Duergar & Derro: Use them? How much?

[AFGNCAAP]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone here uses/plays either of the dwarven Underdark races--the duergar or the derro. It seems that illithids, drow, kuo-toa, &/or aboleths get a lot of the attention for villains, but what about the evil dwarf cultures?

Has anyone here used the duergar (or derro) as the main antagonists in a campaign?

Has anyone played a "redeemed" duergar (or derro) as a PC? Was the character fun to play?

Just curious to see what others here think of these two dwarven variants. Appreciate any comments/stories/opinions that you have to share.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

All derro are insane. I'm really tired of insane villains. It reminds me of Batman.

Duergar are cooler, but their history is tied up with the mind flayers. We've alredy got gith races, do we need gith-dwarves too?

 

[Asmo]

I´ve recently used a group of utterly evil and degenerate derros in a high level adventure. It worked pretty well I guess, the party really hates them now
One of the strongest moments was at the final battle: the heroes has finally found the captured villagers in a prisonlike underground building. The party is trying to help the prisoners, exept the (Monte Cook) bard who sees light coming out of a door at the end of the corridor. He´s invisible and flying so he flies towards the room. What he sees makes him go nuts (this player usually wants to be well prepared and make sure that everybody is ready to go): two filthy and stinking derro abusing a young girl who cries for help. Without a doubt he charges into the room and starts to sing...
I can recomend using derros,they are nasty creatures that are hard to beat.

Asmo

 

[Crothian]

I've never used either, never been asked to use either, and never had the need to use either.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I use the Duergar stats for a LE Dwarven culture, but they are not so depressing (acting just as bold and haughty as other Dwarves, just meaner). They are only used as minor (singular) villains since they, as a race, are still loyal to the Golden Throne of the Dwarven King. Also, their rise as a race has nothing to do with Mind Flayers.

Derro I do use, but not as campaign-wide villains. They most often pertain to sub-plots and minor story-twists. Their place in the campaign world is... lengthy to explain. Let's just say that, as a race, they are not that powerful, although particular individuals do cause quite a bit of trouble from time to time.

 

[Desdichado]

Haven't really used either. That's one of the problems with D&D, there's too many humanoid races; what do you really do with all of them, anyway?

 

[jasamcarl]

Haven't really used either. That's one of the problems with D&D, there's too many humanoid races; what do you really do with all of them, anyway?

Choose that which you like best and move on? There can't be too many because the dm always has a choice.

 

[Desdichado]

Exactly what you have to do. Then again, at the end of the day, how different really are drow, duergar and derro as antagonists?

 

[Mista Collins]

I use the Derro quite often. Then again that is mainly because of the fact that my players are currently going through the Underdark: Night Below module. It is great. it is one of my favorite campaigns. Derro are good villians

 

[jasamcarl]

Exactly what you have to do. Then again, at the end of the day, how different really are drow, duergar and derro as antagonists?

True..that gets into the issue of the designers choice of options to provide.