D&D (2024) Should 2014 Half Elves and Half Orcs be added to the 2025 SRD?

[Remathilis]

I maybe used a little bit of the PHB for it but I remember it as being very self-contained. I don't think I ever referred back to the original RL box set.

The issue was that, for example, casting a spell in MotRD needed you to look up the spell in the PHB and then apply any unique changes from both Ravenloft and MotRD to them. That's three sources to figure out one spell. Just reprint the spell with all the necessary changes in one place!

And you needed the RL box set for fear, horror, madness and Powers checks rules, plus the general changes to magic that MoRD didn't further override.

I still have a weird fondness for MotRD, but I think it was hampered by not being its own game and trying to work within the AD&D 2e structure. As a spinoff to a spinoff, it suffers from a lot of "fix it yourself" style problems. I just think if it was its own thing like Gamma World or Alternity, it would have been far better than it was.

 

[Yaarel]

Where did you find that?

Forgotten Realms fan sites that compile data from various official sources.

In 1e FR boxed set says that drow have skin of polished obsidian. The 2e FR Adventures book doesn't list a skin color for drow. 3e Races of Faerun calls them obsidian skinned. 5e says that drow have skin that is charcoal or obsidian in color. I did see that pale silver was listed as an eye color for drow. Perhaps you confused that with the skin color.

For example, the Forgotten Realms Drow include the phenomena of "szarkai" who are various shades of solid white, including alabaster and bone. Likewise, many illustrations depict Drow with light complexions. There are examples for a full range of gradations from solid black to solid white, even if "typical" is obsidian (which is often a purple-red gray).

Generally in formative early D&D, across various topics, pictures sometimes contradict text. But such incongruencies tended inspire "both are true" reconciliations when later elaborating the lore about the topic.

 

[Maxperson]

Forgotten Realms fan sites that compile data from various official sources.


For example, the Forgotten Realms Drow include the phenomena of "szarkai" who are various shades of solid white, including alabaster and bone. Likewise, many illustrations depict Drow with light complexions. There are examples for a full range of gradations from solid black to solid white, even if "typical" is obsidian (which is often a purple-red gray).

Generally in formative early D&D, across various topics, pictures sometimes contradict text. But such incongruencies tended inspire "both are true" reconciliations when later elaborating the lore about the topic.

I wonder if that stuff came from the Menzobaranzen(sp) boxed set.

Anyway, why do you think the drow has the silver skin and the other elf the blue black skin? If it doesn't list silver as a possible drow skin color in the 5.5e PHB, it would be confusing in the extreme to use that art. Nobody who didn't research obscure lore specific to one setting would ever make the connection.

 

[Yaarel]

I wonder if that stuff came from the Menzobaranzen(sp) boxed set.

Heh, the way remember that crazy name is, "men so bare ran sand", then think of a beach scene.

The spelling is an extra step with "berry": Menzoberranzan.

Anyway, why do you think the drow has the silver skin and the other elf the blue black skin? If it doesn't list silver as a possible drow skin color in the 5.5e PHB, it would be confusing in the extreme to use that art. Nobody who didn't research obscure lore specific to one setting would ever make the connection.

By the way from the Tashas, here is the image of a pale, probably szarkai Drow, and what is probably a Moon Elf.

And here is an other image of a pale Drow.

Also, recent images of Drizzt portray a lighter complexion, and for this novel from 2023, such is intentional.

Here are a specimen of "obsidian", and my own picture of Spock as a Drow.

 

[Maxperson]

Heh, the way remember that crazy name is, "men so bare ran sand", then think of a beach scene.

The spelling is an extra step with "berry": Menzoberranzan.



By the way from the Tashas, here is the image of a pale, probably szarkai Drow, and what is probably a Moon Elf.

And here is an other image of a pale Drow.

Also, recent images of Drizzt portray a lighter complexion, and for this novel from 2023, such is intentional.

Here are a specimen of "obsidian", and my own picture of Spock as a Drow.

So I reaaaaaaally doubt they are drawing szarkai drow. That's just way too obscure and single setting limited for general books like Tasha's and the 5.5e PHB. More likely this is just a new general trend showing drow with grayish skin and not charcoal or obsidian skin. Page 29 of Tasha's has yet another grey skinned drow on it.

 

[Yaarel]

Here is an image of a "High Elf Psi Warrior", probably Sun Elf, with a darker complexion.

 

[TiQuinn]

The issue was that, for example, casting a spell in MotRD needed you to look up the spell in the PHB and then apply any unique changes from both Ravenloft and MotRD to them. That's three sources to figure out one spell. Just reprint the spell with all the necessary changes in one place!

And you needed the RL box set for fear, horror, madness and Powers checks rules, plus the general changes to magic that MoRD didn't further override.

I still have a weird fondness for MotRD, but I think it was hampered by not being its own game and trying to work within the AD&D 2e structure. As a spinoff to a spinoff, it suffers from a lot of "fix it yourself" style problems. I just think if it was its own thing like Gamma World or Alternity, it would have been far better than it was.

Well, look, how about we argue this case to WotC and have them make a 5.5 update?

Because I could totally get behind that.

 

[Yaarel]

So I reaaaaaaally doubt they are drawing szarkai drow. That's just way too obscure and single setting limited for general books like Tasha's and the 5.5e PHB. More likely this is just a new general trend showing drow with grayish skin and not charcoal or obsidian skin. Page 29 of Tasha's has yet another grey skinned drow on it.

The playtest Character Origins describes the Drow as "dusky-gray skin tones". But the final Players Handbook ignores the topic of skin color altogether. It leaves it for each setting to describe its own cultures.

 

[Azzy]

Where did you find that? In 1e FR boxed set says that drow have skin of polished obsidian. The 2e FR Adventures book doesn't list a skin color for drow. 3e Races of Faerun calls them obsidian skinned. 5e says that drow have skin that is charcoal or obsidian in color.

I did see that pale silver was listed as an eye color for drow. Perhaps you confused that with the skin color.

Another 2e book you can look at is Drow of the Underdark. I haven't looked at it since it came out, so I don't know how it describes them physically.

 

[Alzrius]

Another 2e book you can look at is Drow of the Underdark. I haven't looked at it since it came out, so I don't know how it describes them physically.

On page 5, the first paragraph under the "Drow Build" header:

Drow vary in shape, features, and hair color as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule is their uniformly jet-black skin (the few exceptions tend to be bone-white albinos).

There's a few paragraphs then going into greater detail about hair color, eye color, etc.