Medium humanoid (dwarf), lawful evil
Armor Class 14 (leather armor)
Hit Points 18 (4d8)
Speed 25 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +3 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) |
Damage Resistances poison
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Dwarvish, Undercommon
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Duergar Resilience. The duergar has advantage on saving throws against poison, spells, and illusions, as well as to resist being charmed or paralyzed.
Create Soulblade. As a bonus action, the duergar can create a shortsword-sized, visible blade of psionic energy. The weapon appears in the duergar’s hand and vanishes if it leaves the duergar’s grip, or if the duergar dies or is incapacitated.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The duergar’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- At will: blade ward, true strike
- 3/day each: jump, hunter’s mark
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the duergar has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
- Soulblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) force damage, or 10 2d6 + 3) force damage while enlarged. If the soulblade has advantage on the attack roll, the attack deals an extra 3 (ld6) force damage.
- Enlarge (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, the duergar magically increases in size, along with anything it is wearing or carrying. While enlarged, the duergar is Large, doubles its damage dice on Strength-based weapon attacks (included in the attacks), and makes Strength checks and Strength saving throws with advantage. If the duergar lacks the room to become Large, it attains the maximum size possible in the space available.
- Invisibility (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The duergar magically turns invisible for up to 1 hour or until it attacks, it casts a spell, it uses its Enlarge, or its concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the duergar wears or carries is invisible with it.
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 Soulblade is a type of duergar, a subrace of dwarves that live in the Underdark. Duergar are known for their cruelty, greed, and psionic abilities, which they developed after being enslaved by mind flayers for generations. The Soulblade is a duergar warrior who specializes in using psionics to create blades of psychic energy that can slice through flesh and metal. The Soulblade is usually clad in leather armor and carries a dagger or a shortsword as a backup weapon. The Soulblade’s eyes glow with a faint purple light when it uses its psionic powers.
COMBAT
The Soulblade is a formidable opponent in combat, especially when it uses its innate psionic abilities to enhance its physical prowess. The Soulblade can create a soulblade, a visible blade of psionic energy that appears in its hand and vanishes if it leaves its grip. The soulblade is similar to a shortsword, but deals force damage instead of piercing damage. The soulblade also deals extra force damage if the Soulblade has advantage on the attack roll, which can happen if the Soulblade is invisible or enlarged.
The Soulblade can also use its psionics to cast spells such as blade ward, true strike, jump, and hunter’s mark. These spells can help the Soulblade protect itself, gain insight into its enemy’s weaknesses, increase its mobility, and deal more damage.
The Soulblade has two more psionic abilities that it can use once per short or long rest: enlarge and invisibility. Enlarge allows the Soulblade to magically increase in size for one minute, along with anything it is wearing or carrying. While enlarged, the Soulblade is large, doubles its damage dice on strength-based weapon attacks, and makes strength checks and strength saving throws with advantage. Invisibility allows the Soulblade to magically turn invisible for up to one hour or until it attacks, casts a spell, uses its enlarge ability, or loses concentration. Any equipment the Soulblade wears or carries is invisible with it.
The Soulblade has some drawbacks, however. It has sunlight sensitivity, which means that it has disadvantage on attack rolls and perception checks that rely on sight while in sunlight. It also has duergar resilience, which gives it advantage on saving throws against poison, spells, and illusions, as well as resistance to being charmed or paralyzed. However, this also means that the Soulblade is vulnerable to effects that target its mind, such as psychic damage or mind control.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The Soulblade lives in the Underdark, a vast network of caverns and tunnels that lies beneath the surface of the world. The Underdark is home to many dangerous creatures and hostile factions, such as drow, illithids, beholders, aboleths, and more. The duergar have carved out their own domains in the Underdark, where they build fortified cities and mines. The duergar are ruled by tyrannical kings and queens who demand absolute obedience and loyalty from their subjects. The duergar society is based on slavery, oppression, and exploitation. The duergar enslave other races that they capture or trade with, such as svirfneblin (deep gnomes), kuo-toa (fish-like humanoids), orcs, goblins, and even other duergar who have displeased their superiors.
The Soulblade is a member of the duergar military caste, which serves as the main fighting force of the duergar kingdom. The Soulblade is trained from a young age to hone its psionic abilities and combat skills. The Soulblade is loyal to its king or queen and follows their orders without question. The Soulblade often participates in raids against other Underdark dwellers or surface dwellers who venture into the depths. The Soulblade also defends its home city from invaders or rebels.
The Soulblade has little regard for other races or even other duergar who are not part of its caste. The Soulblade views them as either enemies to be killed or slaves to be exploited. The Soulblade does not seek friendship or companionship from anyone except maybe other Soulblades who share its martial and psionic prowess.
ECOLOGY
The Soulblade is a carnivore that feeds on meat from various sources. The Soulblade prefers fresh meat from living creatures that it hunts or captures, but will also eat preserved meat from storage or trade. The Soulblade does not have any particular preference for what kind of meat it eats, as long as it satisfies its hunger.
The Soulblade does not have any natural predators in the Underdark, except maybe other duergar who might challenge it for power or resources. The Soulblade is more likely to be preyed upon by creatures from other planes of existence that might invade the Underdark, such as demons, devils, or aberrations.
The Soulblade does not have any role in the natural balance of the Underdark, as it is an artificial product of the duergar’s psionic evolution. The Soulblade does not contribute to the ecosystem in any positive way, but rather disrupts it with its violence and exploitation. The Soulblade is a threat to the Underdark and the surface world alike.