|
The problem with Drizzit wasn't so much with the character. Salvatore did a good job in fleshing him out. The problem was that the whole idea was literally beaten to death over and over again. The "good drow" has become a tired old cliche.Question, for everyone who feels this way: How many drow characters have you played as or with? You personally, not just heard about?
A lot of prejudice is picked up from other people's prejudice.
Played personally? Zero.
Played with? 18-20.Drow were frighteningly common during the 2nd and 3rd edition days in my gaming circles. Particularly the scimitar wielding variety. I remember showing to a new campaign once and bringing the only non-drow character.
I think that's where my drow hate began...
honestly i have seen far more dervish dancing magi than Drow with scimitars
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Having skipped entirely from 1st edition (AD&D broke everything, so we bailed to Runequest) to Pathfinder, we had no concept on the history of the drow, nor of the hatred they engendered among other players.
However, on reading the, "Do paladins kill evil babies?" thread, one of my players asked, "What if a paladin of Sarenrae were to find and raise a drow baby as a paladin?"
She ended up playing what I consider the definitive "good drow" (having never read any of the Drizzt stuff either).
It was a magnificent bit of roleplaying -- she was constantly at war with herself as her cruel nature and rage warred with her teachings from Sarenrae, and sometimes she had to storm about and scream and rage and walk it off while others watched the prisoners, just so she wouldn't slowly eviscerate them. WONDERFUL "Lawful Good without wanting to be Lawful Good" moments throughout the campaign.
But even after allowing a Lawful Good paladin drow, I would not allow for even a neutral drow city. Their fundamental nature prevents it. But individuals can be redeemed if they're captured early enough.
My $0.02.
Amusing ramification - the one-way trip combined with the enhanced powers would indicate that drow are what elves are supposed to be, or at least represent a "higher" state of elfhood.
Seems that the trip is one way because it depended upon something external (described earlier in this thread) actively changing certain Elves into Drow. The idea of Evil Elves spontaneously changing into Drow is probably just a fairy tale Elves tell their children to scare them (after all, Humans do things like this too), although having said that, it is possible that certain Evil Elves managed to find a way to get changed into Drow.
How humiliating it'll be for a drow, to be forcefully transformed in an elf via ancestral regression with a permanency spell (assuming GM would allow permanency to work with ancestral regression)? Will it be something far worse than death?
Probably depends upon the particular Drow, and whether they have access to a way to Dispel a spell riding on Permanency. Drow intent on infiltrating the surface peoples (not necessarily only Elves) or disappearing among the surface peoples might even do it on purpose. Probably would NOT normally do it to punish each other, simply due to the expense. D&D 3.5 (or at least one of its supplements) had Drow that looked like average surface Elves, although I'm not sure whether this was something purposefully generated or just a mutation that the other Drow took advantage of.
When I played DnD online (I think thats based on Eberron?) they had Daylight dwelling above ground Drow that were good guys that needed saving from the bad guy Sauhaugin.
I recall being rather shocked the first time I ran that scenario… umm wait, what? We're SAVING Drow?
There were some other scenarios like that too… I think there was one where the Giants were treating the "poor Drow" badly too… pretty funny stuff.
But then in other areas, there are Drow that attack you…so, other than DDO I have never had any experience with Eberron, however it seems in eberron, Drow are just as varied as humans when it comes to villains/vs 'regular joes'?
Oh hey…a twisted back elf that plays with spider and climbs the side of the wall like a vampire….. never mind them! they are friendly! lol
That the Raven eye clan in the Red Fens. And as other have said they tossed racial aligment out the door in Eberron, which is why its my favorite world.
The problem with Drizzit wasn't so much with the character. Salvatore did a good job in fleshing him out. The problem was that the whole idea was literally beaten to death over and over again. The "good drow" has become a tired old cliche.Question, for everyone who feels this way: How many drow characters have you played as or with? You personally, not just heard about?
A lot of prejudice is picked up from other people's prejudice.
My first character was like that to an extent, but he was more neutral than evil. Would I play a neutral drow again? No. I have already done it. Would I play a good one? Maybe, but he would not be dual-wielding scimitars, and the other one did not do so either. It would have to be something that would make the game better for me. I would not do it, just to play a good drow.
As a GM if I ever put in a good or non-evil drow, it is for plot reasons. Other-wise if you see a drow in my games... :)
Seems that the trip is one way because it depended upon something external (described earlier in this thread) actively changing certain Elves into Drow. The idea of Evil Elves spontaneously changing into Drow is probably just a fairy tale Elves tell their children to scare them (after all, Humans do things like this too), although having said that, it is possible that certain Evil Elves managed to find a way to get changed into Drow.
PCs get to actually witness it happen in a certain AP
The key for playing a good drow is a solid background, similar to any character that plays against type (orcs come to mind for one, or kobolds). I played a good drow cavalier/wizard for several years, long before Drizzt came to town. I've also run drow houses attempting to raise themselves on the noble ladder, as well as regular drow PCs that live on the surface. Recently, our group had a female drow sorcerer that was raised by a Varisian family, with the shadow bloodline. She explored her drow heritage by taking the spell like ability upgrade feats, but used them to battle the powers of evil since she wasn't raised or knew about the evil that drow were supposed to be.
In another game I ran we had a drow fire sorcerer. He was good due the fact that he rejected the terms of his city, and enjoyed the feeling of the sun. However, knowing that he would looked upon as evil, disguised himself via non-magical means as a surface elf. We had another surface elf in the group that hated drow, but he never made his checks to recognize the other elf as a drow. Clever players and good roleplay allow for a lot of headway no matter what the PC is.
