Drow have slaves like other races have pets.
Even drow of modest means will have one or two slaves on hand and noble families prefer to have dozens of them scampering about.
Most slaves simply do as they are told, leaping to do what their masters command without a second thought. Domestic slaves, for example, know what their tasks are and perform them without hesitation or thought, cleaning, cooking, or pleasuring their masters according to their daily schedules or orders.
Warslaves and spellthralls, however, require a little more deft handling and are normally owned only by wealthy individuals or drow noble houses. Dangerous to have around, these slaves are very useful in combat against other houses, and most drow nobles have some training in leading their slaves in battle.
Warslaves are fielded in battle and kept under lock and key at all other times. Their master may attempt to direct them in combat as long as he remains within 100 feet of them and they are able to hear his commands.
The slaves from each drow house are trained to respond to commands in a variety of code languages, handed weapons, shields, and medium armour. The
exact feats the slaves gain are based on the noble house doing the training, but Power Attack and Cleave are very popular choices.
Spellthralls
These creatures are perhaps the most unfortunate of all the drow slaves. They are allowed to retain a good measure of their self-control and awareness, while constantly dealing with the fact that their existence hinges on obeying their masters. Because they are often gifted with extraordinarily dangerous spellcasting ability, the spellthralls are also bound with exceedingly lethal spells. Disobeying their masters does not bring the pain of the lash, it brings a torturous death taking several days to come to an end. Few spellthralls dare go against their masters, as a result, and those who do end up tortured and dead.
TRICKS OF THE DROW
which allow them to respond very quickly to the orders issued by their master.
In combat, a drow may command a number of warslaves equal to his current level plus his Charisma modifier. The skill with which his commands are carried out, however, is determined by his Base Attack Bonus, which encompasses his general skill in combat.
To issue a command, the commander makes an Attack roll against an Armour Class equal to 15 + 1 per warslave so commanded. This is treated as a standard attack action and, if successful, each of the warslaves is able to carry out the command with efficiency and a certain amount of expertise. Warslaves are considered to have a Base Attack Bonus equal to the Base Attack Bonus of their commander – 5.
Warslaves are able to follow a number of commands as directed by their master. These commands include:
Assist. One or more warslaves may be given the command to assist one of their allies. The warslaves so commanded then use the Aid Another action (as detailed in the Combat section of Core Rulebook I) to assist their ally in attacking a foe.
Attack. The warslave will launch itself at the directed target and attack to the best of its ability. When this command is issued, the commander may also dictate which feats or special abilities the warslaves should use. The warslaves so commanded will use the full attack action if they can, but will otherwise use the standard attack action.
The grimlocks surged through the tunnels, their eyeless faces twisted into rictus masks of fear and hatred. Behind them, the flayers hooted and warbled with excitement as they drove their troops ahead of them, inciting the grimlocks to a murderous rage with their psionic goads. As they burst free from the tunnels surrounding the ancient drow city of Verzatrazail, the voices of the grimlocks rose to a crescendo of bestial fury and the massed forces spilled out into a widening cone of anger.
Mizrel yawned impatiently and raised her hands overhead, flashing finger signs to the drow commanders
surrounding her in a tight semicircle. Before she had finished her orders, the commanders were barking their own demands to their warslaves and spellthralls, urging them forward to meet the rushing tide of unwashed grimlocks.
Though armed only with naked steel and relatively feeble spells, the combat slaves obeyed without protest, their eyes set in stony stares and their faces impassive.
The battle erupted below her position, flesh and bone exploded under the impact of steel and stone weapons as the warriors collided and fell in tangled heaps. Blood burst from rent bodies with such force it created a dense cloud of crimson droplets over the tightest knots of conflict, filling Mizrel with a lust for battle herself. She longed to be down in the fray, her mace crushing the bones of her foes and her lips coated with the blood expelled with their dying breaths. With a sigh, she tore herself from the bloody reverie and turned her attention back to the battle.
The warslaves had backed the grimlocks to the mouths of the tunnels, pushing them back against the advancing flayers and their ogre bodyguards. But the progress of the drow slaves was halted there as they collided with the powerful mental forces commanded by the enemy. Mizrel frowned and signalled to the lead captain of the spellthrall commanders, ‘What are your spellthralls doing?’
The female grimaced and wriggled her fingers in response, ‘We cannot get closer and the warslaves are too close to the flayers for our spells –’
Mizrel clenched her fists angrily and slashed one finger across her throat, cutting her captain off before shooting back her own hateful response. ‘The warslaves are slaves, you fool. Burn them all, if you must.’
Seconds later, balls of flame punched through the warslaves ranks, exploding into brilliant orbs of fiery destruction that sent the grimlocks shrieking and fleeing from the battle despite the control the flayers exhibited. Warslaves surged forward, some still burning from the spells cast by their allies, intent on carrying out their orders to destroy the threat to their masters. The flayers gave ground instantly, tentacles waving wildly in the air as they struggled to avoid the grim and burning warslaves, but they never had a chance. Held in place by the massed bodies of the warslaves, the flayers could only psionically shriek their fear and rage as the lightning bolts and fireballs continued to fall, turning warslave and enemy alike into roaring bonfires.
Block. When given this command, warslaves attempt to block the movement of a specific target. They will attack normally when blocking, or may be given the order to grapple the target.
Fall back. If ordered to fall back, warslaves retreat from their current target and move toward their commander at their standard movement rate. They do their best to avoid attacks of opportunity and other hazards, but take no other actions save moving toward their commander.
Guard. Guarding warslaves do their best to protect a specific target as directed by their commander. They will attempt to prevent the approach of enemy forces toward the target, but will not pursue enemies who use ranged weapons or who retreat from the guarded target.
Move. The commander of the warslaves may order them to move on the battlefield. Warslaves are trained to move precisely as ordered and deviate from their commanders’ directions only to avoid attacks of opportunity or other obvious hazards.
Warslaves are unable to follow commands other than the five outlined above, as their will is simply too crushed to allow them the freedom to interpret
commands beyond those with ingrained responses.
This makes them useful in battle, as they will respond in predictable ways under the direct supervision of their commanders. When not fighting, however, the warslaves are kept penned up and allowed out only to exercise and to reinforce their training.
Spellthralls are ordered about just as are warslaves, but do not respond to attack commands. Instead, they have a cast command, which allows their commander to specify a target at which to unleash their barrage of magical artillery.
A group of eight is the standard for both warslaves and spellthralls, and the two types of slave are rarely mixed within the same group. Male warriors tend to lead the warslaves into battle, while the spellthralls find themselves under the command of the harsh and unforgiving priestesses of the Fatespinner. As the warslaves advance, spellthralls are used to soften up opposition and provide boosts to the fighting capabilities of the warslaves. As the battles wind down, spellthralls are also used to mop up enemy forces with area effect spells, particularly fireball, which is very handy for taking out large groups of injured enemy troops in short order.