Duergar, Andugr (4e Monster)



When the duergar freed themselves from the mind flayers and began attempting to build their own place in the world, the archdevil Asmodeus offered them dark and terrible power in their time of need; all he asked in return was that the duerger help further his goals in the material world. Desperate and weak, many duergar accepted his offer without question, and most duergar today carry obvious signs of infernal corruption. Some were not so eager to side with Asmodeus: they knew that devils consider no one as equals, and that their race's pact with Asmodeus was nothing if not a more subtle form of slavery. Angered by their brothers' weakness and determined that the fate of the duergar should be that of master rather than slave, these small factions broke off from the larger duergar society.

But these new duergar faced the same problem as before: they were few in number, scattered across all across the Underdark, and they possessed very little power. In their time as slaves, however, they learned the fundamental truth of the world: if you want power, you must wrench it away from someone who already has it. Their few remaining spellcasters began scouring tomes of ancient lore seeking the means by which they could claim power from another race. Eventually, they found what they believed to be the most powerful source of all: the very spirits of the world. These primal entities had in ages past banished both the primordials and the gods from the world, and they exist as embodiments of every imaginable force in the multiverse. In time the duergar learned to bind a multitude of spirits to their will, but one type caught their attention above all others: the spirits of giants. Having narrowly escaped servitude to Asmodeus and still baring the scars of their enslavement by the illithids, the duergar were reminded of eras long past when all dwarves were slaves to the fire giants of the Elemental Chaos. What better way to begin the new era of their species, they reasoned, than to enslave the very spirits of their original enemies? The duergar bound these giant spirits to their own souls and in doing so gained a portion of their power, granting them the ability to alter their bodies and grow to tremendous size.

For andugr as a playable race, see Duergar, Andugr (4e Race).

Andugr Infiltrator
Unlike most andugr, who can simply alter the size of their bodies, infiltrators can completely change their physical appearance. They are often the first line of attack in an andugr invasion: an infiltrator can be sent into an enemy city totally undetected while it learns the position of enemy troops and fortifications.

Andugr Infiltrator Tactics
Andugr infiltrators prefer to assume a harmless guise using change shape in order to get close to their intended victims — they usually take the form of a child or elderly individual and pretend to need the assistance of their target. Once it is in melee range, the infiltrator begins using deceptive strike as often as it can. If they are unable to gain the upper hand in combat, they use change shape to take the form of one of their targets while in close combat to confuse the victim's allies. If that fails, it attempts to slip quietly into the shadows.

Andugr Titan
Titans use their immense strength to wield ridiculously oversized weapons that can crush their foes in a single swing. Though their massive weapons do slow them down a bit and they are far less disciplined than most of their kin, andugr titans can strike at foes form a surprising distance and their singular lust for combat lets them shrug off injuries that would cripple lesser creatures.

Andugr Titan Tactics
Andugr titans wade into combat with wild abandon, swinging at the closest foes with its oversized maul. If there are natural hazards or traps present on the battlefield, titans aren't above knocking their foes into them. They use expansion as soon as possible after being bloodied, relishing the physical power that it brings them.

Andugr Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.


 * DC 15: Andugr are vile relatives of the dwarves. They can alter the size of their bodies, and they are among the most feared races of the Underdark, noted for their cruelty and battle prowess.