Driders are opposite now: Discuss

[Aloïsius]

The change makes sense, at first view ("dridder are more powerfull and look like their godess"). It does not make sense if you try to think about all the implication of being a ugly half monster.

Anyway, the spider-donimatrix meme is somewhat boring, and I think there won't be any Lolth IMC

 

[Rechan]

It does not make sense if you try to think about all the implication of being a ugly half monster.

Ugly is relative.

 

[The_Fan]

You know, the top half may look good, but look at Futurama for the problems that may arise.

 

[Set]

I'm not playing 4E at the moment, and still with 3.5, but I like the change. If the Driders were indeed mindless monstrosities, then their form could be seen as a curse, but since they are indeed smarter, more charismatic (which means more self-confident and self-assured!) and wiser than baseline Drow, then it's far from being a curse.

It makes sense to be a blessing, but not one that everyone chooses to take. I'd even consider it an NPC-only Path of sorts that Drow Priests and Wizards can follow, or, in 3.5 terms, make it a Prestige Class or Monster Class, sort of like the Dragon Disciple or the Ghoul -> Ghast monster class levels, allowing the Drow to gradually ritually transform himself (with Lolth's blessing) into a Drider.

Making it a choice, with lots of rituals and deliberation involved, or something that requires direct divine intervention, explains why not every Drow Priest or Wizard ends up becoming a Drider, just as not every Sorcerer becomes a Dragon Disciple or not every Ghoul becomes a Ghast.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The last strong memory of Driders I have is the second expansion of Neverwinter Nights 1. I think it is in the displaced flying-elves town where you get to fight a lot of Drow - and the Driders are always among the troops.

I suppose the writers of that adventure didn't remember that Drider are outcast, either...

I tend to think - now that I am aware of "what-was" and "what-is" on Driders - that both stories have their merit, but I think I prefer the 4E variant since it works better for "thematic gameplay" - if you fight Drow, you fight ordinary Drows, Spiders and Driders... Makes sense to me.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

You know, the top half may look good, but look at Futurama for the problems that may arise.

Exactly what I was going to post.

 

[D'karr]

Hawt!



And also darn freaky. Like "The Fly", but ickier.

Or like the Episode "Jenifer" from Masters of Horror

 

[Schmoe]

I personally liked the old driders better as savage, bestial perversions of drow aspirations. PCs could fight these animalistic foes on the outskirts of society and think - what sort of race would do that to their own? It made the drow more edgy and less emo.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

I don't like it as it's a major change to canon (and I started previous thread with that issue ) .

having driders as enemies, makes total sense.

1) she is as said, a very chaotic and nasty deity.

2) Just cause they are drow-spiders doens't mean they have to like other drow, drow hate each other...

3) failing the tet and getting cursed made sense

4) having potential allies for drow enemies, or, havign angst filled border guards, are all great RP elements.
making them just more "drow" to fight, is bad.

 

[Knight Otu]

In previous editions, turning a Drow into a Drider made them a "mindless" abomination. You no longer were the same person anymore, because your mind was wiped out into an Int 2 (or whatever) creature that acted on instinct and cunning.

My AD&D monster book (should be 2nd edition, but it's the german version, so I can't be sure) gives them an Intelligence of High (14 - 20), which is essentially the same as the drow (13 - 20). Can someone else check those numbers?