Using PCs as NPCs for the sake of plot

[Ivor_The_Mad]

In my dungeon the party fights two of my low level PCs. I did this for two reasons, 1. This was the best way to gain ex for the encounter. 2. I wanted to form a new story line off this. Now Brazenburn this is not for the sake of argument. It is only out of curiosity. So according to Brazenburn If my characters who i'm using as NPCs die then i can no longer use them. I did not think that this would be valid since I was only using them as a place holder and a transition to a later dungeon. Whats your opinion on this. Should characters used as NPCs, once they die, can never be used again?

[Aett_Thorn]

1) If these are being used in a different campaign with the same people, then yeah, I'd probably say that whatever happens to them in one campaign would affect the other (assuming that other events are shaping their world as well).

2) Why not just rename them a bit and have them be slightly different characters? Do they absolutely need to be your characters from the other campaign?

[Ivor_The_Mad]

2) Why not just rename them a bit and have them be slightly different characters? Do they absolutely need to be your characters from the other campaign?

Not really but I had the stats on hand and they fit the role quite well. I can use different names.

[Lord8Ball]

Whenever I retire my characters they always have something to do(goal) in society. I don't usually mind if the DM uses him/her for plot purpose because it helps develop the character when not in use. Though I don't like when the DM changes the characters personality entirely and acts in ways opposed to his morality or just kills off the character for no apperant reason.

[Quoxis]

You mean to tell me you don’t have entire hard drives filled with millions of characters you want to play some day? Maybe that’s just me.

I wouldn’t care if an NPC from one game appeared in another - Kingdom hearts, Marvel vs. Capcom, crossovers happen all the time, and so do recurring characters (TES‘ M‘aiq the liar, anyone?).
If your buddies have a problem with that, you have the following options:

„But Ivor the mad died in our last game!“
- „This setting is happening before our last game started, it’s kind of a prequel.“
- „It’s not Ivor the mad, it’s Shmivor the sad! Totally different people, you guys.“
- „Ivor was friends with a high level cleric who raised him off-camera.“
- „That was his twin/simulacrum/evil clone. This is the real Ivor.“
- „Does it really disturb the game if i play this character? Don’t be an ass about it, it’s not like your game is heavily set on my character having died in another world years ago.“

[Thrudd]

What happens in the game you are running and what NPCs you put in it has nothing to do with a game someone else DMs. Every person's game of D&D is a completely different world. Unless you are specifically sharing the role of DM in the same campaign and game world, there is no connection. You don't even have to rename the character if you don't want to.

If you wanted, you could play as the exact same character in five different people's games, and also have that character as a NPC in your own game. Of course, other people might get annoyed at that, but there's nothing that says you can't.

[Unoriginal]

Unless it's the same setting and you guys agreed beforehand it was in the same continuity, and that it literally were the characters you used and not simply expies/peope with similar capacities, there is no issue.

Same thing if you play an adventure path a second time: if a guy shows up when they died the first time, you're not going to go "nooo, it's impossible, you were dead!"

[Armored Walrus]

I think you and brazenburn should learn to work out your differences between the two of you instead of bringing every issue between you onto the forum. Or at least start hanging out on two different forums....

I personally have no interest in mediating your game by committee.

[the_brazenburn]

I think you and brazenburn should learn to work out your differences between the two of you instead of bringing every issue between you onto the forum. Or at least start hanging out on two different forums....

I personally have no interest in mediating your game by committee.

Okay...

We're asking legitimate questions, not attempting to squabble and inflict our squabbling on others. We argue, but we do it outside of the forums and use the forums only after our arguments end. If you don't like it, just ignore these posts, okay!

[Specter]

The Player's Handbook states that the DM determines important NPCs as worthy of death saving throws, so even if they get defeated it doesn't mean they're dead.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I use lots of former (now retired) PCs as NPCs. I run a persistent world setting, where the effects of one group get mixed in with future groups, including surviving PCs (now retired). They're firmly NPCs at this point--they are explicitly hands-off. I find players like the idea that their characters' actions change the world for future groups. I definitely curate which actions are canon (I play mostly with teenagers, so...).

Examples:

* Several PCs are now gods.
* One PC became a true dragon and now considers one area her hoard. She likes stories and has interacted with the current PCs.
* One group of PCs (still continuing in a non-canon timeline) became political figures for other groups. One even was a quest-giver/info source, with the player appearing as a guest star in that game. He just pointed them in the right direction and provided logistical support, with the firm (OOC and IC) explanation that he wasn't going to get directly involved.
* Another founded a heterodox religious organization; he hasn't shown up but his organization is a major player in a current campaign.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I use PCs from other campaigns all the time. I ask the players what their PCs would do. Generally I'll have them be someone the newer lower level characters interact with but probably not fight or kill.

An example, I had my Bard show up singing on stage in the pub we were in. The Bard in the new party even sang a duet of sorts with her. Later she ran into the party outside the tavern, showed the other Bard a diamond worth several hundred gold pieces and offered that for a fee and replacement of the diamond she could resurrect the dead the druid way. That is if one of the party didn't mind the possibility of coming back a human or worse and they should make their wishes known.

In another a Wizard from a campaign I thought we were done with came back as a combination of Professor Xavier, Tony Soprano and ObiWan. That PC's player always played him like the latter two and his unexplored back story made me think of Xavier.