Dragon #298: The Drow issue
- Thread starter Krug
- Start date
Wolfspider
Explorer
That's too bad. Once you do drow, you'll never go back. 
Wolfspider
Explorer
Limper said:
Useless for you, maybe, but not for me or--I warrant--most of the readers.
The Sigil
Mr. 3000 (Words per post)
Why?
That's right, why?
I am curious as to why people have SUCH an affinity for drow... especially since elves in general seem to have been watered-down into "flavor-of-the-month" instead of a truly archetypal (sp?) race.
I mean, we have gnomes... depending on what you subscribe to, they are little woodland dudes protecting the little burrowing animals like weasels and foxes (and wearing long pointy red caps) or they are little tinkerers who are constantly playing with mechanical stuff and live in big cities or at least near dwarves. Either foresty or hermits removed from civilization.
Halflings... farmer dudes, live in holes in the ground, hairy feet, like to eat and smoke. Plains and small-town types.
Dwarves... live in mountains and hills. Make weapons. Like gold.
Elves... live in forests. And seas. And underground. And in cities. And on mountains. And in swamps. And... and... you get the idea.
Who decided that drow were a good idea? Why must we have "underground elves?" Why do I never see "forest dwarves" or "glacier halflings?"
Answer... and this is not tongue-in-cheek... for the rules-conscious, it hearkens back to elves being "broken" in 1e and 2e and everyone wanting to play one because they had tons of benefits and few drawbacks. For the non-rules conscious, seven words... "Hot Teenage Elven Princess Babes in Bikinis!"
The point of the fey races (I thought) was that each had his/her own "sphere" - halflings had the plains, dwarves the mountains, gnomes the hills, elves the forests. When did we decide to kick out all the other races and replace them with elves?
This post is about 1/3 rant, 1/3 troll, and 1/3 honest question. I'm venting a bit so it's a rant. Lots of people love elves and especially drow and so will consider it a troll. But underneath the rant, I really do want to know... why are elves so much more ubiquitous than the other demihuman races? I am only half joking when I suggest the broken/babes syndrome. I hope it's not the answer but it seems to be the only one I can come up with. Please, somebody give me a reason not to be cynical about this!
BTW, a rule 0 IMC... there are no drow. Even when I run the FR, there are no drow. Screw "canon" and screw Drizzt.
--The Sigil
That's right, why?
I am curious as to why people have SUCH an affinity for drow... especially since elves in general seem to have been watered-down into "flavor-of-the-month" instead of a truly archetypal (sp?) race.
I mean, we have gnomes... depending on what you subscribe to, they are little woodland dudes protecting the little burrowing animals like weasels and foxes (and wearing long pointy red caps) or they are little tinkerers who are constantly playing with mechanical stuff and live in big cities or at least near dwarves. Either foresty or hermits removed from civilization.
Halflings... farmer dudes, live in holes in the ground, hairy feet, like to eat and smoke. Plains and small-town types.
Dwarves... live in mountains and hills. Make weapons. Like gold.
Elves... live in forests. And seas. And underground. And in cities. And on mountains. And in swamps. And... and... you get the idea.
Who decided that drow were a good idea? Why must we have "underground elves?" Why do I never see "forest dwarves" or "glacier halflings?"
Answer... and this is not tongue-in-cheek... for the rules-conscious, it hearkens back to elves being "broken" in 1e and 2e and everyone wanting to play one because they had tons of benefits and few drawbacks. For the non-rules conscious, seven words... "Hot Teenage Elven Princess Babes in Bikinis!"
The point of the fey races (I thought) was that each had his/her own "sphere" - halflings had the plains, dwarves the mountains, gnomes the hills, elves the forests. When did we decide to kick out all the other races and replace them with elves?
This post is about 1/3 rant, 1/3 troll, and 1/3 honest question. I'm venting a bit so it's a rant. Lots of people love elves and especially drow and so will consider it a troll. But underneath the rant, I really do want to know... why are elves so much more ubiquitous than the other demihuman races? I am only half joking when I suggest the broken/babes syndrome. I hope it's not the answer but it seems to be the only one I can come up with. Please, somebody give me a reason not to be cynical about this!
BTW, a rule 0 IMC... there are no drow. Even when I run the FR, there are no drow. Screw "canon" and screw Drizzt.
--The Sigil
Drow are beautiful, formidable outcasts. If youngsters like them, maybe it's because teenagers (especially D&D types like us) naturally identify with the loners and outcasts.
They are dark and brooding...and if you're a non-evil drow, you get to be outcast twice.
And the powergamer aspects are in there, too...but ECLs have fixed all that.
Isn't beautiful and crafty and evil more interesting than orcs or mind flayers?
They are dark and brooding...and if you're a non-evil drow, you get to be outcast twice.
And the powergamer aspects are in there, too...but ECLs have fixed all that.
Isn't beautiful and crafty and evil more interesting than orcs or mind flayers?
Wolfspider
Explorer
I don't understand what you're saying here....
Anyway, classically there has always been the light/dark dichotomy in elves... the seelie/unseelie court, etc. Also, in D&D there have been arctic dwarves, cannibalistic jungle halflings, underground gnomes, and other varieties of demihumans. So the argument that only elves are shown preferential variety doesn't stand up.
Last edited:
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Krug said:No I don't have it yet, but just so you know.
Too bad I don't do Drow.
Bingo.
Now is there anyone who doesn't know that there is a drow book coming out from Green Ronin? Now that's not official D&D or anything but their D20 stuff is top notch. In addition, I'm tired of Drow. Do Half-Dragons, do Minotaurs, do Giants, anything but a WHOLE issue of drow.
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