Who said Dark Elves in L2 have nothing to do with Drows from D&D ?
Just look at the name of this dude (http://www.ultimatom.com/drizzit.jpg) :p
(the one on the right, obviously, cos on the left that's just me :cool:)
I've always wondered if you can name yourself the same as an NPC. Would be funny if in Giran you /target Clarissa and wind up on some dorf! :p
I haven't tested this out cuz by now, most normal names have been taken, so even if it says 'name taken' you wouldn't know if that's cuz it's an NPC or another player.
I don't think NCSoft put a lot of love into naming town NPC.
Some of them have nice names though... I like "Morning" ;)
Anyway, you cannot name a Dark Elf "Drizzit" and say that this has nothing to do with D&D :)
There are a few NPC names that seem to be references, but maybe it's just me. :x
I've noticed this here and there as well. My favorite being Dr. Orpheus, which I seriously hope isn't just some coincidence. XD
Aaron Rigby once sat down with me and told me the story of the Dwarven Guard, ****ey.
I don't know if the actual D&D game gives a history of drows or anything like that, but in games i've played in the past which are of a similar theme (D&D rules and what not), the Drow race is said to be elves who turned to dark magic, and live in darkness - basically a "Dark Elf".
I've searched my old D&D books, and even if Drows are of course also called Dark Elves, they never really say that Drows were once Elves who turned to Black Magic or anything, but they never say the opposite neither :)
Dark Elves (or Drows, the two names are used) seem like a complete separate race from Elves, but maybe i'll know a bit more about that when i recieve the new "Drows Of The Underdark" that i'm gonna order soon (before 4th Edition arrives) :p
Yes, nicely done article.
The "Drow in various campaign settings" is indeed interesting, it shows that sometimes Drows are a complete different race, and sometimes they are former Light Elves who were driven to the Underdark...
I guess L2 chose the latter option :p
Keep in mind we have the races we do because L1 has those races. And L1 is very much D&D based. the races and monsters are pulled from 2nd ed and then given NC's own mechancics. The stat system is based off of the 3d6 stat idea, though it's now a point buy. Look around in L1, The Oel Mahums are called Gnolls and you can see a cocatrice that looks like it's taken straight out of the monster manual.
I'm not bashing NC for it, Tolkien is a huge influence in any fantasy and it's rare for people to break that archetype, both in literature and in gaming. in fact off the top of my head DAOC is the only one with different races really and that's because they had to draw from just about every culture they could think of to get enough races.
In traditional D&D drow a subrace of elves, that is they are the same species but different enough genetically to have an altered appearance. Depending on setting of course. In "forgotten Realms" for example it is mentioned that both elven races used to live together, perhaps as a single race perhaps as different ones but that the drow were driven underground.