Mighty archer of the Companions of the Hall and wife to Drizzt Do’Urden, Catti-brie remains a Forgotten Realms figurehead more than 30 years after her debut in R.A. Salvatore’s 1988 novel, The Crystal Shard. Her latest appearance, as a playable character in the Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance video game, showcases her at her most iconic, firing arrows across the battlefield and supporting her allies against frost giants, gnolls and all manner of foes found in Icewind Dale.

For a summary of Catti-brie’s history and ideas on how to incorporate her into your own adventures, read on, but beware of spoilers for R.A. Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt novels!

Catti-brie’s history

Catti-brie is the adopted human daughter of dwarven leader Bruenor Battlehammer. Found after her father was murdered by goblins, Catti-brie was raised by Bruenor amongst the Battlehammer dwarves, who dwelt in Icewind Dale after losing their ancestral home of Mithral Hall.

In her childhood, Catti-brie was one of the first humans to befriend the famous ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, who had left the Underdark city of Menzoberranzan and moved to the frigid north in hopes of finding a community that would accept a renegade drow. Thanks to Catti-brie’s influence, Bruenor and Drizzt became staunch comrades, and as the years went on, the motley trio would band together with Wulfgar the human barbarian and Regis the halfling to defend Icewind Dale against the machinations of Akar Kessel, a wizard seduced by the magic of Crenshinibon, a sentient crystal shard.

Over the course of several quests across the Sword Coast, Catti-brie and her comrades won back Mithral Hall and became renowned as the Companions of the Hall. Catti-brie became an accomplished archer, wielding the elven bow Taulmaril, and she also dominated the sentient sword Khazid’hea.

Once betrothed to Wulfgar, Catti-brie would become the wife of Drizzt and a chosen of Mielikki, the goddess worshipped by rangers across Faerun. After dying in the midst of the cataclysmic world-shifting event known as the Spellplague, she was reincarnated by Mielikki as Ruqiah, a member of the nomadic Bedine people. In current lore, Catti-Brie and the other Companions are alive and well, continuing to aid Drizzt in numerous battles across the Realms and beyond.

Roleplaying as Catti-brie

Six years have passed since Catti-brie and I took to the sea. A blink of an eye in the life of a drow, but for Catti-brie, these years have seen her transform from a budding youth to an experienced fighter to be reckoned with.

She stands on the Sea Sprite’s deck, her auburn hair cascading in the breeze. Taulmaril is by her side, ready to unleash an arrow at a second’s notice. Khazid’hea glints in its scabbard as the summer sun shines upon Catti-brie, and as she turns to smile at me, for a moment I see the girl who first welcomed me to Icewind Dale so many moons ago.

When I look upon Catti-brie, I see the limitless potential of humans. When I look upon Catti-brie, I am proud.

— Drizzt Do’Urden

When roleplaying Catti-brie, keep in mind that she was raised by dwarves and takes on their style of speech. She can be quick with a quip and has the same stubborn streak as her adoptive father, Bruenor, and is fiercely loyal and protective of her close circle. Her upbringing means that she will quickly bond with rangers, fighters, and other martial characters, and Dungeon Masters who seek to portray her as a spellcaster might have her eager to learn from more experienced mages.

Catti-brie might also have a natural affinity with rogues who remind her of her friend Regis, a thief with a bumbling side. Evil rogue assassins who resemble Drizzt’s nemesis Artemis Entreri, who once attacked Catti-brie at a young age, will elicit a very different reaction, however!

Catti-brie stat block

Catti-brie becomes a legendary figure over the course of her many adventures, which makes translating her abilities to fifth edition an intriguing exercise. While she could certainly be represented as a larger-than-life heroine with more than a few epic boons, consider the following stat block — created via D&D Beyond’s homebrew monster creator — for an interpretation that can fit into a wider variety of D&D games. These statistics are meant to represent Catti-brie’s skillset around the time of R.A. Salvatore’s 1996 novel Passage to Dawn, when she and Drizzt spent six years sailing on the Sea of Swords as members of the Sea Sprite, a pirate-hunting crew. And, just like our approach with her friend Drizzt, these stats aren't official, or the final word on the archer in any way.

Catti-brie's iconic weapons

This interpretation of Catti-brie portrays both Taulmaril and Khazid’hea as +3 weapons. Catti-brie may use a bonus action to cast lightning arrow from Taulmaril as many times as she wishes, which aligns with the novels’ description of the bow as a weapon that never ran out of ammunition and shot crackling arrows.

Khazid’hea, on the other hand, was described as a blade that wished to be possessed by the finest of fighters and could cut through anything, hence its ability to ignore resistance to slashing damage and deal critical hits on both a 19 and 20.

Catti-brie's other abilities

Catti-brie is a mobile force on the battlefield who can rain down arrows on opponents while dodging opportunity attacks and granting allies advantage. In another nod to the items she acquired in the books, she has darkvision due to her Cat’s Eye circlet, which was given to her by Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon prior to a trip into the Underdark.

Catti-brie at higher levels

Those who want to portray Catti-brie later in her adventuring career, shortly after she began learning magic under the elves of Silverymoon, might consider making her a 4th-level spellcaster with Intelligence as her spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The following wizard spells are all possible options for her:

• Cantrips (at will): mending, prestidigitation, true strike
• 1st level (4 slots): alarm, longstrider, magic missile, shield
• 2nd level (3 slots): melf's acid arrow, mirror image, misty step

Catti-brie adventuring hooks

For ideas on how to bring Catti-brie into your games and twist Forgotten Realms lore, consider the following ideas:

• Catti-brie’s time sailing with Drizzt aboard the Sea Sprite is a period glossed over in R.A. Salvatore’s novels, meaning that it’s perfect for expansion in your home games! During this era, the pair were engrossed in pirate-battling missions along the Sword Coast to see the world and move on after the presumed death of their friend Wulfgar. A campaign using the seafaring rules from Ghosts of Saltmarsh would be the perfect opportunity for players to encounter Catti-brie and tell an untold chapter in the history of the Companions.
• A stray portal or ancient magic takes player characters 130 years into the past! Forgotten Realms fans might know that the setting’s calendar uses the Dalereckoning (DR) numbering system, and most fifth edition adventures seem to take place around 1490 DR. The Catti-brie stat block presented here is meant to represent her around 1360 DR. Dungeon Masters have the power to ignore dates however they choose, but if you’re a lore stickler and want to use these stats while still keeping your game in the current era of the Forgotten Realms, try weaving a time-traveling adventure! Player characters will get to witness Catti-brie and the other Companions when they were in their prime, and maybe even wreak havoc to the time stream in the process...
• Bring the Companions into Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. (Spoilers for this adventure ahead!) Catti-brie still exists in the modern era, albeit in her second life. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden specifically occurs in 1489 DR and does not feature the Companions, despite taking place in the frosty land that first catapulted them into the spotlight. However, Dungeon Masters who want to appeal to fans of R.A. Salvatore’s books could conceivably inject Catti-brie, Drizzt, or any of the other Companions into the narrative, possibly by replacing some or all of the adventure’s Arcane Brotherhood wizards. How might Catti-brie and her friends react when they learn of Auril’s eternal winter in their homeland?
• The party could help Catti-brie learn more about the people of the Forgotten Realms. Prior to her death and resurrection, Catti-brie had the tendency to see the good in everyone, as evidenced by her willingness to accept Drizzt when no one else would. Following her rebirth, however, she exhibited notable differences in her personality, including a hardline stance against creatures stereotypically seen as evil, such as orcs and goblins. If your players are up for it, a game where the reborn Catti-brie is paired with a party composed of monstrous player characters and forced to confront her beliefs could be a powerful way to explore the nuances of prejudice at the gaming table.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of Catti-brie’s exploits or plan to meet her for the first time in Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, the daring deeds of Drizzt’s partner deserve to be implanted into your game. Get those enemies in your sights, unleash those arrows, and let Catti-brie strike!

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Jeremy Blum (@PixelGrotto) is a journalist, gaming blogger, comic book aficionado, and fan of all forms of storytelling who rolled his first polyhedral dice while living in Hong Kong in 2017. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood.