Duergar Subrace

[Snig]

So I've taken tidbits from all over the internet, and suggestions from different forum posts and I've come up with my take on the Dwarf Subrace, the Duergar. It is a powerful race having a racial score of roughly 7.5 which is right in line with the other two most powerful races, the Drow, and the Mountain Dwarf, rightfully so as the Duergar have always been a powerful race. I hope you enjoy!

http://community.wizards.com/sites/mtgcommunity/files/styles/large/public/Duergar.jpg?itok=6NP3tvZI

Dwarf Traits

Ability Score Increase: Con +2
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 ft. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor
Darkvision: 60 ft.
Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven Combat Training: You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and warhammer. (crossbow (light), shortsword, warhammer, and warpick if you select the Duergar subrace)
Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools. (Smith's tools only if you select the Duergar subrace)
Stonecunning: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Languages: Common, Dwarvish (Undercommon if you select the Duergar subrace)

Duergar Traits

Ability Score Increase: Str +1
Superior Darkvision: Your darkvision has a radius of 120 ft.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Mental Fortress: You have advantage on saving throws against illusions, as well as to resist being charmed or paralyzed.
Duergar Psionics: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Enlarge spell (Page 122 of Monster Manual) once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once per day.

[Spacehamster]

Duregar should not have sunlight sensitivity I think, only reason drow have that is cause they were cursed by Corellan L. But fair to have it from mechanical point if it would be to powerful otherwise I guess. :)

[eleazzaar]

So I've taken tidbits from all over the internet, and suggestions from different forum posts and I've come up with my take on the Dwarf Subrace, the Duergar. It is a powerful race having a racial score of roughly 7.5 which is right in line with the other two most powerful races, the Drow, and the Mountain Dwarf,

How to you get Drow to 7.5?
Musicus puts them at 6.5, while I put them at 7 (valuing perception proficiency at .75, and sunlight sensativity only at -.75)

Also don't forget the mountain dwarf has two big features that will never both be very useful to a single player-- the STR bonus and the armor training.

Any STR-focused character gets armor training as part of their class, and anyone who needs the armor training will have minimal use for STR. This conflict deserves a minimum of a 1/2 ASI point reduction to the total-- arguably a whole ASI. Considering that Musicus overrates ribbons by using .5 ASI as the minimum-- by my math both PHB dwarfs are no more than 6.75.

All to say, I don't think any PHB/EE race is quite worth 7.5 ASI

[Ninja_Prawn]

All to say, I don't think any PHB/EE race is quite worth 7.5 ASI

And I don't see why duergar should be an exception. Their stats in the MM are poor, to say the least.

Also, why aren't you allowing duergar to have mason's tools proficiency? Aren't their cities and fortresses made from stone?

[Snig]

How to you get Drow to 7.5?
Musicus puts them at 6.5, while I put them at 7 (valuing perception proficiency at .75, and sunlight sensativity only at -.75)

Also don't forget the mountain dwarf has two big features that will never both be very useful to a single player-- the STR bonus and the armor training.

Any STR-focused character gets armor training as part of their class, and anyone who needs the armor training will have minimal use for STR. This conflict deserves a minimum of a 1/2 ASI point reduction to the total-- arguably a whole ASI. Considering that Musicus overrates ribbons by using .5 ASI as the minimum-- by my math both PHB dwarfs are no more than 6.75.

All to say, I don't think any PHB/EE race is quite worth 7.5 ASI

Using this guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ViqLSEN67mmd2Lo_OJ-H5YX0fccsfI97kFaqx7V1Dmw/pub

If you ranked the mountain dwarf lower then this guide then i'm sure the duergar would also rank lower then 7.5, as it uses the base dwarf race as a chassis and just adds duergar as a subrace.

I'd also argue with your statement about the Mountian Dwarfs features not being useful together. Bladelocks, certain bards, str. based rogues, and a few other niche classes could make great use of their racials.

Is the Duergar I created a powerful race? Sure, but I don't think it is any more powerful then either of the Dwarf subraces, or the Drow. I believe it is a good representation of the Duergar race. The sunlight sensitivity will definatly hurt them, and help balance things. Also the 120 ft. darkvision is highly situational, and depending on the DM, it may never come into play.

[Snig]

And I don't see why duergar should be an exception. Their stats in the MM are poor, to say the least.

Also, why aren't you allowing duergar to have mason's tools proficiency? Aren't their cities and fortresses made from stone?

Fair point. Perhaps I could keep the mason's tool intact and perhaps replace brewer's kit, with poisoner's kit? Seem more fitting for a Duergar?