D&D 5E D&D5E Duergar PC Race Suggestions
My first suggestion would be to tell the player, "Sorry, no. Not this time." While this sounds like being a bastard DM, let me explain.
1) You've already said you are trying to get your head wrapped around the races that exist. Why does he/she need to choose/play a race that is NOT presented in the book already?
2) If this is to be your first 5e game, and it sounds like it may be, you have plenty of stuff to cover/get used to without making things up out of the gate...which will likely have to be revised anyway when WotC puts out some new manual (maybe even just the MM or there might be "bad guy" races in the DMG) with their "official" duerger in it. Again, why is this particular race choice necessary at this time?
3) Presuming you will be running a "typical" D&D 5e world, it's established that these guys are Underdark guys. Are you running an Underdark campaign? Are you running an "evil" party/campaign? Then the choice makes, at least some, sense. As a "well it's the one thing not listed so it's automatic different/special snowflake/I wanna run a Dwarven Drizzt" it doesn't make sense for this particular single duerger (who will be reviled, feared, and/or likely attacked on sight by any mountain or hill dwarf it encounters) to be wandering around the upper world.
Now, considering you seem at least willing to give this character a shot, I suppose you should follow the basic set up of the other races.
I would use Mountain Dwarf as your base for Ability mod's. )+2 Con. +2 Str.), Age, [Societal] Alignment: Lawful Evil, Size, and Speed. Use the standard Dwarven Resilience, Stonecunning, Dwarven Armor Training as is.
Tool Proficiencies with smith's tools, mason's tools, poisoner's kit.
Combat Training with throwing hammer, short sword, dagger and crossbow.
Languages: Common (for ease of play/interaction with the other characters), Dwarvish, Gnomish, and either "Underdark Common" [if you are going to have such a thing] or Elvish [specifically Drow speak if you use a different language for them].
Darkvision enhanced out to 120' (that's what the Drow have).
Sunlight Sensitivity: this is a biggie must if the player wants to use this race.
Duerger Magic: [using what have been traditional duegar abilities and what was specifically said of them in the PHB...which gives them greater innate magic capabilities than other PC races, btw] You know the "Ray of Frost" cantrip, refluffed as a psionic attack/psychic damage. (Effects/duration/etc. are the same. The visual of a stunning mind blast is up to you/the player.) At 3rd level you can cast Invisibility on yourself once per day. At 5th level, you can cast Enlarge, on yourself, once per day. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
That should suffice to get the ball rolling.
1) You've already said you are trying to get your head wrapped around the races that exist. Why does he/she need to choose/play a race that is NOT presented in the book already?
2) If this is to be your first 5e game, and it sounds like it may be, you have plenty of stuff to cover/get used to without making things up out of the gate...which will likely have to be revised anyway when WotC puts out some new manual (maybe even just the MM or there might be "bad guy" races in the DMG) with their "official" duerger in it. Again, why is this particular race choice necessary at this time?
3) Presuming you will be running a "typical" D&D 5e world, it's established that these guys are Underdark guys. Are you running an Underdark campaign? Are you running an "evil" party/campaign? Then the choice makes, at least some, sense. As a "well it's the one thing not listed so it's automatic different/special snowflake/I wanna run a Dwarven Drizzt" it doesn't make sense for this particular single duerger (who will be reviled, feared, and/or likely attacked on sight by any mountain or hill dwarf it encounters) to be wandering around the upper world.
Now, considering you seem at least willing to give this character a shot, I suppose you should follow the basic set up of the other races.
I would use Mountain Dwarf as your base for Ability mod's. )+2 Con. +2 Str.), Age, [Societal] Alignment: Lawful Evil, Size, and Speed. Use the standard Dwarven Resilience, Stonecunning, Dwarven Armor Training as is.
Tool Proficiencies with smith's tools, mason's tools, poisoner's kit.
Combat Training with throwing hammer, short sword, dagger and crossbow.
Languages: Common (for ease of play/interaction with the other characters), Dwarvish, Gnomish, and either "Underdark Common" [if you are going to have such a thing] or Elvish [specifically Drow speak if you use a different language for them].
Darkvision enhanced out to 120' (that's what the Drow have).
Sunlight Sensitivity: this is a biggie must if the player wants to use this race.
Duerger Magic: [using what have been traditional duegar abilities and what was specifically said of them in the PHB...which gives them greater innate magic capabilities than other PC races, btw] You know the "Ray of Frost" cantrip, refluffed as a psionic attack/psychic damage. (Effects/duration/etc. are the same. The visual of a stunning mind blast is up to you/the player.) At 3rd level you can cast Invisibility on yourself once per day. At 5th level, you can cast Enlarge, on yourself, once per day. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
That should suffice to get the ball rolling.
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jamesmanhattan
Explorer
I would give them all the Dwarf stuff like +2 CON plus this:
Ability Scores: +1 to choice of one other.
Darkvision: 120 ft.
Sunlight Sensitivity - disadvantage on perception checks and attack rolls on things in sunlight.
Duergar Resistance: advantage on saving throws against illusions and being paralyzed.
Innate Spellcasting:
level 1 - cantrip - minor illusion (or dancing lights)
level 3 - Enlarge (1/day)
level 5 - Invisibility (1/day)
Ability Scores: +1 to choice of one other.
Darkvision: 120 ft.
Sunlight Sensitivity - disadvantage on perception checks and attack rolls on things in sunlight.
Duergar Resistance: advantage on saving throws against illusions and being paralyzed.
Innate Spellcasting:
level 1 - cantrip - minor illusion (or dancing lights)
level 3 - Enlarge (1/day)
level 5 - Invisibility (1/day)
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<emphasis mine>Oh crap! That's a biggie. I meant to include that on mine! If the player is insistent on using this Underdark race, then the Sunlight Sensitivity is a must![Editted in now.]
It was a toss up as to whether to do Invis/Enlarge or Enlarge at 3rd and Invis at 5th...looking it up, I was surprised to see that Enlarge, now, is also a 2nd level spell. So the "cantrip, 1st level spell at 3rd level, 2nd level spell at 5th level" model didn't really stick...since the PHB does explicitly state that they can turn invisible and make themselves big.
From a "psionic" standpoint, and basically to me all duergar are is grey-skinned underdark dwarves with psionic powers (not illusionists, that's the svirf's gig), I figured increasing one's actual physical size was a "bigger"/more impressive power than making one's self invisible (telepathically masking oneself in the minds of others). So I went with Invis at 3rd/Enlarge at 5th.
But this way works too.
Wrathamon
Adventurer
I wouldnt give them +2 str. That is why they like to get big!
I would give them the same bonus as the hill dwarf, as druegar priests are their main spellcaster type.
Duegar
Get Dwarf Traits +
Duegar Sub-race
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1
Superior Darkvision 120 ft.
Sunlight Sensitivity disadvantage on perception checks and attack rolls on things in sunlight.
Duergar Resilience in addition to the normal dwarven resilience to poison, duergar get advantage on saving throws against illusions, and being paralyzed.
Stone Stealth Duegar can attempt to hide behind light cover (such as rocks and stalagmites) or lightly obscured areas in a natural rocky or stony environment that might exist in caverns such as the Underdark.
Innate psionics (or spellcasting) Wisdom is your spellcasting ability <-- maybe they get more uses of these as they level
level 3 - Enlarge (1/day)
level 5 - Invisibility (1/day)
Oh wait they can get CHIN SPIKES!
I would give them the same bonus as the hill dwarf, as druegar priests are their main spellcaster type.
Duegar
Get Dwarf Traits +
Duegar Sub-race
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1
Superior Darkvision 120 ft.
Sunlight Sensitivity disadvantage on perception checks and attack rolls on things in sunlight.
Duergar Resilience in addition to the normal dwarven resilience to poison, duergar get advantage on saving throws against illusions, and being paralyzed.
Stone Stealth Duegar can attempt to hide behind light cover (such as rocks and stalagmites) or lightly obscured areas in a natural rocky or stony environment that might exist in caverns such as the Underdark.
Innate psionics (or spellcasting) Wisdom is your spellcasting ability <-- maybe they get more uses of these as they level
level 3 - Enlarge (1/day)
level 5 - Invisibility (1/day)
Oh wait they can get CHIN SPIKES!
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AverageCitizen
Explorer
I will be watching this thread with interest. Nobody mention the tines from 4e. Wait... damn
jamesmanhattan
Explorer
Not all Duergar are Durzagons.
Those are half-devil fiends, they have the spines.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Durzagon
AverageCitizen
Explorer
In 4e, they all had quills. I didn't know about durzagons.
S
Sunseeker
Guest
You're having trouble with the new races, this is a good reason to say "NO" to new races.
It's a new edition and it's important to get a feel for how it plays before adding/removing/changing things. This is another good reason to say "NO".
One player wanting to play something special is a good reason to say "NO".
But, if you are feeling generous, here's some thoughts:
Duergar are basically dwarf tieflings so that could make it easy to refluff without any statistical changes. If you're feeling nice, tell him to roll a Tiefling whose appearance fits the Duergar appearance.
If he objects, he's looking for some kind of stat optimization and would probably break your game and I'd be averse to giving him any other options.
It's a new edition and it's important to get a feel for how it plays before adding/removing/changing things. This is another good reason to say "NO".
One player wanting to play something special is a good reason to say "NO".
But, if you are feeling generous, here's some thoughts:
Duergar are basically dwarf tieflings so that could make it easy to refluff without any statistical changes. If you're feeling nice, tell him to roll a Tiefling whose appearance fits the Duergar appearance.
If he objects, he's looking for some kind of stat optimization and would probably break your game and I'd be averse to giving him any other options.
Thank you all for the feedback.
As 5E is new I thought I would see what other peoples ideas are before I took a shot myself but I felt it would be pretty straight forward.
I tend to be pretty flexible with race/classes in my game and as this is an Evil campaign, a duergar was a great fit, unfortunately I now also need to create rules for a Satyr as well haha.
Wrathamon's suggestion was effectively the same as I had but without Stone Stealth.
The obvious comparison here is Drow - Stone Stealth probably makes sense as a trade off for no cantrip or additional proficiencies.
As 5E is new I thought I would see what other peoples ideas are before I took a shot myself but I felt it would be pretty straight forward.
I tend to be pretty flexible with race/classes in my game and as this is an Evil campaign, a duergar was a great fit, unfortunately I now also need to create rules for a Satyr as well haha.
Wrathamon's suggestion was effectively the same as I had but without Stone Stealth.
The obvious comparison here is Drow - Stone Stealth probably makes sense as a trade off for no cantrip or additional proficiencies.
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