Drow Are More Complex Than You Think

The following information I am providing is from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5. So, you thought the drow were tough enough as its, but you find that you were only the surface of their complexities. There is rumor of another rare species called the albino drow or szarkai. You may or may not have heard of it, but they are very sneaky and have the upper hand when it comes to interacting with nobles in the cities on the surface. Yes, they are a very useful element in the survival and dominance of the dark elves of the underdark.

These white drow are able to blend in to their surrounding very easily and can seem to be just another elf due to their pale skin. How can one tell if one is amongst them? Well, it a pretty simple task for the paranoid players out there. You would do a knowledge check from dungeoneering or history. The dc check ranges from 15 to 30. That is probably while they tend to avoid liches because those undead creatures are extremely knowledgeable.

They Are Spies

After they infiltrate a kingdom, they tend to either sway the government to support the drow or they assassinate member of the government to give the drow an advantage. Now, they tend to be sneaky I said, so sometimes they do not fight all their own battles, but they instead persuade someone else to do it for them. I do not consider the action to be a coward’s way out, but rather survival to keep the infiltrator in one piece for future subterfuge. Who else is going to do the job? A drow albino is a rare gift and he knows it. If he was to die, who would take his place?

By the way, I forgot to mention that they do magic like their brethren. They use their spells not only to avoid serious battle situations, but also to persuade the monarchy in a kingdom. That is the beauty of charm spells and having an immense amount of intelligence.

Sleep Immunity

I will also tell you one of the best advantages I have seen so far in this race is the ability to be immune to sleep effects. Imagine going up against some enemy that is doing a lot of sleep spells or encountering traps with a sleep effect. He could walk right through it while the comrades (or fake friends) are having a nice dream. This would be very useful for luring those in noble status to a trap of sleeping and then slaying them afterwards.

Weakness To Sunlight

I do want to point out also that they share the same weakness as any drow. They can not stand the light and it will cause them blindness. Chances are they will need to seek some form of cover like a wagon with closed doors or travel at night time to get to their next destination when on the surface. It is kind of like being a vampire I guess. Yes, they do have red eyes like one. No, they do not drink blood, but nice try.

They are called albinos for a reason. Just like in real life, albinos do have white skin and red eyes and are rare to find. Not trying to be redundant, but instead trying to add more emphasis.

Yes, they do have the tactical advantage. So remember, your fellow party member could be one of them. Keep a look not only for appearance, but also strange habits.

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Your Fellow Gamer

Jakob