Drow & Craftables:

[dominantdrowess]

While drow as a race are popular; they don't really have the ability to produce any desirable objects.

Likewise, cannot craft Elven (or Drow) chain, nor do they have any functional crafted weapons like the Elfblade (bonus damage against drow). Crossbows were never really in the ranged meta (and can't be used by Arcane Archers - including drow ones)... and ranged combat is mostly -dead-...

In all my time on Arelith.. I've never really seen the drow crossbows 'in the meta'. This means nobody is asking drow to make them.

While some of the whips are nice-- drow doesn't craft them as far as I am aware. This doesn't really help attach them as filling a niche in Andunor. Some kind of craftable Piwafwi that is damaged by the sunlight script or something, but wearable by anyone might be cool, and help drow fill an economic niche in Andunor similar to kobolds (draconic armor), orogs (swords), half-orc blood-axes, etc and even Svirfniblin, Gnolls and Goblins with their various mace-weapons.

"Why do other races in Andunor let them hang around?" There is a reason they are tolerated or why allowing them to be around is risked. An advantage. While the specific niche drow fill is not necessarily a thing I'd feel comfortable suggesting directly, the real thing I am trying to draw attention to is that ... drow have never really had a 'thing' past The Temple of Lolth, and I think it would help a bit if there was something people could only get from the drow.

I suppose I'm just giving feedback that the things drow can make aren't even particularly useful to drow who want to fulfill the roles they were designed for. If anyone else has thoughts on the matter; I welcome criticism of this thread.

[Subtext]

Likewise, cannot craft Elven (or Drow) chain, nor do they have any functional crafted weapons like the Elfblade (bonus damage against drow). Crossbows were never really in the ranged meta (and can't be used by Arcane Archers - including drow ones)... and ranged combat is mostly -dead-...

That right there is another argument to show ranged and crossbows specifically some love.

I do think that the hand spinneret is a really cool item but in between "only" being a crossbow and the sneak attack feat being a regular sneak attack (not improved) *and* requiring UMD 50 makes it uninteresting for rogues too. I think the one situation where that crossbow is a net improvement is some zen archer drow cleric stuff which feels very very specific and not at all intuitive.

I'm planning some ranged rogue fun atm and I'd definitely consider this thing over an ashwood shortbow if the UMD were a bit less tight and I'd get an actual benefit from the sneak attack property. Even disregarding UMD, it's still the objectively worse choice for those that meet the criteria than an ashwood bow.

[Itikar]

Drow items cannot even be really used by drow, just by evil "elves", which reduces their popularity further even for the community intended to use it. That said, the spinneret had some popularity and the acid bolts would definitely be pretty nice if they were easier to craft (and perhaps had no restriction).

In general, you are spot on that drow items need a revision, and that there could be both melee and armor options added.

[Algol]

I'm not sure if it's possible l, but items that are more potent in faerzess marked areas would be sweet as drow racial crafts.

[xf1313]

I really like the crossbow, fits the theme. But aa cannot use it....that is too sad.

Yeah, a weapon, a leather, robe, amour or something for drow race would be great

[-XXX-]

The drow are tolerated in Andunor because Andunor has been founded and is being supervised by two drow NPC houses (so it's actually more like they are the ones who's tolerating everybody else rather than the other way around).

Not every race is given exclusive crafting cookies, nor do I think they should.
TBH I'm not a big fan of race limitations on gear and recepies in general.