Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

To have characters act in multiple ways to a good monster (not neccesary good drow now, but also good aligned kobold etc), is the best perk of playing a good aligned monster.

It just should not degrade into lawful good aligned persons commiting evil acts onto good beings in generals. In DnD, good and evil deeds are black and whie, there is no grey area (its fantasy setting). To kill, maim, torture, a good being is an evil act. Commiting evil acts in DnD shifts the aligment towards evil.

Beware, there are few nuaisences. To kill a good being out for no reason is evil, to kill good being because it is breaking law, threathening you and so on, might not be an evil act.

Also hate, is an evil trait, and can degrade someones aligment, as it leads into commiting evil acts as well.


But we are off the topic, indeed. As i stated on the first linies, the unpredictive encounters, the hardeship of estabilishing yourself, are the perks why we should strive to play good aligned monsters.

The Ig bonds and battleforged friendship then is the biggest award usually. When you play an elf, having friends and allies is natural, common, dismissival thing noone thinks over. But to gain true friends willing to sacrifice themselves for your good aligned monster is awsome achievement of this role play, making it unique above other things.

It also allows for people of all different aligments to stand out in the party of good aligned monster - a companion, hating drow, but good aligned, struggling between what was taught, raised up in, and its own code of acting (aligment). Taught to fight this type of people but also aware that guy (kobold, drow, goblin whatever) is not evil etc and aware that hurting them, would be evil itself, is a fun.

Shadowspinner70 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 5:45 pm As for the WotC thing . . . I believe it's not racism from the setting, it's insensitive material in the lorebooks itself.

Speaking purely as a human being who flies into a near uncontrollable rage when encountering RL racism... how other players might perceive IC racism, well, it just never really enters my thought process. Or I subconsciously don't allow it to? I don't know. This is all fantasy AFAIC, and I think I'm incapable or equating drow to anything within the real.

That being said, if I ever decide to roll up an Eilistraeen drow(.. highly unlikely, I freely admit, mostly because ECL races make me want to headbutt my monitor), I would be absolutely fine with getting hurled into a Greypeaks volcano for coming to the surface and doing... whatever it is that those types do. I literally have no idea what that might be, since the lore and source material seems to be so highly contradictory(not unlike our opinions). Help?

The spirit of the Circle of Song can live on in new guilds with different names.

Snarfy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:11 pm

Shadowspinner70 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 5:45 pm As for the WotC thing . . . I believe it's not racism from the setting, it's insensitive material in the lorebooks itself.

Speaking purely as a human being who flies into a near uncontrollable rage when encountering RL racism... how other players might perceive IC racism, well, it just never really enters my thought process. Or I subconsciously don't allow it to? I don't know. This is all fantasy AFAIC, and I think I'm incapable or equating drow to anything within the real.

That being said, if I ever decide to roll up an Eilistraeen drow(.. highly unlikely, I freely admit, mostly because ECL races make me want to headbutt my monitor), I would be absolutely fine with getting hurled into a Greypeaks volcano for coming to the surface and doing... whatever it is that those types do. I literally have no idea what that might be, since the lore and source material seems to be so highly contradictory(not unlike our opinions). Help?

There cant be racism IG as RACES in fantasy setting are different, and never equal, be it in in culture, attributes, professions. The dirrence is there, and is visible. The word itself is of modern origin, and you would be surprised how many RP servers with fantasy setting forbide its use in role play.

JIŘÍ wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:15 pm There cant be racism IG as RACES in fantasy setting are different, and never equal, be it in in culture, attributes, professions. The dirrence is there, and is visible. The word itself is of modern origin, and you would be surprised how many RP servers with fantasy setting forbide its use in role play.

... thank you. I feel like I(and probably a few others) really needed to read that.

Anyways. Source material on Eilistraeen clergy, or Eilistraee in general? What's the go-to on this, because I really am clueless on where to start.

JIŘÍ wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:15 pm

Snarfy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:11 pm

Shadowspinner70 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 5:45 pm As for the WotC thing . . . I believe it's not racism from the setting, it's insensitive material in the lorebooks itself.

Speaking purely as a human being who flies into a near uncontrollable rage when encountering RL racism... how other players might perceive IC racism, well, it just never really enters my thought process. Or I subconsciously don't allow it to? I don't know. This is all fantasy AFAIC, and I think I'm incapable or equating drow to anything within the real.

That being said, if I ever decide to roll up an Eilistraeen drow(.. highly unlikely, I freely admit, mostly because ECL races make me want to headbutt my monitor), I would be absolutely fine with getting hurled into a Greypeaks volcano for coming to the surface and doing... whatever it is that those types do. I literally have no idea what that might be, since the lore and source material seems to be so highly contradictory(not unlike our opinions). Help?

There cant be racism IG as RACES in fantasy setting are different, and never equal, be it in in culture, attributes, professions. The dirrence is there, and is visible. The word itself is of modern origin, and you would be surprised how many RP servers with fantasy setting forbide its use in role play.

Oh yeah, I am totally in it for someone rping a racist elf for example, just don't tell me it's lorebreaking to have other elves accepting or even befriending eilistreean drow.

Snarfy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:30 pmAnyways. Source material on Eilistraeen clergy, or Eilistraee in general? What's the go-to on this, because I really am clueless on where to start.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki ... Eilistraee

Very comprehensive writeup. Sources are linked at the bottom.

Thank you, Rhifox!
And please, let's not drift this topic again?
Eilistraeen are fun, as is the fighting and the friendship that can be made with both drow and surfacers alike.
There can be traitors, there can be unexpected allies, there's a lot of potential in that.
All I ask is to be true to your own character, and remember that Baldur's Gate Laws (Tolerance is Treason) is not valid through all the server.
Just in Baldur's Gate territory (which, I take this moment to say that Winding Waters is NOT Baldur's Gate territory).

Eilistraeens did mistakes in the past?
Possibly, but I still believe that (ICly) something can be salvaged.
Not asking for a happy ending, just for high quality RP!

So, let's have fun together. And be good <3

I have always liked Eilistraee as a deity, but I have many times found that PC followers of the deity can often have a disruptive influence on a PW if they form a very strong community on the surface. I think it's very important that Eilistraeean players strive to to be careful, cautious and secretive, since they represent something that quite frankly most of the IG world doesn't comprehend nor care to accept. Namely a good-aligned drow. That doesn't mean you shouldn't play it, but you shouldn't go in thinking it's the same or as easy as playing a regular good aligned race.

Playing an Eilistraeean is and should be challenging. And that means dealing with xenophobia from surfacers as well as dealing with duplicitous evil drow, whom will most likely have a low regard of Eilistraeeans. If that challenge goes away completely, then drow are pretty much identical as elves, and then it loses much of what makes it unique and interesting in the first place.

Even though you might be a good-aligned drow, it's important to remember, you are still a drow. Surviving a traditionally evil drow society would have it's toll on your psyche. The upbringing that drow children go through is rough and brutal, since most drow elders will teach drow children to be conniving, two-faced and manipulative bullies. They will raise that child that exhibits those qualities best as an example over others while scolding and beating the child demonstrates it worst. And being the child that performs the worst in that scenario, could as well mean that your own family members might take their retribution on you, since you are not only disgracing yourself but the pride and reputation of the house. Such a harsh and merciless childhood is most certainly going to scar your character's moral outlook and beliefs even long after your character has declared their soul for Eilistraee. Becausee even if you are good-hearted, you've likely done some bad things in the past just to survive and get by.

Being a follower of a heretical deity in the Underdark is immensely risky, since there are few things that the Lolthite clerics enjoy more than exposing blasphemers and disbelievers. Sshamath is not a Lolthite city of course, so you could say you have some what better odds of establishing a community here than in any other drow traditional city. However Sshamath used to be a Lolthite city and even some of those cruel moral values pervade through it's society, even if it's political and social structure is different. Such values that sharply contrast with the values of Eilistraeeans. Many drow in Sshamath will likely sneer and deride your drow for their "faerie elf"-like beliefs and moral naivete, while others might regard you as an abomination that ought be made an example of, to the benefit of the various other evil deities of the Dark Seldarine.

Being on the surface however, you should expect a tough time here as well. Most surfacers will be remain utterly convinced that drow are cold-hearted murderers and slavers, as wicked and as unredeemable as demons and devils. That isn't necessarily the truth of course, but the perception is real. Because most interactions with surfacers and Underdark dwellers are not generally positive exchanges. Which is why even on the surface, you should keep a somewhat low profile and be slow to expose yourself to others. Make slow and careful steps when making contacting with surfacers. Don't go around unhooded. Expect to be perceived in the same light as a goblin or an orc, if strangers immediately come to recognise you as a drow. Exposing yourself to the wrong person could mean not just risking your own life, but the endangering the lives of your fellow Eilistraeeans that might be part of your small community.

Within the setting of Forgotten Realms it should be noted that most Eilistraeean communities on the surface generally live in their own secluded glades deep within a part of a forestland; generally not in an area in close proximity to major urban settlements, which means they are rarely disturbed or rarely come in frequent contact with surfacers. When they do come in contact with people it's generally rangers, druids and other hermits, who likely come to recognize that they are not the same as worshippers of the Spider Queen and would be content to leave them be, as they would any other living creature within the forest that does not destabilize the natural environment. That doesn't mean they would be warmly received even by these few surfacers that come by them. Elves have much reason to be disdainful of drow or even hostile, but they likely wouldn't waste time or resources into attacking followers of Eilistraee, when they might have more actual and immediate threats.

^^ ... the optimist in me appreciates this. The pessimist in me suspects that others will not.

To reply to the initial query:

Yes.

FS in the epics, mostly retired.
Cleric in the late middle epics currently played at least weekly.

/M

Storm Munin wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:12 am To reply to the initial query:

Yes.

FS in the epics, mostly retired.
Cleric in the late middle epics currently played at least weekly.

/M

We got an entire group dow there now.