How To Handle Drizzt

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2009 1:39:08 GMT -5 @soulfien said:

Just in case people have forgotten, Drizzt was NOT allowed to walk through SIlverymoon unmasked. Why? Because he's a drow.

Despite all he'd done for the Marches and no matter how many times he visited Alustriel's bedchambers, she would not allow him to walk through her city without a mask on.

So it's safe to say that a lot of people would find it good rp to fear a drow. I know that Garistan wouldn't be able to focus on the color of a drow's eyes at 20 paces which is perfect spellcasting range nor would he instantly be inclined to.

But of course this is if we just happened upon him or he shwoed up unannounced. If the Crown forewarns everyone who is to be at the meeting it'd go a lot smoother.

Edit: I've read the whole series and I liked it, though it got a bit silly at times with the numerous close calls where the Gods had to step in and literally shield him from dieing several times. And it's a bit silly how he fights with weapon finess while dual wielding 2 medium weapons, but whatever. Still a good read. But throughout the whole series he had to start all over everytime he went to a new area. I think at the end of the series maybe 5% of the people and adventurers actually knew who he was. and most of them wanted him dead anyway. ((the 5% figure is the approximate amount of people in a NEW location that knew him....))

The FRCS entry for Drizzt says he wasn't able to walk around Silvermoon openly at first. This implies that he was eventually able to. I've read everything except the Pirate King. I -really- don't recall if he ever walked openly into Silverymoon.

That 5% figure is just pulled out of the air, since there is never a % figure listed anywhere for people who know him. All thats ever stated in official source is that he is considered famous throughout the Sword Coast North.

Edit: I also don't recall the Gods themselves ever stepping in to save him. The few times he has been near actual death throughout the series, I recall it always distinctly being a mortal who saved him.

[Munroe]

Feb 2, 2009 7:00:59 GMT -5 seina said:

Feb 2, 2009 2:57:42 GMT -5 Munroe said:

He's level 16 with all classes granting fighter AB (ftr10/bbn1/rgr5).

He's level 16? Which would mean that he and Tira are on par with just how epic they are? And people like Sharita, Kelric, Taran and Teneas are far more "epic" than he is and can kick his little drow-bum back to Silverymoon?

*mind boggles*

See.. I think that all of these "epic" characters from the FR novels should be just that.. -epic-. Far more epic than -any- of our PCs, which are small potatoes in comparison to a character than hundreds of thousands of geeks people have read about. Please.. I hope that if anyone uses him or any of the other "famous" FR characters they make them a level that is unatainable by FRC standards.

That being said..

I still think he would be attacked on sight at worst.. mistrusted at best.. and that most elves would flat refuse to walk with him.

If you're level 16, you aren't some small potato. If you're thinking you're low level then you're selling the levels short. Level 16 is high level, and anything above 20 is OBSCENELY high level. Just because characters can attain epic levels in NWN doesn't mean they're mundane, it just means our rules aren't hard enough.

At level 8 and 10 characters rule kingdoms. Because it isn't practical for everyone to have that level of influence in NWN, not everyone does. If you add ten levels to a D&D level, you're getting close to the same level of influence in FRC. So if you're level 16 in NWN, you probably have a little less renown than a level 6 would have in D&D. If your character is quiet and passive, that might be more like a level 4. It isn't that D&D levels are low, it's that NWN escalates expections because of the fast advancement through levels.

Oh, to answer your other point, Sharita and Kelric ARE more epic than Drizzt, they're just not published in a popular book series. I can't speak regarding the other two characters you mentioned as I'm not particularly familiar with them.

[mourndarkv]

A subject near, and dear to my heart. Drizzt is probally my favorite FR character of all time.

First of all, I'd urge anyone who'd handle him to do so carefully. It's very easy to come off poorly when doing so, lets face it.. as taleneted as we are none of us are RA Salvatore. And Drizzt is a very, very awesome character.. and I mean just in persona and personailty.

Secondly, in 3rd edition they drasitically changed the rules of character making as we all know from 2nd. I'd urge anyone who was even considering playing Drizzt to look up the 2nd Edition Hereos and Lore book and check out his combat stats there. He has crazy martial stats, even an 80% chance to kill whoever he attacked instantly if his roll exceeds it's base need to hit by 5.. or some craziness. I couldnt find the book, but I remember reading the section. So, stats like those read out well in a book.. and reading his fighting style and such, it'd be very hard to duplicate in a game.. pretty much impossible. The only realy way to do it would be to slam him with epic lvs and dev crits, etc. However, I did find some stats for 3rd edition for him, if it helps:

Drizzt Do’Urden: Male Drow Fighter 12/Barbarian 1/Ranger 5; CR 19; Medium humanoid; HD 12d10+1d12+5d8+36; hp 136; Init +12; Spd 40ft; AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +18; Grp +20; Full Atk: +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d6+9+1d6 cold, 18-20/x2 +3 frostband scimitar), and +25/+20 (1d6+10, 15-20/x2 +5 keen warning defending ghost touch scimitar); SA Rgr Spells Per Day 1 save DC 14 + spell level; SQ Drow Traits, Fast Movement, Whirling Frenzy 1/day, 1st Favored Enemy (Goblins) +2, 2nd Favored Enemy (Orcs) +4, Wild Empathy, Combat Style (two-weapon pounce), Animal Companion SR 29, Darkness 1/day, Dancing lights 1/day, Fearie Fire 1/day; AL CG; SV Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +9; Str 14, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 14; Height 5'4" 140 pounds. Born 1297.

[maxwell]

Feb 2, 2009 8:27:08 GMT -5 @dmhighherald said:

Feb 2, 2009 1:39:08 GMT -5 @soulfien said:

Just in case people have forgotten, Drizzt was NOT allowed to walk through SIlverymoon unmasked. Why? Because he's a drow.

Despite all he'd done for the Marches and no matter how many times he visited Alustriel's bedchambers, she would not allow him to walk through her city without a mask on.

So it's safe to say that a lot of people would find it good rp to fear a drow. I know that Garistan wouldn't be able to focus on the color of a drow's eyes at 20 paces which is perfect spellcasting range nor would he instantly be inclined to.

But of course this is if we just happened upon him or he shwoed up unannounced. If the Crown forewarns everyone who is to be at the meeting it'd go a lot smoother.

Edit: I've read the whole series and I liked it, though it got a bit silly at times with the numerous close calls where the Gods had to step in and literally shield him from dieing several times. And it's a bit silly how he fights with weapon finess while dual wielding 2 medium weapons, but whatever. Still a good read. But throughout the whole series he had to start all over everytime he went to a new area. I think at the end of the series maybe 5% of the people and adventurers actually knew who he was. and most of them wanted him dead anyway. ((the 5% figure is the approximate amount of people in a NEW location that knew him....))

The FRCS entry for Drizzt says he wasn't able to walk around Silvermoon openly at first. This implies that he was eventually able to. I've read everything except the Pirate King. I -really- don't recall if he ever walked openly into Silverymoon.

That 5% figure is just pulled out of the air, since there is never a % figure listed anywhere for people who know him. All thats ever stated in official source is that he is considered famous throughout the Sword Coast North.

Edit: I also don't recall the Gods themselves ever stepping in to save him. The few times he has been near actual death throughout the series, I recall it always distinctly being a mortal who saved him.

I think in one of the books he talks about how Alustriel (or however you spell her name) Told silverymoon that he helped saved the town and that his deeds made him a hero and people actually accepted him, but that didn't mean he was trusted.

As i said before, Maxwell has heard of him, and as part of his history, his own father caught a glimpse of him. So maxwell knows about Drizzt he just never saw him.

[guest]

I think I kow a few things about the Sword Coast North, DH. LOL

In 1372 Drizzit is NOT near the famous licks that he gets later on.

It was around 1357 I think (off the top of my head) that Mithril Hall gets reclaimed.

Then 1358-59 for the Avatar Stuff? Right?

So in 1372, famous Characters of the Realms are ones who have lived Long and Well. Elminster and Khelben of course. King Azoun, though dead would be one.

A drow...specially as close to the Dalelands and Essembra who are having a tough time of it would be seen with open suspicion and out right hatered by almost everyone.

The Oghrann Stouts would not be very welcoming if not violent in the extreme.

I stand by what I quoted...MOST characters would not have heard od Drizzit except as a drow.

Anyone remember the game were you tell a sentince and pass it around a group of twenty people? It may start out Bob ate a watermellon and come back that Sally sells shells by the seashore. Multiply that by a thousand bards and a thousand miles.

A great short story whose name escapes me about the elf and a intelligent goblion illustrated the point quite nicely. He was almost ALWAYS treated with distrust and just as often open hostility.

In the end HE is a DROW. The most feared and hated race in all of Fauren. There is even storys about other drow impersonating him in the North as well. If you have one story then the others must have been heard as well?

Either way allowing the most polarizing character anywhere is a slippery slope even in the Silver Marches.

[EDM Entori]

What munroe is saying is really true.

when I first joined the server, we didn't know anyone above level 16.. I had many conversations with Avi, and the players of maxwell kelter etc etc.. About the what we thought the highest level on FRC was, we all thought it was 22 or so.

There were of course the very very cool and very epic characters that left a mark.

rememberable ones were zaebros, doust, Sharita, vinduil, the fabled heros of redmist.

But that was it most of everyone else was low level. What I think it was, was that either people stopped dying, or stopped retiring characters.

[Micteu]

Feb 2, 2009 11:22:34 GMT -5 guest said:

There is even storys about other drow impersonating him in the North as well.

Well, shucks. There goes the idea I was coming up with. Now everyone will know.

[soulfien]

Feb 2, 2009 2:57:42 GMT -5 Munroe said:

Feb 2, 2009 1:39:08 GMT -5 @soulfien said:

And it's a bit silly how he fights with weapon finess while dual wielding 2 medium weapons, but whatever.

Okay fair enough if we're using those

But in 5 different sources I saw him printed up 5 different ways. Higher lvl lower lvl with different stats. One of them had weapon finess but don't ask which because I'll never remember.

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2009 11:22:34 GMT -5 guest said:

I think I kow a few things about the Sword Coast North, DH. LOL

In 1372 Drizzit is NOT near the famous licks that he gets later on.

It was around 1357 I think (off the top of my head) that Mithril Hall gets reclaimed.

Then 1358-59 for the Avatar Stuff? Right?

So in 1372, famous Characters of the Realms are ones who have lived Long and Well. Elminster and Khelben of course. King Azoun, though dead would be one.

A drow...specially as close to the Dalelands and Essembra who are having a tough time of it would be seen with open suspicion and out right hatered by almost everyone.

The Oghrann Stouts would not be very welcoming if not violent in the extreme.

I stand by what I quoted...MOST characters would not have heard od Drizzit except as a drow.

Anyone remember the game were you tell a sentince and pass it around a group of twenty people? It may start out Bob ate a watermellon and come back that Sally sells shells by the seashore. Multiply that by a thousand bards and a thousand miles.

A great short story whose name escapes me about the elf and a intelligent goblion illustrated the point quite nicely. He was almost ALWAYS treated with distrust and just as often open hostility.

In the end HE is a DROW. The most feared and hated race in all of Fauren. There is even storys about other drow impersonating him in the North as well. If you have one story then the others must have been heard as well?

Either way allowing the most polarizing character anywhere is a slippery slope even in the Silver Marches.

You only reinforce how well known he would be, if the reclaim of Mithril hall took place in the 1350s, that means be current FRC time he has been kicking arse and taking names for around twenty years.

[soulfien]

Feb 2, 2009 8:27:08 GMT -5 @dmhighherald said:

The FRCS entry for Drizzt says he wasn't able to walk around Silvermoon openly at first. This implies that he was eventually able to. I've read everything except the Pirate King. I -really- don't recall if he ever walked openly into Silverymoon.

That 5% figure is just pulled out of the air, since there is never a % figure listed anywhere for people who know him. All thats ever stated in official source is that he is considered famous throughout the Sword Coast North.

Edit: I also don't recall the Gods themselves ever stepping in to save him. The few times he has been near actual death throughout the series, I recall it always distinctly being a mortal who saved him.

Well, from the books... there was always only one or two who had heard of him while the rest feared him.

Also, it was mortals, yes, but it was the gods in impossible situations- like Clacker for instance who was a svirfneblin polymorphed into a hook horror by an eccentric human mage. When Drizzt was cornered by the drow sent from Menzoberranzen, Clacker, who'd all but lost his personality due to the polymorphing spell, just as Drizzt was about to lose to the 4 drow fighting him on a narrow ledge, summons up a stone wall from nowhere that seals Drizzt off from the attacking drow saving his life.

Clacker goes on to explain that such a thing is impossible and that the svirfneblin always required a circle of their most powerful shamans to work together and spend an hour of ritual magic to summon what he just did himself with most of his personality gone.

There were other examples of this

Like I said, a good read, just sometimes I think he should have had to respawn once or twice. I've read all the ones thoguh the Orc King series.

[Deleted]

In the end, it's really up to the DM presiding over the plot as to how you handle Drizzt. If you walk into a room with some war wizards and PDKs, and they introduce you to Drizzt and explain that he is an ally, then you attack him...well...I think we all know where that would lead.

If your character would 'refuse to walk with him', thats your choice...I know with my PC I have made choices that excluded me from DM plots. There isn't anything wrong with that. Our characters are black and white in our minds, only we can say how they would react.

Hatred, racism, and discrimination are all very real parts of life. They exist in the real world, and are definately more widely accepted as the norm in a fantasy setting like Forgotten Realms.

I can honestly say that MY own character distrusts -any- drow elf. I don't care if they made water into wine in front of him and saved his mother from certain death. Stories about Drizzt Do'Urden he may have heard are assumed to be complete BS.

That being said, Darkharp doesn't trust much of anyone really, and sometimes he has to deal with people he doesn't trust to make it to the end of the road. If it takes working with a drow he doesn't trust to save the world, well....he's already proven that he thinks sometimes evil is just a means to an end.

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2009 12:54:08 GMT -5 @soulfien said:

Feb 2, 2009 8:27:08 GMT -5 @dmhighherald said:

The FRCS entry for Drizzt says he wasn't able to walk around Silvermoon openly at first. This implies that he was eventually able to. I've read everything except the Pirate King. I -really- don't recall if he ever walked openly into Silverymoon.

That 5% figure is just pulled out of the air, since there is never a % figure listed anywhere for people who know him. All thats ever stated in official source is that he is considered famous throughout the Sword Coast North.

Edit: I also don't recall the Gods themselves ever stepping in to save him. The few times he has been near actual death throughout the series, I recall it always distinctly being a mortal who saved him.

Well, from the books... there was always only one or two who had heard of him while the rest feared him.

Also, it was mortals, yes, but it was the gods in impossible situations- like Clacker for instance who was a svirfneblin polymorphed into a hook horror by an eccentric human mage. When Drizzt was cornered by the drow sent from Menzoberranzen, Clacker, who'd all but lost his personality due to the polymorphing spell, just as Drizzt was about to lose to the 4 drow fighting him on a narrow ledge, summons up a stone wall from nowhere that seals Drizzt off from the attacking drow saving his life.

Clacker goes on to explain that such a thing is impossible and that the svirfneblin always required a circle of their most powerful shamans to work together and spend an hour of ritual magic to summon what he just did himself with most of his personality gone.

There were other examples of this

Like I said, a good read, just sometimes I think he should have had to respawn once or twice. I've read all the ones thoguh the Orc King series.

Wasn't Clacker a creature called a Peck or something like that?

[Charon's Claw]

Clacker was a Pech. A race of creatures smaller than the Svirfneblin who were more in tune with the stone and earth than they were. A group of them could call upon a rock wall like that, but I'm guessing that Clacker just had a surge of adrenaline and a lot of luck and favor, which is how he saved his friend.

((Has read all the Drizzt books like 3 times each at least))

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2009 13:34:39 GMT -5 Charon's Claw said:

Clacker was a Pech. A race of creatures smaller than the Svirfneblin who were more in tune with the stone and earth than they were. A group of them could call upon a rock wall like that, but I'm guessing that Clacker just had a surge of adrenaline and a lot of luck and favor, which is how he saved his friend.

((Has read all the Drizzt books like 3 times each at least))

Speaking of racism...it was Willow who was a peck!

Outta my way PECK!

[Rook]

Feb 2, 2009 9:50:11 GMT -5 Munroe said:

Feb 2, 2009 7:00:59 GMT -5 seina said:

He's level 16? Which would mean that he and Tira are on par with just how epic they are? And people like Sharita, Kelric, Taran and Teneas are far more "epic" than he is and can kick his little drow-bum back to Silverymoon?

*mind boggles*

See.. I think that all of these "epic" characters from the FR novels should be just that.. -epic-. Far more epic than -any- of our PCs, which are small potatoes in comparison to a character than hundreds of thousands of geeks people have read about. Please.. I hope that if anyone uses him or any of the other "famous" FR characters they make them a level that is unatainable by FRC standards.

That being said..

I still think he would be attacked on sight at worst.. mistrusted at best.. and that most elves would flat refuse to walk with him.

If you're level 16, you aren't some small potato. If you're thinking you're low level then you're selling the levels short. Level 16 is high level, and anything above 20 is OBSCENELY high level. Just because characters can attain epic levels in NWN doesn't mean they're mundane, it just means our rules aren't hard enough.

At level 8 and 10 characters rule kingdoms. Because it isn't practical for everyone to have that level of influence in NWN, not everyone does. If you add ten levels to a D&D level, you're getting close to the same level of influence in FRC. So if you're level 16 in NWN, you probably have a little less renown than a level 6 would have in D&D. If your character is quiet and passive, that might be more like a level 4. It isn't that D&D levels are low, it's that NWN escalates expections because of the fast advancement through levels.

Oh, to answer your other point, Sharita and Kelric ARE more epic than Drizzt, they're just not published in a popular book series. I can't speak regarding the other two characters you mentioned as I'm not particularly familiar with them.

I totally agree with what Munroe wrote. FRC's epic PCs are truly epic.

I haven't read every book about Drizzt yet (does that make me a heretic?) but I have read a few. It seems to me that Drizzt and this friends fight one white dragon, or a few giants, and that's an epic battle for them. That's a good days accomplishment and a rare feat. Or they are hard pressed to defeat an ogre stronghold but manage to pull it off by the skin of their teeth.

Compare that to the antics of our PCs on FRC. Many groups march into the Storm Horns, fight one group of giants, than march on to fight another, and another. One battle isn't enough. How many groups have defeated the ogres or orcs caves near Suzail without too much trouble? Most of our epic PCs can do that solo. And I have heard PCs brag about how easy it is to defeat the white dragon.

I think it is fair to say our epic PCs greatly exceed Drizzt's abilities, and our high/mid-level PCs can match him.

Munroe is right. As players we don't fully appreciate how awesome our PCs truly are. A level 10 PC is someone to be respected and feared. You don't have to reach 20 levels to reach that status.

Anyway, I think I went a little off topic with this.

[SlothfulCat]

For what it is worth, I've done the Suzial ogre with just a level 7 and 5.... go dwarf power!

[Pookey]

Drizzt wasn't epic. He just had good PR and a book deal.