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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ForeverSlayer" data-source="post: 6278480" data-attributes="member: 91812">Back then you were seen as a mockery. If a drider is supposedly superior to drow then how come all drow aren't turned into drider? The problem I see here is it's pure meta-gaming. You and a few others look at the mechanical benefits of being a drider. 2nd edition The drow of the Underdark:Driders ór Misfit DrowIn the dangerous societies of Lolth-wor-shipping drow, there are a few individu-als who openly defy the Spider Queen, orwhose actions show a possible disregardfor her will, aims, and the safety of herclergy and the drow community. These"suspect" drow usually perish throughtheir own actions, or are driven into exile,where they die at the hands of somepredator of the Underdark.A few, however, manage to escape thewrath of their betters. These drow are adanger to Lolth - particularly if they showsigns of wanting to defy clerical author-ity, or change the balance of power andwreck the community (by ending Houserivalries, for example, or allowing toler-ance of the other drow faiths). All drowwizards are considered potential haz-ards, and must undergo The Test todetermine their loyalty both to the nobil-ity and the Spider Queen.The abduction of wizards at about thetime they reach 6th level, and conductinga test of their loyalties is a paramountduty of the priestesses of Lolth. (Loyalty,of course, varies from being to being, atthe willósome say whimóof the Queenof Spiders.)Testing always involves a thoroughmagical mind-reaming, so that no decep-tion is possible. In rare cases, the individ-ual must be magically transported toAbyssal layers controlled by Lolth, for herpersonal attention. Some die during TheTest, or must be destroyed, but it is theintent of Lolth not to waste the energies ofthe ìunfaithful.îDrow who fail the test are transformedby the will of Lolth into driders. InFaerun, the transformation involves amagical ceremony performed by a priest-ess and overseen by yochlol (see ìMon-stersî for description). The power for andcontrol of the transformation comes fromLolth herself, through the yochlol. Perma-nent alteration of a drow into a dridercannot be done independently by thedrow. Embittered  by their fate, driders aredriven out of drow  communities, orpenned in sealed-off or guarded areas ofthe Underdark to  fend for themselves(and slay intruders who might otherwisego on to penetrate the drow community).Many are driven by the desire to die,preferably in battle with drow. All aredriven by a spider-like thirst for blood;they must consume blood at least onceevery 4 days, or lose 1d6 hit points perday. This loss is cumulative, continuinguntil a live creatureís blood is ingested.Hit points are restored at the rate of 1d6points per hit die or level of the meal.This death wish, coupled with the rageand hopelessness most driders feel, re-sults in a near-berserker fury in com-bat(save versus fear at +4, and no moralecheck). Driders are violent, aggressive, tirelesshunters, governed by shame, hatred, andfear, who delight in nothing more thanslaying drow. They rarely associate withdrow or other driders, though occasion-ally other outcasts or even drow commu-nities will come to some task-for-rewardagreement with a drider or two. Suchagreements usually seem to end with thedeath of the drider, due to treachery orthe impossibility of the task. A surprisingnumber of driders take precautions thatcarry one or more drow down to deathwith them in these instances. Most driders hunt alone, or in thecompany of 2d6 huge spiders (10%chance). They are tireless stalkers, forhunting is all that is left to most, to givepurpose to their lives. Their blood-thirstand desire to do the maximum harm(especially to drow) leads most driders toarrange many traps, missile-caches(such as boulders that can be dislodgedfrom ledges), and ambush sites aroundtheir habitual lairs. These are to discour-age drow hunting bands (drow youthsoften try to prove themselves, or enjoy alittle sport, by drider-baiting or -behead-ing).A lone drider can surprise opponentshalf the time (any roll of 1-5 on a d10), bymoving as silently as possible. Its hear-ing, smell, and sight are improved, and itcan flawlessly climb walls (although it istoo heavy to cling to ceilings) All elves take a dim view of driders. Fordrow, fear is paramount; in most elves ofsurface races,  disgust predominates.Peaceful dealings with drow are thereforerare and precarious, at best.Driders retain the power of speech, andall linguistic knowledge. They lose theability to communicate 60% of the drowìsilent tongueî through their transforma-tion (although they still understand itperfectly). Driders who work with otherdriders often work out additional ìcodeîsignals, unknown to drow, for use whendealing with drow and other dangerousfoes.Driders are sexless; Lolth wants theirexistence to be a series of torments, not tocreate a race of enemies to the drow.A wish or more powerful spell is theonly way to escape drider-form. Lessermagics can neither put a being intodrider form for more than 2d4 rounds(regardless of usual spell performance),or shift a drider into another form foreven an instant.Certain driders roam many places andplanes (and even the deep reaches ofspace, aboard pirate ships), searching formagic powerful enough to overcomeLolthís transformation. Having nothingto lose, they are truly dangerous foes.</blockquote>

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