Drow and Driders...

[LoneWolf23]

Been doing some thinking about the role of Drow and somewhat related creatures, such as Driders, in my campaign. And I've come to realize that I want to build up the races/factions in ways reminiscent of units in Warcraft III. So for the Drow's basic forces, I'd use drow warriors for grunts, battle priestesses for upper level units, and special units like drow wizards, monstrous spiders and the likes.

...And then I get into creatures like the Driders and Green Ronin's alternate Drow subraces, and I can't help but think "These would make good Drow units, if not for the exiled/reviled from Drow society thing". The same goes with creatures like Aracholoths, Spiderleg Horrors and Blood Mothers. They may not be respected creatures amongst the Drow, but I'd suspect that more pragmatic Drow might see them as useful, albeit expendable, tools of War.

Heck, it might even satisfy their hatred of such "failures" to use them as frontline troops in wars against others, so that the creatures will be certain to die, but will at least destroy some hated enemies in the process. Win-Win for the Drow.

 

[diaglo]

try finding the 2ed Drow of the Underdark supplement

or buy the new Underdark hardback by WotC for some more ideas.

 

[Psion]

...And then I get into creatures like the Driders and Green Ronin's alternate Drow subraces, and I can't help but think "These would make good Drow units, if not for the exiled/reviled from Drow society thing". The same goes with creatures like Aracholoths, Spiderleg Horrors and Blood Mothers. They may not be respected creatures amongst the Drow, but I'd suspect that more pragmatic Drow might see them as useful, albeit expendable, tools of War.

I don't see why not.

Take a look at the slaves section on page 109. It already lists Drey on their lists of slaves; no reason you couldn't add to that list. Of course, arming slaves complicates things, but creatures as intelligent as the drow could probably find a way to ensure that they keep the upper hand, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Plot & Poison (and D&D, for that matter) is written in a very toolkit manner; there is no reason you couldn't build up your own vision of the Drow. Though driders may be outcast from Drow society, you also could have full drow as outcasts that band together and build their own offshoot societies.

In my campaign, I had a splinter drow community that worked on shoring up their position by making servants out of other races (using the insectile template from Savage Species and the
Drider template from the WotC website.)

 

[Aeolius]

I had a splinter drow community...

My deep elves were derived from drow stock infused with elemental energies. Now they resemble the aliens in "The Abyss".

 

[Endur]

I would not use drow as grunts or peasants in warcraft terminology. Instead, I'd have the Drow side using various slaves as grunts or peasants. Goblinoids, Orcs, etc.

Then I'd use drow for all the elites. Cavalry, elite infantry, assassins, spellcasters, etc.

 

[Hand of Evil]

My drow use Hobs for troops, loyal to houses and controlable. Driders are not trusted by the Drow, they failed the test and are outcast and for the most part kill each other on sight.

 

[Mista Collins]

I just like using Drow for just about everything. They are so sexy.

 

[Gundark]

Been doing some thinking about the role of Drow and somewhat related creatures, such as Driders, in my campaign. And I've come to realize that I want to build up the races/factions in ways reminiscent of units in Warcraft III. So for the Drow's basic forces, I'd use drow warriors for grunts, battle priestesses for upper level units, and special units like drow wizards, monstrous spiders and the likes.

...And then I get into creatures like the Driders and Green Ronin's alternate Drow subraces, and I can't help but think "These would make good Drow units, if not for the exiled/reviled from Drow society thing". The same goes with creatures like Aracholoths, Spiderleg Horrors and Blood Mothers. They may not be respected creatures amongst the Drow, but I'd suspect that more pragmatic Drow might see them as useful, albeit expendable, tools of War.

Heck, it might even satisfy their hatred of such "failures" to use them as frontline troops in wars against others, so that the creatures will be certain to die, but will at least destroy some hated enemies in the process. Win-Win for the Drow.

It's your campaign...do waht you want...if driders would make good drow units then use em...change the history...maybe it's a blessing instead of a curse.

 

[LoneWolf23]

I would not use drow as grunts or peasants in warcraft terminology. Instead, I'd have the Drow side using various slaves as grunts or peasants. Goblinoids, Orcs, etc.

Then I'd use drow for all the elites. Cavalry, elite infantry, assassins, spellcasters, etc.

Well, Aracholoths would fit the low-class grunt/peasant position: They're 1st-level Drow who failed their first Test of Lolth and are turned into creatures that seem like a half-mix of Drow and Drider. They're humanoids with four spider-like legs and a shiny black carapace, with faces that have eight spider eyes and two poisonous fangs.

Such wretched creatures could be enslaved by the Drow, who use them for manual labor and grunt fighting along side slaves of other races.

 

[NarlethDrider]

Your drow cannon fodder right here...if I can get the file attachment to work