Drow NPC question <3.5>

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

This is for my upcoming Underdark campaign, almost as a DMPC, but more like a short-term aid in reaching the BBEG.

This lesser drow was a gladiator in the Arena devoted to Lolth. Turns out (to the PCs' future dismay) he's a dhampir (half-vampire) who was turned into a slave due to his "tait."

Questions are, in Drow Society, would he have survived to adulthood and how "deadly" would he end up being?

[Kylarra]

So... what custom half-vampire monstrosity are you using for his template?

Anyway, he'd probably survive as a 'favored' pet/toy of some house looking to make a name for themselves in the arena.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

So... what custom half-vampire monstrosity are you using for his template?

Anyway, he'd probably survive as a 'favored' pet/toy of some house looking to make a name for themselves in the arena.

Half-Vampire from Libris Mortis

okay, so he'd actually not be butchered?

[Kylarra]

It's "plausible" that he'd be retained as a valuable resource, insofar as a slave is a valuable resource in drow society.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

It's "plausible" that he'd be retained as a valuable resource, insofar as a slave is a valuable resource in drow society.

I see. The idea is the PCs need his help to stop Lolth from obtaining a superweapon known as the Darkstar, which will grant her the powers of all of the Elder Evils (thus, increasing her power 100 fold) and she will kill Corellon. He will lead them to her lair, and in the end die fending off a horde of Lolth's "superspiders" as he closes the door.

[Kylarra]

I see. The idea is the PCs need his help to stop Lolth from obtaining a superweapon known as the Darkstar, which will grant her the powers of all of the Elder Evils (thus, increasing her power 100 fold) and she will kill Corellon. He will lead them to her lair, and in the end die fending off a horde of Lolth's "superspiders" as he closes the door.

That's ... less plausible. A slave in drow society who has been brought up as an arena slave and needs to drink blood every day is less prone to the heroic sacrifice for random strangers.

[Starbuck_II]

Maybe he has the hots for one of the PCs? Boobs have been known to produce stronger effects in men.

[Kylarra]

Maybe he has the hots for one of the PCs? Boobs have been known to produce stronger effects in men.

Well if this weren't drow society based on backstabbing and treachery, then sure, maybe. But if he's a drow that grew up in drow society and was ostracized for his bloodline, well...

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Well if this weren't drow society based on backstabbing and treachery, then sure, maybe. But if he's a drow that grew up in drow society and was ostracized for his bloodline, well...

He looks to die heroically to "cure" his blood taint

[AtwasAwamps]

He looks to die heroically to "cure" his blood taint

Problem: He was raised in a society where the action you describe is NOT heroic, especially to those whose blood he shares and wants to cleanse.

Perhaps find another reason. One that could have him relate or be indebted to the PCs. Drow inundated in Drow society are not neccessarily concerned with the greater good. Ever.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Problem: He was raised in a society where the action you describe is NOT heroic, especially to those whose blood he shares and wants to cleanse.

Perhaps find another reason. One that could have him relate or be indebted to the PCs. Drow inundated in Drow society are not neccessarily concerned with the greater good. Ever.

He's a gladiator, who prays to Corellon (accidentally forgot to mention that tidbit)

[Kylarra]

He's a gladiator, who prays to Corellon (accidentally forgot to mention that tidbit)

Is he also CG and yearning to throw off the drow stereotype? Perhaps he should dual wield scimitars.

[Starbuck_II]

Whoa, Drittz didn't worship Core, he worshipped Ehlonna (unicorn diety), get your facts straight before you abuse them.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Is he also CG and yearning to throw off the drow stereotype? Perhaps he should dual wield scimitars.

Greatsword, Trident, and Net (Not all at the same time). No, he sees himself not as a Drow, but as a lost Elf

and shame on you....-1000 points

[Kylarra]

Whoa, Drittz didn't worship Core, he worshipped Ehlonna (unicorn diety), get your facts straight before you abuse them.

I know that, however, drow+heroic+"good" deity worship is close enough.

[Fallbot]

@^^^^Agreed. A dhampire being used as a gladiator? Plausible. A dhampire gladiator follower of Corellon willing to make a heroic sacrifice for the PCs? You'd better have a damn convincing backstory to make that work.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

@^^Agreed. A dhampire being used as a gladiator? Plausible. A dhampire gladiator follower of Corellon willing to make a heroic sacrifice for the PCs? You'd better have a damn convincing backstory to make that work.

He sees sacrifice as the only logical option. It's literally either that or everyone dies, and the cosmos is screwed

[Kylarra]

No, he sees himself not as a Drow, but as a lost Elf

My marysue-dar is breaking.

edit:

He sees sacrifice as the only logical option. It's literally either that or everyone dies, and the cosmos is screwed

Even more so now that random gladiator-slave knows how to save the world.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

My marysue-dar is breaking.

lol. He's just kinda an emo kid with a trident, net, and greatsword who's strapped in Half-plate and has the following classes:

Feat Ranger 4/Scout 3/Gladiator 10

[AtwasAwamps]

Okay. Let’s sit down and take this step by step.

To answer your initial questions about this character: Yes, he would survive and yes, he would be very deadly. He would, however, be kept on an extremely tight leash by one of the powerful political figures and would have very little “real” power.

In a standard drow society, the character you have created is impossible without an enormous amount of backstory. If you have that backstory, great. If you don’t, but you know your players won’t care and just want to have an awesome NPC die to save them, great!

If you want your character to make sense (and let’s be fair here, he IS pretty much exactly the stereotypical Drizz’t Clone – It’s not the weapons and the feats and the build that make a character, it’s the character itself), then you really have to sit down and ask yourself where he got all his ideas from.

A – You indicate he grew up in Drow society. How would he have started to worship Corellon if he was raised in a society utterly dominated by Lloth?

B – Why would he see himself as a failed elf if he was raised as a brutal gladiator in a society where elves are seen only with a seething hatred?

C – Why would he feel sacrifice is his only option? What does he want to purify his blood of, exactly?

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Okay. Let’s sit down and take this step by step.

To answer your initial questions about this character: Yes, he would survive and yes, he would be very deadly. He would, however, be kept on an extremely tight leash by one of the powerful political figures and would have very little “real” power.

In a standard drow society, the character you have created is impossible without an enormous amount of backstory. If you have that backstory, great. If you don’t, but you know your players won’t care and just want to have an awesome NPC die to save them, great!

If you want your character to make sense (and let’s be fair here, he IS pretty much exactly the stereotypical Drizz’t Clone – It’s not the weapons and the feats and the build that make a character, it’s the character itself), then you really have to sit down and ask yourself where he got all his ideas from.

A – You indicate he grew up in Drow society. How would he have started to worship Corellon if he was raised in a society utterly dominated by Lloth?

B – Why would he see himself as a failed elf if he was raised as a brutal gladiator in a society where elves are seen only with a seething hatred?

C – Why would he feel sacrifice is his only option? What does he want to purify his blood of, exactly?

A. he was raised by drow nobles, although he himself learnt of Corellon during a gladatorial match, in which he nearly lost to a captured priest of Corellon. he began worshiping him out of respect

B. his rather broken view of Corellon is that he is the god of all elves, including drow.

C. Later, when he realises Lolth is truly insane, and the PCs will surely die if he does not hold the horde back, he sees this as his chance to purify his blood in the eyes of both elves and drow, by sacrificing himself to save strangers

[Taelas]

Drizzt (no apostrophe!) worships Mielikki, not Ehlonna. He's from Forgotten Realms.

[Starbuck_II]

A – You indicate he grew up in Drow society. How would he have started to worship Corellon if he was raised in a society utterly dominated by Lloth?

To be fair, in secrert many drow societies worship Eilistraee (CG diety), some Vhaeraun (unhaooy male drow diety), Ghaunadaur (ooze diety, worshopped by outcasts), Kiaransalee (slavery, not slaves), and so on.

I'm surprised Drizzt didn't serve Eilistraee.

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

To be fair, in secrert many drow societies worship Eilistraee (CG diety), some Vhaeraun (unhaooy male drow diety), Ghaunadaur (ooze diety, worshopped by outcasts), Kiaransalee (slavery, not slaves), and so on.

I'm surprised Drizzt didn't serve Eilistraee.

Eilistraee was brought into print (if my math is correct) after the drizzt books began

[Fallbot]

Pedantry aside, if your players are at all familiar with a certain emo, I think you're going to have a tough time getting them to take this character seriously.

Overcoming both years of brainwashing and all self-preservation instincts purely out of respect for a defeated opponent does not feel like a very drow thing to do. But that aside, how did he learn more about Corellon? is the church of Lolth less restrictive in your setting?

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

Pedantry aside, if your players are at all familiar with a certain emo, I think you're going to have a tough time getting them to take this character seriously.

Overcoming both years of brainwashing and all self-preservation instincts purely out of respect for a defeated opponent does not feel like a very drow thing to do. But that aside, how did he learn more about Corellon? is the church of Lolth less restrictive in your setting?

1. I understand. he's just an outcast in all worlds

2. he's Half Vampire as well, so he has a stronger will. and he spoke to the cleric, who taught him the basics of Corellon's teachings, before the cleric was killed

[Kylarra]

Frankly, I don't buy it. He has a strong will, but a lifetime of teachings are overturned because of some loser he beat in the arena? Not only that, he decides to worship a god of somebody he killed, ignoring the near death experiences he's had at the hands of every drow he's killed who worship the pantheon he's familiar with. Not only that, but the cleric is also an evangelist for corellon willing to chat with the guy trying to kill him. Not only that, but he somehow manages to hide this despite the leash he's on as the prize pet for whatever noble. Not only that, but he somehow becomes privy to the information that Lolth is insane, knows her plans and where the macguffin she needs is, and is not immediately executed.


On the other hand, given the way your group plays, I doubt it's more than a blip on the radar compared to other DMPCs you've had, so you're probably fine.

[hamishspence]

Eilistraee was brought into print (if my math is correct) after the drizzt books began

In the Crystal Shard, Drizzt didn't serve Mielikki directly, but one of her servitor gods:

"I am Drizzt Do'Urden, a ranger humbly serving Gwaeron Windstrom, hero of the goddess Mielikki"

Since then though, the focus has been more on Mielikki.

[Strawberries]

1. I understand. he's just an outcast in all worlds

2. he's Half Vampire as well, so he has a stronger will. and he spoke to the cleric, who taught him the basics of Corellon's teachings, before the cleric was killed

Do you want my opinion? Feel free to ignore as I a) am pretty much of a newbie to roleplaying in general and b) know of Forgotten Realms and drow only through Neverwinter nights.

Anyway, as other people have pointed out, the backstory seems forced. Too many "strange" things that must have happened to the character to bring him where he is now.
I'm going to throw an idea out here: how about not having the character defining choices happen in the backstory, but make it happen before the players eyes? Get rid of the Corellon cleric and the piece of backstory that comes with him, as it is unnecessary contrieved. A half-vampire drow slave who isn't irredeemably evil is already quite difficult to explain (plus you have to explain how and why he is privy to Lolth's plan).

My suggestion? Have him being neutral at best: he doesn't enjoy the suffering of the others but he isn't prone to put his life on the line for them. The development that brings him to make a ultimate sacrifice should be something that happens in-game. Maybe a PC shows him mercy, or maybe he plans to use the PCs as pawns in some plans of his and ends up unwillingly forging bonds of friendship. Or a lot of other circumstances I'm sure you could come with better than me. In short, show the process that makes him different, don't just tell the players that there has been one.

Just my 2 cps. Feel free to ignore me!

[HenryHankovitch]

How's this for an alternate backstory?

He's this dhampir-drow gladiator. Explain that however you like, but anyway... Because of his strength, he's been kept on a short leash for most of his existence. So he hates and resents the drow that keep him a slave, that make him fight and kill (and probably suffer as well, if he doesn't perform well enough) for their amusement.

So when he meets the PCs, he sees a chance to get out from under drow control, and hopefully exact some revenge on the way out. You can play him as either being pragmatic ("okay, I'll help you, if you get me outta here!") or vengeful ("your mission, does it involve me killing a lot of drow? Say no more, I'm in.")

For his big exit, you could have him make a last stand not necessarily out of self-sacrifice, but a desire to die awesomely, rather than pathetically. Make it explicitly a case of, "well, if I don't do this, we all die anyway." The chance to get some killing done could be an added bonus.

This doesn't preclude you giving him a certain amount of character development or sympathetic change-of-heart along the way; but it isn't necessary to make the NPC believable. Just remember, the weirder and more special you make his background, the more of an annoying DMPC he becomes.