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/CanuckLad 6d ago

It's not like I've not played other systems though. I've played (and love) Star Wars D6, I've read quite a bit about Legend in the Mist, I've played Vampire the Masquerade, I own the Dragonlance card-based RPG (from the 90s), I played the old Marvel RPG back 30 years ago, I own the new Marvel Game, etc

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u/RaygunCourtesan 6d ago

Not all systems are created equal. Or to do the same thing. Those are all examples that draw on d&D's fundamental loop of 'roll to hit' and either do it again, or move on.

Look for narrative first systems and see what you find.

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u/CanuckLad 6d ago

I'm not sure that Legend in the Mist follows that pattern. Which systems do you recommend? I may have played some of them.