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This is part of a series! Go here to see the other entries.

Chronologically, the first appearance of Duergar in 4e is in the Monster Manual 2, but they were also in the Monster Vault so we covered their basic lore here. In this post, we’ll covered the duergar that appeared in the MM2 but weren’t updated in the MV.

Previously on Octopus Carnival…

For your information, these are the duergar entries we covered previously: Scout, Guard, Thug, Raid Leader, Infernal Consort, and Devil-Bred Duergar.

This still leaves us with a sizable selection of stat blocks that didn’t make it into the Monster Vault. They include some elite warrior types, and several Hell-themed spellcasters that resemble either warlocks or clerics.

As we saw in that earlier post, all duergar share two signature traits: resistance to fire and poison that increases with their level, and the ability to shoot out their Infernal Quills at someone, once per fight as a minor action. This has a Range of 3, does light physical damage and a tiny bit of ongoing poison damage. It also inflicts a -2 penalty to attack rolls. A single save ends both the ongoing damage and the attack penalty.

Duergar Theurge

The weakest of the spellcasters we’re going to look at here. Theurges wear robes and wield warhammers in melee. At range they fight with a number of spells themed around fire, smoke, and despair.

Despite the name they feel a bit more wizardly than the others, who are more clearly priests of some kind.

The Numbers

Theurges are Level 5 Controllers with 63 HP. They wear robes and fight with warhammers in melee. Their basic ranged attacks are Hellbolts (ranged 10 vs. Reflex) that do fire damage.

They also have a few more powerful spells. Brimstone Hail (recharge 5-6) does fire damage over a fireball-sized area and knocks targets prone on a hit. Vile Fumes (recharges when first bloodied) does poison damage over the same area and blinds for a turn on a hit. And Wave of Despair is a daily blast 5 vs. Will and does psychic damage, slows, and dazes (save ends both).

Duergar Shock Trooper

Shock troopers are somewhat similar to the guards we saw in the first article, but stronger and more suited to open warfare. They wield mauls instead of puny warhammers and have the ability to grow bigger when the fight grows more intense!

The Numbers

Troopers are Level 6 Brutes with 84 HP. Their mauls have no special effects aside from hitting hard, and their Infernal Quills attack works as usual.

When first bloodied, they can Expand as a free action, growing to size Large. This makes them take up 4 squares and pushes anyone who was adjacent to make room for their new bulk. It also gives them a +2 attack bonus and a +5 damage bonus.

Duergar Fleshtearer

With a name “Fleshtearer”, you’d expect this duergar to be a mindless berserker, but it’s actually a sneaky magical assassin that fights with claws made of smoke and can become invisible to better slice you with them and make your wounds bleed faster.

The Number

Fleshtearers are Level 11 Lurkers with 89 HP. Their claws also do ongoing damage. If they have combat advantage they can instead attack with a Quill Stab that has the same effect as the signature Infernal Quills power as a melee attack. This one recharges whenever the duergar hits with the basic claw.

Underdark Sneak (minor action) requires them to be in dim light or darkness, or adjacent to some cover. It makes them invisible for a turn or until right after they attack. Shadow Scourge is a passive trait that builds on this by doubling the ongoing damage the duergar causes if it attacks from invisibility.

Duergar Hellcaller

This caster-type has focused their infernal magic on having the most fabulous set of quills in the Underdark. They can fire quills all day long, unlike their less well-endowed compatriots. Rounding out their arsenal is a small set of diabolic curses and summoning spells.

The Numbers

Hellcallers are Level 12 Artillery with 96 HP. They wield maces for emergency, but as usual for artillery monsters the real interesting bits are the ranged attacks.

Their Infernal Quills are an at-will Ranged 10 attack, and have the same effects as the encounter version for other duergar. They can momentarily increase their rate of fire to make this attack as a minor action, and to fire off a Quill Storm (area 2 within 10 vs. Reflex) that covers an area and deals more ongoing damage than usual. Both of these special uses are encounter powers.

Once per encounter they can also conjure Asmodeus’s Ruby Curse (close blast 5 vs. Will; enemies only) that deals psychic damage and slides those hits to the outside of the affected area. This movement does provoke opportunity attacks.

If someone manages to get close enough to make a melee attack against the hellcaller, it can use Devilish Sacrifice as an interrupt. This causes the duergar to shift beyond the attack’s reach, and to summon a legion devil hellguard into its former position. The attack targets the new minion, and if it misses the devil gets to act right after the hellcaller in the initiative order from now on.

Duergar Blackguard

This evil paladin-type uses its martial skills and magic powers to isolate and pursue individual PCs across the battlefield. It wears plate and wields both a shield and a warhammer.

The Numbers

This is a Level 13 Elite Soldier with 260 HP. Its basic attack is a Blighted Warhammer that deals damage as usual and triggers a secondary attack against Fortitude with similar effects to the standard Infernal Quills power.

The blackguard’s own quills are a bit stronger than usual, replacing the standard power with a Quill Burst that does the same damage in a Close Burst 3 around the duergar.

The “isolate and pursue” part comes from a pair of abilities: Darkfire Mark (minor action 1/round) marks an enemy and compels it to approach and attack the blackguard - if the enemy fails to do both in its next turn, it takes 10 fire and necrotic damage. Infernal Footwork is a reaction that allows the blackguard to shift 2 squares in pursuit of an adjacent enemy who tries to get away from it. If that enemy is marked, the blackguard also gets to make a hammer attack against it.

Duergar Blasphemer

The strongest priest-type we’ll see here, weaker only than the Infernal Consort from the Monster Vault article. Like the Hellcaller, the Blasphemer also has Big Quill Energy, though its other magic is more focused on disruptive mind control effects.

The Numbers

Blasphemers are Level 14 Controllers (Leaders) with 140 HP who wield greatclubs in battle. Like Hellcallers, they can fire Infernal Quills at will and use a Quick Quill Strike once per encounter.

Aside from the quills, they have three spells:

  • Preach Submission (Close burst 10 vs. Will; minor action 1/round) does no damage but marks on a hit (save ends). An already-marked target is instead knocked prone.

  • Eyes of Asmodeus (Ranged 10 vs. Fortitude) also does no damage, but weakens and marks for a turn on a hit. On a miss, or as an after-effect on a hit, the target is slowed (save ends). This combos nicely with Preach Submission to knock someone prone immediately.

  • Sinner’s Slip is an interrupt that redirects an attack made against the blasphemer to the attacker’s closest ally. If no allies can be targeted in this way the attacker is instead knocked prone and takes some psychic damage.

Sample Encounter and Final Impressions

There’s one sample encounter here. It’s Level 4, consisting of 2 guards, 1 scout, 1 theurge, and 4 orc drudges that are probably their slaves.

That sure is a lot of duergar, and it further increases the variety and level range of the available opposition if you want your PCs to go up against a whole fortress full of them.