D&D Movie/TV New D&D movie details? Vecna?!

[UngainlyTitan]

This drow conversation is interesting.

I'm half-black, and so through my father and my extended family, I have a little bit of perspective. And none of us have ever seen the drow as a racial stereotype. Some art in the 90s did this, but for the most part, drow look nothing like anyone in my family, have a completely alien culture to us, and the only connection you can make is on how dark their skin is. I personally (and this is not me speaking for anyone) is that it is more offensive to say that I, or my family, are drow because of dark skin then anything else. Why am I and those I'm related too being compared to a fantasy thing that looks and acts nothing like us?

I would agree but you are familiar with D&D, and the evil matriarchy aspect of the Drow has always bothered me more. However dropping either aspect on the Drow into a twitter post where most people would not know a drow from the back of a bus, seems like a recipe for trouble.
Hey guys " the D&D movie bad guys are an evil black race ruled by women" seems like to me to be the perfect flamebait in the right arena.

 

[Shardstone]

I would agree but you are familiar with D&D, and the evil matriarchy aspect of the Drow has always bothered me more. However dropping either aspect on the Drow into a twitter post where most people would not know a drow from the back of a bus, seems like a recipe for trouble.
Hey guys " the D&D movie bad guys are an evil black race ruled by women" seems like to me to be the perfect flamebait in the right arena.

This is a very good point, and one I can see becoming a reality if it happens.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

This drow conversation is interesting.

I'm half-black, and so through my father and my extended family, I have a little bit of perspective. And none of us have ever seen the drow as a racial stereotype. Some art in the 90s did this, but for the most part, drow look nothing like anyone in my family, have a completely alien culture to us, and the only connection you can make is on how dark their skin is. I personally (and this is not me speaking for anyone) is that it is more offensive to say that I, or my family, are drow because of dark skin then anything else. Why am I and those I'm related too being compared to a fantasy thing that looks and acts nothing like us?

My ex gf had a similar perspective to yours. She was also half black and felt similarly. She also felt (as do i) drow would be more or less not comparable to humans (as they are fey) and that if you had to force a comparison to any group pf humans they would more reasonably be compared to a european tribe the norse encountered as many fey are inspired by specifically local tribes europeans encountered. Not far off peoples.

But also there was the strong sentiment that comparing black and part black people to fantasy races was actually the weird and offensove part. They are different as can be and one is in fact real and possibly has opinions of their own on the matter.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

I would agree but you are familiar with D&D, and the evil matriarchy aspect of the Drow has always bothered me more. However dropping either aspect on the Drow into a twitter post where most people would not know a drow from the back of a bus, seems like a recipe for trouble.
Hey guys " the D&D movie bad guys are an evil black race ruled by women" seems like to me to be the perfect flamebait in the right arena.

the evil matriarchy thing is actually also quite easy to explain. The answer? Spiders. Its actually a spider thing. Spiders are envisioned as cruel, sadistic, predatory and the females are typically overwhelmingly dominant among their kind. Unchallangeable. Now add a little flavor from bees and ants to make the resulting society just a liiitle more cooperatively workable and there you go. This is why its an evil matriarchy. Its a "what if female spiders could (in addition to their cold harsh traits) also manage a society" type of scenario. Lolth is queen of the demon web and drow sculpt their society to mimic her court.

 

[generic]

the evil matriarchy thing is actually also quite easy to explain. The answer? Spiders. Its actually a spider thing. Spiders are envisioned as cruel, sadistic, predatory and the females are typically overwhelmingly dominant among their kind. Unchallangeable. Now add a little flavor from bees and ants to make the resulting society just a liiitle more cooperatively workable and there you go. This is why its an evil matriarchy. Its a "what if female spiders could (in addition to their cold harsh traits) also manage a society" type of scenario. Lolth is queen of the demon web and drow sculpt their society to mimic her court.

Now, I'm beginning to consider including bee and wasp elves in one of my worlds. Kitchen sink-Toril seems like a perfect place for these elves... given the fact that there are already like, 88^88 * C^C different types of elves there already.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Now, I'm beginning to consider including bee and wasp elves in one of my worlds. Kitchen sink-Toril seems like a perfect place for these elves... given the fact that there are already like, 88^88 * C^C different types of elves there already.

make one for every spot on the alignment block. Make toril take ALL THE BUG-ELVES! Just keep pushing.

Lets see drow have the chaotic evil slot dont they? Correct me if im wrong.
That means 8 are left unfilled. You better get cracking.

 

[Undrave]

the evil matriarchy thing is actually also quite easy to explain. The answer? Spiders. Its actually a spider thing. Spiders are envisioned as cruel, sadistic, predatory and the females are typically overwhelmingly dominant among their kind. Unchallangeable. Now add a little flavor from bees and ants to make the resulting society just a liiitle more cooperatively workable and there you go. This is why its an evil matriarchy. Its a "what if female spiders could (in addition to their cold harsh traits) also manage a society" type of scenario. Lolth is queen of the demon web and drow sculpt their society to mimic her court.

Ooh... they could push the Spider angle more! All the Drows could have extra eyes! It's not traditional, but it would be WICKED badass. That way they're not just Orlando Bloom in makeup Make them look more alien.

make one for every spot on the alignment block. Make toril take ALL THE BUG-ELVES! Just keep pushing.

Lets see drow have the chaotic evil slot dont they? Correct me if im wrong.
That means 8 are left unfilled. You better get cracking.

I thought Drow were more Lawful Evil, considering how strict their society is...but if Lolth is a Demon then she's Chaotic...

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Ooh... they could push the Spider angle more! All the Drows could have extra eyes! It's not traditional, but it would be WICKED badass. That way they're not just Orlando Bloom in makeup Make them look more alien.



I thought Drow were more Lawful Evil, considering how strict their society is...but if Lolth is a Demon then she's Chaotic...

I might be misremembering. I think its CE if i remember correctly though and their laws are often indeed weird.

Oh also there already are in canon variations of drow with weird mutations like eyes. Also you have driders and other twisted drow abominations who either used to be drow or were born drow.

An interesting case is a racially unique cambion called the draegloth which is half drow. If i remember correctly they are always male and they are also the one exception to the tendancy of the highest male being lower than the lowest female. They can rule. But usually they are merely high ranking under the high priestess and or her highest lietenants. They are in many ways the closest the drow come to having princes though to go along with their queens (high priestesses) as they are born strictly as a result of a high priestess to be's rite of passage.

They are always born to serve a special purpose for lolth. They have destiny.

 

[Shardstone]

Bee Elves - Lawful Good
Praying Mantis Elves - Neutral (True)

 

[Azzy]

I thought Drow were more Lawful Evil, considering how strict their society is...but if Lolth is a Demon then she's Chaotic...

In 1e & 2e, drow were CE, but I think that changed in 3e. Now they're LE. It's a change that I do not like, and do not use.