The Sigil
Mr. 3000 (Words per post)
*applauds* Here, here (sp?)!Bonedagger said:
I guess the thing that bugged me about Drow were that they were WAY overpowered in 1e. They were still WAY overpowered in 2e. That made them perfect munchkin vehicles (pardon the inflammatory term). The +2 ECL in 3e does help off-set that (finally) but I still have my misgivings. SERIOUS misgivings.
The other thing that irks me about the drow is that they just don't seem... well... compelling to me. I don't find them mysterious, or spooky, or cool. I find them rather... well... bland. This probably has something to do with the oversaturation that has occurred since the advent of Drizzt Do'Urden.
Among other things, I have a hard time accepting that a long-lived race, that has been EVIL from time immemorial, that reinforces this evil in a 1984-ish society based upon repression of alternate points of view via the use of extreme force and/or death, where a matriarchal culture is rigidly enforced, and that cannot abide the light of day (whether via evolution or curse from a god) turns itself into a mostly good society that lives on the surface (boy, sure didn't take long to "evolve" light sensitivity away), manages to scrounge up its own god for good elves, and on the surface goes from whispered legend to hated enemy to accepted ally in about 5 years. Blech. Unrealistic. "Cutural munchkinism." And why the intense hatred of surface elves? Um... because it has been drilled into their heads that "we hate surface elves." Why do we hate them? *whip crack* Shut up! We just do! Not too satisfying.
Now, GAZ13 for the old "Known World" setting (NOT the abortion that was 2e Mystara) presented a culture that I *could* get into... a highly religious culture - with the religion itself being a total lie fed to them by their god. A hatred of surface elves because the shadow elves were forced underground by cataclysm and when they finally found surface elves again, the surface elves did not welcome them back (due to population pressure, but still, at least there is a reason - "they rejected us after we suffered for so long so they must be evil"). A culture wherein the sick and helpless are left to die (these often become orcs and goblins through mutation). But a TRULY dark culture - if you think drow and Lolth are dark, wait until you see a culture where everything you are living is a lie... and only the highest priests even begin to get enough info to start cracking the veneer of the falsehood... wow.
The best part? You can pick up the text from these bad boys from WotC's site!
Here is the page they are linked from at WotC - http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20020121x2And here is the direct link for the player's book - http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/SHDELF-player.ZIP
And the direct link for the DMs' book - http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/SHDELF-DM.ZIP
IMO, Shadow Elves were more convincing and satisfying than drow ever were. In fact, I admit it, I have long been an "elf-hater" but GAZ5 and GAZ13 almost convinced me to play an elf. They were that good.
It's all a matter of taste, I guess, but I am sick and tired of drow. I could use Dragon Magazines on PC races... but NOT on subraces. The "Drow" magazine should've been stuck in with the rest of the elves.
But the root of my question, I guess, remains unanswered... WHY on earth are drow specifically and elves in general so popular? I just don't see it. Then again, I guess I could ask the same thing about Britney Spears. The only thing I see in her is that she sells sex. Hmmm... "hot teenage elf princess babes in bikinis..." common denominator with Britney? Nobody says you can't like that kind of stuff, but that doesn't mean I have to be impressed.
--The Sigil
