alternative to drow in Giants/Vault of the Drow series

direcow · Mar 16, 2005

I'm thinking of running a modified version of the old school series starting with Against the Giants and going through the Vault of the Drow. However, I realized that one of the cool things about those modules was the fact that nobody knew anything about the drow back then. My players have fought drow before, but never really adventured in the Underdark. I would like to throw something at them that would be an alternative to the drow used in those modules but still fit in the Underdark. I want to try and keep them on their toes and achieve that "what the heck are these things" feel I had when I first went through the Giants modules. Also, I want to try and avoid metagame thinking such as "everyone knows drow can cast darkness, be prepared." Any suggestions? Has anyone played through these modules using a drow alternative? Thanks.

Storm Raven · Mar 16, 2005

direcow said:
I'm thinking of running a modified version of the old school series starting with Against the Giants and going through the Vault of the Drow. However, I realized that one of the cool things about those modules was the fact that nobody knew anything about the drow back then. My players have fought drow before, but never really adventured in the Underdark. I would like to throw something at them that would be an alternative to the drow used in those modules but still fit in the Underdark. I want to try and keep them on their toes and achieve that "what the heck are these things" feel I had when I first went through the Giants modules. Also, I want to try and avoid metagame thinking such as "everyone knows drow can cast darkness, be prepared." Any suggestions? Has anyone played through these modules using a drow alternative? Thanks.

How about using tieflings or fey'ri in place of the drow?

Garnfellow · Mar 16, 2005

Have you checked out the Vallorians (sp?) from Arcana Unearthed. I really think they'd fit the bill.

VirgilCaine · Mar 16, 2005

Try the chagmat--they're shaped like driders, but are naturally occurring. You can find them in the Creature Catalog: http://www.enworld.org/cc/

direcow · Mar 16, 2005

Have you checked out the Vallorians (sp?) from Arcana Unearthed. I really think they'd fit the bill.

I don't know much of Arcana Unearthed, what are these Vallorians? I'm looking for something humonoid that doesn't carry too high a CR so that I can add class levels to the bad guys and still stay within acceptable encounter levels for a 12 or 13th level party.

Whizbang Dustyboots · Mar 16, 2005

I think the duergar would fit like a glove, and they're underutilized, IMO.

smootrk · Mar 16, 2005

Try Githyanki. Similar high power types with extensive culture, hidden outposts, cities, evil to boot. Check out a Dragon magazine that features a lot of Githyanki stuff to flesh out the bad guys and their motivations. I don't remember the Dragon mag number though offhand.

Endur · Mar 16, 2005

In Living Grayhawk

In the Living Grayhawk campaign, there are really three evil bad guys behind the war on humanity. The drow, the unseehli fey, and some really mean high level giants known as the Sakhut (Evil Cloud and Storm Giants).

The leveled evil Cloud/Storm Giants are the main foes. The drow are what the PCs expected and didn't end up fighting. The Fey are just troublemakers.

Dracomeander · Mar 16, 2005

direcow said:
I don't know much of Arcana Unearthed, what are these Vallorians? I'm looking for something humonoid that doesn't carry too high a CR so that I can add class levels to the bad guys and still stay within acceptable encounter levels for a 12 or 13th level party.

The Vallorians are exactly what you are looking for, but if you do not have access to Legacy of the Dragons you will find it extremely hard to implement them.

What I did in my campaign before Arcana Unearthed came out is go back to the old Norse representations of the Alfar and Dokkalfar (elves and dark elves). In the Norse tales, there is no physical difference between the two, just philosophical. It really threw the players for a loop to discover what they thought of as their friendly, neighborhood elves were really diabolically twisted perversions of the elves they knew.

diaglo · Mar 16, 2005

dark stalker, dark creepers, with clerics of tharizdun or some other mad deity.

mephits and elementals being used by slaads. use the lord of entropy or another slaadi lord.