Background Question: Why Drows are NE and not CE?

[Shin Okada]

I have jumped almost straight from OD&D to 3e. I mean I have skipped most of the books of AD&Ds. Thus I am not familiar with those backgrounds. So would someone please answer my question?

Why Drows are Neutral Evil? Most good Elves are Chaotic Good. And they are seduced by Lolth, a Chaotic Evil deity. Then they have tuned into Neutral Evil? It seems that Chaotic Evil is more natural. Are there any background reason for it?

 

[Wolfspider]

Where does it say that dark elves tend to be Neutral Evil? I assumed they were Chaotic Evil in 3rd edition, since they have had this alignment since their creation.

Perhaps they changed it to reflect the organized and stratified society that the drow have? While they're certaily not Lawful Evil, they seem to be too orderly for Chaotic Evil....

 

[shilsen]

Where does it say that dark elves tend to be Neutral Evil? I assumed they were Chaotic Evil in 3rd edition, since they have had this alignment since their creation.

Perhaps they changed it to reflect the organized and stratified society that the drow have? While they're certaily not Lawful Evil, they seem to be too orderly for Chaotic Evil....

The MM says that they are "usually Neutral Evil". Makes sense to me, for the reasons you mentioned above. Every depiction of drow society in 2e always emphasised its rigid class and power structure, which moves it away from chaotic. And the infighting and habitual backstabbing of drow society is too consistent and violent to be lawful. So neutral evil is the only alternative.

 

[UD]

Remember MM reflects Grayhawk, not FR. Lolth dont exist in GH...

 

[Wolfspider]

Remember MM reflects Grayhawk, not FR. Lolth dont exist in GH...

Yes she does. The classic G-D-Q series of adventures set in Greyhawk culminated in an encounter with Lolth, the dreaded Queen of Spiders.

 

[Tsyr]

Drow actualy tend to live a far more structured, quasi-militaristic life than traditional elves... it's the only way they can survive.

 

[NiTessine]

Yes she does. The classic G-D-Q series of adventures set in Greyhawk culminated in an encounter with Lolth, the dreaded Queen of Spiders.

Then again, Lolth was apparently slain forever, in her own home plane, in the Paul Kidd novel Queen of the Demonweb Pits...

 

[Wolfspider]

Then again, Lolth was apparently slain forever, in her own home plane, in the Paul Kidd novel Queen of the Demonweb Pits...

I refuse to acknowledge the existence of such a novel. If anyone is going to have fun killing Lolth in the Demonweb Pits it will be MY players, not the characters in a novel.

Heh. I feel a canon debate brewing.

 

[Fiery James]

Looking through the stat blocks in Queen of Lies, I see a fairly wide range of alignments for all of the dark elf foes.

Well, a wide range that all end with "Evil."

They might have different general outlooks and motivations, but they're still all out to kill you!

Enter the Queen of Lies Poster Contest

- James

 

[Wolfspider]

They might have different general outlooks and motivations, but they're still all out to kill you!

Yes, that's one thing you can count on with drow!

*sigh* I miss playing Wolfspider, my dark elf mage/thief. I may have to recreate him in 3rd edition terms and see how he turns out.