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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Andy_Collins" data-source="post: 2433687" data-attributes="member: 1982">It's the elf problem, but in reverse. The game tells you "elves are wizards, rah rah rah" and the world assumes that to be true. Unfortunately, nothing in the game mechanics of the PH supports that. (Heck, many players consider halflings to be a better choice as a wizard than elves because of their AC & attack bonus for size.) Thus, the last thing we want to do is undermine elves even more by publishing a LA +0 race that's CLEARLY better at wizardry (via the +2 Int) than the elves.(The same's not true, say, of most other PH claims about race + class, such as that "half-orcs make good barbarians" or "halflings make good rogues"--these are fully supported by the mechanics of the races.)Now, if elves came factory-loaded with +2 Int, or the game world had room for a race more wizardly than elves, you'd certainly see LA +0 races with an Int boost.IMO, if core races got a bump up in power, drow wouldn't need much of a reduction to be on par.  Just off the top of my head, here's what that drow might look like:+2 Dex, +2 Int or Cha (one or the other not both), -2 ConDarkvision 60 or 90 feet (not 120)Immunity to sleep +2 racial bonus on saves vs. spells (no extra bonus vs. enchantment)Wpn prof: hand crossbow, rapier, short swordSp: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire each 1/dayLight blindnessReally it's just all about getting rid of their SR, a mechanic I personally find odious to the game in just about every way. I think drow could survive the loss of SR--they already have a boost to Will saves vs. spells, and that could easily be widened to "all saves vs. spells" which is what dwarves have.If this didn't look enough like "classic" drow, the designers could still "restore" some of that lost drowness via feats or other mechanical options (much as FR did with the Highborn Drow feat). Compare that to what the elf in that same game might look like:+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 ConLow-light visionImmunity to sleep+2 racial bonus on saves vs. enchantment effects+2 Listen/Search/SpotWpn prof: longsword, rapier, longbow, shortbowFree check to find secret doors(Maybe not completely equal yet, but close enough that you get the point.)Obviously, the only reason to do this is if the game (or a setting) wants to use drow as a PC race. Like it or not, I think that horse is out of the barn by now, and it'd be foolish to keep our heads in the sand as to whether or not the rules should allow that functionality.</blockquote>

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