Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

I wonder why the half-drow have a kismet cost of 200 plus a requirement of Daylight Adaptation feat.
Nowhere in my rulebooks (PGtF, FRCS) does it say that the half-drow need to adapt to light.

I'd suggest reducing the kismet cost by a half (to 100), since the only advantage the half-breeds get is darkvision. Moreover, they needn't come from the Underdark and they needn't be evil, contrary to full-blooded drow (where the kismet cost is fully understandable).

An aside: Do half-orcs get darkvision? I've studied the help both in-game and web and do not know it...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#halfOrcs

Darkvision: Half-orcs (and orcs) can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.

Yes, I know they do in D&D, but I am not sure about it when it comes to FK... and I don't want to spend 50 kismet only to find out they don't have darkvision...

This is just an educated guess. But in my experience there are many races that believe in 'purity'. FK is a very racist game. Why would a superior race such as the drow or elves dilute their gene pool with the likes of a wretched human? I believe part of the reason for having a kismet cost for these races is due to just that. I do remember a thread a few years back where someone proposed a higher kismet cost for the half breed races.

I'm for leaving things as they are, the current kismet cost is both proof and experience paid towards having the option to do more challenging roleplay.

While not even close to all Half-drow come from the Underdark, see Dambrath, and would not necessarily be subject to Daylight adaptation, for those in game you do start in the Underdark, and like all sensitive kin with darkvision moving to the surface does require the feat. In the 3.5 they are not nearly as rare as they used to be, all but unheard of, however it is still sufficient to warrant the expense.

I second Gwain.

Half-drow cost 200 kismet points not as a result of racial bonuses, but because they are a very difficult race to play in FK.

Indeed, also the only halfdrow hometown we offer currently is Skullport, which is indeed an Underdark location, hence the need for daylight adaptation. Dambrath isn't even on our map of Faerun. In a sense kismet reflects both the difficulty to roleplay as well as the perceived rarity of the races. Reducing the kismet requirement would not raise the standard of RP for the race, and would also result in more people making halfdrow, reducing their rarity.

I had the option on my half drow recently to pick other hometowns including Waterdeep and Zhentil Keep. I picked neither but I did see those options.

That was a bug which I've just fixed on the test port, Half-drow were getting sent to the Half-orc hometown choosing room. It will be updated on the next copyover to the main port.

Glad I did not pick those, thank you!