Drow....From the Novel or From the Rulebooks? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Drow....From the Novel or From the Rulebooks? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Avathar et Nwalme
05-27-04, 07:52 AM I've read quite a few of the forgotten realms books now, and one smallish thing always bothered me...in the Novels the drow are depicted very differently from in the Core Rule Book of the forgotten realms, small things like drow having Red misty orbs for eyes (except Drizzt…dah), but in the core book being told they have white cloudy orbs, and small historical and societal differences...anyway, My question is.

When using drow in character concepts and in general play, what do you go off, the Novels or the Rule Book?

I just want to know which overrules

thank you so very much for any insite you can give.
Cunning Linguist
05-27-04, 09:20 AM It all comes down to where these drow are from.

Are they Earthroot drow? Or Old Shantar drow? Drizzt is a Northdark drow for that sake.. There are also Darklands drow and Great Bhaerynden drow, and a few more other places.

All these drow have diffrent traits and diffrent outlooks to life. There is no single one type of drow.
Faraer
05-27-04, 09:21 AM In this case, Races of Faerūn reinstates the fact (mentioned in FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark) that drow eyes are often blood-red.

Officially, when playing the game, the sourcebooks overrule novels on gameplay matters, and on lore matters, since the contradictions aren't deliberate, either version might be decided to be correct the next time the subject's mentioned in print.

For my part, the authority on the Realms is its creator Ed Greenwood, and I'll take what he says about something (in any medium) over conflicting information. Same with Bob Salvatore and Menzoberranzan, Steven Schend and Erlkazar (etc.), Richard Baker and Shade, if I'm using any of those.

The official stance is always latest-supercedes-earlier, but I'm as likely to go back to an earlier source if it's more coherent, exciting, and true to the Realms.
Alac Luin
05-27-04, 11:12 AM The only "core" sorce I have at the moment to reference is the 3.5 SRD, and that doesent mention eye color, oh well.

The drow of FR may differ slightly from Drow in other worlds, the "core" books do assume another world.

In almost every FR books, the drow most commonly have red eyes, so your "white orbed" drow in a FR game can denote the possibility of a traveler from another world.

EDIT: I have to amend this, as I just glanced over my 3.5 SRD once more, here is what it says.

Also known as dark elves, drow are a depraved and evil subterranean offshoot.
White is the most common hair color among drow, but almost any pale shade is possible. Drow tend to be smaller and thinner than other sorts of elves, and their eyes are often a vivid red.

Emphasis mine, looks like the “core” rules say red also
Zanan
05-27-04, 02:15 PM Since the best source about the drow of the Realms is long out of print and hard to acquire, I took up that "challenge" and noted the following down from FOR 2 - The Drow of the Underdark of the Archwizard Ed Greenwood (p.5):

Drow Build
Drow vary in shape, features, and hair color as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule is their uniformly jet-black skin (the few exceptions tend to be bone-white albinos). The majority of drow have snow-white hair from birth, yellowing (if female) or graying (if male) and thinning with great age. Rare drow have naturally silver or copper-hued hair, although there are those who deliberately dye their hair silver (see the chapter on Drow Religion, under "Eilistraee").
Most drow have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. All drow eyes tend to grow redder when they are angry or upset. Yellow eyes usually denote illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics. Blue and purple (and all the tints thereof) are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or surface-elven blood somewhere in the drow's ancestry.
Drow teeth may be black, white, or purple, and their gums, tongues, and throats pink, red, or purple.
Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Both sexes tend to be lithe, slim, and graceful in build, features, and movements, much as other elves appear to human eyes.

This is the most common description used for any sourcebook drow. Whatever appears in novels and differs from this is IMHO author's freedom. The MM and RoF apparently only use shorter version of what is said above.
Kuje31
05-27-04, 02:39 PM Originally posted by Zanan
Since the best source about the drow of the Realms is long out of print and hard to acquire, I took up that "challenge" and noted the following down from FOR 2 - The Drow of the Underdark of the Archwizard Ed Greenwood (p.5):

This is the most common description used for any sourcebook drow. Whatever appears in novels and differs from this is IMHO author's freedom. The MM and RoF apparently only use shorter version of what is said above.

It's to bad 3.5e retconned the skin tones in the Underdark sourcebook :) And according to Ed if a sourcebook does so, then that is now the official canon answer. So again drow can be blue-black, greyish, as well as obsidian.
saethar
05-27-04, 08:09 PM Originally posted by Avathar et Nwalme
I've read quite a few of the forgotten realms books now, and one smallish thing always bothered me...in the Novels the drow are depicted very differently from in the Core Rule Book of the forgotten realms, small things like drow having Red misty orbs for eyes (except Drizzt…dah), but in the core book being told they have white cloudy orbs, and small historical and societal differences...anyway, My question is.

When using drow in character concepts and in general play, what do you go off, the Novels or the Rule Book?

I just want to know which overrules

thank you so very much for any insite you can give.

Don't forget that Liriel and her father both have amber yellow eyes.

Saethar
:b:
Valis Moonlight
05-27-04, 08:35 PM I go with the sourcebooks most of the time, except the retcon from the Underdark book...........another year or so and Wizards will make Elminster "Emperor of the Realms" with Drizz't as his personal "Champion". In my own campaigns, drow are almost uniformly pitch-black obsidian skinned(except the rare albino who is pure white) they have blood red irises mostly, with rarer colors like blue,amber,purple,silver,black and white occaisionally appearing. hair is also predominantly white, with a few silver,gray or black heads appearing from time to time.
WizO_BigSister
05-27-04, 09:03 PM The whole focus of this thread is to look at the difference between the physical appearance of Drow as they are described in the novels v.s. how they are described in the other source books. This counts as having a thread focussed on novels, which is against the rules.

You should have all read the rules here Novels - Important Info - Read This!!!! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185204)

There are other threads talking about the appearance of Drow over in the "Classes, Races & Monsters". These threads
1/. Don't break the rules on novels.
2/. Aren't in the wrong forum.
I am closing this one and advising you to go check out that forum AFTER reading the novels rules.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Avathar et Nwalme 05-27-04, 07:52 AM	I've read quite a few of the forgotten realms books now, and one smallish thing always bothered me...in the Novels the drow are depicted very differently from in the Core Rule Book of the forgotten realms, small things like drow having Red misty orbs for eyes (except Drizzt…dah), but in the core book being told they have white cloudy orbs, and small historical and societal differences...anyway, My question is. When using drow in character concepts and in general play, what do you go off, the Novels or the Rule Book? I just want to know which overrules thank you so very much for any insite you can give.
Cunning Linguist 05-27-04, 09:20 AM	It all comes down to where these drow are from. Are they Earthroot drow? Or Old Shantar drow? Drizzt is a Northdark drow for that sake.. There are also Darklands drow and Great Bhaerynden drow, and a few more other places. All these drow have diffrent traits and diffrent outlooks to life. There is no single one type of drow.
Faraer 05-27-04, 09:21 AM	In this case, Races of Faerūn reinstates the fact (mentioned in FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark) that drow eyes are often blood-red. Officially, when playing the game, the sourcebooks overrule novels on gameplay matters, and on lore matters, since the contradictions aren't deliberate, either version might be decided to be correct the next time the subject's mentioned in print. For my part, the authority on the Realms is its creator Ed Greenwood, and I'll take what he says about something (in any medium) over conflicting information. Same with Bob Salvatore and Menzoberranzan, Steven Schend and Erlkazar (etc.), Richard Baker and Shade, if I'm using any of those. The official stance is always latest-supercedes-earlier, but I'm as likely to go back to an earlier source if it's more coherent, exciting, and true to the Realms.
Alac Luin 05-27-04, 11:12 AM	The only "core" sorce I have at the moment to reference is the 3.5 SRD, and that doesent mention eye color, oh well. The drow of FR may differ slightly from Drow in other worlds, the "core" books do assume another world. In almost every FR books, the drow most commonly have red eyes, so your "white orbed" drow in a FR game can denote the possibility of a traveler from another world. EDIT: I have to amend this, as I just glanced over my 3.5 SRD once more, here is what it says. Also known as dark elves, drow are a depraved and evil subterranean offshoot. White is the most common hair color among drow, but almost any pale shade is possible. Drow tend to be smaller and thinner than other sorts of elves, and their eyes are often a vivid red. Emphasis mine, looks like the “core” rules say red also
Zanan 05-27-04, 02:15 PM	Since the best source about the drow of the Realms is long out of print and hard to acquire, I took up that "challenge" and noted the following down from FOR 2 - The Drow of the Underdark of the Archwizard Ed Greenwood (p.5): Drow Build Drow vary in shape, features, and hair color as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule is their uniformly jet-black skin (the few exceptions tend to be bone-white albinos). The majority of drow have snow-white hair from birth, yellowing (if female) or graying (if male) and thinning with great age. Rare drow have naturally silver or copper-hued hair, although there are those who deliberately dye their hair silver (see the chapter on Drow Religion, under "Eilistraee"). Most drow have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. All drow eyes tend to grow redder when they are angry or upset. Yellow eyes usually denote illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics. Blue and purple (and all the tints thereof) are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or surface-elven blood somewhere in the drow's ancestry. Drow teeth may be black, white, or purple, and their gums, tongues, and throats pink, red, or purple. Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Both sexes tend to be lithe, slim, and graceful in build, features, and movements, much as other elves appear to human eyes. This is the most common description used for any sourcebook drow. Whatever appears in novels and differs from this is IMHO author's freedom. The MM and RoF apparently only use shorter version of what is said above.
Kuje31 05-27-04, 02:39 PM	Originally posted by Zanan Since the best source about the drow of the Realms is long out of print and hard to acquire, I took up that "challenge" and noted the following down from FOR 2 - The Drow of the Underdark of the Archwizard Ed Greenwood (p.5): This is the most common description used for any sourcebook drow. Whatever appears in novels and differs from this is IMHO author's freedom. The MM and RoF apparently only use shorter version of what is said above. It's to bad 3.5e retconned the skin tones in the Underdark sourcebook :) And according to Ed if a sourcebook does so, then that is now the official canon answer. So again drow can be blue-black, greyish, as well as obsidian.
saethar 05-27-04, 08:09 PM	Originally posted by Avathar et Nwalme I've read quite a few of the forgotten realms books now, and one smallish thing always bothered me...in the Novels the drow are depicted very differently from in the Core Rule Book of the forgotten realms, small things like drow having Red misty orbs for eyes (except Drizzt…dah), but in the core book being told they have white cloudy orbs, and small historical and societal differences...anyway, My question is. When using drow in character concepts and in general play, what do you go off, the Novels or the Rule Book? I just want to know which overrules thank you so very much for any insite you can give. Don't forget that Liriel and her father both have amber yellow eyes. Saethar :b:
Valis Moonlight 05-27-04, 08:35 PM	I go with the sourcebooks most of the time, except the retcon from the Underdark book...........another year or so and Wizards will make Elminster "Emperor of the Realms" with Drizz't as his personal "Champion". In my own campaigns, drow are almost uniformly pitch-black obsidian skinned(except the rare albino who is pure white) they have blood red irises mostly, with rarer colors like blue,amber,purple,silver,black and white occaisionally appearing. hair is also predominantly white, with a few silver,gray or black heads appearing from time to time.
WizO_BigSister 05-27-04, 09:03 PM	The whole focus of this thread is to look at the difference between the physical appearance of Drow as they are described in the novels v.s. how they are described in the other source books. This counts as having a thread focussed on novels, which is against the rules. You should have all read the rules here Novels - Important Info - Read This!!!! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185204) There are other threads talking about the appearance of Drow over in the "Classes, Races & Monsters". These threads 1/. Don't break the rules on novels. 2/. Aren't in the wrong forum. I am closing this one and advising you to go check out that forum AFTER reading the novels rules.