The Drow (Dark Elven) Racial Apperance

Drow Elven Racial Apperance

Matron Mother

A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Drow are elven, no matter who would like to deny this fact. The most notable feature of drow is their black skin, and pale (most usually white) hair. Drow on average are rarely more then five feet in height. Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Male drow weigh between 80 and 110 pounds, and females weigh between 95 and 120. They are typically elven in appearance, other then their skin color. Both sexes tend to be lithe, slim, and graceful in build, features, and movements, much as other elves appear to human eyes. They have long delicate fingers, pointed ears, and almond shaped eyes.
Drow vary in shape, features, and hair color as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule is their uniformly jet-black skin (the few exceptions tend to be bone white albinos). The majority of drow have snow-white hair from birth, yellowing (if female) or graying (if male) and thinning with great age. Rare drow have naturally silver or copper-hued hair, although there are those who deliberately dye their hair silver (these drow are the followers of Eilistraee).
Most drow have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. All drow eyes tend to grow redder when they are angry or upset. Yellow eyes usually denote illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics. Blue and purple (and all the tints thereof) are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or surface elven blood somewhere in the drow's ancestry. Drow teeth may be black, white, or purple, and their gums, tongues, and throats pink, red, or purple.

DROW INTELLIGENCE

Drow are also very alert an inquisitive, simply as survival traits in their twisted society. This mental readiness gives them an intellectual advantage over most creatures. Note that while drow intelligence is augmented, drow wisdom is not -- the all pervasive teachings of Lolth, and the limited exposure to other societies, beings, and surroundings, are not conducive to a wide and reasoned experience of the world.
Drow are rarely surprised. This is because drow always expect attack, whether in the Underdark or surface world; in their own cities (where rival drow may strike with a dagger, dart, or spell at any time), or even at home (where rival family members may seize an unguarded moment to "prune the family tree").
Typical drow tactics include arranging ambushes where known dangers can be used, such as loose rocks that can be knocked down atop intruders. Anti-personnel traps, such as strategically placed phycomids, and glass bulbs filled with ascomoid spores, are also not uncommon in the Underdark.
Drow who fall in combat are customarily animated as zombies (so long as their lower limbs are usable) by drow clerics, not left for others to plunder. Such zombies are often commanded to carry less-mobile dead and wounded, and are also useful as "shock troops."

DROW SENSES

Drow eyes can see heat patterns in air and rock thanks to their 120' range infravision. Against a dim gray "cold" stone backdrop, progressively warmer hues show as subtle blue, purple, red, and warm yellow. The warmth comes from hot springs, magma, seeping water, and fissure breezes.
Drow learn to use the "shadows" of these varying hues for concealment when stalking, in much the same way as a surface creature uses the shadows produced by the sun, moon, and other light sources. Like surface dwellers, drow must learn to 'read' heat hues; the meanings of various shades and patterns become known to drow only through teachings or experience 'in the field'.
Near areas of drow habitation in the Underdark, the varying heat hues of the natural Underdark are blurred by the higher ambient heat of many gathered, living beings and their activities. Drow cities also sport magical glows, a few actual lights (notably the sharp, foreign radiances of the candles of studying wizards and important rituals to Lolth), and the far more common continual faerie fire glows that highlight drow sculpture. Drow are proud of the beauty of their designs, and usually outline the most impressive works with this spell.
Drow hearing is highly developed. In the Underdark, one learns to find water by timing the echoes of dripping or running water, and to detect coming rock shifts or collapses by listening for the natural grating and groaning sounds of unshaped rock. Drow have long, slender, sensitive fingers, and a highly developed tactile sense. In addition to their silent language of gestures, stances, and expressions, they are able to read subtle, braille like "secret signs" left on rock walls, message stones, and other places by fellow drow.
The drow sense of smell, however, is not so acute. The all pervasive smell of the rock and damp air all around, tainted by ever-present mold and fungus spores and the scent of drow and slave bodies, is a strong background. Most drow have been exposed to strong incense and offering-burnings since infancy, which further serves to dull the olfactory sense. Drow still enjoy perfume, incense, and the like, but their smell is only about as acute as that of most humans - far less than that of many native inhabitants of the Underdark.

PERSONAL MAGIC

All civilized drow receive training in wizardly magic, both to test their aptitude for casting spells and to train them in the mental concentration necessary for control of their natural spell-like abilities. Spell-like abilities fade with time on the surface world, and eventually fade completely away.
These innate powers are the abilities to evoke dancing lights, faerie fire, and darkness. All drow are born with them, and with practice can learn to use them without formal tutelage. These powers vary slightly from place to place according to lineage, natural differences between individuals, differences in the prolonged favor of drow deities, and variations in the local intensity of the natural radiation of the Underdark. Drow control over them varies with mental state, sickness, age and training, and other conditions. A dying drow may knowingly pour his or her life-force into the exercise of these powers, doubling or even trebling their area of effect, duration, and/or damage. Concentration is not necessary for a drow to control base power effects.
In general terms, these powers may all be used only once every 24 hours. For example, a drow who levitates may not re-awaken that natural power until 24 hours have elapsed from the instant the levitation ceased. Any natural spell-like power can be used continuously for a period of time related to the level of the drow. It can be ended prematurely by certain hostile magical effects (such as dispel magic) or by the will of the drow employing them.
Drow of above fourth level gain "mature powers" of levitate, know alignment, and detect magic.
Drow priests and priestesses also gain additional spell-like powers (in addition to their spells) through divine favor. These include clairvoyance, detect lie, suggestion, and dispel magic. Optional additional abilities include detect undead, ESP (other drow only, 20' maximum range), and invisibility to undead. (It is suggested that clerical drow have more of a chance of improving an existing power and a small chance at gaining a new power, for each level attained; augment these chances to simulate deities rewarding truly exceptional service.)
Drow of noble blood or name typically gain the ability to use all of their base and mature powers more than once a day. An additional daily use is granted at the end of each decade of life; senior noble drow have practically unlimited use of their powers. All exceptionally intelligent drow or exceptionally experienced drow can wield a natural spell-like power and a spell simultaneously (e.g. casting a spell while levitating), or employ a maximum of two natural spell-like powers simultaneously (e.g. levitating while launching darkness to enshroud the head of an opponent).
The presence of strong light hampers drow concentration. Common and untrained drow typically lose the ability to cast any spells or use any base powers (though they can maintain active ones) in any light equal to or greater than normal sunlight. Noble drow must make a saving throw versus spell to launch any spell or spell-like power (active ones are automatically retained), and all drow are reduced to the use of one spell-like power or spell at a time; no combinations are possible. The creation of light in any meetings with drow typically brings instant drow attack, and the launching of hand of darkness spells against the light source.
Drow also possess an incredibly high natural magic resistance. Newborn babies and infants have weak, fluctuating magic resistances (continuously varying from 02-40% at any given time). To protect endangered young, drow alchemists have devised a potion of magic resistance, whose use in battle has spread among the race. This resistance grows and stabilizes as drow mature. A drow youth has 40% magic resistance, and by adolescence, it has reached a stable 50%. Magic resistance increases from this 50% base by 2% for every level of advancement gained by a drow individual, above 1st. (Multi-classed drow gain this bonus only from the class in which they have the highest level, not from both classes.)

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