Improved weapon familiarity question

[ZethVorador]

For this feat are drow still considered elves? So if I took the feat could I gain proficiency with say Elven Thin, court and Light Blade weapons? Also why are Drow considered Elves?

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm pretty sure that should work. Drow are an elven subtype. They are Humanoids with the (elf) subtype, so by the rules they are elves.

[SethoMarkus]

Also why are Drow considered Elves?

Because they are Elves. As to why the developers chose to make Drow an Elf sub-type, I would say it was a combination of tradition, lore, and continuity.

And yes, as KillianHawkeye stated, Improved Weapon Familiarity should work as per my understanding of the RAW, but always check with your DM first. Drow and (surface) Elf culture is different enough that I can see a ruling either way.

[Diarmuid]

Seconding that this will work.

Even though the Drow subtype of Elf replaces the normal Elven Weapon proficiencies, the wording on the feat specifies that any weapon with "Elf" in the name would be granted as proficiency.

[BowStreetRunner]

While the Drow weapon proficiencies (hand crossbow, rapier, short sword) do indeed replace the High Elf weapon proficiencies (longsword, rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow), you will note that not one of these weapons meets the IWF standard of a weapon "being associated with a race if the race's name appears as part of the weapon's name". So the automatic proficiencies of a drow are irrelevant as far as IWF is concerned.

[Darrin]

What about an elf (non-drow) who takes Improved Weapon Familiarity... do they get proficiency with Drow long knives and Drow scorpion chains (from Secrets of Xen'drik)?

[Diarmuid]

Not per the RAW wording of the feat.