D&D General Drow in early D&D

[Orius]

Pretty sure the term is actually used in LotR. Can’t remember by who though. Saruman? Eomer? Dunno!

Several places. Halfling was what the Hobbits were known as to the men of Gondor primarily. If it wasn't used in the prologue, then it first probably got used by Boromir, who tends to refer to the hobbits as halflings. I believe Faramir and Denethor use the term too, and Pippin hears it quite a bit during his stay in Minas Tirith.

In the Fellowship film, Boromir uses the term halfling in his Ring-fueled rant on Amon Hen; much of those words were taken right from the book.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

 

[BookTenTiger]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

Create a new kind of tortle that lives underground!

 

[Stormonu]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

A dragonborn that can fly!

 

[Lidgar]

Evil red halflings that live underground?

A conclave of Forest-dwelling and incredibly smart Kender?

 

[DrunkonDuty]

A conclave of Forest-dwelling and incredibly smart Kender?

Kender? You have gone too far.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What the heck is a "Grey Elf"?

They where knock-off Noldor (Galadriel) in 1st edition (by implication Greyhawk setting). Just as High Elves where knock-off Sindar (Legolas) and wood elves where knock-off Silvan elves. The Tolkien was strong with 1st edition.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This was shared on Twitter by HOW I RUN IT. It's fascinating how that short paragraph evolved into an entire culture, and how it's still evolving into multiple cultures.

What strikes me with that is not what it says about drow but what it says fairies: "fairies are good". Our perception of fairies has changed a lot since the 1970s, influenced by earlier folk tales rather than the twee Disneyfication of the fair folk. Now they are generally seen as chaotic, capricious, and sometimes malevolent.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Several places. Halfling was what the Hobbits were known as to the men of Gondor primarily. If it wasn't used in the prologue, then it first probably got used by Boromir, who tends to refer to the hobbits as halflings. I believe Faramir and Denethor use the term too, and Pippin hears it quite a bit during his stay in Minas Tirith.

In the Fellowship film, Boromir uses the term halfling in his Ring-fueled rant on Amon Hen; much of those words were taken right from the book.

It's used in Rohan too. And Merry and Pippin use it when they are trying to explain what they are to Treebeard, after "hobbit" gets a blank look.

Halfling is the general name in the Common tongue, "hobbit" is the word in their own language/dialect which the hobbits use for themselves.

 

[Dioltach]

"Tales picture them as weak fighters". Remember the debate about this minor character a while ago?