D&D General Drow in early D&D

[Orius]

Pretty sure the term is actually used in LotR. Can’t remember by who though. Saruman? Eomer? Dunno!

Several places. Halfling was what the Hobbits were known as to the men of Gondor primarily. If it wasn't used in the prologue, then it first probably got used by Boromir, who tends to refer to the hobbits as halflings. I believe Faramir and Denethor use the term too, and Pippin hears it quite a bit during his stay in Minas Tirith.

In the Fellowship film, Boromir uses the term halfling in his Ring-fueled rant on Amon Hen; much of those words were taken right from the book.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

 

[BookTenTiger]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

Create a new kind of tortle that lives underground!

 

[Stormonu]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

A dragonborn that can fly!

 

[Lidgar]

Evil red halflings that live underground?

A conclave of Forest-dwelling and incredibly smart Kender?

 

[DrunkonDuty]

A conclave of Forest-dwelling and incredibly smart Kender?

Kender? You have gone too far.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What the heck is a "Grey Elf"?

They where knock-off Noldor (Galadriel) in 1st edition (by implication Greyhawk setting). Just as High Elves where knock-off Sindar (Legolas) and wood elves where knock-off Silvan elves. The Tolkien was strong with 1st edition.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This was shared on Twitter by HOW I RUN IT. It's fascinating how that short paragraph evolved into an entire culture, and how it's still evolving into multiple cultures.

What strikes me with that is not what it says about drow but what it says fairies: "fairies are good". Our perception of fairies has changed a lot since the 1970s, influenced by earlier folk tales rather than the twee Disneyfication of the fair folk. Now they are generally seen as chaotic, capricious, and sometimes malevolent.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Several places. Halfling was what the Hobbits were known as to the men of Gondor primarily. If it wasn't used in the prologue, then it first probably got used by Boromir, who tends to refer to the hobbits as halflings. I believe Faramir and Denethor use the term too, and Pippin hears it quite a bit during his stay in Minas Tirith.

In the Fellowship film, Boromir uses the term halfling in his Ring-fueled rant on Amon Hen; much of those words were taken right from the book.

It's used in Rohan too. And Merry and Pippin use it when they are trying to explain what they are to Treebeard, after "hobbit" gets a blank look.

Halfling is the general name in the Common tongue, "hobbit" is the word in their own language/dialect which the hobbits use for themselves.

 

[Dioltach]

"Tales picture them as weak fighters". Remember the debate about this minor character a while ago?

 

[aco175]

Wish I could find the old Dragon cartoon labeled, Know Your Elves. It showed a dark elf with crossbow and evil grin, a grey elf with a spellbook and looking down from his highbrow. Next was a wood elf dressed in leaves and carrying a bone bow. Last was labeled santa's elves showing a goofy jester-type half the size of the others.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Hello ladies

 

[Dioltach]

Wish I could find the old Dragon cartoon labeled, Know Your Elves. It showed a dark elf with crossbow and evil grin, a grey elf with a spellbook and looking down from his highbrow. Next was a wood elf dressed in leaves and carrying a bone bow. Last was labeled santa's elves showing a goofy jester-type half the size of the others.

This one?

 

[IndigoTraveler]

What the heck is a "Grey Elf"?

Elves who think they are Corelleon's gift to the world AND Elven kind itself. High and mighty to an extreme

In 5E/Forgotten Realms, those are the Sun Elves(High Elf sub race.)

 

[el-remmen]

Of course, further information was quickly forthcoming, as we saw more of the drow just over six months later, when G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King was published in July of 1978.

Yeah, but back in the day we didn't have a release schedule (or even announcement) we could necessarily count on to let us know what was coming out or already had. Word of mouth was the most common way and there was a lot more isolated gamers/groups back then pre-internet. For example, I would not learn more about the Drow (besides this) until I got the Fiend Folio and then a few years later G3 from a stack of old gaming books a friend's older brother gave me. So the mysteries could linger.

 

[el-remmen]

This was shared on Twitter by HOW I RUN IT.

Hey! That's me!

 

[the Jester]

Thats what Humans called Moon Elfs, which were a type of High Elf/Eladrin

Sorry, but no. Moon elves and eladrin both postdate grey elves by some years. If anything, moon elves are what Greenwood called grey elves.

 

[el-remmen]

I miss the reveal of drow. I miss players exclaiming, "What? There's a new type of elf? That lives underground?"

What can I do today that has the same emotional impact?

Just take something else they expect like "Elves are good and live in the forest" and turn it on their heads "Here are some that are evil and live underground!"

So, in my old homebrew, I played with the expectation by making "Drow" not a sub-race but a template for evil elves dedicated to the Spider-Goddess (gaining their darkness, levitation, etc abilities). Trust me, when the players found out that not all "Drow" are dark elves, but that various surface elves could have their malevolent abilities, they were freaked out!

 

[Tonguez]

Sorry, but no. Moon elves and eladrin both postdate grey elves by some years. If anything, moon elves are what Greenwood called grey elves.

yes you are correct, the Grey - Moon thing is Forgotten Realms lore, but Greys did exist in Greyhawk long before that.

Grey Elf is a type of High Elf

 

[bulletmeat]

I liked the Falmer of Elder Scrolls so much I turned my Drow into the Ghoul Elves. The colony queens of the Ghoul Elves are much like the skyrim snow elves. Give the occasional one insect mandibles while climbing on the walls with drider warriorss and I am having some fun bringing back the fear in the deep places.