The Dredge are a race of bipedal rodents, who resemble humanoid rats. Dredge are covered in coarse fur, which ranges in colour from brown to dark grey. Dredge stand between 4'-6" to 5'-2" tall, and weigh around 90 lbs.

Dredge have small and agile frames, and their small statures allows them to crawl through holes and tunnels that are too small for most humanoids (including halflings). Dredge have a remarkable ability to remain hidden from the outside world. There are many great cities that have hidden colonies of Dredge numbering in thousands living undetected in the sewers and tunnels underneath the city.

Dredge reproduce at alarming rates, and a female Dredge will have between 2 to 3 litters per year. Each litter has between 5 to 11 (2D4+3) Dredge pups. A Dredge will reach adulthood by their third year, and their average lifespan will be around 35 years.

Dredge use their natural stealth to their advantage, and share the same abilities as the Thief character class, as illustrated in the table below.

Dredge possess an excellent sense of hearing and smell, and have infravison up to 60 feet in total darkness. Dredge also have an excellent sense of direction underground.

Weapons and Armour

Dredge do not wear any armour, as wearing armour will effect their stealth and thieving skills. However, due to their natural agility they have an AC of 6. Dredge are typically armed with short swords, which they use for their backstabbing attacks against unsuspecting enemies.

Mutations

Mutations are common among the Dredge and those born with mutation as seen as being blessing by the gods. Roughly 10% are born with mutations that will grant them benefits. The below table could be used to randomly generate mutations.

*Those Dredge gifted with Psionic Powers will have the same Psionic Powers as the Dredge Mothers (described in the Dredge Mother section).

Combat

Dredge use their stealth and thieving skills to their advantage in combat; they launch sneak attacks and backstab their foes whenever possible.

Dredgore

Fighting along side their smaller brethren are the Dredgores. The Dredge and the Dredgores are not two distinct species, rather, they are the same species (it seems that the Dredgores are a mutant strain of the Dredge species). One out of every 50 Dredge pups born will a Dredgore.

A Dredgore starts out in life a similar size to a Dredge; however, Dredgores will continue to grow until they reach their sixth year. Dredgore live longer lifespans that their smaller brethren and could live up to 60 years. Dredgore are born sterile, and cannot reproduce.

A fully grown Dredgore stands between 8 to 9 feet tall and weighs between 350 to 450 lbs. Due to their large size, Dredgores do not have the thieving abilities of the Dredge. However, Dredgores have expectational strength, and receive bonus to their attack and damage rolls (this is reflected in their THACO score of 14 and their +4 bonus to damage). Dredgores are typically armed with large two handed clubs or mauls that deal 2D6 point of damage (plus their +4 Strength bonus to damage).

Dredgores, like their smaller brethren, have infravision up to 60 feet in total darkness and have an excellent sense of direction underground.

Habitat and Society

Dredge make their homes underground, in the sewer under cities and in abandoned underground lairs and mines. Dredge are proficient tunnellers, and their lairs are made up of a maze of tunnels.

Only on the rarest of occasions do Dredge venture to the surface. Most Dredge will spend their entire lives underground. In direct sunlight Dredge suffer a -2 penalty to their attack rolls and to their Armour Class.

Dredge live in colonies, and each colony has between 1000 to 2000 (4D6 x 50 + 800) adult Dredge. As well, there will be between 50 to 126 (4D20 + 46) adult Dredgores. There will be twice as many juvenile Dredge and Dredgores as there are adults. Juvenile Dredge are non-combatants, and juvenile Dredgores fight as 1 to 4 HD creatures.

For every 200 adult Dredge in the colony there will be one Dredge Mother (see below). The colony is led by a Dredge Mother Matriarch with 7 to 9 HD.

Most adult Dredge in the colony will have 1-6 Hit Points. However, there will be elite Dredge with 1+1 HD guarding the nurseries and serving the Dredge Mothers. The elite 1+1 HD Dredge will number 10% of the adult Dredge population, and 2 HD Dredge will number 3% of the adult population.

Monogamy is a foreign concept to the Dredge, and a female Dredge will breed with any available male. Dredge pups are taken away from their mothers at around 2 months, and will spend the next 3 years with a training group learning the thieving and combat skills of the Dredge.

Diet

Dredge are omnivores and eat a wide range of food from insects, to roots to other humanoids. Dredge are adaptive eaters, and could survive on a variety of foods.

Outlook and Attitudes

Dredge are naturally selfish and cowardly creatures, whose primarily motivation is to look out for themselves. Dredge are extremely cleaver and resourceful and use trickery and manipulation to achieve their own personal goals. In-fighting is common among the Dredge, and Dredge will murder each other over resources and breeding rights.

The Dredge do work together and the colony does function as a whole through the leadership of the Dredge Mothers. The Dredge both fear and revere the Dredge Mothers. If it were not for the leadership of the Dredge Mothers, the Dredge colony would descend into anarchy.

Language

Dredge speak their own language, and around 20% could speak a second language. Only those Dredge gifted with Psionic Powers could speak more than two languages.

Organization

When encountered outside of their colonies Dredge are organized into Squads and Gangs.

Squads. Squads are made up of 8 to 18 (2D6 + 6) Dredge and are led by a 1+1 HD Dredge Leader. The primarily purpose of a Dredge Squad is to survey unexplored regions, set up traps and obtain resources for the colony. Dredge Squads avoid direct assaults, and only engage in combat as a last resort.

Gangs. Gangs are a mixture of Dredge and Dredgores and are used to launch direct assaults against enemies forces. The Gangs are made up of 15 to 30 (3D6 + 12) Dredge and 5 to 15 (2D6 + 3) Dredgores. Gangs are led by a 2HD Dredge Leader. As well, up to 3 Dredge in the Gang (D4 - 1) will have 1+1 Hit Dice. In combat, the Dredgores will launch the first wave of the assault, while the Dredge will hide in the shadows, and sneak up and backstab their enemies.

Saving Throws

The saving throws for the Dredge parallel the saving throws of the Fighter character class. A Dredge with 1-6 hit points will have a 0th level Fighter's Saving Throw, while a 1+1 HD Dredge will have a Level 1 Fighter's Saving Throw and a 2HD Dredge will have a Level 2 Fighter's Saving Throw.

Treasure

Dredge have very little use for gold coins and jewellery, as they do not engage in trade with other humanoids. All of the resources found in a Dredge colony are obtained from theft. Dredge are prolific hoarders, and their colonies will have chambers filled of items, the vast majority of it will be of no value or use to adventurers.

One out of every 1,000 Dredge pups born will be a Dredge Mother. The birth of a Dredge Mother is a celebrated occasion among the Dredge and the female who gave birth to the Dredge Mother is elevated to a higher position of status in Dredge society.

Dredge Mothers start out in life the same size as a normal Dredge, but will continue to grow until they reach their twelfth year. At this time, the Dredge Mother will be the same size as a Dredgore. Dredge Mother live significantly longer lifespans than the Dredge, and many will live to see the passing of a century.

Dredge Mothers have the same number of litters as a female Dredge (between 2 to 3 litters per year), but their litters will be larger and number between 12 to 18 (2D4 + 10) pups. Moreover, Dredge Mothers will produce both a higher proportion of pups with beneficial mutations and Dredgore births (1 in 3 pups will be born with beneficial mutations and 1 in 8 pups will be born as a Dredgore).

Unlike regular Dredge, Dredge Mothers value the importance of working together and achieving the common goals of the colony. However, Dredge Mothers are ultimately motivated by self-interests, and are more than willing sacrifice the lives of their minions to for personal gain.

Dredge Mothers rarely venture outside of the colony. Dredge Mothers possess Psionic Powers; through these Psionic Powers (see below) they are able to exert control over the colony.

Psionic Powers

Dredge Mothers gain the following Psionic abilities:

Psionic Bond. The Psionic Bond allows the Dredge Mother to form a Psionic link with another willing creature, whereby the Dredge Mother is able to access the creature's mind and control the creature's actions. The Dredge Mother could only form a Psionic Bond with one creature at a time. Dredge Mothers typically forms a Psionic Bond with the leader of a Dredge Squad or Gang, so that she could maintain control over the Squad or Gang when they ventures outside the boundaries of the colony.

Mind Blast. As an Attack Action, the Dredge Mother is able to project a Mind Blast. The Mind Blast targets only one creature, and the Dredge Mother must be able to see the creature she is targeting. The victim must make a successful vs Spell Saving Throw to avoid taking damage from the attack. The victim will suffer 2 to 12 points (2D6) of damage on a failed saving throw. A Dredge Mother is able to project the Mind Blast an unlimited number of times each day, but is limited to one Mind Blast attack per turn.

Psionic Shield. The Dredge Mother automatically projects a Psionic Shield. Any creature within 60 feet of the Dredge Mother must make a Saving Throw vs Spell at the start of combat. On a failed saving throw the attacker will suffer a -3 penalty on their attack rolls against the Dredge Mother.

Message. The Dredge Mother is able to mentally communicate a simply message (one or two short sentences) to any members of the colony who are within 200 feet of her.

Detection. The Dredge Mother gains the ability to automatically detect the presence of a sentient being within 120 feet of her, and is be able to determine the being's alignment and if the being has hostile intentions.

In addition, the Dredge Mother's Psionic Powers grants her 95% Resistance to Charm Spells.