Eberron creatures • Standard creatures • Undead creatures • Spelljammer creatures • Greyhawk creatures • Forgotten Realms creatures • Extraplanar creatures
Lists of dragons: Chromatic • Dragonlance • Gem • Metallic • Planar • Other