Well, this may be a bit pedantic, but if you are going to play him "like if he never left Menzoberranzan," why make him a Ranger?
Drizzt's 3.5 classes were Fighter/Barbarian/Ranger. This represented his Melee Magthere training (Fighter), time spend in the wilds of the Underdark (Barbarian), and training on the surface and conversion to worship of Mielikki (Ranger).
So why not go two weapon fighting Fighter instead of Ranger? Maybe multiclass into Rogue or Ninja for some skills and sneak attack.
Instead of scimitars you could use saw tooth sabers (they are curved like scimitars, but serrated and thus more evil, plus are considered light weapons for two weapon fighting).
Sam is correct. He was a Fighter/Barb/Ranger... just another example of the horrid mish mash builds some of the BIG heroes had.
Lore warden/ ninja FTW! Use a deep cover id. Play like a drow turned good, but never forget your true purpose and allegiance. Take joy and revel in the destruction of your enemies. You never take orders from, or are subordinate to any non-drow female who hasn't utterly bested (fairly or not) you in every way.
Sam is correct. He was a Fighter/Barb/Ranger... just another example of the horrid mish mash builds some of the BIG heroes had.
Usually I am the last person to defend Salvatore (shiver), but I read all those books on a bet with a friend, and to be fair, Drizzt's build is in line with the literature. His classes/levels make sense if you know the history of the character. It wasn't just made up and handed to him for no reason.
Bleh. Now I need a shower.
If you are copying him (In spirit) best bet would be Vanilla Ranger with a Panther AC (use Tiger stats).
You'd need a pseudo pounce since he is described with a very mobile/full attacking style.
If you allow the 3.5 spell Lion's charge, that is pounce
Or you and panther take co-ordinated charge so you get free out-of-turn charges and full attack next round.
I'd take some monk levels (4 levels).
It does cost you 1 BAB and delays the fighter's class features, but it gives you a lot of diversity.
1) It allows you to be viable without armor on
2) It gives a nice boost to saves
3) It gives a nice boost to class skills and skill points
4) Bonus feats reduces the pain of losing fighter levels
5) You are not completely useless if you get disarmed somehow
6) movement bonus
7) Improved unarmed strike, count as a light weapon, making two-weapon fighting viable early on, just fluff it like pommel strikes, kicks and hitting with the flat of your blade
8) Stunning fist, it is a nice dirty trick people do not expect from a dual sword wielder.
9) You can always try to make an additional unarmed strike even when wielding two-weapons, monk levels are useful in this regard too.
10) Evasion
11) Maneuver master, reduces the pain of losing BAB for combat maneuvers
12) Ki pool, a +4 dodge bonus or 20' movement boost, is pretty sweet at times
13) Magic unarmed strikes, not really that great, but it might allow you to damage some foes easier and thus try to stun or fatigue them.
14) still mind
15) slow fall
16) flurry of blows
17) better CMD when unarmored
18) better touch AC when unarmored
19) You keep monk AC/CMD bonus when surprised or denied dex bonus (unarmored)
20) style feat prerequisites are more easily fulfilled
You do not have to be unarmored of course, you lose your AC bonus (and CMD bonus) when you wear armor as well as your fast movement and flurry of blows. Of course if you decide to wear armor it will likely be because your AC will be better with it, losing 10' movement and the potential to flurry of blows is a small price to pay.
I'd take either the Maneuver master archetype or master of many styles, but sohei isn't bad either.
* Maneuver master replaces flurry of blows (which you couldn't use with weapons or armor), still mind and slow fall with fun abilities that you can use freely even in armor or with your choice of weapons.
flurry of maneuvers which gives you an additional combat maneuver per round with a -2 penalty using your monk level as BAB whenever you use the full attack action. Might not seem great but 1) you lose nothing 2) it is useful at low levels 3) a 20 always succeeds 4) even for tricks that require a standard action.
You get attacks of opportunity against foes that use maneuvers against you in which you have improved feats, which is very nice.
You can use a ki point to roll a combat maneuver twice, which is again awesome.
* Master of many styles benefits are more obvious, no prerequisites to obtain style feats which you can pick as bonus feat and you can have two of them active. Losing flurry of blows is (almost) meaningless to you.
* Sohei, you might actually take all the way for a drizzt wannabe.
Animal Archive has the Mad Dog Barbarian archetype is a full warrior that gets an animal companion at the same level as a druid. It also has the bodyguard companion archetype which might be useful for non-casters in particular and the boon companion feat which allows you to count as 4 levels higher for the purposes of your animal companions abilities (up to your character level).
Sam is correct. He was a Fighter/Barb/Ranger... just another example of the horrid mish mash builds some of the BIG heroes had.
I don't really see whats so horrid about it, for a melee character. The only problem it may cause is tanking your Will save, but otherwise it seems like a fine build. Unlike, say, Elminster's build which doesn't accomplish anything.
And like I said, it follows his character development.
I thank you for the suggestions and you're right about his build. What my build is for is mostly to screw with my party because we need a ranger/scout for tracking and got into joking about drizzt and I thought I would throw them a curve ball by showing up with a drow ranger with a panther companion that had more of a personality like Jarlaxle or Artemis.
Okay, so you are filling the scout role. Fighter probably won't do.
So, TWF Ranger with the saw tooth sabers and a panther animal companion will be a decent clone to start. From there its all your roleplaying that will determine your success in portraying him as the anti-Drizzt.
Hate on elves.
Resent females behind their back, but subservient to them when commanded.
Engage in petty cruelty.
Think of "kindness" as an alien concept/four letter word.
You aren't playing full-on evil drow, so you may want to consider what made your outlook different from the typical drow mindset. And why are you so trusted by your matriarch to go on such an extended assignment, do you have a means of communication back to your House.
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Not to stir up a hornet's nest, but I don't see a need for hating on Salvatore and his books. I've enjoyed many of them. I feel he does a great job at making the Forgotten Realms a vivid, living place. Can't we all just get along?
Aside from that, I think the variation is a very interesting idea. I'd definitely throw some Rogue levels into the mix, personally.
You want to throw the party a curve, and make it the opposite of Drizzt? Don't make it a drow, everyone expects a drow to be evil. Make it a deep gnome, that for some reason turned evil. Perhaps he was a drow slave, and now willingly works for the drow. He can have all the ranger/scout skills you are looking for. AND, if rp'd right, your characters would think he is trying to help them.
Side note, nothing wrong with the Salvatore books. Some of them I liked a lot, some were a bit meh, but overall, a great contribution to the genre.
Drizzt 3.5 had like a 21 AC at seventeenth or eighteenth level. Steerable build for an annoying pansy character.
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If I wanted to make a certain Drow using only Pathfinder material, I would start by giving him the traits of Fencer and History of Heresy.
I might also use the Alternate Racial Trait Darkland Stalker in place of his spell like abilities. Seeing he stayed underground I would have him be a fighter, two weapon warrior archetype, for his earliest levels. Maybe have him dip a few levels into rogue, monk, or ninja to show some alternate training his house forced on him.
Having 2 Gloom Blades would be a good fit for the character. A chain shirt with the shadow ability would work well too.
I'm not sure what I'd have for all stats or all the feats.
I thank you for the suggestions and you're right about his build. What my build is for is mostly to screw with my party because we need a ranger/scout for tracking and got into joking about drizzt and I thought I would throw them a curve ball by showing up with a drow ranger with a panther companion that had more of a personality like Jarlaxle or Artemis.
I haven't made up my mind yet as to what his personality will be likeI like the saw-toothed Sabre, I am definitely going with two of those. I am also playing his alignment as chaotic neutral with the attitude of it's a job, as long as I get payed, I'll do whatever you want me to do to get the job done.
Again thank you all for the advice, if you have any other suggestions for this or any other drow related character ideas please post them I like playing drow and not just because of Drizzt. I like the challenge of playing characters that stand out from the norm.
by the way, Jarlaxle is my favorite Salvatore character
If your GM is willing.. there is a feat 'companion figurine' it basically allows you to use a figurine as your familiar or animal companion. Main benefit being that they do not die permanently and the figurine stays a bit longer. Though I guess you'd have to create something homebrew based on the golden lions figurine.
Personally I'd go for the leadership feat, get a big cat and advance it with rogue levels as you level up. You might get your GM to mix leadership and companion figurine in one feat, sure it is now impossible to kill permanently but it only stays for 2 hours a day and will still get banned for a week if it dies.