The Drow of Cambria are distant cousins of the Elves. This race entry replaces the one from the Player’s Handbook, and is now a standalone racial choice.

Drow are very similar to High Elves with respect to their height and build, with finer, often delicate features. They move with a natural fluidity and grace that other races find quite appealing, often entrancing. Drow tend to have slightly shorter ears and much lighter skin than their surface cousins, with eyes bearing the tapetum lucidum typical of nocturnal creatures. Drow eyes are so highly reflective that their irises appear to glow when subjected to any light source, especially bright light such as fire or the sun. The eyes of a Drow are probably biggest tell that they’re Drow and not a surface Elf, for they are almost always a brilliant hue normally associated with tropical flowers – bright red, purple, green, yellow or blue.

Another difference between Drow and surface Elves is that they grow claws in place of fingernails, which retract similar to that of a feline.

Drow also have a natural affinity for magic, as do most creatures which reside within Cambria’s crust.

Drow are highly social, intelligent creatures that live in large subterranean cities, which are ruled by a matriarchy. The concept of family is highly important to most Drow, and every Drow family is headed by a Matron. Females generally have higher status in Drow society than males, with females being stronger and generally far more dominant in nature.

Drow Traits

All Drow have the following traits:

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Drow reach physical maturity at the same rate as humans. Like their surface cousins, Drow cannot die of old age – though disease, infection, and wounds can still kill them.

Size. Drow range from under 5 feet to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision. Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.

Infravision. You are able to switch back and forth into an alternate vision mode at will, which allows you to see relative heat of creatures and objects to a radius of 60 feet. Cooler temperatures appear blue in color, while hotter temperatures appear red. Infravision is how Drow naturally see underground, where there is no light at all save for some bioluminescent life forms.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Trance. Drow, like their surface cousins, don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion: such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Drow Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you learn faerie fire. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast darkness. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Casting these spells depletes your daily spell points as normal.

Drow Weapon Training. You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.

Claws. You have retractable claws, which are natural weapons you are proficient with. Retracting or extending your claws can be done as part of your attack, or on its own as a free action. They deal 1d8 slashing damage.