NEW MONSTER: TWILIGHT DWARF

Twilight Dwarf

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 40-400

ARMOR CLASS: 5

MOVE: 6”

HIT DICE: 1

% IN LAIR: 50%

TREASURE TYPE: Individuals M(x5); G, Q(X10), R, W in lair

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: By weapon

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Save at +3 (or better) vs poison and paralyzation

MAGIC RESISTANCE: As above

SAVE: As above

INTELLIGENCE: Very

MORALE: 50%

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: S (4' + tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: Variables preclude a fixed number

Twilight dwarves are natives of the Dusk Realm, a parallel reality to the world of Castle Triskelion. These demi-humans will always be found in underground complexes and mines and they rely on trade with other creatures to provide comforts and most food.

Twilight dwarf lairs are very loosely structured compared to those of other dwarves. Therefore, dwarves with levels as fighters, thieves, assassins, and magic-users will be found, but not in specific proscribed numbers. Twilight dwarves are not pious and have no clerical members. Twilight dwarves are capable of operating in more than one class simultaneously, so fighter/thief, fighter/assassin, and magic-user/thief individuals may be encountered. Twilight dwarves who share similar interests (such as mining, gem-cutting, or practicing magic) tend to group themselves into smaller informal guilds to share experience and resources. Because of this arrangement, treasure in a twilight dwarf lair will not be found in a treasure vault, but rather spread out as the possessions of individual dwarves or as the communal treasure of small groups.

Like other dwarves, twilight dwarves are interested in wealth (especially gold and gems), alcoholic beverages, and their work. They are keenly interested in trade and not overly scrupulous about their trading partners. Most twilight dwarves will charge reasonable amounts for their services and goods, but there are always cheats and robbers in every twilight dwarf enclave. While the alignment of most twilight dwarves is neutral, there will inevitably good and evil dwarves in every community.

Twilight dwarves will use weapons that can be used in underground spaces. They use maces, hammers, axes, and especially military picks in large numbers. Swords, daggers, and military forks are also commonly used. Missile weapons are of limited utility in the spaces they inhabit, but they do employ heavy crossbows at times. Chain mail armor is typically worn by the average twilight dwarf when they are expecting trouble, and almost every twilight dwarf will have this type or a better type of armor available (excluding those whose class prohibits it).

Higher level fighters have a 10% chance per level of having magic armor and a 10% chance per level of having a magic weapon. Thieves, assassins, fighter/thieves, and fighter/assassins have a 5% chance per thief or assassin level of having magic armor and a 10% chance per thief or assassin level of having a magic weapon. Magic-users and magic-user/thieves have a 10% chance per magic-user level of having 1-4 additional magic items (potion, scroll, ring, wand/staff, misc. magic) usable by magic-users. Twilight dwarves can use magic rings without the 20% malfunction rate experienced by other dwarves.

Twilight dwarves do not share the hatred of humanoids as other dwarves, and have no “to hit” bonus against them. In fact, the twilight dwarves may rely on trade with such creatures. When in melee combat with ogres, trolls, and giants, these creatures must subtract 2 from their rolls to hit the twilight dwarves, due to the twilight dwarves relative experience and skill in fighting these much larger monsters.

Twilight dwarves have no intrinsic resistance to magic, but have a bonus to save against poison and petrification (such as by spell, gorgon breath, basilisk gaze, etc.) based on their constitution score. For characters with class levels, they have a bonus of +1 per 3½ points of constitution (minimum of +3 bonus). For twilight dwarves without class levels, use the +3 bonus.

Twilight dwarves are allergic to direct sunlight. In the Dusk Realm, this is of no concern, but on worlds that experience direct sunlight it is a significant disadvantage. When touched by direct sunlight, a twilight dwarf must make a saving throw versus paralyzation every round of such exposure or become completely paralyzed. Their usual bonus vs petrification does not apply. The twilight dwarf will remain paralyzed until the sun is out of view. Moving the dwarf to an area without sunlight or blocking the sun (including with clouds) will cause the dwarf to revert in a turn (as long as the sun is completely blocked for this entire time). While paralyzed, the twilight dwarf and his or her possessions will appear to be made of stone. Magic items have a normal saving throw allowed to avoid the effect. When the dwarf returns to normal, the items carried will always do so as well.

Twilight dwarves can see, even in complete darkness, to 90'. Nevertheless, they prefer to have fire or another light source on hand. Twilight dwarves are competent miners, able to determine grades or slopes in passages, to detect sliding or shifting walls or rooms, and detect traps involving stonework 25% of the time. They can tell their depth underground 75% of the time. Twilight dwarves who are mining specialists will be even better at these skills.

Description: Twilight dwarves are usually pale tan to dark brown with pale blue or green eyes. Hair and beards are normally black. They wear long dress-like garments of single colors, and twilight dwarves practicing the same professions usually choose the same colors. Armor, if worn, will also be extra long, extending to the ground, to cover their feet. Twilight dwarf women are very uncommon, but do not have beards.

Twilight dwarves almost always suffer a deformity of the feet. The type of deformity varies by the individual, but examples include unusual numbers of toes, animal feet, and feet facing in the wrong directions. Twilight dwarves are very self-conscious about their feet and never show them to others, even other twilight dwarves.