One of the most important choices for building a character in Baldur’s Gate 3 It’s race. Although race does not affect players as it does in traditional gaming, Dungeons and Dragons and stat bonuses are not predetermined, they may affect certain scenarios and interactions. Especially in the first act of the game, players will often find that their chosen race will determine the first impression many NPCs have of them, and all races will have dialogue unique to them.
The drow are a subspecies of elves, but are considered their own race in Baldur’s Gate 3 character creator. They originate from the Underdark, and are notorious for their cruelty and brutal upbringing – the drow can even be considered much crueler than the Gith, and players can witness firsthand the fierce nature of Gith society at the beginning of Act 1. Although many Players may be hesitant to play a drow character due to their perceived nature or origins in the Underdark, drow are actually one of the most fun races to play with.
Playing as a Drow makes Goblin interactions a breeze
Drow are the only people Goblins respect
In conversations with goblins, playing a drow character will often quickly yield the best outcome and protect players from having to make large persuasion or intimidation checks. In drow societies, goblins, ogres, hobgoblins, and other creatures of a similar nature act as servants to them, which means that goblins tend to view drow as their superiors – especially drow women, as they are also strongly matriarchal. When players find the goblin camp or destroyed village, having a drow in their party – or someone disguised as one – is essentially a free pass through those areas.
It’s no news to anyone that drow receive the most hate based on their race. Baldur’s Gate 3 – many are disinclined to trust them due to their violent reputation. However, it’s not particularly difficult to ignore first impressions, and players don’t necessarily need to play as an evil-aligned drow. In general, it seems like the negative implications of playing as a drow aren’t very prevalent, which means players can enjoy race bonuses and a horde of worshiping goblins at the same time, with little to no downside.
|
Level |
Drow Racial Ability |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Drow Weapon Training (Proficiency with shortswords, rapiers, and crossbows) Superior Darkvision Fey Ancestor Dancing lights Cantrip Perception Proficiency |
|
3 |
Fairy fire (first level spell) |
|
5 |
Darkness (second level spell) |
However, if players want to make an evil play, then a drow is without a doubt the best race to choose. Not only is it easier to earn the goblins’ respect, but Minthara will give the player the warmest welcome of any other race to a female drow, referring to the player as a “sister.” Any drow player planning to invade the woods with her in Act 1 will have an easier time convincing the Absolutists to their side. and recruiting Minthara in Act 2.
Drow have unique interactions underground
The Underdark is the home of the Drow
While many interactions on the surface involve characters who are discriminatory towards drow, at the end of Act 1, players have the option of traveling to Moonrise Towers via the mountain pass or the Underdark. The latter is where the drow, deep gnomes, and duergar live, and There are many interactions in this area unique to the drow and their subraces. Most players will notice the “Baldurian“dialogue tag when talking to NPCs, but for Underdark residents, it is replaced with”Underground.” The only other race not from Baldur’s Gate are the Githyanki, since they are outsiders.
For example, the 
Speak Aluve
is a sword obtained in the Underdark that has inscriptions related to Eilistraeeone of the two drow goddesses in Baldur’s Gate 3. A cleric of Elistraee will recognize the writings – a cleric of Lolth will also, but as seen in Dark Desire Diaries‘ The YouTube video above will get a much more hateful narration regarding the sword. They will also experience a unique dialogue involving intervention from Lolth herself as a warning not to anger her again.
West of the Selunite outpost in the Underdark, players can encounter a drow NPC named Dhourn. Female drow of “Noble” origin – like Minthara, although she cannot be used in Act 1 – can gain an inspiration point by intimidating him and defending the drow matriarchy. Drow have some of the dialogue options most associated with themrivaling even the Githyanki, who are extremely involved in the overall plot of the game.
Drow have some of the most interesting stories in Faerûn
Baldur’s Gate 3 features two rival drow goddesses
As mentioned above, there are two members of the drow pantheon who are relevant in Baldur’s Gate 3: Lolth and Eilistraee. Lolth is an evil deity known as the Spider Queen, often depicted similar to a drider. She is a model of the cruel nature of the drow, delighting in violence and bloodshed. Eilistraee is her daughter and denounces everything her mother stands for – she is of good alignment and allied with other deities like Selûne. She values ​​freedom, music, dance, and beauty – her worshipers are often among those seeking an alternative to the rest of drow society.
In Dungeons and DragonsLolth is part of the Dark Seldarine pantheon, while Eilistraee is a member of the Seldarine pantheon. In Baldur’s Gate 3these pantheons are reduced to these two deities, and the drow subraces are Lolthsworn and Seldarine. Lolthsworn drow are typically identified by their red eyes, and Seldarine drow have light blue eyes.but this is not a mandatory preset in character customization and players can choose whatever physical attributes they want. Lolthsworn clerics cannot choose any deity other than Lolth – meanwhile, Seldarine clerics are the opposite and can worship any deity other than Lolth.
The drow have many unique story options throughout the game. Although the way other characters typically respond to drow may come as a shock to players unfamiliar with Dungeons and DragonsThey can even be a good choice for those new to the game, given how easily they can progress through areas like the goblin camp in the first act. Although compared to other races, the drow appears to be a decently popular choice among players, those who haven’t played as a drow are missing out on some of the best gameplay opportunities in Baldur’s Gate 3.