Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Seldarine Drow vs Lolth-Sworn Drow

This theme is for drow lovers. Personally, I play as the Seldarine Drow because I want to act out law-evil or neutral, and the sworn Lolth-Sworn Drow are chaotic evil.
Lolth's test (https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/races/elf/drow2.shtml) is an example of why I don't want to play Lolth drow. What do you think? Which drow do you choose?

By the way, I want to ask lovers of sworn Lolth-Sworn Drow, would you like the mechanics of this test to be in play when you level up your drow?

Lolth-Sworn Drow
Raised by Lolth's cult in the city of Menzoberranzan, these drow extol the virtues of their corrupt and merciless goddess. Lolth marks her followers with bright red eyes so the Underdark will learn to fear drow on sight.

VS

Seldarine Drow
Drow are the result of an ancient schism between the elven deities Corellon Larethian and Lolth. The latter's treachery drove the drow into the Underdark, where they splintered into warring factions. Seldarine drow can be found seeking allies from all over Faerun, aiming to settle their conflict with Lolth - and each other - by any means necessary.

I always play Lolth-Sworn Drows and make people afraid of me or to do the meanest things to people. It's quite fun. Never played the Seldarine Drow version, so I'm not sure if the interactions differ.

There should be a mechanical difference between them. Trade rapier training for Scimitars, Hand Crossbows for Lowbows, and Dancing lights for Guidance.

In this game, I play Lolth Sworn since there isn't an option for Vhaeraun Sworn. Seldarine the way I interpret it, is with more understanding of the surface world and most or all of the life spent there. I prefer playing as born and raised in the Underdark, with the attitude that comes along with this.

Those tests could be interesting but hard to implement I think.

Well. It's a tad weird to be a Lolth Sworn Drow... from Baldur's Gate. And yet, I find it rather alluring to try it. So, I'm thinking of making a Lolth Sworn Urban Tracker / spider companion summoner... He'd be something of a lone spy sent to BG to investigate one thing or another.

Do Drow suffer from daylight in 5E/BG3?

I haven't seen any dialogue indicating I am from Baldur's Gate yet. This would be weird.

Sunlight has no effect on us in BG3, could possibly be tadpole related, idk.
5e is this: While in sunlight, disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks that rely on sight

Really? Oh that would be cool, then. Think I'll roll up my Drow now. Llotlh be praised!

So far, all my characters have the ' Baldurian' trait. First time you come across such a line is when you encounter Astarion; "Introduce yourself, you're from Baldur's Gate, too"

It is exceptionally annoying that these days WOTC pretend that Menzoberranzan is the ONLY drow city in existence....pff.

Aye, you get the 'underdark' tag instead of Baldurian or whatever it's called.

That is odd question ...
Did you mean wich drow do you choose first, or before the other?

Lolth ofc.
There is so far no better option for Evil gameplay. :3

I wish they'd go with "Underdark drow" and "surface drow" or something along the lines. A drow living in a drow society doesn't need to be actually "sworn" heart and mind to Lolth (just keep appearances, and not always that). I'd like to play an evil Underdark drow, but not necessarily one serving the spider whore. :P Other Dark Seldarine would be great, like Vhaeraun, Kiaransalee, Zinzerena or Ghaunadaur. Or a drow that's a hermit or a "ranger" living in the Underdark, but outside drow cities. Neither "Lolth-sworn" nor "Seldarine".

Similarly, "Seldarine drow" suggests drow that specifically worship Seldarine, which is very specific (especially with the lore blurb, very specific). What about surface drow that worship other gods, or no particular god? Eilistraee seems perfect for this "Lolth-rejecting good drow" archetype, but she's not a Seldarine.

This distinction between drow is in my opinion unnecessary ideologically driven roleplaying on crutches. As is the distinction between elves and drow. Restore the drow as a single elven subrace and let the player choose the background and personality. No need to make a subrace of a subrace to hammer the point in.

This would be a much better idea. Dialogue options would be mostly similar to what they have I think, maybe only a couple would need changing.

What annoys me greatly is that they already have Eilistraae but not Vhaeraun. Really hoping they add in a lot more deities.

I must say I'm not a fan of either of the default drow deities - Lolth for evil drow and Eilistraee for good drow. We need variety! Vhaeraun supporters arise!

But I think it might be an EA thing - with a "preview" of deities, as we have only a handful of (sub)classes and races. In general, we need expanded pantheons, like we have just one deity from several racial pantheons (Seldarine, dwarven, duergar, halfling and gnomish). Interesting we've got Laduguer, though.

"Lolth-sworn" Drow and "Seldarine" Drow are really dumb sounding names. And because of the deities involved in the name, it makes it seem like they can only exclusively worship one particular deity or one particular set of deities.

Illythiiri Drow and Miyeritari Drow would be the only two drow cultural groups that would have some basis as a "subrace". Ilythiir was a decadent, warmongering and cruel dark elf empire in South Faerun that threatened to conquer the rest of the Realms some millennia ago from the other elves, while Miyeritar was relatively a peaceful dark elf kingdom in the North that was brutally subjugated and later destroyed by the sun elf empire of Aryvaandar. Though Miyeritar had little connection to Ilythiir, many were conveniently blamed for colluding with them in the Crown Wars, and their people (those few that survived the Dark Disaster that turned their country into a barren wasteland) were subject to the same curse that was meant for the Ilythiiri dark elves and which consequently drove both groups to the Underdark, and later they would emerge as the drow race. Many Eilistraeean worshippers are descendants of Miyeritar, whereas most Drow in the Underdark (i.e. the evil-oriented) are descendents of Ilythiir. The ancient Ilythiiri dabbled in dark arts and their ruling class consorted with demons and most notably with the demon lord Wendonai, and many carry his taint in their blood which might be an explanation to their "amoral" tendencies, while Miyeritar Drow purportedly have less demonic influence and are more predisposed to worship Eilistraee like their ancestors did.

Still I would rather prefer to see High Elves split into Sun Elf and Moon Elf, like in NWN2 and IWD2, than see the drow race split.

Exactly. In addition, their lore blurbs are specific and sound more like backgrounds or even origin blurbs.



YES. This. They went with FR names for the subraces (shield dwarves, gold dwarves, strongheart halflings - that's great!) and divided drow into subraces (which I don't hate in principle), yet sun and moon elves are just all thrown together as high elves, even if they're physically and culturally different.

+1

Culturally, moon elves are the coolest "race" identity in the Realms imho.

Before I knew anything about the game's lore, story or anything I created (my first ever) Drow. And dude, I had a blast. Just recently completed my playthru for the first time and it really felt as if the game was build around a Drow PC. I always found Drow very interesting since my "Eye of the Beholder" times tbh, but never really cared to play one (not that you could play as one in those old games, but still ).

Since my last playthru I gotta admit I'm even more interested in Drow now than before. What would I give to visit Menzoberranzan in BG3 (I know it's very far up north but who knows, maybe in the future in an expansion).

I wish lolth-sworn didn't force you to pick Lolth as your deity. I think roleplaying as a drow from the underdark slowly changing and learning about Eilistraee from a roleplay standpoint sounds interesting. I really like drow so I'll probably play as both to experience both sides of the race, I will say I find lolth-sworn to be a little more interesting and they function about the same except for dialogue options. I think it is just a matter of planning a character's backstory and choosing what suits them. I hope lolth-sworn being locked on Lolth as their deity is something that changes once Baldur's Gate 3 is completed. Not to mention siding with Minthara as a drow for an evil playthrough doesn't really make sense if your are loyally a lolth-sworn considering she abandoned Lolth for the Absolute.

I prefer as playing Lolth-sworn drow, since its just so different from every other race in terms of roleplay opportunities, and that what makes it so interesting to me.