The Year of Drizzt? (20th Anniversary)


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This is an April Fool's thing right?

Anywho, I'll be over here celebrating the 30th anniversary of Eclavdra, an actual Drow who lives with other Drow and does Drow stuff, without being a poor man's Elric of Melnibone, bemoaning her outcast fate like something that should have little boxes on her character sheet marking Angst and Pathos.

Also the 22nd anniversary of the death of Sturm Brightblade, a character who actually meant something to the world he lived in.

Sometimes, people don't like a character not because it's 'trendy' to not like the character, but because *they don't like the darn character!* I think my favorite FR novel character is Elaith Craulnobur. He's pretty classy, and, while not a common type (elf who isn't CG), he isn't a freakishly rare one-of-a-kind Emo Elf either.

Coloring outside the lines with special classes, races, powers, artifacts and / or other exceptions to what D&D is actually about is a fun way to liven up a stale game, *after* you've spent years coloring *within* the lines.

Starting out with a 'gimmick' character who breaks all the rules or is more-special-er than anybody elses characters just makes it look like you think the actual game itself is boring, since you can't be bothered to make a character who fits within that setting (or lack the talent to make a compelling character who isn't a speshul exception, last of her race, Chosen by Bob, from a planet of sentient dinosaur Paladins).

Drizz't, like so many 'gimmick' characters is about as 'iconic' a D&D character as Jean Grey or James Bond. Sure, neat character, and a vehicle for some truly *awesome* stories about Menzoberranzan, but special exception characters who don't follow the rules is not actually what D&D is about...

A *human* (or elven, dwarven, halfling, gnome, 1/2 orc, 1/2 elven) Fighter, Ranger or Paladin, like Sturm, Kitiara, Caramon, Tanis, etc. should be able to be a heroic (or tragic) figure. Written well, they should be compelling in and of themselves, not because they are the only member of a race not normally seen, or have special powers, or unique magic items, or the ability to spin really fast while holding two swords and cut down a hundred orcs a round.

Core races, classes, feats, etc. *aren't* boring, if they were, nobody would bother to buy the PHB, they'd all be playing Thri-Kreen Warmind / Duskblade Gestalts. If the writer thinks the races and classes that are the *core* of the game are too boring to use, then perhaps D&D isn't his game, and he should be playing Gamma World or Mutants & Masterminds or something, where unusual abilities and unique circumstances are the order of the day.
 

KB9JMQ said:
You can't swing a dead cat around anywhere anymore without the name Drizz't coming up.

I find that you took the time and tried this to be very disturbing. We should talk at length about your morbid fascination with dead animals' carcasses and your deep-set urges to handle them. You need to get to the ground of this if you ever want to lead a carefree life as a productive and happy part of society. :p


Bryan898 said:
Does this mean WotC is going to make a Complete Driz'zt book?

Speak after me: There is no "'" in "Drizzt". There is no "'" in "Drizzt". There is no "'" in "Drizzt".

Come on, if he's so everexposed as you all claim, you can't help but have picked up the correct spelling somewhere along the way in the last 20 years.

I never cared much for Driz'zt past the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Maybe it's just because scimitars are for sissies... that's why those tree-hugging hippie druids use them.

Yeah, and we all know that those don't completely rock and are one of the most powerful core classes - if not the most powerful core class - around.

ShadowDenizen said:
I'll chime in with the "UGGH!", "NOOOOOOOOO!", and "DO NOT WANT" posters.

As long as you just say "I'm not interested" or something like that and leave it like that, or explain yourself, it's alright.

This huge pictures with "DO NOT WANT" all over them is just sad.

The "Drizzt-clone" theory is not just a myth, at least speaking for my experiences. I -still- find people who want to play the "Angsty Drow Exiled from the Underdark, hunted by his evil brethren" *SHUDDER*

Never encountered even one. Plus, I did see several "conan clones" - dumb barbarians with huge muscles and big weapons that didn't ever speak much, and I don't parade my hate against Conan around - I don't even hate Conan for it, or really anyone else. The only thing that comes close to hate in this manner is my dislike towards those who can't begin to do anything remotely unique, who have to copy the most overused concepts - and of course my distaste towards those who think they're cool if they express their hate and disdain towards something.

UGH, again.
HOW are these two still alive?!
How many times have these two both escaped "Certain Death" scenarios?!

Not even half as often as your average D&D character.

Those are D&D novels. They might not be the result of the author sitting there with character sheets and dice and rolling the encounters, but they really should resemble the game and its characters somewhat.
 

Meh, never been too big a fan of Drizzt, I was more into the Dragonlance when I was a kid. I did read the icewind dale trillogy, and the one where he flees the underdark, they were good reads but nothing special in my oppinion.
 


Who cares? I'm no Drizzt fan because I'm no Realms fan, but Wizards obviously knows what they are doing better then anyone here so let them do it. I don't get all the complaining. If you don't like it don't buy it. That's a much bigger statement then anything that can be said here.
 


A full slate of Drizzt releases are planned for 2008, with releases in the RPG, CMG, and novel categories in every quarter. The first 2008 Drizzt release will ship in January.

I wonder what's that all about. Is that one or more Drizzt releases per quarter or one in each of those categories?

I can see it with novels: One would be the second Transitions book, one would be the Paperback of Orc King, and then we'd get two re-releases of old books (they keep being re-released all the time)

One or two CMG releases are easy to imagine, too: A "Friends of Drizzt" pack - with Bruenor, Catty-Brie, Regis, the Boulder-Shoulders, maybe his father, the whole nine yards; and a "Foes of Drizzt", with Jarlaxle, some other drow personalities (a Matron Mother, some more Bregan D'aerthe members, some family), and so on. Beyond that, it might get tricky.

But RPG? Something that has Drizzt in name? "Drizzt's Guide to Mithral Hall and the area" maybe? Mithral Hall, the Kingdom Many Arrows, and the surrounding lands. Drizzt could get to "write" an introduction and some sidebars, even though the rest would be written like a normal supplement, not as if Drizzt wrote the book. The area certainly has things going for it (including an Orc Nation).
 



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