D&D 5E Tasha's Drow Art and the Future of Their Depictions in D&D

[Mercurius]

You should look into Yoon Suin (a campaign setting), which is basically a sort of "built your own" kit. It's excellent.

Yes, I am aware of it. Waiting for the next edition (which he's working on) as the first is out of print (I don't believe in PDFs).

 

[Voadam]

Look in the Complete Book of Elves from 1993, it has the full-on detailed explanation:

Good find. I know that's not where I read it (I only flipped briefly through that book in a game store and maybe a friend's copy at the time), but interesting to see more data points in the history. 2 years after FOR2 Drow of the Underdark's 1991 statement that they were already dark jungle elves when they were banished to the underdark.

 

[delericho]

It wasn't changed then. It's been knocking around much longer.

Look in the Complete Book of Elves from 1993, it has the full-on detailed explanation:

Thank you! That one was really bugging me, because I was sure I'd seen it pre-3e but really couldn't think where.

 

[Laurefindel]

Thank you! That one was really bugging me, because I was sure I'd seen it pre-3e but really couldn't think where.

Same, I didn't want to get involved because I had nothing to support it, but I was sure I had seen the "drows were cursed with black skin because of their evil" mythology before 3e.

And yet there are many sources stating that dark elves had black skin before their fall (let's call it that), and so did pre-Lolth Aroushnee (spelling?) and her children with Corellon. There are still sources saying that she (Aroushnee) was the patron goddess of dark elves in the early ages of the Seldarine, suggesting that they had this appearance before they got cursed.

Somehow, I always internalized that their curse was little more than an intolerance to sunlight, but that they always had obsidian-black skin (and that black skin was a dominant gene)

I remember something about a people (tribe? clan?) of dark elves and wood elves (or their ancestors) living integrated in a society of their own, in the history of FR. That would have had potential as a not-evil dark elf nation.

 

[Voadam]

I remember something about a people (tribe? clan?) of dark elves and wood elves (or their ancestors) living integrated in a society of their own, in the history of FR. That would have had potential as a not-evil dark elf nation.

There is the surface realm of Dambrath in the Shining South, a nation with half-drow as the ruling class and a connection to an underdark drow city. But (at least in 2e) they are Loviatar cleric dominated so the "Nation of Pain" is probably not a good source if you want good drow although it did note "There is a small, very determined sect of drow who worship Eilistraee, the goddess of good drow."

FR has a lot of nations and history so I am sure there are more eilistraee communities elsewhere.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I think in the Forggoten Realms at least, the non-drow ancestors of the drow (ie, the ones who were cursed) were actually brown-skinned. So they really only had a hair colour change. Eberron drow are completely different, and Mystara and Dragonlance don't have drow, so it would be Greyhawk with the "skin colour change" explanation, but I'm not sure if that was ever in anything Gygax wrote.

 

[Alzrius]

I think in the Forggoten Realms at least, the non-drow ancestors of the drow (ie, the ones who were cursed) were actually brown-skinned.

I believe you're referring to the Ssri-tel-quessir.

 

[Laurefindel]

There is the surface realm of Dambrath in the Shining South, a nation with half-drow as the ruling class and a connection to an underdark drow city. But (at least in 2e) they are Loviatar cleric dominated so the "Nation of Pain" is probably not a good source if you want good drow although it did note "There is a small, very determined sect of drow who worship Eilistraee, the goddess of good drow."

FR has a lot of nations and history so I am sure there are more eilistraee communities elsewhere.

Yes, there are a few non-Lolth drow communities (Underdark cities, cormanthyr, dambrath), but all are depicted in evil ways, regardless of whom they pray to. They have internal wars and feuds and don’t like each otherbut they’re all evil pricks.

There are a few Ellistraee communities, but they are small and far between, often living in hiding, without much relationship with one another.

so there are a few good individuals and a few communities (Skullport, moonwoods) that struggle to make themselves accepted, but there are no good nations.

that was necessary to conserve the aura of “oh naughty word, drows!” as a high-level threat, and for a long time I was satisfied with that, but now I think we can move on...

 

[Rob Kuntz]

I am sure Gary had in mind the dark elves from Norse myth, Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar - Wikipedia

Dark elves dwelt in the earth, were of evil intent, had dark skin and hated and avoided daylight as it turned them to stone.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I am sure Gary had in mind the dark elves from Norse myth, Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar - Wikipedia

Dark elves dwelt in the earth, were of evil intent, had dark skin and hated and avoided daylight as it turned them to stone.

Did Gary ever have the idea that drow started looking differently before they turned evil? It seems the intent may have been:

1) They always looked like that
2) They didn't all worship Lolth.