White-skinned Drow

[LoneWolf23]

Well, I certainly never intended real-world politics to get mixed up into this... I thought I was asking an honest, harmless question...

I had no idea people were so adamant about keeping their Drow dark-skinned. Why, I have no idea: I certainly think it was a silly, pointless cosmetic element. After all, if the Elf is Evil, lives Underground, worships a Spider Queen Demon-goddess and is utterly ruthless, what's it matter if it's black or white?

...Oh crud, now I've got that Michael Jackson song in my head...

 

[Nifft]

After all, if the Elf is Evil, lives Underground, worships a Spider Queen Demon-goddess and is utterly ruthless, what's it matter if it's black or white?

...Oh crud, now I've got that Michael Jackson song in my head...

I'm seeing Michael Jackson in a whole new light. (Are we sure he worships a spider queen?)

Anyway, back on topic:

IMC, Barsoom is inhabited by the Thurn (evil bone-white elves who use Drow stats and some of their culture), and the Red Men of the North (normal humans who have red-brown skin and red hair).

The ironic thing is that Red Men have an easier time hiding underground (what with the red soil of Barsoom), while Thurn have an easy time hiding outdoors in the winter (becaus the North is snowy in the winter).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Jesus_marley]

I think that if one were to make their Drow pale based on the subterranean living conditions, one could always go that one step further and instead of making them pale, make the skin translucent. It would definitely grant them an unearthly appearance and still make them easily distinguishable.

Based on personal preference however, I am still a holdout on the Black skinned Drow. But only for fully grown adults. My theory is that the "strange UD radiation", like solar radiation, causes the elves skin to gradually darken in reaction to the exposure. So, when born, a young Drow would look like any other elf child, but by the time that elf reaches adulthood, their skin has turned completely black.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I always preferred the Mystaran Shadow Elf concept over the AD&D Drow concept for underground-dwelling elves, though I cna easily understand the light elf/dark elf Norse myth influence.

Then again, I'm not a fan of demihuman subraces, so I've pretty much eliminated the standard drow from my homebrew game. However, the typical drow look (black skin, white hair, etc.) is not a result of a curse, but just one of many possible looks for the elves.

What I did do with the drow is changed tham from humanoids to monstrous humanoids (much as the derro are). The drow do have the typical black skin, white hair, & red eyes, but they originally didn't start off that way--they were just rebellious elves, with all sorts of hair, skin, and eye colors.

However, borrowing from real-world history/events somewhat (which I won't go into detail here, esp. with the previous warning), I've had the drow go through countless purges of "undesirables" from their ranks, until all that was left was the "typical"-looking drow.

As a result of this, the drow are on the brink of extinction--their purges have severely reduced their numbers, and left them weak in comparison to my campaign's reworked grey dwarves/"troglodytes". In fact, I'm planning on having the PCs witness the fall/final days of the drow IMC (and maybe even be partly responsible for it).

 

[Particle_Man]

To change things up, give all Drow snow white skin, red ruby lips and green hair.

Now you have a race of Jokers. Have fun!

 

[Rogue765]

Does anyone know the name of the first adventure module that introduced drow? I swear that they were albino-looking in that, but maybe that's just how the artist of that module choose to draw them rather than how TSR told him to do it.

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

Mine would be bald, with scar over one eye and always petting a kitty but occasionally chewing on the pinky finger, especially after doing something bad. Oh, and they would later have clones, only 1/6 normal size.

Throw me a frickin' bone here! I didn't mention anything about ill tempered sea bass!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Does anyone know the name of the first adventure module that introduced drow? I swear that they were albino-looking in that, but maybe that's just how the artist of that module choose to draw them rather than how TSR told him to do it.

It was G3, Hall of the Fire Giant King. They were dark-skinned there.

 

[el-remmen]

In Aquerra "drow" is a template applied to those elves who dedicate themselves to Teneraél Undol - it just happens that most of the elves who fled underground happened to be of the dark sub-race (who are actually more a gray color) and passed on this dedication as culture. However, as sibling marriage is not uncommon among elves (and has no drawbacks) there have been some of the other elven sub-races who are "drow" and breed pure.

 

[Sejs]

It was G3, Hall of the Fire Giant King. They were dark-skinned there.

And, memory serving, that was back when they worshiped the elder elemental eye, wasn't it?

Pre-Lolth. Tentacle rods and the like.