So...are Drow just inherently evil? Can they not find a new path?

[Muado 93]

Now I don't know much about Dnd lore but I keep hearing players say Drow are inherently evil. Hell I remember when I got Minsc (the most happy-go-lucky character), he said everybody in my party is Minsc's friend too....except Minthara, she's only my friend.

I've played Baldur's Gate 3, and heard about Viconia in BG 1-2. They always seem to push the Drow race as the companion that represents "evil" or a slew of evil drow enemies to fight.

Now my question is, why are they always chosen as the evil representation? I've read that Lolth had a daughter named Eilistraee who's more kind-hearted, why don't they ever have a drow that follows her teachings instead of constantly pushing the belief to players that they're all evil lolthsworn and irredeemable?

[Lamp]

Generally, yeah. Drow society is evil af. Same for most 'deep' races. Might have to do with the underdark's magic, or it could just be the cutthroat nature of the underdark, or both. I'm sure there's god stuff involved as well, but generally yes, drow are usually very evil.

There's actually a part in BG2 where you go to a drow city and get to see the drowness up close.

[identity]

There are plenty of good and neutral drow. The lore has changed a lot in the 100 years between the games, much of it retconned.

[zero]

you can literally make a good aligned one in this game, so no, not inherently evil.

but that doesn't mean that their basic society doesn't doesn't default to an evil affinity.

so by and large, a lot of them are just evil, or just some form of stubborn jackass.

[MrSoul]

Originally posted by id:

There are plenty of good and neutral drow.

Think most famous good one, going off synopsis for latest novel, is trying to shake things up in drow society/they are starting to find a new path.

[MakeshiftRiot]

Because Eilistraee followers are few and far between.
The DnD wiki has some great lore on Lolth and Eilistraee and will explain why Drow culture is the way it is and why the world tends treats them as monsters.

[goodbye_bonito]

You wouldn't really want to risk your life trying to understand if this an evil Drow or rare case of Drow that was able to break out from the society they live in. Shoot mf, you can check later inspecting his body, in 999 out of 1000 cases that Drow wanted to kill or enslave you.

[Wiegs]

If you are of the evil god worshipping drow subrace yeah you might just be evil

[HonestGhost]

No, Drow are not inherently evil. HOWEVER, the vast majority of them are because most are raised as Lolth worshippers. They do terrible things and word of that has spread in the world of Faerun leading people to antogonize them. Painting them as the villains and to run at sight of drow makes it harder to find the good ones, but it also saves you from the evil ones.

In character creation however, you can choose to create a Seldarine Drow. Seldarine is the other rebels so to speak, trying to overturn their races evil ways. They are in the minority and thus few people meet them. In my playthrough I play as a Seldarine Drow with the folk hero background. People are surprised to be helped by a drow and it even gives me opportunities to infilitrate absolute areas without using the illithid powers or persuasion. I'm trying to be the change.

[victorvnv]

Minthara isn’t much more evil than Laezel , she is ambitious and craves power but it’s how she was raised - even her own mother tried to kill her at some point .

Then there are 2 twins in a brothel which were definitely not evil . And the chick that made Astarion to suck her neck and gave me a strength potion didn’t feel evil too, at least nothing like say Nere .

I am guessing they are culturally evil but not genetically, you can find good ones out there

[goodbye_bonito]

Originally posted by Wiegs:

If you are of the evil god worshipping drow subrace yeah you might just be evil

Drows do not have subraces, it's Larian bs. That choice is more like origin/worldview choice.

[Lamp]

Originally posted by Mr.Soul:

Originally posted by id:

There are plenty of good and neutral drow.

Think most famous good one, going off synopsis for latest novel, is trying to shake things up in drow society/they are starting to find a new path.

Hoping this doesn't homogenize them like tieflings. Drow are fine as is, shouldn't have to follow human ideals.

[Nyx]

Loth Sworn drow are evil yes there are no exceptions but not all drow follow Loth. Seldarine drow for example aren't evil. So you can absolutely play a good or neutral drow but they can't be a follower of Loth.

[Nyx]

Originally posted by Єноти🦝:

Originally posted by Wiegs:

If you are of the evil god worshipping drow subrace yeah you might just be evil

Drows do not have subraces, it's Larian bs. That choice is more like origin/worldview choice.

That's true but for game purposes since non clerics don't pick a god to worship or if they worship a god at all seperating Loth sworn vs seldarine drow lets Larian flavour the text more appropriately.

[Simpson3k]

Good drow are rather rare because those who even show slight cases of emphaty in the drow socity wont survive. They will be the victim of some evil drowess conspirancy plot. Drizzt Do´Urden was a very rare case, just because he was the son of a very powerfull drow house and he is a very skilled fighter since birth. He has the very rare feat of being both-handed, being neither right nor left handed. And his father Zaknefein was a powerfull swordmaster either. Still his escape to the surface and the consequences for his friends because of the drow who never gave up to hunt him down is was big drama.


Not difficult to imagine that most other drow with less ressources and luck wont survive long.

[Forge Master]

Generally, yes. Drow (Dark Elves) are evil, but like anything else, there are exceptions to the norm. Their society is also Matriarchy, ran and ruled by the females. But that's a different topic entirely.

What I don't understand and absolutely HATE, is that the powers that be, cave into real world pressure to RUIN their fantasy content. As if its somehow OKAY to have real world implications infect fantasy material. That, "OH! No culture differences or upbringings allowed."

Everyone is good, nothing's bad, etc. BLEEHH!