Quote from Brooklyn_Red_Leg >>

Quote from RodneyMcNeely >>

 Exactly no one has EVER drawn a drow character thinking, "How can I mock actual dark brown humans today?"...

 Dear God, I cannot like this enough! Thank you!

Again, for those that aren't paying attention, this change throws all of us older fans (as well as the co-creator of D&D and any of the original artists like Erol Otus that drew/painted them) under the bus. Hasbro and WotC are full of effete corporate snobs who will kowtow to the outrage mobs instead of standing up and telling them to F' right off. Gary IS spinning over in his grave because at least he had the cajones to tell that con artist Ed Bradley to effectively cram it and that there was nothing but coincidental connection with the various murders, suicides and other elements of the Satanic Panic. Instead of having our backs, as we're the ones that kept their brand alive, they are now conveniently tossing us aside because they're either full of goobs who lack a spine (like most modern corporations) or they've got actual drooling morons on staff somewhere that make these idiotic decisions.

 No, it doesn't. 

This isn't a huge issue. If a couple artists want to draw silver drow, they can do that. The game naturally develops and changes over time. 

Quote from Brooklyn_Red_Leg >>

Quote from RodneyMcNeely >>

 Exactly no one has EVER drawn a drow character thinking, "How can I mock actual dark brown humans today?"...

 Dear God, I cannot like this enough! Thank you!

Again, for those that aren't paying attention, this change throws all of us older fans (as well as the co-creator of D&D and any of the original artists like Erol Otus that drew/painted them) under the bus. Hasbro and WotC are full of effete corporate snobs who will kowtow to the outrage mobs instead of standing up and telling them to F' right off. Gary IS spinning over in his grave because at least he had the cajones to tell that con artist Ed Bradley to effectively cram it and that there was nothing but coincidental connection with the various murders, suicides and other elements of the Satanic Panic. Instead of having our backs, as we're the ones that kept their brand alive, they are now conveniently tossing us aside because they're either full of goobs who lack a spine (like most modern corporations) or they've got actual drooling morons on staff somewhere that make these idiotic decisions.

 I am an older fan.  How does this throw us under the bridge?  You hadn’t answered me from before.  No one is saying that you are wrong for having a obsidian skinned Drow.  You are making that up for faux outrage.  The same thing that you are complaining about.

Third is not saying that Tasha’s Drow art is a problem, and are indifferent to it either way. They has stated this a few times now. They are only pointing out something they have noticed in regards to how all the Drow art was done for this book particularly and asking if this has potential to be the norm going forward or not and our opinions on this.

To that last point, while it is certainly an interesting thing to take note of.....I think it would take a few more books to really tell if these lighter skinned Drow are going to be the more normally depicted ones or even if this is the new default. This book is a bunch of optional rules and features with the theme of further customizing our characters to be whatever we wish them to be and breaking the mold normally established in traditional settings. With Drow being one of the more controversial races and with the above theme in mind, the artists could have simply decided that lighter skinned Drow fit the book better. It could also simply be the style the artists wanted do to personal preference and Wizards were fine with it because while not common, Drow with lighter skin tones have been a thing in several editions. We really have no way of knowing without a official statement but it is an interesting to note.

I’m indifferent to the notion either way, as my view of the Drow in D&D have been heavily influenced by the Dark Elves of Elder Scrolls, which while capable of being black skinned were also commonly depicted in various shades of grays, purples and blues. 

Now if more published material starts depicting them with these lighter tones almost exclusively, then I would definitely say you have a case there though Third. It’s an interesting thought regardless.

(The following is intended as a bit of an absurdist editorial.)

There seems to be all this controversy surrounding the skin tone of the Drow elves which is distracting from the real crime..

”Where are the moustaches!!!???!!!” Back in the days of Against the Giants, Descent into the Depths of the Earth, Vault of the Drow,, Queen of the Demonweb, and even the Fiend Folio, Drow had large majestic moustaches!!! 

Where has the Face Fuzz gone!!! 

(Wink)

For the record, as a guy who has played since 1978, I got no problem with grey/silver Drow myself.

I don’t really have too big a problem with it, but I feel like it’s weird that some people apparently can’t separate the literally coal-black Drow from “black” (dark brown) humans. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s any parallel intentionally drawn between drow and black people. That seems pretty obvious.

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Getting back to the original question, after looking through Tasha's Cauldron, I don't think it's an attempt to change drow so much as the artist just really seems to like drawing characters with that bluish skin tone.

Quote from 6thLyranGuard >>

Getting back to the original question, after looking through Tasha's Cauldron, I don't think it's an attempt to change drow so much as the artist just really seems to like drawing characters with that bluish skin tone.

I really appreciate you trying to keep it on topic.

They're not blue, though, and every drow in the book looks more or less the same color. 

I wonder if the artist was specifically instructed to make the change to Drow or if they just did what they thought the Drow looked like. I know in other media like Elder scrolls the Drow are ash skinned. Same with WoW I believe.  

I would guess that we are going to see more of 'variant' Drow colors because of this assumption tied to the term Drow from other media. I know I always assumed that Drow were ash colored, but my first introduction to them was in Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.