Derro: Difference between revisions
1d4chan>QuietBrowser Basic and bare-bones, will expand later unless somebody beats me to it. |
1d4chan>QuietBrowser Forgot about Krynn's Theiwar and Klar dwarves. Added them in the same basic notes format. |
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==[[Greyhawk|Oerth]]== | ==[[Greyhawk|Oerth]]== | ||
On Greyhawk, derro are explicitly descendants of human and dwarf unions forced by the slave-masters of the [[Suel Imperium]]. | On Greyhawk, derro are explicitly descendants of human and dwarf unions forced by the slave-masters of the [[Suel Imperium]]. | ||
==[[Dragonlance|Krynn]]== | |||
On the world of Krynn, two [[dwarf]] clans functionally fill the derros' shoes, both part of the Mountain Dwarf branch of the family tree. The Theiwar are sunlight-sickened, repulsive, ambitious and magically-adept dwarves, making them obvious takes on the derro, whilst the oft-forgotten Klar inherit both some of the looks ''and'' the rampant racial insanity of the derro. | |||
==[[Nentir Vale]]== | ==[[Nentir Vale]]== | ||
Revision as of 10:51, 16 February 2018
The Derro are a race of insane and evil dwarf-like humanoids that inhabit the Underdark in various Dungeons & Dragons settings. They differ from the similar Duergar in that they are far crazier and more malevolent in nature. First appearing in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1e module "The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth", they were subsequently reprinted in the Monster Manual II. They were updated to 2nd edition in the Greyhawk modules "Greyhawk Ruins", "Flames of the Falcon", and "From the Ashes", followed by the Monstrous Manual. Dungeon Magazine #81 introduced a variety of derro mutants, including multiple-armed ones, derros with eyestalks, and derros conjoined with grimlocks. They went on to reappear in 3e's Monster Manuals, 4e's Monster Manual 3, and the 5e adventure Out of the Abyss.
Derro were based upon the Dero, a race of sunlight-averse, psychic, sadistic, degenerate aliens that the legendarily insane pulp sci-fi writer Richard Sharpe Shaver asserted were secretly in control of the world.
Derro in General
The race is noted for having traits eerily reminiscent of both humans and dwarves, leading some to believe that they may actually have their origins in a Half-Dwarf race-stock. Other traits include their racial proclivity towards madness, their intense allergy towards sunlight, and their hatred of races that live in the light.
Faerun
As with most things, the Faerunian take on the Derro is pretty much the "generic" Derro fluff with some setting-unique names to their places of residence.
Oerth
On Greyhawk, derro are explicitly descendants of human and dwarf unions forced by the slave-masters of the Suel Imperium.
Krynn
On the world of Krynn, two dwarf clans functionally fill the derros' shoes, both part of the Mountain Dwarf branch of the family tree. The Theiwar are sunlight-sickened, repulsive, ambitious and magically-adept dwarves, making them obvious takes on the derro, whilst the oft-forgotten Klar inherit both some of the looks and the rampant racial insanity of the derro.
Nentir Vale
In the Nentir Vale, derro are explicitly not dwarves, but rather are the degenerate descendants of a mad human empire that attempted to draw power from the Far Realm. Known for being so absolutely batshit insane that even drow find them horrifying and have a "kill on sight!" order about the whole race.
Golarion
Derro on Golarion are actually corrupted fey, descendants of the same root-stock as the Pech, but twisted into insane and sadistic forms by means of their addiction to the brain-altering fungus, cytillish.
Derro PCs?
Stats for playing a derro appeared under the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset in issue #241 of Dragon Magazine, in the article "Legacies of the Suel Imperium". 3rd edition technically also features playable derro in the Monster Manual, but it's one of those races where the DM is left to reverse-engineer it from the statblock.
Monstergirls
Mostly because of that one entry in the Pathfinder Inner Sea Monster Codex, but female derro can look surprisingly fappable. If you're okay with crazy shortstacks whose flaws can range from mere delusions of grandeur through sadism and into yandere.