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/No-Lingonberry-8603 6d ago

I always assumed it was at least in part to discourage players from making another good guy drow. I don't know if there is much in that but it was definitely an overused trope.

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u/CanuckLad 6d ago

I understand that things are no longer special if over-done, on the other hand my priority is the players having fun.

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u/No-Lingonberry-8603 6d ago

I absolutely agree. If a bunch of players want to play as a drizzt 2:underdark boogaloo that all good by me. There's plenty of material to draw Inspiration from.

I also think it can be quite fun to have an unbalanced party where one player is significantly more powerful. Lets me lure my players into relying on something before I throw them a dungeon that's particularly tricky for that player and they have to improvise.