So I'm completely new to the world of D&D and now I'm creating my first character. Even if the thought going into it was- "Okay, this is my first character, let's find something simple but something I like" I ended up really liking the idea of a drow character. After further research and thinking I discovered the sunlight vulnerability, and the hostility towards drows on the surface, I had to rethink, maybe a half-elf, elf or human? Then there is the option of a half-drow, either elf or human x drow parent... aldo Szarkai, shadar-kai and aasimar sound interesting as well.
Then there's the classes, right now I'm struggling between Rogue, Sorcerer (or wizard) and maybe even warlock. (If something I haven't included but could fit really well please tell).
For some time I thought that a drow warlock sounds cool.
If someone could find the drow stats I'd appreciate it (I've found some but I still have yet to figure out the system) (the ability scores).
So if you have any suggestions/tips It would really help me, thanks! (If you could give me advice on not only this you could private message me)
Yes, Half-Drow are a thing. in the Half-Elf race description (from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) it says
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
In the Half-Drow case, you drop Skill Versatility and gain the Drow's Drow Magic trait
If you own the Player's Handbook on D&D Beyond, you can get the race stats under Game Rules -> Races
For ability scores, many games use the standard array (15,14,13,12, 10, 8). Which means you takes those six numbers and assign them as you choose among your character's six stats (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma). After doing that you add your racial modifiers.
Ex. for a Drow Rogue
dexterity highest (stealth, initiative, attack and damage rolls)
charisma next (people skills - Persuasion, Deception)
I like being able to spot things, so I want wisdom 3rd highest (perception, insight)
constitution next, so I have some extra HP
then intelligence
last strength
Which gives me: STR: 8, DEX 15, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 14
With racial bonuses: STR 8 (-1), DEX 17 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 15 (+2)
Now, the thing with ability scores is that the bonus they give to rolls only goes up on EVEN values. At level 4 when you get an ability score increase, you can add +1 to both DEX and CHA to make them 18 (+4) and 16 (+3). Or you can do some quick 'optimization' and just swap your 15 and 14 and at level 4, add both +1's to Dexterity. By doing that, you get the benefit of a higher charisma at 1st level, but still get to 18 DEX at level 4.
With racial bonuses: STR 8 (-1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 16 (+3)
I know it can be a little confusing, so feel free to PM me with more questions!
You would still need to take light sentivity to a degree to balance it out. Two profiencies is not on the same level as the magic your obtaining for free.
and then as a half elf your alrady hated by humans and elves because hey don’t trust your other half’s instinct. Also being a drow would make that hate more varied. Other races aren’t to fond of drows. Drows tends to be like teifling in nature. Not trusted and tend to do bad things to others.
for class. If this is your first game I would recommend a non caster until you grasp the idea and flow of the game. Spellcasting can be difficult to learn on top of everything else. Also rogues being skill monkeys would off set you losing two profiencies.
Halfling and rogue go together so we’ll incase you need a recommendation. Their personality and skills fit the rogue theme so well. They are also common and usually well received in roleplaying conversations because no one is prejudice against a halfling by default like half elf’s or even worse degree drow or teifling are treated.
Before you totally give up on Drow talk to your DM. Many DMs are happy to have Drow handled differently in their world to make it more player friendly, or will work with you on the sunlight sensitivity so you can play the race you want without feeling like you're taking too big a penalty. Chat with your DM on the role playing challenges you are both excited about, and the ones that make you uncomfortable, and see where you go from there!
It up to the dm. And all your doing is giving him all the upsides and no downsides. You have to balance it and he could just use the downside to roleplay his character and have fun. Dnd is not a combat simulation, it is a roleplay in game and the quirks of trade offs and balancing lead to some fun moments and story twist.
so basically I’m giving you the dm POV and you gave him a player POV.
its between him and whatever dm he plays with decision and up to their discretion to decide.
See the point the players hand book is pointing out is your trading 2 profiencies of your choice for either keen senses which is one profiency or elven weapons which is three weapon profiencies.
so what the phb is telling you if you want a custom half elf is to trade picking profiencies for specific elf related profiencies.
not gain 3 powerful spells that don’t use spell slots for free for 2 profiencies.
so you need a trade off like I said for that powerful gain.
if you want drow spells as part of your half elf- half human combo then your still suffering light sensitivity to trade off for the power gain.
whoch considering the spells drow provide are fit for dark environments it seems fair. Your half drow still prefers to fight in the dark and not broad daylight. Even though he is human he is still half drow with powerful drow magic at his disposal. Seems more drow then human to me and a fair trade off considering drow like dark places. Ya.
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
A half-elf of wood elf descent can choose the wood elf’s Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, or Mask of the Wild.
A half-elf of moon elf or sun elf descent can choose the high elf’s Elf Weapon Training or Cantrip.
A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow’s Drow Magic.
A half-elf of aquatic heritage can choose a swimming speed of 30 feet.
A half-drow trades Skill Versatility for Drow Magic. They do not gain or lose anything else.
Also, Drow Magic is nothing exceptional. The cantrip is just a way to provide light, the 1st level spell is good, but require concentration, which is easily broken if you're in melee (and an important resource if you're a caster), and Darkness is usually not a party-friendly spell. They're cool, but definitely not worth a flaw.
I would take 2 proficiencies over these spells any day, especially if I'm playing a spellcaster.
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
A half-elf of wood elf descent can choose the wood elf’s Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, or Mask of the Wild.
A half-elf of moon elf or sun elf descent can choose the high elf’s Elf Weapon Training or Cantrip.
A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow’s Drow Magic.
A half-elf of aquatic heritage can choose a swimming speed of 30 feet.
A half-drow trades Skill Versatility for Drow Magic. They do not gain or lose anything else.
Ok that’s cool and all but like I said I’m giving a DM POV.
its up to what him and his Dm decide on. Not what you tell me in here.
i also go by Xanathar because it’s more updated and not behind like scag is but includes everything scag does but updated. Including half race combinations.
those are the guidelines I am following. Which is what the books are. Guidelines to run your game with your friends. Any variants or changes for your game is up to the party and the dm. With the dm being the final say of course!
Not to mention the SCAG is about the worst supplement in 5e, produced out of house by Kobold Press IIRC. A lot of the stuff in there is problematic and I have long since disallowed almost everything from it, especially spells like Booming Blade.
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So I'm completely new to the world of D&D and now I'm creating my first character. Even if the thought going into it was- "Okay, this is my first character, let's find something simple but something I like" I ended up really liking the idea of a drow character. After further research and thinking I discovered the sunlight vulnerability, and the hostility towards drows on the surface, I had to rethink, maybe a half-elf, elf or human? Then there is the option of a half-drow, either elf or human x drow parent... aldo Szarkai, shadar-kai and aasimar sound interesting as well.
Then there's the classes, right now I'm struggling between Rogue, Sorcerer (or wizard) and maybe even warlock. (If something I haven't included but could fit really well please tell).
For some time I thought that a drow warlock sounds cool.
If someone could find the drow stats I'd appreciate it (I've found some but I still have yet to figure out the system) (the ability scores).
So if you have any suggestions/tips It would really help me, thanks! (If you could give me advice on not only this you could private message me)
;3
Yes, Half-Drow are a thing. in the Half-Elf race description (from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) it says
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
In the Half-Drow case, you drop Skill Versatility and gain the Drow's Drow Magic trait
If you own the Player's Handbook on D&D Beyond, you can get the race stats under Game Rules -> Races
Half-Drow: https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/half-elf#DrowHalfElf
Drow: https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/elf#DarkElfDrow
Their ability scores bonuses are +2 Dex, +1 Cha
For ability scores, many games use the standard array (15,14,13,12, 10, 8). Which means you takes those six numbers and assign them as you choose among your character's six stats (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma). After doing that you add your racial modifiers.
Ex. for a Drow Rogue
Which gives me:
STR: 8, DEX 15, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 14
With racial bonuses:
STR 8 (-1), DEX 17 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 15 (+2)
Now, the thing with ability scores is that the bonus they give to rolls only goes up on EVEN values. At level 4 when you get an ability score increase, you can add +1 to both DEX and CHA to make them 18 (+4) and 16 (+3). Or you can do some quick 'optimization' and just swap your 15 and 14 and at level 4, add both +1's to Dexterity. By doing that, you get the benefit of a higher charisma at 1st level, but still get to 18 DEX at level 4.
With racial bonuses:
STR 8 (-1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 16 (+3)
I know it can be a little confusing, so feel free to PM me with more questions!
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Thank you SO much! I really appreciate you replying. I'll pm you when I feel like I don't understand something. :3
You would still need to take light sentivity to a degree to balance it out. Two profiencies is not on the same level as the magic your obtaining for free.
and then as a half elf your alrady hated by humans and elves because hey don’t trust your other half’s instinct. Also being a drow would make that hate more varied. Other races aren’t to fond of drows. Drows tends to be like teifling in nature. Not trusted and tend to do bad things to others.
for class. If this is your first game I would recommend a non caster until you grasp the idea and flow of the game. Spellcasting can be difficult to learn on top of everything else. Also rogues being skill monkeys would off set you losing two profiencies.
Halfling and rogue go together so we’ll incase you need a recommendation. Their personality and skills fit the rogue theme so well. They are also common and usually well received in roleplaying conversations because no one is prejudice against a halfling by default like half elf’s or even worse degree drow or teifling are treated.
Before you totally give up on Drow talk to your DM. Many DMs are happy to have Drow handled differently in their world to make it more player friendly, or will work with you on the sunlight sensitivity so you can play the race you want without feeling like you're taking too big a penalty. Chat with your DM on the role playing challenges you are both excited about, and the ones that make you uncomfortable, and see where you go from there!
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
A Drow Half-Elf does not have Light Sensitivity.
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A few more thoughts on the rest of your post. Mechanically, Szarkai are the same as drow. The only difference would be in appearance.
As Oboe points out, what draws you to the drow as a race? Depending on that answer, there may be other races or variants that also do what you like.
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It up to the dm. And all your doing is giving him all the upsides and no downsides. You have to balance it and he could just use the downside to roleplay his character and have fun. Dnd is not a combat simulation, it is a roleplay in game and the quirks of trade offs and balancing lead to some fun moments and story twist.
so basically I’m giving you the dm POV and you gave him a player POV.
its between him and whatever dm he plays with decision and up to their discretion to decide.
See the point the players hand book is pointing out is your trading 2 profiencies of your choice for either keen senses which is one profiency or elven weapons which is three weapon profiencies.
so what the phb is telling you if you want a custom half elf is to trade picking profiencies for specific elf related profiencies.
not gain 3 powerful spells that don’t use spell slots for free for 2 profiencies.
so you need a trade off like I said for that powerful gain.
if you want drow spells as part of your half elf- half human combo then your still suffering light sensitivity to trade off for the power gain.
whoch considering the spells drow provide are fit for dark environments it seems fair. Your half drow still prefers to fight in the dark and not broad daylight. Even though he is human he is still half drow with powerful drow magic at his disposal. Seems more drow then human to me and a fair trade off considering drow like dark places. Ya.
From the SCAG:
A half-drow trades Skill Versatility for Drow Magic. They do not gain or lose anything else.
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Also, Drow Magic is nothing exceptional. The cantrip is just a way to provide light, the 1st level spell is good, but require concentration, which is easily broken if you're in melee (and an important resource if you're a caster), and Darkness is usually not a party-friendly spell. They're cool, but definitely not worth a flaw.
I would take 2 proficiencies over these spells any day, especially if I'm playing a spellcaster.
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Ok that’s cool and all but like I said I’m giving a DM POV.
its up to what him and his Dm decide on. Not what you tell me in here.
i also go by Xanathar because it’s more updated and not behind like scag is but includes everything scag does but updated. Including half race combinations.
those are the guidelines I am following. Which is what the books are. Guidelines to run your game with your friends. Any variants or changes for your game is up to the party and the dm. With the dm being the final say of course!
Not to mention the SCAG is about the worst supplement in 5e, produced out of house by Kobold Press IIRC. A lot of the stuff in there is problematic and I have long since disallowed almost everything from it, especially spells like Booming Blade.