In the fictional Dungeons & Dragons game worlds, drow, or dark elves as they are called by most surface dwellers, are an offshot of the elven race. Because of some ideological difference, they have been driven underground and eventually adapted to those surroundings, especially by attracting the attention of the goddess Lolth, Lady of Spiders. Drow are characterized by white hair, obsidian black skin, red,and rarely violet or yellow eyes and innate spell powers and spell resistance. This is balanced with their weakness in daylight. Also, drow weapons and armor slowly lose their magical properties if exposed to the sun. Half-drow are the result of crossbreeding between humans and drow, and share characteristics of both.

In the 3rd edition rules of the Dungeons & Dragons game, drow characters have the following adjustments to their ability scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Drow males are commonly wizards or fighters. Females are almost always clerics, and almost never wizards.

Drow hate elves, but wage war with other terran and subterranean races, such as mindflayers (or Illithids) and kuo-toa for spoils and territory. Their society is matriarchal, with priestesses of Lolth in the highest seats of powers. Males are either enslaved or (rarely) respected if they are powerful enchanters, but never allowed to rule.