Why do you love/hate Drizzt?

[JVisgaitis]

I'm really curious on this one. I know there are legions of lovers and haters of the drow ranger. Just curious where you stand and why.

For me, I loved the Crystal Shard series and then the Dark Elf Trilogy. I think Crystal Shard was the first Forgotten Realms book I ever read and I got it hot off the shelf in Jr. High (yeah, I'm getting old). I loved those two series and read Homeland many a times. While its not grim and gritty like Conan, I find them to be entertaining so I always pick up the latest one.

Today, I'm not nearly a fan as I was with the first two trilogies, but I get like that with all series that continue on ad infinitum. After awhile I think it just gets really old. Wheel of Time and 24 anyone?

Okay your turn.

 

[Pyrex]

I think he's an interesting character in an enjoyable* series of books.

What bugs me is that two out of three drow PC's people want to play are Drizzt clones...

*In the 'literary popcorn' genre. They aren't classics in any sense of the word, but they're fun reads.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I think that they're semi-good pulp but that RA has quite a bit to go before becoming a good writer.

Drizzt's passion to end the war and finish off his enemy personally in the last book of the lone drow series and then finding out latter he failed and his reaction of 'm'eh' really mademe wonder why build up all the emotion of it.

But like the OP, I too read a lot of FR fiction, including the Crystal Shard, when I was younger. To be honest though, I always liked Wulfgar better. His hammer and backstory seemed more interesting in less pages than it took Drizzt.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

I got Drizzt'd out. I liked the Crystal Shard, but the character just got more and more bulldrizzt.

 

[Henry]

Count me as "Drizz't"ed out, too. I like the character, but there are only so many stories to tell without him changing dramatically that it gets repetitive after a while. Hell, Artemis Entreri had more character development than Drizz't ever did -- he at least LEARNED lessons from his journeys.

 

[Nebulous]

I remember back in the day that Streams of Silver and The Halfling's Gem were pretty badass fantasy books. I read the next trilogy too, and thought it was good, but after that i tried them, but didn't keep reading. I lost interest.They all started sounding the same, and i have no clue nor do i care where the series is now.

Still, i like Drizz't. And i pronounced it Drizz -it since day one and it works for me.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

As far as the novels go, I think the early ones are pretty bad; the writing is poor. The writing improved over time, though; the Dark Elf trilogy was better than the initial stuff.

As far as the character goes, Drizz't out is exactly right: the whole concept fell victim to its own popularity. Playing a drow ranger is kind of like going into a guitar store and playing Stairway to Heaven. The character became a cliche, much like the curious and irrepressible kender/halfling, or the tinkering gnome (lots of annoying cliche-characters from that period, actually...)

 

[DaveMage]

I found him to be an entertaining character.

I've never had the desire to play a PC like him though - nor have any in my gaming group. The "redeemed drow" idea was good for the novels, but I'd never want to use it in a D&D game.

 

[pawsplay]

Meh. He was a pretty good character in a mediocre couple of books, and I find his wild popularity slightly mysterious, but not perturbing.

 

[Kelek72]

I read Streams of Silver and loved the whole cast. Drizzt was cool but I enjoyed the other characters just as much if not more. When the Dark Elf series started, I read and enjoyed the books, but always thought they could have been fine without the Drizzt diary sections. Then that trend continued in the later novels. Then Wulfgar died and came back.... Then...

I lost interest. I think Drizzt is alright. The upcoming mini-set should be cool. I certainly don't need to see any player's trying to be him in a D&D game though. That would get annoying.