https://dnd.wizards.com/story/legend-of-drizzt

Scroll down to the section on Menzzo and click through the arrows. Looks like we're getting neutral and good drow retconned into the mighty Realms. We're getting Udadrow, Aevendrow, and Lorendrow (or "Greenshadow Elves"). Horrible names.

But....we knew drow were on the chopping block cause they're problematic for the sjw's

Quote from: Thorn Drumheller on May 21, 2021, 09:52:29 AM
We're getting Udadrow, Aevendrow, and Lorendrow (or "Greenshadow Elves"). Horrible names.

Those names sound like something you might find on tap at a FR microbrewery.

As usual, they want to be the trendsetters, not realizing the trail's already cut.

Good or at least neutral-aligned drow were a far minority but did exist in FR already, all the way back in 2E. Eilistraee was their patron, the sole goddess of the drow pantheon who wasn't a raging asshole and who had willingly gone with them so any drow who might decide to walk away from Lolth would have guidance.

It's the same stupid shit as the whole 'orcs shouldn't be always evil', never realizing Eberron already set that mark.

You know WOTC wants to remind everyone of the Drow Matriarchy.  I'm sure that's their favorite part of the whole damn thing. 

Down with the Patriarchy, long live the Matriarchy!!!

As long as poontang is still available, who really cares?

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 21, 2021, 10:47:08 AM
As usual, they want to be the trendsetters, not realizing the trail's already cut.

Good or at least neutral-aligned drow were a far minority but did exist in FR already, all the way back in 2E. Eilistraee was their patron, the sole goddess of the drow pantheon who wasn't a raging asshole and who had willingly gone with them so any drow who might decide to walk away from Lolth would have guidance.

My group used to joke that every year, on the day he was venerated, Eilistraee met with all her followers in a pizza joint in the Realms (the location changed from year to year). Of course she was also the one who paid for the evening.

She had a crucial role in my 13 years long campaign inspired by the Iran-Contra scandal - only pulled by some Gods of Good. The other Gods severely underestimated her until it was too late.

Quote
It's the same stupid shit as the whole 'orcs shouldn't be always evil', never realizing Eberron already set that mark.

Even here the Forgotten Realms came first: there are some good orcs, followers of Eldath, up North in the Tortured Lands.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 21, 2021, 10:47:08 AM
Good or at least neutral-aligned drow were a far minority but did exist in FR already, all the way back in 2E. Eilistraee was their patron, the sole goddess of the drow pantheon who wasn't a raging asshole and who had willingly gone with them so any drow who might decide to walk away from Lolth would have guidance.

But but...  Eilistraee is a physical fit woman who constantly exposes her body and let her wild hair free.  That is fat shaming and we need more body positivity.

Mocking aside...  Eilistraee is pretty badass in her own right.  A perfectly good example of the feminine hero archetype.  A woman who does things normally given to heroic men, but she uses her feminine traits to save the day.  She is caring, nurturing, shows gratitude to her father's forgiveness, and yet shows sacrifice by taking up the drow curse so the drow can be redeemed.  Not to mention to priestesshood of Lolth, Eilistraee, is a satanic figure.  Which to good drow, Eilistraee, serves as a savior figure.  I wish Eilistraee was given more of a spot light, but knowing the WOTC devs they would only ruin her.  That is a shame indeed.

I'm not sure that the drow need an update to be woke.  It's dominated by females, enslaves the men, and tortures, kills, and murders anyone who opposes that order.  To me that sounds like an SJW's vision of the ideal future.

To be honest, I always had Eilistraee pegged as some basement-dweller's fantasy of 'hawt drow chick', what with the dancing naked and whatnot.

But then, that's not the problem here

Yeah, I remembered Eilistraee. I think the thing that might be different here is that pre-woke WotC all of the drow in the realms were nominally under Lloths thumb. But now, it seems to me anyway, that these new groups might not have had anything to do with the whole "drow pantheon" from the past. But....idk.

And I think this inforgraphic is kind of telling
https://gamerant.com/dungeons-and-dragons-infographic-2021/?utm_medium=Social-Distribution&utm_source=GR-FB-P&utm_campaign=GR-FB-P&fbclid=IwAR2gFcf2xfG89iNNYtwYxi5MozODa0KmuO7i94vn24KojbCmuDptB3FimWk
But I might be reading too much into it. But the age group I'm in (40+) really isn't their target audience anymore. Despite us supporting the company through those years. Again I might be over reacting.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 21, 2021, 06:38:57 PM
To be honest, I always had Eilistraee pegged as some basement-dweller's fantasy of 'hawt drow chick', what with the dancing naked and whatnot.

But then, that's not the problem here

That is not that much different to "normal" drow

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 21, 2021, 10:47:08 AM
It's the same stupid shit as the whole 'orcs shouldn't be always evil', never realizing Eberron already set that mark.

Never realizing OD&D already set their work. Orcs in that could be neutral. Drow in BX were just Chaotic so like everything else in BX and OD&D they could be about anything depending on reactions. Just like everythigng else. Later books opened up tons of monsters for PC play.
By AD&D we had PC drow and dark elves.
2e threw the gates even wider.

You know. Thinking on this.

We always just assumed that Drow just meant any elf that worshiped Lolth.

WOTC could have gone that route and saved alot of effort.

Quote from: Omega on May 21, 2021, 07:24:50 PM
You know. Thinking on this.

We always just assumed that Drow just meant any elf that worshiped Lolth.

WOTC could have gone that route and saved alot of effort.

No. No. No.

Everyone knows twelve playable races of knife-ears are simply not enough.  88 races are rookie numbers.  They need to pump them up.

Quote from: Omega on May 21, 2021, 07:24:50 PM
You know. Thinking on this.

We always just assumed that Drow just meant any elf that worshiped Lolth.

WOTC could have gone that route and saved alot of effort.

What, kind of like how drow/dark elves in Dragonlance were just elves that 'fell from grace', very similar to the moredhel in Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga?

Not saying it's a bad idea, mind you.

Quote from: Omega on May 21, 2021, 07:24:50 PM
You know. Thinking on this.

We always just assumed that Drow just meant any elf that worshiped Lolth.

WOTC could have gone that route and saved alot of effort.

But that contradicts previous background, doesn't it? Drizz't and a number of other NPCs didn't worship Lolth, but they were still called drow. And lots of people have had drow PCs who didn't worship Lolth, ever since 1st edition Unearthed Arcana when drow became a PC race option.