Medium humanoid (dwarf), lawful evil
Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56)
Speed 25 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +6 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 5 (-3) | 19 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) |
Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +6
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Dwarvish, Undercommon
Challenge 12 (8400 XP)
Duergar Resilience. The duergar has advantage on saving throws against poison, spells, and illusions, as well as to resist being charmed or paralyzed.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The duergar despot’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). It can cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- At will: mage hand, minor illusion
- 1/day each: counterspell, misty step, stinking cloud
Magic Resistance. The duergar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Psychic Engine. When the duergar despot suffers a critical hit or is reduced to 0 hit points, psychic energy erupts from its frame to deal 14 (4d6) psychic damage to each creature within 5 feet of it.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the duergar despot has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The despot makes two iron fist attacks and two stomping foot attacks. It can replace up to four of these attacks with uses of its Flame Jet.
- Iron Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must make a successful DC 17 Strength saving throw or be thrown up to 30 feet away in a straight line. The target lands prone and then takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.
- Stomping Foot. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, or 18 (3d8 + 5) to a prone target.
- Flame jet. The duergar spews flames in a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
The duergar despot is a twisted and cruel variant of the duergar, a race of subterranean dwarves that were enslaved and corrupted by the mind flayers. The duergar despot has replaced parts of its body with mechanical devices that it controls through its psionic abilities, such as iron fists, stomping feet, and flame jets. The duergar despot is a ruthless leader and a formidable foe, capable of crushing, burning, and blasting its enemies with ease.
COMBAT
The duergar despot is a fearsome combatant that uses its innate psionics and mechanical enhancements to gain an edge over its opponents. It can enlarge itself to double its size and strength, as well as turn invisible to surprise or escape its foes. It can also cast spells such as mage hand, minor illusion, counterspell, misty step, and stinking cloud to manipulate the battlefield and hinder its enemies. The duergar despot’s most devastating attacks are its iron fists and flame jets. The iron fists can hurl a large or smaller creature up to 30 feet away, dealing additional damage and knocking them prone. The flame jets can spew fire in a long line, scorching everything in their path. The duergar despot also has a psychic engine that erupts when it suffers a critical hit or is reduced to 0 hit points, dealing psychic damage to nearby creatures.
The duergar despot has several weaknesses that can be exploited by savvy adventurers. It is vulnerable to sunlight, which impairs its vision and accuracy. It is also susceptible to spells and effects that target its mind, such as charm, fear, or paralysis. Additionally, the duergar despot’s mechanical parts can be damaged or disabled by attacks that deal acid, cold, lightning, or thunder damage.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The duergar despot lives in the Underdark, the vast network of caverns and tunnels that lies beneath the surface world. The duergar despot rules over a clan of duergar that share its vision of vengeance and domination. The duergar despot is obsessed with overthrowing the dwarven pantheon and destroying their surface kin, whom they blame for abandoning them to the mind flayers. The duergar despot is also wary of other Underdark dwellers, such as drow, illithids, or beholders, and will not hesitate to attack or enslave them if they pose a threat or offer an opportunity.
The duergar despot is revered and feared by its followers, who obey its commands without question. The duergar despot rewards loyalty and competence with power and privilege, but punishes failure and disobedience with torture and death. The duergar despot also experiments on its subjects, implanting them with mechanical devices or exposing them to psionic energy in hopes of creating more powerful warriors or servants.
ECOLOGY
The duergar despot is a carnivorous creature that feeds on the flesh of its enemies or captives. It prefers fresh meat, but will also consume preserved or rotten food if necessary. The duergar despot does not need to drink water, as it extracts moisture from its food. The duergar despot does not sleep, but enters a state of meditation for four hours a day to restore its psionic energy.
The duergar despot reproduces by mating with another duergar of the opposite sex. The female duergar carries the offspring for nine months before giving birth to one or two children. The children are raised by the clan until they reach adulthood at 40 years old. The duergar despot can live up to 300 years old, but often dies before then due to violence or disease.
The duergar despot has few natural predators in the Underdark, but faces constant danger from rival factions and hostile creatures. The duergar despot also poses a threat to the surface world, as it occasionally leads raids or invasions against dwarven settlements or other surface dwellers. The duergar despot’s ultimate goal is to bring about the downfall of the dwarven gods and claim their divine power for itself.