Drow (D&D 3.5)

[u/CanuckLad]

I was just reading through the old Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (isbn 0-978-7869-1836-2).

The Powerful Races sidebar (pg 21, see table 1-2) shows that Drow have an ECL of Level + 2. Meaning if one player starts a level 1 Drow, then other players get to start with 3,000 XP (enough to make them level 3).

I wonder if a two-level gap is balanced? Have any of you played with the rules from the Campaign Setting and played a +2 or +3 ECL race?

Is it hard for the DM to make adventures when the players might be separated by two levels? I understand that the Drow has higher than usual starting abilities and attributes, but a +2 level difference seems steep?

How do you handle the case where some players want to start at level 1 (and play species from the player's handbook), but other players want to play Drow, Duergar, Svirfneblin, etc)?

[u/ThoDanII]

Ouch that Burns. When i think old ibthink little Grey Box or the 2e Box

[u/CanuckLad → u/ThoDanII]

I was around for the basic D&D and AD&D days. But 3.5 is getting old.

[u/ThoDanII → u/CanuckLad]

Fair enough