Drow, or dark elves, have been a popular Dungeons & Dragons monster since they first appeared as a nasty surprise at the end of the 1978 supplement Against the Giants. The exploits of twin-scimitar wielding ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, created by author R.A Salvatore, solidified the drow forever as fan favorites in 1988.
Now in 5E, with a combination of powerful abilities and cool attitudes, the drow are fun to use as player characters as well with their own style, magic and lore. To understand why the drow are the way they are, it's important to understand where they come from.
The drow weren't always demon-worshiping slave-taking raiders. In Forgotten Realms, all elves are descended from a single line of fae that sprang from the lifeblood of the elf god, Corellon Larethian, when he was wounded in battle with the orc god Gruumsh. One of these first elves was named Lolth and it was her disagreements with Corellon (culminating in an attempt to slay her deity) that led to all elves being banished to the mortal world.
The followers of Lolth were driven deep underground where centuries of darkness and further corruption by Lolth twisted them into the drow. Lolth continued to gain power, eventually becoming a monstrous spider goddess in her own right and using that power to keep her "children" subjugated and worshiping her.
You will love playing a drow if you enjoy making others uncomfortable. In most D&D settings, the drow civilization is evil. That does not have to be the case in your game, but drow society is typically depicted as frightening and successful in their dark deeds. This makes them excellent campaign villains but also gives them great potential as antiheroes who lack traditional heroic attributes but still (for the most part) do things for the right reasons. As long as your group is mature and comfortable with the antihero dynamic, this can be a rewarding way to play.
If you like standing out, you'll love playing a drow. These dark elves have distinct traits like white or silver hair, obsidian, purple or dark gray skin and purple or red eyes. Drow who haven't been on the surface very long will likely be wearing black clothing that would camouflage them in their natural Underdark environment. There are plenty of ways to amp up the creepy factor if you so choose. Many drow choose spiders for familiars, providing players with another motif to explore.
Playing a drow can also present an opportunity to play against traditional gender norms. Female drow tend to be taller and physically stronger than males and, in combination with Lolth's favor, women are by far more influential and socially powerful in typical drow culture. This is an interesting dynamic to keep in mind when developing your drow character.
In most D&D settings, drow are feared (if not hated) so concealing your character's true nature can be a side challenge. The drow are outsiders, even in settings that do not include Lolth and her corruptive influence. These campaigns might not have evil societies of dark elves, but they still tend to make them into foreigners with strange customs such as Eberron's Umbragen drow, or into misunderstood outsiders like Ravnica's Devkarin elves.
Dark elves are not just feared because they are rarely seen, but also because of the arsenal of tools at their disposal. Because the drow have exposed themselves to strange Underdark magic for so many generations, some of that magic has seeped into them on a genetic level. This gives drow the latent ability to magically control light in various ways, such as outlining enemies in faerie fire or shrouding themselves in darkness.
While drow in these settings might not be reviled or dreaded, they might still feel out of place. This doesn't have to be a negative thing, though. Even as a fish out of water, your drow may find wonder in regular occurrences. Imagine seeing the night sky for the first time after a century of living in caves or questioning why survival of the fittest isn't the law of the land. In the Underdark, danger is everywhere, and there is almost no such thing as "safe." Even the monster infested surface world might seem tame to your character in comparison.
Plus, Lolth is a great premade antagonist for any character. If your campaign uses traditional dark elves, how you deal with the demon spider godess and her foul influence could be a major arc in your character's development. A drow hero might skirt around her devotion to Lolth as a necessary evil, chafe under her influence but accept it or rebel against her.
You should play a drow if you prefer the night and love the darkness. Drow are able to see twice as far in darkness than most other races, giving them a serious edge underground or at night. Perhaps most useful of all, however, is the fact that dark elves are all trained and proficient in several weapons from birth. This means even drow spellcasters can shoot a hand crossbow and fence with a rapier. This skillset makes for formidable Rogues and Rangers, but drow also make natural Sorcerers and Warlocks. The price you pay for such power can be high, though, and a drow's sensitivity to natural sunlight will force you to fight on your own terms and rarely during the day.
Playing a misunderstood, feared yet potentially heroic character can be great fun. Each session is another opportunity for your character, not to shine brightly, but to smolder darkly. Just remember to direct your menace and callousness towards the campaign villains and not your poor, inferior fellow adventurers.
