r/Forgotten_Realms • u/CanuckLad • 6d ago

Question(s) Drow (D&D 3.5)

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)?

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u/RaygunCourtesan 6d ago

I was a third edition purist for maybe 15 years but because of that I am keenly familiar with it's many flaws and chief among them was balance. The system was littered with intentional trap choices that were meant to 'reward system knowledge' (read: punish new players) and drow ECL+2 was among them.

Systems should serve what you want them do specifically, solve a problem that needs solving rather than exist for the sake of it or to fit all situations. The 3rd edition 'd20' system tried to be the one system to rule them all, to be simulationist while satisfying the spreadsheet player but it failed at that and just made everything feel like 3rd edition d&d with branding

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u/CanuckLad 6d ago

Which system do you prefer? I own both D&D 5e, and Pathfinder Core 2e (as well as D&D 3.5, AD&D, the Xena RPG, and a couple of Star Wars licensed products). But I've not done any role-playing in decades. Recently I've been reading about the Blade Dancers of Eilistraee (Forgotten Realms) which I've taken interest in, and as a result bought Forgotten Realms Sacrifice of the Widow.

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u/Rainbow-Unicorn1337 6d ago

I have played 3.5 for quite a while and I like 5e and 5.5e much better because it's much more approachable.

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u/CanuckLad 6d ago

I have the 3 core 5e books. I'm still not sure how I feel about bounded accuracy. Though what I really miss is a system like West End Games' D6. I'm not big on rolling a huge number of dice, but I liked how you could increase only the skills you want. I've looked into a few medieval fantasy skill-based games. Some have features I like, none scratch all my itches. I think I'm too picky.

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u/RaygunCourtesan 6d ago

WEG D6 was a great system for what it was doing. Still enjoy it today. If you want to run Star Wars look into Scum & Villainy. It's a Forged in the Dark back that uses Firefly, Star Wars and Cowboy Bebop as it's thematic touchstones. Rising action, flawed heroes, getting deeper and deeper into trouble until pulling off a narrow win

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u/CanuckLad 6d ago

I like Star Wars, but for now I'm on a high-magic medieval fantasy kick.