Drow, for and against.
Moomintroll
Member Posts: 1,498
I thought the thread on Drow was quite interesting but I was surprised by how many people were actually against their implementation. This poll will not add to the argument of whether or not they should be added to the game, I'm just nosey.
- Drow, for and against.338 votes
- I want playable Drow55.33%
- I don't want playable Drow44.67%
4
Comments
Drows are rare and unique in the surface world, thats why we love them, thats why they should stay this way.
Drizzt (or Fizzy according to autocorrect) is the exception, he spent years proving to others that he wasn't evil so they would trust him, and even then has trouble whenever traveling outside of Icewind Dale.
So without significant NPC dialogue changes it's hard to see using Drow as a playable race.
You mean these cult which specifically say evil.
Vhaeraun (the Masked One)
Minor power of the abyss, NE (All evil for the worshippers)
Spheres of influence : drows males, thefts and evil activities on the surface
Symbol : an half black mask,
Requierments : standards, drow males only
Weapons allowed : all
Armors allowed : no armors are allowed ot a specialty priest of Vhaeraun
Major shperes : all, combat, elemental, gardian, healing, necomancy, charm
Minor spheres: divination, protection, time
Or this God which is dead.
Eilistraee (I): Goddess of song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight. Beheaded with the Crescent Blade wielded by Halisstra Melarn (the Lady Penitent) under the influence of Lolth.[36] (now a dead power).
There is a reason why the past Good Drow are all but a forgotten legend by the Time of Troubles. I am sorry to say, for this game your "good" Drow don't really exist except for Drizzt.
Ellistrae was alive at the time the Baldur's Gate games took place.
As for the poll, my opinion is that sometimes gameplay should take precedence over lore, so I'd like to see all the subraces of IWD2 being added to the game (including Drow and Duergar). I even have less of an issue with lore problems when PhillipDaigle mentioned that if subraces are added this will only happen in a post-release DLC.
They're cool
Reasons not to include drow:
They're overpowered (Magic resistance, spell like abilities)
They're absolutely hated by everyone on sight (Rewrite of the game required if Bhaalspawn is a Drow)
The experience of accurately playing a drow would overshadow the main plot of the game. (Bounty hunters and assassins would already be sent after you, you'd already have an evil heritage, you'd already have special powers).
Unrealistic background (I find it hard to believe that even Gorion would take in a baby that's the spawn of an Evil race and an Evil god, much less that Ulraunt would allow him entry (and his permission is absolutely required in Candlekeep)).
I've heard people say "Well, people don't acknowledge your race anyway so it doesn't matter and you can just remove the MR and spell like abilities because you grew up on the surface".
In that case, change your skin colour to black and hair to white, because you're playing no different from an elf.
People don't know you were raised by Gorion and surface drow are exceedingly rare. All surface elves will want to shoot you on sight, most humans would be terrified of you. Talk to Viconia and listen to her experiences. Notice what you have to go through when you bring her before Elhan after the Underdark. Read the Drizzt books, after decades and international fame, people still say "He's a freakin' Drow and I think he's up to no good." That's after saving the world and decades of good deeds, and you're just starting out in BG1, without a reputation.
The 'They're cool' argument is the only one I've heard so far. It's true, in some fashion, but only if you can actually *play* a drow. Baldur's Gate doesn't allow for that. It doesn't allow a good drow on the run (because NPC's don't care about race in the game), it doesn't allow for an Evil Drow (not more than any other evil character). The experience is no different from playing an elf with a different skin colour. So why would anyone want it?
The alternative is re-writing the game to take Race into accord, leading to all the problems stated above and basicly making the game unplayable.
The other alternative is saying "but program it so people don't mind drow as much!", which makes me wonder why one would want to play a Drow, if the heritage and reputation is stripped from the game.
I definitely want a drow as well as other subraces as playable race. DON'T mind my vote because I super failed XD
However, having problems because of reactions or being a drow not making sense, let me ask you this :
It's ok to be a blackguard under Gorion's tutelage?
You will be a champion of evil, and i don't know about you, but the Blackguard i know is a champion of evil that declares it and is spoted by his evil deity's symbol and his malefic aura, people are gonna be ok with you prancing around their town? Unless this Blackguard is vastly different, it should cause problems as well.
And as for everyone reacting to you, why should they, do they react towards Viconia? Keldorn in BG2 has a problem with it and Aerie, but no one refuses to give you quests because you have Viconia with you. No one even mentions you have a drow with you, you just get -2 reputation and that's it.
You could start at a lower reputation and have a penalty with bargaining until your rep is normal.