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DESIGNERS ART DIRECTOR ROBERT J. SCHWALB, , MARI KOLKOWSKY, KARIN JAQUES , GREG A. VAUGHAN COVER ARTIST DEVELOPMENT ANDY COLLINS INTERIOR ARTISTS EDITORS , , RAY VALLESE, BETH GRIESE LARS GRANT-WEST, TOMA´ S GIORELLO, EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE JACKOILRAIN, WILLIAM O’CONNOR, , JENNIFER CLARKE WILKES, , BETH TROTT, DANIEL NAGLER FRANCIS TSAI, , , FREELANCE MANAGER GWENDOLYN F.M. KESTREL CARTOGRAPHER EDITING MANAGER GRAPHIC DESIGNER MARI KOLKOWSKY DESIGN MANAGER CHRISTOPHER PERKINS GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALIST DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ANGELIKA LOKOTZ

DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D IMAGE TECHNICIAN CHRISTINA WILEY

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR D&D PRODUCTION MANAGERS JOSH FISCHER, RANDALL CREWS

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. and and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by , , , Richard Baker, and . This product uses updated material from the v.3.5 revision. This ® game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the License, please visit www. wizards.com/d20.

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95726720_Ch00.indd 2 2/22/07 3:03:17 PM TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 2/22/07 3:03:20 PM The Wall ...... The Wall 196 ...... Ghetto of Foreigners198 ...... Ghetto of Scholars 199 Ghetto of Artisans...... 201 Ghetto of Performers ...... 202 ...... Ghetto203 of Savages ...... Ghetto of Chattel 205 Ghetto of Outcasts...... 206 Ghetto of the Dead ...... 208 Anybys Velifane ...... Anybys Velifane 160 Keveras Lorakythe ...... 161 Lady...... 162 Thandysha Mindshard...... 163 Xil’etha Dhuvaryl ...... 164 DrowAssassin ...... 164 DrowInquisitor ...... 164 DrowPriestess ...... 165 ...... 165 ...... DrowSlaver DrowWarrior ...... 167 ...... 167 ...... ConsortFavored House Captain ...... 170 ...... House Wizard 170 ...... Spider Sentinel 172 Blood...... 187 of the Spider Queen Cavestalker Formation...... 188 of DelightsFont and Sorrows ...... 189 ...... Garden of Resplendent Hues 189 Utter Dark ...... 190 The Dark Gem ...... 192 The City . .195 ...... Slaver Attack ...... 209 Necropolis Square ...... 211 Arena Battle ...... 212 Clothing ...... 98...... Clothing Tools...... 101 ...... Artifacts ...... 103 ...... Adamantine106 Spider Chwidencha ...... 108 ...... 110 ...... Draegloth Dragon, Deep ...... 114 , Albino...... 118 Drow (Szarkai) ...... Goblinoid 120 VerminHusk ...... 126 ...... 129 Kuo-Toa Lizard,...... 133 ...... Giant ...... Quaggoth 136 ...... 140 ...... Shunned ...... 141 MonstrousSpider, ...... 145 ...... Troll Ooze.148 ...... Venom ...... DrowCampaigns 150 DrowCities and Environs ...... 153 Sample Drow...... 160 ...... DrowAmbush 173 Menagerie Square ...... 175 ...... Phazeuroth’s Lair 177 House Xaniqos Villa ...... 180 Magical...... Locations 186 Appendix: Characters Player For ...... 215 Chapter 7: Erelhei-CinluChapter ...... 7: 191 Encounters in Erelhei-Cinlu ...... 209 Chapter 5: Chapter 5: the Underdark of . . . . . Monsters 105 Chapter 6: . . . . . 150 Campaigns and Adventures Drow Adventures...... 173 ng Terror ...... 61 ...... Shadowborn Warrior...... 52 ...... Spider Companion ...... 52 ...... 52...... Spiderfriend Magic Staggering Critical...... 52 Surprising Riposte ...... 52 Umbral Spell .52...... 53...... Vermin Trainer Verminfriend ...... 53 ...... 53Versatile Combatant Gloom Strike ...... 54 ...... Sickening Strike...... 54 Terrifying. . .54...... Strike StrikeVenomous ...... 54 Divine .54...... Intercession BoonLolth’s ...... 54 ...... CaressLolth’s ...... 54 ...... 54 Profane Agony ...... 55 Unspeakable Vow of DecadenceVow ...... 55 ...... 55 of the Spider Queen Vow of Vengeance Vow ...... 56 Despana School ...... 56 . . . . . Eilservs...... 56 School Inlindl School ...... 56 ...... 56 Shi’Quos School Steal and Strike . . .56 ...... School.Tormtor ...... 57 SchoolVae ...... 57 ...... 57 Xaniqos School Armored...... 60 Vermin Bebilith Blessing ...... 61 ...... 61 Combat Readiness Dominate...... 61 Vermin ...... 61 Dridershape Engulfi Magical...... 62 Backlash DoubleShadow ...... 62 ShroudShadow ...... 62 . . Snuff...... 63 the Light ...... 63. Spider Form Spider Form, Greater...... 63 . . . . Spider Form, Lesser ...... 63 ...... 63 Yochlol Blessing Spider-Shape ...... 63 ...... Sudden Swarm ...... 63 Arachnomancer ...... 65Arachnomancer Cavestalker ...... 68 ...... 72Demonbinder Dread Fangof Lolth ...... 76 ...... 80 of LolthEye Insidious...... 83 Corruptor Kinslayer ...... 87 ...... 91 Equipment Alchemical Items ...... 93 Poisons ...... 94 Magic-Infused Poisons ...... 94 PropertiesWeapon ...... 95 Armor and Shield Properties ...... 97 Ambush Feats ...... 53...... Ambush Feats Divine Feats ...... 54 ...... Vile Feats ...... 55 ...... 56...... Style FeatsWeapon Alternative ClassFeatures ...... 57 ...... 60 SpellsNew InvocationsNew ...... 63...... Chapter 3: Prestige Classes ...... 64 PrestigeChapter 3: Classes Drow Equipment 4: Chapter . . . . . 91 .91 ...... Gear . . . . Adventuring Magic Items ...... 95

ts ...... 22 ts Contents

Sample file inAt Home ...... 47 the Deep intoBlend Shadows ...... 47 Cautious Attack ...... 47 Chosen Foe ...... 47 Opportunist.Clever ...... 47 Coercive Spell ...... 47 Constant Guardian ...... 47 ...... 48Dazzling Fire ...... 49 Deafening Spell Deceptive...... 50 Illumination Dutiful...... 50 Guardian intoFade Darkness ...... 50 Fascinating Illumination ...... 50 ...... 50Gift of the Spider Queen .50 ...... Focus Crossbow Hand ...... 50Imperious Command Instinctive Darkness ...... 50 Intensify Darkness...... 50 Knight of Lolth ...... 51 ...... 51 Master of Poisons Master of Shadow ...... 51 Sample Paralyzing Fists ...... 51 ...... 51 Poison Spell Psychic Refusal ...... 51 ...... 51Radiant Flicker Reactive Resistance ...... 52 Sadistic Reward ...... 52 Law, Tradition,Law, and Government . . . . .10 ...... 13 Drow Psychology Rites and Rituals...... 15 of Lolth Servants of Lolth ...... 17 .19...... Lolth . Structure and Composition...... 20 House Authority ...... 21 House...... 21 Interaction Duties and Benefi Family ...... 24...... Units ...... 27 Leisure Arts and Crafts.27...... Technology and Magic...... 28 Love ...... 29 ...... 30 Death...... 31...... DrowMythic Origins ...... 32 Legends and Tales ...... 33 ...... 35 Economy ...... 36DrowRacial Traits Clothing ...... 37 ...... 37 Grooming

Skills ...... 45 ...... 47...... Feats New A Day in the Life ...... 7 ...... Society and Culture. . . .9 ...... Religion ...... 15 ...... Houses of the Drow ...... 20 ...... 26 DrowLife DrowHistory and Folklore...... 31 DrowSettlements ...... 35...... Appearance ...... 36 Language ...... 38 Drowand Other Races . . .40 ...... 42...... DrowTactics Chapter 2: Drow OptionsChapter 2: ...... 45 Introduction ...... Introduction 4 Chapter 1: All the Drow About ...... 7 95726720_Ch00.indd 3 A tense moment passed. And then, like fools, they relaxed. The Introduction dwarf uttered something. The intruders laughed, their vigilance To survive in the wilds of the Underdark, one must not delay when dropping. the Spider Queen bestows her gifts. For with even the slightest hesi- Vorn’s commander made a sharp movement with his hands tation, the briefest moment of doubt, the Flesh-Carver will snatch accompanied by a quick lift of his shoulders. The signal. The time back her blessing, depriving her chosen of the wonders of her favor. was now. This was a fact not lost on Vorn. Globes of darkness quenched the light. Ghostly fl ames of fl ickering He spent an entire century of his life looking for such chances, waiting reds and violets limned the forms of the surface dwellers. Crossbow for the moment that would propel him toward his destiny, to advance his bolts, laden with potent toxins, slashed through the air, and the cries status and free him from the drudgery of being a lowly common soldier. of pain revealed the accuracy of the drow archers. Vorn aimed his Thus far, Lolth had been silent—to him at least. He hand crossbow, when he realized that his chance, his one opportu- had watched others rise to take their place as fangs nity, stood before him. or consorts, while he languished as a foot His commander soldier, little better than a thug. had his back to Now, of course, was not the time him, watching INTRODUCTION for such idle thoughts, but the combat unfold. it was hard to rein in the Always careless, this mind after spending eight commander. hours crouched in a dank To survive in the cavern. He and a dozen Underdark, one must not other drow soldiers hid delay. . . . Vorn fi red the bolt, know- in positions throughout a ing that the poison would make large gallery in the depths short work of the offi cer. With one of the shadows, behind smooth motion, he crossed the draperies and stalagmites, gap, pulling his sword from its waiting and watching for sheath, to fi nish the job. the fi rst sign of their prey. Such are the ways of And then it came. Light the drow. shone forth from the mouth of the cavern, piercing the Bards sing of bold

Illus. by T. Giorello T. by Illus. perfect blackness and plung- heroes who brave the ing Vorn’s vision into swollen, depths of the earth, who plun- shifting spots. Vorn had known der the vaults of ancient it would happen, had tried to ready peoples, exploring and map- himself, but he was not prepared for its inten- ping the endless passages sity. He shook his head, rubbing the palms and corridors that hon- of his hands into his eyes to clear his sight, eycomb the Underdark. but even when the blindness abated he Although much of this light- found it hard to focus. Through the less world is empty and devoid painful glow, he looked for his of life, it contains terrifying mon- commander, waiting for the sters, sprawling alien civilizations, gesture to attack. Soon. It swathes of molds, oozes, slimes, and would be very soon. countless other hazards. The intruders’ fear was But no threat the Under- obvious, naked on their pale dark conjures compares faces. They were of all shapes to the drow. Their name and sizes: a dwarf, some small is a curse, their pres- fi gure that resembled a hal- ence a cancer. They are fl ing, what Vorn guessed the despised, the exiled, was a human, and an elf the shunned—and yet maiden. The interlop- they are powerful, and ers fanned out from the conquer nearly all who entrance, their weapons come before them. They Sampledrawn, casting about for fileare the dark , cursed the signs of the enemies by , they had to suspect were condemned to spend their near. days languishing in their own 4 corruption.

95726720_Ch00.indd 4 2/22/07 3:03:22 PM Chapter 5: New Monsters. From the spiders they breed, USING THIS BOOK to the brutes they enslave, to the wretched forms of those Drow of the Underdark is the defi nitive resource for dark elves who have displeased the Spider Queen, this chapter presents in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® roleplaying game. Within a detailed look at the kind of servants the drow employ and these pages, you will fi nd exhaustive detail on their culture the allies they make. and society, rules and options for building drow characters, Chapter 6: Campaigns and Adventures. This chapter new equipment including a broad selection of drow-themed offers guidance and tools for using drow in adventures, as well magic items, new monsters, and a fully detailed drow city just as techniques for designing campaigns with a drow focus. waiting to be explored. Chapter 7: Erelhei-Cinlu. The fi nal chapter examines

Just as presented extensive information on INTRODUCTION one of the most infamous cities of the Underdark: Erelhei- dragons and the Fiendish Codex supplements described demons Cinlu, located in the subterranean cavern known as the Vault and devils, Drow of the Underdark does the same with the drow, of the Drow. offering Dungeon Masters the tools to create memorable encounters with one of the game’s most popular adversaries. But it also gives players the knowledge and tools to effectively fi ght this menacing race. ADVICE FOR DMS Drow of the Underdark is designed with the Dungeon Master The material presented in Drow of the Underdark is spread in mind. This book helps you create exciting and memorable throughout seven chapters, with their contents summarized encounters featuring drow antagonists, and to construct entire here. adventures or even campaigns with strong drow themes. Chapter 1: All About the Drow. This chapter presents an The cultural and setting information is of particular unfl inching look at the society of dark elves, exploring their use, since it reveal important details about the drow—how history and myths, traditions and culture. they think, what they do, why they do it, and so forth. More Chapter 2: Drow Options. Moving away from thematic important, it portrays the Spider Queen as an active force for descriptions, this chapter offers several new uses for skills, evil, and her priestesses as a terrible threat to the world. This new feats, alternative class features, and spells to refl ect the book positively brims with adventure possibilities—sparks disturbing techniques employed by the drow. of inspiration that will provide all you need to tell your own Chapter 3: Prestige Classes. This chapter presents a selec- tales of the Underdark. tion of eight prestige classes that demonstrate the various The supporting mechanics are designed for drow characters. interests of these evil elves. The skill options, feats, alternative class features, and prestige Chapter 4: Equipment. This chapter offers a survey of classes give you the tools to surprise your players with unex- useful tools: new alchemical items and poisons, new magic pected strategies and tactics. weapon and armor properties, and new rods and wondrous items.

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festing any power with a casting time or manifesting time of SWIFT AND IMMEDIATE ACTIONS 1 swift action is a swift action. Casting a spell or manifesting a Miniatures Handbook introduced the concept of a new action power with a casting time or manifesting time of 1 swift action type: the swift action. Likewise, Expanded does not provoke attacks of opportunity. introduced another new action type: the immediate action. Immediate Actions: Much like a swift action, an immediate Some of the class features, feats, and spells described in Drow action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a of the Underdark use these concepts. A description of how they larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. Unlike work follows. a swift action, an immediate action can be performed ay any Swift Actions: A swift action consumes a very small amount time—even if it’s not your turn. of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn swift action, and counts as your swift action for that turn. If you without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that do use an immediate action in this way, you cannot use another regard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you can immediate action until your next turn (effectively, using an im- perform only a single swift action per turn, regardless of what mediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift other actions you take. action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate You can take a swift action any time you would normally action if you are currently flat-footed. be allowed to take a free action. Since swift actions usually Under these rules, casting a feather fall spell is an immediate involve magic or psionics, or the activation of magic or psionic action (not a free action, as stated in the spell description in items, many characters (especially those who don’t use magic the Player’s Handbook). or psionics) will never have the opportunity to take a swift Magic Items and Potions: Activating a spell completion item, action. activating a spell trigger item, or drinking a potion is a standard CastingSample a quickened spell, or manifesting a quickened psionic file action, even if the spell with which the scroll, potion, or item is power, is a swift action. In addition, casting any spell or mani- made can be cast as a swift action. pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs 5

95726720_Ch00.indd 5 2/22/07 3:03:27 PM FOR PLAYERS The drow might be an evil race—and one that is permanently at odds with other races—but many players are nonetheless attracted to playing drow characters. Drow of the Underdark discusses the underpinnings of drow societies and beliefs, their Lolth-dominated religion, and an example of an arche- typal drow city—all of which is vital information to players of drow characters. This material enables a player to fl esh out his character’s history, as well as providing guidance for con- ceptualizing personalities, goals, and mannerisms. For players of other races, Drow of the Underdark can be equally effective as a reference for enemies of the drow. The study of drow society included in this book not only tells you how the drow operate, but why they do what they

INTRODUCTION do—and the best way to defeat a foe is to understand that foe’s motivations. New uses for skills, guidelines for creating new poisons and magical poisons, an expanded description of Drow Sign Lan- guage, and rules for training vermin all support the cultural considerations. Over 50 new feats help defi ne the fi ghting techniques of this unusual race: Several new style feats are included, as well as a number of general and metamagic feats that improve drow racial talents but are equally useful for characters of any race. As with any new game element, you should always consult your DM before you start using this material. The viability of these gameplay options depends on the role the drow will play in your DMs campaign, and by discussing your choices ahead of time, you give your DM the chance to help fi t the character into her game. Illus. by R. Sardinha by Illus. WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY To use this book, you will need the three D&D core rule- books—the Player’s Handbook (PH), Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), and Monster Manual (MM). Though no other books are strictly necessary, a few will undoubtedly enhance your enjoyment of this product. Underdark is an excellent resource for exploration of the subterranean world, offering additional mechanics that complement those found in this book. includes domains and spells used by various NPCs presented in this book, and offers additional rules suitable for this evil race. Throughout this book, superscript abbreviations are often used to denote game elements and other materials that appear in certain supplements. Those supplements and their abbre- viations are as follows: Book of Vile Darkness (BoVD), Complete Adventurer (CAd), (CAr), (CD), Complete Psionic (CP), Complete Scoundrel (CS), (CW), Dungeon Master’s Guide II (DMG2), Expanded Psionics Handbook (EPH), (FF), Fiendish Codex I (FC1), (FR), Lords of Dark- ness (LD), Lords of Madness (LoM), Miniatures Handbook (MH), SampleMonster Manual II (MM2), Monster Manual IV (MM4), Planar file Handbook (Pla), Player’s Handbook II (PH2), Spell Compendium (SC), and Underdark (Und).

6 Welcome to the Underdark . . .

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