Concern Over My Character (Advice Please!)

[AceAwesome96]

So, I'm playing this recently-started campaign with my buddies. We've only played one session but won't be training campaign until our GM is feeling better (he's been having a rough several months).
My character, my friend's character, and the GM's brother found our characters waking up in a room inside a mansion with no memory. I'm not going to go into detail about the session, as that's not important for my problem. My character starts out almost detective-like he attempts to find out who he, who these others are, where they are, and why they're here. Over time, his wit is joined by crazy decisions and actions. For instance, he'd figured out the secrets of the mansion, used a battlefield obstacle as an asset, etc. Later though, for example, when his allies were downed, he jumped into the monster's mouth and shot it dead from the inside. He even used Spongebob's interrogation method from that Mr. Krabs isn't really an evil robot episode on the evil mastermind. After the party caught the bad guy behind it all, everything fades. It turns out that everything was a stimulation and we wake up (kinda like the Matrix) and regain our memories. My idea for the character is that the simulation caused something to go seriously wrong in his head, which I feel like I've played well so far.
My problem is this: my brothers and friend have pointed out that my plans to play this character sound an awful lot like Deadpool. I doubt think they're wrong though. Here's why: When I played his decline into insanity in the first session, it wasn't my intention that he'd similar to Deadpool. However, about two months or so after the session I begin reading classic Deadpool and decided that'd be the way I want to play my character. Problem is, I don't want to copy Deadpool (or have to be accused of it, even though he's awesome), I want to play my character.

I guess my question is this: how do I ensure that I'm not making and playing a copied character?
Any help/advice is appreciated, thank you.

[Sith_Happens]

What's wrong with being Deadpool?

[goto124]

It's not like the lawyers will chase you for copyright infringement.

Just play him as per normal. If it's fun it's fun. Happens to be like Deadpool? Why would anyone care?

[Gracht Grabmaw]

There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from something. It's not like you're playing literally Deadpool complete with healing factor, Weapon-X background and supreme nihilism poorly disguised with whacky humor. You're just using one element of that character that also happens to perfectly fit with your character. You shouldn't tweak your character just because someone else feels it's too similar to another character.

[Honest Tiefling]

It sounds like the real issue is that other players don't want to play with Deadpool. First step, I'd say, is ask them why. Is it that he is not serious enough, or breaks the fourth wall? Are they concerned about being killed if they don't swear that Jar Jar Binks is an abomination? Communicate with them to make sure you know why they have reservations.

Now, what is it about Deadpool that you like? Even he's a bit more then just a 'Whaaaaacky' character. Find the trait about Deadpool that you like. After that, make all of the rest of the traits different. Your character is investigative, and I might not be a big comics fan, but I'm pretty sure that's not one of his traits. Make him curious and want to understand things, perhaps a man of the sciences. He did jump into a monster's mouth after the party died, was it out of desperation, or to save his teammates? Maybe his sense of justice is different, and he's not the Merc with the Mouth, just an unhinged vigilante who wants to investigate the crimes no one else is to bring justice to those who try to escape it.

I've copied characters like this before, and that's what I do to make them different. I started with Aquaman and ended up with a morally-questionable tiefling bard. No one at the table complained, through the game was short.

[Geddy2112]

"Any similarity to any other persons, real or otherwise, is strictly coincidental". A lot of characters I see played have at least some similarity to people I know from fiction or reality. I openly play concepts based on real and fictitious people, as do some of the people I game with.

I could see some concern from other players if you are playing Deadpool. That wackiness can take away from serious moments and make the game a farce. Just because both your character and deadpool have a mental thing, it does not have to be played the same. Perhaps your character is horribly OCD or something. Your wit and crazy decisions/actions could be Deadpool, but would also fit Sherlock Holmes and a dozen other people. The easy solution is to have nothing in your backstory that would specifically be from Deadpool's past. Just think outside the box and be a bit off; make a detailed backstory that is totally OC and bring it up often. Don't be disruptive to the party(Classic Deadpool is fairly chaotic evil, which can be problematic depending on the party)

[Red Fel]

It sounds like the real issue is that other players don't want to play with Deadpool. First step, I'd say, is ask them why. Is it that he is not serious enough, or breaks the fourth wall? Are they concerned about being killed if they don't swear that Jar Jar Binks is an abomination? Communicate with them to make sure you know why they have reservations.

This. The accusation of "You're playing Deadpool" sounds like it's actually shorthand for "You're playing these traits, and we do/don't like them." Figure out what they dislike, if anything, and if it's disruptive, see if you can drop it and still enjoy the character.

With respect to you actually wanting to play Deadpool, play Deadpool. Or play "Deadpool but X." Or play "Almost Deadpool." Or anything else you want. These forums are full of threads from people asking how to build X as a character; it's not a repugnant idea to want to play a character you like, or something close to it, in a game. (Assuming, of course, that doing so isn't disruptive to the game.) Play what you want and feel no regrets about it.

[Jay R]

When I base a character on a literary character, I always include one trait that is absolutely inconsistent with that character. This is all the tool I need for the PC to grow into its own character.

I'm currently running a Norse Ranger, based on the Viking stereotype, but with a strong opposition to bullying

I based a AD&D 2e Elven Thief on Tarzan - he preferred the woods, avoided humans, used a bow primarily - and also was a multi-class wizard.

I based an original D&D bard on Fflewddur Fflam, but without the exaggeration.

I once had two followers - dwarves named Felix and Doli, who were following my character ever since a dragon killed their five brothers. You had to do a little foreign language analysis to recognize the names "Felix" and "Doli" as meaning "Happy" and "Grumpy".

I based a Champions PC on Puck of Alpha Flight, but he was Irish, called Leprechaun, and had a luck power.

I based a Champions NPC on **** Grayson. He was an orphan whose parents were killed in a trapeze act, but with no Batman to train him, all his skills were circus-based, with no Deduction.

I based a Flashing Blades rogue on Aladdin. He was a climbing, bread-stealing rogue, but focused on becoming excellent with a rapier.

So I recommend that you pick one non-Deadpool trait to role-play, just to distinguish him.

[Yukitsu]

You should have told them that you were playing someone loosely based off of Slade Wilson. It would have saved you some trouble.

[King of Casuals]

Never forget that YOU make your character, and aviod doing what anyone expects you to do just because they want you to.

[boomwolf]

I'd say, if their only familiar with deadpool as a character with mental issues, they are seriously lacking in literary experience.

There are many flavours to the realms of madness, perhaps even moreso than sanity.

Not to mention that with the slew and for characters in books, movies, theater and comic it's practically impossible not to draw SOME connections to an existing character.

Play your character as you wish. If they have concerns just tell them deadpool is non-related and end it there. If they insist just say he's based on mad max, or max payne (what's with semi sane max characters?) or one of the many not too sane bad guys in games. Not hard to find one to strike your fancy.

[Hypername]

Well If someone played Deadpool in one of my games I would be pretty damn ecstatic. I love that guy.
Now should you play a Deadpool-esque character (Hell yeah it's Deadpool!). It all depends on the setting. If your GM wants a gritty, dark campaign e.g something like in the Nolan Batman movies or the Daredevil TV series, an insane player cracking jokes wouldn't feet so well. If you roleplay his descend into madness correctly, though, it can be pretty awesome.
If you worry about originality, don't. Seriously each and every character archetype has already been done in the thousands of years of human history. Every character you make will be similar in a way to someone else. Don't worry about being original, especially in a game like that, where it's pretty much medieval fantasy. And besides that, a guy running something like Deadpool breaks away from all the cliches and is interesting to play.

[goto124]

Actually, just ask them what they don't like about your character, other than that it resembles Deadpool.

[Gritmonger]

I don't have room to talk - I played "The Most Interesting Man in the World" openly in a Superhero campaign, to the point of shilling for Dos Equis every time there were cameras. If it's not played to be disruptive, you can get away with it...

[Maglubiyet]

If you've never made a character in an RPG based on a character you saw in a tv show, movie, book/comic book, or videogame then you are...well, you're probably a liar.