D&D 5E Redeeming Drow?

[Zardnaar]

When you grow up in a society where you see constant propaganda, you tend to believe the propaganda. You see it in the real world all the time. A maniac spewing lies to followers will be believed, despite how ridiculous and outlandish the claims, because enough people buy into it to allow people to overlook the absolute ridiculous idiocy of what is being said.

In my setting, the drow, and pretty much everything living in my expansive Underdark, live in isolated cities where information from the outside world is rare. Those that doubt the official story are either killed, outcast, or adjusted. Lolth, in particular, as the Lady of Deception, uses misinformation and manipulation to keep the followers in line. The drow in her service generally believe they are doing what is necessary to preserve the drow way of life from the surface threats, and that preemptive strikes and attacks are the only thing keeping the inevitable surface invasion at bay.

Even if they don't believe it they won't do anything. The success rate for armed revolts very low.

If somewhat successful heading for the surface probably the more likely option.

That river that flows through Cormanthyr flowing into the Moonsea seems a decent location.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

For my one homebrew, the drow are a major faction in the Mana Consortium (a mana trade interest), because mana (here possibly the blood of the gods) is often found below ground. They can be haughty and mercenarily mercantile, but not innately evil.

For the Forgotten Realms, I've been working through a more serious overhaul. After some debate, for me it all goes back to Lolth. You have to redeem Lolth to have a societal change in the drow. So she is a spider god...what's good about spiders? I don't like them, but they have huge ecological importance, dealing with pests and harmful insects. So I decided to change drow to the guardians of the Underdark, dealing with threats to the environment, whether that's rampaging monsters, arcane weirdness from the faerzress, or geological disturbances. This can still bring them into conflict with surface-dwellers, though, if they come down and start causing trouble. Also right out is the whole slavery thing.

 

[Zardnaar]

For my one homebrew, the drow are a major faction in the Mana Consortium (a mana trade interest), because mana (here possibly the blood of the gods) is often found below ground. They can be haughty and mercenarily mercantile, but not innately evil.

For the Forgotten Realms, I've been working through a more serious overhaul. After some debate, for me it all goes back to Lolth. You have to redeem Lolth to have a societal change in the drow. So she is a spider god...what's good about spiders? I don't like them, but they have huge ecological importance, dealing with pests and harmful insects. So I decided to change drow to the guardians of the Underdark, dealing with threats to the environment, whether that's rampaging monsters, arcane weirdness from the faerzress, or geological disturbances. This can still bring them into conflict with surface-dwellers, though, if they come down and start causing trouble. Also right out is the whole slavery thing.

I hate retcins so use FR Drow as is.

On other world's I don't care I've thought of reversing the results of the Elven civil war so the Drow are good aligned and the surface elves evil.

Bought a lot of Drow related stuff over the years but so rarely use it as I rarely use Drow traditional or otherwise.

 

[jasper]

As long as you have your pawn ticket, fee and the store is open, you can redeem your drow at anytime.

 

[Zardnaar]

As long as you have your pawn ticket, fee and the store is open, you can redeem your drow at anytime.

Yeah but all I got was this crappy novel.

 

[Eltab]

Yeah but all I got was this crappy novel.

At least novels do not shrink, the way cheap T-shirts do.

 

[SkidAce]

When the drow in my campaign return to the light, they become eladrin.

 

[Zardnaar]

When the drow in my campaign return to the light, they become eladrin.

Not a bad idea. Personally I would probably allow it via a ritual or something if a player really wanted to.

Thinkung of some tribal type Drow or a pocket with an extra dimensional bolt hole.
Or have several groups some can still be Lolthites.

Hmmnn.

 

[Ogre Mage]

Power abhors a vacuum. If Lolth's power is broken, who moves in?

Vhaeraun, already mentioned, is an obvious one. I wonder if even some of the evil non-drow gods might see this as an opportunity. Part of Shar's portfolio is the underdark and she already killed Ibrandul and masqueraded as him to his worshippers. And I could see Loviatar's decadence appealing to some drow. Various non-divine powers (Fiends? Noble dao?) might be on the lookout for potential warlocks.

On an earthly level, the duergar kingdom might see this as an opportunity to enslave the drow while they are in such a weakened state. Duergar slavemasters could launch a program to collect "low hanging fruit."

I certainly think it is possible that with the cultural indoctrination of Lolth removed, a minority of drow could turn away from evil. But the majority would not. The chance for redemption might be best with drow who were too young to be fully brainwashed.

 

[Zardnaar]

Power abhors a vacuum. If Lolth's power is broken, who moves in?

Vhaeraun, already mentioned, is an obvious one. I wonder if even some of the evil non-drow gods might see this as an opportunity. Part of Shar's portfolio is the underdark and she already killed Ibrandul and masqueraded as him to his worshippers. And I could see Loviatar's decadence appealing to some drow. Various non-divine powers (Fiends? Noble dao?) might be on the lookout for potential warlocks.

On an earthly level, the duergar kingdom might see this as an opportunity to enslave the drow while they are in such a weakened state. Duergar slavemasters could launch a program to collect "low hanging fruit."

I certainly think it is possible that with the cultural indoctrination of Lolth removed, a minority of drow could turn away from evil. But the majority would not. The chance for redemption might be best with drow who were too young to be fully brainwashed.

There's no Duergar kingdom close by.

It's a reasonablly isolated part of the Underdark.

Without lolth most still evil. I'm using the old City of Spider Queen and Underdark books and thinking what could happen in the previous 100 years.

So Maerimydra still under control of Fire Giants. I figured they would want to make it more appealing creating a plane of fire bleed effect.