Drow, Spell Resistance, and Me!

[Infiniti2000]

Read in isolation...

Agreed. It was taken out of context.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've just recently returned to the forums, and apparently can't make my own topic, so I'll breathe a little life into this one to ask a few questions.

The group that I play Living Greyhawk with is starting to offer Xen'drik Expeditions, and I have a promo creation card that permits me to play a drow. A question recently came up regarding spell resistance, though and it has me rethinking my choice.

According to the DMG and the PHB, spell resistance can be lowered by spending a standard action, and remains down until just before your next turn. The rules regarding SR also state that harmless spells always fail against spell resistance. My questions are as follows:

1) How do drow (or any other creature with SR) use healing potions? If they have to use a standard action to lower their SR, they don't have any actions left to dump a potion down their neck.

I'd hand wave that one, actually - it's a loophole that's obviously not intended. It could actually get weird if you let the potion sit in their stomach until they turn off their SR Drow rogues might quaff potions before dangerous missions. If they get injured and captured, they can heal later, provided the potion hasn't passed through their system yet. Then they can try to escape. So, how long can a potion be retained in game rules?

2) How do drow clerics magically heal their fallen (below -10) on the field of battle? An unconscious drow has no actions to lower their SR, and a cure spell automatically fails.

They don't. We're talking evil here.

3) I know I'll think of one later, so instead I'll ask this. If I promise not to make a Drizzt clone, will you not hound me for playing a drow?

If they're not an Eilistraee worshipper and are neutral (eg not good, not evil), we'll leave them alone. Evil is okay if you're in an evil party, though.

Edit: it's okay if they're Eberron drow, provided that particular drow has a good reason to leave Xen'drik (and I presume you have one, if only to keep your character safe from a vengeful DM).

 

[Bryntryst]

provided that particular drow has a good reason to leave Xen'drik

It's a Xen'drik Expeditions character, so the campaign will take place in Xen'drik. Come on, now. Why would any self-respecting drow leave the dark continent?

 

[Herobizkit]

What's wrong with Eilistraee? Granted, her "come live in the light" attitude is kinda off-putting, but aside from that her credo is pretty solid. At least, *I* like it.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

She says 'come live in the light' but all of the rituals are done at night, in the woods (i think), and nekkid.

Maybe she's the matron of ugly drow.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

There's more than a few here who do not. In fact, I've never heard of a DM that ran it that way.

Let me introduce myself. Name's "Kae'Yoss".

But then again, I've seen it go beyond the rule,too. I once had to save against bear's endurance.

If you make a non-evil drow, then that by definition is a Driz'zt clone.

I have to plead BS on that one.

Is every dwarf that uses an axe by definition a Gimli clone? Every Elf with a bow a Legolas clone? Every incompetent, bearded Wizard a Gandalf clone? Every Ranger with a mangy beard and a perfy hobbit fancy a Aragorn clone? Is any character out there not a clone?

A clone is a very blatant copy of a concept, down to every detail. While I could see allowing some leniency in the concept (okay, so he's not a ranger of Gwaeron or Mielikki, he's a ranger of Silvanus. But everything else except the name is verbatim Drizzt), calling a mere race/alignment combo a clone makes no sense.

Drow are not all evil. They're no fiends. It says there "Humanoid (elf)". Alignment: usually evil. Not always.

They don't. We're talking evil here.

We're not talking about mindless evil zombies. We're talking about pragmatic. You can let your younger sister the priestess of Lolth bleed to death, but that weakens your house. She won't be there to shield you bodily from handcrossbow quarrels when the friendly neighbour enemy house comes invading.

If they're not an Eilistraee worshipper and are neutral (eg not good, not evil), we'll leave them alone.

The pleadings continue.

Edit: it's okay if they're Eberron drow

I go get the pitchfork and the dung cart.

So you've got something against a game world where there's a good drow deity, but a campaign setting where heaps of drow are goody two-shoes is okay?

 

[Infiniti2000]

But then again, I've seen it go beyond the rule,too. I once had to save against bear's endurance.

So, why would you houserule harmless spells like that, but then allow SR only to affect non-harmless spells? That makes no sense to me.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

So, why would you houserule harmless spells like that, but then allow SR only to affect non-harmless spells? That makes no sense to me.

I didn't houserule it that way. I saw it being ruled that way. It didn't make sense to me, either.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

So you've got something against a game world where there's a good drow deity, but a campaign setting where heaps of drow are goody two-shoes is okay?

Eberron drow are very different from FR drow. Very different. They do not have "enforced" alignment. Good drow are neither common nor rare in Eberron. There are also no drow deities in Eberron.

 

[Glyfair]

If you make a non-evil drow, then that by definition is a Driz'zt clone. But, hey, nothing really wrong with that if you've never actually done it before. I'd have no problem with a player trying out an established character concept.

No, not really. While a Driz'zt clone is possible in Eberron (and thus Xen'drik), it doesn't really fit.

Drow in Eberron really have a different vibe than those in other campaign worlds. They have more of a feel like the native villagers in the most recent King Kong movie.

With the campaign card, drow are something of a mixed blessing in Xen'drik Expeditions. The plus is they are only considered +1 LA (they start the campaign at first level, but don't gain a level until other characters would gain their third). On the other hand, that campaign card takes up 3 of your action points each adventure. I'm not really sure it's worth it.