Evil Drow Statblocks to Return in Forgotten Realms Rulebooks Later This Year

Drow-specific NPC statblocks will be included in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Adventurer's Guide set for release later this year. Over the past several weeks, much hullabaloo has been made over the Monster Manual, specifically that the D&D design team replaced specific drow and orc statblocks with generic NPC statblocks that can be used for any kind of humanoids. In a video released today, D&D lead designer Jeremy Crawford confirmed that more specific statblocks tied to specific humanoid sects or characters would return in future rulebooks, with evil drow given as an example.

"Also for anyone who's eager to see more species-tailored humanoid statblocks, people are going to see more of that in our setting books," Crawford said. "You're going to see that in our Forgotten Realms products, for example. The malevolent drow of Menzoberranzan are an important part of that setting and so they get their own statblocks. This is really true of all the creatures in the Monster Manual. This is your massive starting toy box of monsters that are usable anywhere in the multiverse. The bestiaries in our setting products, that's where we can provide you versions of things tailored to the cultures and histories of our different worlds."

 

[Teemu]

Debatable depends what you use.

Sure, and you can always house rule any game so why do we even discuss the rules in the first place?

We assume a baseline default for the purposes of the discussion. Thus we assume that more options = more utility.

 

[Zardnaar]

Sure, and you can always house rule any game so why do we even discuss the rules in the first place?

We assume a baseline default for the purposes of the discussion. Thus we assume that more options = more utility.

That's up to the individual to decide though. More options also equals more bloat and complexity so it's not a slam dunk. And if you're not interested in thise options and worse removed stuff you do like.....

 

[EthanSental]

It's four statblocks with more than adequate replacements in the 2025 MM.

Those bastards nearly killed my PC in that campaign. In fact she only survived because Jarlaxle of all people saved her life.

Reading that last sentence, my imagination of that was already cresting the scene in my head….fun stuff…except for the character am\almost dying part

 

[Remathilis]

Did anyone use the 2014 DMG?

I'm told never, but also all the time.

 

[Remathilis]

I guess its not problematic to stat out drow in monster manuals after all. Huh.

Context is key.

Drow elves aren't being given statblocks. Mezzobarrazan Drow NPCs are being given unique stat blocks to show a specific expression of Drow. They can do that because they are going to devote a good deal of space to detailing Mezzobarrazan culture and how that is different than other Drow cultures. That is lore unique to one specific culture on one specific world and isn't appropriate for generic lore in the Monster Manual.

Imagine the 5.5 MM had stat blocks for elves, gnomes, dwarves, and halflings. But they put stat blocks for Areniel and Vanar elves, tinker gnomes, gold dwarves and Athasian halflings in to represent them. You would probably be upset since those stats aren't useful except to a specific word and useless to everyone else. And you'd be correct. Now, extend that to them putting one specific type of Drow in the MM and you see the logic in their move.

 

[Phaezen]

Imagine the 5.5 MM had stat blocks for elves, gnomes, dwarves, and halflings. But they put stat blocks for Areniel and Vanar elves, tinker gnomes, gold dwarves and Athasian halflings in to represent them.

Given the popularity of the topic you would think there would be space for a "Complete Book of Humanoids" featuring a wide variety of stat blocks for each humanoid subrace.

Guard (Drow), Guard (Elf, Avariel), Guard (Elf, Dark), Guard (Elf, Lythari), Guard (Elf, Moon), Guard (Elf, Sea), Guard (Elf, Star), Guard (Elf, Sun), Guard (Elf, Wild), Guard (Elf, Wood)...

 

[Oofta]

I thought they were called... elves?

Honestly, I don't mind the idea that after the drow went to the underground caverns where they were... changed... by the eldritch magic down there, they became riven by discord again and some ended up elsewhere.

But honestly, the modern take on drow just makes them elves with a different outlook on life, so I'm not quite sure why subdividing them more is useful. (What game mechanical traits do these new drow have that are in common with the Lolth drow and not with elves in general?)

In my campaign Drow are like Romulans and those that reject Lollth are like Vulcans. So I did what all DMs do and "borrowed" an idea from existing fiction, in this case Star Trek and Greyhawk, to come up with a solution. So my Grey elves still have to resist the pull of Lollth so they focus on logic, reasoning and intellect above all. Because of their ascetic lifestyle they come off as even more aloof than normal and tend to have LG or LN alignments.

I did it that way because it gave a reason to explain why this group of elves have such a different outlook on life and because the very dark grey to black skin of drow is not natural, it's a result of the influence of Lollth and the underdark.

 

[Oofta]

Given the popularity of the topic you would think there would be space for a "Complete Book of Humanoids" featuring a wide variety of stat blocks for each humanoid subrace.

Guard (Drow), Guard (Elf, Avariel), Guard (Elf, Dark), Guard (Elf, Lythari), Guard (Elf, Moon), Guard (Elf, Sea), Guard (Elf, Star), Guard (Elf, Sun), Guard (Elf, Wild), Guard (Elf, Wood)...

You forgot the myriad of choices for other species like Guard(dwarf) and umm Guard(still just a dwarf) or Guard(halfling) and Guard ...wait a minute ... why is it that only elves can have dozens of variations for no reason?

EDIT: just kidding, just comparing the number of subspecies available for elves vs every other species.

 

[Oofta]

When it comes to the MM I just don't see the big deal. There were only a few drow entries in the 2014 MM and they have been replaced by the more generic humanoids that are far more flexible. Except now I have 1 entry, the tough, for low level fighter types whether they are drow, dwarf or human. Yes, I have to remember that drow have darkvision and if I really, really want to lean into them being drow decide if they also have faerie fire and darkness based on CR of the monster. It's not like there are many DMs out there who don't already have the PHB and we still have to look up spells in the PHB anyway.

 

[Phaezen]

You forgot the myriad of choices for other species like Guard(dwarf) and umm Guard(still just a dwarf) or Guard(halfling) and Guard ...wait a minute ... why is it that only elves can have dozens of variations for no reason?

Mainly because I had the FR Wiki Elf page open and was too lazy to look up other humanoids.