D&D 5E Thoughts on playing Elf in Out of the Abyss [SPOILERS]
- Thread starter CapnZapp
- Start date
Uller
Adventurer
I seem to recall a certain book that started out saying "Bagginses never have adventures or do anything unexpected" and then went on to tell about one that did...which was followed up by three more about another Baggins that had yet more adventures.
I think to play D&D is to accept that it is about characters that are not ordinary. If the DM describing something extraordinary will cause players to lose interest then I think players would walk away after game one. My point is, taking the stand point of "never" really means never in the most literal sense would make the game a bit uninteresting, at least to me.
For my part, if I run OotA, I will tell the players up front that they will be start the game captured. It is up to them to come up with a description of how that happened. If they say something like "my character would be dead because..." Then my answer is "fine. Your character died in the prelude. Make a new one that survived. Perhaps make the exact same character but change your flaw from 'I fight to the death no matter the odds.' to 'I am a craven coward that would sell my friends up the river if it means survival.'"
What I would not do is start an established party that has already had adventures off with being captured. I wouldn't attempt to coordinate a capture scene unless the players as a group could accept some significant numbers a fatalities. What I would do instead is start OotA off with the PCs responding to the capture of NPCs. Perhaps they followed the captors to the outpost and arrive just as the demons attack (or even successfully rescue some NPCs and then the demons attack). Somehow the route they came is cut off so they have to leave another way. This would leave the PCs in exactly the same position as if they had been captured and escaped.
I think to play D&D is to accept that it is about characters that are not ordinary. If the DM describing something extraordinary will cause players to lose interest then I think players would walk away after game one. My point is, taking the stand point of "never" really means never in the most literal sense would make the game a bit uninteresting, at least to me.
For my part, if I run OotA, I will tell the players up front that they will be start the game captured. It is up to them to come up with a description of how that happened. If they say something like "my character would be dead because..." Then my answer is "fine. Your character died in the prelude. Make a new one that survived. Perhaps make the exact same character but change your flaw from 'I fight to the death no matter the odds.' to 'I am a craven coward that would sell my friends up the river if it means survival.'"
What I would not do is start an established party that has already had adventures off with being captured. I wouldn't attempt to coordinate a capture scene unless the players as a group could accept some significant numbers a fatalities. What I would do instead is start OotA off with the PCs responding to the capture of NPCs. Perhaps they followed the captors to the outpost and arrive just as the demons attack (or even successfully rescue some NPCs and then the demons attack). Somehow the route they came is cut off so they have to leave another way. This would leave the PCs in exactly the same position as if they had been captured and escaped.
It is authentic with no quotations for them to kill an elf settlement to the last person. It is clearly stated that they hate surface elves more than anyone else. I would consider it poor DM preparation to not know how Forgotten Realms drow operate. I would consider it poor DMing to not take the time to think a bit more about why an elf was not killed during a drow raid. It says in the lore that they often kill to the last elf, rarely doing otherwise. CapnZapp's question is why are you (the elf PC) that rare circumstance. It is not poor DMing to want an elf player to come up with a better reason for being alive than being taken as a slave. I'm not sure why you think playing drow as the lore states is two-dimensional, caricaturish, and/or a crutch for poor DMing. If a DM had every villain play this way, then I might agree with you. A particular race with a very intense hatred that often leads them to murderous behavior is not two-dimensional. It is a trait that should be made to stand out as part of the drow. Otherwise, how would you know? If you allow elves like every other player race, how would you convey the murderous hatred of surface elves that is a part of drow culture? I don't see how it wouldn't be poor DMing to hand wave that aspect of their character.
CapnZapp
Legend
Edit: nevermind. See celtavians reply
Last edited:
CapnZapp
Legend
Why do you think I started this thread?
Just because your players are free to decide for themselves doesn't mean they won't appreciate suggestions.
In fact, a player may well choose "my elf just survived because!" on the spot (and that's fine) but later start to regret choosing such a simple solution. After his DM has read this thread, that doesn't need to happen!
And the Cult of the Dragon is all about creating dracoliches. They would never, ever ally with living dragons in a plot to bring Tiamat to the material plane.
And everyone knows that the Elder Elemental Eye is a Greyhawk thing. If it showed up in the Forgotten Realms, that would just be silly.
Times change, tastes change, campaign settings change.
They explained that this was an offshoot of the Cult of the Dragon. Which means they took the time to cover why this splinter group rebelled against the normal Cult's goals. Seems they covered the lore aspect of this divergence from the norm.
They took the time to explain why cults were appearing in Faerun. Why is it silly some chaotic evil elemental force shows up in a new world? Especially in a vast, interconnected web of planes? Explain why that is silly?
As far as I know, the drow have not changed their hatred of surface elves. Since there have been no changes, I see no reason not to include drow hatred in the lore.
CapnZapp
Legend
It's fine if you have your Drow treat elf prisoners just like any other.
But that is not what this thread is about.
Uller
Adventurer
Why do you think I started this thread?
Just because your players are free to decide for themselves doesn't mean they won't appreciate suggestions.
I get that. I don't think my post or others like it are directed at your OP but at some that have implied that it is implausible for an elf to have survived capture at all.
Possible reasons for survival have been given and some of them are top notch. My suggestion is aimed at those saying a party largely comprised of elves is too implausible....so don't begin the game with them captured. Begin the game with them doing what heroes do. Rescuing others. Then bad stuff happens and they have to flee for their lives.
delericho
Legend
The real title is "Ten reasons my Elf PC isn't murdered yet"
He was. Twenty-four hours ago, after days of humiliation and torment, the drow finally got bored with you and slit your throat.
But something has gone wrong, and your soul didn't move on. Instead, you wake up, battered and bruised but, somehow, once again alive.
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