Editing Drow (section)

==In various campaign settings==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2022}}Different [[campaign setting]]s portray drow in various ways.

===In ''Eberron''===
Inhabiting the jungles and Underdark in the continental isle of [[Xen'drik]], the drow in [[Eberron]] have a much more tribalistic culture than their other ''Dungeons & Dragons'' counterparts. They are not an offshoot of the elven race like in many other worlds but rather a separate, if similar, race. Instead of the spider goddess Lolth, most tribes worship a male scorpion deity known as Vulkoor, though exceptions are common. It is believed that Vulkoor is actually one of the forms of the Mockery (a member of the Dark Six). The tribes are often [[xenophobia|xenophobic]], and the social structure varies from tribe to tribe. It is known that the drow mastered elemental binding before gnomes did – including a cultural group of fire-elemental binders called the Sulatar. There is also a subgroup called the ''umbragen'', or shadow elves, who worship the Mockery in the form of a scorpion god and Khyber or the Umbra, the Consuming Shadow, for whom the umbragen are named; the umbragen dwell underground beneath Xen'drik and are noted for producing many [[Warlock (Dungeons & Dragons)|warlocks]] and soulknives.

Drow in Eberron run the gamut from almost feral in nature to being fully civilized and on par with the cultural level of [[Khorvaire]], varying from tribe to tribe.

=== In ''Exandria'' ===
The region of Xhorhas, the eastern side of the Wildemount continent in the [[Exandria]] setting, is governed by the Kryn Dynasty and ruled by the Bright Queen Leylas Kryn. The Dynasty was founded by drow who escaped to surface after rejecting Lolth for a god of light known as the [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities#Luxon|Luxon]]. The nation is now home to many creatures others in Wildemount would see as [[Dungeons & Dragons controversies#Humanoids and monsters|monstrous]] or evil. Due to the Luxon, the Kryn Dynasty also established a new source of magic called [[Magic in Dungeons & Dragons#Other forms of magic|Dunamancy]]<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":13">{{Cite book|last=Mercer|first=Matthew|title=Explorer's Guide to Wildemount|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|others=Haeck, James., Introcaso, James., Lockey, Chris., Amundsen, Even.|year=2020|isbn=978-0-7869-6691-2|location=Renton, WA|pages=35–158|chapter=2: Factions and Societies, Ch. 3: Wildemount Gazetteer|oclc=1139657849}}</ref> which "involves the manipulation of entropy, gravity, and time".<ref name=":6" /> Known as dunamancers, people accessing this power draw it "from alternate timelines and unseen realities, subtly affect the flow of time, and even tighten or loosen the grip of gravity".<ref name=":11">{{cite web|last=Haeck|first=James|date=April 1, 2020|title=Spell Spotlight: Dunamancy|url=http://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/757-spell-spotlight-dunamancy|access-date=2020-05-31|website=D&D Beyond|language=en-us|archive-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427203410/https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/757-spell-spotlight-dunamancy|url-status=live}}</ref> Compared to their neighboring country, the human-run monarchy of the Dwendalian Empire, "the Dynasty is freer, both politically and culturally. They accept anyone and everyone while the Empire is restrictive and nearly inaccessible to outsiders".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-21|title=D&D: Explorer's Guide To Wildemount Explained|url=https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-explorers-guide-to-wildemount-explained-guide-tips/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=TheGamer|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207230241/https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-explorers-guide-to-wildemount-explained-guide-tips/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Kryn Dynasty was first explored in depth in the [[Critical Role (campaign two)|second campaign]] of the web series ''[[Critical Role]]'' before being added to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' [[Canon (fiction)|canon]] in the ''[[Explorer's Guide to Wildemount]]'' (2020).<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Plante|first=Corey|title=D&D 'Explorer's Guide to Wildemount' makes Critical Role & dunamancy canon|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/62252-d-d-explorer-s-guide-to-wildemount-critical-role-sourcebook-dunamancy|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Inverse|date=13 January 2020 |language=en|archive-date=2021-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201082110/https://www.inverse.com/article/62252-d-d-explorer-s-guide-to-wildemount-critical-role-sourcebook-dunamancy|url-status=live}}</ref>

Critics have highlighted that this setting breaks from traditional fantasy tropes especially around evil races.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=2020-03-19|title=Dungeons & Dragons' Critical Role book is one of the best campaign guides published for 5th edition|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/19/21186669/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-book-explorers-guide-to-wildemount-review|access-date=2020-03-30|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=2020-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110174609/https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/19/21186669/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-book-explorers-guide-to-wildemount-review|url-status=live}}</ref> James Grebey, for ''[[Syfy#Syfy Wire|Syfy Wire]]'', highlighted "it's a country of cast-offs and scrappy upstarts who are simply trying to thrive in a world that's prejudiced toward them. Due in no small part to a religion that allows for souls to be reborn in another body, the Kryn society is race-neutral in a way that's rarely seen in fantasy lore. It's borderline progressive, even. Crucially, while there are bad actors among the Kryn, they're not evil solely because of their race".<ref name=":5" /> Academics Lisa Horton and David Beard, in the book ''The Routledge Handbook of Remix Studies and Digital Humanities'', viewed the Kryn Dynasty and Xhorhasian culture as "a departure and significant extension of ''D&D'' lore surrounding drow" and highlighted that their religion is centered on "the physical manifestation of light itself, the Luxon, and the pursuit off immortality".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Horton |first1=Lisa |url=https://conservancy.umn.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/ff9f191b-e952-4a81-aa86-177e6758a181/content |title=The Routledge Handbook of Remix Studies and Digital Humanities |last2=Beard |first2=David |date=2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-367-36142-6 |series=Routledge handbooks |location=New York |pages=325–341 |chapter=The Critical Role of New Media in Transforming Gamers into Remixers}}</ref> In contrast, Dan Arndt of ''The Fandomentals'' opined that the setting's attempt at subverting the evil drow trope was not "the biggest step up" since he viewed the Wildemount drow as "religious nutjobs with suicidal tendencies".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Arndt |first=Dan |date=2020-03-18 |title=Do You Want To Do This?: A Review Of The 'Explorer's Guide To Wildemount' (By Someone Who's Never Watched Critical Role) |url=https://www.thefandomentals.com/explorers-guide-to-wildemount/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=The Fandomentals |language=en-us}}</ref>

===In the ''Forgotten Realms''===
{{See also|Menzoberranzan|Drizzt Do'Urden}}
1991's ''[[Drow of the Underdark#Second edition|The Drow of the Underdark]]'', a 128-page sourcebook all about the drow, expanded the drow significantly for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition version of the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting.<ref name="DotU2E" /> In the ''Forgotten Realms'', the dark elves were once ancient tribes of Ilythiir and Miyeritar. They were transformed into drow by the Seldarine and were cast down and driven underground by the light-skinned elves because of the Ilythiirian's savagery during the [[Crown Wars]]. The drow had fallen under the influence of Araushnee, who was transformed into Lolth and was cast down into the Demonweb Pits along with her son Vhaeraun by the elven god [[Corellon Larethian]] because of Lolth's and Vhaeraun's attempt to take control of the elven pantheon (which included Araushnee's seduction of Corellon Larethian). Drow society, being strongly matriarchal, allows the females to hold all positions of power in the government, and to choose and discard mates freely. Social station is the most important thing in drow society, making ascension to greater power a drow's ultimate goal. Drow have a strong affinity for arachnids, as most worship the spider goddess Lolth, and spiders dwell freely among drow communities.<ref name="DotU2E" /> The largest drow civilization is the subterranean city of Llurth Dreier. However, [[Menzoberranzan]] is featured most prominently in the novels.

Prior to the Spellplague descendants of the Miyeritar, dark elves later succeed in reversing their transformation and are recreated as a distinct dark elf race.<ref name="ascend">Lisa Smedman—"Ascendancy of the Last"; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4864-2}}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2017}} According to ''The Complete Book of Elves'', drow are not welcome in Evermeet and are turned away.<ref name="CBoE" /> Drow could also worship Ghaunadaur, Kiaransalee, Selvetarm or Vhaeraun. A special case is [[Eilistraee]], the only drow goddess who is chaotic good instead of chaotic evil; she wants the drow to return to the light. However, all of these alternative deities (except perhaps Ghaunadaur) were killed or forgotten in the last years before the Spellplague,<ref name="ascend" />{{page needed|date=February 2017}}<ref name="sacrifice">Lisa Smedman—''Sacrifice of the Widow''; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4250-3}}</ref><ref name="storm">Lisa Smedman—''Storm of the Dead''; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4701-0}}</ref> but they managed to return to life and regain their followers, about a century later, during the [[The Sundering|Sundering]].<ref name="SCAG">Kim Mohan ed. (2015) ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]]), pp. 23, 108. {{ISBN|978-0786965809}}.</ref><ref name="Death Masks">[[Ed Greenwood]] (June 2016) ''[[Death Masks (Forgotten Realms)|Death Masks]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref><ref name="forum.candlekeep.com">{{cite web|url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322|title=Candlekeep Forum – Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015)|website=Forum.candlekeep.com|access-date=28 January 2018|archive-date=3 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103011716/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322|url-status=live}}</ref>

Amongst the most infamous of drow are the members of House Baenre, while [[Abeir-Toril]] is also home to some famous benevolent drow including Drizzt Do'Urden and his deceased father Zaknafein (both of House Do' Urden), Liriel Baenre (formerly of Menzoberranzan's aforementioned House Baenre), and Qilué of the Seven Sisters. The drow [[Jarlaxle]] is also well-known, as he is one of the few males in Menzoberranzan to obtain a position of great power. He is the founder and leader of the mercenary band [[Bregan D'aerthe]]. These characters are from ''[[The Dark Elf Trilogy]]'' (1990–1991), a series of books by [[R. A. Salvatore]] (except for Liriel Baenre and Qilue). The six drow in the ''[[War of the Spider Queen]]'' series have also gained some renown since the novels have been published.

In 2021, two new Underdark based drow societies, the Lorendrow and the Aevendrow, were introduced; both of these societies have rejected Lolth and are not evil. The Lolth based society of Menzoberranzan is now referred to as Unadrow.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-24|title=D&D: WotC Adds Three New Types Of Drow, Retcons Drow Lore|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/05/dd-wotc-adds-three-new-types-of-drow-retcons-drow-lore.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207084658/https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/05/dd-wotc-adds-three-new-types-of-drow-retcons-drow-lore.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This [[retcon]]<ref name=":4" /> "suggests that the beliefs and evil practices once seen as common to all drow are specifically related to the 'Unadrow,' the culture of drow who have become corrupted by the evil spider goddess".<ref name=":1" />

=== In ''Dragonlance'' ===
In the ''[[Dragonlance]]'' setting, Drow are not a native race. However, a colony of them exists in a connected pocket dimension called the Valley of Perfect Silence. These arrived by means of a crashed Spelljammer vessel, and are now worshippers of Jiathuli, an evil daughter of Takhisis.<ref>AD&D DLS4: Wild Elves by Scott Bennie</ref> "Dark Elves" is a separate term in Dragonlance, referencing elves who have been cast out by the other elves for various crimes, such as worship of the evil deities. [[Dalamar]], a student of [[Raistlin Majere]], is the most notable of [[Krynn]]'s dark elves. However, over the years Drow have accidentally appeared in a few ''Dragonlance'' modules and novels. Similar mistakes have occurred with other standard AD&D races, such as orcs and [[lycanthropes]], which are not part of the ''Dragonlance'' setting. Some theories say that these rare Drow may have accidentally been sent there during a plane shifting spell or related magic, a misfire as like as not that is corrected before the respective timelines are tampered with too drastically.

===In ''Greyhawk''===
In the world of ''[[Greyhawk]]'', the drow were driven underground by their surface-dwelling relatives because of ideological differences. There they eventually adapted to their surroundings, especially by attracting the attention of the goddess [[Lolth]], "Queen of [[Spider]]s". The center of drow civilization is the subterranean city [[Erelhei-Cinlu]], and its surrounding Vault, commonly called the [[Vault of the Drow]]. Drow rank structure was based much more on personal experience level and proven personal abilities rather than on gender. Males were just as likely to have positions of authority over both males and females, and the tradition of matriarchy, where the highest-ranking member was always a female, was not a special directive of the Demon Queen Lolth. The vast majority of Drow Elves both male and female in the original campaign setting of Greyhawk have no authority or ranking at all and live an idle and degenerate life in the great city of the Drow.

Known drow of Greyhawk include Clannair Blackshadow, Derken Gale, Jawal Severnain, and Landis Bree of [[Greyhawk City]]; [[Eclavdra]] of House Eilserv; and [[Edralve]] of the [[Slave Lords]]. In the drow city Erelhei-Cinlu, player characters may freely enter the city and spend time there, unless they attempt to organize any escaped slave groups for open warfare against the drow; the threat of a slave uprising will bring the chaotic drow into full cooperation.<ref name=":2" />

Some drow worship a nameless [[Elder Elemental God]] (said to have ties to [[Tharizdun]]) instead of Lolth. The module ''[[Vault of the Drow]]'' showcases that the House of Eilservs, led by Eclavdra in Erelhei-Cinlu, turned from worship of Lolth to the [[Tharizdun|Elder Elemental God]] when the city's other noble houses allied against them after proclaiming that their mistress should be the Queen of All Drow. Eilservs attempted to establish a power base through a puppet kingdom in the surface world dedicated to the worship of their new deity, so that their demands of supreme power in the Vault can no longer be denied, but this scheme was ruined.

===In other campaign settings===
* In the ''[[Mystara]]'' / "Known World" setting, shadow elves are a race of subterranean elves who have been mutated via magic. Aside from living underground, they have nothing in common with Drow and are not known as Dark elves.
* In [[Mongoose Publishing]]'s ''Drow War'' trilogy, the drow are recast as lawful evil villains and likened to the [[Nazis]]. The author of the series has stated that this was a deliberate reaction to the prevalence of renegade, non-evil drow characters.
* Drow appear as a playable race in ''[[Urban Arcana]]'', which is a [[d20 Modern]] setting based on ''Dungeons & Dragons''. They are shown as very fashionable, often setting new trends. The symbol for most drow is a spider, and they often take the mage or acolyte classes.
* A supplement book about the drow was produced by [[Green Ronin Publishing]] called ''Plot & Poison: A Guidebook to the Drow'' in 2002 and is based on the [[d20 System]]. It introduces several drow subtypes including aquatic drow and vupdrax (or winged drow) plus fleshes out drow life, such as how they treat [[slave]]s of the various fantasy types like [[Elf|elves]] and [[human]]s. [[Wizards of the Coast]], seeing the heavy sales of the GRP supplement, released their own supplement book called ''[[Drow of the Underdark]]'' in May 2007.
* Drow in the ''[[Pathfinder (periodicals)|Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting]]'' used to be elves but stayed on [[Golarion]] when the other elves left the world. Over time, the remaining elves turned into drow by powerful magic, and at this time any elf who is evil enough can spontaneously turn into a drow. The existence of drow in Golarion is virtually unknown to non-elves. Drow are also the main antagonists in the ''[[Pathfinder (periodicals)#Adventure Paths|Second Darkness Adventure Path]]'' and the ''Rise of the Drow Trilogy''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Ashe |date=April 8, 2013 |title=Tabletop Review: Rise of the Drow Trilogy Bundle (Pathfinder) |url=https://diehardgamefan.com/2013/04/08/tabletop-review-rise-of-the-drow-trilogy-bundle-pathfinderdd-3-5/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[Diehard GameFAN]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928015757/https://diehardgamefan.com/2013/04/08/tabletop-review-rise-of-the-drow-trilogy-bundle-pathfinderdd-3-5/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2023, [[Paizo]] announced that drow would be [[retconned]] out of Golarion's lore and replaced by serpentfolk as the publisher transitions away from Wizard of the Coast's [[Open Game License]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 29, 2023 |title=Pathfinder Retcons Drow Out of Game Lore Due to Move Away From OGL |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/pathfinder-remaster-drow-ogl-retcon/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[ComicBook.com]] |language=en |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529154638/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/pathfinder-remaster-drow-ogl-retcon/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=June 1, 2023 |title=Pathfinder ejects Drow from official lore, says too "deeply enmeshed" in D&D identity |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/news/pathfinder-2e-no-more-drow-remaster-project |access-date=June 1, 2023 |website=[[Dicebreaker]] |language=en}}</ref>