Why Do I Like Drow So Much

[Bartmanhomer]

Here's my reason why I like Drow so much:

1. Drow are attractive and wonderful.

2. Drow are fun to play with.

3. Drow are great characters (Yes I know most Drow are evil but I prefer to play a redeemed or reformed Drow.)

Those are my reasons.

[Anderlith]

Con, Drow are unable to grow magnificent beards.
Con, Drow are far too large tall-wise to fit into normal chambers & dwellings
Con, Drow traditionally wield small skinny weapons better suited to be toothpicks instead of a sensible maul or warhammer.
Con, Drow lack the honor of a Clan, either being villainous or honorless exiles
Con, Drow do not get buried in the stone of the mountain they call home
Con, Drow do not swear a blood oath to their ancestors to kill the greenskin scourge.

I stated above but this clearly deserves a side note. You called drow beautiful but between their knife ears & unhealthy, skinny, non-robust bodies they are pretty malformed...


Sorry but they just don't have much going for them.

[Tanarii]

Con, drizzt

[Kitten Champion]

They kind of get repetitive. There's the Evil society of Evil Evilness which is undermined by all the inevitable betrayal and mustache twirling, or those remarkable individuals who go rogue that inevitably face constant prejudice of surface worlders who can't see they obviously possess the beautiful soul of a poet and the heart of a champion if they just gave them the benefit of a doubt.

Sure, you can tell stories outside that, but I find their particular box kind of underwhelming.

[Telesto]

My own history and current system for drow is the following:

1. Drow and brown skinned elves are enslaved by Elves
2. A small band of Drow escape and set fire to the village they were in, freeing the other slaves and setting sail.
3. They return and free the enslaved.
4. Drow follow powerful magic and become enslaved in their own caste system.
5. The Elves seek to enslave the Drow again leading to a bloody war that lasts decades, ultimately the Drow escape to the north, and seek refuge among the Dwarves, who heartily grant them a safehaven in the old Dwarven tunnel complexes. The Drow move into the Underdark, the Elves give chase but cannot scale the cliffs defended by Dwarves. A few war atrocities later and the Elves end up with their own section in a book of grudges. The Elves, defeated, return home to enslave the Wild Elves.
6. The Drow seek to avoid slavery, and struggle to survive in the Underdark.
7. The Drow bargain with the Illithids, offering their service and a few lives monthly to survive the perils of the Underdark. Thus the Drow are, again, enslaved.
8. Lolth frees the Drow, many say she is the reincarnation of the Drow, Miliara, who brought them out of their first enslavement.
9. The Drow are enslaved by themselves.
10. A few Drow begin to defy the caste system and fight against it. Ultimately they end up winning and the drow become something more chaotic neutral overall.
11. Every generation the Drow revolt against their own, taking it more evil, and more good, over and over. Ultimately war within the drow ends and the culture just gradually swings one way then the other each generation. Due to Drow longevity, a little more than half their lives they will enjoy their alignment. The Drow accept this and it just becomes a part of them.

12. The Drow maintain positive relations with the Dwarves, each generation makes sacrifices to the surface for one reason or another. And the Dwarves just think the Drow are really thankful.
13. The Drow incidentally help the Dwarves overcome human rule due to surface raids. Which ultimately leads to the Dwarves leaving goods for the Drow, which give them something to raid during the Dwarven kingdoms period. Despite this strange relation working so well between the groups, both remain moderately in the dark about the others, aside from a few Drow which spend time in the surface and come to understand what actually has happened and what started it all. Those Drow seldom return, because the Dwarves are so generous and good that each Drow, good or evil, ends up loving the Dwarves because regardless of alignment, it's like the Drow is an old friend coming home

[weckar]

I do have to wonder why this thread was started.

Did anyone ask the question? You probably should have just answered directly.

Are you looking for validation? That's likely to be worse than a 50/50 shot.

Are you looking to start an argument? Yeah, bad idea - always.

Are you just naively telling us your preferences without any real context or reason? This is a forum, not a blog. Learn the difference.

[Lalliman]

Not to be a jerk, but most of your reasons aren't even reasons. "I like them because they're fun to play" is basically a circular statement, it explains nothing.

[Mastikator]

I used to like Drow too, not the good rebellious ones, just the evil ones.

These days I prefer humans and maybe monster races (but only if they're given a chance to be nuanced).

[Satinavian]

I do like them.

But i do like them somewhat toned down, similar to the Drowtales version. A society which grorifies some questionable bahvior and has a serious problem with infighting but still consists of normal, somewhat believable NPCs.

[Pronounceable]

I don't like drow too much, but they're all right. The stereotype drow is so much better than stereotype orc. What I do like is the implied enthusiasm in the op. Screw the haters, op, keep liking things, this hobby needs more liking.

[Tanarii]

Are you looking to start an argument? Yeah, bad idea - always.

I'm guessing this. Given the way most people feel about drow, and especially those abominable books written (using the term very loosely) by Salvatore, the likelihood of getting validation a lot less than 50%. So unless he's been living in a cave reading them and fondling the pages, cutting himself off from all exposure to others opinions and actual decent writing ....

You know what, I take it back. That's the only way someone could still be a fan in the modern era anyway.

[Inevitability]

1. This may surprise you, but any race can be attractive. I don't even have the slightest clue what 'wonderful' means in this context.

2. As has been said, circular.

3. Great characters? Mechanically they're moderate at best (regardless of edition) and character-wise they tend to fall in the bland 'redeemed evil guy', 'openly evil guy' or 'evil guy pretending to be redeemed evil guy' stereotypes. I know drow can be as developed as any other race, but your previous posts on the subject imply that we're mostly looking at the first category here.

[GrayDeath]

While I normally do not do this, your opening post neatly sums up why I usually despise Drow:

They are pretty, overtly edgy Elves their players think are interesting because 99% of the PC`s from the race break the racial stereotype (and around 85+% of them in the exact same chaotic good way).


Now CAN Drow be really great Characters? Of course, any race can if one does more than "race stereotype/antystereotype" his character ^^

[Fable Wright]

I, too, like Drow. The different specialties of their clans, their hunting parties, and the way they carry important lost lore of the giants in their oral traditions give a very distinctive feel to Xen'drik. Playing them as a character offers a chance to play as a fish out of water when exploring the cultures of Khorvaire, and a reason for characters to be inexperienced with and learn about the interesting little fiddly bits of the setting and other PCs' backstories. Plus, they have a habit of turning into buff scorpion men!

They are indeed a 7/10 race on the scale of 'interesting races'.

[Âmesang]

I've been permitted to play a CE drow in a somewhat loose Storm King's Thunder… mainly 'cause I had an unpainted elf figurine and I was reminded of Against the Giants, so I thought about using that as an inspiration for a simple backstory (Lolth sending out an agent to investigate the giant uprising on Faerûn, seeing if they can be bent to her will like those of the Flanaess a century before).

Granted, I should try and come up with a personality that's more than just "constant, sardonic sneer and sarcastic comments." Still, Variolus is making for a decently fun "anti" paladin/rogue multiclass "blackguard."

(I think the only thing I don't like about Drizzt is his name and the names of his weapons; his name sounds like a diarrhea sound effect, and there is nothing threatening about a sword named "Twinkle.")

[Inevitability]

(I think the only thing I don't like about Drizzt is his name and the names of his weapons; his name sounds like a diarrhea sound effect, and there is nothing threatening about a sword named "Twinkle.")

His sword is actually named Twinke? Wow.

On the plus side, that gave me an idea for the most obnoxious magic item ever: an intelligent highly enchanted sword that constantly shouts: "I AM TWINKLE! I AM TWINKLE!".

[DataNinja]

On the plus side, that gave me an idea for the most obnoxious magic item ever: an intelligent highly enchanted sword that constantly shouts: "I AM TWINKLE! I AM TWINKLE!".

Don't you mean "TWINKLE, TWINKLE! KOOLOO-LIMPAH!"?

[Pugwampy]

Here's my reason why I like Drow so much

I am betting Drizzt fan boy . Its good reading .

[Lalliman]

His sword is actually named Twinke? Wow.

And then you've got Icingdeath, which sounds like it came from a random name generator

[Âmesang]

On the plus side, that gave me an idea for the most obnoxious magic item ever: an intelligent highly enchanted sword that constantly shouts: "I AM TWINKLE! I AM TWINKLE!".

Please don't. It's bad enough having Excalibur…

[Cluedrew]

My favourite thing about Drow is they have dark skin. It is weird but the fact they (in many representations) have much darker skin than almost any other major fantasy race makes me happy for some reason.

My least favourite thing about Drow is how strongly they follow the race=personality rule. New rule, don't do that.

[MesiDoomstalker]

I believe the general consensus is of one of 2 camps;

1. Boring Evil McEvilnton or Boring Not-Evil McEvilton
2. ZOMG DRIZZT IS SO COOL HE'S LIKE THE BEST

I see very few inbetweens and even fewer characters that sit between the two extremes.

[Anderlith]

For me, I just don't ever end up needing drow. In my world Tieflings used to be elves that worshiped demons. Then they got transformed. So I already have an "edgy" angsty race of elves (elfish) without dragging in the Underdark or Lolth.

[Mastikator]

1. This may surprise you, but any race can be attractive. I don't even have the slightest clue what 'wonderful' means in this context.

2. As has been said, circular.

3. Great characters? Mechanically they're moderate at best (regardless of edition) and character-wise they tend to fall in the bland 'redeemed evil guy', 'openly evil guy' or 'evil guy pretending to be redeemed evil guy' stereotypes. I know drow can be as developed as any other race, but your previous posts on the subject imply that we're mostly looking at the first category here.

Any race can be attractive but in general and almost all cases elves are prettier than trolls. And drow are often depicted as evil prettier than regular elves which are already minty fresh and cute.

[neriractor]

Con, Drow are unable to grow magnificent beards.
Con, Drow are far too large tall-wise to fit into normal chambers & dwellings
Con, Drow traditionally wield small skinny weapons better suited to be toothpicks instead of a sensible maul or warhammer.
Con, Drow lack the honor of a Clan, either being villainous or honorless exiles
Con, Drow do not get buried in the stone of the mountain they call home
Con, Drow do not swear a blood oath to their ancestors to kill the greenskin scourge.

I stated above but this clearly deserves a side note. You called drow beautiful but between their knife ears & unhealthy, skinny, non-robust bodies they are pretty malformed...

Sorry but they just don't have much going for them.

THIS, there is already enough baby-faced, obnoxious, pointy-eared, hippies on the surface, why can´t you just strike the earth looking for riches without finding more.

I have to disagree on the greenskins, they kill elves and grow acceptable beards, why all the hate?

[Anderlith]

^ They either used to be knife-ears (dependent or what lore you use), & they raid & pillage the mines & farmsteds.

Mine Uncle, Stronginthearm, a humble mushroom farmer lives near a greenskin range & has seen no end of trouble.

(Dwarves usually get bonuses to kill orcs & goblins such as in Warhammer FRPG, & 3.5)

[galan]

I think the interesting thing about Drow is how their goddess is such an hindrance for them. She is chaotic-evil, with a large chaotic side (while they keep trying to make big and complex cities - which would benefit from order). She is also paranoid and turn their strong ones into spider-thingys. She is also creating a huge rift between males and females that makes co-operation quite difficult.

Imagine an underdark where the Drow have a much bigger amount of high-level wizards. they could destroy almost anything else living underground, with the possible exception of Elder Brains (who are not really a problem as long as their mind flayers keep getting killed). As far as I know, the Drow are the only race living in the underdark that have affinity to magic and not psionics, which makes them unpredictable and dangerous. They could stomp almost everything in their way, if they were not so busy killing each other for Lolth's schemes.

Also, I like this article

[Kami2awa]

I think they're fun to use as they are, each D&D species is interesting in itself, whether you use them as presented or subvert them into something different.

I liked them a lot more when they were first introduced. In early 1e books there is a succession of hints, items and encounters that slowly introduce the Drow as antagonists leading up to full adventures against them. As a mystery, they work pretty well. As far as I know they are an original creation of the game, too - "Drow" is an old word for a troll or goblin-like creature, nothing like D&D's Drow, and while there were dark and light elves in Norse myth their portrayal was very different.

[JellyPooga]

1) Their skin isn't green enough.

2) They're too skinny.

3) Puny Elfling arms aren't strong like Thogs.

4) They're mean and don't like puppies.

In all seriousness, though, I'm not a fan of Drow, but I think I have more of a problem with Drow Players who expect everyone else at the table to happily play nice alongside them instead of attacking them on sight, despite they themselves attacking other Drow (and assorted other monsters) on sight.

[DragonWitch]

Wow, why are so many people being so bitter. We're nerds, people already hate and fear us, surely we should be sticking together even with differences in opinion? :P

Anyway. I really liked Viconia in BG and BG2. Definitely only romance worth doing in my opinion. She's NE and I thought her character was quite genuine and interesting. I personally find drow a bit 2-dimensional and good drow often played boringly, but I love the dark skin/white hair combo, pretty hot. Wouldn't personally play a drow though unless I had a really interesting plot idea. I'm a massive sucker for tieflings but I often just play humans.