Elves vs Drow

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-11-20 02:03pm

What are the differences between the two races?

I've heard of drow as being dusky-skinned elves and I've heard that there are other differences. What?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-20 02:08pm

Kuja wrote:What are the differences between the two races?

I've heard of drow as being dusky-skinned elves and I've heard that there are other differences. What?

Originally, the Drow were merely another subset of elves who developed blue-black skin and white hair. When their patron pissed off the ruler of the Elven pantheon in the murky depths of prehistory, all Drow were cursed and the newly renamed Lolth led them underground. Exposed to the lethality of the races living down there, they understandably became a twisted, evil race.

Currently, they are ruled by priestesses of their cursed Goddess, and are more innately magical than any other subset of elves. They are universally reviled, but lately, more and more are turning away from evil and being accepted.

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-11-20 02:12pm

What literature can they be found in?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-20 02:13pm

Kuja wrote:What literature can they be found in?

The Drow are exclusively a D&D race, though some fantasy has picked up on the idea of a 'cursed' race of elves. If you don't mind an author all-but-worshipping the main character, look for RA Salvatore's novels of Forgotten Realms, most are about a guy called Drizz't, a Drow who rejected evil. Just be careful.. Drizz't is written as sickeningly good.

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2003-11-20 02:15pm

SirNitram wrote:
Kuja wrote:What literature can they be found in?
The Drow are exclusively a D&D race, though some fantasy has picked up on the idea of a 'cursed' race of elves. If you don't mind an author all-but-worshipping the main character, look for RA Salvatore's novels of Forgotten Realms, most are about a guy called Drizz't, a Drow who rejected evil. Just be careful.. Drizz't is written as sickeningly good.

That is why I believe that his best book in that series is Servant of the Shard. Drizz't never makes an appearance in it.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-11-20 02:48pm

Drow are specifically D&D, but there are "dark elves" of some form or other in pretty much everything with elves.

They're a primarily evil bunch of bastards, but you can barely throw a stone on Faerun these days without hitting a chaotic good drow ranger...

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-11-20 03:05pm

To be even more precise, the Drow are specifically a Forgotton Realms race, not just a generic D&D one.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2003-11-20 04:10pm

How about the Dolf Alfar (sp) from Viking Legends?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-20 04:13pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:To be even more precise, the Drow are specifically a Forgotton Realms race, not just a generic D&D one.

I would say no, because of, you know, The Vault Of The Drow in Greyhawk.

Setzer · Post by **Setzer** » 2003-11-20 06:16pm

Drizz't? Did 8-bit theater's Drizz'l parody that?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-20 06:17pm

Setzer wrote:Drizz't? Did 8-bit theater's Drizz'l parody that?

Yep.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-11-20 06:28pm

For another good look at the Drow Society (Forgotten Realms based), check out Daughter of the Drow, and it's sequel, which I can't recall the name of at this point in time, dammit!

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-20 07:21pm

Morality rant split. Still in the same forum.

Smiling Bandit · Post by **Smiling Bandit** » 2003-11-21 12:37pm

I would say no, because of, you know, The Vault Of The Drow in Greyhawk.

Its very odd - the Drow started out in Greyhawk, including some very specific sites. However, as it happened, it seems that authors lifted the Drow wholesale - cities and all - and placed them in Forgotten Realms, where they have comfortably stayed, much to the dismay of Faerun and the joy of Greyhawk. Oddly, they picked up and took their entire history with them, which they cheerfully inserted into the annals of FR.

For another look at the Drow, try the "war of the Spider Queen" series. I've read the first two and found them happily full of conspiracy, adventure, violence, and the usual Drow depravity, and I'm told the third is much the same. RA Salvatore, who actually created much of Drow society by virtue of being the first one to really write in detail about them, built the plotline of the story and then got a bunch of promising authors to write each book. So far its impressively coherent and tightly written.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-11-21 01:59pm

Most of the generic Greyhawk rules are designed to be leverable into any D&D setting. Even more so now that it's all gone a bit D20, as the rules are all interchangealbe.

In fact, the current sourcebooks are written specifically with as little setting information as possible, to help you define them in whatever setting you so please.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-11-21 02:05pm

Vendetta wrote:Most of the generic Greyhawk rules are designed to be leverable into any D&D setting. Even more so now that it's all gone a bit D20, as the rules are all interchangealbe.

In fact, the current sourcebooks are written specifically with as little setting information as possible, to help you define them in whatever setting you so please.

Which annoys me. I miss Planescape already; it was such a rich and detailed setting, with so many interesting things. At least you can import most things from 2nd rather painlessly.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2003-11-21 03:02pm

planescape was awesome. and unlike most other campaign worlds things weren't quite so black and white on whether or not someone was good and evil. at least not in the city of Sigil anyways.

plus the whole guild thing really was icing on the cake. too bad more D&D settings don't incorporate something similar.

Smiling Bandit · Post by **Smiling Bandit** » 2003-11-21 03:29pm

Vampire killed it, so I blame White Wolf. I blame White WOlf for many other things, too, but this one the actually deserve.

lgot · Post by **lgot** » 2003-11-21 09:48pm

White Wolf did not killed it- TSR is full of their own mistakes...
Dark Sun was a very interesting setting they killed...Dragonlance...this new edition sucks and is offensive...Planescape was awesome - the artwork then...I remember the first time But they need money, so anything that did not sold and was not traditional hack and slash (because the dumb audience only likes it - this killed White Wolf Games also) was left over and sometimes even erased from continuity...

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-11-22 07:42am

SirNitram wrote:
Vendetta wrote:Most of the generic Greyhawk rules are designed to be leverable into any D&D setting. Even more so now that it's all gone a bit D20, as the rules are all interchangealbe.

In fact, the current sourcebooks are written specifically with as little setting information as possible, to help you define them in whatever setting you so please.
Which annoys me. I miss Planescape already; it was such a rich and detailed setting, with so many interesting things. At least you can import most things from 2nd rather painlessly.

Yeah, but if you've already got the 3e/3.5e rulebooks, and the manual of the planes, it's the work fo about five minutes to create D20 versi0ons of anything you need to run Planescape.

It'd be nice if they did reissue the setting, but until then, you can make do...

(The DM I play with makes up his own settings anyway, as do I whan I'm DM, so I don't really care.)

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-11-22 07:45am

Kitsune wrote:How about the Dolf Alfar (sp) from Viking Legends?

Norse "dark elves" are the Svartalfar (literal: Black Elves)

Brother-Captain Gaius · Post by **Brother-Captain Gaius** » 2003-11-22 11:20pm

Smiling Bandit wrote:For another look at the Drow, try the "war of the Spider Queen" series. I've read the first two and found them happily full of conspiracy, adventure, violence, and the usual Drow depravity, and I'm told the third is much the same. RA Salvatore, who actually created much of Drow society by virtue of being the first one to really write in detail about them, built the plotline of the story and then got a bunch of promising authors to write each book. So far its impressively coherent and tightly written.

Yeah, this is a good series, must-read for anyone into Drow society. New book comes out every 6 months, the 4th is this January.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-11-23 12:27am

Isn't there a webcomic out there involving Drow?

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-11-23 02:06am

Dalton wrote:Isn't there a webcomic out there involving Drow?

Well, several involve Drow, but you're probably thinking of Drow Tales. It's got good art, but for some reason I've never been able to get into it.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-11-23 12:09pm

On The Subject Of The Drow

Gamerjargon.Com wrote: drow, Drow Elf, Drow Elves; Drow,The, p.n., D&D-ism
1. in Scottish folklore, a small maleovelent creature (possibly a gnome or a fairy) which lives in the water; there is a land dwelling equivalent called a trow. [LM]
2. in D&D, the Ultima series, and many other fantasy milieux, a race of
evil elves, often with black skin, or with blue skin and white hair.

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Elves vs Drow

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