Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Zardnaar Apr 28, 2015 16:36:14	Once upon a time the Drow were a feared and dangerous opponent in D&D. They were rare, graceful, and deadly and they could slaughter the PCs if they were not careful. Successive versions of D&D have toned them down to where mechanically they are a bad joke compared to their former glory. The Drizzt books have not helped along with the push to make them a PC race and events like 3.0’s Drow come to the surface.    Generally I do not allow Drow PCs as I want them rare and mysterious. Half the time my players are not even sure if Drow exist in my campaigns. You will never encounter one on the surface with the very very rare exception of an isolated elven settlement on a moonless night where the Drow raid perhaps once a decade or even century. For the greater glory of Lolth. What made Drow deadly in the good old days was a combination of their equipment, poison, spell like abilities and real magic resistance.    AD&D has been dead now for 15 years but back then magic resistance was expressed as a % roll. Drow were 50% resistant to magic +2% per level. A level 10 Drow fighter had MR of 70%. If a spell caster failed that roll (71%+) their spell would ail to effect the Drow whatsoever and the Drow cloaks gave a +6 save bonus vs a fire based attacks. The early Drizzt books do a reasonable job at describing the way the Drow worked at the time. MR scaled in 1E but was a static number in 2E. At higher levels it meant having a fighter type around was useful due to things like Mind Flayers with 90% MR.    For arguments sake to toughen up Drow to their former glory in the 5E rules I would add superior MR to the game and I would consider adding this for Dragons as well. I would have a tactic number and a d20 roll is used. Roll equal to or higher than the MR number your spell woks, roll lower and the creature is immune to the spell effects. For Drow this means a number of 11. If you wanted to scale it the number would rise by 1 at CR 3,5,7,9 etc. A CR9 Drow would have an MR number of 15 and in effect be 70% immune to magic.    Drow equipment can more or less use the optional sidebar in the MM. Drow poison could use a higher DC perhaps in the good old days it was in effect DC20 but saves work a bit different now. A 2-4 point buff in poison DCs would work. Drow could also have +1 equipment for CR 1-5, 6-11 +2 and CR 12+ gets +3 equipment and each Drow has Drow cloak and boots as well which function as cloaks and boots of elven kind but use the table on page 126 of the MM. I will use the Gladiator(page 346) tweaked as a basis of an elite Drow warrior. I will swap the dex and strength scores around for example. Basic Gladiator stats.   Medium Humanoid (any race) any alignment Armor Class 16 (studded leather, shield,) Hit Points 112 (15d8+45) Speed 30 ft.    Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6    Str 18 (+4), Dex 15 (+2), Con 16 (+3), Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2) Skills Athletics+10, Intimidation +5 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Any one language (usually common Challenge 5 (1800 XP)  Brave. The Gladiator has advantage on saving throws against being frightened  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra dice of damage when the gladiator hits with it (included in the attack) Actions. Multiattack. The gladiator makes 3 melee attacks or two ranged attacks. Spear. Melee or ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5’, range 20/60ft, one target. Hit 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage, or 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage if used with 2 hands to make a melee attack. Shield Bash. Melee weapon attack, +7 to hit, reach 5’, one creature. Hit 9 (2d4+_4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.   Drow Weaponmaster (gladiator reskin) Medium Humanoid (any race) any alignment Armor Class 19 (chain shirt, buckler,) Hit Points 112 (15d8+45) Speed 30 ft.    Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +6, Wis +4    Str 15 (+4), Dex 18 (+2), Con 16 (+3), Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2) Skills Intimidation +5,  Stealth +7, Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Any one language (usually common Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Superior Magic Resistance: 13  Skilled. A melee weapon deals one extra dice of damage when the drow hits with it (included in the attack) Equpment (all Drow), Boots of Elvenkinfd, Cloak of Elven Kind, +1 short sword, +1 chain shirt, +1 buckler, 4 dose drow poison. Actions. Multiattack. The gladiator makes 3 melee attacks or two ranged attacks. Shortsword. Melee or ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit,. Hit 11 (2d6+5) piercing damage + paralysis (DC13 con save) Hand Crossbow +8 to hit, 1d6+4+paralysis (DC 13) And it can use the Innate Spellcasting, Sunlight Sensitivity and Fey ancestry traits on page 128 of the 5E MM. I bumped its CR up to 6 as well. And that is basically it hopefully a somewhat faithful adaption of the Drow from the 1E Fiend Folio using 5E stats. I also have a personally house rule that should a Drow pick up 2 scimitars at the same time a DC100 con save must be made or the Drow is erased from reality. .
#2 SirAntoine Apr 29, 2015 1:10:42	The drow were to be feared, but they were also smart.  They knew to fight only when they had an almost certain victory, and they traveled in large numbers (over 100).  I have had them kill entire parties like they were sacrifices to Lolth waiting to be killed on the altar, and another party that waited until very high level to face them, only they retreated when they saw how well the party was prepared.
#3 Artifact Apr 29, 2015 2:12:46	Drow are PC only in our games (there are no NPCs, not on surface at least). This way, drow remain unique but still accessable.     In cosmopolitan cities, a drow might not draw a second glance.  Small towns and villages are a bit different..  Common folk aren't accustomed to seeing exotic races and they react differently.   Not many people have ever met a drow but plenty of dark tales tell of the race's evil nature.  Fortunately, this is a single drow (our PC); as long as she keeps to herself and doesn't stir up trouble, most people simply cross the street to avoid passing near, or they might bar doors before the drow can enter.    This is merely the norm.  There's always the chance that the drow becomes the focus of an encounter (or two).  Maybe somebody does want her head. These people are openly hostile and can't be avoided; they must be dealt with.     The norm however, is avoidance rather than confrontation.  This way, the character remain playable; the drow doesn't have to worry about being attacked every single time she rounds a corner.
#4 JohnLynch Apr 29, 2015 2:42:44	Artifact wrote:
#5 Ralif_Redhammer Apr 29, 2015 10:20:08	It’s tough to work against decades of oversaturation. I’m trying to use them sparingly, and make them all vicious, intelligent, completely immoral, and tough as can be.
#6 Brock_Landers Apr 29, 2015 12:29:40	A good thing to remember is originally it wasn't so much all about Lolth, the drow worshipped other demons/gods (you could have drow cities centred around Grazz't or something) as well.
#7 Zardnaar Apr 29, 2015 12:46:01	Brock_Landers wrote:
#8 Artifact Apr 29, 2015 13:00:47	I enjoyed the Quintessential Drow (a 3e book by Mongoose).  It was directed towards mature audiences, which allowed it to really bring out how vile drow really are.   Fleshcrafting was a pretty cool idea.  The techniques were so radical that they typically were only performed upon slaves.  Transmogrifications (as they are called in book) might include special glands in the neck that allow the subject to vomit webs; or bone blades, natural weapons applied to the arms or legs.     One fleshcraft I personally find most sickening is called Unborn Saviour.  Magic is used to create an unborn child inside an artificial womb.  This fetus becomes the target of a hostile spell.  The unborn child dies, is vomited out, and a new one begins to grow.   This stuff goes way beyond the PG 13 stuff I'm used to seeing in regards to the drow.  I definitely started to fear 'em again after reading this book.  Highly recommended.
#9 Zardnaar Apr 29, 2015 13:02:46	I read that book years ago. 3E era books even some of the WoTC ones were a bit edgier than the kiddie books of 5E.
#10 MechaPilot Apr 29, 2015 13:04:15	Artifact wrote:
#11 Zardnaar Apr 29, 2015 13:07:06	MechaPilot wrote:
#12 Brock_Landers Apr 29, 2015 13:19:24	Zardnaar wrote:
#13 Zardnaar Apr 29, 2015 14:16:52	Brock_Landers wrote:
(Reply to #5) JohnLynch	Ralif_Redhammer wrote:
#15 arnwolf666 Apr 30, 2015 18:55:01	In my game people would react to a drow the same as a person would react to a Pit Fiend, Balor, or Orcus.  Nothing wrong with setttings that do otherwise.  And the general population thinks of them as the boogey man.  And the general population would probaly be as likely to see a Pit Fiend as a Drow.  They are mysterious and thought of as fiction by many.
#16 Zardnaar Apr 30, 2015 19:01:33	arnwolf666 wrote:
#17 Brock_Landers Apr 30, 2015 22:05:38	I think giving them Magic Resistance, sleep poison, and pseudo-magical weapons is enough to make them wary in this edition.   ...bad news...
#18 Touc May 01, 2015 9:35:00	I'm going to have to dig up a copy of the Queen of the Demonwebs series...that's how drow should be...and convert some of the dark elf equipment/weapons (death sticks, snake headed whips, glob wands, and so on).  Drow should be one of the most feared adversaries in the game.