Elf, Drow
Drow Elf Upbringing
A Drow Elf not raised by or among their people may have different traits than those described below. If you wish to have a different upbringing for your character—a Drow raised by Deep Gnomes, for example—consult with the DM.
- Arcane Lineage – Drow learn the Dancing Lights cantrip at level 1, which can be cast a number of times equal to their Proficiency Bonus without using a cantrip slot, and they regain all expended uses upon completing a Short Rest or a Long Rest. They then learn additional spells at levels 3 (Faerie Fire) and 5 (Darkness); Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is their spellcasting ability for these spells, chosen at character creation. Each is always prepared and can be cast once per Long Rest without using a spell slot.
- Drow Weapon Training – Drow have Proficiency with flails, hand crossbows, sabers, shortswords, and whips.
- Exceptional Discipline – Drow have Proficiency in their choice of Arcana, Religion, Nature, or Survival.
A Lolthian Drow raised among their own kin will speak, read, and write Undercommon, Drowish, and Drow Sign Language. Drowish is linguistically similar to Elvish, but the common form of it in much of Faerûn has been heavily influenced by the harsh consonants and inflections of Abyssal. The written form of Lolthian Drowish often uses the Barazhad script of Abyssal. If a bonus language is available, they often learn Goblin, if they are a commoner, or Abyssal, if they are a noble.
A Seldarine Drow raised among their own kin will speak, read, and write Common, Drowish, and Drow Sign Language. Drowish is linguistically similar to Elvish, but the common form of it in much of Faerûn has been heavily influenced by the harsh consonants and inflections of Abyssal. The written form of Seldarine Drowish uses a flowing script called Espruar. If a bonus language is available, they often learn Elvish.
Drow Names
Lolthian Drow noble families engage in a peculiar game of perpetual cold war in which houses improve their station by utterly wiping out higher-ranked houses through clandestine warfare. When a house is destroyed, their noble family name is typically “erased” from history, yet often when a family is destroyed in this manner, some minor nobles or exiles may survive who still bear that surname.
New Lolthian noble families are formed when a younger noble daughter leaves her mother’s house to found her own house or when two or more houses merge in a political alliance.
Seldarine Drow either keep their original surnames or choose new surnames.
Male Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Braelin, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis
Female Names: Adrie, Antinua, Azleah, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Meriele, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Sinnafae, Theirastra, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia
Common and “Dead” Surnames: Argith, DeVir, Horlbar, Hune, Hunnett, Janquay, Kenafin, Tra’arch
Menzoberranyr Noble Surnames: Armgo, Baenre, Fey, Hunzrin, Melarn, Mizzrym, Tlabbar, Vandree, Xorlarrin
With their unearthly grace and fine features, Elves appear hauntingly beautiful to most other humanoids. Drow Elves tend to be shorter and more slender than humans, weighing only 80 to 120 pounds. Male and female Drow are roughly the same height, though females tend to be larger than males.
Elves typically have no facial and little body hair. Drow favor form-fitting or scant clothing in dark or vibrant colors, and they often convey their rank through elaborate hairstyles and expensive gemstone jewelry.
Drow of the Sword Coast
Important Note: Although information for Drow Elves is presented herein and one of the pre-made characters is Drow, you are required to discuss the implications of playing this species with the DM before you can play a Drow.
Elves in Faerûn come in a few different subtypes—some more common on the Sword Coast than others—and they each have different traits and outlooks on the role their people play in the world. Elves are descended from creatures who left the realm of Feywild many thousands of years ago, but still bear with them some of that magical and otherworldly heritage.
Drow Elves, also called Dark Elves (though this isn’t technically correct), are not new to the surface lands of the Sword Coast region, though they’ve previously been extremely rare and poorly-received due to perceptions and attitudes about (and often just as equally by) their people. Nearly all subterranean Drow of the region hail from the city of Menzoberranzan, located beneath the Silver Marches, but there may remain a few survivors of the fallen city of Ched Nasad, which was once below the Greypeak Mountains to the east, and others who’ve made their home in Skullport and Undermountain below Waterdeep.
Most Drow who now live aboveground in the Sword Coast region are those who have rejected the lifestyle of their Underdark-dwelling kindred, whose worship of the demon goddess Lolth led to their exile from the surface thousands of years ago and their historical enmity for their other Elven kin. These Drow have largely settled in and just below the coastal cities of Luskan and Waterdeep, with some rumors claiming the always-chaotic city of Luskan has fallen entirely under the control of Drow masters.
Drow tend to be between 4 and 5½ feet tall with dark skin ranging from light grey to pitch black, though undertones of blue or lavender are common, and light grey or stark white hair, with natural highlights of pale yellow, light silver, and light gold also possible. Those who worship Lolth—sometimes called Lolthian Drow or Udadrow—usually have red eyes, but non-Lolthian Drow—also called Seldarine Drow—tend to have eyes which are amber, green, blue, gray, or far more rarely, purple.
Drow Elf Traits
An Elf has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of Elven refinement.
Age
Elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, but the Drow understanding of childhood and adulthood varies. Lolthian Drow do not experience childhood in a way that surface-dwellers might think of it, as it is instead a two-decade long period of diminished physical and mental capability during which they are instructed on the ways of Lolth and their duties and role within their society.
Seldarine Drow have a more “typical” Elven experience: children are protected and cherished until they declare themselves to be adults sometime between their 50th and 100th year. In both societies, they can technically live an average of 750 years, though Lolthian Drow rarely survive the cruel politics of their chaotic world to live that long. Still, wizened examples aboveground and below have reached a millennia.
Size
Drow range from 4 to 5½ feet tall. Their size is Medium.
Speed
A Drow’s base walking speed is 30 feet.
Apostasy
Because some of the traits of Lolthian and Seldarine Drow are related to abilities bestowed upon them by who they choose—or are forced—to worship, certain of these traits may shift when a Drow becomes an apostate of their previous belief system, especially if they become a worshipper of the opposite.
Darkvision
A Seldarine Drow has Darkvision to 60 feet; this is extended to 120 feet for a Lolthian Drow, though they suffer from Sunlight Sensitivity as a result.
Drow Resilience
Lolthian Drow have Advantage on saving throws against Poison and Resistance against Poison damage.
Fey Ancestry
A Drow has Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed.
Keen Senses
A Drow has Proficiency in the Insight, Perception, or Survival skill.
Reverie
Seldarine Drow typically enter a state of meditation called reverie instead of sleeping. Under normal circumstances, an Elf doesn’t need to sleep—though they can choose to do so—but they often do sleep when injured badly enough that they lack the mental capacity to reach reverie, such as beginning a Long Rest with the Unconscious condition or if stricken with a spell effect which has reduced their Wisdom modifier.
If an Elf spends 4 hours in reverie, they gain the benefits of a Long Rest. They can choose to spend that time in a dream-like state of meditation, or they can enter a trance-like state and retain consciousness throughout.
Sleep Immunity
Under most circumstances, a Drow is immune to magical sleep.
Sunlight Sensitivity
A Lolthian Drow has Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when they, the target of their attack, or whatever they are attempting to perceive is in direct sunlight.