About the Drendalis: 5ed and 3ed's material compatibility

[Fariss]

Hi,

As I wrote under, I played a little in Scarn before but I'm relatively new as a GM so I more or less discover the things in depth with the 5ed's material. And so I take a look at the "Bourok Torn" book form the 3ed and I asked myself if the description about the Drendali society always feet to the 5ed Drendali. To my new fresh mind it doesn't feet with what I read about Drendali. I see them more like neutral, ancient but decadent elven (I never know if you write elfs or elvens in english ?), and note like slaver-driver, caste guided, society. Or it should be the influence of the madness of Nalthalos, like it would not be the normal state of this civilisation but a state of the affair that is not accepted by all the Drendali. Because the way it is presented in the 3rd edition it really looks like "melnibonéen with even more cliché evilness", which is not what I felt in the 5rd edition.

So may be I should start again from the few information we have in the player's book (5rd ed) and not take the "Bourok Torn" material in account ?

How do you deal with that actually ?

[Psyclus]

So... there's not really a disconnect between the two beyond presentation. While at first, in 3rd, the Drendali seemed pretty darn evil, looking past the presentation into the "why do they behave like this?" it was clear that it was a tragic story of betrayal driving Naalthalos to behave like a villain in an all-consuming desire for revenge that began to be reflected among his people (as the god's spirit reflects in its people).

5th and the Pathfinder version rather decided to deal less with the presentation layer of the drendali and got more to the heart of it, which is, "their god is slowly going nuts, but overall these weren't bad people... they were betrayed and they still feel it and they're a broken, scarred people." (Scarred, get it? )

Take a look at anything you can find on the Bridge of Betrayal and then look at it from both the Dwarves' perspective and the Drendalis' perspective.

In English, I think I can fairly say we tend to follow the "rule of Tolkein." Elfs would be for things like Christmas Elfs. Elves is plural for the more fantasy driven species. (That's probably an oversimplification and elfs may have fallen completely out of use by now.)

[Baaldam]

Also, while initially the Drendali were presented with a drow/dark elf-esque appearance, the devs decided to throw out that in preference for a pale-skinned shadow elf/morlock kind of tone.
At least they did so in the Pathfinder version. Must admit i'm totally in the dark about any setting or lore retcons in the 5E version.

[haaz]

Fariss, quick question, are you French by any chance?

Also, while initially the Drendali were presented with a drow/dark elf-esque appearance, the devs decided to throw out that in preference for a pale-skinned shadow elf/morlock kind of tone.
At least they did so in the Pathfinder version. Must admit i'm totally in the dark about any setting or lore retcons in the 5E version.

Yes it is the same in 5E

[TravisLegge]

All these questions will be elaborated on in Vigil Watch: The Kelder Mountains.

But, generally speaking things went sour for the drendali at the Bridge of Betrayal.