Forked Thread: The Drizzt Clone

[Klaus]

Back when I was 18 I knew nothing of Drizzt. But I saw a couple of paintings in the Art of AD&D book, and there was this cool-looking dark elf with twin scimitars. When I got a chance to play Rolemaster (as I usually DMed D&D), I played a dark elf with twin scimitars. I was Evil, though.

 

[Scribble]

I don't think you need to be exactly the same as the original to be a Drizzt clone. You just have to kind of take enough elements that it's sort of obvious where it's coming from...

Like I had a player that once made a dual scimitar wielding centaur, with animal companion.

Also the sudden preponderance of players playing rangers that all dual wielded scimitars after reading the books I think counts. Not truly a "clone" but it was obvious the only reason they wanted the scimitars was to emulate drizzt.

 

[Cor Azer]

* Raises hand *

My name is Cor Azer, and I've played a Drizzt clone... intentionally. He was an outcast neutral good drow ranger wielding twin longswords (2E rangers didn't get penalties for such), but he was albino as opposed to purple eyes. No animal companion, although he had a set of bracers of the blinding strike. Junior high didn't lead to the most original characters in my group (a Tasselhoff clone was frequently in seen as well).

That's probably the closest any of my group ever came to a full on Drizzt clone. Plenty of drow (some good, some not), but not much similarity beyond that.

For the record, at least one Jarlaxle clone was played as well, but that was in a game using the old Menzoberranzan boxed set.

 

[Barastrondo]

Ok, I have to ask. Who has actually had a Drizzt-clone in their game?

I have been running games for 10 years now and have never encountered what I'd consider a Drizzt-clone.

My criteria would be: Drow of good alignment, Ranger, scimitars, possible panther companion.

Open it up to Drizzt homages and you might see a groundswell of possibilities. Otherwise you're excluding neutral drow rangers with scimitars, good half-elf (maybe half-drow) rangers with scimitars, good drow rangers with longsword and shortsword, good elf rangers with scimitars and feline (but not panther) companions, etc.

Not a lot of people play exact clones. Homages that are somehow yours in some way other than just name, those are all over the place.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

*ahem*

I've been accused of playing a "Drizzt Clone" despite the fact that I've been playing a "Drizzt Clone" since before there was a Drizzt to clone.

Back in 1985- 3 years pre-Drizzt, I started playing a Neutral Drow who was an outcast from his family, and who was a Rgr/Druid/M-U. His weapons were a Longsword, a Staff, and a Bow. When 3Ed came out, to convert the PC, that Longsword became a Scimitar.

(I also have 2 other Drow PC from that era, and 2 others besides. None are anything like Drizzt, though one is based on Morley Dotes from Glen Cook's Garret, P.I. books.)

Drizzt's popularity is such that you almost can't escape the "clone" accusation when its not even remotely true, so I've almost given up on playing a new Drow PC ever again.

 

[fanboy2000]

A question, though. Hasn't come up in my group, but what if you actually played Drizzt.

Technically, I did. I used his stats from one of the 3.0 FR books. (Silver Marches, IIRC.) In the interest of full disclosure, I was the DM and he was an NPC and it was only for one session. He got a bunch of really bad rolls though, and it became a joke that the PCs had to hold the monster down before Drizzt could hit it.

 

[JoeGKushner]

2nd edition. One of my players, Floyd, had a thing for 'em.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

I had a friend who I gamed with (3E/3.5) for 2-4 years. When I moved, I threw out a lot of the old pointless character sheets. Of his, ~17 out of 20 DIFFERENT Characters were some combination of Drow and/or Dervish. He was a Drizzt fan, and admits it. I didn't have any problem with his playing the characters, because he did them fairly well, and it never was an issue that he was just "Drizzt with a different name".

Drizzt Clones bug me a bit, but not too bad. I probably would not be bothered if someone ran another Drizzt (or any other iconic) clone, If they either did it well (as in everyone in the group found there character enjoyable) or put enough of their own spin on it to make it unique.

 

[Dire Bare]

I accidentally did once! I rolled up a 3e elf ranger/druid who dual-wielded scimitars, but no animal companion or dark skin tone. I didn't set out to clone the dude, but I was merely power-gaming and trying to come up with a bad-ass character. My DM gave me a hard-time of it, but embarrassed as I was I stuck with the character until he died by the hands of some dastardly orcs!!!

 

[Rechan]

I honestly think it doesn't qualify as a "Drizzt Clone" unless they're GOOD good good good GOOD aligned and riddled with angst, both from racial intolerance and going against their "nature".

And that can transcend species.

Not truly a "clone" but it was obvious the only reason they wanted the scimitars was to emulate drizzt.

Of course, there are legitimate reasons to use dual scimitars. The visual is cool, scimitars got nice crit ranges, and I personally like the Whirling Dervish/Arabian feel.

For the record, at least one Jarlaxle clone was played as well, but that was in a game using the old Menzoberranzan boxed set.

For that, I'll give style points. Jarlaxle is the man.