Duergar Crusher
Level 5Attacks
Abilities
Duergar crushers automatically disbelieve all illusions of 2nd level or lower.
When first exposed to bright light, the monster is Blinded until the end of its next turn. After this exposure, light doesn't blind the monster again until after it spends 1 hour in darkness. However, as long as the monster is in an area of bright light, it's Dazzled.
Requirements An adjacent creature is prone
The duergar crusher stomps down on the prone creature, dealing (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage (DC 22 reflex save).
Requirements The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Knockdown in its damage entry Effect The monster attempts to Trip the creature. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the monster's multiple attack penalty.
Description
Duergar priests of the taskmaster god Droskar often assume leadership roles within their communities, advancing the goals of their deity through coercion and displays of force. Often referred to as duergar taskmasters, these leaders often issue commands to duergar subordinates and slaves in the same breath, treating the two almost as if they were interchangeable. As a result, duergar taskmasters are loathed by both slave and slaver alike.
Deep beneath the surface, duergars stubbornly claim the ancestral subterranean homelands of the dwarves as their own, having refused to venture to the surface along with their modern dwarven cousins. An exiled dwarven deity named Droskar offered duergars salvation from the horrors of the Darklands, and in exchange duergars endlessly toil in his honor within their subterranean empire. Notorious slavers, duergars regularly raid other Darklands settlements as well as surface communities in constant search of living beings to task with endless amounts of work in their harsh and exhausting settlements.
Duergars are gray-skinned creatures, often referred to as 'ashen' by those surface dwarves willing to speak of them. These subterranean dwarves have a strong natural connection with cave-dwelling vermin, and it's common to see duergar caravans drawn by teams of immense beetles. Most duergars devote themselves to the worship of Droskar, a taskmaster of a god who demands back-breaking toil in addition to regular prayer. Duergar leadership often consists of powerful divine servants of Droskar, along with incredibly stout warriors whose martial prowess ensures they can overcome any direct threat to their rule. Almost every aspect of duergar society is controlled by a strict hierarchy of leadership, with taskmasters directing subordinates across all walks of life.