Duergar have Quills

[JustKim]

4E duergar elicited from my players an "oh god that's gross". Big improvement over previous editions I think.

 

[beverson]

I didn't realize that there was a such an issue with beard quills.

It freaked my players out when the first duergar they met pulled the quills from their beards and threw them. Made them seem inhuman and alien. Of course, this was the first time I have ever used a duergar in game, so they didn't know the difference.

I haven't heard the end of it from my players. One actually got up from the table in mock disgust saying "If you can't be serious, I'm outta here!". The Duergar have been mocked mercilessly ever since.

I blame it on Mearls, who gave us a door in Keep on the Shadowfell with writing on it that said "Keep out - REALLY!". And what was behind the door? A Blue Slime, which prompted this response - "there's no such creature!"

Thanks Mearls.

 

[DreadPirateMurphy]

This seems to be one of the design decisions that is a cusp.

If you're lucky (?), you see it as a bit of interesting oddity that makes a creature seem alien.

If you're like me, you LOL at the potential for absurdity. Of course, I do that with a lot of things...

Plane Sailing, I was thinking the goblins would have big, floppy bunny ears. The kobolds have the rat teeth.

 

[avin]

I'd rather have both races: Durzagon and Duergar. I like variety.

 

[Piratecat]

Perhaps Goblins could all have outsized incisors and rat-tails?

I've thought about making a goblin druid who spends all his time in giant rat form -- or a guild of goblin thieves who are all druid-touched (but not in a sexy way, just the multi-class feat) and can change into giant rats.

 

[Aeolius]

This is an interesting approach to monster design that I've never considered -- merging characteristics with small mammals.

I did that with my undersea game; kobolds inspired by blue-dot stingrays, goblins inspired by goblin sharks, bugbears inspired by coelacanth, orcs inspired by black chimaera, and so on.

A Blue Slime, which prompted this response - "there's no such creature!"

To which you reply "There is, now." Making stuff up is half the joy of DMing. I once added my own slime-mold creature, the Membrane; in puce, ecru, and vermillion varieties.