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View Full Version : DM Help 3.5: Drow, Fleshwarping, Symbionts and Underdark Politicking



atemu1234
2015-07-04, 11:15 AM
Well, I had an idea to put into my campaigns.

Now, I run a campaign in a Homebrewed setting known as Multifaarim, which essentially has a bit of everything when I want it to, and full purview to ignore something when I want to. I give my players quite a bit of creative freedom with classes and optimization, and often offer advice to them when they are designing new characters, to keep the group on roughly the same power level (Low T1 - Hight T2). Granted, that's not really here or there.

But, recently, I had an idea. The party has recently gone to and left the Underdark, after the obligatory kidnapping by Drow. But last night, at around two in the morning, I had a very... interesting idea. And by that I mean I was reading Plot and Poison: A Guidebook to Drow, Eberron Campaign Setting, and the Pathfinder rules for creating Fleshwarps (I think that's the term... the one where they turn Lizardfolk into weird dinosaur things and the like). So I had an idea spawned of this... which could either be terrible, interesting or terribly interesting.

In the campaign, Drow have been gathering forces for an all-out assault on the surface world, the realization of some ancient, mad prophecy. One of the PCs was raised in the Underdark to become an Antipaladin loyal to Lolth. He fled at one point or another, and the product of that is that... well, they want him back. Apparently the fact he's survived as long as he has means he's still wanted. But they've been gathering forces, and I had an idea...

What if they excavated Symbionts? As in the leading house in the Drow capital, which is where they were last, began unearthing symbionts from an ancient city that was inexplicably wiped out? And more importantly, how would this affect the politics of the Underdark?

And, also, how liable would they be to combine Symbionts with Fleshwarped creatures- and how bad would it be, to have them altering Symbionts with Fleshwarping to make them better fit their monsters?

Which brings me to another point- I've been applying the Half-Drow template to Daelkyr Halfbloods for the purpose of making them a new creation for the campaign - How would the introduction of this new race alter Underdark politics, given that the majority of them will be born to noble houses who can afford the new, more powerful Symbionts?

(Let's assume that they've found a way to cause Symbionts to reproduce or whatever)

What does the playground think?

arixe
2015-07-04, 08:56 PM
Symbionts are what exactly

Zilzmaer
2015-07-04, 11:08 PM
What does the playground think?

I think that most Drow wouldn't really embrace it anyway. Sure, it might be a route to more power, but it would also be disfiguring, and there's a steep personal cost. Drow are, in general, very vain; amongst those with nominally equal positions and achievements, appearance is almost as important as force of personality and cunning in determining rank. I also think that Lolth wouldn't be very approving, and so the preistesshood would work to dissuade the masses from using symbionts.

On the other hand, using symbionts on their slaves would fit quite nicely. As long as the symbionts caused a bigger increase in usefulness than in difficulty to maintain/control, Drow would absolutely apply symbionts willy-nilly.

Of course, in your world, Drow might be different.


EDIT:

Symbionts are what exactly

Symbionts are items, for lack of a better term. They are technically creatures, but don't do anything on their own; they attach to another creature and create a symbiotic relationship. IIRC, there are some in Fiend Folio and Magic of Eberron. One of the other Eberron books, too, I think. They give new abilities to the host creature; for example, the Tentacle Whip attaches itself to your ribcage and gives you a tentacle attack option. They have a tendency to inflict ability damage, though.

arixe
2015-07-05, 01:29 AM
Oh that makea sense. Yeah cant see those being flesh warped as far as being the main body but the whole point of flesh warping is to put a new spin on old monsters turning trogs into cr 9-10 is damn inpressive and imagain if you combined it with a sybiote and got a even stronger monstrosity.

atemu1234
2015-07-05, 04:54 AM
Oh that makea sense. Yeah cant see those being flesh warped as far as being the main body but the whole point of flesh warping is to put a new spin on old monsters turning trogs into cr 9-10 is damn inpressive and imagain if you combined it with a sybiote and got a even stronger monstrosity.

Yeah. My thoughts exactly. I was wondering if there are any good homebrew symbionts out there, to use for this.


I think that most Drow wouldn't really embrace it anyway. Sure, it might be a route to more power, but it would also be disfiguring, and there's a steep personal cost. Drow are, in general, very vain; amongst those with nominally equal positions and achievements, appearance is almost as important as force of personality and cunning in determining rank. I also think that Lolth wouldn't be very approving, and so the preistesshood would work to dissuade the masses from using symbionts.

On the other hand, using symbionts on their slaves would fit quite nicely. As long as the symbionts caused a bigger increase in usefulness than in difficulty to maintain/control, Drow would absolutely apply symbionts willy-nilly.

Of course, in your world, Drow might be different.

Well, here's what's happened in my campaign world -

As of late (for the last 800 years, or thereabouts) the Drow have been gathering force for a surface raid the likes of which none has ever been seen. This was engineered by the First House of the capital city of their territory, who have been figuring out how specifically to do it.

Five hundred years ago, an adventuring party of Drow came across an ancient ruin. It was partially submerged in water, and for some reason there were Breed Leeches inside of it. At first the adventuring Drow thought of them as pests, not knowing what they could do - until they realized the power they offered. As they also found an inordinate amount of wealth in the ruins, they returned and made a deal with the First House - they were married into the family, and eventually became their own house. That house has been specializing in fleshwarping and growing and breeding symbionts for the First House.

They still remain for the most part a secret from the majority of the clergy, and in my campaigns, at least, Lolth has so far remained silent on the subject.

Daelkyr Halfblood Drow, however, seem to be growing in number, but they are contained (for the most part) to the house specializing in Fleshwarping and Symbionts. Those in the First House now avoid Breed Leeches, as to not 'corrupt' their infants. Soon the Symbionts will reach a potent enough number to both arm the combined armies of the First House and the aforementioned Symbiont-based house. This, combined with more powerful Symbionts created by the Drow through fleshwarping, will create high-enough ego-ed symbionts to be able to control the majority of the Drow populous should it come down to recruitment.

So - Horrible plan?