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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6613954" data-attributes="member: 6787650">In this specific case: yes, a drider is far more deadly with a bunch of drow along. Forget about the CR--each drow has AC 15, and you'll have disadvantage to hit it due to not being able to see it (superior darkvision means he just stays back at 115' range where he can see you but you can't see him), and every round he pops out a crossbow bolt at +4 to hit (advantage from sight/disadvantage from range cancel out) and if you don't make a DC 9 Con save you fall unconscious until someone wakes you up. Also, they're pretty much guaranteed to get a surprise round unless your party is so stealthy that the drow don't even see you (no light sources allowed). The first thing your PCs will see is crossbow bolts sprouting from their chests. If the PCs close to melee range, one or two drow can cast Faerie Fire while others engage in melee or continue to pump crossbow bolts from close-range.I don't know how many drow you were thinking about using, but 7 drow and a drider meet your Deadly threshold, so I'll assume that. And yes, 7 drow and a drider is an encounter that's actually worthy of the Deadly label. As in, non-zero chance of TPK. I don't know the details of your party, could be 5% chance of TPK, maybe less or more--but the drow are definitely making the drider tougher.Honestly, the encounter would be scarier without the drider. Same XP value of drow alone = 33 drow for a Deadly encounter. Sure, they're a tiny bit more vulnerable to AoE spells, but against AC 18 PCs they'll be doing 63 points of damage per round from 120' range, and forcing 11 Con checks to stay conscious! The wizard with a Fireball isn't going to be getting off very many Fireballs under those conditions. A drider isn't worth 27 drow in a fight. It's worth maybe 4 drow tops.</blockquote>

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