Can someone explain the Drow Noble?

[ThurlRavenscrof]

I play other systems but I keep hearing about how crazy the Drow Noble is. What does that mean specifically and why is it good?

[BearonVonMu]

Most of Pathfinder's races are mostly balanced against each other with a point buy system.
Drow Noble isn't, and gets stat adjustments and racial features that are far better than almost all of the others, especially the ones not marked as "Advanced races", which is as close as Pathfinder comes to saying "this race needs a level adjustment".
There also exists the lesser drow race, which is more in line with the other common races.

[Komatik]

Race insanity in D&D 3.5e and derivatives is relative - most races don't do that much in the first place. The primary source of power in the system are class levels, and even a noticeably stronger than average race will become a minor difference the more levels characters gain. It is primarily in low-level play that races have a large impact. Drow Nobles, for example, have a bunch of useful spell-like abilities available at will and a few more once per day, which will greatly ease a low-level spellcaster's troubles with limited spell slots and grants utility to combat-oriented characters that they wouldn't normally have. At high levels this all drowns in the high power of spells, the availability of spell slots and magic items, but at lower levels those perks have a very real impact.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Thanks! I didn't realize it was a race. I thought it was some sort of combo...

[torrasque666]

Most of Pathfinder's races are mostly balanced against each other with a point buy system.
Drow Noble isn't, and gets stat adjustments and racial features that are far better than almost all of the others, especially the ones not marked as "Advanced races", which is as close as Pathfinder comes to saying "this race needs a level adjustment".
There also exists the lesser drow race, which is more in line with the other common races.

I mean it is listed as having a 41 Race Point. So like, ridiculously high and should only really be used if the rest of the party is playing similarly monstrous characters.

[dude123nice]

I mean it is listed as having a 41 Race Point. So like, ridiculously high and should only really be used if the rest of the party is playing similarly monstrous characters.

You can gain those abilities with a normal drow if you are willing to spend about 5 or more feats, I think.

[Psyren]

You can gain those abilities with a normal drow if you are willing to spend about 5 or more feats, I think.

Right, which would put your Drow character above level 1 anyway.