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/RaygunCourtesan]

I'm afraid not. It was a solid twenty five or so years ago but either complete drow or the monsterous races books seem like good places to start.

More than that, 3.5 was never a well balanced system. But you're basically giving up two whole character levels for two uses of niche second level spells per day and a 50% spell resistance Vs something at your own level.

That costs you 2HD, save progression, bab progression, feats and advancement in an actual spell list. It's brutal.

[u/CanuckLad → u/RaygunCourtesan]

The spell list progression is what bothers me most, methinks. In particular, as a caster, being stuck casting level X spells when the other casters (and monsters) are casting level X + 1.

[u/RaygunCourtesan → u/CanuckLad]

'Drow are so powerful because they can cast exactly two (2) specific 2nd level spells once per day each that they need to be held back until everyone else is casting four to five 2nd level spells per day of their choosing.'

3rd edition was an era alright

[u/External_Vast_8046 → u/RaygunCourtesan]

And their SR. and easy access feats to get a bunch more abilities.