D&D General Justify A Level 1 Drow On the Surface?

[MonsterEnvy]

I feel @Zardnaar wants to reinforce that getting out of the Underdark is not a walk in the park. Like Boromir DoUrden once said: “one does not simply walk out of the Underdark”.

The Underdark is vast, unbelievably labyrinthine, full of monsters that want to eat you, full of plants that want to eat you, full of creatures that want to eat you, or at least eat your brain...That is without all the people who would take a shot at a lone drow, either by hatred, revenge, or just opportunity (including other drow). Not to mention the natural traps, chasm, treacherous terrain, etc. The Underdark wouldn’t supposed to be a super scary place otherwise. It may be beyond the abilities of a 1st level character without making it a campaign in itself.

Then, this implies that the drow character was either guided and escorted to the surface, or brought against their will. Magic shenanigans are also possible, as well as the “catastrophic results of a travel incident. Mercantile and surface raider background are the most obvious.

knowledge of the common tongue doesn’t have to be a result of the trip to the surface, it could also be the cause (character was sent along not because of their experience, but because their mastery of common, as an interpreter). Then there are 1001 ways of losing the PC along or abandoning them on the surface and as far as the PC is concerned, that is just fine.

there would also be 1001 reason for the PC to end up there against their knowledge or will, but then you need to account for the common language (assuming that the language is not relatively , well, common)

The Drow perform surface raids all the time. All of their settlements have records of underdark and surface routes.

 

[Laurefindel]

The Drow perform surface raids all the time. All of their settlements have records of underdark and surface routes.

Absolutely, but they usually do it as well-armed parties of raiders, led by scouts and experimented guides. While safely travelling to the surface is not outside the abilities of the drow, Zardnaar could justify that it is beyond the abilities of a lone 1st level character.

I’m not sure how I would rule it, but it seems clear that @Zardnaar does not think that a lone individual, even with a catalogue of maps, could easily make it to the surface

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Absolutely, but they usually do it as well-armed parties of raiders, led by scouts and experimented guides. While safely travelling to the surface is not outside the abilities of the drow, Zardnaar could justify that it is beyond the abilities of a lone 1st level character.

I’m not sure how I would rule it, but it seems clear that @Zardnaar does not think that a lone individual, even with a catalogue of maps, could easily make it to the surface

To which I disagree.

 

[Laurefindel]

To which I disagree.

I’m not sure I agree with that either, but (Zardnaar can correct me if I’m wrong) it seems to be Zardnaar’s envision of the Underdark for his own game.

 

[GameOgre]

I don't like the idea of surface Drow in viable populations for a source of a player PC.

A Drow renegade or what have you going to the surface is a bit different.

Drow dark, mysterious Fey. PC Drow.

"Hi guys".

Surface Drow to me are a cop out.

I don't blame you. Back in the 1990's I felt the same way. Now,not so much but then now I'm fine with Dragonborn Tieflings and all the rest. My idea of what the D&D world looked like changed over time. Still not ready for Lizardman pc's though.....

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer for all this. If I played in your games and Drow were unknown or very rare on the surface I would be fine with you limiting them or even saying players can't be them unless the game took place deep in the underdark.

At the same time If I played in a game where Drow were just another race on the surface .....im fine with that to. It's just one of those things that the DM decides based on his game world. Drow are no different than any other race. It all needs to match up with the in game world.

 

[Ashrym]

I don't blame you. Back in the 1990's I felt the same way. Now,not so much but then now I'm fine with Dragonborn Tieflings and all the rest. My idea of what the D&D world looked like changed over time. Still not ready for Lizardman pc's though.....

My spelljammer campaign lizardman druid is still getting shunned after all this time....

 

[Eltab]

Somebody - who only thought he knew what he was doing - cast Reincarnation on your former self. You came back as a Drow (instead of whatever race you used to be). Much of your former skill set is not working right; you are rusty or amateurish. You possibly have memory loss, too, it is hard to be sure.

 

[Baron Opal II]

My initial thought was "exposure"; something about the infant caused it to be abandoned in the surface world at birth and it somehow survived. That doesn't quite fit with your requirements, however.

I imagine adolescence, when they gain their spell-like abilities (in AD&D, anyway) would be interesting for the adoptive family.