Posts
-
Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Duergar
Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Duergar don’t feature in the first Monster Manual, being MM2 monsters, but they do feature in the Monster Vault, so we cover them here. Technically their entry comes before the one for dwarves, but I’m posting them afterwards because basic dwarves provide some important context.
Between the two books we have quite a lot of duergar stat blocks, so I’m making an executive decision to only cover the ones that appear in the MV in this post. The rest will be covered when I get to the MM2.
Duergar have been a part of D&D since at least the 1st Edition days. Basically, duergar are to dwarves what drow are to elves: the evil version that lives in the Underdark.
The Lore
When we looked at the Azer a while ago, we saw that not all dwarves managed to free themselves from their giant masters. Duergar history also tells us that not all dwarves who escaped found their freedom. Some of them Delved Too Deep (TM) and were re-enslaved by mind flayers, who I’m sure made the giants look like kind and caring masters.
It got so bad they came to believe Moradin had forsaken them, and started making deals with devils in order to attain freedom from the flayers. The devils delivered, and today’s duergar are the result of a centuries long mutually beneficial arrangement between these former slaves and the forces of Hell.
Duergar are about as nice as you would expect given their history. Their civilization is authoritarian, militaristic, and built on the backs of slaves. Isn’t it ironic? They still retain the dwarven knack for engineering and metalsmithing, but their long association with devils has given them several infernal mutations that somewhat resemble those undergone by tieflings in theme if not in their exact mechanics. Most prominent are the graphite-toned skins and the angry red poisonous quills sprouting from their beards and hair.
Duergar raid the surface from “shallow” outposts in search of loot and strong slaves, but the true centers of their civilization are large fortified cities deeper in the Underdark. Devils are a common sight in these cities, some of which house embassies of Hell and/or have devils as prominent members of their domestic power structures. Duergar leadership routinely consorts with devils, in all meanings of the word.
The Numbers
The duergar stat blocks in the MV and MM2 go from mid-Heroic to late-Paragon tier, with most of the later being in the MM2. Duergar are Medium Natural Humanoids. The MM2 gives them the Devil keyword, but the MV doesn’t. In both books, duergar have a few signature traits:
First, they have 5 resistance per tier to poison and fire; second, they can flex their face/head muscles and launch those poisonous quills a short distance as an minor-action encounter power. This is Ranged 3 vs. AC, and deals immediate physical and ongoing poison damage along with a -2 penalty to attacks (save ends both). Their usual speed is 5, like dwarves, and as Underdark dwellers they all have darkvision too.
Duergar Scout
An evil counterpart to the Dwarf Bolter or Warrior, this is a Level 4 Lurker with 48 HP. It’s trained in Dungeoneering, Perception and Stealth, and has all common duergar traits. It’s present in both books.
The scout is armed with a warhammer and crossbow, and has a Shadow Attack trait that makes both deal extra damage when the target can’t see the duergar. That can happen because of Underdark Sneak, which makes it invisible for a turn or until it attacks. Like all duergar, it can also launch its quills.
In the MV version, Underdark Sneak is a standard action, meaning the scout uses the lurker pattern of hide/big attack/rinse/repeat. The MM2 version has it as a minor action, but makes it less magical by requiring that the scout be in dim light or darkness and next to cover. Its Shadow Attack also does half the damage of the MV version’s.
I would recommend always using the MV version. You want at least two scouts who set up at opposite ends of the battle area and take turns sniping at the PCs while their frontliners keep the adventurers tied down.
Duergar Guard
These would be the afore-mentioned frontliners, counterparts to the Dwarf Hammerer or Clan Guard. They are Level 4 Soldiers with 58 HP who wear mail and wield warhammers two-handed. It’s present in both books.
The two versions are mostly alike, with the main difference being that the MV version’s basic warhammer attack marks for a turn as an effect. As a minor action they channel their Infernal Anger for a turn, adding 4 fire damage to their attacks and gaining the ability to shift 1 square as a reaction to an adjacent enemy moving. This recharges on a 5-6. There’s also the quills.
The MV version is preferrable both because of the basic math fixes and because it can actually do its soldierly job.
Duergar Thug
Basically a minion version of the Guard, present only in the MV. It’s a Level 4 Minion Brute with the same gear as the guard, and whose quills don’t inflict an attack penalty but can still cause a bit of ongoing damage.
Feel free to throw hordes of these at a a party who triggers an alarm while sneaking through a duergar fortress, and compare them with the Devil-Bred Duergar at the end of the post.
Duergar Raid Leader
This Level 5 Artillery Leader has 51 HP and equipment similar to that of a scout. In addition to attacking with its warhammer and crossbow, it can use a Raid Leader’s Command to have an ally within 5 squares make a basic attack in its place. And there’s also the quills.
The raid leader pairs well with the other duergars we saw so far, particularly the guard with its marking basic attack. It also goes well with hard-hitting brutes.
Duergar Infernal Consort
We skip right to the big leagues here. The Infernal Consort is a Level 17 Controller with 164 HP and all common duergar traits. In case the title misleads you, it’s worth clarifying that consorts can be of any gender.
The infernal consort fights with a warhammer, whose attacks push the target 3 squares and slow them for a turn on a hit. It also has a ranged basic attack named Devil Possession (Ranged 3 vs. Will, recharge 5-6) that does exactly that. Targets hit by it are dominated for a turn and cause 10 fire damage to any ally that ends their turn next to them. At the start of the target’s next turn, the consort can slide them 3 squares as a free action.
The consort can also perform an Infernal Summons (Area Burst 1 within 5 vs. Reflex) that brings a literal slice of Hell into the battlefield. This at-will attack does sizable fire damage and creates a zone of difficult terrain that lasts for a turn and does 10 fire damage to anyone who enters it or starts their turn there.
The Infernal Consort is meant to be encountered amid a group of devils of similar level, all of which have enough fire resistance to not worry about its attacks. The consort’s own tactics would involve keeping at least one Infernal Summons zone active at all times and using Devil Possession to drag more people into it.
Devil-Bred Duergar
You’ve met the consort, now meet the kids! Technically, every duergar we saw so far is “devil-bred” to some extent - that’s where the quills and such come from. I guess they figured this was as good a name as any for the “high-level minion” version of the Duergar Guard.
Devil-bred Duergar are Level 18 Minion Soldiers, wearing mail and wielding warhammers. They use basic warhammer attacks to fight, and can also use it to hit any adjacent enemy that makes an attack that doesn’t include them as a target (Punishing Hammer; Melee 1 vs. AC). This does fire damage on a hit.
Strangely, this is the only duergar without a quill attack. For a non-minion version you can level up the Duergar Guard and give it the Punishing Hammer ability.
Final Impressions
In my experience, duergar never did have much success in the crowded “evil underground civilization” space, being at best a third choice behind drow and mind flayers. This version of them seems to have a more consistent flavor and a level spread that means they’ll be the first things from the Underdark a PC party is likely to encounter in their careers.
There are enough stat blocks here for you to assemble all-duergar encounters, and you can also add imps or legion devils as reinforcements or other humanoids as slaves. The late-Paragon entries are tailor made for pairing with devils.
-
Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Dwarf
Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Anyone reading this will know dwarves have been playable characters since the earliest days of D&D, and that they’re largely inspired by Tolkien’s works. As with dragonborn, this entry is for dwarves that can serve as opposition or allied NPCs. They’re present in both the Monster Manual and the Monster Vault.
The Lore
For decades, D&D has set the standard of what fantasy dwarves look like. If a piece of media features fantasy dwarves and wasn’t either written by Tolkien or adapted from one of his works, it’s probably taking inspiration from D&D’s dwarves. Even authors who want to make their dwarves “special” measure this specialness by how much their dwarves differ from D&D’s.
Because of this, I’m not going to waste too many words describing what present-day dwarves look like in Fourth Edition’s implied setting. Beards, axes, fake Scottish accents, quality engineering, love of gold. One new thing about their aesthetic that I liked very much is that dwarf-made armor is sloped like a tank’s, and their weapons have the same angular quality to them.
In Fourth Edition’s implied setting, recorded dwarf history pretty much begins with a centuries-long period of enslavement to the giants, and the process by which they rebelled against their masters with the aid of the forge god Moradin shapes their culture to this day. So yeah, while these dwarves still distrust elves and constantly fight goblins and orcs, it’s the giants they really hate.
The Numbers
The iconic dwarf trait is the same one PC dwarves get: Stand Your Ground, which allows them to ignore 1 square of forced movement if they wish, and to make a save to avoid falling prone against attacks that would knock them down. They also have low-light vision and a natural Speed of 5 that doesn’t get reduced by encumbrance or heavy armor.
As you’d expect, all dwarves are Medium Natural Humanoids. We’ll look at the provided stat blocks by order of level:
Dwarf Warrior
Present only in the MV, this is a Level 1 Artillery Minion. It wears chain and carries a warhammer, a crossbow and 20 bolts. In addition to the usual dwarf traits, it has Dwarf Solidarity, which gives it a +4 bonus to AC and Reflex when adjacent to other dwarves.
The warrior’s warhammer attack does a bit more damage if it’s adjacent to other dwarves, and its crossbow does a bit more damage against targets that don’t have cover.
So the proper way to use these warriors is to form them up in a large firing line overlooking an open killing field. They can still hold their own in melee, too, so you can also have them in a square Roman-legion like formation that slowly walks up to the enemy while shooting them before engaging with the hammers. That last bit works better if the opposition doesn’t have any area attacks, but Dwarf Solidarity ensures they have some extra protection from many of those as well.
Dwarf Clan Guard
This MV-only entry is a Level 1 Soldier with 33 HP. It wears plate, wields a warhammer and a heavy shield, and carries 4 light hammers for throwing. It possesses all the usual dwarf traits.
The warhammer basic attack also pushes the target 1 square on a hit, and allows the clan guard to shift 1 square to follow. The throwing hammer has range 10, and both it and the warhammer mark the target for a turn on a hit.
The Clan Guard can keep foes on their toes with a Double Hammer Strike, which allows it to attack with the warhammer and a throwing hammer without provoking opportunity attacks. This recharges on a 3-6, and should allow the guard to keep both the foe it’s engaged with and someone further away marked at the same time.
Clan Guards want to rush ahead of that massive crossbowdwarf formation and keep their enemies from closing in. Their own formation is likely to be looser, with each one aiming to tie as many foes down with marks as possible.
Dwarf Bolter
This MM-only entry is basically a non-minion version of the Dwarf Warrior, being Level 4 Artillery with 46 HP. It too can attack with a warhammer and a crossbow, and the crossbow gets +2 to attacks and +1d6 to damage against targets without cover.
Dwarf Hammerer
A stronger version of the Clan Guard, present only in the MM. This Level 5 soldier has 64 HP and pretty much the same gear as the clan guard.
Its basic warhammer attack has no special effects aside from its damage, but it can use a Shield Bash that targets Fortitude, does more damage than the warhammer, and either pushes the target 1 square or knocks it prone (dwarf’s choice). This recharges on a 5-6.
The hammerer can also make a free warhammer attack against anyone who tries to push it or knock it prone. None of its attacks apply marks.
Sample Encounters and Final Impressions.
The one in the MM is level 4: 2 hammerers, 2 bolters, and a cavern choker who likely uses the fight as an opporunity to ambush the PCs.
The contrast between the two books is interesting here. The MV dwarves are all strictly level 1, and “Clan Guard” implies some sort of elite unit, which means the vast majority of a dwarf hold’s defenders would be level 1 minions. Their most common enemies would be goblins and orcs, whose levels hover around 2 or 3 for the most part and which are implied to include a lot more regulars. So according to the MV, the typical dwarf settlement is in trouble and could really use some outside adventurer help!
The MM entries are level 4-5 regulars, which would mean that typical dwarf settlement can hold its own against orcs and goblins unless the other side has a crushing numbers advantage.
As for compatibility, I think the Bolter can be used as-is to represent a veteran dwarf warrior, but you can entirely replace the Hammerer with an up-leveled Clan Guard.
-
Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Dryad
Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Dryads originated in Greek mythology, where they were a type of nymph. Mythological nymphs were basically female spirits associated with specific natural elements, and dryads were specifically the spirits of trees. They’ve been a part of the D&D bestiary for quite a while, with most editions picturing them as beautiful women with lots of charm-based powers.
Fourth Edition decided to something a little different, either to avoid leaning too hard on the fanservice or to add a bit more variety. “Beautiful woman with lots of charm-based powers” could describe any of a dozen other entries, after all.
Dryads are present in both the Monster Manual and the Vault.
The Lore
D&D 4th Edition Dryads are a type of humanoid, treelike fey. They live in the depths of secluded forests and generally just want to be left alone. While far from evil, they have very little reason to believe humanoids who intrude upon their homes are anything but trouble, and will react accordingly.
The Monster Vault goes on to say that dryads are both shy and impulsive, so those who want to parley with them must be very careful to make their peaceful intentions known at all times. It also sorta tries to bring the “beautiful woman with charm powers” schtick back, going on about how they represent both the beauty and danger of nature. I like that part somewhat less than the rest of their description.
The Numbers
We have a whole bunch of dryad varieties if add up both books. All are Medium Fey Humanoids with the Plant keyword, and have a few signature traits. First, dryads have trained Perception and are fast, moving at Speed 8 with Forest Walk.
Second, they have the Treestride power, an at-will move action that allows them to teleport 8 squares as long as they can begin and end the teleport adjacent to a tree, treant, or any other Large or larger plant. Basically, they use plants as portals.
And finally, there’s Deceptive Veil, an illusion that allows them to disguise themselves as any Medium humanoid. Beautiful humans or eladrin are typical, but there’s no reason for you to stick to the cliche. The MM says piercing the disguise is an opposed check of a PC’s Insight against the Dryad’s Bluff, while the MV gives explicit DCs in the power descriptions. None of them are smaller than 27, so low level parties will have very little chance of piercing the disguise.
A significant difference between the two books is that Deceptive Veil tends to be the only “manipulative” power the MM dryads have, while the MV tends to give them some charm powers as well.
We’ll look at them by level order, from lowest to highest.
Dryad Recluse
This MV entry is a Level 5 Lurker with 50 HP and all common dryad traits. In a fight it relies on its wooden claws and on the Sylvan Charm at-will power, a Ranged 5 attack that targets Will. On a hit, it pulls the target 5 squares to a position adjacent to the dryad, and charms it until it’s no longer adjacent or until the dryad uses the power again.
Charmed victims can’t attack the dryad and are considered immobilized. The victim will redirect half the damage of any melee or ranged attack that hits the dryad to itself, and if the attacker was adjacent to the victim, they will make a melee basic attack against the attacker as a free action. If the dryad teleports using Treestride, it can take a charmed victim along.
This is actually a bit more dangerous than the Succubus’ charm power, in that it has less loopholes for PCs to exploit. Sure, the PC will take less damage from friendly fire, but they can’t move away, can be attacked by the dryad, and have well-defined situations where they must attack their allies. Also note that there’s no save against any of these effects - once the PC is hit by the Sylvan Charm, they remain charmed until the dryad moves (or is pushed) away, or until it decides to charm someone else.
It’s perfectly possible for a dryad recluse to attack from ambush, charm someone, and treestride away with the victim in tow, never to be seen again. At the very least, that’s going to lead to an interesting chase scene.
Dryad Hunter
This MV entry is a Level 7 Skirmisher with 92 HP and all common dryad traits.
The dryad hunter’s claws do extra damage if the target has no allies adjacent to it. It can also employ a Luring Feint that allows it to make a claw attack and shift 4 squares on a hit, pulling the target along. If the attack misses, the dryad instead shifts its full speed (8!). This isn’t a charm power, which means it comes purely from this dryad’s skill as a canny fighter that’s absurdly hard to pin down.
Dryad hunters should ideally focus on one of the party’s squishies, isolating them from their friends with Luring Feint and taking advantage from the increased claw damage against isolated victims. I wouldn’t allow a dryad hunter to miss on purpose in order to get full-speed shifts, but missed attacks should still be seen as opportunities to put some distance between the hunter and the party’s defenders.
Dryad Witch
This MV entry is a Level 8 Controller with 84 HP and all the usual dryad traits. Its basic attack is a Thorny Vine that also slides the target 1 square on a hit, and it can call upon two different charm powers.
Beguiling Verdure is an at-will Ranged 5 attack that targets the Will of a dazed creature. On a hit it allows the dryad to slide the target up to the target’s own speed, and forces the target to make a melee basic attack against a creature of the dryad’s choice at the end of the movement. This combos with Soporific Fragrance, a Close Blast 3 that targets Will and dazes on a hit and recharges on 3-6.
Dryad
The classic model, present in the MM. It’s a Level 9 Skirmisher that ends up being a much simpler version of the Dryad Hunter. Its claws still do additional damage to isolated targets, but it doesn’t have any forced movement or large shift abilities.
This version does have some additional skill training in Bluff, Insight and Stealth. I would still advise you to simply use an up-leveled Dryad Hunter in its place, adding the skills if those prove necessary.
Dryad Briar Witch
This MM entry is a Level 13 Elite Controller with 262 HP. Unlike the “normal” Witch from the MV, this one is all about the thorns.
The Briar Witch has two auras: Curse of Thorns has radius 3 and deals 2 damage to enemies without Forest Walk every time they move into a square in the aura, whether voluntarily or due to forced movement. Thorn Boon has radius 6 and gives a +5 damage bonus to the melee attacks of all allied plant creatures within.
Its basic claw attack is pretty standard and generally not worth using without a damage fix. Its main at-will ranged attack is a Briar Cage, which has range 5 and targets Reflex. On a hit it deals both immediate and ongoing damage, and also restrains the target (save ends both). This is an actual, physical briar cage, so it gives cover to the victim and can be destroyed with physical attacks (it has 25 HP and Resist All 10).
The Briar Witch’s thorny body causes 5 damage at the start of its turn to any creature that grabs it. It also has the common dryad powers.
This dryad could definitely benefit from the damage fix for both its melee and ranged attack. And while I like the detail of Briar Cage creating an actual cage that can be destroyed, it does feel a bit redundant with the (save ends both) clause. I’d probably either remove the destruction mechanic and up the ongoing damage, or remove the save and make the power recharge 4-6. Other than that the briar witch is a major threat even when just standing there, due to her auras.
Bough Dryad
We’re back to the MV for this one, a Level 15 Minion Skirmisher. It doesn’t have Treestride or Deceptive Veil, but it’s still pretty fast. Its claw attack does a smidge more damage against isolated targets, and when it drops to 0 HP it grants 5 temporary HP to an ally within 5 squares. I want to say this stacks, which would make the PCs very hesitant to fireball a group of bough dryads accompanied by a couple of massive monsters.
Sample Encounters
The sample encounter in the MM is level 9, a dryad and four eladrin (1 twilight enchanter, 4 fey knights). Indeed, dryads could be found hanging out with any other fey or natural creatures that love the forest as much as they do.
Final Impressions
I like these tough dryads. My impression of the ones from previous editions is that they usually didn’t have much they could do against PCs they failed to charm. Not only can these do that, some of them don’t even rely on charm powers in the first place!
The MM Dryad can easily be replaced by a slightly up-leveled Dryad Hunter from the MV, but the Briar Witch is still quite usable after you fix its damage and maybe change Briar Cage a bit.
-
Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Drider
Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Driders are another classic D&D monster, about as old as the drow they’re thematically attached to. Mechanics-wise, these drow-spider beings still do pretty much what you would expect them to, but their background has changed significantly.
The Lore
In past editions, driders were the result of a curse inflicted by Lolth on drow that displeased her. Driders would he hated and shunned by other drow and would either live in isolation or form communities of their own.
In 4e, driders are instead the result of a blessing bestowed by Lolth on drow that please her. There’s a formal ritual named the Test of Lolth that turns the worthy into driders (and kills the unworthy). Driders can often be found as leaders or prestigious champions in drow communities!
I think this makes more sense than the old background, as driders were always quite a bit more powerful than run-of-the-mill drow.
The MV splits the difference by adding that driders make their own caste in the drow hierarchy, above most others but still subservient to the priestesses of Lolth. Some of them resent this, and some grow to have more empathy towards spiders than towards their fellow dark elves, so you can still meet the odd drider hermit out in the wilds of the Underdark.
The Numbers
Driders usually retain all the abilities they had as drow, including their racial powers, and add to this the increased movement speed, climbing, and web-spinning abilities granted by their spider halves. They’re Large Fey Humanoids with the Spider keyword, which means they count as spiders where that’s important.
The Drider Fanglord is a Level 14 Brute with 172 HP, present in both books. It has trained Perception and Darkvision, with the MM version additionally being trained in Stealth and Dungeoneering. It scuttles at speed 8 and climbs at the same speed with Spider Climb.
This warrior wears leather in its drow half and fights with a greatsword. It can also launch a web as a Ranged 5 attack targetting Reflex, which restrains the target on a hit until they escape using the rules for escaping grabs. The DC for this is quite a bit lower on the MV, which also specifies the target can automatically escape by teleporting. The web recharges on a 4-6.
As a minor action, the fanglord can bite someone against whom it has combat advantage, dealing a piddly 1d4 physical damage and a nice 10 ongoing poison damage (save ends). It also has the Darkfire encounter power we saw in the Drow entry.
The Drider Shadowspinner is a level 14 Skirmisher with 134 HP. It also wears leather, and fights with a shortsword and magic. It has trained Perception, Dungeoneering and Stealth, as well as darkvision. The shortsword does damage as usual and allows slightly different skirmisher shenanigans in each book: in the MM, the drider can shift 1 square before or after the attack; in the MV, it can only shift on a hit, but that shift also ends any mark on it.
The shadowspinner’s ranged attack is a Slashing Darkness spell that has a range of 5, targets Reflex, and does necrotic damage. It can also use the same Web as the Fanglord.
The MM version has the Cloud of Darkness encounter power, which we saw in the Drow entry. The MV version retains the cloud and also gains Darkfire.
As passive traits, the shadowspinner gains concealment from Shifting Shadows if it ends the turn 3 or more squares away from its initial position, and it also gains a sneak attack bonus against targets granting it CA.
Finally we have the plain old Drider, which only appears in the MV. This Level 14 Soldier has 138 HP and Darkvision, but the stat block shows no trained skills. It wields a scimitar and also wears leather.
The scimitar has Reach 2 (unlike the other weapons we saw), and the drider has Threatening Reach with it. Scimitar attacks also mark targets for a turn on a hit. Targets who ignore the mark take 15 necrotic and poison damage if they’re within 10 squares of the drider. Finally, it can use Darkfire.
Sample Encounters
There are two:
-
Level 12: a drider fanglord, a drow arachnomancer, and 3 drow warriors. Here’s some of that “favored champion” action.
-
Level 14: 2 fanglords, 1 shadowspinner, and a demonweb terror spider. This all-spider group could be an elite unit in a drow settlement, or an unhinged hermit family.
Final Impressions
I like the new take on driders as the favored of Lolth. As I say above, it makes more sense than the previous backstory for them, because I never thought that “oh no, I have been cursed with awesome power” made much sense. I mean, yeah, you’re now a horrible half-spider monster, but for Lolth worshippers that should be a plus.
Mechanically they pair really well with drow: the drow stat blocks lack any heavy frontliners, and both the standard Drider and the Fanglord fit neatly into that gap. The web powers from the Shadowspinner and Fanglord also do much to benefit drow warriors or other lurkers, granting them easy and potentially long-lasting combat advantage.
-
-
Let's Read the 4e Monster Manual/Vault: Drow
Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast This article is part of a series! Click here to see the other entries.
Drow have both fascinated and horrified people since AD&D 1st Edition or thereabouts. Their early descriptions leaned very hard into “evil elf dominatrix” imagery, and their dark skin meant this portrait was often considered racist as well as sexist.
4e seems to attempt to get away from these early unfortunate implications by de-emphasizing the S&M bits, and making your average drow look different from a brown-skinned human. Depending on the specific illustration, drow skin varies from pitch-black to light purple.
Drow are present both in the Monster Manual and in the Vault, though there they’re part of a larger “Elf” entry.
The Lore
Elves, Eladrin and Drow all descend from the same sapient fey people, which was originally created by Corellon and went through something of a diaspora back at the dawn of creation. Eladrin native to the Feywild are the closest to those progenitors, still worshipping Corellon as their main deity. Elves diverged from them after centuries of living in the world, and tend to worship Sehanine, Melora or the primal spirits.
The Drow were recruited into the worship of Lolth and rose up against their kin. They were driven into the Underdark and built a thriving but nightmarish civilization there. The assumption seems to be that drow appearance diverged by the same natural processes that applied to elves, as a form of adaptation for their new environment. Other editions had the dark skin be a curse, which, again, had its Unfortunate Implications.
Drow build great cities in the Underdark, which house a cruel and hierarchical society fanatically devoted to Lolth. Lolth’s priestesses are at the top of the heap and their ranks are only open to women. Men tend to get a little less respect, but still all other positions of authority are open to drow of any gender. Intrigue and backstabbing are extremely common at all levels, both internally and externally. Drow foreign policy can be summed up as “raid those weaker than you for plunder and slaves, make alliances to whose of equal or greater power until you can backstab them”. The Monster Vault outright says that if the drow stopped fighting each other and united into a single empire, they’d be a major existential threat.
When fighting, drow favor light armor and swords (particularly fencing weapons), with hand crossbows being the preferred ranged weapon. These are frequently poisoned. Drow always prefer ambushes and guerilla tactics to anything resembling a fair fight. They also use a whole lot of spider-themed magic, both divine and arcane.
The Numbers
All drow are Medium Fey Humanoids, have Darkvision, and one of two minor-action encounter powers:
-
a Cloud of Darkness that lasts for a turn, blocks line of sight on a Close Burst 1 and blinds everyone who enters it, with the drow being immune to all of this.
-
Darkfire, a Ranged 10 attack that targets Reflex, and makes the target grant combat advantage for a turn, during which they also can’t benefit from concealment or invisibility.
You can use them to make other drow stat blocks. Drow usually move at Speed 6.
We start with the Drow Warrior from the Monster Manual. It’s a Level 11 Lurker with 83 HP, trained in Perception, Dungeoneering, Intimidation and Stealth. The warrior wears mail, and fights with a rapier in one hand and a hand crossbow in another. Both the blade and the bolts are coated in Drow Poison: a hit with either weapon triggers an additional attack against Fortitude, which in turn inflicts a -2 attack penalty (save ends). On the first failed save the target is also weakened, and on the second they fall unconscious until the end of the encounter! The warrior can also use use sneak attacks on its melee and ranged attacks, and it has the Darkfire power.
My impression is that this is meant to be a common drow soldier, which should help explain why everyone else considers them to be so scary.
The MV-only Drow Stalker is a less complicated minion version of the Warrior. A Level 12 Minion Lurker, it too has a sword and a hand crossbow, and can deal extra damage against targets that cannot see it. The crossbow also causes ongoing poison damage on a hit (save ends). It has Cloud of Darkness, which is how it gets its extra damage.
The Drow Arachnomancer is an arcane spellcaster present in both books. It’s Level 13 Artillery (Leader) with 94 HP and training in a host of skills: Arcana, Dungeoneering and Perception, plus Intimidate and Stealth in the MM version. Its leaderly bit comes from Lolth’s Judgement, a passive trait which grants +2 to attacks for a turn to all spider allies that can see the arachnomancer whenever it hits with an attack. We’ll see plenty of spider monsters when we hit the S entries, but for now I’ll just note driders also count as spiders.
The arachnomancer’s basic attack is a Spider Rod in the MM and a Scourge in the MV. The rod does piteous damage, while the scourge benefits from the math fix. Both attacks immobilize on a hit (save ends). Its main at-will ranged attack is the Venom Ray, which has a range of 10, targets Reflex, and does both immediate and ongoing poison damage (save ends).
It also has a few encounter spells. Spider Curse makes spectral spiders crawl all over a target. It’s a Ranged 20 attack that targets Will, does both immediate and ongoing necrotic damage, and weakens (save ends both). Venom Blast is a Close Blast 5 that targets Fortitude and does poison damage, half on a miss.
The MM version has a third encounter power, Lolth’s Grasp, which covers an Area Burst 4 within 10 in those spectral spiders. It targets Reflex and restrains on a hit (save ends). The spider zone remains until the end of the encounter, and anyone who starts their turn there takes 10 necrotic damage. Drow are immune to all of this. Finally, both versions of the arachnomancer can use Cloud of Darkness.
The MV-only Drow Venomblade is a Level 13 Skirmisher with 124 HP, trained in Perception, Acrobatics and Stealth. It uses a longsword in one hand and a shortsword in the other. Both count as basic attacks, and do ongoing 5 poison damage on a hit (save ends). The Blade Mastery ability allows this drow to make attacks with both weapons as a single action, and it also knows Cloud of Darkness. Pretty simple!
The MM-only Drow Blademaster is similar in concept but more powerful. A Level 13 Elite Skirmisher with 248 HP, its blades apparently aren’t poisoned, but it has several fancy techniques at its disposal. Excruciating Stab does a lot more damage than the basic longsword attack and stuns (save ends)! It recharges on 5-6. Whirlwind Attack allows the drow to make a longsword attack against everyone on a Close Burst 1, and a shortsword attack against anyone hit by the longsword. It recharges on a 4-6. Finally, it can make a free longsword attack against anyone who makes an opportunity attack against it.
Our last entry is the MM-only Drow Priest tells me they’re using “priest” as a gender-neutral word here. She is a Level 15 Controller (Leader) with 139 HP and Speed 7, trained in Bluff, Insight, Intimidate, Religion and Stealth. She projects Lolth’s Authority, granting +1 to attacks and +2 to damage for any drow or spider ally who can see her.
Her basic attack is a somewhat weak mace, but once bloodied she grows spider mandibles and can bite for considerably more damage. Her main ranged attack is the Pain Web, which has range 5, targets Reflex, does necrotic damage, and makes the target immobilized and weakened (save ends both). All of this at-will!
With the aid of a willing drow ally, the priestess can invoke Lolth’s Wrath. The ally explodes, showering everyone in a close burst 5 with gore and spectral spiders, which attack Reflex and do a heap of necrotic damage on a hit. This recharges on a 6, so it could happen more than once per fight. A good use for minions.
As a minor action she can use Spider Link, which transfers up to 22 points of damage from the priestess to a spider or drow within 5 squares of her. She can’t transfer more damage than the creature has HP remaining, making this a good use for elite spiders. The priestess also knows Darkfire.
Sample Encounters
We have two:
-
Level 13: 1 drow arachnomancer, 2 drow warriors, 1 mezzodaemon, 5 grimlock minions, and 2 blade spiders. Looks like a typical drow war party to me, sent away from their home with a specific goal in mind. They bring in some summoned/enslaved muscle along.
-
Level 15: 1 drow priestess, 1 drow blademaster, 1 umber hulk, and 3 drow warriors. Now this is something you might find deep within drow territory, a priestess and her personal bodyguard complete with a showy thrall.
Final Impressions
Did WotC succeed in shedding some of their Unfortunate Implications when it comes to drow? The descriptions here make me want to think they had some success, but for all I know 5e backtracked on all of this in the name of nostalgia.
-
subscribe via RSS