Laduguer

The Exile, the Gray Protector, Master of Crate, the Slave Driver, the Taskmaster, the Harsh

Intermediate Power of Acheron LE

PORTFOLIO: Magical weapon creation, skilled artisans, magic, the gray dwarf race, protector of gray dwarves
ALIASES: None
DOMAIN NAME: Thuldanin/Hammergrim
SUPERIOR: Moradin (estranged)
ALLIES: Deep Duerra, Grumbar
FOES: Blibdoolpoolp, Blood Queen, Callarduran Smoothhands, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother, Gzemnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Maanzecorian (dead), the Morndinsamman (except Deep Duerra, Dugmaren Brightmantle, and Sharindlar), Orcus (dead)/Tenebrous (undead), Psilofyr, Shevarash, Urdlen, the drow pantheon
SYMBOL: Shield with broken crossbow bolt motif
WOR. ALIGN.: LN, N, LE, NE

Laduguer (LAA-duh-gwur) is the patron of the duergar, or gray dwarves, a malevolent breed of dwarves who dwell in the dark reaches of the Underdark and who withdrew from the rest of dwarven society long ago along with their god. The Exile is venerated by most gray dwarves as the protector of the race who defends them from the countless other creatures of the Underdark who wish to enslave them and seize their tunnels, mines, and crafts. Duergar craftsmen, particularly those who seek to create magical weapons, pay particular homage to Laduguer.

Laduguer has long been estranged from the other members of the Morndinsamman, and he regards them as lazy, indolent, and feckless. The reasons behind the Gray Protector's exile vary according to the perspective of the speaker: The Morndinsamman, as well as most gold and shield dwarves, hold that Laduguer was banished by Moradin for his crimes, while Laduguer, as well as most gray dwarves, asserts that he took a stand on principle against the other dwarven gods, and that his exile is self-imposed. The Exile particularly loathes Moradin, his nominal superior, and the personal animosity between the two accounts for much of Laduguer's enmity against the rest of the dwarven pantheon. In fact, Laduguer's only ally is Deep Duerra, a once-mortal demipower he elevated to the rank of divinity.

The withdrawal of Laduguer's followers to the Underdark and their subsequent territorial conflicts with races such as aboleth, beholders, derro, drow, illithids, ixzan, kuo-toa, myconids, svirfneblin, and troglodytes has created a great deal of strife and enmity between the Exile and other powers with an interest in the Night Below. Although he once managed to win hegemony over the giant tarantulas known as steeders during a brief alliance with Lolth, the Spider Queen and the Gray Protector have long feuded as their followers battled. Likewise Ilsensine, the Great Brain of the illithid race, has long sought revenge against Laduguer for some ancient slight. The Abyssal Lord once known as Orcus is also a target of Laduguer's wrath, for the Prince of the Undead once subverted the worship of the duergar of the Galenas beneath the Mines of Bloodstone. Laduguer is habitually grim, gloomy, and joyless. The Exile's nature is certainly evilly inclined, but much of this is the evil of a being turned in on itself and bitter at what he sees as being unvalued and rejected by the other dwarven powers. Laduguer is supremely lawful, unbending and harsh, and he demands constant toil under harsh conditions from the duergar. He does reward hard work by teaching the Grafting of magical items (especially weapons) and by extending his protection. The Exile sends an avatar to defend a hardworking and oppressed duergar community by use of protective and warding magic, rarely entering into open battle. (It is assumed that the Invisible Art (psionics), as detailed in PLAYER'S OPTION: Skills & Powers is permitted in the campaign if Laduguer is included in the dwarven pantheon. If the DM has only the Complete Psionics Handbook, appropriate adjustments will need to be made to the statistics given for Laduguer's avatar, below.)

Other Manifestations

Laduguer's power is usually seen as a flickering dark radiance enveloping an area, weapon, or person that is temporarily imbued with the god's power. An empowered area gains one of the following effects for 1 hour: guards and wards (as the 6thlevel wizard spell); wardmist (as the 7th-level wizard spell detailed in Volo's Guide to the North, Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast, and Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume 4). An empowered weapon gains one of the following effects for 1 turn: bladethirst (as the 2nd-level wizard spell detailed in Pages from the Mages); enchanted weapon (as the 4th-level wizard spell); flame tongue, temporarily imbuing the powers of the magic sword of the same name (as detailed in the DUNGEON MASTER Guide). An empowered being gains one of the following effects for 1 turn magical vestment (as the 3rd-level priest spell); fire shield (as the 4th-level wizard spell); protection from normal missiles (as the 3rd-level wizard spell); globe of invulnerability (as the 6th-level wizard spell).

Laduguer is served by ash mephits, azer, baatezu, Baku, Dark Ones, banelar, bone nagas, brain moles, cerebral parasites, chaggrin, dark nagas, demaraxes, earth elementals, earth elemental vermin (crawlers), earth mephits, earth weirds, fhorges, gray oozes with psionic ability, hammer golems, helmed horrors, hook spiders, intellect devourers, ironmaws, imps, incarnates of anger and pride, living steel, maelephants, meenlocks, mineral mephits, observers, razorvine, reaves, rust dragons, rust monsters, sandmen, shadowdrakes, steeders, stone wolves, sword spirits, su-monsters, tso, werebadgers, xavers, and yugoloths. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery of adamant, black sapphires, bloodstones, diamonds, hizagkuur, mithral, and silver, but does not otherwise send omens to his priests.

Steeder: AC 4; MV 12; HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 (bite); SA cling, leap; SW suffers double damage leaping onto a set spear or spike; SZ L (4' high, 8' long); ML Avg (11); Int low (5-7); AL N; XP 270.

Notes: Steeders lack a poisonous bite, attacking with sharp mandibles. Gray dwarves ride steeders using leather saddles. The dwarves use a complex series of prods and straps to control the steeders. Only steeders with 20 or more hit points are used as mounts. Steeders can move on walls or ceilings at half their normal movement rate thanks to a sticky secretion exuded by their feet and can cling to a surface with only a single foot. Steeder saddles are constructed to allow for this. Steeders do not spin webs, nor can they move in them.

SA-There is a 50% chance a steeder tries to cling to its prey. This requires an attack roll against AC 10, modified by Dexterity and magical adjustments. After clinging to a victim, a Steeder can automatically bite. A victim can escape by rolling a successful Dexterity or Strength check (player's choice which) with a -10 penalty. While held, victims suffer a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Once every 3 rounds steeders can leap 240 feet in any direction, even when mounted. This is considered a charging attack.

The Church

CLERGY: Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LN, LE
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, Cru: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, Cru: No, SP: No

All clerics (including multiclassed cleric combinations), crusaders, and specialty priests (including specialty priest/psionicists) of Laduguer receive religion (dwarven) and reading/writing (Dethek runes) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. If the Invisible Art (psionics) is permitted in the campaign, priests of Laduguer of any type, including clerics, crusaders, specialty priests, cleric/thieves, and fighter/clerics, may multiclass with the psionicist class as well, allowing dwarven clergy of Laduguer in certain cases to multi-class in three classes (cleric/thief/psionicist or fighter/cleric/psionicist). Clerics of Laduguer (including multiclassed clerics) cannot turn undead before 7th level, but they always strike at +2 on all attack and damage rolls against undead creatures. At 7th level and above, clerics can turn undead as other clerics do, but as a cleric of four levels less than their current level. These modifications apply only to the cleric class. Before the Time of Troubles, Laduguer's priesthood was exclusively male. Since that time, some females have joined the clergy.

Within gray dwarven communities, Laduguer and his clergy are considered strict taskmasters whose strengths and mandates ensure the very survival of the duergar. Few gray dwarves resent the Exile's mercilessly high standards, and most duergar respect him for his principled stand against the lazy and weak Morndinsamman and their shield and gold dwarven followers. Shield dwarves, gold dwarves, and svirfneblin regard Laduguer and his followers as embittered fools deserving of their fates who have done much to undermine the strength of the dwarven race in both their absence and their assaults on nonduergar dwarven holds. Other races in the Underdark have little sympathy for the gray dwarves or their embittered god and seek only to destroy or subjugate them.

Temples of Laduguer are grim, smoke-filled halls hewn from solid rock and bereft of adornment, aside from weapons and armor demonstrating the skilled craftsmanship of the Exile's priests. Laduguer's houses of worship are filled with armories, barracks, smithies, storerooms, and Steeder stables. Many are built directly atop mine shafts from which the raw materials are extracted. Great coal-burning forges provide the only warmth, and their ashen exhaust covers ever surface in dark soot. Clerical guards, many of them mounted on steeders, are everywhere, overseeing the skilled smithwork that proceeds without pause.

Novices of Laduguer are known as the Untempered. Full priests of the Exile are known as Grimcloaks. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Ladugueran priests are Deep Adept, Dark Craftsman, Invisible Artisan, Rune Weaver, Grim Guardian, and Doom Knight. High Old Ones have individual titles but are collectively known as the Ardukes of the Gray Gloom. Specialty priests are known as thuldor, a dwarvish word that can be loosely translated as those who endure. The clergy of Laduguer consists primarily of gray dwarves (99%), but a handful of embittered and/or exiled gold dwarves, shield dwarves, and wild dwarves serve the Exile as well. Laduguer's clergy consists primarily of specialty priests (55%), but includes clerics (16%), crusaders (14%), fighter/clerics (8%), and cleric/ thieves (7%). If the Invisible Art (psionics) is permitted in the campaign, two-thirds of each group of priests multiclass the psionicist class as well. The overwhelming majority of the clergy (95%) is male.

Dogma: The children of Laduguer have rejected the indolent and feeble gods of their forefathers and withdrawn from their lazy once-kin so as not to be tainted by their weaknesses. Strict obedience to superiors, dedication to one's craft, and endless toil are necessary to achieve wealth, security, and power. The hands of a craftsman are his tools, and a master craftsman always uses the most appropriate tools available. Nothing is ever easy, nor should it be. Suffer pain stoically and remain aloof, for to show or even feel emotion is to demonstrate weakness. Those who are weak are undeserving and will suffer an appropriate fate. Adversity is Laduguer's forge, and the harsh trials through which the duergar must pass are his hammer blowsendure all and become stronger than adamantite.

Day-to-Day Activities: Laduguer's priests serve as the leaders, defenders, and elite artisans of gray dwarven society. As reflected in the title given to High Old Ones-arduke being a dwarven title for clan leader - Laduguer's clergy derive their spiritual and temporal authority from the role the Exile's early priests played in leading the ancestors of the gray dwarves away from the rest of dwarven society. Unlike gold and shield dwarven cultures where religious and clan leadership are usually distinct, the duergar make no distinction between the two roles. As the protectors of duergar enclaves, members of Laduguer's clergy command and serve in the military and are ultimately responsible for the care, feeding, and training of steeders. They are responsible for the brewing of poisons, the infliction of torture, and the exploitation of slaves. To ensure the safety of the gray dwarves as a whole, Laduguer's priests forcefully repel contacts from other races, permitting trade only under very controlled circumstances far removed from duergar strongholds. The Exile's clergy are also expected to be skilled craftsmen, particularly of magical weapons, and the older and more frail priests are typically the elite artisans of any gray dwarven community.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies : As befits their grim lives, gray dwarves are a race almost without joy who reserve their celebrations for victories over enemies and for the grim pleasure of inflicting pain on those unlucky enough to fall into their clutches.

The only regular holy day is celebrated annually at Midwinter and is known as Grimtidings. On this day only, the duergar lay down their hammers and gather to hear their priests recount the trials the duergar have suffered since their voluntary exile and the weaknesses of the other dwarven subraces and their gods. Laduguer is extolled for his artistry and craftsmanship, and a litany of those who have given insult to the god and the gray dwarves and against whom a promised, deadly revenge is recited.

The Ardukes of the Gray Gloom also declare holy days, known as Guerdon Revels, after major victories and when prisonersparticularly gold and shield dwarves-are captured. While the work does not stop during such festivals, most gray dwarves are given a few moments off from their labors to observe the recounting of heroics by duergar warriors, to examine plundered loot, and to participate in the torture and painful deaths of any prisoners.

Major Centers of Worship: Dunglorrin Torune, Overtake Hold, is located far beneath the surface in Gracklstugh, the largest city of gray dwarves in the Northdark. Deeper even then Menzoberranzan and Blingdinstone, Gracklstugh is a teeming city on the shore of the Darklake, renowned for the steel blades crafted in its forges. The temple itself is carved into the heart of a massive stalagmite formed from the exodus of a nearly vertical stream that winds downward tor miles from the surface lands of the North to rain down on the subterranean tor and drain into the adjoining Darklake. Dunglorrin Torune bristles with chimneys from which billows forth the smoke of the temple's forges and ledges from which balls of burning pitch can be hurled from stone catapults at any invaders attempting a waterborne invasion of the surrounding city. Priest-guards mounted on steeders patrol the stalagmite's steep, slick slopes, and they ferry the raw materials from the mines to the temple's foundries and finished goods to the merchants in the city below.

The high priest of Overlake Hold is Morndin Gloomstorm, son of Kildor, blood of Balgor, of Shimmergloom's Run. Morndin is one of the few surviving duergar of Clan Bukbukken, a clan that once occupied the undercity of Mithral Hall and served the great shadow wyrm Shimmergloom, the Drake of Darkness, before the shield dwarves of Clan Battlehammer reclaimed their ancestral home and drove the gray dwarves back to Gracklstugh.

Affiliated Orders: The Gray Lances of the Snarling Steeder are a mounted order of duergar crusaders and fighter/priests. The Gray Lances serve as the elite cavalry of gray dwarven armies, and their most common opponents are drow mounted on riding lizards. Individual duergar knights and their steeder mounts are well schooled in subterranean warfare techniques for battles that unfold across cave floors, walls, and ceilings.

Priestly Vestments: The clerical vestments of Laduguer's priests consist of utilitarian metal armor and the gray, hooded mantles for which the Grimcloaks are named. The holy symbol of the faith is a gem of any type, split nearly in twain by a large crack, one half of which is deeply flawed and the other half of which is perfect. For the duergar, such gems symbolize their split from the rest of the dwarven race and their superiority over those they have forsaken.

Adventuring Garb: Laduguer's priests favor weapons commonly employed by gray dwarves including heavy and light crossbows, picks, short swords, spears, and war hammers. When stealth is required, Grimcloaks prefer leather and studded leather armor. In situations requiring direct melee combat, the Exile's priests favor the heaviest armor available, usually a medium shield and chain mail or dwarven plate mail (base AC 2).

Specialty Priests Thuldor

REQUIREMENTS: Strength 15, Dexterity 12, Wisdom 9 or Strength 12, Dexterity 15, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LN, LE
WEAPONS: Any
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, combat, divination, elemental (earth), guardian, healing, law, protection, sun (reversed only), thought, war, wards
MINOR SPHERES: Animal, creation, necromantic
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Land-based riding (steeders) and pick one: animal training (steeders), blacksmithing, mining, armorer, weaponsmithing
BONUS PROFS: Animal handling (steeders), herbalism

• While most thuldor (the plural form of thuldar) are gray dwarves, dwarves of any subrace can become specialty priests of Laduguer.
• If psionics are permitted in the campaign, thuldor are allowed to multi-class as thuldor/psionicists.
• If psionics are permitted in the campaign, thuldor may select nonweapon proficiencies from the psionicist group without penalty.
• Thuldor gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class.
• Thuldor can cast darkness (as the reversed form of the 1stlevel priest spell Eight) or strength of stone (as the 1st-level priest spell detailed in the Moradin entry) once per day.
• At 3rd level, thuldor can cast meld into stone (as the 3rd-level priest spell) or slow poison (as the 2nd-level priest spell) once per day.
• At 5th level, thuldor can cast stone shape (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once per day.
• At 7th level, thuldor can cast find traps (as the 2nd-level priest spell) at will.
• At 7th level, thuldor gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws.
• At 10th level, thuldor can cast stoneskin (as the 4th-level wizard spell) once per day.
• At 13th level, thuldor can cast wall of stone (as the 5th-level wizard spell) stone tell (as the 6th-level priest spell) once per day.
• At 15th level, thuldor can cast turn pebble to boulder or its reverse, turn boulder to pebble (as the 4th-level wizard spell) twice per day.

Ladugueran Spells

In addition to the spells listed below priests of Laduguer may cast the 1st-level priest spell strength of stone detailed in the entry for Moradin

1st Level

Stoneblend (Pr 1; Illusion/Phantasm)
Sphere: Elemental Earth
Range: touch
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables the recipient to blend against stone walls so as to be effectively invisible for as long as she or he holds still. The creature must press its body against the stone surface when the spell is cast.

Careful observation of the exact area in which a stoneblended being stands allows a 5% chance for visual detection. Tactile or other physical inspection of the specific region immediately reveals the presence of the stoneblended being and ends the spell effect. While breathing and small shifts do not end the spell, any sudden movement or large shift in position immediately ends the effect.

The material components of this spell are the priest's holy sym- bol and a pinch of dust. This spell also requires that the recipient be dressed in dull or drab colors (browns, blacks, and/or grays) that do not violently clash with the surrounding environment.

3rd Level

Blessed Craftmanship (Pr 3; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere: Creation
Range: Touch
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: One craftsperson and one item
Saving Throw: None

This spell taps into Laduguer's skills and insights as a master craftsman to augment the recipient's skills while working on a particular project. While the blessed craftsmanship is temporary, the item worked on is permanently enhanced. The recipient of this spell can work only on the object selected a minimum of 8 hours per day with no significant interruption.

The spell adds a +3 bonus to the nonweapon proficiency check for any artisan nonweapon proficiency. This bonus also increases the chance that an object of quality is created. A roll of 20 still indicates a failure, however. Examples of applicable nonweapon proficiencies include armorer, blacksmithing, carpentry, gem cutting, leatherworking, pottery, stonemasonry, weaponsmithing, and weaving.

The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and the materials and tools to he used in the craft project, all of which must be touched by the priest during the casting.

Enchanted Hammer (Pr 3; Enchantment)
Sphere: Creation
Range: Special
Components: V,S,M
Duration: 5 rounds/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Metal or weapons touched
Saving Throw: None

This spell enchants a hammer of silver or mithral to confer magical properties upon a metal weapon or suit of armor. The affected metal receives a bonus of +1. Metal weapons become the equivalent of a +1 weapon. Metal armor becomes the equivalent of +1 armor. Metal sufficient to make one suit of metal armor, two large weapons (axe, hammer, sword, etc.), or four small weapons (bolts, daggers, etc.) can be affected by this spell. The spell functions on existing magical weapons and armor as long as the total combined bonus is +3 or less. Missile weapons enchanted in this way lose their enchantment when used, but otherwise the spell lasts for its full duration. This spell is often used in combination with other spells to create magical metal weapons and suits of metal armor, with this spell being cast once per desired plus of the bonus per item to be formed.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol. A small silver or mithral hammer to be struck against the armor, weapon, or metal to be enchanted is required.