Just because driders are more powerful doesn't mean they aren't cursed. If you go with my suggestion above, that power comes at the price of being permanently enslaved to one of Lolth's bebilith minions; it's the bebilith that gets to wield the power, not you. I can think of other possibilities. A drider's existence could be full of agonizing pain. It might have its lifespan cut to the lifespan of a spider (20-30 years for the longest-lived tarantulas, 1-2 years for most species). It might have its soul ripped out of its body and a demon put in its place. It might be afflicted with madness. There are all sorts of options.
D&D 5E Do you think they will go back to driders being a curse instead of a blessing?
- Thread starter ForeverSlayer
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OmegaMan950
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I disagree on this point - Draegloths are hideous, sterile (not entirely sure - think it is mentioned in the 3.0 FR book, only have Drow of the Underdark on hand ATM) and among the highest ranking members of a house. Also, a yochlol's natural form is terrifying. Consistency isn't really there.
On the shunned driders note: " ... Drow have made overtures to the exiled driders, offering them am opportunity to belong once again. Obviously, they cannot regain their prior status and can never be considered the equal of true Drow, but they can fill the roles of favoured servants and agents, with powers and privileges greater than other non-drow in the community." Drow of the Underdark, p41
This idea of the driders coming back into drow society existed in 3.5, and isn't something new to just 4E. Two new monsters in the book, Shunned and Chwidencha, make far more better examples of drow flunkies.
Hussar, you are highly intelligent. So, you know that nobody's mind was ever changed by snark. Nobody's ever said, "Gee, that was so cutting and witty, that gentleman must clearly be correct! I will abandon my position, and join him instead!" In a large sense, you just *undercut* the effect of OmegaMan950's point. The basic result of such commentary is to make both sides dig in their heels and reject the other's propositions, increase acrimony.
Was this your goal? If so... that's edition warring, you know, and not really acceptable. If that wasn't your goal, then you probably need to rethink your approach so that what you write does serve your goals better.
Either way, cut the snark, please.
Thanks, all.
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Sunseeker
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Certainly there are all sorts of options, and I'm in favor of having options. I'll be honest that I don't particularly like your option, at least for players. I tend to frown on anything that affects "attitude adjustments" on players because either A: you essentially take over that character (which admitted is an option, and IMO, a better one) or B: you come up with a new "lawful stupid" situation, where you force a player to play in a manner they don't enjoy. Neither are particularly enjoyable concepts for the player or the DM (at least not IMO).
I still like the duality of it being a blessing and a curse, because that just strikes me a Lloth way of doing things. I think there should be a standard "here's the bennies of being a Drider" template, and then some additional optional penalties, such as madness (lost control in some manner and become an NPC), thirst for the flesh of the living, agonizing pain, shortened lifespan; provide some examples but otherwise leave these sorts of things up to the DM to determine the specifics of.
Gaining the Drider template really shouldn't be a common thing for Drow players, so I really think it's not something that needs to be explicit. The player and the DM should work out the details of what's gonna happen, what the player needs to go through, and what success or failure means.
I think Wizards did a fairly good job with the "Drider Template" here: https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20011118a
If the DM wants to make it to be a blessing, he can give it as is. If the DM wants to make it punishment, they can add some penalties to it. It's not something I expect to appear in Core, so hopefully Driders will be uncommon to rare beings that serve a special role in the game. At what like, 8th level when a Drow can take the Test of Lloth, a +2 CR isn't that big of a deal. Your characters are already superior to a vast number of people and creatures in any land. Taking on a position as favored of Lloth or dreaded monster is a fine thing to do around 8th level.
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Sunseeker
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As a DM, I will consider almost anything a player proposes. If they can come up with a solid way to achieve it and it fits with their character, I'd be willing to work with them. I also have a best friend who is totally in love with everything Drow, and we've been trying to get her to run a Drow campaign. At which point I really just connect the dots of A: being able to play a Drow. B: being able to be a sorcerer or cleric, and C: being able to take the test of Lloth and get blessed/cursed into a Drider, because ya know, my Drow love Lloth and wants to be remade in Her image (and Lloth is usually portrayed as a Drider).
That aside, I love coming up with all sorts of strange concoctions for playable characters and for NPCs and templates are a great way to expand the character creation and development options. They provide great non-loot incentives for PCs to engage in quests and go places they otherwise wouldn't.
EX: Legend tells that a beautiful woman once came across a genie, and she wished for great power. Because genies are genies, he turned her into a Medusa. Well, she wasn't that stupid and the genie was arrogant and she tricked him back and trapped the genie in stone, and guards it to this day hoping that she'll find a way to change back. Rumor has it that anyone who might free the genie would be granted a mighty boon for it's rescue.
Here are two things players might otherwise not want to deal with: A powerful medusa, and a mischievous genie. But because the player wants to achieve something that cannot simply be crafted or bought, they are inclined to undertake the adventure anyway as it might be the chance for them to get that special thing they want.
Yeah, me neither. Not that I would necessarily object to a player wanting to be a drider--we can work something out--but "How is this going to affect drider PCs?" is way low on my list of concerns when thinking up drider lore.
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Sunseeker
Guest
Honestly, that really surprises me. Especially with how well Mr. D's books sell, sometimes you'd think there wasn't anything else to the hobby.
But yeah, I'm certainly not suggesting the rules for curses be tailored to how they would affect players, but I would like to think that since they are curses (or blessings as the rules are essentially identical for implementation) it should be kept in mind that they can affect players (willingly or unwillingly).
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