This is a background for a character in my D&D game, playing Out of the Abyss.
House T’sistyn were great traders of exotic materials, mostly harvested from otherworldly beings or monstrosities. They were especially known for their poisons – Rylryn T’sistyn was a great ranger, one whom would hunt the most dangerous venomous beasts, extract their poison and then sell it off. He trained his son and daughter – Tathrogh and Drizalle in the arts of the hunt and tracking in the Underdark, but died when Demogorgon crash landed in his hometown. Most of their stock was destroyed as well, so was their fortune.
House T’sistyn then lost most of its power and fame – both the offspring still in training, although skillful, were not able to provide as great poisons and materials to their clients. Tathrogh and Drizalle were then forced to embark on more dangerous and difficult hunts – Tathrogh joined the Dark Hunter group, scouring the Wormwrithings for purple worm eggs and poison, while Drizalle went on to hunt a variety of aberrations and monstrosities – as quite a few of these could be found in the Underdark post the arrival of the demon lords.
However, something befell Tathrogh and his Dark Hunters, as he never returned from one of his hunts. Months later, Drizalle came back to Menzoberranzan, could not find her older brother and decided to join another expedition – this time – to the Wormwrithings. The tunnels the purple worms dug out were no match for her tracking skills and she quickly found their nest.
That Dark Hunter group consisted of a mage Bemril Lueltar, her, as main tracker, and 8 more drow hunters. In the nest, they discovered a giant caretaker, one whom would protect the eggs while the purple worms were away. Drizalle prepared sleeping poison for him, waited for his return to his ramshackle home just beside the nest, when all of a sudden, fighting began. She silently snuck closer and saw a group of adventurers – killing of the giant and unfortunately, alerting the worms. A great fight ensued, with the adventurers somehow surviving the two purple worms, however, with great damage – as most of the eggs were destroyed in the crossfire.
She then snuck back and told Bemril what she saw. He, unwilling to lose his prize to outsiders, ordered them to stealthily approach and attack. The adventurers were not amused by the hunter’s demands to lay down the egg they still had and leave – and fighting ensued. However, drow hunters were tactical, preferring to whittle down their enemies, rather than engage them head on.
Drizalle stayed her bow. Why would there be outsiders here, in the Wormwrithings? Especially looking for purple worm eggs – an expensive material used for very difficult magic rituals? While the rest of the group tried harassing the adventurers, she harvested the purple worms – mostly for their delicate poison. The other drow collected the rest of the eggs and returned to their camp.
Soon enough, the adventurers started running – holding on to the egg they marched through the tunnels, slowly. They were hurt and tired, while the drow hunters were mostly fresh – so it was only a matter of time they were too weak to fight. However, a wizard in the party shielded them from their attack. Now, well rested, they were too risky to fight with, so the group decided to not confront them anymore.
Drizalle was again surprised when the adventurers, now rested and healthy, turned around and headed back to the nest. The mage and other hunters, seeing this, turned back and decided to travel back – they had gotten more than they expected already, having not planned to kill the worms, just ransack their nests and leave.
Drizalle, however, stayed behind.
Drizalle
Medium humanoid (drow elf), lawful neutral
Armor Class 19 (drow studded leather +2)
Hit Points 86
Speed 30 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
Saving throws Strength +5, Dexterity +9
Bonuses Initiative +5
Skills Perception +6 Stealth +9 Survival +6
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common (limited), Undercommon, Elvish, Deep Speech, Abyssal
Challenge 13
Sharpshooter. Drizalle’s ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover. Before Drizalle makes an attack with a ranged weapon, she can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, add +10 to the attack’s damage.
Alert.Drizalle can’t be surprised while she’s conscious. Other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against Drizalle as a result of being hidden from her.
Greater Favored Enemy. Drizalle gains a +4 bonus to damage rolls with weapon attacks against Monstrosities and Aberrations (+ advantage on saves against their spells and abilities). Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Colossus Slayer. Once per turn 1d8 if below max health.
Spellcasting. Drizalle is a 11th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Drizalle has the following ranger spells prepared:
Cantrips: dancing lights
1st level (4 slots): hunter’s mark, longstrider, absorb elements
2nd level (3 slots): pass without trace, find traps, protection from energy
3rd level (3 slots): nondetection
Racial: faerie fire 1/day, darkness 1/day
Actions
Multiattack. Drizalle makes two longbow attacks.
Longbow +2. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 150/600 ft, one target. Hit: 18 (1d6 + 7) piercing damage, DC 12 con save or poisoned for 1 hour (DC 14 and 1d8 with special arrows). 5+ fail unconscious. Drizalle can, as a bonus action, coat the arrow with the purple worm poison, dealing 42 (12d6) on a hit (DC 19 con save).
Volley. You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.
