D&D General better dark elves?

[Mind of tempest]

Easy answer to keep drow the antagonists without making them evil:

Ancient grudges and competition for resources leads to antipathy between them and surface elves, but individually they've got all the same variety as anyone else.

Y'know. Like France and England. Or Spain and England. Or Germany and England. Or England with other Britons. Damned English, ruining England for everyone else!

do not speak to me of half my family for I will never shut up about the fights my grudges against them and the fact I an neither side.

but more on-topic historical grudges work to keep them as foes or at least having fights.

but now what the dark should be.

I was going to suggest this.
In essence, change the Drow's origin story: They were driven underground in order to avoid the fallout of a cataclysmic event. Their culture is based around surviving the brutal UnderDark.

I believe Pathfinder did that but kept the rest of the problem.

I do not need "why they are" but a better "what they are".

How about we make Shadar-kai humans again and then remove all elves but eladrin?

you can't cull the elf varieties they replicate too fast for that and the elf worshippers will be insufferable about it.

 

[Seramus]

So much fuss could have been avoided if they just used the word Culture from the beginning. Not all the fuss, but a nice chunk of it.

 

[Corinnguard]

So much fuss could have been avoided if they just used the word Culture from the beginning. Not all the fuss, but a nice chunk of it.

Shadow Elf | Level Up I agree.