D&D 5E Drizzt as a LG 8th Level Champion

[Rottle]

I hope it doesn't. I totaly understand it in the context, but it is just contradictory with all the previous official statblocks and the novels themselves. Actualy I think Drizzt is one of the characters that couldn't easily productable with just one class. The 3e fighter (early years in the drow fighting academy)/barbarian(underdark-hunter)/ranger(under Montolio) makes the most sense to me. And, waaaaay over 8th level (dragons, balrog, other demons, drow house weapons masters, frost giants, master assasins etc. as his enemies).

Aside from that he IS on the artwork in SCAG over the ranger entry. He has mastery in wilderness skills, tracking and stealth. So to me clearly not a strict fighter. Indeed he doesn't use spells, so it is somewhat funny that the most famous and archetypical ranger isn't a good example of the PHB ranger! He will be the perfect candidate for a spell-less ranger, or the scout from the UA. Or, we could say with a little handwawing that he indeed use spells, like hunter's mark, just don't do it as "spellcasting" narratively.

As the alignment, i think mostly NG, with inclinations toward both CG and LWG. He supports community, yes, but the 'hunter' persona, the strong emphasis on personal freedom and choices and the nature theme just don't speaks to me a wholly lawful alignemnt.

Am I misremembering that he clearly did cast a warding spell and summoning or telepathy spell in the very first novel why he tried to speak with the demon.

 

[PMárk]

Am I misremembering that he clearly did cast a warding spell and summoning or telepathy spell in the very first novel why he tried to speak with the demon.

Honestly, I don't remember. I read the Christal Shard a looooong time ago. I remeber he received some basic magical course in the drow academy (and his teacher remarked that it is a shame that he will became a warrior, because he would be a good wizard), but in the last....lots of novels I can't recall any actual spellcasting, however I'm reading the Rise of the King right now and in a forest ambush scene there is a passage that could be interpretable as he summoning fog.

 

[TerraDave]

He was absolutely a "drow ranger". Thats how the character was pitched in the very beginning. The 2E ranger was inspired by him, and basically that moved dual wielding from the drow to the ranger.

The story was that this was just something made up on the spur of the moment...but a drow ranger, which was legal at the end of the 1E era, would be a pretty strong character. The big thing with the ranger then was this damage bonus that applied to most humanoids and giants. This includes any off-hand attacks you make. On top of all the other things drow got. I am not saying munchkin or anything. I mean, not exactly that.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Is it weird that my first thought on seeing the title of this thread was:

"What the heck is Drizzt doing in Living Greyhawk?"

 

[Xeviat]

I could have sworn Drizzt cast Entangle in one of the books. If he's a FighterX/BarbarianY/RangerZ, he could easily get away with not having too many spells.


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[Rottle]

He was absolutely a "drow ranger". Thats how the character was pitched in the very beginning. The 2E ranger was inspired by him, and basically that moved dual wielding from the drow to the ranger.

The story was that this was just something made up on the spur of the moment...but a drow ranger, which was legal at the end of the 1E era, would be a pretty strong character. The big thing with the ranger then was this damage bonus that applied to most humanoids and giants. This includes any off-hand attacks you make. On top of all the other things drow got. I am not saying munchkin or anything. I mean, not exactly that.

A 1e drow ranger was ok but given drizzt's stats and light issues he would have had some issues. Limited to level 8 max, low to hit chance, and technically by 1e rules could not use both scimitars at once. The damage bonus was awesome for rangers to be sure espically so for two weapon fighting rangers, which frankly at some point even middle of the road dex wise rangers would become....

 

[Zardnaar]

In 1995 when I 1st read exile I thought Drizzt was level 8. Since Giants and balors are not that hard to hit.

In 5E level 11 fighter with the rest of his levels being a hunter/Ranger makes sense IMHO.

 

[bganon]

He was absolutely a "drow ranger". Thats how the character was pitched in the very beginning. The 2E ranger was inspired by him, and basically that moved dual wielding from the drow to the ranger.

The story was that this was just something made up on the spur of the moment...but a drow ranger, which was legal at the end of the 1E era, would be a pretty strong character. The big thing with the ranger then was this damage bonus that applied to most humanoids and giants. This includes any off-hand attacks you make. On top of all the other things drow got. I am not saying munchkin or anything. I mean, not exactly that.

2E was released barely a year after the Crystal Shard, and the designers are on record stating that the Ranger design was NOT inspired by Drizzt. The design would have to have been largely done before the book even came out anyway.

But as you say, 1E drow rangers could dual wield quite well. And I recall in an appendix somewhere, Salvatore mentioned that the main characters (Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and maybe Catti-Brie) were based off an actual game he ran where every character had one ability score of 19 or 20 (I forget which). *VERY* munchkin for 1E.

 

[ChrisCarlson]

I am one who tends not to relate classes to in-game professions/roles. A character who identifies/is identified as a "ranger" can be any number of things mechanically.

Given the general behavior and feats of heroics most often attributed to him, I think it's totally legit to take this route in designing him for 5e. It is clearly not the only way, but is equally not a wrong way, IMO.

 

[GreyLord]

A 1e drow ranger was ok but given drizzt's stats and light issues he would have had some issues. Limited to level 8 max, low to hit chance, and technically by 1e rules could not use both scimitars at once. The damage bonus was awesome for rangers to be sure espically so for two weapon fighting rangers, which frankly at some point even middle of the road dex wise rangers would become....

Don't have my UA off hand, so this is off the top of the head and not positive I'm remembering right...

I think he could be up to level 10 with some rulings of a single class character via the UA who could be multiclass but only utilized one class.