The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

138
In such a campaign, the drow would never appear as a
random or unimportant encounter. Each meeting with the
drow would be fraught with complications and possibilities,
and even if the Player Characters were easily capable of
dispatching a drow they happened to meet, the chances for
terrible repercussions would be great. A campaign such as
this can turn the expectations of the players on their heads
and offers a unique take on most fantasy worlds.
Listed below are some ways the Games Master might use
to incorporate drow into his campaign in the role of the
ultimate enemy.
� Two surface nations that have sworn allegiance to the
drow are marching against a nation that has resisted the
influence of the dark elves and which needs all the help
it can find to defend itself
� Surface elves have been pushed to the brink of
extinction by the expansion of drow power. Unwilling
to go quietly, they are attempting to open gates to other
material planes to bring in elven reinforcements.
� Having nearly achieved their dream of global
domination, the drow are turning on one another, their
population split in war between the various Houses and
cults. The conflict is immense, throwing the surface
nations that have relied on drow power and guidance
into chaos.
� Priestesses of the Dark Mother have nearly succeeded
in opening a permanent gate to the infernal plane that is
the home of their goddess, making a demonic invasion
imminent.
� A disguised drow attempts to recruit the Player
Characters into an organisation devoted to defeating the
drow and sends them on a series of missions to recover
the lost pieces of an ancient artefact. Ostensibly this
artefact will serve the surface races against the drow,
but in fact it will only make them stronger, while the
missions give the drow a chance to judge the resources
and abilities of those who still oppose them.
� The remaining free kingdoms of the world, in alliance
with elves, dwarves and other ancient enemies of the
drow, prepare to launch a last-ditch attempt to break
the power of the dark elves and restore freedom to the
world.
The Drow as Allies
The drow seem almost perfectly constructed to act as
enemies in a roleplaying campaign, be it as random
monsters, unseen manipulators or a world-shaking power,
but it is not necessary to relegate them to this role. As
treacherous and dangerous as it may be for the Player
Characters, it is possible for the role of the drow in the
campaign to be that of allies, not of enemies.
It is important to note that even if the Player Characters do
successfully recruit the drow as allies, it is unlikely to be
a friendly and amiable relationship. The drow are skilled
and talented manipulators and deceivers, and will not only
attempt to turn any relationship to their own advantage,
they will expect the Player Characters to do the same. No
matter what the goals of the Player Characters might be, no
matter the philosophical outlook or alignment of the Player
Characters, the drow will not see them as trustworthy allies
or as kindred souls. Once the reasons for the alliance
are rendered moot, the drow will either terminate or
dramatically alter the conditions of the relationship in one
of the following ways:
� If the Player Characters have proven themselves
powerful and have done nothing to antagonise the
drow, yet do not display any affinity for the dark elves,
the drow will simply sever the relationship and let the
Player Characters go on their way, the best possible
result for the Player Characters.
� If the Player Characters seem sufficiently weak
or antagonistic, the drow will kill them once their
usefulness is at an end.
� If the Player Characters seem awed by the dark elves,
or have some kind of childish infatuation with them,
as is frequently the case, the drow may chose to use
these willing recruits to serve their ends on the surface
world, directing their actions until the Player Characters
have worn out their usefulness, usually as a result of
execution for the crimes committed on behalf of the
drow.
Forging an alliance with the drow is difficult work, as
the drow hold themselves above all other races and will
not willingly deal with them as equals. Under some
circumstances, the drow will consider it, but even opening
such negotiations with a drow is a dangerous business,
and the Player Characters may soon come to feel they
have taken a tiger by the tail. Following are the two most
common circumstances in which the Player Characters and
the drow might align together.
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
The Underdeep is home to a multitude of creatures, almost
none of which are friendly toward the drow. There are
many races in the depths of the earth, such as goblinkind
and deep gnomes, which simply do their best to stay clear
of the drow, unwilling to risk the destruction and desolation
a confrontation with the dark elves would bring. Others,
however, are less shy about demonstrating their dislike
for the fallen elves. Aboleth, deep trolls and shangu, for
example, are all openly opposed to the drow, and a nearperpetual
state of war exists between the races. Additionally,
the drow are given to fighting amongst themselves and are