helpfiles:races:drow

Drow:

Stat adjustments: +2 dexterity, +2 intelligence, -2 constitution

Innate spells: darkness, faerie fire

Size: medium

Standard alignments: any evil

Classes allowed: barbarian, bard, cleric, fighter, inquisitor, mage, magus, oracle, paladin, psion, psywarrior, ranger, sorcerer, thief, warlock

Normal adventuring starting age: 101-130

Average life span: 550

Racial Traits:

Magic Resistance - +2 to spell resistance

Drow Immunities - +2 to saves vs charm spells, sleep immunity

Night Race - light and darkness reversed

Keen Senses - +2 perception

Description:

Cruel and cunning, drow are a dark reflection of elven race. They dwell in deep dark in elaborate cities shaped from the rock of caverns. Drow seldom make themselves known to surface folk, preferring to remain legends while advancing their sinister agendas through proxies and agents. Drow have no love for anyone but themselves, and are adept at manipulating other creatures. While they are not born evil, malignancy is deep-rooted in their culture and society, and nonconformists rarely survive for long. In recent years, the human city of Tonovi has accepted drow citizens, most likely due to their slave trade.

Drow society is traditionally class-oriented and matriarchal. Male drow usually fulfill martial roles, defending the species from external threats, while female drow assume positions of leadership and authority. Noble houses define drow politics, with each house governed by a noble matriarch and composed of lesser families, business enterprises, and military companies. Each house is also associated with a outsider patron. Drow are strongly driven by individual self-interest and advancement, which shapes their culture with seething intrigue and politics, as common drow jockey for favor of the nobility, and the nobility rise in power through a combination of assassination, seduction, and treachery. Following the death of their former Goddess during the Silence, the priesthood has lost some of its power, which threatens the rule of the matriarchy.

Drow have a strong sense of racial superiority and divide non-drow into two groups: slaves, and those that are not yet slaves. In practice, however, races that may share similar inclinations (such as hobgoblins and orcs) and those who serve willingly may be treated as servitor races and granted a measure of trust and modest rank in drow society. Others are deemed fit only for the lash. Manipulative drow delight in exploiting the weak character of humans and their satellite races, such as squoles. While they claim no kinship with shades, the drow harbor a curiosity toward the shadow race, as both are adaptations of races exposed to extreme and dangerous conditions. Finally, the drow's hatred of elves sets these beings apart from all other races, and the dark elves desire nothing more than to ruin everything about their surface cousins, corrupting them when they can and ending them when that is not possible.

Drow place a premium on power and survival, and are unapologetic about any vile choices they might make to ensure their survival. After all, they do not just survive adversity—they conquer it. They have no use for compassion, and are unforgiving of their enemies, both ancient and contemporary. Drow retain the elven traits of strong emotion and passion, but channel it through negative outlets, such as hatred, vengeance, lust for power, and raw carnal sensation. Consequently, most drow are evil. Demon lords are their chosen patrons, sharing their inclination toward power and destruction.

Drow are similar in stature to other humanoids, but share the slender build and features of elves, including the distinctive long, pointed ears. Their eyes lack pupils and are usually solid white, red or black. Drow skin ranges from coal black to a dusky purple or blue. Their hair is typically white or silver, though some variation is not unknown.

Drow are extremely difficult to play due to the fact they will be hated and killed by almost all others, including other drow. Only experienced players who are also reasonably adept at PK and PK survival and are willing to deal with the setbacks of being PKed often and not cry foul should even consider playing a drow character.

Warning: This is an advanced race, known as a PK-race. It imposes disadvantages on your gameplay: You will be banned in most cities and shunned across the realm. You start with your NOPK-flag turned off and other players may attack you because of your race. You may not, however, attack a player of a standard race without additional provocation.

For further detail of history, and how this particular race came to be cursed into what they are now, please refer to http://sunderingshadows.com/doku.php?id=the_crown_wars