Drow Dropped from Monster Manual Will Be in Future D&D Book
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The Drow (also known as Dark Elves) have been a staple of Dungeons & Dragons since the earliest edition of the game. Over the years, they’ve also become incredibly popular, thanks in large part to the legendary ranger Drizzt Do’Urden. In most of their appearances however, Drow have been portrayed primarily as innately evil beings driven by greed, hatred and a fanatical devotion to the spider goddess Lolth.
Which is why some fans were surprised to learn that the Drow has been removed from the 2024 Monster Manual, despite appearing in the 2014 version of the book. Wizards of the Coast, however, recently confirmed that Dark elves will be appearing as a monster stat block in upcoming DnD books.
So just what does this mean for the future of the Drow? Below, we delve deep into the Underdark to uncover all the details.
Why were Drow removed from the 2024 Monster Manual?
The decision to remove Drow from the new Monster Manual was driven in large part by how Wizards of the Coast is now approaching the concept of race within the game, which they now refer to as “species.” Semantics aside, this concept can really be summed up as follows: a creature is defined by what is does, not by what it is.
This is best represented by how the 2024 Player’s Handbook approaches a character’s ability score bonuses. Whereas the 2014 version of DnD 5e rules applied bonuses based on your race, in the new 2024 rules you are granted based on your Background (which covers your upbringing and origins).
Notably, Drow are also listed as one of three playable options for the new Elf species which is featured in the new PHB. Because of this, Wizards of the Coast has argued that they should be removed from the Monster Manual, pointing out that other species – including humans, dwarves, gnomes and halflings – do not have monster stat blocks. This was also the case with the Orc, which was also removed from the 2024 Monster Manual due to the fact that the Player’s Handbook introduced a playable new Orc species.
What stat block replaces the 2014 Drow in the new Monster Manual?
In the new 2024 Monster Manual, Wizards of the Coast does provide a conversion table that lists the 2014 creature and it’s new 2024 equivalent. In the case of the Drow these stat blocks are as follows:
| 2014 Drow Stat Block | Recommended 2024 Stat Block |
| Drow | Priest Acolyte |
| Drow Elite Warrior | Gladiator |
| Drow Mage | Bandit Deceiver |
| Drow Priestess of Lolth | Fiend Cultist |
On paper the change seems practical, as the new 2024 stat blocks are all roles rather than being associated with a specific species. There are, however, some issues with this approach. For example, Wizards of the Coast recommends that the 2014 Drow be replaced by the new Priest Acolyte stat block. The latter’s primary abilities are a Radiant Flame attack and the Light cantrip. Both of these powers seem incredibly counterintuitive for a species like the Drow which literally is based around total darkness.
It also means that the Drow’s iconic abilities of levitation, faerie fire and globe of darkness are removed and would have to be homebrewed in by a Dungeon Master.
What book will feature the new “evil” Drow stat block?
In a recent interview, DnD lead designer Jeremy Crawford notes that: “For anyone who’s eager to see more species-tailored humanoid statblocks, people are going to see more of that in our setting books. You’re going to see that in our Forgotten Realms products, for example. The malevolent drow of Menzoberranzan are an important part of that setting and so they get their own stat blocks. This is really true of all the creatures in the Monster Manual. This is your massive starting toy box of monsters that are usable anywhere in the multiverse. And then the bestiaries in our setting products, that’s where we can provide you versions of things tailored to the cultures and histories of our different worlds.”
This suggests that the new Drow stat block will likely appear in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Adventurer’s Guide, which is geared specifically for Dungeon Masters and is the companion book to the Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide. It also suggests that we may see more setting specific species in future content. For example, in Eberron many of the creatures that are considered “evil” in a traditional campaign setting, such as Gnolls, are actually far more benevolent.
An example of what this might look like take the 2014 Minotaur, which in the older version of the Monster Manual is listed as being Chaotic Evil. In the new 2024 Monster Manual, this stat block has been replaced with the Minotaur of Baphomet, which notes that: “Baphomet, Demon Lord of Beasts, claims to have created minotaurs and demands their worship. While most minotaurs live free of the demon lord’s bonds, those that serve him become minotaurs of Baphomet.” In other words, it’s the actions of this particular 2024 minotaur that make them evil, not the species itself.
Final Thoughts
While the Drow have been a key part of DnD for almost 50 years, times and culture changes, and it’s easy to see why an evil black skinned race would be considered problematic to many people. In fact, an episode from the popular sitcom Community entitled “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” was removed from many streaming services because of actor Ken Jeong cosplaying a dark elf.
Wizards argument, however, isn’t that the Drow species itself is problematic. Rather they claim that it’s because they’re a playable species. This doesn’t necessarily seem like an entirely valid argument, however, given that Aaracockra are listed as a playable species (having appeared in 2022 in Monsters of the Multiverse) and are also listed as a stat block in the new 2024 Monster Manual. Other “evil” races such as goblins also don’t get the same treatment as Drow.
Still, it seems that Wizards of the Coast isn’t simply pretending that evil versions of species don’t exist, but rather approaching them on a case by case basis. So like the Minotaur of Baphomet we may see variants like Menzoberranzan Drow or Grummsh Orcs in the near future.
In the meantime, below is a video from the official D&D YouTube channel featuring Jeremy Crawford that is time stamped to where he discusses the return of the traditional “evil” version of the Drow.
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Jason Volk is the Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics and lives in the wilds of Western Canada. He has been playing D&D for over 25 years and is a huge fan of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms. His favorite character of all time was a Necromancer named Neek who spent most of his adventuring career resurrecting the corpses of slain monsters. When he’s not playing TTRPGs, Jason enjoys video games, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, watching football and spending time with his wife and adorably nerdy children.
