D&D 5E New Drow cultures coming in Starlight Enclave, the Lorendrow and the Aevendrow

[Scribe]

When centuries pass, should the world map look identical and should everything be exactly as it was as if no time had changed? The Realms are an evolving place, and new secrets are discovered every year too

I suppose so. There could be organic growth over time, but to say 'oh not all drow, they have always had these places' is well it's transparent.

It's whatever. Hopefully we avoid this kind of stuff in a Planescape book and I can just lock in and ignore or modify this kind of thing.

 

[Marandahir]

I suppose so. There could be organic growth over time, but to say 'oh not all drow, they have always had these places' is well it's transparent.

It's whatever. Hopefully we avoid this kind of stuff in a Planescape book and I can just lock in and ignore or modify this kind of thing.

I agree that "Not All Drow" is a bit of a cop out (like saying Not All Cops or Not All Men - it avoids the systematic oppression by saying look at this exception! It totally doesn't prove the rule!!).

I think the purpose here is to say that we've been exposed to ONE faction of Drow thus far, and have created a false narrative of what Drow are based on our limited exposure. The world is vast and so is the Underdark. Drow are not inherently evil; we knew that from exceptions like Drizzt. But we've known a culture of evil and thought that culture was homogenous among all Drow, even though we've long known that High Elves and Wood Elves have multiple cultures with different outlooks (such as the Sun Elves or Moon Elves or Dusk Elves or Star Elves etc). Why are Drow the exception and have just a single cultural outlook? Because they're not, we just had never explored what other Drow cultures in the Realms looked like before.

As for Planescape, I understand that feel. People who want to play in Planescape want updates to their 2e Planescape since it hasn't been revisited properly since then. I think you can take Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft as a model of what you might see in a 5e Planescape: a lot the same, but some radical differences too, to better fit the more just mores of the publishers today.

 

[Scribe]

I think the purpose here is to say that we've been exposed to ONE faction of Drow thus far, and have created a false narrative of what Drow are based on our limited exposure

Right, but it's still not an organic development of the setting. It's forced. We know this.

Regardless, I'm not interested in going on and on, it is what it is.

 

[Yaarel]

The Aevendrow remind of the original Drow, first mentioned in the 1e Monster Manual.



There, "tales picture them as weak fighters but strong magic-users."

By contrast, the Udadrow of Lolth are extremely powerful Fighters, albeit low-Strength Dexterity-Fighters.

Also, the Udadrow are mediocre Magic-Users.



But now, we have the Aevendrow. Who really are amazing as Wizards. And who really are embarrassing as Fighters.

So, the Aevendrow are the kind of Drow, that the original Monster Manual was talking about all along.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

The Aevendrow remind of the original Drow, first mentioned in the 1e Monster Manual.



There, "tales picture them as weak fighters but strong magic-users."

By contrast, the Udadrow of Lolth are extremely powerful Fighters, albeit low-Strength Dexterity-Fighters.

Also, the Udadrow are mediocre Magic-Users.



But now, we have the Aevendrow. Who really are amazing as Wizards. And who really are embarrassing as Fighters.

So, the Aevendrow are the kind of Drow, that the original Monster Manual was talking about all along.

Mediocre magic users? The Udadrow produce not only tons of wizards from Sorcere in Menzo, but have a dedicated city that produces wizards, and in divine magic, only the Old Empires rival them in the amount of power divine spell casting Clerics, the average Matron Mother can cast 9th level spells for Lolth's sake, and Menzo alone has dozens of Drow Houses. The Udadrow cities drip with magic. There city of wizards is actual multiple distant cities connected via portals. Chad Nazad is literally built on giant magic spider webs. That's your idea of mediocre magic users? Dang your standards are harsh.

 

[Yaarel]

Mediocre magic users? The Udadrow produce not only tons of wizards from Sorcere in Menzo, but have a dedicated city that produces wizards, and in divine magic, only the Old Empires rival them in the amount of power divine spell casting Clerics, the average Matron Mother can cast 9th level spells for Lolth's sake, and Menzo alone has dozens of Drow Houses. The Udadrow cities drip with magic. There city of wizards is actual multiple distant cities connected via portals. Chad Nazad is literally built on giant magic spider webs. That's your idea of mediocre magic users? Dang your standards are harsh.

Traditionally, Udadrow were neither especially Intelligent, nor especially high level, nor especially competent as Wizards.

The Uda culture produced mediocre Magic-Users.

The Uda culture is especially Dexterous!

 

[Azzy]

Traditionally, Udadrow were neither especially Intelligent, nor especially high level, nor especially competent as Wizards.

The Uda culture produced mediocre Magic-Users.

What? In the 1e UA, where drow were introduced as a PC race, the maximum level male drow could reach as a magic-user was 12 (or higher, with an Int of 19 or greater). That's a higher maximum level than any of the other elven subraces. (Female drow sucked as magic-users, but were better fighters or clerics).

The Uda culture is especially Dexterous!

Again, originally the were no more dexterous than high elves (drow had the same +1 Dex/-1 Con ASIs as high elves).

 

[Yaarel]

What? In the 1e UA, where drow were introduced as a PC race, the maximum level male drow could reach as a magic-user was 12 (or higher, with an Int of 19 or greater). That's a higher maximum level than any of the other elven subraces. (Female drow sucked as magic-users, but were better fighters or clerics).

The Udadrow

1e Vault of the Drow, 1e Fiend Folio, etcetera.

Female Intelligence: 13-18 (d6+12)
Male Intelligence: 11-18 (d8+10)

There is no Intelligence 19 for a Drow.

And yes, max level 12 Magic-User is lame.

It cannot be an example of famously "weak fighters and strong magic users".

 

[Yaarel]

The 3e Drow have an Intelligence bonus, but their +2 level adjustment becomes increasingly problematic at higher levels, making them less and less competent Wizards who fail to keep up with their higher-level peers.

 

[Yaarel]

4e and 5e Drow lack Intelligence and are subpar as Wizards.