Post/Author/DateTime	Post
little black bill 10-25-03, 02:37 PM	I was just wondering what people use for Drow background stories?? I want to make a Drow character but i dont know a lot about them. No one i know has ever played one and i really want to try. i would like to play a nuetral/good Drow but an evil onewould be cool too. I was just wondering what other people do? So if anyone has any website links ideas or backgrounds of their own Drow characters please reply. Thanks:D
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM 10-25-03, 03:47 PM	The most important rules- 1) No duel scimitars 2) Minimum Angst and everything else wil work great. Obviously a Good or maybe Neutral Drow would be exiled, so you could start from there.
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger 10-25-03, 10:27 PM	a neutral drow is pretty rare and a good drow is like one out of 100,000 (not sure if that number is exagerated or not but it's just to say its rare) A neutral drow might still be excepted in the drow socity but a good one would defently be exiled or actully in reality, be killed but chances are that good drow would escape. If you are a drow chances are everyone is going to asociate you with your evil race and in general be rude and even hostile and attack you for the only reason that your drow. In general the drow race religion is to the spider goddess Lolth, pretty much anyone found out to worship any other god/goddess is turned into a drider or killed. Households are a Matriarchy, run by woman, the males are usually looked to be inferior in almost all cases. The households have a ranking with one being at top the most powerful, and then you keep going down. How you move up is that you must destory a household secretly (not leaving any witnesses) however if a witness survives, the drow community promply goes and destories the offensive household. Most female nobles become clerics to Lolth, while I belive most male nobles become wizards. Most other females still become clerics to Lolth or I belive commanders of the troops. Most males just become fighters. Don't hold me to my word that any of this is 100% correct, its been awhile since i've looked into the drow for the simple fact while interesting characters to play, its hard to intergrate them into a campaign because most NPC's and probably PC's will say "Hey its a drow, must be evil then, pelt it with stones and kill it" sort of attitude.
Bloodtide_the_Red 10-26-03, 06:54 AM	Your typical drow on the surface is a runaway or exile. Assuming your drow is not a noble, your most likey on the surface because you don't have anywhere else to go. If your an average nobody drow, with no group/family/allies, then you have problems. Everyone will be out to get you and use you any way they want. So if your weak(low level), you have very little hope. You would then head up to the surface. At least there you have a chance. You could have been part of a rading party, and gotten lost and seperated. Now your stuck on the surface with no way home...if you even want to go back. There is always a portal or gate that can pop you up to the surface. You could always be a spy, or at least a plant. It does not have to be a huge plot, just something simple. Like putting a drow in city A, to distract from the drow in city B. BT
Midnight Lurker 10-27-03, 06:05 AM	Or you can play a Drow who lives underground. And likes it. And buys into the Drow theory that sunlight is evil and deadly, as are the surface dwelling creatures. It sounds different, but it can be fun, and you can play it with neutral or evil alignments.
nick012000 10-27-03, 06:30 AM	What would be really funny: a "Me Smash!" type drow.
Gallows God 10-28-03, 10:05 PM	That would be stupid. Any drow who are born stupid (like that) or with any physical or mental defect are sacrificed to Lolth. Drow society is so treacherous that even a drow who managed to survive childhood like that would be killed very quickly by his rivals as an adult.
Ithilorien 10-28-03, 10:10 PM	At least in Forgotten Realms there are enough good drow for the deity of good drow (eilistraee) to be a Lesser Power. So it's not as if they are as rare as some seem to want them to be. Don't let bad memories of Drizzt keep you from playing the character you want. On the same hand, too many people hate Drizzt for a scimitar-wielding, good drow ranger to well-recieved.
nick012000 10-29-03, 12:13 AM	Be a (female) nudist cleric of Eilistraee. Rather in character too, seeing that Eilistraee is the diety of nude dancing in the moonlight, and she only accepts females as her clerics.
Mefhiston 10-29-03, 04:35 AM	Me play Drow! I dont think the "me smash" Drow is that unrealistic. Assume a "me smash" Drow born in, say, the 12th house. The house realy want to climp, so they keep him. Over time, he grows to be a strong fighter, and he is not killed by his rivals because its much more proffit in fooling the "me bash" into doing what they want. The Matron Mothers and other Clerics also tolarates him, because he is so easily presuaded ("Jump up and down until I get back" "Ooookay". On another note, my Drow aint that nice, and he definatly is not wielding twin scimitars (thought I have in the past) He fights with an adamantine saber in his right hand, and on his left hand is an anciant adamantine bracer, witch in reality is a qasi artifact with conjur chain at will. So Two weapon fighting with spiked chain and saber. As for how I ended up on the surface? Well, long story made short, he was his house's elderboy, an exelent fighter and assasin, and when the house fell he was left in a city full of wery ****** enemies, and had to flee. After roaming the underdark for X-years, he finaly found his way to the surface. Then follows the slishay of him beeing hunted and feard everywere. Still, he is neutral evil, thought that might change soon. Ignore numerus spelling errors,
Ssussunriyh 10-29-03, 07:05 AM	Most Lolth-dominated societies are forbidden to acknowledge that other deities even exist, let alone worship them. But there are a handfull of drow communities that are not under Lolth's thumb (or heel.) In the Forgotten Realms, the drow city of Sshamath is a pretty cosmopolitan place by drow standards. The city is ruled by wizards (mostly males, but with a couple of females on the council.) There is a temple to Lolth, mostly out of tradition, but the clergy has little or no real power. In fact clerical magic is scorned, and while other deities are worshipped, no deity is widely venerated. There is a thriving trade in magical items and spell components, and other races are frequently encountered there, including surface dwellers (but very few, if any, elves. They welcome visitors who come to do business, but the drow of Sshamath are still drow!) Other drow gods include: Eilistraee (Lolth's daughter, a lesser goddess of good drow who seek peaceful coexistance and a return to the surface world. Her clerics must be female, although they do not have to be drow. They worship by dancing in a moonlit glade, while wearing as little as possible - often nothing at all. Eilistraee is a moody, melancholy goddess who promotes hunting, dance, song, and swordplay.) Vhaeraun (Lolth's son, a lesser god of thievery, drow males, and evil activity on the surface. The clergy is run much like a thieves' guild or espionage organization. He has an egalitarian attitude with regard to males vs. females.) Kiaransalee (an ascended mortal drow necromancer, demigoddess of undead and vengeance. Twisted, paranoid, hateful, cruel, and consumed by madness. Unwilling vassal of Lolth.) Selvetarm (son of Vhaeraun and a now-defunct minor elven goddess of dance, he is a demigod of drow warriors and serves Lolth utterly. Not too overly bright, by all accounts...)
eudas 10-29-03, 10:23 AM	Originally posted by Ithilorien At least in Forgotten Realms there are enough good drow for the deity of good drow (eilistraee) to be a Lesser Power. So it's not as if they are as rare as some seem to want them to be. Don't let bad memories of Drizzt keep you from playing the character you want. On the same hand, too many people hate Drizzt for a scimitar-wielding, good drow ranger to well-recieved. well you may well be right about people hating good-drow for being drizzt-stereotypic, but let's examine here: which came first, the good-aligned drow god, or drizzt? i'd be willing to bet that it was drizzt that came first, and the "good-aligned drow god" just came along later for people who wanted to have a cheap and handy in-game excuse to play a drizzt-type. eudas
Mr. VanderMeer 10-29-03, 10:50 AM	You could also play a drow orphan. Maybe adventurers (or an army) destroyed a small drow enclave or outpost. But the parties' paladin couldn't allow the baby drow they found to be killed. So he (or she) took the infant along and either: -raised him as a son, instilling upon the young drow the virtues of the paladin code; voila, one drow paladin! -had him adopted by a temple, an wizard or something similar. The drow child grows up loved and becomes of a good alignment and could be of any class. Give the character the feat where they are not bothered by sunlight anymore (I believe it's 'daylight adaptation'). There you have an original drow backstory and you can have some real fun when the drow wants to learn about his heritage and/or get in touch with his roots.
SmiloDan 10-29-03, 12:28 PM	I'm playing a male elf druid archer right now, but he's like 1/8th or 1/16th drow...but the drow I'm using are more like the Unseelie Court than the Llolth slaves. I think. The DM is still working out the details. My character is very loosely based on Merry Gentry from the "A Kiss of Shadows" by Laurell K. Hamilton. Merry Gentry is the niece of the Queen of Air and Darkness, and she's on the run from the Unseelie Court. She changed her name and is a PI in a big firm in LA. The Unseelie Court has been based outside of Chicago ever since they made a treaty with the Jefferson administration back in the day.
anglar 10-30-03, 02:46 AM	Originally posted by nick012000 Be a (female) nudist cleric of Eilistraee. Rather in character too, seeing that Eilistraee is the diety of nude dancing in the moonlight, and she only accepts females as her clerics. She now accepts males.
Trydan 11-04-03, 09:51 AM	I have a drow character who saw a chance to escape to the surface with an adventuring party as a chance to escape slavery. He is still evil, still stealthy, still hates the sunlight and still very much drow. However, he is free now, and can do whatever he wants.
osirisisdead 11-04-03, 06:44 PM	I played a surface born drow who grew up in an Elistrae Cult village. He was told stories of Drizzt as a child and wants to be just like him, twin scimitars and all. :D He was a real Drizzt wannabe... I need to try him out again.
samoosa691 11-06-03, 10:09 AM	get the complete book to drow, they have everything on drow..., quite helpful...
Kethrywin 11-06-03, 03:58 PM	I actually play 2 drow - Both good aligned. Khalithra was a follower of Eillistraee (And not at all a Drizzt wannabe :D ) originally - Now she follows a new god, as Eillistraee is banned from her world. (See the Drow Foundation for more on that story) Salamondre is the God of Life, Death and Rebirth, and she is the first of his priests. She's a 14th level CG "Lifesinger of Salamondre" (A PrC which uses music as the vehicle for spellcasting - Tapping into the life force of the world, known as "The Song Undying". Khalithra has a daughter. 1/2 drow, 1/4 unknown elf, and 1/4 human (Result of a 1 night stand - hey, there were reasons!- with another PC, from a different campaign). Her name is Kelzanelie. Kel looks like she's full drow, except she has her father's green eyes. She's a CG Rogue/Sorceress Khalithra has had to fight against prejudice her entire life, and is only in the last few years well known enough to be recognized and respected for who she is, rather than what color her skin is. Kel on the other hand is only now running into prejudice - having been sheltered for most of her life by her mother. Not to mention living in an area and surrounded by people who know and love her. Mother and daughter have very different personalities and viewpoints in spite of the same alignment, and are very different to RP - Kel doesn't even realize she's Drow, most of the time! There are a whole lot of ways to play your drow, but whichever way you choose, just being what you are can add some great RPing to your character