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Duergar and "nonstandard" races
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<blockquote data-quote="Rossbert" data-source="post: 7395876" data-attributes="member: 6922357"><p>It looks like duergar evil (I have only the most passing knowledge of them) is a completely different brand of evil.</p><p></p><p>As a society they are bitter, paranoid and pessimistic. This has fostered a strong get them before they get you attitude with the assumption that everyone else will hurt you so you better do it first, combined with a belief that trying to get ahead is futile anyway. The combination of paranoia and depression, in my mind, creates a cruel, opportunistic environment. They all play nice up front (can't let on that you're on to them) but if someone were to fall and become vulnerable they will definitely kick them while they're down (they'd do the same to me if they could).</p><p></p><p>Compare to the drow which has a structured, unbelievably ambitious culture. Everything is competition to them, the strongest take control of their houses and cities, the weakest die as their betters prove their plots on their lessers. By the time you make it to your mid-teens you have probably killed at least one of your peers (perhaps indirectly) and destroyed the lives of several more, to do otherwise would have meant falling victim to a scheme that most likely would lead to death or enslavement.</p><p></p><p>The duergar obviously have the most opening for a non-evil character. Bitter, paranoid and depressed can be pulled back a bit so you don't look for the preemptive strike but are a terrible foe once betrayed. It can be a little harder to get them to work with a group as they will for a long time be on the lookout for the sudden, but inevitable betrayal. In contrast a drow from a (standard) drow society is going to have evil bred and nurtured into them, but will easily and comfortably work with others to further their ambitions, usually with the intention of turning on them for some gain in the future.</p><p></p><p>Obviously any character can be tweaked and shuck various norms, but I like to try to look at the overall shape of the culture first, so it is a clearer choice what is different about this character. I am biased in that I HATE non-evil drow without a REALLY good reason. Duergar I am fine with, but usually a life-debt or some other heavy bonding experience makes them easier to work with in my head.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rossbert, post: 7395876, member: 6922357"] It looks like duergar evil (I have only the most passing knowledge of them) is a completely different brand of evil. As a society they are bitter, paranoid and pessimistic. This has fostered a strong get them before they get you attitude with the assumption that everyone else will hurt you so you better do it first, combined with a belief that trying to get ahead is futile anyway. The combination of paranoia and depression, in my mind, creates a cruel, opportunistic environment. They all play nice up front (can't let on that you're on to them) but if someone were to fall and become vulnerable they will definitely kick them while they're down (they'd do the same to me if they could). Compare to the drow which has a structured, unbelievably ambitious culture. Everything is competition to them, the strongest take control of their houses and cities, the weakest die as their betters prove their plots on their lessers. By the time you make it to your mid-teens you have probably killed at least one of your peers (perhaps indirectly) and destroyed the lives of several more, to do otherwise would have meant falling victim to a scheme that most likely would lead to death or enslavement. The duergar obviously have the most opening for a non-evil character. Bitter, paranoid and depressed can be pulled back a bit so you don't look for the preemptive strike but are a terrible foe once betrayed. It can be a little harder to get them to work with a group as they will for a long time be on the lookout for the sudden, but inevitable betrayal. In contrast a drow from a (standard) drow society is going to have evil bred and nurtured into them, but will easily and comfortably work with others to further their ambitions, usually with the intention of turning on them for some gain in the future. Obviously any character can be tweaked and shuck various norms, but I like to try to look at the overall shape of the culture first, so it is a clearer choice what is different about this character. I am biased in that I HATE non-evil drow without a REALLY good reason. Duergar I am fine with, but usually a life-debt or some other heavy bonding experience makes them easier to work with in my head. [/QUOTE]
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