D&D General Justify A Level 1 Drow On the Surface?

[Zardnaar]

In 25 years of D&D I have made one Drow PC and never played it back in the late 90s.

I normally don't allow them but recently noticed that people don't chose them anyway.

Now assuming I did play one I think I would play a Rogue either CN or N. More Han Solo in the cantina than Drizzt. If the DM says no or no evil races I wouldn't bother.

Drizzt was around level 15 when he got to the surface. However his reception in Sojourn is basically the struggles of his heros journey.

So how about level 1? Note I'll make the following assumptions.

1. It's ye olde Lolthites Drow a'la Greyhawk/FR.

2. You were raised in that culture is not adopted as a baby by adventurer's.

The obvious one is you have a crappy background and you were sold as a slave (probably male) or otherwise got taken to the surface by someone else.

Survivor of a raid doesn't really cut it when you look at the average CR 5 Drow warrior. Being banished by an older sibling via teleport is another option or perhaps been seen as disposable spy.

Being a spy whether willing or unwilling however doesn't exactly help out the kill on sight thing Drow tend to have.

Luck sacking your way through the underdark is a bit of a cop out as well espicially if you know common.

FR you have the option of raised by Elistraee but your knowledge of the Drow us second hand.

So if I were to play one I would make sure you would have diplomat type skills.

Reason is I have found a very narrow build that only a Drow qualifies for. It's hypothetical and it's not good as such but Dex based melee sorcerer/cleric in a domain without martial weapons.

Any other Dex and charisma races with rapiers as a racial weapon?

 

[Zardnaar]

Can a mid please move this to D&D if applicable.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Any other Dex and charisma races with rapiers as a racial weapon?

Variant half elf.

As for the rest, it would depend on the setting, and the DM's take on the setting.

For a not-drizzt example of drow on the surface, you might read this: Viconia DeVir.

Members of the Bregan D'aerthe also operate on the surface.

 

[dave2008]

Sorry, you post was too long, so I didn't read it. But based on your title my justification is: I'm the DM. Heck, I let my players choose their race from the Monster Manual, not the PHB, so anything goes really.

 

[Rikka66]

Survivor of a raid doesn't really cut it when you look at the average CR 5 Drow warrior.

Is there a reason you chose to cite the Drow Elite Warrior over the regular CR 1/4 Drow?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Is there a reason you chose to cite the Drow Elite Warrior over the regular CR 1/4 Drow?

It's worth noting that in the Drizzt books even very young drow join surface raids. They believe in survival of the fittest, so if a few weak children don't make it back that's a win. The Monster Manual tends to focus on enemies who can challenge the party. It doesn't mean enemies who die if the PCs sneeze on them don't exist.

 

[Hussar]

Speaking for Greyhawk, it's going to depend rather when you are setting your campaign. If you're going back to the 1983 boxed set year -576 CY - then, well, Drow are pretty much unknown in most of Greyhawk at that point. No one has descended into the Vault of the Drow at that point and, outside of a couple of sages perhaps, no one has ever seen or heard of a drow.

Other than maybe getting some weird looks for being a funny looking elf, there's no reason a Drow in that year of Greyhawk would have any problems walking around openly.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My main Drow PC predates Drizz’t by a couple years. His initial “reason” for being on the surface resulted from his interests: he was a Druid/Ranger/MU, drawn upwards to unders the origins of the water and nutrients that supplied the Underdark food chain.

While surface dwelling Drow are rare, it could be that they network with each other in order to help each other survive. Some may even feel the need to “deprogram” some of those they left behind, or other promising youths there spotted. Then, they’d conduct raids on Drow settlements to get them, or risk kidnapping them during Drow raids on the surface.

A young Drow captured in such a way might not know for some time WHY they were targeted, or who among the other surface Drow was their benefactor.

Think...Speed Racer and Racer X.

 

[tetrasodium]

I run eberron games with eberron style drow who would be horrified by the drow on settings like fr deacon the OP, of not allow any of those drow but fitting in the setting's drow is no big deal

 

[Wiseblood]

A young drow gets into trouble (or craves power) and makes a deal with a powerful entity. Entity says go to the surface and helps them get there. Warlock fits the ability scores.