what if drow were lawful evil ?

[CyberThread]

How much more dangerous do you think they could or would be if they were lawful evil?

[Deaxsa]

How much more dangerous do you think they could or would be if they were lawful evil?

if the drow organized and worked in concert, they could be much much scarier. especially with all those high-level wizards and clerics.

[Metahuman1]

I disagree. Honestly, as written, they've never felt that far form Lawful Evil. The things that keep kicking them in the teeth are a Chaotic Patron Goddess, and a lusts for personal power that honestly, would not go away if they stopped being Neutral Evil and started being Lawful Evil.

They Might scheme a bit more, but that's it.


Plus, Still have a Chaotic Goddess kicking them in the teeth.

[Waker]

I'll agree with Metahuman1 that the Drow always struck me more as Lawful Evil rather than Chaotic Evil anyways. The rigid class structure, the adherence to the rules and so on.
But we'll go on the assumption that they are actually chaotic and we're talking about how different they would be if they were lawful. I would say that they would be a more efficient group, working together in concert to greater effect when they make their attacks on the surface or against other creatures in the Underdark. However individually the Drow would be weaker. One of the biggest reasons that Drow are so powerful is because their extreme culture weeded out the weaker members of the race and forced the strong to get stronger. Without quite the same degree of backstabbing and internal wars, they wouldn't feel quite the same amount of motivation to grab power.

[ArcturusV]

It.. depends on how people define Lawful Evil.

Note that I don't see "Promotion by Assassination", as tends to be standard Drow Procedure, as anywhere on the Lawful-Chaotic scale. It's on the Smart-Stupid scale, and definitely in the deep end of Stupid. Nor do I think it'd necessarily make the Drow any weaker. While they likely aren't going to be scrambling for levels just to make sure that no one is able to shank them effectively (Though I don't know if that's really a good POWER motivator... if it was there'd be a lot more Wizards and Clerics than Fighters among the Drow, and most Drow seem to be fighters or Rogues), it does also mean that they won't be losing things like the most brilliant ______ in 3,000 years because in the Academy someone with half their brains was twice as ruthless.

So MAYBE they might have 1-2 levels less than they otherwise would (Not that I think it would, ambition is a universal trait across all alignments), but they would probably also be a more advanced society in general. There would be more unique drow cultural elements and ideas. They'd more likely have longer term goals and plans, more secure cities, etc.

They would probably also be more of a "threat" than they currently are. I mean, yeah... you probably don't want to go pissing off a drow city as an adventurer if you can help it. No reason to want to, and they do have enough high level characters typically to be a serious thorn in your side. But unless you go to piss them off.... you're probably not going to run into any drow more than a small raiding party or patrol in the underdark.

A Lawful Drow society though would be more likely to go on the offensive, rather than sit in their city. I'd see the effective Cold War they ahve with the Surface Elves, just little more than occasional nuisance raids every decade or so, turning into a hot war real fast. There'd be a more concerted plan to really take the offensive against the surface elves. Which might be one of the more defining traits that a Lawful Drow would have on a setting. Open War. Meaning that Elf Lands are probably more closed off than normal (Due to being in a state of war). Elves are probably less likely to be part of the cosmopolitan mix as they're needed back home to help avoid having home wiped out. Probably still a few out there, draft dodgers, deserters, etc. But rare rather than the second or third most common race in most cities.

It also inversely means that the Drow Cities are probably more "open" than they are by standard. With a full war raging (And one they are on the offensive towards), they're probably a good haven for Mercenaries, Merchants of War, etc. So instead of being a giant "No Go" zone in the Underdark, despite the Evil status of the cities Drow Cities might become a standard base of operations for adventurers.

Edit: Note that long term, open warfare against the surface elves, would also accomplish that darwinian "only the strong survive" ideal that the inner conflict and assassinations supposedly do. Those who live to teach and raise the next generation are only those who were smart enough, tough enough, powerful enough, and lucky enough to survive some tour of duty (Which considering the long lives of Elves might be something like 50+ years of Warfare), meaning you wouldn't really have "weak" members of society outside of people who probably got exempted from service for obvious reasons, like powerful mages/clerics who had little combat skills but were masters of spell research or item creation, etc.

[Xuldarinar]

So what if the Drow were Umbragen? [LE drow who worship the umbra and have -slightly- different racial traits]

Not that much different. A little less killing of their own people perhaps. Maybe they would be a different kind of threat, to a point. Some of the flavor points would have to change, like their goddess.

What is more dangerous, a demon or a devil?

[Daer]

then they would have tons of lawyers and instead assassing each other for power they would sue and use legal channels get rid of their enemies