Post/Author/DateTime	Post
baerdith 11-01-03, 12:33 AM	I know RAS is a writer and the game designers aren't but I was just reading Lone Drow, and in one battle Drizzt drops no less than 5 darkness(es). The FRCS states that drow can use Darkness as a spell-like ability 1/day. Is this ONCE PER DAY, or once per day PER LEVEL?
Kuje31 11-01-03, 12:54 AM	Originally posted by baerdith I know RAS is a writer and the game designers aren't but I was just reading Lone Drow, and in one battle Drizzt drops no less than 5 darkness(es). The FRCS states that drow can use Darkness as a spell-like ability 1/day. Is this ONCE PER DAY, or once per day PER LEVEL? Rules vs. a good story...... RAS has said in the past he doesn't care about the changes that happened to the drow in 3e, and he will continue to use the old rules that existed in 1st and 2nd edition.
Another Gnome 11-01-03, 03:35 AM	Ruleswise the limit on drow using spell-like abilities is 1/day regardless of level. The wording would say "1/day per level" or something to that effect if it meant that to be the case - which it doesn't.
avian tiefling 11-01-03, 09:58 PM	First of all, i believe that RAS can develop his characters' abilites however he wants, regardless of what rulebooks say. that's the beauty of writing. besides, its Drizzt! exceptions should be made for him (and Jarlaxle and Liriel) as far as drow special ability usage goes. i personally have not read the Lone Drow, but from what i gathered at the end of the Thousand Orcs, Drizzt reverts to the "hunter" mentality (Exile), in which case physical limitations would be irrelevant to such things.
Conan 11-02-03, 11:21 AM	RAS writes stories. RAS has written stories for FR since 1e. Since then the entire system for D&D has changed multiple times, and there has been many supplements and sourcebooks that have conflicted each other over different rules. The stories that RAS writes are based on D&D and FR. They are not a literal dice roll by dice roll example of D&D. If they were they would be boring as hell. RAS has never apologised for "breaking/bending/ignoring" D&D rules in his novels if it is for the sake of the story. And I for one am glad that that is the case.
Yokinobu 11-02-03, 01:35 PM	You mean Drizzt really returns to his "hunter" mentality? From what I remember he was always ashamed of it. But I liked the idea of Drizzt goin' crazy and dicing some poor monster to bits. I think his exile is what gave him the level in barbarian.
baerdith 11-02-03, 03:51 PM	Originally posted by Yokinobu You mean Drizzt really returns to his "hunter" mentality? From what I remember he was always ashamed of it. But I liked the idea of Drizzt goin' crazy and dicing some poor monster to bits. I think his exile is what gave him the level in barbarian. . . . .. . . . . . . Wait till you see what he does to a poor Giantess taking a bath :)
Bloodtide_the_Red 11-02-03, 10:50 PM	I've always liked the idea that folks and creatures can use their spell-like abilites as amny times as they want...for a price. I'm not sure what would be a good price...one hp per use? So they can use'em at will but take damage. Subdual damage would work.... BT
Yokinobu 11-03-03, 12:18 AM	Originally posted by baerdith Wait till you see what he does to a poor Giantess taking a bath That's gotta be good. I guess I'll catch up on all the Drizzt books I've missed out on. I've got a lot to read before I make it to The Thousand Orcs, though.
Darius the Barbarian 11-03-03, 03:26 AM	Just imagine: "... and then Drizzt summoned a globe of shadowy illumination in order to cover his retreat and slow down his deadly foes..." :D
Zanan 11-03-03, 05:51 AM	Originally posted by Darius the Barbarian Just imagine: "... and then Drizzt summoned a globe of shadowy illumination in order to cover his retreat and slow down his deadly foes..." :D You missed out on the object part of the spell, since you cannot cast it somewhere into space these days ... Personally, I write my stories according to the rules. 3E/RE leaves character developement pretty much open and if you have chaps like the scimitar-wielder, they are quite able folk indeed. No need to mess around with the rules, whether AD&D (balor defeating and all that) or 3E (darkness-dropping galore). Enough freedom to exploit.
Darius the Barbarian 11-03-03, 06:54 AM	Originally posted by Zanan Originally posted by Darius the Barbarian Just imagine: "... and then Drizzt summoned a globe of shadowy illumination in order to cover his retreat and slow down his deadly foes..." :D You missed out on the object part of the spell, since you cannot cast it somewhere into space these days ... Well, I didn't mention it but it's pretty damn obvious he centerd the spell on a rock he found underway and picked it up just in order to have a potential shadowy-illumination-radiating-focus at his disposal ;)
Conan 11-03-03, 02:53 PM	Originally posted by Zanan You missed out on the object part of the spell, since you cannot cast it somewhere into space these days ... Personally, I write my stories according to the rules. 3E/RE leaves character developement pretty much open and if you have chaps like the scimitar-wielder, they are quite able folk indeed. No need to mess around with the rules, whether AD&D (balor defeating and all that) or 3E (darkness-dropping galore). Enough freedom to exploit. [/B] And when RAS started writing for FR he followed the rules pretty damn closely too. But then they went and changed the core rules multiple times. What was he supposed to do? Change how all the character's did things for each new set of rules? Or keep some sort of character continuity and bedamned the rules, tell a good story? I think he has done a fantastic job with his books. Mainly because his character's are the focus, and not the "rules". Writer's tell stories people. Get over the rules. They are only there so that we have a codified playing field in which to set our PC's.
Another Gnome 11-03-03, 05:06 PM	Regarding Zanan's post above, I doubt it was about blaming RAS for breaking the rules, but pointing out the flexibility of the current ruleset. At any rate, I have no problem with RAS writing his stories as he pleases, quite the contrary. However, just like he has the artistic liberty of ignoring the rules as a novelist, I don't see why game designers couldn't similarly ignore the novels when creating rules. And if one can simply look at "Drizzt the novel character" and "Drizzt the iconic NPC" as two different people, it's quite easy to be happy with both interpretations of Mr. Do'Urden. As for the rules and how they've changed, the 3(.5) rules at least offer plenty of room for writing about a particular kind of character even if one wants to write a mechanically sound story - and when converting an existing novel character there's no longer need to resort to the cheap "it's okay for an NPC to break the rules" trick, or at least such tricks are technically available for anyone.
Conan 11-03-03, 10:40 PM	Originally posted by Another Gnome Regarding Zanan's post above, I doubt it was about blaming RAS for breaking the rules, but pointing out the flexibility of the current ruleset. At any rate, I have no problem with RAS writing his stories as he pleases, quite the contrary. However, just like he has the artistic liberty of ignoring the rules as a novelist, I don't see why game designers couldn't similarly ignore the novels when creating rules. And if one can simply look at "Drizzt the novel character" and "Drizzt the iconic NPC" as two different people, it's quite easy to be happy with both interpretations of Mr. Do'Urden. As for the rules and how they've changed, the 3(.5) rules at least offer plenty of room for writing about a particular kind of character even if one wants to write a mechanically sound story - and when converting an existing novel character there's no longer need to resort to the cheap "it's okay for an NPC to break the rules" trick, or at least such tricks are technically available for anyone. My apologies if I came off as being inflammtory. I guess I'm just sick and tired of all the threads on here that end up bashing writers for doing what they get paid for. Writing good stories. I agree that 3-3.5 has a vastly improved system with which to customise characters and therefore the writers have to "break" fewer "rules" when writing novels. However for those that started writing in 1e/2e days I am perfectly comfortable with them sacrificing conformity to rules, for continuity of interesting characters that we have grown to love, or hate, as the case may be. As to the stats published for novel characters, I have never been a big fan of having stats published. Sure like everyone else I read 'em and am interested in seeing someone's take on them. But invariably, unless the stat blocks come before the character is novelised, I am disappointed and feel that the character has been represented differently to my idea garnered from reading the novels. Having said that though I understand why this is so, and accept that stat versions of characters will always be arguable and a mere interpretation of a character that is best approximated by the rules. I hope this clears up my viewpoint. Again apologies if anyone took offence to my "Just got home from work and had a knee-jerk reaction post without much forethought".
True_Blue 11-04-03, 03:06 AM	Who knows if Drizzt ends up getting a feat, like Darkness 3/day or whatever later in his career. The feat just hasnt been written yet in a product heh.
Darius the Barbarian 11-04-03, 03:23 AM	Originally posted by True_Blue Who knows if Drizzt ends up getting a feat, like Darkness 3/day or whatever later in his career. The feat just hasnt been written yet in a product heh. Well, in fact, it has. Deepening Darkness is the name - the feat grants you predictably deeper darkness but it's not the only benefit. It also allows you to use it 3 times per day. My version of Drizzt had the feat included in the writeup before I dropped two Ftr levels and added two Bbn levels.
baerdith 11-04-03, 02:57 PM	I ddin't start this thread to trash RAS or any other writer. I was just wondering if RAS tweaked the Darkness rules a bit. The whole "impenatrable darkness" clued me into the fact that he wasn't using 3.5 though ;)
The Axeman 11-04-03, 03:05 PM	I'm not even going to read the lone drow. The first one sucked so bad it's not worth the money.