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Drow are, on the whole, sadistic, arrogant, cruel, destructive, hedonistic, and treacherous. Their eternal game of advancement at the expense of others, which is encouraged by the spider goddess herself, has transformed the dark elves into a race of scheming backstabbers eager to increase their own stations by pulling down those ahead of them and crushing their inferiors underfoot. Drow trust no one and nothing, and most are incapable of compassion, kindness, or love (or at the very least, because of the aforementioned rampant distrust, incapable of bringing themselves to express such emotions). In a drow’s mindset, there is little room for friendship, for while they may secretly value other family members or acquaintances, their overly suspicious (paranoid, by some standards) natures taint any strong relations they may otherwise form. Many dark elves go so far as to be actively murderous and delight in the giving of pain.
While most dark elves neither honor their promises nor maintain personal loyalties once it becomes inconvenient to do so, their pride lends them a certain sense of style and an appreciation of subtlety. Drow can be courteous and urbane, even to deadly rivals. They enjoy surrounding themselves with things of beauty, giving hardly a thought to the cost. This fascination with beauty extends to the physical body as well, with drow of both sexes often displaying their physiques to degrees that other societies may find vulgar. Such is the strength of this fascination, that most drow children who exhibit physical deformities or deficiencies are slain.
©2006 commissioned art by Anna Rigby
Vesz'aun Auvryath and Xull'rae Zauviir
DO NOT TAKE, permission NOT granted!
The above personality traits categorize the majority of drow as evil, where outlook (alignment) is concerned. In addition, most drow tend to lean towards the chaotic end of the lawful-chaotic spectrum. In general, drow believe in doing what they want to do, when they want to do it--so long as they are capable of doing so in present company and conditions.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. A rare few learn to look and grow beyond the above strictures that drow society has ingrained into the race as a whole. Some even go so far as to atone for any evils they may have committed, most often fleeing for a society that may be more nurturing or accepting of such personal “weaknesses” , or simply leaving their cities to eek out what sort of solitary existence they may. These rare drow are often still overly suspicious of other folk, but with the proper encouragement can eventually become trusted (and trusting) allies and friends, as well as stalwart champions for good.
As the collective drow personality is largely a product of it’s environment (as with virtually any intelligent race and society), please also read into the Society & Social Relationships section of this site, as it goes hand in hand with the information above, and will provide further insights.
For further general information on the mindset, personality, and nuances of evil characters, be sure to read the Nature of Evil article.
While we strive to use only canon material on our site, the following excerpts from the Green Ronin Publishing® drow sourcebook, Plot and Poison: A Guidebook to Drow™, provides useful insights that follow closely enough to the canon material that we are including it below. Not to mention that it further expands into specifics on areas touched above, and gives some specific tips for how to utilize the information in gameplay.
©2006 commissioned art by Nicole Sheree Dubois
Xull'rae Zauviir
DO NOT TAKE, permission NOT granted!
Roleplaying Tips
Drow, no matter what alignment, share certain qualities that should come across whether you roleplay them as a DM or a player.
- Superiority
Drow know they are superior, especially to surface elves. Drow are born with abilities that other creatures would kill to have, so it only makes sense that the lesser races should be jealous and hateful toward them.
TIP: Whether openly derisive of other races or quietly condescending, a drow should make others understand that whatever power they may gain, they can never match what dark elves accomplish simply by being born.
- Egotism
Drow believe in themselves because faith in others is foreign to them. They have always relied on their own wits and skills to survive, and they must continue to believe that they can, or they'll succumb to the depredations of other drow trying to scramble up the social ladder.
TIP: If you're not the best at what you do, you will be. Let others take note when you act that you are destined for greatness.
- Suspicion
Treachery and lies are expected in drow society, and a devastating betrayal is admired. Despite their sense of superiority, most drow fear that other creatures will get the better of them somehow, and they are always on their guards.
TIP: Don't be openly suspicious; that can provoke attack. Be wary, and choose your words carefully.
- Humility
While not commonly associated with drow, humility is a necessary skill in their cutthroat culture. Confronted on equal or lesser footing with a being of greater power, dark elves will often abase themselves to survive. The dead don't get revenge.
TIP: Switch from superiority to groveling if you have to. If you live, you can make them grovel before you later.
- Caution
Drow take calculated risks. Only those with a death wish put themselves in situations that are likely to turn against them. Thus, drow rarely fight for anything but themselves. For a greater cause, like serving a deity or the survival of their House, some drow take greater risks, but only the most fanatic fight fearlessly.
TIP: Always have a backup plan should things go sour. Flee to fight another day.
- Drive
Every action must have a purpose, and drow take steps toward some end with everything they do. The most driven are usually the most powerful.
TIP: Always keep your goals in mind. There are things you want from life, and you're going to take them.
Drow Psyche
The drow psyche is both similar to and vastly different from that of other intelligent beings. Adrift in darkness and treachery, drow have developed a tortured psychology as a survival mechanism. Before you can understand their culture and history, you must understand the strange forces and emotions that drive them.
- Greed
Drow hunger for wealth and power, but this hunger is greater than simple avarice. They see wealth as a means to power, and power as a means of control. Drow need control. They need to feel like they are the manipulators rather than the manipulated. Throughout their lives, drow are trapped in a web of falsehood and treachery where each step could be their last. The strong rule over the weak and use or kill them at a whim. In such a turbulent and abusive environment, drow see power and control as security. This is illusion, though, perpetuated by the fact that even those who have gained some measure of control are insecure but dare not admit it--and with good reason: Fear is viewed as weakness, and showing it turns erstwhile allies into deadly foes and servants into power-hungry murderers.
Security is forever out of reach so long as drow culture does not change.
- Hate
All drow hate all other drow. This hatred stems in many cases from envy. A drow who sees someone more powerful, more intelligent, or more secure sees an enemy. Each believes that he should be the most important and powerful--in effect, every drow desires godhood. But each fears that others will prove to be better. A drow's level of insecurity is roughly related to his place in society. When a drow's self-hatred and self-doubt outweigh his hatred of others, he fails to take risks and can no longer seize what should be his.
- Gluttony
There are very few obese drow (though note that some do exist). This is not to say that drow do not engage in binge eating. They do so with great frequency, often holding or being privy to grand parties (at least the nobles). But being overweight or too obsessed with food is a weakness, and weakness is deadly. The same is true of alcohol consumption: It's simply too dangerous. This problem is skirted around by practices such as self-induced vomiting and various drugs or herbs to waylay the effects of alcohol consumption. Those few drow who blatantly live life as obese are in positions of great authority and power, which manages to keep most predators at bay, at least for a time.
- Sloth
Drow must constantly struggle and forever be on their guard. Laziness often results in defeat. At the same time, they tire of always being watchful. The desire for power is also a desire for the opportunity to rest. Although all drow meditate and most participate in leisure pursuits, few understand what it means to truly relax. Even so, some do become slothful and listless. These drow usually fall by the wayside as their fellows gain power.
- Wrath
Anger is a drow's constant companion. The emotion is considered both normal and inevitable, but a drow's reaction to it falls in one of two camps. Some believe that anger itself is a tool: red-hot rage gives you strength to persevere over your foes. Others believe that anger should be cool and calculating: Hiding it will give you more opportunities to take vengeance. Most drow borrow from both schools of thought as the situation demands, but none would argue about the outcome: revenge.
Revenge is an art form among drow. It comes quickly or takes centuries. It can be long and excruciatingly painful, or painless and deadly swift. All drow appreciate a well-executed vengeance, even when they are the targets. There are as many flavors of revenge as there are drow. Each drow establishes a preferred style at an early age, using this as a kind of signature and warning to others. Some prefer to use the techniques of their enemies in order to place the blame on others, but this in turn becomes their own style, and drow learn to look through such deceits to find the responsible party.
- Pride
Pride is the same as self-confidence among the drow. A truly humble drow is destined to remain on the lowest rungs of the social ladder. Most drow are like bullies. They put up a haughty front, intimidating and degrading all whom they can to hide their own doubts and fears. Anything that shakes a drow's sense of pride is likely to result in a fit of pique. Pique breeds petty paybacks, small actions meant to harm without giving cause for full-blown, deadly revenge.
- Deceit
Deceit is integral to the nature of drow. They deceive others to protect themselves, and they deceive themselves to protect their egos. Lying is second nature to most drow, and telling lies well is a skill fostered from childhood.
- Betrayal
Betrayal is a virtual art form amongst drow, held as an ideal of the highest factor, a fact which continues to lead to the eventual downfall of the race as a whole. It shouldn't be surprising, taking this into account, that most drow tend to be paranoid. A certain amount of suspicion is a survival mechanism; even though a foe might not be acting against you now, one is certain to do so in the near future. Yet drow who become too defensive lose their edge, becoming victims of their own fear.
- Lust
Given their tense and deadly society, it is surprising that lust plays any part in drow's lives, but lust and sex (consensual or not) are huge factors in drow psychology. Sex plays many roles. It is a release of tension, a moment of closeness, and it staves off fear of inevitable death. Despite their long life spans, few drow can expect to die of old age, so procreation is a way to establish a kind of life beyond death. Sex is also one of the rare times when drow can express a minor degree of tenderness for one another. It is not always tender, of course, but it offers pleasure in being weak or strong, and drow involved in consensual sex often reverse their normal roles in society. Slaves can be masters, and masters, slaves. In this physical release, drow come as close to happiness as most of them will ever get. Drow have no real understanding of monogamy or marriage. They have children to further their bloodline and House, and sometimes parents make an effort to protect a child, but both parents will likely have many partners and form no lasting relationship as the child grows to maturity.
Page Last Updated April 6th, 2006
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