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I really need to get one thing straight: I've heard a number of different claims that Korgan is actually a Duergar/Gray Dwarf. Where's the evidence. So far, I have these reasons to believe that he's not.

1) His skin is not dark grey like a Duergar.

2) He doesn't have problems being in broad daylight like a Gray Dwarf should (ie: No mentionings of such in dialogue).

3) If he is Duergar, he should have the magical ability to become invisible, like the gray dwarves in Irenicus' dungeon can. Never seen that option with Korgan.

4) Korgan gives much lip service to Abbathor, the Dwarven god of greed (Ex: "By the Wyrm of Avarice!"). Gray Dwarves abandoned the worship of the other Dwarven deities and adopted Laduger and Deep Duerra millenia ago. It'll be about 100 times easier to find a Drow who worships the Elven Pantheon (instead of Drow deities) than a Duergar worshipping the deities of Shield and Gold Dwarves.

Now, I know that there are some Gray Dwarves that are icognito, like Unger Hilldark. However, the point remains that there should be mentioning of their heritage, somewhere, somehow.

If anyone can provide strong evidence to these claims, please do so.

Compare Korgan to the dreugar named Unger Hilldark in the copper coronet. Other than that, I never used Korgan for more than his annoying book of kaza quest so I never saw enough conversations to notice anything like that.

Only thing to say about him is that he should learn to get along with way-too-cute avariel elf girls.

[QUOTE=Berethor]Compare Korgan to the dreugar named Unger Hilldark in the copper coronet. Other than that, I never used Korgan for more than his annoying book of kaza quest so I never saw enough conversations to notice anything like that.

Only thing to say about him is that he should learn to get along with way-too-cute avariel elf girls. [/QUOTE]

Ok, but what does that have to do w/ the subject of this thread?

I've heard there is some dialogue with him that hints at deurgar heritage if you take him and Viconia into the underdark. I hate Viconia, so I never got that far with her to confirm. That being said (to answer the original post):

1)Skin. In BGI Viconia's skin wasn't dark like the drow in her portrait. Maybe he's in disguise.

2)Daylight. Viconia is a drow and should be subject to penalties, but isn't.

3)Invisibility. This special ability would disappear on the surface, like a dark elves' levitation and (supposed to anyway) magic resistance.

4)Religion. He is just swearing here, it doesn't matter which deity he's referring to. Anyway, maybe he's only half-duergar or something.

Anyway, those above points were me playing Devil's Advocate. I don't think Korgan in a grey dwarf anyway. BTW (slightly off topic here), I hate the fact that there are no good (alignment) Dwarf NPCs in this game.

My thoughts on yours

krunchyfrogg wrote:I've heard there is some dialogue with him that hints at deurgar heritage if you take him and Viconia into the underdark. I hate Viconia, so I never got that far with her to confirm. That being said (to answer the original post):

1)Skin. In BGI Viconia's skin wasn't dark like the drow in her portrait. Maybe he's in disguise.

But in BG2 her skin's as dark as that of *minor spoilers for other users* Your party when they are shapechanged into Drow by Adalon. Likely just BG1's limitations w/ the coloring and such.

2)Daylight. Viconia is a drow and should be subject to penalties, but isn't.

Wasn't implimented like it should have, and neither were feats - like Daylight Adaptation - since 3rd Edition wasn't invented yet.

3)Invisibility. This special ability would disappear on the surface, like a dark elves' levitation and (supposed to anyway) magic resistance.

Drow characters don't lose their ability to use their innate Faerie Fire (particularly in Icewind Dale 2), or (in novels) conjuring globes of darkness. Duergar are also allowed to use Invisibility outdoors/on the surface in IWD2.

4)Religion. He is just swearing here, it doesn't matter which deity he's referring to. Anyway, maybe he's only half-duergar or something.

That is somewhat of a strong point, but like I said, Duergar had forsaken all other Dwarf deities w/ Clan Duergar's capture by Mind Flayers during the Mindstalker Wars millenia ago (about -8000 Dalereckoning). The Mordinsamman seemed to have abandoned them back then, but not Laduger (who was pretty much exiled from his divine kin during the Kin Clashes about 4000 years after Clan Duergar's enslavement).

Also, inter-racial half-breeds are nothing special. They are one or the other, not a mix of both.

Anyway, those above points were me playing Devil's Advocate. I don't think Korgan in a grey dwarf anyway. BTW (slightly off topic here), I hate the fact that there are no good (alignment) Dwarf NPCs in this game.

Very well said there my friend. If I had the technical know-how, I'd likely make a mod char of Galuf (probably a LG Fighter/Cleric or NG Fighter/Thief).

[QUOTE=Galuf the Dwarf]
Drow characters don't lose their ability to use their innate Faerie Fire (particularly in Icewind Dale 2), or (in novels) conjuring globes of darkness. Duergar are also allowed to use Invisibility outdoors/on the surface in IWD2.[/QUOTE]
They might not lose it in the games, but in P&P D&D (all versions), they're supposed to lose these powers.

I've heard of a Yeslick mod in the works, which I would download right away. I've actually imported a dwarven F/C before to have as an NPC (I like my protagonists to be Human, Halfling, or Half-Elven because of the age the character should be in Candlekeep --- silly reason, I know).

[QUOTE=krunchyfrogg]They might not lose it in the games, but in P&P D&D (all versions), they're supposed to lose these powers.[/QUOTE]

I actually did some research on this, and according to the folks of the Wizards of the Coast boards (who are practically the experts of D&D and the Forgotten Realms, the Duergar Invisibility (and Enlarge Person) powers are more based on psionics than Faezress/Underdark magical radiations.

In essence, Duergar should still have their powers on the surface, since the power comes from their mental capacity.

[QUOTE=Galuf the Dwarf]I actually did some research on this, and according to the folks of the Wizards of the Coast boards (who are practically the experts of D&D and the Forgotten Realms, the Duergar Invisibility (and Enlarge Person) powers are more based on psionics than Faezress/Underdark magical radiations.

In essence, Duergar should still have their powers on the surface, since the power comes from their mental capacity.[/QUOTE]
That must be some new crap, sorry I just don't agree. I played 2e AD&D most of the time, and their powers are just as underdark based as a drows IMHO.

[QUOTE=krunchyfrogg]That must be some new crap, sorry I just don't agree. I played 2e AD&D most of the time, and their powers are just as underdark based as a drows IMHO.[/QUOTE]

That's the problem. I've known a couple of rifts to exist between fans of 2nd & 3rd Edition for reasons such as that.

Since I'm most familiar w/ 3rd Edition & onward, that's the lore I go with.