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."

 

[Chaltab]

Monsters of the Multiverse is still valid and all the neat Drow statblocks were in there anyway. The Matron Mother, Arachnomancer, favored consort, etc.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think the Auroral Ice Drow and Jungle Shade Drow are both sick and aesthetic as hell. I don't know why so many people hate on them. New ideas are cool, new aesthetics are cool, I'm all for adding to the Realms. Underdark Drow aren't going anywhere, stop pearl clutching at new things.

I think they will end up like rock seer elves. What are they? Exactly.

 

[Zaukrie]

Monsters of the Multiverse is still valid and all the neat Drow statblocks were in there anyway. The Matron Mother, Arachnomancer, favored consort, etc.

Stop being reasonable. This is ENWorld....

 

[KentHusker]

But you mocking that of which you know nothing is tiresome.

Neat so people can't have different opinions on editions, settings, etc now apparently.

So which setting would you prefer to be the default setting for D&D going forward?

Honestly of the opinion that it doesn't really matter. Overwhelming majority use their own. I have a fondness for Greyhawk myself, but don't really care what the base is.

They've made pretty clear that just because Greyhawk is the default, they won't stop publishing Forgotten Realms material. I'm mean with it being the 1st book after the MM, it is pretty obvious Forgotten Realms will continue to have content coming. So I don't get the hate for it not being the default. People are losing nothing from the change.

 

[KentHusker]

Because they were snapped into existence.

So when new regions are detailed, anything new being added is just snapped into existence... Guess we shouldn't add more regions to existing settings anymore because everything is just snapped into existence.

 

[Dire Bare]

Neat so people can't have different opinions on editions, settings, etc now apparently.



Honestly of the opinion that it doesn't really matter. Overwhelming majority use their own. I have a fondness for Greyhawk myself, but don't really care what the base is.

They've made pretty clear that just because Greyhawk is the default, they won't stop publishing Forgotten Realms material. I'm mean with it being the 1st book after the MM, it is pretty obvious Forgotten Realms will continue to have content coming. So I don't get the hate for it not being the default. People are losing nothing from the change.

Sure you can have your opinions. I got plenty!

You can like a thing I don't, or dislike a thing I do.

It's the ignorant opinions I find tiresome. The ones not based on any actual experience or knowledge of a thing.

 

[TiQuinn]

It makes sense to me that cultural specific tendencies (even if it's primarily for a specific species) belongs to setting specific books. I have my own lore for drow which outside of some superficial things is likely completely different from the lore for drow in every other campaign even if I've borrowed ideas from other books.

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a few higher level evil orcs as well. Because after all, this thread is really about orcs, right? Right?

I’m totally cool with setting specific takes on monsters.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Let me guess, you didn't read the novel trilogy featuring the aevendrow, or starlight elves, right?

I mean, that's okay if you didn't. Salvatore's Dark Elf novels aren't for everyone.

But you mocking that of which you know nothing is tiresome.

I’ve read every single Salvatore Drizzt novel in existence.

 

[Charlaquin]

And people found it contrived. You asked why people hate on the idea, and you've gotten an answer.

It’s not any more or less contrived than the original drow. It’s a game of make-believe, everything in it is contrived.

 

[Scribe]

It’s not any more or less contrived than the original drow. It’s a game of make-believe, everything in it is contrived.

True, so dump them in some new setting instead of telling us they have 'always been there' in a decades old one and expect us to buy it.