also, drow ladies in silk. Yeah.

>>12978807

Has his priorities right. Principal Drow crafts should be lingerie.

>>12978703
Doesn't Drow gear glitter and disintegrate under sunlight?

Maybe that only works with normal sized spiders.

>>12978848
Pretty sure they stopped caring about that for 3rd and 4th

>>12978848
All the more reason for it to be expensive as shit. It'd be a sign of wealth and opulence for surfacers to use drow silk, which is difficult to procure and expensive to transport and care for. And breathtakingly beautiful in the light of the moon.

Hell, I like to run drow kinda like cave-dwelling dunmer, in that they're mostly insular but understand the value of foreign trade and relations. They have exotic customs: you must feed and entertain your guests and ensure their utmost comfort before any business is to be discussed, with expense of such directly proportional to the guest's importance. They have strange taboos: men must be bald, women must wear masks in public, only men can be politicians, only women can be clergy, etc.

I've always disliked evil races. It's an insultingly simple kind of moral representation that bores me to tears. Customs and ethics should be different, so that relative measures of good and evil can lead to outrage between communities, but to make a whole race flatly evil bugs the shit out of me

How do they make the web Un-sticky, so it can be crafted?

>>12978703
>without even looking like you're wearing any armour at all.
"That armor's a little revealing isn't it?"

"Well it allows for maximum mobility. Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all! Nothing at all! NOTHING AT ALL!"

>>12978959
Not all spider-web strands are sticky, you know. The 'spokes' of a web are not; nor is the 'cocoon' silk used for egg cocoons; which is incredibly high-quality stuff.

>>12978840
Would make interesting trade thing. Or, if PCs aren't into commerce...

>Sinister Merchant Vardigus may be trading with the drow. Investigate his illicit business.
>Do-gooders charge in
>Paladin busts open crate
>Silk panties everywhere
>Imagine party's expressions for yourself.

This is simple, yet brilliant. I'm incorporating silkdrow into my new campaign. They are creatures of darkness not because CRAAWLINGINMYSKIIIIIN, but because money makes the world go round. Huge cities suspended on webs, massive industry, and a warlike culture for one simple reason - everyone and their dog wants to invade the land of the drow to take over the business.

>>12978952
Also, if you continue to veer from the FR crap (YOU HEARD ME), it becomes an excellent reason for driders to exist.

>>12979059
A kind of craftsman/weaver caste? Drow who voluntarily undertake transformation so that they may make breathtaking masterpieces of silk cloth?

>>12979060
>>12978963
So since their MASTERCRAFTED spider silk panties probably cost five times more then the rest of their "armor" it only makes sense to show them off as a status symbol?

I've seen that done with a mutationist character.

>>12979049
If they alone know the secret of infusing their silk goods with the spells that make it even stronger, keep it from getting dirty, give it odd properties - try a black silk cloak that lets you meld into shadows! - and other things... plus the varying levels of craftsmanship for everything from gossamer-fine veils to ropes and nets that could stop a minotaur in full charge...
They'd be so incredibly wealthy. Luxury goods everywhere, the chance for loads of hedonism in their isolated cities, because they trade their silk for everything from perfumes to surface fruits, enchanted to stay fresh until eaten...

>>12979049
It provides a good reason for the "Spiders, spiders everywhere!" other than CREEPYDARKEVIL, I think

Remember Nazis versus Drow?

Drow have spidersilk armor, basically bulletproof vests. Nazis are FUCKED

>The drow your drow could dress like

>>12979142
>They'd be so incredibly wealthy.
Yes, and that's why they'd turn into insane infrastructure. Think about it - you have essentially more money than god. Hell, probably their silk wares are USED as money because not only are they practical, they are more expensive and lighter than gold.

So where do you live when you are literally printing money? Well, how about making the skeleton of your mansion from living crystal, covering the outside with spider colonies, and then anchoring it to the cavern roof via silk ropes as thick as a man's torso? And that's just a fairly normal mansion MADE OF MONEY, there will be people that will want to take it a step further. Just exotic materials will be pedestrian, as everyone is richer than god. You'll use the best architects, paid mages twisting the laws of physics around your house to make it more exciting, the possibilities are endless.

>>12979182
It does. And having reasons is good.

>look closer
>realise drow in background is wearing nigh-invisible clothing
Huh.

>>12979266
Besides, if you wanted to keep a bit of drow backstabbing for flavour, well... city full of merchants all vying to sell to the outside world.
Quick way to succeed? Take out a competitor.
Drow pragmatism plus big business.

Drow in white are strangely appealing.

>>12979216
no, drow have bulletproof vests that are lighter and stronger than what we have now, ceramic inserts included. A drow in a thick sweater is better protected than any footsoldier on the planet.

Also - spidersilk has huge tensile strength, so it has to make huge bows. Enhance the archer via magic so he has a lolhueg strength score, give him a pencil thich drawstring, and watch him put bodkin arrows into the fucking moon.

>>12979299
Yes, there'd be rampant capitalism. And spiders.

Drow mage in silk robes suddenly is armoured up without clunky metal getting in the way of spells. Dress fancy, cast magic, never smell like an iron-monger's cupboard!

Y'realise that spider silk sheets will not stop piercing damage, only slashing? Its strong enough to take blunt damage, but whatever is under it, will not be unharmed.

>>12979317
Modern synthetic aramids like Kevlar are much, much better than what your average spider can produce. Spidersilk is such a hoot because spiders use biodegradable materials and water to make it, and don't require odd pressures and temperatures to work.

>>12979317
nope.jpg
You need something rigid to stop the bullet and spread the power of it around. That's why we have ceramic inserts. You can't just weave a shirt out of spidersilk and it's bulletproof.

>>12979365
And get your chest caved in by the first guy with a mace who gets to you.

Any mage hopeless enough to need armor ought to use serious armor. Flowing pajamas are for those who can dodge.

>>12979386
Ok, point taken. How about giant magical godspiders?

"Business is business, I'm afraid."

>>12979404
Adventurers from the surface start grinding you for your armor drops.

>Comte, homini
Yes, cheese, man.

>>12979398
They could still use it as part of other things. Given the likely overall tech level, it'd still be an advantage.

>>12979455
"Geoffrey, there are some ragamuffins pestering the spiders, take care of it"
"Yes sir, certainly sir"
and then 800 gargoyles wreck their shit

>they like their fancy gear

>>12979317

Bitches don't know about blunt force trauma.

One other thing they could use their environment for; medicines.
Many medicines are greatly reduced quantities of things that are otherwise poisonous.
Perhaps some fungi, or venom milked from spiders, if diluted carefully enough, actually become beneficial in some way.

>bumps with image

Sounds like something Jarlaxle would do

>>12979030
>Paladin busts open crate
>Silk panties everywhere

Dammit anon, you nearly made me burst out laughing in the middle of class...

>>12980446
the first time I saw that pic I wondered how they were doing that, and it bothered me
and then I remembered drow can levitate and it was fine again

>>12980468
It's even better if you imagine one getting caught on the paladin's Awesome Holy Weapon, and dangling there, while he just stares at it.

...And is possibly caught with panties hanging off his sword/mace/hammer when the guards come running at the noise.

>"It's not what it looks like!"

>>12980466
Oh yes. Profit, plus the pick of the gear for his own... interesting outfits.

.... all this armor spidersilk armor bullshit... none of you ever thought of using a mace? You dont need to penetrate the spider silk armor, the trauma force will pass right through it.

Also, while the spider silk might not be penetrated by a crossbow bolt, the bolt sure as hell will penetrate your skin and pull the silk into the wound aswell..

>>12979317
>Also - spidersilk has huge tensile strength, so it has to make huge bows.

The power of a bow comes from the bow itself, not the bowstring. The string serves only to transfer force to bend the bow; if you try to enhance your bow by using a stronger string, you'll just wind up snapping your bow if you try to draw it with extra force.

Jarlaxle rocks.

>>12980481
Sounds like an anime plot...

>>12980538
Or just a way to mess with an overly stuffy paladin.

Jarlaxle sleeps with dragons and doesn't afraid of anything

>>12979266
>Hell, probably their silk wares are USED as money
Panty money ! Awesome !

>>12980507
It probably would be strapped on mithril plates or something.

>>12980570
>>12980531
>please, ladies, contain your orgasms.

>>12980579
hell of a way to pay for anything

>>12980579
Plate armor doesn't stop blunt force.

>>12980681
It doesn't stop it, it distributes it.

>>12980681
Jarlaxle's hat does.

You don't even need anything else.

>>12980681
maaaaaagic~

>>12980550
Both, really.

>>12980528
No, it's extraordinary strength allows you to make bows with massive draw. Bows that are so strong, they would snap conventional bowstrings.

>>12980777
dat hat

>>12980815
The string is not the limit for bows. It's the strength of the wielder. That's why crossbows need cranks.

>>12980916
Strong bow, strong string, strong wielder. All good after that.

>>12980997
It just wouldn't help for most drows, and even for most of their slaves.

"Spin, my pretties! Spin!"

Spider silk is organic and breaks down over time. That's the biggest thing stopping modern chemists and engineers from using the stuff in pretty much everything. Most spiders have to re-weave their webs every 24 hours.

The modern engineers are working on ways to make it last longer, and they've had a little success, but not much.

Scum.

>>12981417
Is this word association? Um... Pond.

>>12981388
Magical preservation is magical.

>>12981388
Each morning, gentle repose your panties.

So... What about the Drow's Silk Road?
They have to get the Silk to the surface SOMEHOW, and then protect the road, because bandits and Underdark creepy crawlies that aren't spiders.

didnt some spiders help that sack of turds from the corpse bride get his swag on?

/tg/ don't ever open a business. Do you even grasp the basic understanding of money = need/scarcity? If tons of drow would put out spidersilk clothing then prices would drop, hence no super-wealthy drow would exist on the sole basis of spidersilk.

>>12982353
>By this logic, all business is futile.

>>12982353

And if we make the assumption the drow DO get wealthy on spidersilk which is quite a common ware for drow, then the whole drow economic society would collapse due to inflation.

>>12982353
Drow are the ONLY suppliers. The market wouldn't be flooded because, even with giant spiders, it would take a long time to make almost anything.
And not EVERY Drow would have a spider farm, only the major houses. Plus the Drow supply themselves and the SURPLUS is what is sent to the surface.

>>12982399
What he said.
No one said that every goddamn Drow would sell spider silk.

>>12982384

True, but now we are talking spidersilk which is not a rare commodity in drow society thus everyone can make and sell spidersilk.

Got to admit it opens up for an interesting setting with a spidersilk-trading spike followed by a fallen drow empire due to economic instability.

>>12982353
That's silly. The price per m2 of fabric doesn't matter, if the quality is high enough to ensure the sale of all the production.
And there's always the solution to make low-end brands and high-end ones.

Sort of a neat idea. Not really interested in it from a mercantile basis though. Even if the Drow theoretically could trade with the surface races, they wouldn't. They don't need wealth and despise most other races, what could they possibly gain from the trade they don't already have access to?

From the perspective of say, Drow cities anchored to the back of colossal-sized spider hordes though, yeah, mite b cool.

>>12982423
>Drow don't need wealth
Heh... yes they do.
There's lots of stuff they can't produce in their caves, they need to import them and trade is more effective in the long run than raids.

>>12982423
In FR, there was a drow city suspended in spider silk to the roof of a cave... Then one clan of half-dragon assassins cut the silk, and then claimed they conquered the ruins.

>>12982353
Me Zog, Zarnak listen Zog.

Underdark small. Surface world big. There be lots of scarabites because of surface big.

>>12982441
No, they really don't. They can produce everything they need and they don't raid because it's more effective when they want something, they raid because they ENJOY it.

The Drow aren't human-empire equivalent in the settings they are, save a few. They are often absurdly more powerful. They could conquer large portions of the surface world without difficult. Just like many other monster races, such as Aboleths, Githyanki or Mind Flayers. That's just how it goes. They don't because the current balance of powers isn't exactly bad for them and as powerful as they are, there are always more powerful interests you don't want to attract - and you don't want to act unless you know what the plans of the other 'big players' want.

>>12982502
They can't produce everything they want, though. And they certainly do not enjoy frugality.

They're like underground vikings. Of course they raid. But they trade more.

>>12982457

I read that book. It was a male supremacist faction of half-dragon drow.

The plan started as a way to take advantage of the fact that the priestesses had lost their power. The first part of the plan was that they would first sow discord among the lower classes and the slave races to the point that the upper classes started fearing them (they hadn't realized how many slaves with weapons were around and how much they relied on the priestesses to keep them in line).

Later they hired the Duegar to attack the cities (it was a near coincided attack with the same plans between Menzoberenzan and the city suspended on silk, Ched Nassad). The hired dwarves used a type of bomb that could burn even rock. Their bombs ate away at the silk of Ched Nassad causing the buildings to crash. The drow could barely do anything cause the slave races used this chance to revolt.

The male drow came in and took over after the damage was done. Menzoberranzan however survived all this since they weren't hanging on threads like Ched Nassad and managed to stop the revolts when they happened. The dragon/drow, the dwarves, and later the army of a half-fiend led an army against Menzo but the priestesses got their powers back midway.

>>12982353
See that's why
>>12981388
is a GOOD thing...

Obviously the fine drow enchantments woven into dark elven silk decay upon exposure to sources of randomized 'white noise' magical energies. The most notable source being the sun.

And it's 'Intentional' becasue it means your product has a short lifespan, and once you get a taste of silken drow beadsheats (with complementary slavegirl, or slaveboy... if you swing that way) you aren't going to settle for less.

>>12982801
The best products around are slavegirls/boys made of spider silk bedsheets.
That's the origin of certain ghost legends : it wasn't a shroud, it was a silken sheet.

>>12982801

Ah. Missed that post! Forget I wrote anything then.

Wood for Silk? Stone for Silk? Sheep for Silk?

>>12982247
Which'd be one of the reasons they still need deadly warriors; to get their goods safely anywhere.

>>12982399
Yep. And you'd have your spider-tenders, the military to protect yourself and your products, people supplying the city with all the other resources it needs, the people responsible for enchanting properties into the silk, tailors/designers, the standard builders, entertainers, weaponsmiths, everything else... Most drow in the city would have other careers, because a city can't survive on just silk. It'd get the reputation of silk central, people might imagine countless drow draped in silk sheets, those responsible for the business would be ludicrously, opulently wealthy... but the average drow would not be churning out silk lingerie for sale.
Places do become known for their primary export, even if not everybody there makes it.

Just for fun, given the rampant commercialism.

>>12979314

>>12991448
>capitalism, not commercialism
>now has image of little drow dolls all in a row in souvenir shop thanks to having typed wrong thing while not fully awake

>>12991501
>implying commercialism is not a part of capitalism

>>12991506
True, but it wasn't quite the word I meant to type.

>>12978848
Only if ity's made with Adamantine.

bump

i like this idea and i might use this in my next campaign

>>12982801
>Obviously the fine drow enchantments woven into dark elven silk decay upon exposure to sources of randomized 'white noise' magical energies. The most notable source being the sun.

they stopped using that rule since 3rd edition