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LWhitehead1
Learned Scribe
133 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Dec 2024 : 23:38:28
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Hi I need to know that Underdark is only in the FR setting officially,
I need for my homebrew setting create a homeland for my Drow.
LW
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2024 : 23:43:01
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| There are many versions and iterations of the concept of the Realms “Underdark” across many official settings and worlds published by TSR/Wizards. But the Underdark of FR is wholly its own thing unique to that world. |
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LordofBones
Master of Realmslore
1587 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2024 : 00:55:03
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| Make up your own homeland. |
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LWhitehead1
Learned Scribe
133 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2024 : 02:54:32
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This is true but Drow Race in FR have complete set of Gods and Goddess and there own citystates as well,
LW |
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Delnyn
Master of Realmslore
USA
1076 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2024 : 06:58:23
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LWhitehead1,
What established settings are should not dictate whatever homebrew you make. You don't "need to know Underdark is only in the FR setting." Other settings - such as Greyhawk - have their own Underdark even if the term "Underdark" is not used. Think GDQ series. Make your own pantheon and city-states for the drow. Don't invent constraints that exist only in your imagination. Feel free to use the Dark Seldarine and Menzoberranzan as base templates if creating from scratch is too much work in the timeframe you have. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2024 : 02:36:26
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Well, there were underground adventures back in Mystara, and Gazetteer splatbook Shadow Elves.
Then there were D series.
And only then...
quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
but Drow Race in FR have complete set of Gods and Goddess and there own citystates as well,
If you play in Planescape cosmology, it’s a non-issue in that none of the drow deities were even implied to be single-sphere, AFAIK (even Zinzerena ascended in some other world).
So you could take them as is, just somewhat redesign the local social adaptations (you did pay attention to variations among the lolthites, right?), sects and power balance however it fits together.
There are also a few local interlopers (Mystra, Shar) and opportunistic alter egos of some gods for whom the drow are an afterthought (of these Malyk was the only one as much as named). They are non-essential, you can easily drop them all and add your own interlopers. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
Edited by - TBeholder on 06 Dec 2024 04:04:43 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36965 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2024 : 19:20:10
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| There was a third-party book that mentioned, in passing, an Underdark-type plane that linked the Underdarks of various worlds. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12191 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2024 : 14:03:09
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quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
Well, there were underground adventures back in Mystara, and Gazetteer splatbook Shadow Elves.
Then there were D series.
And only then...
quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
but Drow Race in FR have complete set of Gods and Goddess and there own citystates as well,
If you play in Planescape cosmology, it’s a non-issue in that none of the drow deities were even implied to be single-sphere, AFAIK (even Zinzerena ascended in some other world).
So you could take them as is, just somewhat redesign the local social adaptations (you did pay attention to variations among the lolthites, right?), sects and power balance however it fits together.
There are also a few local interlopers (Mystra, Shar) and opportunistic alter egos of some gods for whom the drow are an afterthought (of these Malyk was the only one as much as named). They are non-essential, you can easily drop them all and add your own interlopers.
Just to note for the original poster... the shadow elves were NOT drow, and they were pale skinned. Their culture was different from drow. There WERE drow in Mystara as well. The shadow elves were the boogeyme to the surface elves as well, and they weren't intrinsically evil necessarily. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2024 : 23:56:32
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| There’s also the Shadow [Fey] Elves of 3e’s RAVENLOFT which kinda sorted had their own Underdark beneath the Dread Domains … which contained haphazard portals to other worlds/domains. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2024 : 00:48:57
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| Not only is the Underdark not unique to the Forgotten Realms setting (it might be called something else on other settings, but it's still essentially the same biome), but drow do not have to come from there. There are drow living in jungles on at least two settings, drow living on the polar icecaps, drow living in temperate forests like other elves, drow living in surface cities, and drow whose lives are not dominated by their religion. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
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Edited by - hashimashadoo on 09 Dec 2024 00:49:37 |
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LWhitehead1
Learned Scribe
133 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 08:18:08
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What about the other races that live in the Underdark are they only in FR?,
LW |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12191 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 12:46:26
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quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
What about the other races that live in the Underdark are they only in FR?,
LW
Please go do some research on your own. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Old Man Harpell
Senior Scribe
USA
498 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2024 : 15:18:20
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quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
What about the other races that live in the Underdark are they only in FR?,
LW
There are as many answers as there are campaign worlds (and that includes homebrews). What can be found in the Realms can pretty much be found in Greyhawk, for example, as both are designed to be all-encompassing. Some worlds, such as Birthright or Dragonlance, you will find absolutely none of them. There is truthfully no stock answer, as each campaign world has characteristics unique to it. A setting-by-setting analysis is really the only way to acquire the information you need. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2024 : 22:53:27
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Indeed.
And while there are some regions beneath the surface of Ansalon on Krynn [the campaign world of DRAGONLANCE] that could be labelled “Underdark-lite” … the concept of races like dark elves and illithids and beholders and such inhabiting these dark depths… isn’t such a thing for that world. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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LWhitehead1
Learned Scribe
133 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2024 : 22:04:48
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That's what I'm talking about other races other then Drow in the Underdark in homebrew setting such as Illithids and Beholders, we know that Illithids are spelljamers so they can reach other worlds.
LW |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2024 : 00:40:17
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| Illithids don’t need spelljamming vessels to access other planes or crystal spheres. They’ve developed some pretty aggressive and invasive planar transportation techniques over thousands of years that have allowed them to populate worlds across the D&D multiverse. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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LWhitehead1
Learned Scribe
133 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2024 : 09:44:56
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That's what I mean in the D&D multiverse it's standard for some racial Gods to across the planes to to speak, so how of the FR Drow Gods are from the planes?.
LW |
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LordofBones
Master of Realmslore
1587 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2024 : 09:59:05
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| Almost all the Dark Seldarine have outer planar realms. |
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Delnyn
Master of Realmslore
USA
1076 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2024 : 18:21:56
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quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
That's what I mean in the D&D multiverse it's standard for some racial Gods to across the planes to to speak, so how of the FR Drow Gods are from the planes?.
LW
Lolth, Kiaransalee and Ghaunadaur live in the Abyss. Vhaeraun lives in Carceri. Eilistraee lives in Ysgard. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2511 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2024 : 22:06:24
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Just to note for the original poster... the shadow elves were NOT drow, and they were pale skinned. Their culture was different from drow.
They seem to be the source of some concepts for later drow.
quote:
There WERE drow in Mystara as well.
Sauce?
quote:
Originally posted by hashimashadoo
and drow whose lives are not dominated by their religion.
That happens even in FR. Merchants (and to lesser degree mercenaries) are outside the city theocracies. And, of course, Sshamath.
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
while there are some regions beneath the surface of Ansalon on Krynn [the campaign world of DRAGONLANCE] that could be labelled �Underdark-lite� � the concept of races like dark elves and illithids and beholders and such inhabiting these dark depths� isn�t such a thing for that world.
There are degenerate illithids, yaggol.
Also, there were several attempts to introduce the drow from AD&D2 Wild Elves and on, via spelljamming, Jiathuli or Morgion. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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LordofBones
Master of Realmslore
1587 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2024 : 01:07:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Delnyn
quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
That's what I mean in the D&D multiverse it's standard for some racial Gods to across the planes to to speak, so how of the FR Drow Gods are from the planes?.
LW
Lolth, Kiaransalee and Ghaunadaur live in the Abyss. Vhaeraun lives in Carceri. Eilistraee lives in Ysgard.
As of FC1, Kiaransalee has abandoned her holdings in the Abyss and is hiding out on the Prime. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12191 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2024 : 17:26:16
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quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Just to note for the original poster... the shadow elves were NOT drow, and they were pale skinned. Their culture was different from drow.
They seem to be the source of some concepts for later drow.
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
There WERE drow in Mystara as well.
Sauce?
What influence the shadow elves had on drow seems minimal at best. GAZ13 Shadow Elves was from 1990. The drow seem to have been introduced about a decade years earlier. I feel more like someone wanted to introduce the shadow elves as a counter to the drow. That being said, I won't claim to be a master of mystara lore.
The reference to drow ...
GAZ5 Elves of Alfhemi - cover has specifically a black skinned elf shown.
From GAZ7 the Northern Reaches pg 24 - references to dark elves and pg 63 says these dark elves have origins in Svartalfheim
I know some people believe that the cover is a mistake and others think the "dark elves" are really the "shadow elves".
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3763 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2024 : 21:31:20
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| -If it's your homebrew setting, do what you want. The concept of giant caves where (INSERT THING) lives goes back far, far far into human mythology. The Forgotten Realms definitely have a lot of pre-published information to get concepts and ideas from, but at this point, an Underdark is probably a staple of most D&D-type world. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know) |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1885 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2025 : 19:40:06
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| The term Underdark was originally coined in the Dungeoneers Suvival Guide in 1e. TECHNICALLY it was coined for Greyhawk (but it was meant to be a generic term in a generic book). Greynards will insist that it's theirs, but it isn't. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Underdark is only in FR
