Fourth Edition D&D

I'm in a game right now and one of the guys is an albino drow wizard/fighter.

...albino drow? Isn't that an oxymoron?
 
...albino drow? Isn't that an oxymoron?

bad genetics. Hell that's why he is on the surface because he doesn't have the special drow powers and he's white. Other than that, I know nothing because this is an established group and I just joined(Literally last week)
 
Roleplaying games and D&D are completely different things.
That all depends on the people involved. If people don't want to roleplay, then it doesn't matter what ruleset they use. If they do want to roleplay, it also doesn't matter what (RPG) ruleset they use. Heck, I was once accused of roleplaying in a Star Fleet Battles game at a convention (so sue, me, I was the Klingon...).
 
People who want to be a drow usually fall into a group: real annoying and/or pompous(in my experience anyway)

yes and they don't last long in our Player groups with that attitude

@Zardnaar

I still allow anyone to play a drow (unless we already have 3!?!) i also give them all the abilities of the drow minus spell resistance and they don't have to play at ECL +3.
 
That all depends on the people involved. If people don't want to roleplay, then it doesn't matter what ruleset they use. If they do want to roleplay, it also doesn't matter what (RPG) ruleset they use. Heck, I was once accused of roleplaying in a Star Fleet Battles game at a convention (so sue, me, I was the Klingon...).
Sure, but then again that leads into problem since any game like you mentioned could be said to be about roleplaying.

I think the main issue is what game rules do support the roleplaying elements rather than just fight-it-out principles.

But of course, ultimately it's about roleplaying group and what they can get out of the source material. I always encourage people to find their own way of playing rather than just mimic ready made rules or norms. It can take more work but in the end will lead into much more satisfying experience of roleplaying.
 
yes and they don't last long in our Player groups with that attitude

@Zardnaar

I still allow anyone to play a drow (unless we already have 3!?!) i also give them all the abilities of the drow minus spell resistance and they don't have to play at ECL +3.

Drow are ECL +2. Without spell resistence I think they are a good ECL +1 race.
 
Bright day
What!? I have lost all my faith in you, how can a brilliant mind such as you play D&D instead of GURPS?
Because D&D has more fun settings, better reference stuff, more support, not to mention that I do play GURPS, just less? :p
 
Do you drop the spell resistance from all NPC drow too?

Oh definately :) (unless the player class has it)
i think that a starting spell resistance of what 11+ ECL or whatever, is way too strong and doesn't even have a basis in the ruleset. Spell resistance system itself is kind more broken than the old percentile (AD&D) spell resistance.
 
Oh definately :) (unless the player class has it)
i think that a starting spell resistance of what 11+ ECL or whatever, is way too strong and doesn't even have a basis in the ruleset. Spell resistance system itself is kind more broken than the old percentile (AD&D) spell resistance.
I only know abouy the old 2ed AD&D system. Drow had something like 60% resistance to all magic, or something like that.

Made them almost impossible to kill in the Gold Box computer games :) Never used them in pencil-and-paper campaigns, actually, since I never really liked them.
 
I only know abouy the old 2ed AD&D system. Drow had something like 60% resistance to all magic, or something like that.

Made them almost impossible to kill in the Gold Box computer games :) Never used them in pencil-and-paper campaigns, actually, since I never really liked them.

I think it was more like 80% (at least in Baldur's Gate). Thank Mystra for the sunfire and Mordenkainen's Sword spells!
 
I think it was more like 80% (at least in Baldur's Gate). Thank Mystra for the sunfire and Mordenkainen's Sword spells!

Yeah, it might very well have been 80%. Those b--tards were almost impossible to wipe out with magic. What was the "mythology" behind the idea that drows have more magic resistance than almost any creature. Aren't drow really just "cave elves"? How on earth do they resist magic more than a dragon? :confused:
 
Yeah, it might very well have been 80%. Those b--tards were almost impossible to wipe out with magic. What was the "mythology" behind the idea that drows have more magic resistance than almost any creature. Aren't drow really just "cave elves"? How on earth do they resist magic more than a dragon? :confused:

I believe the elves had a civil war a long time ago, and the drow were driven underground. I think the magic resistance thing has something to do with living near all the sketchy portals and stuff underground.

BTW, Dragonlance has no drow.:)
 
I believe the elves had a civil war a long time ago, and the drow were driven underground. I think the magic resistance thing has something to do with living near all the sketchy portals and stuff underground.

BTW, Dragonlance has no drow.:)

But do the other 'underground' races have a similar magic resistance? I'm talking about those gnomes (snhihalei, or whatever) and the lizard thingies (something starting with 'K'?).
 
I believe the elves had a civil war a long time ago, and the drow were driven underground. I think the magic resistance thing has something to do with living near all the sketchy portals and stuff underground.
Yeah, what was that whole "underdark" thing? I just completely blocked it out back when I was doing Forgotten Realms.

BTW, Dragonlance has no drow.:)
Well that's one point for Dragonlance :goodjob:
 
Drow, monstrous races, and other strange choices as PC, I think every DM gets at least one or two of these types of requests for their game.

My solution of it was simple.

Drow are generally reviled by every good aligned surface dwelling race. Hell, they're the damned boogie men from underground. Shop keepers would be loath to deal with drow, even going so far as to close up shop before they came in. Constant pressure from the law/constablary. Difficulty to find any master willing to train you, and to say nothing of guild status - what guild master would willingly allow a drow to join the ranks, or a half-sahaughin, or a quarter-troll, or whatever bullcrap monstrous race some fan-boy player wanted to play? Also, what about the other adventuring parties who want to carve a name for themselves in your monster hide? You finally get a shot to relax in the common room of the "Pig and Whistle" and half way through your meat pie and listening to the skald perform his latest song, some fighter jumps down from the 2nd floor landing and tries to take you out while his buddies play back up. And what do you think happens when the local law enforcement show up? Who do they usually arrest? You know it!

Sorry, but when you are the type of person that is usually killed and reviled on sight - you make a poor PC. Its like going to the local mall in full nazi regalia, head shaved, and trying to get the sales girl in the Gap to sell you a polo shirt. I think you can count to 100 before securty shows up to talk with you about leaving now.

My 2 coppers

Vanadorn
 
Doesn't magic resistance affect all spells though, so healing doesn't always work on drow? Which makes them a bit worse.

Whoever mentioned the albino drow really needs to read some Elric books if they haven't already. Come to think of it, wasn't the bloke on the back of "White Plume Mountain" an Elric ripoff too, with "Blackrazor" a Stormbringer clone? (Note: that's an ancient adventure from way way back).
 
Back
Top Bottom