Drow
(Dark Elves)
[Race]
D r o w a n d t h e i r k i n
Drow // Half-Drow // Aquatic Drow // Drey // Spiderlings // Vupdrax
Ages by Race // Random Height and Weight by Race // Gods of the Drow // Registration Form
Cursed souls beneath the earth, depraved and castoff cousins of the goodly elves, drow are feared and hated by all other races. They are well-known for their remorseless cruelty, their deadly efficiency, and their passions for vice and excess. Despite their selfish and evil natures, drow are also famed for the disturbing beauty of their art and architecture and the peerless quality of their crafts.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Drow Lands // Religion // Names // A Drow Name Glossary // Drow Male Names // Drow Female Names // House Names // City Names // Adventurers // Drow Racial Traits
Little fazes a dark elf. Jaded and cynical in the extreme, drow take shocking events in stride and manage to maintain an air of detachment even when embroiled in deadly circumstances. This cold-hearted distance is necessary in a treacherous and volatile environment; despite their long life spans, drow know that death can come at any moment. All understand that each step taken is part of an intricate and intimate dance on the edge of destruction. Thus, they take every threat seriously. Even the most innocuous joke could be seen as a reason for deadly vengeance, and for drow, vengeance is more than an idea, it's an art form.
Drow are short and slim by human standards, being slightly smaller than surface elves and often weighing less. their height ranges from 4 to 5 ½ feet, but most dark elves are about 4 ½ feet tall. They typically weigh 75 to 125 pounds; drow are as light on their feet as they appear.
Drow features are slightly more angular than those of surface elves, but they retain an alien beauty. Their skin is jet black, and their hair tends to be a stark white, although some drow have very pale blond, greenish-white, pale blue, or light lavender hair. Dark elves' eyes usually range from a sickly orange to a crimson red color, but some drow have bright blue or even purple eyes (denoting some surface blood). They favor dark clothes of intricate design. Since their darkvision cannot distinguish colors, drow prefer to impress with detail and texture. Black is the natural clothing of choice, but purple, deep red, and dark shades of other colors aren't uncommon. Drow rarely wear bright colors or reflective materials, which make them too noticeable if exposed to light.
Altogether, drow present a stunning and imposing image. Some humans and elves find them beautiful, but such fools are like moths attracted to a dark flame.
Motivated to do all the evil that mortals are capable of, it's a wonder that dark elves have any relationship other than all-out-war with other races. Drow view all other creatures, no matter how powerful, as inferior. Regardless of how cordial a dark elf behaves toward a particular creature, the drow secretly harbors designs for its degradation, subjugation, and destruction.
Drow hate elves with unreasonable passion. Derro they view as disgusting grubs that should be expunged from the earth. Duergar compete with drow for resources, and their spell-like abilities make them troublesome. Other sorts of dwarves make decent slaves but are good for little else. Surface gnomes are viewed with derisive humor, but svirfneblin are hated almost as much as duergar. Drow see halflings as a minor nuisance to be enslaved or eliminated. Humans are naive and easily manipulated, simple tools to be used before their destruction. Dark elves view half-orcs, orcs, and goblinoids as humans do wild dogs: useful when properly trained and carefully managed, but otherwise to be killed when encountered. Mind flayers, beholders, kuo-toa and aboleths are alien and unpredictable creatures, to be used, eliminated, or ignored, as circumstances dictate. Araneas, ettercaps, the drow subraces, and other related creatures are gifts of the Spider Queen, servants and tools. Driders are hated examples of drow weakness.
These views represent common opinion held by most drow, but individuals might have their own take on how to deal with other races. Some might even find it possible to form friendships with individuals or another race, able to deal fairly and in good faith with them - or so they say.
Drow are almost universally evil, lawful or lawless as necessary to achieve their goals. Some rare individuals have no particular drive to do evil, but rarer still are those who feel they must do good - such drow are often eliminated or exiled from dark elf society.
Drow kingdoms are often small, usually no larger than a metropolis on the surface world. The dangerous wilds of the Underdark and the limited quantity of large open space force drow settlements to be scattered widely or spread over a series of linked caverns. Little exists to inform travelers that they approach a drow city. A patrol or guard outpost might be a creatures only warning before it stumbles into a cavern filled with hundreds or thousands of dark elves. Drow often divide their cities into Houses, fortresses owned by powerful families. Weaker families own smaller enclaves or serve in the fortress of a more powerful family.
The patron goddess of the drow, the Spider Queen, rules her people from the cradle to the grave - or so it has always been thought. In truth the dark elves worship a multitude of deities, of which She of Spiders is the most prominent. Together these gods make up a small but vicious pantheon. For more information, see Gods of the Drow.
Drow speak their own language, which is similar in many respects to the language of surface elves but uses a unique symbology for written words. In addition, all dark elves speak Undercommon, a trade tongue developed to allow creatures of the Underdark to communicate. Written words tend to be highly religious or utilitarian. Works of fiction, philosophy, or poetry are viewed as frivolous unless they achieve a political goal. Many drow also communicate with a hand cant, a special sign language.
Drow names reflect the history of their language, having an elven sound but with the hard consonants and sibilant sounds adopted by the race. Unlike surface elves, drow usually have one given name at birth and keep that name throughout life. Names can be very important in dark elven society; they indicate a drow's position in her family, what House the family serves, and that House's position in the city. Drow who abandon their names often do so to break from their House and gain power for themselves.
Drow names have four distinct parts: personal name, family name, House name, and position House name. There are certain leading Houses within a drow city, listed in the position House name to indicate which that drow's House serves. The drow of the most powerful Houses all serve the leading House.
These names are divided by certain qualifiers or prefixes that indicate position and rank.
Do': A common qualifier meaning "of" used to indicate a certain House or family. This does not indicate position, so it is mostly used between drow who are very familiar and with outsiders who might be confused by other qualifiers.
D': Used before a family name or House name, this prefix translates to "higher of" or "leader of". It indicates that the drow is a member of the elite in his family or that his family is a member of the elite in his House. This prefix is also used when the drow's House leads the city. In such cases, the drow would replace the position House name with the city's name.
Du': Meaning "servant of", this prefix appears before family names, House names, and position House names. It indicates a middle rank.
Dre': Meaning "slave of", this prefix describes the lowest rank of a family's or House's service. It is never used for position House names except in mockery.
Sil': This signifies that the drow is a priest or a druid. It is used before family or House name to indicate to which the drow owes most loyalty. sometimes drow use Sil' before the name of their deity, abandoning family, House and position House names, to show they have chosen to serve the god first. Such individuals are seen as dangerous wild cards or tractable tools, depending on the power and independence of the god's church in the city.
Zan': This prefix indicates "servant of", and is used in the same way as Du', but with the secondary meaning that the service is outside the boundaries of the drow's House or family rank. Mercenaries commonly use use this prefix, as do members of Houses or families who are shifting their support to another House. Using this prefix can be a dangerous business, but such risks come naturally to dark elves.
Ze': This qualifier means that the drow is an arcane spellcaster of some kind. It's used exactly like Sil', except that instead of a god, a drow might list a college of magic to which he is in service.
Zru': This prefix identifies the drow as a member of the standing army of a house or family. All drow are called upon to defend from or attack foes, but Zru' indicates the drow's main duty is to guard that family or House. Rank is shown by using other prefixes, and service to a particular drow can be indicated by inserting that drow's name in one's own.
Most drow know when a word indicates a name, family, House, or city, but when dealing with creatures unfamiliar with their home city's structure, they sometimes employ a second set of prefixes that come after the first to help clarify.
A': "Of the family."
Che': "Of the city."
Sus': The words that follow state the name of another drow.
Ur': "Of the House."
A Drow might also extend his name to explain the rank of the person he serves or the House his family serves. This is done upon the request of a more powerful dark elf, to impress with rank, or to explain the drow's position to an outsider.
Brakka, Druzzd, Graxxek, Illitoreth, Ronox, Quizorus, Siltoruz, Timox, Xanazu, and Zreezdonor.
Kaxanna, Ballistra, Dretta, Levilresh, Quolathirathay, Ravillen, Sillilzoress, Tarrarun, Zarrundra, and Xansizi.
Brozen, Drakuno, Exarz, Omat, Saruda, Tezan, Uden, Xuxim, and Zandra.
Brekathra, Kathkatluth, Illitorrazuz, Nellethorud, Reayzakatra, Suskurazazz, Tezzuran, Uthtillatorien, Tyrrynythol, and Zedratazuz.
Drow take up adventuring for many reasons. Some are more comfortable facing the physical dangers of the Underdark than the deadly social and political climate of drow cities. Others seek to win fame or power they can bring home, and still more take up a life of adventure to break free from a constrictive social position. Many are forced to take the adventurer's path to escape the destruction of their family or House. Exiled dark elves become adventurers because the alternative is death.
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Drow are nimble and quick witted, but like their surface cousins they tend to be frail, thus they hold a 3d in UV. |
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Drow do not sleep or dream. Instead they meditate in a deep trance for four hours a day. A drow resting in this fashion gains the same benefits as a human does by sleeping for eight hours. |
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Drow can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 120 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the drow for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Drow are immune to sleep enchantments, and sleep inducing poisons. |
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Drow gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the drow) spells once they reach d60. |
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Most drow are proficient in the use of poisons. |
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Half Drow
Half-drow are strange, tortured creatures, never brought into the world through the bond of love or mutual affection. Instead they are the accidents of rape or the result of experimental crossbreeding to "improve" another race.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Half-Drow Lands // Religion // Language // Names // Adventurers // Half-Drow Racial Traits
Half-drow run the gamut of personalities, but most are wrathful creatures, hating the poison blood that runs through their veins and hating the world because it hates that blood too. A rare few revel in their birthright, using its power to achieve their aims. Some unfortunates admire the drow and try to emulate them in manner and dress; these poor creatures hope to be accepted by their full-blooded kin, living on the outskirts of drow settlements, but they are almost universally met with ridicule and murderous violence.
A half-drow generally has most of the features of the nondrow parent race, but skin, hair, and eye color are all dark elven. All the creatures hair is a shocking white, and its skin is the tell-tale jet black of a drow. Its eyes are bright gems of ruby crimson, and its ears come to at least a subtle point. Half-drow/half-elves are extremely rare, as both races usually kill such abominations, but since they look just like drow, they can infiltrate drow society undetected.
Half-drow have no established relations with other races. Most of the time, they spend brief lives alone in the wilderness, but sometimes they come to dominate a group of humanoids by force. Half-drow trust nothing and no one but themselves, and thus few creatures rely on them. Humanoids led by a half-drow are often waiting for the right opportunity to rebel.
Half-drow tend to be self serving, caring little for ideals of order or freedom. Good and evil are often viewed as foolish concepts that limit options.
Half-drow have no lands of their own. Instead, they scratch out an existence in the wild Underdark or on the outskirts of their parents' home cities.
Half-drow usually care little for the gods, but should one hear a divine calling, she usually responds with fanatic fervor, proud and grateful to find anyone willing to have her.
Half-drow speak the languages of their parent races.
Despised from birth, half-drow are not often given names but instead choose names for themselves. These usually consist of words for powerful forces, attacks, or creatures that the half-drow knows. Names like Slash, Venom's Rage, Dark River, Fire King, and Black Scorpion are typical, and half-drow often use words from different languages in the same name.
Half-drow are adventurers by nature, always ready to move on and face new dangers when their current situation becomes too threatening. Half-drow instinctively distrust a group of creatures who seem willing to have them, but they secretly long for acceptance.
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To determine the Half-drow's dice, take the dice of the mother, and dice of the father - and then choose the lowest. Example: Father = demon 4d, mother = drow 3d, the half-drow's dice would be 3d. Father = drow 3d, mother = human 2d, the half-drow's dice would be 2d, and so on. |
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Half-drow can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 60 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the half-drow for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Half-drow are immune to sleep enchantments, and sleep inducing poisons. |
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Half-drow gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the half-drow) spells once they reach d60. |
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Provided the
half-drow's dice is 2d, they may use Special Attacks and Power Strikes in
spars |
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Aquatic drow are sharks in the deeps of the Underdark. They ply the benighted rivers, lakes, and seas beneath the earth, riding turbulent flows like fish and swimming through still waters and stagnant pools without a rivulet to mark their passing. Created by drow wizards ages ago to combat kuo-toa, aboleths, and the other aquatic horrors of the Underdark, the aquatic drow have since become a full fledged civilization of their own.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Aquatic Drow Lands // Religion // Language // Names // Adventurers // Aquatic Drow Racial Traits
Much like normal drow, aquatic drow live in a contentious and dangerous society. They have personalities similar to those of their air-breathing cousins, but limited as they are to the waters of the Underdark, they tend to be more cautious, always aware of how far they stray from water and the relative safety of home.
Aquatic drow look like normal drow, but their hairlessness, webbed hands and feet, and gilled necks give them away as creatures of a different stripe. Even so, their similarity to the air-breathing dark elves might explain why surface dwellers are largely unaware of their existence. Aquatic drow rarely wear clothing, and they avoid wearing armor unless they are going to spend a great deal of time out of the water.
Like their air-breathing counterparts, aquatic drow seek to rule the creatures they encounter, but aboleths, mind flayers, and kuo-toa are deadly enemies, often too dangerous to enslave. Aquatic drow are enemies of all the races air-breathing drow despise, but they reserve and incredible hatred for aquatic elves, tritons, locathahs, sahuagin and merfolk, and they attack and enslave them at every opportunity. This hatred stems not from the same historical reasons, as aquatic drow almost certainly developed after the dark elves were driven into the Underdark, but from a jealousy of sentient creatures occupying the same ecosystem. Had they the opportunity, aquatic drow would oust sea elves from their deep water kingdoms and begin a campaign of conquest in the darkened ocean depths.
Aquatic drow believe themselves superior to the other drow subraces. They see themselves on equal footing with the air-breathing drow, but still they suffer somewhat in most interactions with them because it is well-known that the Spider Queen holds normal drow in the highest favor.
Aquatic drow are as evil and grasping as their air-breathing progenitors, but their limited living space and the difficulty of travel in the Underdark require them to be more orderly.
Aquatic drow live in great underground seas, rivers, and lakes. They prefer to inhabit those portions of the Underdark deep beneath the ocean or near an ocean's edge, giving them a large body of water to attack surface dwellers from or to escape into in times of trouble. Their cities are carved from stone by slaves or taken from other Underdark races after the aquatic drow have flooded them out.
Aquatic drow worship all the drow pantheon, but they reserve a special reverence for Syrellyn, goddess of Transmutation, water, and change. Said to be the first aquatic drow, Syrellyn is the patron of the race, and her priestesses rule in all but name.
Aquatic drow can speak Drow, but rarely do so. Beneath the waves, the subtlety of the language is often lost in the strange amplifying and deadening qualities of water. Instead, aquatic drow speak a clipped and sharp version of Undercommon that emphasizes shrill sounds and consonants.
Aquatic drow use the drow naming structure and have personal names derived from the sounds of their altered Undercommon.
Aquatic Drow Male Names: Bwaazuk, Kyrk, Kykyx, Tierit, and Tok.
Aquatic Drow Female Names: Dreetee, Eezix, Kateelkik, Rooreek'k, and Teeruk.
Aquatic drow adventurers are less common than those of any other drow subrace. Limited by their need to breathe water and by the mazelike waterways of the Underdark, few choose to take up the adventurer's path. Those who do are filled with bravery and the spirit of exploration, often becoming far more bold than their air-breathing cousins. These aquatic drow are often tasked to find new waterways to use as places to live or as paths to the surface.
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A life beneath the depths have made aquatic drow strong, but they retain the elven tendency to be weak of health - hence in UV they carry a 3d. |
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Aquatic drow are immune to sleep spells and sleep inducing poisons. |
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Aquatic drow are immune to the cold, due to the chill waters of the Underdark in which they live. |
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Aquatic drow do not sleep or dream. Instead they meditate in a deep trance for four hours per day. An aquatic drow resting in this fashion gains the same benefits as a human does by sleeping for eight hours. |
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Aquatic drow can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 60 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the aquatic drow for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Aquatic drow have gills that allow them to breathe water. An aquatic drow can breathe normally outside of water for a total number of hours equal to their dice divided by five ( a d60 aquatic drow can survive for 12 mun hours, a d24 can survive for 4 mun hours - always round down ). |
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Aquatic drow gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the aquatic drow) spells once they reach d60. |
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Drey drow (usually simply called drey) look like normal drow, but unlike them, their eyes are a bleached bone white, and the males can and do grow facial hair. Although superficially similar to standard drow in appearance, drey are vastly different in demeanor. As chaotic as they are evil, drey are constantly brimming with fury, hatred, and rage, ready to lash out with deadly intent at any creature for the smallest provocation. It's a wonder that they preserve any society or culture at all. Females are the dominant force in drey society, both more physically powerful than the males and favored by Nyarleth, the patron goddess of the drey. Male drey are little better than slaves.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Drey Lands // Religion // Language // Names // Adventurers // Drey Racial Traits
Drey share all the vicious qualities of the drow but lack the mental control of their kin. Driven by hatred and anger, drey often immerse themselves in a fury of bloodlust. A drey would cut off her own hand if it got her close enough to stab her enemy. While this is true of all drey, males tend to have slightly cooler heads - they need to keep their wits about them when dealing with the more powerful females.
About the same size as standard drow, drey are even more lithe and taut. Their white hair nearly matches their wide, seemingly pupil-less eyes.
Drey hate all creatures; it's inexplicable to them why other races even exist. They believe that they should rule over everything and constantly make desperate attempts to do so. But despite the drey's physical superiority over standard drow and many other Underdark creatures, their warlike and chaotic natures prove a deadly weakness time and again. Drow long ago developed strategies that keep the drey too busy fighting one another and everyone else to be a threat to them.
Drey are almost universally chaotic and evil. The few exceptions to this tend to be male - a fortunate happenstance. Were a female drey of lawful nature able to organize her kind, they would be a terrible threat.
Drey inhabit whatever place they have conquered. When resources have been used up or fully plundered, they move on to another conquest. Drey rarely stay in one place for very long.
Some drey pay lip service to the Spider Queen and Her Claws, but most female drey fanatically worship Nyarleth, the founder of their race. Male drey offer prayers to Demzer for the strength to endure the attention of the females.
Drey speak Drow and Undercommon. They rarely use written language, and many are incapable of reading.
Female drey choose and are given names meant to impress others, while names given to males are intended to demean and mock them.
Drey Male Names: Gimp, Grub, Limp, Maggot, Puss, and Worm.
Drey Female Names: Fang in the Darkness, Fire of old, Poisoned Cut, Queen's Dying Breath, and Sundering Soul.
Many drey strike forth as adventurers. Their chaotic and individualistic natures make adventuring a common calling. Having drey in the party is one of the few ways that members of other races interact with them besides battle. They can be valuable and powerful allies, so long as their unpredictability and unreliability is taken into account.
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Though they are physically superior to normal drow, they are still able to be defeated, and as such carry a 3d within UV. |
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Drey are *not* immune to sleep spells, and sleep inducing poisons like the drow. |
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Unlike drow, drey require sleep like humans. It is a weakness the drow have used to their advantage. |
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Drey can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 120 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the drey for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Drey gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the aquatic drow) spells once they reach d60. |
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In the narrow tunnels of the wild Underdark, whose tight confines are rarely traveled by sentient creatures, the spiderlings thrive. They are a strange and secretive race of creatures who look like miniature driders. Created by magical experimentation on deep halflings long ago, the spiderlings have since developed into a full-fledged race of their own, crafting a culture from the ground up.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Spiderling Lands // Religion // Language // Names // Adventurers // Spiderling Racial Traits
Spiderlings often seem shy and skittish, but they can be as brave as anyone. Their natural inclination is to be cautious, and they react quickly to any sign of danger. Their dangerous environment makes alertness and awareness of danger a necessity. Spiderlings rarely relax, even in the safest settings. They have a fierce sense of independence, and are forever on guard against alliances or treaties that would make them more beholden to the drow.
Spiderlings look like dog-sized spiders with little drow torsos protruding from where the head of the spider would be. Similar in proportions to halflings, they have the coldly beautiful features of dark elves.
Spiderlings know that the largest races are often more physically powerful, so they avoid contact with other sentient beings except to trade. Spiderlings are sometimes enslaved by drow and drey and have a cold hatred for them. They have had little contact with surface races other than dwarves, but they know of the existence of halflings and deep halflings, and they view their progenitors with a mix of disgust and longing.
Spiderlings are free spirits. They appreciate the need for order in times of trouble but would just as soon leave each to his own until then. Although not inherently cruel, spiderlings tend to think of both good and evil as impractical philosophical ideals. To them, anything that keeps you alive and free is good; everything else is evil.
Spiderlings live in tight, twisting tunnels to best make use of their small size and aptitude for climbing. The mazelike spiderling warrens are designed to help them hide and defend from predators, as well as from drow, kuo-toa, and mind flayer slavers. They set up many ambush points within and surrounding their lairs, using them to make any enemy assault too costly to continue.
Abused and enslaved by drow, spiderlings have never felt a great loyalty to the Spider Queen or Her Claws. Most worship Skuttle, god of secrecy and stealth, but a few spiderlings are fervent devotees of the Vermin Lord, Arrachnovoleth. There are few conflicts among spiderlings between the followers of these deities. Although both gods desire total domination of the race, they also understand that a civil war would make the spiderlings too vulnerable to the other dangers of the Underdark.
Spiderlings speak Undercommon, using the Drow alphabet for written communication. They write down very little besides what is necessary for magical scrolls or wizards' spell books. Spiderlings live in the moment, and histories and epics live only as long as they are told and remembered.
Spiderlings have names reminiscent of halfling names, but with an unmistakablr drow influence.
Spiderling Male Names: Bix, Jax, Meeriz, Rejez, Terryt, Zade and Zeldon
Spiderling Female Names: Ammarylliss, Euxima, Serazina, Vernaz, Zora and Zyllian
Spiderlings rarely set out on their own deliberately. Most often one or two escape a raid on their home and take up a life of adventure out of necessity. Although not inclined to become adventurers for the sake of exploration or personal gain, spiderlings make excellent party members. Their natural alertness and aptitude for rogue skills make them fine scouts and companions in the Underdark.
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Because of their size, Spiderlings are quite weak and tend to avoid combat where possible. In UV, they carry a 2d. |
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Spiderlings do not sleep or dream. Instead they meditate in a deep trance for four hours per day. A spiderling resting in this fashion gains the same benefits as a human does by sleeping for eight hours. |
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Spiderlings can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 60 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the drey for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Drey gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the aquatic drow) spells once they reach d60. |
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Spiderlings are immune to sleep spells and sleep inducing poisons. |
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Deep in the great caves of the Underdark, black wings carry dark bodies through the dead air. In these benighted abysses roost vupdrax by the thousands. There the winged drow congregate and rest, ready to take to the hunt at the smallest sound. Vupdrax are predators, feeding on other sentient races and the beasts of the Underdark. Magical alteration of drow and polymorphed interbreeding with dire bats eventually produced fertile hybrids: the vupdrax. Unfortunately for their creators, they were a failed experiment: They lack the drow intellect and have an insatiable appetite for flesh. Some daring drow keep vupdrax as slaves, but most prefer to avoid them.
Personality // Physical Description // Relations // Alignment // Vupdrax Lands // Religion // Language // Names // Adventurers // Vupdrax Racial Traits
Vupdrax are feral creatures, more similar in demeanor to bats than drow. They view any creature other than a vupdrax as a potential food source. This hunger comes across in all their dealings with other races; their eyes betray their bloodthirsty natures, and they often lick their lips and smell the air near other creatures.
Among themselves, vupdrax are very community minded. Personal items and personal space are strange ideas to them. When a vupdrax requires an item from its fellow, the other surrenders the item because it doesn't need it at the moment, or the two fight. Such conflicts are rarely to the death.
Vupdrax are taller and more heavily built than drow. Their ears are large and bat like, and they have huge bat wings that span 15 feet. These wings fold up tightly behind their backs when they're not flying, and ignorant surface dwellers have mistaken vupdrax at a distance for drow wearing bulky cloaks. Vupdrax have the facial features of drow but are often bald. They have long fingers tipped with sharp claws, and well-formed lips hide fanglike incisors. Although intelligent, vupdrax often tend to display animalistic behavior, such as moving their heads in a quaking fashion like bats to better localize the sources of sounds. Vupdrax wear only light clothing and armor, and they tend to carry as little equipment as possible, since too much weight can prevent them from flying.
Vupdrax generally view all other races as potential prey and sacrifices to their god, Arrachnovoleth the Haunter of the Deeps. Sometimes, though, one will form a close relationship similar to what vupdrax have within a colony. This can be nearly as troublesome as fighting the creature. Vupdrax share space, items, and clothing with little regard to the idea of ownership and expect the same from others. Individuals in such a relationship should make certain the vupdrax is well fed.
Vupdrax care little for laws and are poorly organized. Although not particularly cruel, they have no concern for other creatures' feelings or fates.
Vupdrax prefer to live in large caverns connected by wide tunnels so that they can fly freely. They build little but use mining skills to collapse tunnels too small for them to fly in, thus cutting off enemy access to their lairs.
Vupdrax worship Arrachnovoleth, a renegade god honored by many drow exiles and drow of the druid and ranger classes. Arrachnovoleth is patron of the wilderness and of earth and stone, and vupdrax praise him each day for creating tunnels they can fly through.
Vupdrax speak Drow and Undercommon in a chittering, shrill fashion. They rarely write anything down; the rare vupdrax wizards use stolen spell books and writing materials.
Vupdrax names are usually simple, single syllable words, but small distinctions in how they are pronounced make all the difference to their keen ears.
Vupdrax Male Names: Chot, Krey, Mrak, Seez, and Tleyk.
Vupdrax Female Names: Chut, Krea, Kree, Mraek, Seas, and Tleak.
Vupdrax adventurers are common. Some vupdrax desire more personal gain than their colony allows, while others simply wander off to explore the grandeur of Arrachnovoleth's realm. They are powerful allies in a fight but can prove difficult in social situations for obvious reasons.
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Though they are not physically superior to normal drow, they are more hardy than the average mortal, and as such carry a 3d within UV. |
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Vupdrax are immune to sleep spells, and sleep inducing poisons |
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Unlike drow, vupdrax require sleep like humans. It is a weakness the drow have used to their advantage. |
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Vupdrax can see in nonmagical darkness up to a range of 10 feet. This vision is in black and white. Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a lightning bolt in a dark room), blinds the drey for five mun minutes (or one combat round) - provided they were using the darkvision ability. |
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Vupdrax rely on sound to "see", and have blindsight to a range of 60 feet. A silence spell blocks a vupdrax's blindsight and forces it to rely on its weak darkvision, or normal weak eyesight. Any abrupt exposure to a very loud sound that originates within 60 feet of a vupdrax using blindsight, causes the vupdrax to become deafened for five mun minutes (or one combat round). |
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Vupdrax gain a natural +1 MRE against *all* (even those meant to benefit the aquatic drow) spells once they reach d60. |
| Race | Adulthood | Middle Age | Old | Venerable | Maximum Age |
| Drow | 40 years | 150 years | 250 years | 350 years | +2d% years |
| Half-Drow | All as drow parent | ||||
| Aquatic Drow | 40 years | 150 years | 250 years | 350 years | +2d% years |
| Drey (female) | 20 years | 80 years | 130 years | 250 years | +3d20 years |
| Drey (male) | 20 years | 70 years | 125 years | 200 years | + 3d20 years |
| Spiderling | 15 years | 60 years | 90 years | 130 years | + 3d20 years |
| Vupdrax | 30 years | 150 years | 200 years | 250 years | +2d20 years |
Random Height and Weight by Race
| Race | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
| Drow | 4' | + 4d4 | 70 lb | x (1d6) lb |
| Half-Drow | All as drow parent | |||
| Aquatic Drow | 4' | + 4d4 | 85 lb | x (2d4) lb |
| Drey (female) | 4'10 | + 2d8 | 130 lb | x (2d4) lb |
| Drey (male) | 4'5 | + 2d8 | 100 lb | x (2d4) lb |
| Spiderling | 2'5 | + 2d4 | 35 lb | x 1 lb |
| Vupdrax | 4'10 | + 2d10 | 130 lb | x (2d4) lb |
The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character's extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character's extra weight beyond the base weight.
For example, Dretta ( a female drow ) has a height of 4' plus 4d4 inches. Her mun rolls and gets a result of 7, so now Dretta stands at 4 foot 7 inches. Then her mun uses that same roll of 7, and multiplies it by 1d6 pounds. Her 1d6 roll is 4, so Dretta weighs an extra 28 pounds ( 7 x 4 ) on top of her base 70 pounds, for a total of 98 pounds.
| Deity | Align | Holy Rank | Dominion | Symbol | Domains | Favored Weapon |
| Arrachnovoleth - Greater Deity | NE | Renegade | Vermin, bats, Underdark, earth, poison | Worm with bat wings and a scorpion tail | Bat, earth, poison, vermin, Underdark | Heavy Pick |
| Black Widow - Demigoddess | LE | Fifth Claw | Necromancy, law, time, revenge, death, murder | Red hourglass on a black skull | Death, law, necromancy, vengeance | Kukri |
| Bronzozek - Demigod | NE | Sixth Claw | Abjuration, healing, caution, protection | Red eyes on a black shield | Abjuration, healing, protection | Spiked shield |
| Demzer - Demigod | NE | First Claw | Enchantment, pain, lust, domination | Blood-red lash | Control, enchantment, pain | Whip |
| Ilshyrra - Demigoddess | CE | Seventh Claw | Illusion, lies, beauty, intrigue, darkness | Smoke and its shadow | Glamour, shadow, trickery | Rapier |
| Nyarleth - Demigoddess | CE | Renegade | Conquest, battle, rage, anger, war | Eight black dagger piercing a black heart | Strength, war, wrath | Light flail |
| Reshagol - Demigod | LE | Third Claw | Divination, learning, communication | Open book in a magic circle | Augury, communication, knowledge | Light Lance |
| Reykabre - Demigod | NE | Second Claw | Conjuration, slavery, air | Spider in a summoning pentagram | Air, calling, conjuration | Ranseur |
| Skuttle - Lesser Deity | NE | Renegade | Secrets, theft, greed, conspiracy, spying | Blank black scroll | Agility, secrecy, stealth | Sap |
| The Spider Queen - Greater Deity | NE | Queen | Drow, magic, fate, sorcery, psionics | Silver web on a black diamond | Destiny, evil, magic, thought, web | Net or Scimitar |
| Syrellyn - Demigoddess | NE | Eight Claw | Transmutation, adaptation, water | Skull crying black tears | Adaptation, transmutation, water | Trident |
| Xarcon - Demigod | CE | Fourth Claw | Evocation, chaos, calamity, fire | Black half moon with fire issuing | Chaos, destruction, evocation, fire | Light hammer |
* You are not required to use the above gods for your drow character, they are only suggestions, a pantheon found within the Green Ronin book Plot and Poison. You may still use the Forgotten Realms Drow Pantheon if you wish.
To use these abilities you must be recognized ( registered ) as your race. You must be FULL member of one of the subraces to register as a one in UV.
Please fill out the following form and send it to the Creatures of Wonder 2d/3d Coordinator. (See High council list.)
1. Screen Name in lower case:
2. Name:
3. What is your race? (drow, drey, spiderling etc):
4. Description:
5. Alignment:
6. Deity Followed:
7. Guild/Clan or Freelance #:
8. Dice and Experience:
9. Do you have any questions about the Drow Charter or how to use your abilities
within this forum?:
If you are applying as a sim player, please make that clear by stating "sim" where it asks for dice. You may then use racial abilities in your sim spars and in roleplaying your character, and your reg will have an "s" in front of it. You may only use racial abilities against other sim players, you cannot expect dicers to be forced to accept sim attempts, nor can simmers be forced to accept dice attempts. If you do not hold dice and are strictly a sim player, state that in your profile! You must hold sim regs (see sim charter) before you can gain any other registrations for simming.
- This charter was adapted by Tsak Ilythiiri from chapters from the book Plot and Poison, a Guidebook to Drow.
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