duergar = detect construct

Activated ability. 1 tick lag. No limit on use. Allows duergar to detect unnatural (ie not native to the underdark) constructs in the underdark tunnels. Includes traps, snares, briars, maybe plant growth. No direction needs specifying. It works one square in every direction and returns "something to the WEST is not native to these tunnels" etc.

duergar = tunnel

Manual ability. Takes 250 movement. Lags 3 ticks but during this three ticks the duergar will be in the new room (read on). Timer 12 hours. Duergar can tunnel in the rock of the wild underdark (ie the underdark tunnels). The effect of this is to leave a perfectly visible exit from the room in the underdark, but the room description does not change. The exit then leads into a new room, which has a description "a new tunnel has been started here, bits of pulverised rubble lying about". Anyone in the underdark when the ability is activated will hear the clatter of pick and hammer. Basically the use of this ability is to help give the duergar places to stand and let people rush by on the main routes. Should slow up pursuit if they hear only that a tunnel has been dug, but don't know where, and therefore have to pay more attention to the normal tunnels as they walk through them. Could also be used to disorientate people.

svirfs = detect residue of magic

Automatic ability. Svirf can tell if a spell was cast in a room in the underdark tunnels, as they can sense the magical energy through the stone. They can't tell how long ago it was, but they can tell what level it was cast at, to some extent. eg A very powerful magic spell was cast here (perhaps a lvl 51 spell), a moderately powerful spell was cast here (lvl 40 - 50), you sense the faint residue of a magic working here (lvl 30-39). Spells below level 30 are too weak to leave a residue. By spells, I mean the level they are cast at. ie hero detect invis would be powerful magic. Ignore spellcraft for this purpose. Does not detect communes.

svirfs = meld

Manually activated ability. Can be used once per game week. Allows the svirf to blend into and actually become part of the stone of the underdark tunnels. Whilst melded the svirf can use the WHERE command (but all it will return is whether there are vibrations in the area or not -- vibrations indicate other pc's in the underdark, whether friendly or not). Whilst melded the svirf can see nothing. He cannot be flushed out using area effects. He cannot be spotted. He can stay like this for 48 hours game time, at which point he becomes "normal" again. If he wants, he can end the state (eg if he has sensed no vibrations for a while) using UNMELD.

dark-elves = shake pursuit

manual skill. Timer 12 hours. Effectively a vanish skill usable in the underdark. Has the disadvantage that it could take the dark-elf some time to get his/her bearings. Costs 150 movement each time it is used. However, coupled with autosneak it should make it more difficult for others to have an idea of where in the tunnels the dark-elf is. He might be far off, or he could still be close.

dark-elf = darkness Unoriginal but I think really worth considering.

Manual skill. Timer 48 hours. Argument is number of ticks the darkness can last, and is dependent on skill with the inherent ability. At lvl 51 and 100% let the darkness be 12 hours. At 75% and lvl 1 the globe lasts 1 tick.

Apply the following multipliers to the duration of the globe of darkness:

in tunnels of underdark... x 2. Simple.
on surface outdoors, at night... x 1.5. Not so simple because when day breaks...
on surface outdoors, during day.. duration / 4.

So an outdoor surface darkness done by a hero dark elf with 100% ability and using argument 12 at 11pm would have duration 18 (12 x 1.5). However, come daybreak (say 6am), 11 hours are left. However, the 11 hours only leave a globe of darkness for 2 more ticks and some pulses (11 / 4 ).

indoors normal, no matter where.

No one can see in the globe at all, including the dark elf. Not with infravision. Not with any other vision. Maelstrom of the veils allows targetting etc as normal though. No one can scan into the globe, but they can see that a globe is there, using scan, except in the underdark. When walking into globe, you get echo "you are blanketed in darkness" or something similar.