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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Oct 2003 : 02:08:52
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I think one of the best pieces of advice to give someone before PC creation, is that anything is possible. While it would be fairly unlikely that a single duergar would claim membership in the Zhentarim, it does open up some very interesting possibilities for role-playing.
Of course having a neutral PC boths limits and expands the ideas that you can utilise to develop this character. Here are a few suggestions for the more neutral duergar PC, with some 'evil', or at least 'selfish' tendencies.
First we must take into consideration the similar personality traits exhibited by both groups. Duergar, as a whole, are a cruel and bitter race, but then so are some high-up members of the Zhentarim. So from this we can see the perverse pleasure a singular duergar may experience by finding an organisation that values the same traits as he does.
We know that duergar are also known for their exceptional weaponsmithing/smithwork abilities, so a duergar smith who is looking to expand his market could pay a visit to the local Zhentarim outpost in the area...offering his services, later becoming intrigue by the Zhentarim way of life. Or perhaps in order to procure exotic or precious items in order to craft specialist weapons, the duergar journey's forth with a small Zhentarim patrol, and takes part in the raids that the unit perform. The duergar would keep all the items he finds of course...
The bitterness that has consumed the duergar race as a whole coulb be a justifiable reason in itself, for a duergar to journey to the surface thinking that the world 'owes him something' for the eternal drudgery he has experienced. The Zhentarim could provide an end to that lifestyle, the duergar lured by the promise of 'taking what you want' from other races and profiting from it. Of course, the duergar could probably do this anyway without the Zhentarim, but then, perhaps the duergar seems the organisation as a means to an end.
And finally for the most basic reason - the duergar's favored class is fighter, and as any Zhentarim-loving fan should known, the Zhentarim utilise large forces of fighters...the duergar hatred of surface dwellers could be reason enough for the Zhentarim to seek out a few members of this race, and direct that hatred at the Zhentarim's enemies. Of course, considering that your PC is going to be neutral, this would seem unlikely. Perhaps instead he was captured by the Zhentarim in an raid, and was forced into slavery and battle. His liberation has now led to his present 'adventuring' lifestyle. |
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Duergar fighter
I have though of him... being a double-agent of some kind. 
), you may wish to look through the 2e tome Demihumans of the Realms. Inside is an interesting kit for 2e duergar PC's called an "Exile". It pretty much covers everything that you were looking to find in terms of PC creation for a duergar character.