Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Allianceis on the way. The exact release date is uncertain, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it releases in the first half of 2021. Unfortunately, details on the game are rather scarce. It’s pretty clear that players willtake control of Drizzt Do’urdenand the Companions of the Hall in this game, but how they’ll play is less certain.
Even though Tuque Games hasn’t said much about the game’s specifics, the roles of the Companions in the books probably tell players plenty. For instance, the party’s resident archer Cattie-brie will probably be the character of choice for players who favor fighting at range.
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Catti-Brie’s Arsenal
Archery is the most important part of Cattie-brie’s skillset. After all,Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Allianceis based heavily on R.A. Salvatore’sIcewind Daletrilogy. Over the course of those books, Cattie-brie obtains a magical bow named Taulmaril, which was paired with an enchanted quiver that never ran out of magical arrows. Archery will be Cattie-brie’s main way of taking on Icewind Dale’s threats. Cattie-brie will probably have high maneuverability, ducking and weaving through combat while firing arrows and possibly using special arrows equipped or enchanted with additional effects to give herself and her team an advantage.
Cattie-brie is traditionally perfectly capable of fighting in melee too.After theIcewind Dalebooks, she comes into possession of a sentient sword named Khazid’hea. It’s unclear ifDark Alliancetakes inspiration from books outside theIcewind Daletrilogy. However, if R.A. Salvatore and the game’s other writers take liberties in this way, Khazid’hea would make a great melee weapon. Players might expect coordination with Cattie-brie’s sword as it serves as a sixth sense for her, warning her of danger and guiding her strikes. Even if this magical sword doesn’t show up, it’s likely that Cattie-brie will possess some kind of light melee weapon for when she has to step into the thick of battle.
Extraordinary Powers
Dark Allianceis notably lackingin a party member exclusively focused on magic. If Tuque Games decides it’s important forDark Allianceto follow RPG tradition, Cattie-brie might get some extra magic on top of her archery. Conveniently, in some books, Cattie-brie takes up wizardry and learns illusion magic to broaden her skillset. That sort of magic would be great inDark Alliance,letting her distract enemies and apply crowd control effects to control the flow of battle.
Cattie-brie is also notably favored by a god of the Forgotten Realms. She bears a mark of Mielikki, a goddess associated with forests, nature spirits, and so on. Although it’s unlikely Cattie-brie would functionally become a bow-wielding cleric, she might have some divine magic at her side. Cattie-brie might be able to offer her friends some healing for when the going gets tough. A healer is another traditionalRPG role thatDark Allianceis missing, so it’d be great if one or more party members at least have a little bit that they can offer. Cattie-brie seems like a believable candidate for filling in this role.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Allianceis pretty mysterious for a game that’s supposed to release any day now. Its highly cinematic trailer suggests that combat will be intense, but fans of Salvatore’s books andDungeons and Dragonsgameswould like a little more information. Odds are good that news will come out soon. Hopefully some of that news includes explainers on the differences between each ofDark Alliance’s characters. Although there’s plenty of material to speculate off of, it’d be better to know for sure what each member of the Companions is bringing to the table.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliancereleases in 2021 for PC and consoles.
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