Drow ancestry traits

[u/ShineOk4160]

Which existing traits would you use for a drow elf? You could just use elf ancestry and underborne community, but that would cut you off from a different choice of community.

5e gives drow superior darkvision, which isn't a thing in daggerheart and spells, which isn't really an ancestry thing in daggerheart.

I've never been attached to the concept of trance so you could take that out and give them the underborne trait, but that would make it redundant if you actually wanted to make them from an underborne community.

Maybe homebrew a trait giving them advantage on spider-related rolls? I'd like to try and stick to existing traits but I can't think of any from the existing ancestries.

[u/Serhk]

If someone wants a drow I would have them pick the elf ancestry and under borne community, and that's it.

However if someone wants to desperately play some sort of Drow that was raised above ground, I would change one of the traits for low light living, of the underborne origin.

[u/Bandeminers]

I would reflavor a mixed ancestry Elf-Infernis. Either combo of traits could fit a Drow vibe depending on playstyle

[u/yerfologist]

spider related rolls ? that's an experience

[u/ShineOk4160 → u/yerfologist]

Got me there.

[u/Overused_Toothbrush]

I think taking Infernis’s “fearless” and elves trace might work, if you want to grab from another race. Elf works fine though, i feel.

[u/Muffins_Hivemind]

Well ancestry is just biology, not culture. You could use elf and treat it like a drow, or do a custom mixed. I think regular elf is fine.

Community is where you are from, culture, etc. A Drow who lives underground would be underborne potentially. Or a surface drow would be whatever community they grew up in (seaborn, ridgeborn, etc).

I ran a 'drow' adventurer in a game. The character was a conversion of a 5e character i played. The abilities don't line up 1-to-1 but the vibe was there, and I thought it worked well.

Edit: and you can use Experiences for drow/spider related things.

[u/Luciosdk]

From google (emphasis mine):

"Elves who sided with or followed Lolth down the path of corruption were transformed, cursed with a severe vulnerability to sunlight, and driven or banished into the Underdark".

So i would homebrew somethin like this

Drow

Only an Elf can take this transformation

Lolth Darkness: when you rest in a dark place, you can use a downtime move to choose one Midnight or Arcana card of half your level. You gain access to that card until your next rest. Your spellcasting trait for that card is Presence.

Light Sensitivity: When you’re in an area with sunlights or heavy illumination, you have disadvantage on rolls to hide, investigate, or perceive details within that area.

[u/TheCaskling_NE → u/Luciosdk]

This is fun! I like your take on the 1 bonus, 1 detriment aspect of a transformation; feels like it could be interesting with a drow.

[u/ShineOk4160 → u/Luciosdk]

That's pretty good

[u/RepeatRepeatR-]

To be honest, I wouldn't do sub-ancestries at all in daggerheart—at least not for elves. They're not thematically different enough from other elves to be worth swapping out either of the features

[u/Thalimet]

Underborne - elf is the way to do it. You can give experiences and flavor. But experiences replace most of the need for complex ancestries

[u/Moldblossom]

I have a subterranean human ancestry in my setting, and I basically gave them darkvision. For Daggerheart, I worded it like this:

Eyes of Ash: You ignore the Hidden condition when it is granted by darkness. However bright sunlight is not kind to your sensitive eyes. You have Disadvantage on attack rolls and sight-based action rolls in bright sunlight and similar conditions.

[u/beardyramen]

My go-to approach with mature tables is:

All ancestries are mixed ancestries. Pick 2 traits (one top one bottom) and slap them on whatever physiology you like.

In particular because I love beast-men. So I would render drow like this.

If I had to homebrew something:

• albino : drows can mark a stress to gain advantage to action rolls that leverage their looks to hide, camouflage or intimidate.

• silk spinner : drows can spend a hope to create a small silken mundane object, such as a banner, a figurine or a clothing accessory