Why do drow have black skin?

[Sunseeker]

If you really are insisting on a logical explanation, consider that in the Drow's current environment, pretty much everyone has eyes that work the way Aristotle thought eyes work. Instead of eyes receiving ambient light reflecting off surfaces, creatures with Darkvision emit light from their eyes much like radar. As such, there is an evolutionary reason to maintain pigmentation. Perhaps the black skin evolved to partially thwart Darkvision.

Psued-logic is okay. But that might also work well with why Drow have disturbing red eyes.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Instead of eyes receiving ambient light reflecting off surfaces, creatures with Darkvision emit light from their eyes much like radar. As such, there is an evolutionary reason to maintain pigmentation. Perhaps the black skin evolved to partially thwart Darkvision.

...except that it doesn't thwart darkvision.

And if it did, it would make Drow sex lives...confusing, to say the least.

 

[tuxgeo]

Considering that elves who live in the sun always seem to be really pale, I just assumed that elves tanned in reverse. That or demonic influence.

That, or the elves who live in the sun live in the far northern/southern sun, where the sunbeams are striking the atmosphere at about a 30-degree angle--and mostly reflecting back into space.

They need the minimum melanin in order to achieve the maximum solar absorption if they are to get any Vitamin D at all. (That doesn't apply to the underdark where the drow get to eat mushrooms that generate Vit. D for them.) (Yes, I just made that up.)

 

[Celebrim]

...except that it doesn't thwart darkvision.

Well, it doesn't render them invisible, but maybe it thwarts darkvision in the same way that it could be said that camouflage thwarts vision.

Drow sex lives are already... unpleasant.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've got it! FULL BODY TATTOOS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUzQvfRNJsE

 

[trancejeremy]

I always thought it was because they were a negative image of elves.

You know, like when you take a picture, reverse the colors (like in a photograph negative or nowadays, a paint program) and skin turns an inky black-purple, and hair usually becomes white.

Obviously they aren't perfect negative images, they don't have black teeth. But it's something that always seemed to be the explanation. Something like that happens to a character in a Michael Moorcock novel (one of the Jerry Cornelius ones)

 

[TerraDave]

The original D modules don't say too much. Basically they where bad elves. The good elves defeated them and drove them underground. Then they became bad-ass, and liked their new fairlyland, but still wanted revenge. So they will plot against the elves, but don't launch a full scale invasion, which they could win, as they are bad-ass.

I paraphrased a little.

There is no mention off elf gods...and Lloth would actually be the first, as D3 was published in 78 and Dieties and Demigods in 80. (Gygax did not, ever, use the non-human deities in his campaign, though he OKed it for others. He did have Ehlonna, but she was not published until 82, and may not have featured much in his home game.)

Gygax does note that the drow are "handsome" "not unhandsome" and they do have an above average charisma.

Whats interesting to ponder: where they always black? Based on some of the art in vault of the drow, maybe not.

You can see more here, this is one example:

 

[jasper]

Not only did they lose the coin toss, they drew last from the color chair. gawd, "Sorry drow the only thing left is black skin and white hair." And the other elves laughed at them.
Drow storm off to their basements to play intellvision swearing revenge!

 

[Dungeoneer]

Ever since that Community episode, dark elves just make me think of Senor Chang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsmjkKzT3w

"So we just gonna ignore that hate crime, huh?"