Editing Drow (section)

=== As player characters ===
The drow, especially when used as [[player character]]s, are surrounded by much controversy, especially after the release of Salvatore's novel, ''[[The Crystal Shard]]''.<ref name="PF13intro">{{cite book|last1=Vaughan|first1=Greg A.|first2=James|last2=Jacobs|author-link2=James Jacobs (game designer)|title=Pathfinder #13: Shadow in the Sky|publisher=[[Paizo Publishing]]|location=[[Bellevue, Washington]], United States|year=2008|series=Pathfinder Adventure Path|pages=4–5|chapter=Foreword: ... And I Feel Fine|isbn=978-1-60125-115-2}}</ref> Game designer James Jacobs has said that the drow player characters often spark arguments, with some players refusing to play in a campaign that allows drow PCs. Jacobs says that "even the name" is controversial, having at least two pronunciations.<ref name="PF13intro" /> Rob Bricken, for ''[[Kotaku]]'', wrote that there "has been one good Drow in the history of D&D, and that's Drizzt Do'Urden, who is one of the [[Mary Sue]]-iest characters in all of fiction—and he's been the star of countless novels and is the only reason any D&D player has even been interested in the Drow, of which now there is a terrifying amount of material".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-28|title=The 13 Strangest Deities In Dungeons & Dragons|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en-AU|archive-date=2021-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521165919/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Matthew Beilman, for [[Comic Book Resources|''CBR'']], highlighted multiple reasons to play as a drow character: <blockquote>You will love playing a drow if you enjoy making others uncomfortable. In most ''D&D'' settings, the drow civilization is evil. [...] This makes them excellent campaign villains but also gives them great potential as antiheroes who lack traditional heroic attributes [...]. Playing a drow can also present an opportunity to play against traditional gender norms. [...] The drow are outsiders, even in settings that do not include Lolth and her corruptive influence. These campaigns might not have evil societies of dark elves, but they still tend to make them into foreigners with strange customs [...]. Playing a misunderstood, feared yet potentially heroic character can be great fun.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-30|title=Queens of Darkness: Why Your Next D&D Character Should Be a Drow|url=https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-next-character-drow/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=CBR|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521171153/https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-next-character-drow/|url-status=live}}</ref> </blockquote>In contrast, in his review of ''[[Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue]]'' for ''[[DieHard GameFan]]'', Alex Lucard wrote, "I'll be honest: I've never understood the appeal of the Drow at all. They just seemed overly angsty and dark for the sake of being dark. I've been bored by the novels where they are the featured race and I've generally avoided them unless someone is making fun of them".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lucard|first=Alex|date=August 29, 2012|title=Tabletop Review: Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue (Dungeons & Dragons)|url=http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/08/27/tabletop-review-menzoberranzan-city-of-intrigue-dungeons-dragons/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=Diehard GameFAN|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521165917/http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/08/27/tabletop-review-menzoberranzan-city-of-intrigue-dungeons-dragons/|url-status=dead}}</ref>