Drow Fighting
Styles
Figure 1
Bautha Z'hin: The bautha
z'hin style, which means "dodge and
walk," relies on the natural agility and light armor the dark elves favor.
The drow surround their foes and attack foes from all
sides, and they use this style particularly against strange monsters with many
attacks and a long reach. The style emphasizes dodging blows and high
maneuverability, and practitioners of this style often learn the early elements
of the orb alur style, bragging that they
never are touched in a fight. Warriors of this style are usually paired with
those using the z'ress a'thalak
style, especially since the latter act as an anchor and the former position
themselves to flank the enemy. This style is favored by drow
rogues and fighter/rogues, as well as clerics of Eilistraee
and Vhaeraun.
D&D Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring
Attack.
Draa Velve: Only a few dark elves in
each city practice the draa velve style because the natural ability needed for this
style is very rare. The name means "two sword,"
and it involves an amazing balance of control between the two hands. Followers
of this style fight with a weapon in each hand and use one of the weapons to
parry as well as attack, which means the parrying weapon also acts much like a
shield. Some dark elves without perfect balance in both hands study the basics
of this style, hoping to eventually master it through intense training or
magic. Drizzt Do'Urden is a
master of this style since he has the natural talent and also because he
received training by a house weapon master.
D&D Feats: Ambidexterity, Twin
Sword Style, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Jivvin Golhyrr: Similar in some ways to
the kyorlin plynn
style, the jivvin golhyrr
style is a defensive style that relies on weaknesses in the enemy's performance
to cause them to stumble and fall, making them more vulnerable to later attacks
and emulating a position of weakness. The name means "amusing trick"
and comes from the cruel drow's appreciation for
placing another in the humiliating position of a slave or other subservient
being. Very skilled drow like to humble their enemies
before making the killing stroke, and clerics of Lolth
are fond of this style for that reason. Students of the jivvin
golhyrr often study the kyorlin
plynn, and vice versa.
D&D Feats: Expertise, Improved
Trip.
Kyone Veldrin: All dark elves have the
ability to create darkness as a spell-like ability, and while all of
them learn how to use it to surprise, annoy, and separate foes, as few of them
study the style kyone veldrin,
which means "alert in the shadows." Students of this style can
pinpoint the location of enemies in the middle of absolute darkness and strike
them with amazing accuracy despite their effective blindness. Normally teams of
specialists from this style and the luth alur style group together to form special attack teams,
with the kyone veldrin
fighting within the globes of darkness and the luth
alur
shooting to death any enemies that leave the darkness.
D&D Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight.
Kyorlin Plynn: Conservative dark elf
fighters and those who either need to capture opponents alive (usually for
interrogation) or just enjoy humiliating their opponents use the kyorlin plynn
style, which means "watch and take." The style uses defensive tactics
and efficient methods of disarming to delay opponents and negate their ability
to fight effectively. Many drow fighting groups have
at least one kyorlin plynn
practitioner on hand to deal with the most powerful member of an enemy team;
that drow keeps the tough opponent busy until his
allies have dealt with the rest of the enemy forces and can then team up to
defeat the difficult opponent. Many priestesses of Lolth
learn this style because they like taking captives for torture and sacrifice.
D&D Feats: Combat Reflexes,
Expertise, Improved Disarm.
Luth Alur: Dark elves are as frail
as surface elves, and some prefer to stay out of immediate danger when there is
fighting. The luth alur
style, which means "superior shooting," is perfect for them since it
allows them to strike down foes with deadly accuracy without ever being in harm's
way themselves. This style requires a sharp eye and steady hands. The rare drow that use a conventional bow
sometimes even learn to fire more rapidly than normal, but since such a
trick is very difficult with the standard dark elf ranged weapon (a hand
crossbow) that such feats are rarely seen. Most dark elf war parties have at
least two luth alur
warriors, and in full-scale wars there are entire squadrons of warriors using
this style. These warriors usually attack enemy forces from ambush.
D&D Feats: Point Blank Shot,
Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run.
Orb Alur: The orb alur style combines
the best elements of bautha z'hin and kyorlin plynn, and it takes a long time to master. Called the
"superior spider," the style emphasizes great sweeping maneuvers that
allow its practitioners to strike many opponents with minimal effort. Normally
they tumble or leap their way into the middle of a group of enemies and (if
successful) cut them all down with a single stroke. This has a debilitating
effect on enemy morale and often leads to retreats by enemy forces; as such,
practitioners of the orb alur are greatly
valued by drow noble houses and receive many
privileges.
D&D Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge,
Expertise, Mobility, Whirlwind Attack.
Phindar Streeaka: The phindar
streeaka style is not technically a combat style,
but it's more of a mindset when entering combat. It means "mindless
recklessness," and it is the name that dark elves give to the rare drow berserkers. Because it lacks finesse and exposes the
underlying chaos in drow society for all to see, it
is an unpopular style. Normally only smaller and more primitive colonies of drow or those who worship the strange dark elf god Ghaunadaur, master of oozes and slimes, use it. The phindar streeaka
cannot use abilities that require intellect over brute force, and so many of
them use the techniques common in the z'ress
a'thalak style, although to say they study that
style is a misnomer.
D&D Feats: None (see z'ress a'thalak
style).
Sargh'elgg: The sargh'elgg
style has simple elements but requires extensive training to master. It is used
with light weapons or the traditional drow rapier,
and it is designed to get the most out of these weapons and the naturally
superior dark elf dexterity. The name means "valor in slaying," which
is an overly-inflated title created to give some measure of confidence to those
whose poor skills leave this as their only choice. Some martially-minded
sorcerers and wizards learn the basics of this style, and because Kiaransalee, Lolth, and Vhaeraun all have favored weapons suitable for the sargh'elgg, it is practiced by many clerics
as well. This is the most common fighting style used by a typical low-rank drow guard. (Essentially, that's anyone with no more than
the standard amount of training given to a dark elf common soldier.)
D&D Feats: Improved Critical,
Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.
Ust Sreen: The simple combat style
called ust sreen,
which means "first danger," emphasizes fast reactions to the
appearance of enemies. Because vigilance is a constant state in drow society, this is normally a basic series of lessons
taught at drow academies and is usually combined with
another style, since fast reflexes aren't terribly useful when not backed up by
other skills. Normally at least one drow trained in
this style is present in any scouting group and carries a hand crossbow loaded
with sleep poison to eliminate one opponent early before the drow's allies can react.
D&D Feats: Improved Initiative,
Quick Draw.
Z'har Thalack: The z'har
thalack style, which means "riding
war," was developed for the mounted dark elf patrols and deals with the
difficulties and opportunities of fighting while mounted. As drow normally ride wall-crawling lizards, special tricks
available to those who can maneuver in a three-dimensional manner through the Underdark put the mounted soldiers at an advantage compared
to grounded troops. Berg'inyon Baenre, head of the
lizard riders of house Baenre, fights with this style, which makes his death
lance (a long lance crafted with powerful death magic) even more lethal.
D&D Feats: Mounted Archery, Mounted
Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge
Z'ress A'thalak: The z'ress
a'thalak style, which means "force of
war," is uncommon among dark elves because few have the physical strength
needed to learn all of the necessary maneuvers. Students of this style
sacrifice accuracy for power and learn how to cut through the body of a falling
foe to strike another enemy, or even shatter enemy weapons with a single blow. Menzoberranzan's Uthegental Del'Armgo, weapon master of house Del'Armgo,
was a practitioner of this style. Drow that fight this way normally prefer
heavier weapons such as longswords, hammers, and axes to the lighter weapons
(such as rapiers) used by most drow. Devout
worshipers of Selvetarm (a male drow
deity of combat worshipped only in cities that worship Lolth;
he is completely overshadowed by the Spider Queen) commonly use this style.
D&D Feats: Cleave, Power Attack,
Sunder.
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