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Originally posted by Kaladorm

I've heard this quote hundreds of times and it always rings true

Chaotic evil is not chaotic stupid

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Originally posted by Gwenfloor

I was in for a rude awakening when fellow PCs spent more time gutting everyone's throats than trying to engage in a long-term plan.

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Originally posted by Kiaransalyn

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Originally posted by Gwenfloor

I was in for a rude awakening when fellow PCs spent more time gutting everyone's throats than trying to engage in a long-term plan.

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It sounds like these PCs were chaotic stupid and not chaotic evil. After all if chaotic evil meant killing everything in sight then how do orc hoardes manage to appear?

I wrote a small essay about drow alignment a few years ago which I've taken the liberty of posting below. Hopefully, it'll help.

Unless

Perhaps the first thing I should do is to comment on the Chaotic Evil (CE) description. The Player's Handbook, (Version 3.5 pg 106) says that CE characters 'do whatever their greed, hatred and lust for destruction drive them to do. They are hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent and unpredictable.' Granted, alignment shouldn't be used as a strait-jacket but this defination suggests that a CE society shouldn't really exist since every individual in it will be a violent criminal who is consumed not only by thoughts of murder, rapine and theft but by the need to commit them. Clearly more consideration should be given to what a CE society is and how it functions.

If we now turn to the drow the first thing to point out is that they have a +2 modifier to their intelligence, (from Underdark, pg 11). This suggests that they are not brutish barbarians and are quite capable of finding solutions to the problems they encounter. Now they may be greedy, violent and unpredictable but that does not mean they are suicidal, stupid or lack a strong instinct for self-preservation. I think that drow use their intelligence to persue their goals and they clearly see the benefit in banding together. Their first social tie is their 'house', this is a collection of individuals that see the benefit in working together because the individuals are then better able to achieve what they wish to achieve.

What is more appealing to a drow, killing another drow of equal ability for no reason or ganging up with that drow to kill some weaker goblins because they can? And it should be borne in mind that the reason 'because they can' is good enough for a CE character. One of my favourite shows is Babylon 5 and I'll quote G'Kar from it; "The universe runs on a complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." It is not in any intelligent drow's self-interest to get killed, (we'll get on to the 'raise dead' issue soon.) Your usual drow character will be cultured, charming, intelligent, dress well and straight away will be calculating what use you are to her/him. If you are of no use to them and they know you are of no consequence they might kill you if it so pleases them. That 'no consequence' is important and I'll explain why in a while also.

I have said that drow work together in 'houses' because they find they can better achieve their aims that way, and for that same reason 'houses' group together to form cities. Again they can better achieve their aims that way. Drow are intelligent and this is why this happens. However, does this mean they are happily drinking tea and passing the port the correct way? Far from it. They are always striving to improve their station.

For example, Gruherth the mage may think about killing Laerekh, the leader of his mercenary company. As leader, Gruherth would have more power and an improved station. However, he then considers that Laerekh has better contacts and those mean contracts and wealth for their mercenary company. Also although Laerekh isn't a wizard he is a gifted shadowdancer and Gruherth has seen how he fights. Gruherth knows if he is going to kill Laerekh he had better make his first spell a damn effective spell because Laerekh's daggers will finish him off before he can ready his second. After this musing he may then think that actually he is doing fine and it is to his advantage to leave Laerekh as leader. He could form an alliance but that means telling another drow, for example, Calimar his plans. However, Calimar will only help Gruherth if there is something in it for Calimar. And Calimar will consider what Laerekh will do if he knows Gruherth's plans. In fact, Laerekh may better improve Calimar's position.

Taking that example, you may now see why House Baenre has remained unchallenged for many thousands of years. The gamble for the other high ranking noble houses is too risky. They can't form an alliance with other houses because that may give their intended target the advantage of a potential informant. The more houses involved in a conspiracy to topple House Baenre the more likely one will just inform House Baenre, because it is in their self-interest to do so. Far from being a violent society, Drow society is a society that on the surface seems quite civilised. However, underneath, there is a violent desire bubbling away. Alliances are formed and plans are set and it only needs one event to set the whole house of cards falling. If you have read Insurrection from The War of the Spider Queen series, this is why I think Ched Nasad falls in one day. One action and one event triggers all the other planned actions. It unleashes that need for violence in the drow character because suddenly the gambles they are wagering on have a better chance of paying off. There's a chance to commit cruelty and get away with it.

Another example is the attempted destruction of House Freth by House Teken'duis (from the novel Homeland). The Teken'duis fail to kill all of House Freth and therefore House Teken'duis itself is destroyed utterly. To be powerful, one must have powerful friends and to gain powerful friends one must show that you have equal power. If House Teken'duis had destroyed House Freth completely the other houses would know that Teken'duis was powerful and therefore deserving of consideration. However, by letting some of House Freth survive the allies of House Freth would be compelled to act forcefully against House Teken'duis. They have to show that their power is something to feared and to be courted. Otherwise, how many other houses would ally with them or leave them alone if they let Teken'duis go unpunished. And exactly because the violent drow nature could bubble up in blood-letting and violence all the houses combine to destroy Teken'duis.

An individual drow then, takes care not to kill somebody of consequence. A Del'Armgo wouldn't just kill a Baenre if there were witnesses present unless all of those witnesses saw an advantage to the death of that particular Baenre. Similarly, a Del'Armgo wouldn't kill a Baenre in an isolated location if they knew the spot could be scryed or some other form of magical detection could be employed. At the same time, a Baenre might not kill a Del'Armgo because House Barrison Del'Armgo could use that as evidence to the other houses that the Baenre are killing needlessly and such violence will harm all the houses lesser in rank then Baenre.

A drow always strives to improve their station but they have to make sure that the actions they take to improve their station do not carry consequences. There are no chances to commit evil acts and there is no increase in station if you are dead after all. This is a good time to mention the 'raise dead' spells that clerics can cast. In a good society, characters have a higher chance of being raised from the dead. In a drow society a cleric will only raise a character from the dead if they percieve a personal advantage. You may think that a sack of gold is a fine advantage to the cleric but the cleric might think that killing those who are offering the gold, pocketing it and saving the spell for someone who is directly useful to the cleric is a better decision.

I've mentioned all this without mentioning Lolth. As a goddess, Lolth wants power and to get power she needs worshippers and clerics to spread her belief. If she sees her believers killing one another the Spider Queen is going to lose worshippers and power very quickly. This filters down the hierarchy, the Matron Mother doesn't want her house being weakened by bloodshed because she will lose power and station. Even the lowly male patrol commander doesn't want his troops fighting amongst one another because his power is lessened and the group's chances of getting back to the city from the perils of the Underdark are greatly reduced.

Now if that patrol commander is taking risks that are perceived as unnecessary by his troops a cunning soldier may assassinate him and take his place. A daughter will kill her mother if the Matron is growing old and infirm. The daughter will rationalise this in terms of the mother's continued existence being a source of weakness to the house. At the top of the hierarchy, Lolth will be displaced as head of the drow pantheon if the drow percieve that worshipping another deity is to their advantage.

I've titled this post 'Unless' because it seems appropriate. When you role-play a drow character your character will not commit an evil act unless there is no consequence. Remember drow are intelligent as well as cruel. They are also intensely keen on the idea of staying alive.

You may say that acts of random violence is in keeping with your drow character's chaotic evil nature. However, before you commit those random acts think about the the drow one step higher in the hierarchy who is more powerful and stronger who will also be staying 'in-character' by destroying your character. Be cruel and be evil because that is drow nature but don't do it at the expense of your life.

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