The Drauth

A race of dark elves for an upcoming campaign.

Drauth (Draugir,Draugafar,Trowfar,Draefar)

The Drauth are a race of dark elves that dwells primarily beneath the surface of the world.  They are wicked, jealous, greedy, and gluttonous. They are workers of awful violence often much more powerful than would be expected by their gaunt (even skeletal) frames and are made yet more dangerous by a natural proclivity to magic-use by all but the most insane or dim witted of these folk.

the magic and elemental forces that course through the drauth make them resistant to many threats. Their magical craft is known as drauskap and is used to describe their magical workings at large and physical artifacts shaped by the magic of the Drauth. 

Drauth are able to change their shape and assume that changed form on a regular basis day after day and year after year which such capability that all but the most knowledgeable examiner would still be fooled most of the time. The reveal that a Drauth changeling isn’t who they are pretending to be will become less and less noticeable over time it may start as backwards feet and an ox-tail and that will slowly drift away as the Drauth’s shape slowly conforms to the expected leaving behind such things as a tell-tale birth mark, third nipple, or extra toe; sometimes a Drauth will pose in a shape for so long they may even forget their true nature.

Drauth shape change allows a drauth to assume a sham form in 3 rounds, such a sham will be of no specific individual and will likely have a serious flaw that would be noticeable on a all but a casual search (2 in 6 chance). A drauth can spend longer to imitate a specific individual taking up to an hour to complete a substantial shapechange (deduct a minute for each possession of the target being imitated the drauth has on hand, half it if the drauth can view the target for the entire transformation, and halve the time again if the drauth eats of the flesh of their target). Hose with truesight will see a drauth is not who they say they are but it will not reveal they are drauth.  Drauth can also grow, this growth is dangerous inflicting 1 hp on the drauth each round but for every 2 rounds of growth the drauth gains strength sufficient to inflict additional damage (+1 to hit and damage per 2 rounds of growth). If a drauth grows for 6 or more round sit must make a save vs death or it will continue to grow out of control until death (which it will not regenerate from) or until it crushes itself in a space it now fills (also crushing anyone who can’t get away). Drauskap gear will grow with the drauth but if dropped or lost it will quickly shrivel to normal size.

Drauth regenerate very slowly and must be underground to do so where they will regain 1hp an hour from anything but poisoning, disease,decapitation or total obliteration of the body. The slow rate of regeneration contributes to humans and other cultures believing the drauth or individual drauths are in fact undead as they do not revert instantly to their native form on what those around them assume is death. Being entombed on a presumed death will allow the drauth to regenerate but it may still find itself buried alive, secured in a tomb, or sealed in by magics meant to protect the dead from evil; such entrapped drauth will go mad over the centuries and will seem little different from a wight or ghoul to the unfortunates who stumble upon them.

Drauskap arms and armor depend on the magical energies beneath the earth to retain their full capabilities if brought to the surface for 2d6 days they will lose their potency often withering away into scrap. If a drauth is in possession of even one piece of drauskap gear they will have 50% resistance to all magics (save for other drauskap), this ability is part of the nature of the drauth enabled by the drauskap item not a property of the time itself. 

Vulnerability to iron. If confined by iron chains drauth lose magical resistance even if still in possession of drauskap and will very slowly transform back to their trueform if they are in an assumed form (in 4-48 hours); the drauth will be unable to regenerate if so encumbered as well.

The stats below are for a common drauth warrior equipped with drauskap arms and armor (treat as +1 chainmail and +1 sword). Drauth are capable of advancing up to 7^th level in fighting classes, 11^th level in the roguish classes and may advance up to 13^th level as a spell-caster (some Drauth enclaves have no clerics but this is a cultural not a racial issues).

Drauth, HD: 2; AC: 4[15]; Atk: +1 Sword (1d8+1);Move: 12; Save: 14; AL:C; CL/XP: 5/240; ML:9; WIL: 13;Special: 50%;  Magical Resistance, +2 on all saves, shapechange, gloomsight*,regeneration(slow) 1-in-8 chance of being surprised.

*- Gloomsight functions as common see in the dark monster-vision but allows those with it to treat magical darkness or shadow at half the penalty others would suffer.