Drow - good for anything?

[WarlockLord]

Can anyone make a drow PC that would be better than a human? Anyone? I know I have been posting threads over and over again about how drow LA is too high, and I always get "but it isn't! They have SR, and good abilites, and darkvision out to 120 feet!" To which I could make counterarguments, but nobody would care. So what are drow good for? Obviously not spellcasting. What can they use their great abilities to excel at?

Note: Without LA buyoff, the Monster Manual version.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

well... since the SR scales with class levels, it remains useful throughout a drow's career. also, i don't see how it's obvious that drow don't make good casters. they have bonuses to the abilities used by both full arcane casters. tell me how a human would make a better wizard or sorcerer without magic items, and i'll call you a liar.

 

[WarlockLord]

The humans don't lose caster levels? They get a bonus feat?

Human incantrix builds are better than drow, as you get a bonus feat and don't havfe to take Daylight Adaptation.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

the difference between an 18th and a 20th level sorcerer are three 9th level spells per day and two 9th level spells known. the difference between an 18th and 20th level wizard are two 9th level spells per day. factor in the bonus spells for the drow's intelligence/charisma bump. the difference in raw power is minimal. and the scaling SR is extremely useful.

what's an incantrix? i don't buy splatbooks.

 

[Aus_Snow]

the difference between an 18th and a 20th level sorcerer are three 9th level spells per day and two 9th level spells known. the difference between an 18th and 20th level wizard are two 9th level spells per day. factor in the bonus spells for the drow's intelligence/charisma bump. the difference in raw power is minimal. and the scaling SR is extremely useful.

Um.

OK, so 18-20 = not *so* bad. Hey, 17-19 = not *so* bad too, for that matter (wiz, not sorc here).

Any other comparison of (non-epic) caster levels = very bad indeed. Would you rather be a 5th level wizard, or a 3rd level wizard with SR, Darkvision, whatever. . .?

Or, how about a 12th level sorcerer vs. a 10th level sorcerer with that stuff?

Exactly.

 

[WarlockLord]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20010803

That's your incantrix. The idea behind it is to use the improve metamagic and a bunch of other things to reduce metamagic costs down to 0, or sometimes below. I've seen builds using scorching rays that that up a cantrip slot, but have a gazillion damage pumping feats, too.

See? Drow can't pull that off as effectively.

 

[Seeten]

Human, 7th Wizard, has 4th level spells, and 5 feats.
Drow 5th Wizard has 3rd level spells, and 3 feats.

Human 9th Wizard has 5th level spells, and 6 feats
Drow 7th Wizard has 4th level spells, and 4 feats

Human 11th Wizard has 6th level spells, and 7 feats
Drow 9th Wizard has 5th level spells, and 5 feats

I believe the pattern is obvious, and I know which of these looks better to me.

If you start at CR 20, perhaps a Drow is acceptable. If you play from level 1, or 3, I guess, it is a painful while before you hold your own.

 

[kaomera]

Can anyone make a drow PC that would be better than a human?

Simple. If your character concept involves the character being a drow, then that character is better as a drow than it would be as a human.

 

[Sigdel]

Drow are good for cliche bad guys or angst-ridden antiheroes.

Want to do something unique? Forget the drow even exist. Your world will thank you.

 

[PallidPatience]

Or use Eberron Drow. Xenophobic tribal savages beat angsty matriarchal dominatrixes all the way.