A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Duergar of the Obsidian Citadel

Duergar of the Obsidian Citadel by John Bennett is a role playing game supplement published by Raging Swan Press for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. The Obsidian Citadel is mentioned in passing in Town Backdrop: Deksport; Deksport is connected to the Gloamhold campaign setting and the Duchy of Ashlar as both mention the Forest of Grey Spires. This implies that the Obsidian Citadel has been retroactively added to the Gloamhold region as well.

This is a 26 page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. This is also one of the tribes included in the compilation volume TRIBES Anthology III. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three pages are the front matter, one page is the Contents which also has lists of the new magic items, feats, class features, spells and templates, as well as stat blocks by CR, and one page is an ad for another supplement and the Open Game License. Reading Stat Blocks is a standard page that explains how they are laid out. The PDF comes in two versions, one optimised for screen and mobile and the other for high end devices and print. Finally, there is a third ten page PDF that collects all the stat blocks from the supplement in one place.

Duergar of the Obsidian Citadel is two pages long and gives an overview of the tribe; their ecology and society, lairs – primarily in the Obsidian Citadel, carved deep beneath a range of active volcanoes – and combat and tactics. There are sidebars giving tribal lore and using the duergar in your own campaign. This section is duplicated in the free GM’s Monthly Miscellany: March 2015.

The Obsidian Citadel is a single page. It gives the city’s stat block, including some notable NPCs. Sidebars provide details on the interior terrain of the citadel and the surface terrain near it.

Alternate Class Features is another page. There is the Sunder Specialist for the fighter, who specialise in breaking arms and armour, minor talents for rogues which enhance the duergar’s innate invisibility ability and two new focused arcane schools, one for weapons and one for armour.

New Feats is another page that has various battle feats specific to the duergar of the Obsidian Citadel. This are based around damaging weapons and armour, cursing items and extended a duergar’s enlarge and invisibility abilities.

New Wizard Spells is one page long and has six new spells for the duergar mages. One of these, despite being called greed, is a curse that causes the one afflicted to only prize low value items and coins.

New Magic Items takes up just under two pages and has five new items. Two new monster templates complete the two pages; these are silver and gold creature templates for animals made from gold and silver.

Dealing with the Duergar is a single page based around buying magic items from the duergar. The duergar create items that are much prized; the only problem is that they really don’t like selling them. All magic items the duergar sell are cursed. Even a successful negotiation only results in the curse taking effect after the purchaser has died.

Cursed Items is another page. This has various new curses that can be applied to their items by the duergar.

The next four pages are minor and major encounters. These have stat blocks for various standard duergar, plus sidebars giving details on various groups of duergar who may be encountered.

The next four pages have details on two duergar NPCs. One is a fey-touched duergar; the other the most skilled item creator. The latter hates the former. Each has their stat block, background, personality, mannerisms and features, together with adventure hooks and tactics. The stat blocks from this and the encounters all include those for enlarged duergar.

Duergar of the Obsidian Citadel in Review

The PDF is well bookmarked with major and minor sections linked, although sidebars are not. The Contents covers the main sections and is also hyperlinked. Navigation is very good for a fairly short supplement. The text maintains a two column format and appeared almost free of errors. There are some black and white illustrations, some of which are stock but others, such as for the described NPCs, look as if they are custom. Presentation is good.

The duergar are an interesting people. They are unable to create beauty, due to their focus on smithing skills, yet crave it, for some unspecified reason. This is why they sell their weapons and armour to creatures they despise, and despising those who buy their items is why every item is cursed. The duergar also raid the surface to get items of beauty, whether these by works of art, a beautiful woman or a talented poet. There are potential adventure hooks here; dealing with a cursed item or rescuing a person who has been abducted. Duergar of the Obsidian Citadel was well worth the price it was purchased for and can be found by clicking here.