D&D 5E New Drow cultures coming in Starlight Enclave, the Lorendrow and the Aevendrow

[Ath'kethin]

Isn't that what substitutes for cultures in 5e? I realize this is all in flux with lineages and such, but was basically my understanding: subrace = different culture

Historically, elf subrace = money printer, IIRC. And I suppose we could view subrace = culture or subculture, but I feel that idea breaks down a bit with humans at least.

Also, come to think of it, it breaks down with Krynnish elves, where two of the primary nations (Qualinesti and Silvanesti) are explicitly called out as High Elves.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Do you have a source on that statement?

The only mention of drow in Al-Qadim stuff that I ever recall seeing referred to them as "unenlightened," meaning they DIDN'T follow the Zakharan gods.

I assumed the Drow were apart of Zakharan culture like other Elves, so I might be mistaken on that one.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Historically, elf subrace = money printer, IIRC. And I suppose we could view subrace = culture or subculture, but I feel that idea breaks down a bit with humans at least.

Also, come to think of it, it breaks down with Krynnish elves, where two of the primary nations (Qualinesti and Silvanesti) are explicitly called out as High Elves.

Well part of that is in 1st edition they WERE different subraces - Silvanesti (Gray Elves), Qualinesti (High Elves), but 5E has merged grey elves and high elves (at least mechanically).

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So instead of making drow culture more varied, they’re making more elf subraces? :/

Subraces allow to have Drow without sunlight sensitivity or darkness spell and maybe with only regular elven darkvision. Its all speculation on are they just cultures or subraces until we see a Drow subrace UA come out or a book.

 

[Charlaquin]

Isn't that what substitutes for cultures in 5e? I realize this is all in flux with lineages and such, but was basically my understanding: subrace = different culture

Well yeah, which is part of the problem with how D&D presents races. So now instead of all drow being evil, they’re called Unudrow, and there are two new subraces of elves that also have drow in their name. Oh, and all Unudrow are still evil. That isn’t even kicking the can down the road, it’s just pointing at a pair of rocks down the road and saying “those are cans too!”

Look, I get it. Some D&D fans really don’t like change, and WotC is trying their best to look like they’re addressing problems with D&D without upsetting those people. But that isn’t going to cut it here. Race in D&D is not a problem that can be fixed without making real changes to established lore.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Well yeah, which is part of the problem with how D&D presents races. So now instead of all drow being evil, they’re called Unudrow, and there are two new subraces of elves that also have drow in their name. Oh, and all Unudrow are still evil. That isn’t even kicking the can down the road, it’s just pointing at a pair of rocks down the road and saying “those are cans too!”

Look, I get it. Some D&D fans really don’t like change, and WotC is trying their best to look like they’re addressing problems with D&D without upsetting those people. But that isn’t going to cut it here. Race in D&D is not a problem that can be fixed without making real changes to established lore.

Not all Unudrow are evil, they can individually decide to reject Lolth for example, its just most of the civilization is evil because of Lolth's corruption, but Unudrow still have free will and increasing amounts of Unudrow reject Lolth, which is causing chaos in Drow society and may partly responsible for the return of rest of the Dark Seldarine Gods.

 

[Ixal]

Not all Unudrow are evil, they can individually decide to reject Lolth for example, its just most of the civilization is evil because of Lolth's corruption, but Unudrow still have free will and increasing amounts of Unudrow reject Lolth, which is causing chaos in Drow society and may partly responsible for the return of rest of the Dark Seldarine Gods.

So the exact same as OldDrow.
I do not see how that contradicts what Charlaquin said.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Okay, I guess some people don't know, but Baldur's Gate 3 already divides the drow into two subraces. It calls them Lloth-sworn and Seldarine drow, but they are basically the same thing. We have heard Larian are working closely with WotC, so it may be that they had advanced notice but the names were under NDA.

Mechanically, the two subraces are identical (neither has sunlight sensitivity). They can be told apart as the Lloth-sworn have red eyes.

 

[Ixal]

Okay, I guess some people don't know, but Baldur's Gate 3 already divides the drow into two subraces. It calls them Lloth-sworn and Seldarine drow, but they are basically the same thing. We have heard Larian are working closely with WotC, so it may be that they had advanced notice but the names where under NDA.

Mechanically, the two subraces are identical (neither has sunlight sensitivity). They can be told apart as the Lloth-sworn have red eyes.

And also in the BG3 forum people have questioned why they need subraces for that.

 

[ph0rk]

This was very obviously coming. Drow can be interesting without almost the entire race being moustache-twirling Evil.

It also moves things closer towards race templates being about culture independent of biology, which is clearly where things will be in 6e.