Reason Why I Hate Drizzt

[Meowzer]

Firstly I am going to say I am a fan of the Drizzt series...The trilogy of the "King" novels was horrible..And the Neverwinter books were ok..But for the most part I am a fan..But EVERYTIME I am rolling a two-weapon ranger (because I love dual wielding fighters) and I use two scimitars I feel like a douche..I JUST LOVE SCIMITARS BECAUSE THEY ARE D8s WITH HIGH CRIT I AM NOT TRYING TO BE DRIZZT....That is all.

[Gaumer]

Salvatore definitely used a min/max build for the dark elf

I think the crystal cat (don't ask me to spell that shit) he carried around was a sort of cheap out for keeping an Animal Companion around. I know the ACs for my Ranger (he took Beastmaster levels and has two companions now) took beating after beating until my DM finally just made them ghosts that can go back and forth from ghost to material forms.

There ain't no easy way to make Animal Companions stick around and still have them be a boon to the character.

[Meowzer]

I always have to throw a third weapon to help distinguish my char. Like the off weapon that they use just in case or for those special situations...The current one is a trident...which kinda works cause he is a minotaur.

[Navarre]

I know the ACs for my Ranger (he took Beastmaster levels and has two companions now) took beating after beating until my DM finally just made them ghosts that can go back and forth from ghost to material forms.

Man, your DM sounds like he's pretty cool to take care of you and your animal companions like that. 

[Alisha Mynx]

I JUST LOVE SCIMITARS BECAUSE THEY ARE D8s WITH HIGH CRIT I AM NOT TRYING TO BE DRIZZT....That is all.

I just like scimitars. 

I hadn't even read any of the novels until years after I had been playing almost every weekend and only realized then how similar a few of my characters were to novel characters.  I just played what I liked and was never intentionally aiming to be similar to anyone or anything (with the minor exception of my enchanted ring that our GM made based on a Green Lantern ring).

[Orillion]

I'm with you, Meowzer.  Honestly I think all the sets, except for the King trilogy were great.  And even the first two books in the King trilogy were decent.  Nowhere near Icewind Dale, of course...  But that third book was it for me. It really feels like he just phoned it in on that last book.

My only reason for hating Drizzt is the same reason Rob does.  85% of Drow are now social outcasts trying to leave behind the reputation of their birth, 10% are angsty vampire LARPers, and 5% are original...

[Meowzer]

I had a drow monk I was attempting to play, but the game didn't get to far. But he had been kidnapped by surface elves after a failed raid....He was then brought to the side of good..And by the side of good I mean he won their trust then slaughtered them. Go go gadget neutral evil. I had a lot of fun with him.

[sliksham]

Most players I have experienced who wanted to play Drow did so because of Drizzt and they thought it gave them free reign to either be an emo wazzock or an evil SOB.
Drow are banned in any gamer I run
Besides, Cadderly and Artemis Entreri are far better characters than 'oh woe is me' boy

[Meowzer]

Hmm I love Jarlaxe too..But Artemis Entreri is prob my fave char from the series.

[Orillion]

Nah come on... Jarlaxle is so much more fun.  Have you ever read the Sellswords books?  Jarlaxle makes Artemis a king.  Then when the local ruler goes, "Hey, WTF man" and sends in the army, Jarlaxle gets to play it off as if the only reason any of that ever happened was so the local ruler could justify the expansion of his Kingdom, and acquire new lands.

But the greatest part is that you can never really know if that was Jarlaxle's plan all along.

Artemis is cool, except that while Drizzt is a stoic good guy, Artemis is a whiny, emo bad guy.

[Cheesedemon88]

Most players I have experienced who wanted to play Drow did so because of Drizzt and they thought it gave them free reign to either be an emo wazzock or an evil SOB.
Drow are banned in any gamer I run
Besides, Cadderly and Artemis Entreri are far better characters than 'oh woe is me' boy

I am SO sick of this argument, seriously, I'm dead tired of everyone assuming that I'm going to play some super righteous dark hero with emotional scares or that I'm just ripping off Drizzt every time I dare pitch a drow, maybe you've just been really unlucky with your players, but I have played with and DMed several drow and they have all been diverse and they have all been no more or less original then any other character. True,a couple of them have been a little close to Drizzt in concept or character traits, but more often than not the style of the players will shine trough no mater the skin colour of his or her elf.

Concerning the books themselves, I enjoy them, though most of the characters are prime examples of Mary-Sues, the characters and stories are still entertaining and there are some good plot twist here and there. Also, Jarlaxle is the best.

[sliksham]

I wasn't arguing, its my opinion based upon my experience, which obviously differs from yours, and so it seems I have been 'unlucky' in that regard. 
I wish you well with your Drow in the future, they just don't have a place in my games.
This is what I love about rp and why its such a wonderful and diverse hobby where anyone can find a place to play their game with like minded fellows without ruining it for anyone else, hopefully.

[Navarre]

Wouldn't it be better to expect more from your players than it would be to ban an entire race?

I think players too often play into stereotypes even if they don't think about it. Dwarves are all ale-swilling people with Scottish accents and pithy stories, Halflings are all precocious and curious and find themselves in well-intentioned trouble etc.

When one thinks of Drow they think of a race that was once bright but have fallen from favor, leaving most dark troubled individuals. So I think players tend to automatically create such personas for a Drow PC.

I'll be honest, I don't know a damn thing about Drizzt. I only know he's a Drow and apparently carries scimitars. I never read anything about the character.

But even if someone tells me they want to make a young human wizard who's an orphan raised by his despicable uncle before realizing he's special and gets to go to an academy of wizards, I'd let it play. I'll even let him have a lightnign scar on his forehead if he can give me a reason for it. It's their PC, not mine.

My job as DM is not to stop players from playing the PC they want, so long as it is well-balanced for the rules/level and fits the setting. My job is to create an engaging world for that PC, and his/her player, to challenge both to experience growth and have fun.

[sliksham]

Drow have no place in my games because they just don't fit my 'world' (Maybe as a result of my previous experiences admittedly), neither do several other races and classes.
Seems I'm in the minority
I'm never disappointed with my players throw at me given the freedoms they have and the way in which their characters develop and take the story with them, so I can happily say I expect nothing more from them.

Anyway, Jarlaxle is indeed a dude.

[Navarre]

If Drow don't actually belong in your game world that is entirely understandable and a different topic altogether. My Shadow War game world didn't allow for Elves of any sort for some time. Strifeter wanted to play one but, at that point, it actually fit the game world so I allowed it.