The drow priestess and the drow warrior had been tracking the fungus leshy for days. The creature was dangerous and elusive, but they finally tracked it to a remote tunnel.
The drow warrior charged the leshy, swinging his sword with deadly precision, slicing through the leshy’s flesh, causing green blood to spill forth.
The drow priestess watched from behind, casting spells to protect her friend and weaken the leshy. The leshy was no match for their combined power, and soon it was dead. The drow took the fungus body back to their city for use in dark rituals.
The drow, or dark elves, are one of the most popular characters in Pathfinder RPG, and for a good reason. They’re dark, mysterious, and just a little bit edgy. Dark elves are famous for their villainy and have a rich culture and innate magical abilities.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at their ancestry and culture, as well as their traits and other characteristics. We’ll also discuss the history of dark elves and their place in the world of Golarion.
Finally, we’ll show you how players can make Drow characters for their games. So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Dark Elf Ancestry
The drow are elves that live in the dark depths of the world. They fled underground to escape a deadly cataclysm and succumbed to the influence of a demon lord.
Drow have since become notorious throughout Golarion. People love to whisper tales of subterranean elves who kidnap and torture children.
Drow elves are known for their dark skin, white hair, and red eyes. They’re proud and arrogant people who live in subterranean cities. Drow society is usually matriarchal, and men are seen as second-class citizens.
Traits
Dark elves possess a number of traits in Pathfinder 2e. They’re known to be vicious at home and abroad—in other words, the perfect melee combat experts. Dark elves require no outside light sources and see perfectly well in pitch-black conditions.
Drow are experts in the use of magic. They’re exceptionally gifted in the dark arts, which they can use to gain power and dominance over others. They’re also proficient in stealth and assassination tactics.
Dark Elf Culture and History
Dark elves, on the whole, are proud people with strong family values and a deep-seated hatred for those they see as weaker than themselves.
They often have an elven appearance, but their skin is typically darker—sometimes lavender or very dark gray. Their hair is usually white, silver, or black.
Drow dress in colorful clothing that often displays their House insignia. Drow society is matriarchal and heavily influenced by religion. The drow dwell in an underground world of caves and tunnels.
They’re known for their cruelty and violence, as well as their mastery of arcane magic.
Dark elves are often cruel to their enemies, and they’re not above torturing and murdering innocents. This dark side of their nature is likely a result of the influence of Rovagug, the Rough Beast.
Despite their dark nature, the drow have survived for generations underground. They’re masters of arcane magic and have a strong culture based on religious dogma.
Wrath of the Demon Lord
Legends tell that the first dark elves were followers of Rovagug, the Rough Beast. Lord of destruction and wrath, Rovagug has long sought to unleash havoc upon Golarion.
The elves who followed the demon lord were corrupted by his sinister influence. Today, the drow who worship Rovagug live in fear of invoking the demon’s terrific wrath.
Drow Society
When it comes to inside threats such as treacherous house politics and violent dissenters on the outskirts of society, drow don’t shy away from conflicts. Likewise, dark elves do not get along with outsiders who try to invade their walls.
Drow Nobles: These are the upper class of drow society. They’re born into privilege and power, and they often enjoy the benefits of wealth and status. Drow nobles have access to better equipment and magic than other drow, and they often have skills that reflect their station in life.
Drow Outcasts: These are the drow who have been banished from society. They may have done something wrong, or they may simply be born into the wrong family. Whatever the case, outcasts are forced to live on the margins of drow society. They’re often poor and have little access to the benefits of drow culture. Outcasts often make excellent rogues or assassins.
Drow Religion
Drow elves worship a variety of deities, depending on their locality and culture. Some of the most popular include Rovagug, the Rough Beast, Desna, goddess of dreams and luck, and Shelyn, goddess of love and beauty.
Like most elves, Drow are prone to chaotic alignments and are fervent about ideological pursuits, sometimes to a fault. Drow are fond of Desna for her love of music.
Some dark elves worship Rovagug, the god of destruction. Under the Rough Beast’s guidance, drow develop sinister desires and a penchant for cruelty. The drow can also learn powerful magic abilities by sacrificing their souls to wickedness and evil.
Drow Exiles
Dark elf society is prone to violence as the great houses battle for dominance. Dark elves unsatisfied with such an existence are usually left to fend for themselves.
Drow exiles often seek-out communities to find acceptance and a more peaceful way of life. If a drow exile cannot find a suitable home, they often become hermits, shunning the so-called civilized world.
Playing a Drow Character
Due to their dark nature, Drow make excellent villains for Pathfinder games. But they can also be used as PCs.
In order to play a drow character in Pathfinder 2e, choose an elf ancestry and then assign ability scores and other features. You’ll also need to choose your class and equipment.
Once you have your character ready, you can start playing with your friends around a tabletop or online. Be sure to explore all the options available to you as a drow elf, and enjoy crushing your enemies under your boot heel!
Becoming Drow
Players create a Drow character by choosing the elf ancestry and selecting a cavern elf heritage. In very rare circumstances, a surface elf can be transformed into a drow by evoking the wrath of a demon lord.
Some players might have trouble deciding what kind of drow character to make. If you’re not sure about your character, try giving them some of the following characteristics:
- A pair of human-like eyes, which have no pupils and are opalescent instead of black.
- A pale complexion with purple undertones to denote being descended from elves under Rovagug’s influence.
- Black hair that is painstakingly styled daily in elaborate patterns and an austere beauty exemplified by the demon lord.
- Dark complexions free from freckles or blemishes–marking them as aloof seekers after perfection in body and mind who accept nothing less than the best from themselves and those around them.
Best Classes for Drow Characters
Drow society is dominated by warriors and spellswords who train fiercely. As a result, many drow become fighters or rogues, often training with swords and poison.
On the other hand, dark elves often possess talent in the arcane arts and make excellent wizards.
Wizard
Drow wizards are knowledgeable beings who draw upon magic instead of their physical prowess. They can use their arcane knowledge in many different ways and, as such, can fill many roles in a party.
Fighter
As a drow warrior, your role is to serve as a front-line defense against melee attacks. You’re an expert combatant who understands that sometimes the path to victory requires brutal tactics and decisive action. You believe in living for today because tomorrow may never come.
Rogue
Drow rogues possess superior hiding abilities and excel in infiltrating settlements. Drow society is largely a competition between noble houses. As a result, plots and conspiracies are a constant presence. In this battle of secrets, information is key.
As a pathfinder 2e rogue, your role is typically to act sneakily, search for traps, and pick locks. In combat, you’ll rely on hiding and using Sneak Attack to deal massive damage to your enemies.
As a drow, you might have worked for a noble house as a spy or thief. You know perfectly well what it means to survive in a cutthroat world.
Drow Monsters
Drow monsters can be a challenge for players, but with the right tactics, they can be overcome. In this section, we’ll give you some tips on how to best deal with these creatures.
First, it’s important to know what kind of abilities and attacks drow monsters have. Many of them are proficient in using Darkness spells, which can make it difficult to see them and hit them with melee attacks. They also often have abilities that deal poison damage.
When fighting drow monsters, it’s important to avoid getting surrounded. Try to keep them grouped together so you can hit them all at once with area-of-effect attacks.
If you’re fighting several drow at once, try to focus your attacks on the one with the lowest hit points first. This will reduce the amount of damage you take and make the fight a little easier.
Drow Fighter
A drow fighter in pathfinder 2e is a skilled combatant who uses their natural agility and quick reflexes to deadly effect on the battlefield. Drow fighters are experts at using weapons that inflict deep, bleeding wounds.
They are also proficient in the use of stealth, making them deadly opponents even before they enter combat.
Level 1
Darkvision
Skills: Acrobatics +7, Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Stealth +7
Light Blindness
AC 18
Attack of Opportunity
Spells: Drow fighters are trained in the use of magic. They gain access to the following spells: faerie fire (at will), darkness (at will).
Cantrips: dancing lights (2nd)
Quick Draw
Skewer: The Drow Fighter Strikes with its rapier, and gains a +1 circumstance bonus to the attack roll. A creature damaged by the attack takes 1d6 persistent bleed damage.
Source: Core Rulebook, pg 136
Drow Rogue
The ultimate loners, drow rogues rely on stealth and their superior awareness to survive. As agents of noble houses, drow rogues know that trust is more precious than gold. Rogues usually serve as spies for their superiors. They often end up as drow exiles and hermits when things go sour.
Level 2
Darkvision
Skills: Acrobatics +8, Deception +7, Society +4, Stealth +10, Thievery +8
Light Blindness
AC 19
Spells: Drow rogues are trained in the use of magic. They gain access to the following spells: faerie fire (at will), darkness (at will).
Cantrips: dancing lights (2nd)
Quick Draw
Sneak Attack: The drow rogue deals 1d6 extra precision damage to flat-footed creatures.
Source: Core Rulebook, pg 136
Drow Priestess
A Drow Priestess is a spellcaster who draws power from the dark gods of the drow, using her arcane might to bring death and destruction to her enemies. She can cast spells to bolster her allies or harm her foes and summon powerful creatures to fight for her. In addition, she can use her magic to create illusions that confuse and deceive her enemies.
Level 2
Darkvision
Skills: Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Religion +9, Society +5, Stealth +7
Light Blindness
AC 20 (22 with shield raised)
Spells: Drow priestesses are experts in the arcane arts. As such, they command an arsenal of magic spells, including silence, spiritual weapon, bless, command, fear, and levitate.
Cantrips: detect magic, guidance, know direction, read aura, stabilize, dancing lights (4th)
Quick Draw
Sneak Attack: The drow rogue deals 1d6 extra precision damage to flat-footed creatures.
Source: Core Rulebook, pg 136
Final Thoughts
Tragic figures in the world of Golarion, drow elves are the victims of a sinister influence. These vicious and proud creatures make excellent melee combatants, and they’re experts in magic and stealth.
Pathfinder 2e offers players a chance to explore the dark elves in all their glory. By making a drow character of their own, players can craft their own story about these strange and mysterious elves.
