Duergar (8 RP)

Duergar dwell in subterranean caverns far from the touch of light. They detest all races living beneath the sun, but that hatred pales beside their loathing of their surface-dwarf cousins. Dwarves and duergar once were one race, but the dwarves left the deeps for their mountain strongholds. Duergar still consider themselves the only true dwarves, and the rightful heirs of all beneath the world’s surface. In appearance, duergar resemble gray-skinned dwarves, bearded but bald, with cold, lightless eyes. They favor taking captives in battle over wanton slaughter, save for surface dwarves, who are slain without hesitation. Duergar view life as ceaseless toil ended only by death. Though few can be described as anything other than vile and cruel, duergar still value honor and rarely break their word.

Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
40 years +3d6 years
(43 – 58 years)
+5d6 years
(45 – 70 years)
+7d6 years
(47 – 82 years)

1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Random Height and Weight
Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 3 ft. 9 in. +2d4 in.
(3 ft. 11 in. – 4 ft. 5 in.)
150 lbs. +(2d8×7 lbs.)
(164 – 262 lbs.)
Female 3 ft. 7 in. +2d4 in.
(3 ft. 9 in. – 4 ft. 3 in.)
120 lbs. +(2d8×7 lbs.)
(134 – 232 lbs.)
Table: Race Point Costs
Racial Traits Race Point Cost
Type Humanoid (dwarf) 0
Size Medium 0
Base Speed Slow –1
Ability Score Modifiers Weakness (+2 Con, +2 Wis, –4 Cha) –1
Languages Standard 0
Immunities Duergar immunities 4
Defense Stability 1
Spell-Like Ability Lesser 3
Senses Darkvision 120 ft. 3
Weaknesses Light sensitivity –1
Total 8

Standard Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Modifiers: Duergar are hearty and observant, but also belligerent. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –4 Charisma.
  • Type: Duergar are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
  • Size: Duergar are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Base Speed: Slow and Steady– Duergar have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
  • Languages: Duergar begin play speaking Common, Dwarven, and Undercommon. Duergar with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
  • Duergar Immunities: Duergar are immune to paralysis, phantasms, and poison. They gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
  • Stability: Duergar receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while on solid ground.
  • Enlarge Person Spell-Like Ability (Sp): A duergar can use enlarge person once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.
  • Invisibility Spell-Like Ability (Sp): A duergar can use invisibility once per day, using its character level as its caster level and affecting itself only.
  • Superior Darkvision: Duergar have superior darkvision, allowing them to see perfectly in the dark up to 120 feet.
  • Light Sensitivity: Duergar are dazzled in areas of bright light.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

  • Blood Enmity Duergar have long warred against their dwarven cousins and the hated drow. Duergar with this racial trait receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the dwarf or elf subtypes. This racial trait replaces the invisibility spell-like ability.
  • Daysighted The cruel light of the sun harms some duergar less than others. Such duergar lack the light sensitivity racial trait, but have darkvision of only 60 feet.
  • Deep Magic Duergar spellcasters labor long to overcome the inborn spell resistance (SR) held by so many of their underground foes. Duergar with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and a +2 racial bonus on dispel checks. This racial trait replaces the enlarge person and invisibility spell-like abilities.
  • Dwarf Traits Duergar can select any dwarf racial trait that replaces stability. They can select dwarf racial traits that replace the hardy dwarf racial trait by giving up duergar immunities instead.
  • Magical Taskmaster: Some duergar demonstrate magic of a more insidious kind than the rest of their kin. They can use charm person once per day as a spell-like ability. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 duergar’s Hit Dice + duergar’s Wisdom modifier. This racial trait replaces the invisibility spell-like ability racial trait. Source PZO9280

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

  • Cleric Add a +1/2 bonus on checks made to craft magic items.
  • Fighter Add +1 to the Fighter’s CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt.
  • Inquisitor Add +1/6 to the number of times per day the inquisitor can use the judgment class feature.
  • Kineticist: Add 1/5 of an Extra Wild Talent feat that must be spent on an earth element wild talent. Source PCS:DR
  • Psychic: The psychic treats her Wisdom bonus as 1/3 point higher for the purpose of determining the number of uses or rounds per day of her discipline powers. Source PCS:DR

3rd Party Publisher Favored Class Options – Jon Brazer Enterprises

  • Alchemist Add +1/2 to the alchemist’s acid bomb damage. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Barbarian Add +1 to the barbarian’s total number of rage rounds per day. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Bard: Reduce arcane spell failure chance for casting bard spells when wearing medium armor by +1%. Once the total reduction in chance reaches 10%, the bard also receives Medium Armor Proficiency, if he does not already possess it. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Cavalier Add +1/2 to the cavalier’s bonus to damage against targets of his challenge. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Druid Add a +1/2 bonus on wild empathy checks made against burrowing animals and gain a +1/2 bonus on Handle Animal skill checks. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Gunslinger: Reduce the misfire chance for one type of firearm by 1/4. You cannot reduce the misfire chance of a firearm below 1. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Magus: Add a +1/4 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls when using spell combat (to a maximum of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Monk Reduce the Hardness of any object made of clay, stone, or metal by 1 whenever the object is struck by the monk’s unarmed strike (minimum of 0). (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Oracle Reduce the penalty for not being proficient with one weapon by 1. When the nonproficiency penalty for a weapon becomes 0 because of this ability, the oracle is treated as having the appropriate Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat with that weapon. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Paladin Add +1/2 point of acid damage to the paladin’s lay on hands ability when used to deal damage. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Ranger Choose one ranged weapon. Add +1 foot to the range increment of that weapon. This option has no effect unless the ranger has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a range increment of 24 feet is effectively the same as a range increment of 20 feet, for example. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Rogue Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and Intimidate checks. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Sorcerer Add +1/2 damage of any acid and earth sorcerer spells or spell-like abilities. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Summoner Reduce the Hardness of any object made of clay, stone, or metal by 1 whenever the object is struck by the summoner’s eidolon’s natural weapons. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Witch Add a +1/2 bonus on checks made to craft magic items. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)
  • Wizard Add a +1/2 bonus on checks made to craft magic items. (Source JBE:SF:FCO)

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to duergar:

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a duergar character who meets the prerequisites.

Duergar Tyrants

Source: PCS:OB

Duergar tyrants are defined by their class levels—they do not have racial Hit Dice. A duergar tyrant’s Challenge Rating is equal to her class level. Duergar tyrants have all of the racial traits of duergar characters except spell-like abilities, in addition to the following.

  • +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Duergar tyrants are strong, hardy, and willful. These ability score modifiers replace the standard duergar ability score modifiers.
  • Telekinetic Adept: A duergar tyrant has access to the basic telekinesis, kinetic form, telekinetic finesse, telekinetic haul, and telekinetic invisibility kineticist wild talents with an effective kineticist level equal to her total character level.
  • Psychic Magic: Duergar tyrants can cast ironskin (2 PE) and mind thrust I (1 PE) as per the psychic magic universal monster rule. The caster level is equal to the duergar tyrant’s total character level. Duergar tyrants have a reservoir of 5 PE per day.
  • Psychic Resilience (Ex): Duergar tyrants’ racial bonus against spells and spell-like abilities increases from +2 to +4 on saving throws against psychic spells and spelllike abilities.
  • Spell Resistance: A duergar tyrant has spell resistance equal to 11 + her character level.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor.

Shadowsfall: Favored Class Options. ©2012, Jon Brazer Enterprises; Author Dale C. McCoy, Jr.

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