Drow Houses and Lloths favor? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Drow Houses and Lloths favor? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
khazefryn
03-03-06, 05:37 AM In the novels the noble houses of Menzoberranzan actively crave Lloths favor and when they lose it [her favor], it effectively signals their doom. I'm trying to determine why it is so important to their survival.

What do they lose when Lloth withdraws her favor, are they unable to cast cleric spells? And what do they get when the Spider Queen has granted her favor?

Finally, do the drow in Lloths highest favor get something extra and what are the degrees of favor (e.g. highest, moderate, low, none) and their benefits?
Zireael
03-03-06, 07:44 AM Of course, if you are out of goddess's favor, she won't answer your prayers. So you can't cast spells (or they're heavily down in effect). All other houses will attack you so you can't survive. That's all of that.
Ripe
03-03-06, 09:00 AM Naturally if your goddess doesn't answer your prayers you can't replace clerical spells you cast, but I think that there is more than just that.

Your priestesses domain powers and domain spells would stop functioning, glyphs and wards created by priestesses that protect your House might also stop working [they are gift from goddess after all] and all the other defenses you gain from Lolth would most likely also stop functioning.

But the biggest threat to your House if you fall out of favor is the fact that other drow Houses are not bound by the The Way of Lolth in their dealings with you. Which mean that you may be attacked by more than one House, that you may be attacked immediatelly after surviving attack and that there is no penalty to other Houses for failed attack on you (other than maybe loosing Lolth's favor).
Jibidy
03-07-06, 11:50 AM I agree with what people have said about the favor of lolth, and you can also use that type of logic for all the gods especially those who are prone to war amongst each other, for example, maybe particular clans of Tempus war amongst each other, whoever shows more battle prowess or ferocity would most likely garner his favor.

But back to what i wanted to get to, i read a drizzt book and it brought up an astonishing point about how it would make perfect sense that drizzt is actually the chosen of lolth. She is the god of chaos after all, and over the decades has brought nothing but that to the drow and all those he has battled and overcome, if you read the books and you've got a good sense of how lolth works it's actually a fairly interesting idea.
lone_ranger_84
03-07-06, 01:28 PM I agree with Jibidy on the point about Drizzt might be a chosen of lloth because thaat point was brought up in the Hunters Blade Trilogoy. What I don't agree with is Ripe's p[oint on the no penalty for a failed house attack If there is a failure and there is surving noble people they have the right to acusation in "Menzorberenzen" I do not know about the other Drow cities but if there is a failure the house that was attacked can name the house that attacked them or the supposed house that attacked and the ruling council of eight will decree that house to be destroyed and the drow academy will come and watch and the students in in the clerical school and the wizards school will use the time tyo draw forth demons from the abyss to destoy the house that failed. If you do not fail and do not get caught there is no reprimand just a silent congradulation on a job well done.
Ripe
03-07-06, 05:02 PM ...What I don't agree with is Ripe's p[oint on the no penalty for a failed house attack If there is a failure and there is surving noble people they have the right to acusation in "Menzorberenzen" I do not know about the other Drow cities but if there is a failure the house that was attacked can name the house that attacked them or the supposed house that attacked and the ruling council of eight will decree that house to be destroyed and the drow academy will come and watch and the students in in the clerical school and the wizards school will use the time tyo draw forth demons from the abyss to destoy the house that failed. If you do not fail and do not get caught there is no reprimand just a silent congradulation on a job well done.
Yes, that is what will happen under normal circumstances. But a House that fall out of Lolth's favor CANNOT bear witness and bring acuasations against aggresor House.

Like I said, everybody else is not bound by The Way of Lolth in dealing with that particular House. And I think that loosing Lolth's favor is a big penalty.
Zanan
03-08-06, 04:46 AM Haven't read the Drizzt novels for quite some time, so I cannot remember exactly what befell the houses who lost the favor. Then again, if Lolth decides to show her favor to one house, you could deny her clerics the gaining of NEW spells. They will keep their old ones (as usual) and have to try their best to regain Lolth's favor in time. Usually, Lolth will let a rival house know about the loss in spellpower and e.g. one could assume that if the attack against the favor-less house is repelled, the favor will be regained.

Drizzt a chosen ... now come on, not again.
Ripe
03-08-06, 07:16 AM It took me awhile to find it but this is from Menzoberanzan box set:

"Any House attacking another that had just survived an earlier attack (within the same year) looses the favor of Lolth. That means their priestesses loses the ability to use their spells during the attack and thereafter, until great deed or service have been performed to regain Lolth's favor; the House is unable to defend itself except by diplomatic and purely physical means and is surely doomed. Other Houses may attack it with impunity."

Which mean that Lolth actually strip all divine spells from priestesses memory.
White_Wizard
03-08-06, 08:00 AM Well, it's Lloth or Lolth?
For a good deal of time R.A.Salvatore used the Lloth form, which was explained in an old 2e boxed set as the correct spelling of the goddess'es name, while those who didn't know the exact spelling said Lolth. In recent times Lolth took the main place, even in Salvatore's most recent novels.

Did anyone think that it was originally RA Salvatore's mistake writing Lloth and then fixed in the boxed set, or that's simply something lost in time?
Zanan
03-08-06, 10:27 AM It was Lolth all the way, then a spelling mistake by R.A.S. taken up by other authors writing specifically about Menzo, as it was said to be a Northern Drowish way of pronuncing/spelling her name. Then again, all the latest novels and sourcebooks, including the WotSQ have reverted back to the original ... Lolth.
loki87
03-08-06, 11:27 AM Yeah, Salvatore's mistake and the editor's blunder in not picking it up eventually got "covered up" by the 2e sourcebook. Thankfully, now everyone is spelling it correctly again. :embarrass

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
khazefryn 03-03-06, 05:37 AM	In the novels the noble houses of Menzoberranzan actively crave Lloths favor and when they lose it [her favor], it effectively signals their doom. I'm trying to determine why it is so important to their survival. What do they lose when Lloth withdraws her favor, are they unable to cast cleric spells? And what do they get when the Spider Queen has granted her favor? Finally, do the drow in Lloths highest favor get something extra and what are the degrees of favor (e.g. highest, moderate, low, none) and their benefits?
Zireael 03-03-06, 07:44 AM	Of course, if you are out of goddess's favor, she won't answer your prayers. So you can't cast spells (or they're heavily down in effect). All other houses will attack you so you can't survive. That's all of that.
Ripe 03-03-06, 09:00 AM	Naturally if your goddess doesn't answer your prayers you can't replace clerical spells you cast, but I think that there is more than just that. Your priestesses domain powers and domain spells would stop functioning, glyphs and wards created by priestesses that protect your House might also stop working [they are gift from goddess after all] and all the other defenses you gain from Lolth would most likely also stop functioning. But the biggest threat to your House if you fall out of favor is the fact that other drow Houses are not bound by the The Way of Lolth in their dealings with you. Which mean that you may be attacked by more than one House, that you may be attacked immediatelly after surviving attack and that there is no penalty to other Houses for failed attack on you (other than maybe loosing Lolth's favor).
Jibidy 03-07-06, 11:50 AM	I agree with what people have said about the favor of lolth, and you can also use that type of logic for all the gods especially those who are prone to war amongst each other, for example, maybe particular clans of Tempus war amongst each other, whoever shows more battle prowess or ferocity would most likely garner his favor. But back to what i wanted to get to, i read a drizzt book and it brought up an astonishing point about how it would make perfect sense that drizzt is actually the chosen of lolth. She is the god of chaos after all, and over the decades has brought nothing but that to the drow and all those he has battled and overcome, if you read the books and you've got a good sense of how lolth works it's actually a fairly interesting idea.
lone_ranger_84 03-07-06, 01:28 PM	I agree with Jibidy on the point about Drizzt might be a chosen of lloth because thaat point was brought up in the Hunters Blade Trilogoy. What I don't agree with is Ripe's p[oint on the no penalty for a failed house attack If there is a failure and there is surving noble people they have the right to acusation in "Menzorberenzen" I do not know about the other Drow cities but if there is a failure the house that was attacked can name the house that attacked them or the supposed house that attacked and the ruling council of eight will decree that house to be destroyed and the drow academy will come and watch and the students in in the clerical school and the wizards school will use the time tyo draw forth demons from the abyss to destoy the house that failed. If you do not fail and do not get caught there is no reprimand just a silent congradulation on a job well done.
Ripe 03-07-06, 05:02 PM	...What I don't agree with is Ripe's p[oint on the no penalty for a failed house attack If there is a failure and there is surving noble people they have the right to acusation in "Menzorberenzen" I do not know about the other Drow cities but if there is a failure the house that was attacked can name the house that attacked them or the supposed house that attacked and the ruling council of eight will decree that house to be destroyed and the drow academy will come and watch and the students in in the clerical school and the wizards school will use the time tyo draw forth demons from the abyss to destoy the house that failed. If you do not fail and do not get caught there is no reprimand just a silent congradulation on a job well done. Yes, that is what will happen under normal circumstances. But a House that fall out of Lolth's favor CANNOT bear witness and bring acuasations against aggresor House. Like I said, everybody else is not bound by The Way of Lolth in dealing with that particular House. And I think that loosing Lolth's favor is a big penalty.
Zanan 03-08-06, 04:46 AM	Haven't read the Drizzt novels for quite some time, so I cannot remember exactly what befell the houses who lost the favor. Then again, if Lolth decides to show her favor to one house, you could deny her clerics the gaining of NEW spells. They will keep their old ones (as usual) and have to try their best to regain Lolth's favor in time. Usually, Lolth will let a rival house know about the loss in spellpower and e.g. one could assume that if the attack against the favor-less house is repelled, the favor will be regained. Drizzt a chosen ... now come on, not again.
Ripe 03-08-06, 07:16 AM	It took me awhile to find it but this is from Menzoberanzan box set: "Any House attacking another that had just survived an earlier attack (within the same year) looses the favor of Lolth. That means their priestesses loses the ability to use their spells during the attack and thereafter, until great deed or service have been performed to regain Lolth's favor; the House is unable to defend itself except by diplomatic and purely physical means and is surely doomed. Other Houses may attack it with impunity." Which mean that Lolth actually strip all divine spells from priestesses memory.
White_Wizard 03-08-06, 08:00 AM	Well, it's Lloth or Lolth? For a good deal of time R.A.Salvatore used the Lloth form, which was explained in an old 2e boxed set as the correct spelling of the goddess'es name, while those who didn't know the exact spelling said Lolth. In recent times Lolth took the main place, even in Salvatore's most recent novels. Did anyone think that it was originally RA Salvatore's mistake writing Lloth and then fixed in the boxed set, or that's simply something lost in time?
Zanan 03-08-06, 10:27 AM	It was Lolth all the way, then a spelling mistake by R.A.S. taken up by other authors writing specifically about Menzo, as it was said to be a Northern Drowish way of pronuncing/spelling her name. Then again, all the latest novels and sourcebooks, including the WotSQ have reverted back to the original ... Lolth.
loki87 03-08-06, 11:27 AM	Yeah, Salvatore's mistake and the editor's blunder in not picking it up eventually got "covered up" by the 2e sourcebook. Thankfully, now everyone is spelling it correctly again. :embarrass