Drow in Dark Sun - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Drow in Dark Sun

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Ash2Dust
Aug 23, 2011 22:28:53 I'm running a Dark Sun campaign, and we have drow. From what I can tell, they're not one of the races that is explicitly non-existant, but I can also find no information on their role in the world. Which of the standard assumptions would it be reasonable to keep, and which would be reasonable to change? Which new assumptions might make sense?

Primarily, would they still live primarily underground? What kind of relations would they have with elves and eladrin? How welcome are they in civilization?

I would presume the spider motifs are not nearly as prevalent without Lolth's influence, but should they still have abyssal connections?
#2
naxel
Aug 24, 2011 1:11:56 I imagine that drow could be run as per usual in Dark Sun fairly easily: Thousands of years ago they fled deep beneath the earth to avoid becoming victims of the Cleansing Wars. Athas' underdark is even more brutal than its surface because the heat is retained inside the deep caverns, something akin to an oven. There, now having become distant cousins of the surface elves and noting the absence of their old deities, they turn to demon worship.

If you wanted to do something way different, I've always tried to think of them having to do with either Ral or Guthay. Perhaps the drow are a sort of primal culture living in the crevasses of the Ringing Mountains, protecting the now disfunctional moongates they arrived from ages ago
#3
Gallard
Aug 24, 2011 3:04:51 Drow in my Athas are still underground, but they are albino instead of dark (regular elves in Athas have a much darker hue/pigmentation than on other worlds), to emphasize thier oddity. spider motif changed to generic insectile motif. vile evilness changed to uncaring apathy for the above-world, with active reclusiveness and xenophobia.

i actually altered most races just abit ... tweaked, really. here's my elf square:

Elves - generic Elves. from all walks of life and locale. dark skin, any color hair.
Eladrin - Mind Elves, abhor magic and embrace psionics. protect feywild. tanned skin, light hair.
Drow - Pale Elves, as above. live in underdark. albino skin, light or red hair.
Shadar Kai - Shadow Elves. from the shadowfell. pale skin, dark hair.

(yea i changed shadar kai to elven ancestry vs human, the flavor works for my campaign)
#4
phoenix_m
Aug 24, 2011 11:03:50
spider motif changed to generic insectile motif.

So what would their relations with the kreen be like? Those ready to die are sent to the Crimson Savannas as peace offerings...
#5
DontEatRawHagis
Aug 24, 2011 19:06:23 There have been a lot of different threads about this. My personal take was that were travelling elven tribes that are suntouched/warped. They do not sweat, but are badly affected by the nights. They have strong ties to the Dark Sun. My idea was that there would be a drow ranger(No scimitars) that would be their guide through the desert, but like most elves his motivation was not what it appeared to be. He was going to guide them into a trap, where upon the players would be captured and sacrificed to the Dark Sun.
#6
angelus_obscura
Aug 24, 2011 20:17:51 While I think the idea of drow being sunwarped elves/eladrin has merit, I do not like to pigeonhole drow into their stereotypical origin of outcast elves who were magically mutated into their current physical appearance. Let's face it, it's been done to death (FR, Eberron, Greyhawk)

I'm with Naxel on this, and I think there was another thread like this discussing possible origins for drow in Dark Sun. I've always been intrigued by the presence of moongates on Athas, and the potential of the two habitable moons orbiting the planet. They could just be another tribe of eladrin or elves from one or both of the moons. In fact, their homeland could be hidden in the dark side of one of the moons.

Or another nice option is have them be from the Obsidian Plain region; they could be redubbed Obsidian Elves.
#7
Duskweaver
Aug 25, 2011 3:31:04 I'd start with what makes the drow race mechanically distinct from other elves:

They can see perfectly even in total darkness;

They tend to be more charismatic (i.e. self-confident and socially adept);

They have an innate ability to manipulate darkness;

They do not sleep.

Then come up with a plausible explanation for each trait. For example, their darkvision suggests they might be nocturnal if they don't live underground. Their racial Charisma bonus suggests a relatively complex society, where subtlety and guile are emphasised over physical might, and where who you know is more important than what you do. Their ability to create clouds of darkness suggest a link to the Grey or the Black, while Trance potentially links them more closely to the eladrin (and the Lands Within The Wind) than to the elves (and Athas itself).
#8
naxel
Aug 25, 2011 9:09:32 I really like the idea of them wandering the Dead Lands, as said above. Endless plains of obsidian with dark-skinned drow wandering around it is a pretty cool image. Why would they stick around there, though? All the undead wouldn't make for a pleasant life...
#9
damanrando
Aug 30, 2011 21:53:58 *coughs* being said player of said drow in question, as well as a fairly new player to D&D.... this campaign and the last... 3 or 4 seasons of encounters, I appreciate all of the ideas, as they help me be a better Roleplayer... I especially like the idea of the wandering the obsidian plains.... perhaps caves underneath to better justify the darkvision.... *coughs* and my giving the half-elf swordmage crap about being a "surfacer"... so far she hasn't picked up on it
#10
Azzibeel
Aug 30, 2011 22:25:44
Maybe it is because I like Eberron's Drow so much but I picture Athas's dark elves very similar, heavily tattooed and very tribal. For my game they fled into the Feydark and worship a very powerful scorpion like Feylord. With the majority of the dark elves being warlocks they make raids on Athas and channel the souls of their victims to their Lord in an attempt to revitalise the Feywild, well at least the Feylord's neck of the woods.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Ash2Dust Aug 23, 2011 22:28:53	I'm running a Dark Sun campaign, and we have drow. From what I can tell, they're not one of the races that is explicitly non-existant, but I can also find no information on their role in the world. Which of the standard assumptions would it be reasonable to keep, and which would be reasonable to change? Which new assumptions might make sense? Primarily, would they still live primarily underground? What kind of relations would they have with elves and eladrin? How welcome are they in civilization? I would presume the spider motifs are not nearly as prevalent without Lolth's influence, but should they still have abyssal connections?
#2 naxel Aug 24, 2011 1:11:56	I imagine that drow could be run as per usual in Dark Sun fairly easily: Thousands of years ago they fled deep beneath the earth to avoid becoming victims of the Cleansing Wars. Athas' underdark is even more brutal than its surface because the heat is retained inside the deep caverns, something akin to an oven. There, now having become distant cousins of the surface elves and noting the absence of their old deities, they turn to demon worship. If you wanted to do something way different, I've always tried to think of them having to do with either Ral or Guthay. Perhaps the drow are a sort of primal culture living in the crevasses of the Ringing Mountains, protecting the now disfunctional moongates they arrived from ages ago
#3 Gallard Aug 24, 2011 3:04:51	Drow in my Athas are still underground, but they are albino instead of dark (regular elves in Athas have a much darker hue/pigmentation than on other worlds), to emphasize thier oddity. spider motif changed to generic insectile motif. vile evilness changed to uncaring apathy for the above-world, with active reclusiveness and xenophobia. i actually altered most races just abit ... tweaked, really. here's my elf square: Elves - generic Elves. from all walks of life and locale. dark skin, any color hair. Eladrin - Mind Elves, abhor magic and embrace psionics. protect feywild. tanned skin, light hair. Drow - Pale Elves, as above. live in underdark. albino skin, light or red hair. Shadar Kai - Shadow Elves. from the shadowfell. pale skin, dark hair. (yea i changed shadar kai to elven ancestry vs human, the flavor works for my campaign)
#4 phoenix_m Aug 24, 2011 11:03:50	spider motif changed to generic insectile motif. So what would their relations with the kreen be like? Those ready to die are sent to the Crimson Savannas as peace offerings...
#5 DontEatRawHagis Aug 24, 2011 19:06:23	There have been a lot of different threads about this. My personal take was that were travelling elven tribes that are suntouched/warped. They do not sweat, but are badly affected by the nights. They have strong ties to the Dark Sun. My idea was that there would be a drow ranger(No scimitars) that would be their guide through the desert, but like most elves his motivation was not what it appeared to be. He was going to guide them into a trap, where upon the players would be captured and sacrificed to the Dark Sun.
#6 angelus_obscura Aug 24, 2011 20:17:51	While I think the idea of drow being sunwarped elves/eladrin has merit, I do not like to pigeonhole drow into their stereotypical origin of outcast elves who were magically mutated into their current physical appearance. Let's face it, it's been done to death (FR, Eberron, Greyhawk) I'm with Naxel on this, and I think there was another thread like this discussing possible origins for drow in Dark Sun. I've always been intrigued by the presence of moongates on Athas, and the potential of the two habitable moons orbiting the planet. They could just be another tribe of eladrin or elves from one or both of the moons. In fact, their homeland could be hidden in the dark side of one of the moons. Or another nice option is have them be from the Obsidian Plain region; they could be redubbed Obsidian Elves.
#7 Duskweaver Aug 25, 2011 3:31:04	I'd start with what makes the drow race mechanically distinct from other elves: They can see perfectly even in total darkness; They tend to be more charismatic (i.e. self-confident and socially adept); They have an innate ability to manipulate darkness; They do not sleep. Then come up with a plausible explanation for each trait. For example, their darkvision suggests they might be nocturnal if they don't live underground. Their racial Charisma bonus suggests a relatively complex society, where subtlety and guile are emphasised over physical might, and where who you know is more important than what you do. Their ability to create clouds of darkness suggest a link to the Grey or the Black, while Trance potentially links them more closely to the eladrin (and the Lands Within The Wind) than to the elves (and Athas itself).
#8 naxel Aug 25, 2011 9:09:32	I really like the idea of them wandering the Dead Lands, as said above. Endless plains of obsidian with dark-skinned drow wandering around it is a pretty cool image. Why would they stick around there, though? All the undead wouldn't make for a pleasant life...
#9 damanrando Aug 30, 2011 21:53:58	coughs being said player of said drow in question, as well as a fairly new player to D&D.... this campaign and the last... 3 or 4 seasons of encounters, I appreciate all of the ideas, as they help me be a better Roleplayer... I especially like the idea of the wandering the obsidian plains.... perhaps caves underneath to better justify the darkvision.... coughs and my giving the half-elf swordmage crap about being a "surfacer"... so far she hasn't picked up on it
#10 Azzibeel Aug 30, 2011 22:25:44	Maybe it is because I like Eberron's Drow so much but I picture Athas's dark elves very similar, heavily tattooed and very tribal. For my game they fled into the Feydark and worship a very powerful scorpion like Feylord. With the majority of the dark elves being warlocks they make raids on Athas and channel the souls of their victims to their Lord in an attempt to revitalise the Feywild, well at least the Feylord's neck of the woods.