Drow

For other Elves, see Elf (disambiguation).

Playable Race Entry
Drow
Source	The Complete Book of Elves: Drow Subrace (CBE)
Ability Score Requirements	STR 3/18, DEX 8/20, CON 7/17, INT 9/19, WIS 3/18, CHA 6/16
Ability Score Adjustment	DEX +2, INT +2; CHA -2, CON -1
Size	M
Speed	12
Racial HP Adjustment	+0
Natural AC	10
Classes & Level Caps	Cleric 12, Fighter 12, Mage 15, Thief 12, Ranger 15
Class Combinations	Fighter/Mage, Fighter/Thief, Fighter/Mage/Thief, or Mage/Thief
Language Choices	Drow Elvish, Elvish, duergar, svirfneblin, deep dwarf, illithid, undercommon, sign language, kuo-toa, bugbear, orcish.
Vision	Infravision: 90 feet

Additional Experience Cost: +20% exp required to level up each level.

Can exceed the level limits for the allowable classes if they have high prime requisite scores (DMG Table 8).

Can choose to use any kit allowed to elves. Can choose not to use a kit at all.

Special Advantages:

• At 1st level can cast, one per day, without using spell components or spell slot:
  • dancing lights, faerie fire, and darkness.
• At 4th level can cast, one per day, without using spell components or spell slot:
  • levitate, know alignment, and detect magic
• Drow Priests can cast: clairvoyance, detect lie, suggestion, and dispel magic once a day.
• At level 1 drow are 50% magic resistant
  • Every level they increases the resistance by 2% (to a maximum of 80%).
  • Multiclassed drow use the higher level to determine this bonus.
• +2 bonus on all saves involving magic.

Special Disadvantages:

• Any light greater than that of torches or continual light spells (including bright sunlight) will blind them and severely affect their ability to fight. Wan light, like that of a light spell, does not trigger this disadvantage.
• Bright light (greater than that of torches or continual light) causes the drow to suffer, temporarily:
  • –2 to Dexterity.
  • Attack rolls are made at a –2 penalty
  • opponents gain a +2 save against drow spells if they are within the light.
• When drow is in darkness and their opponents are in the light, they retain their Dexterity and surprise advantages, but still suffers a penalty on attack rolls.

• If the drow spends more than two weeks away from the Underdark, the special advantages fade at the rate of one power a day.
  • This starts from the most innate spellcasting and works down to the least powerful.
  • Thus, a drow priest would first lose dispel magic, followed by suggestion, clairvoyance, and detect lie.
  • Drow magic resistance is lost at a rate of 10% per day.
  • This process can be halted and the powers regained if the drow returns to the Underdark and spends one day there for each week spent aboveground.

• Finally, all other elves hate the drow, and reactions to them are with at least a –4 penalty.
  • This modifier is cumulative to any kits the drow player might be using.
  • Only after a particular elf comes to accept a particular drow as a friend, does this penalty disappear.

Standard Elf Abilities

Unless otherwise stated above, each elf has the following abilities:

• Elves are 90% resistant to sleep- and charm-related spells. Even if they fail a check, they get the save usual for such spells.
• Elves gain a special bonus to find secret or concealed doors. Passing within 10 feet of a secret door, elves will detect it on a roll of 1 on a 1d6. If they search a 10-foot-square area, elves can find a secret door on a roll of 1 or 2 on a 1d6. Elves find concealed doors on a roll of 1, 2, or 3 on a 1d6.
• Elves gain a special bonus with bows, excluding crossbows. When firing a bow, an elf gains a +1 to hit. This does not apply to damage unless a specially made bow is used that takes advantage of a Strength bonus.
• Elves are especially good with short and long swords. Like their abilities with bows, they gain a +1 to hit (but not on damage) when using one of these weapons. This is in addition to any bonuses of the weapon itself.
• Elves move through forests and other natural terrain silently and almost invisibly. As long as elves are not attacking, they can only be spotted by someone who can spy invisible objects. When elves move through the woods, if they are careful, they will appear only as shadows of the leaves of trees, dancing in the undergrowth. This is of immense value to elves, who can thus gather information about their enemies—enemies who often do not even suspect an elven presence.
• Finally, elves have the ability to give their enemies a - 4 penalty to a surprise roll if the elf is: 1) moving alone, 2) is 90 feet away from the rest of their party, or 3) is with other elves or halflings and all are in nonmetal armor. If the elf must open a door or screen to get to the enemy, the penalty is reduced to —2.

Elven Racial Adjustment for Thieves

PP	OL	F/RT	MS	HS	DN	CW	RL
+5%	-5%	–	+5%	+10%	+5%	–	–