Community Monster Class Competition VII: One Level Wonders

[DeAnno]

Drow

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The drow race itself, the picture, and some elements from this Racial Class were taken directly from the drow statistics in the SRD. The drow Paragon Class in Unearthed Arcana was considered as a benchmark for "drowish" Hit Die features such as HD size, BAB, skills, and so on. Some Drow Power abilities were inspired by the racial abilities of 4e Drow.

A character may be a member of the drow race before taking the level in this racial class. If they are, use the high elf racial traits until they do, with the following adjustments:

-Darkvision 60 feet This trait replaces the Elf's Low Light Vision.

-Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.

-Weapon Proficiency: A drow is automatically proficient with the hand crossbow, the rapier, and the short sword. This trait replaces the high elf's weapon proficiency.

-Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Gnome, Goblin, Koa-toan. This trait replaces the high elf's weapon automatic and bonus languages.

-Favored Class: Wizard (male) or cleric (female). In addition, all drow automatically treat their racial class as a favored class. This trait replaces the high elf's favored class.

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Racial Features
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Drow Race, Drow Ability Boost, Spell Resistance, Drow Power

Skill Points: (6 + Int modifier), x4 at first character level
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Note: For campaigns using fractional BaB and Saves, the drow racial class has Medium (3/4) BaB.

Drow Race: Any character that takes the level in the drow racial class becomes a drow. If they weren't already a drow, they lose their old race and all of its traits, and gain the drow racial statistics as described above.

Drow Ability Boost: Cutthroat drow society means drow must be clever to survive. You gain either +2 Int or +2 Cha, your choice. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed later.

Spell Resistance: (Ex) Drow are naturally resistant to magic. You gain Spell Resistance equal to 9 + your Hit Dice, which can be raised or lowered as a free action.

Drow Power: (Su) Choose one Drow Power from the list below. You can use it once per day, plus one additional time per day per 4 Hit Dice you have. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed later.

-Blackfire: As a swift action, you can make a creature within 60 feet erupt in Blackfire, limiting its vision and revealing its location. For 1 round, the creature is blinded, can't benefit from any concealment, and takes a -20 penalty to Hide checks. On a successful reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma bonus) the target is dazzled instead of blinded for the duration of the effect.

-Darkness: As a swift action, you can produce a Darkness effect centered on you within a 20 foot radius emanation. This effect moves with you and cloaks the affected area in magical shadow. Any bright light in the area is reduced to shadowy illumination, and all creatures within the area have partial concealment (20% miss chance), even from creatures that can see normally in mundane darkness. You, other drow, and any creatures able to see in magical darkness ignore this concealment. Any light created by any spell with spell level higher than half your hit dice overrides all these effects while within the Darkness' area. Darkness lasts for one minute per character level, or until you dismiss it as a free action.

-Shadow Weave Casting: As a free action when casting any spell you can imbue it with extra power from the shadow weave. The spell's caster level is increased by +4, and its save DC (if it has one) is increased by +2. You can only use Shadow Weave Casting once per spell you cast.

-Spell Reflection: As an immediate action, you can fortify your natural defense against magic. Your Spell Resistance increases by +8, and any spell which has you as a target and is negated by your Spell Resistance is turned back targeting the original caster. Turned spells use the same values for caster level and save DC as the original spell (though you make new attack rolls or caster level checks if they are required), and the original spell still affects any other targets it had as normal. Area spells and effect spells can't be turned, but your increased SR may still protect you from their effects. Spell Deflection lasts for one round, or until you voluntarily lower your Spell Resistance.

New Feats

Extra Drow Power
Prerequisite: Drow Power
Benefit: Choose a Drow Power option you don't already have. You gain that Drow Power, and can use it once per day plus once per 4 Hit Dice you have.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Choose a new Drow Power each time you take the feat.

Improved Spell Resistance
Prerequisite: Spell Resistance
Benefit: Your Spell Resistance increases by +4.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

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So this is my take on drow, which I think is an ideal choice for one level wonder. Thematically a drow is just a little better than a normal race, and one racial class level is a good way to represent and balance that. I included a "starter drow" for those who delay taking the class level, and used the level to add onto it. It was hard to try to cut down all the drow advantages to something reasonable for one level, so I decided to weaken the Spell Resistance and ability boosts so something more interesting (Drow Powers) could be included as well.

EDITS 3/3: Strengthened SR from HD+5 to HD+9, added Spell Deflection Drow Power. Edited Blackfire to be better and make more sense, but shrunk the duration accordingly.

EDITS 3/5: Darkness dismissal is a free action. Shadow Weave Casting reduced to 4/2 from 5/2. Spell Deflection renamed to Spell Reflection.