I expect potions at least-Larian has put a lot herbs, crystals and flowers etc in-game that could work very well for thar role. I'm not expecting something like NWN2's armor/weapon crafting system though.
Originally Posted by Tahapenes
There's still quite a few that WotC is talking about. Guallidurth, the city under the Calim desert, isn't much bigger than Menzo in 5E time frame (only about 50% larger), but was much larger than Menzo in the past. But both still pale in comparison to the city that is under Thay (can't find the name of it) which at it's height was well over 100k Drow and about 500k slaves (Menzo at it's largest was around 20k Drow and 60k to 70k slaves and Guallidurth was around 80k, not sure if that's combined or just drow).
And the other two "Drow" groups I really wouldn't consider Drow as the one is the Starlight Elves (northern group) and I can't remember what the southern one is, but the southern one is closer to that of Green/Wild Elves (which the Drow were originally Green Elves) and are more like Wood Elves in mentality. The Lolthsword Drow are by far the largest group that remains of the "Green" Elves.
Drow being originally Green Elves is not exactly 100% canon. If you take the Lady Penitent series to heart, then yeah maybe you could interpret that way since they have both been describe in similar physical terms IIRC. But Drow/Green Elves being their own separate subspecies distinct from the Green Elves has ample precedence before and after that series. Plus the whole 'Curse of Ham' thing with the literal blood taint that particular series decided to run with made lots of people uncomfortable at the time and absolutely would not fly today.
Have WOTC talked about any non-Menzo cities post the whole Udadrow/Aevendrow/Lorendrow debacle? Their new history/definition of the drow leaves very little wiggle room to interpret vast sprawling underdark cityscapes spread around Toril. The wording they use makes it clear that Menzo=udadrow and that the Lorendrow/Aevendrow are the 'good' equivalents to that city state. Note stuff like the Lorendrow being an open surface-dwelling city in southern Faerun that doesn't try to hide but is safe from the Spider Queen because of it's *geographical distance* from Menzoberanzan. Which makes no damn sense if cities like Guallidurth or the nation of Dambrath were canon, because Southern Faerun is(was) an absolute bastion of ancient and powerful drow holdings. It's also 100% clear in the new canon that the Lolth-worshipping drow originate from Menzo, and it was Lolth's fault for tricking them underground (specifically to found Menzo) rather than the Crown Wars origin. Menzo is only a few thousand years old btw, which mean drow as we know them are basically a blip on the radar in terms of FR history now.
