Old PCs as NPCs

[robberbaron]

Not directly (previous parties were basically Good and the current one is basically Evil) but some of them are in high positions in 'the World' and may become known to the players.

It is a very nice idea and one I may well broaden later in the campaign - when I've worked out how to get them in the plot without the party killing them.

 

[Lorgrom]

Yep do it quite often, and if the original player of that character is in the group. I normaly take them to the side (actualy I try and talk with them about it before gameing starts) and bring them upto speed on whats happening. Only once have they disagred with how I had thier characters act off screen. Then I have that player play the character. No better way to get the PC's personality correct then have the original player at the helm.

 

[Rothe]

Do you use old PCs from previous campaigns as NPCs in your campaigns, to add that bit of depth to the game?
...

Always. Their deeds are the stuff of legends and stories.

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

Yeps. My current campaign features children of the previous one.

We're playing in a campaign like this right now. My friend is running an oriental dynasty type of game where our characters were succeeded by their sons (a trend which is expected to continue.) After reaching 19th level, our characters were performing a ceremony to free a powerful alien being from a gem, but some force perverted the the magic and inverted our life energy. We became undead (a lich and a death knight) and now despise all that we loved in life (including each other--we were cousins--and our wives and children). Our old characters are now the overarching antagonists behind the new campaign.

I'm running a game where an old epic PC of mine is a demigod of vampires whose following goes about (armed with merciful weapons) forcibly "recruiting" gestalt characters to help him overthrow Cyric, his former patron deity and ultimate betrayer.

I also have an Ironsoul Forgemaster (actually a current PC) whose echoes are still heard throughout Cormyr in a chronologically later campaign after he equipped virtually the entire Purple Dragon Army with uber-masterwork (as high as +3 nonmagical adamantine and mithral with a DC 75 Craft check) equipment in a matter of a few years.

 

[Lord Ipplepop]

I have always been a firm believer of the DM retaining all "dead" characters, and receiving a copy of all "retired" characters. It makes it so much easier on the DM, because he already knows how these characters act, and what their motivation is. It also makes it interesting for the players because they get a chance to see what the DM has done with their beloved characters.

In one homebrew I was doing (too many years ago to comfortably count), I actually had the characters meet an adventuring party made up of their old adventuring party from another DM that was playing. They didn't immediately catch who the rival party was "stealing" their treasure and glory, and it was quite the interesting time. When one of the players made the connection, the entire table got a good giggle, and we moved on with the game.

 

[painandgreed]

Yep, old PCs end up as NPCs all the time. My old PCs usually end up dispensing the plot hooks, while other people's PCs end up being used for flavor. Since I've seen them played and possibly have stats and character sheets, it's easy to role play them and give them a persobnality beyond the generic NPC. I also use real friends and movie characters alot for the same reasons.

Put into my homebrew:

Evenalyn Dramilinus - Elven Fighter/Magic-user who became a minor noble by acting as general for several major battles between countries while a PC. As an NPC, his military exploits are century old history and he keeps to himself, but does supply, outfit and inform low level adventuring groups as a hobby, something he also did as a PC. Not as good as would seem as interaction with major artifact while as a PC drove him insane, gave him meglomania and a dual personality (one good and one evil) both of which are working on a centuries long plot to rule everything. Probably just make his 8/9 levels in two 1E classes carry over as is so he's effectivly 17 level or so.

Nevenalyn Dramilinus - Half dragon elvin Magic-user/Assassin. When I retired Evenalyn, I started playing his son, Nevenalyn, who was the result of the DMs cut scenes (not my attempt at an uber character BTW). Haven't worked out his actual 3E stats yet but probably take dragon bloodline instead of half dragon template. He'll end up being aware of his fathers condition and goals and be aiding as an agent in the world.

 

[haakon1]

I do it a lot. I'm very into NPC's. What's interesting to me is when players can't tell the difference between NPC recently invented and NPC former-PC-another-group-played. I figure I'm doing NPC's right if they seem deep enough to have been PC's.

I'll also do references to PC's that have gone before through their equipment being found in the one and only magic shop or in treasure hordes if things didn't turn out well, and through tradesmen mentioning other groups.

I't also interesting to have PC's join and quit and rejoin other parties, so that there's a connection between them.

I do all of this in western Greyhawk (mostly between Bissel and the Cairn Hills). For Greyhawk, old PC's becoming NPC's seems natural. I've used the former PCs Robilar, Tenser, and Erac's Cousin from Gygax's campaign in my campaign too. Don't tell anyone about Erac's Cousin . . . IT'S A SECRET! (whispered really loud like Homer Simpson would do it)

My entire group of campaigns, 1996 to the present, began with my own version of the Keep on the Borderlands, where the mission was to recovered the remains of a slain PC (slain circa 1982) from baddies . . . the party were hired by one of the slain PC's retired PC friends.

 

[viscounteric]

That is a lot of fun, and former-PC NPCs are the most "living" of characters in any setting, and I love having unrelated characters deal with the consequences from former campaigns - even if the characters don't know it, the players do - and it gives them the warm fuzzies.

QFT

Most of the PCs from my high school and army days played significant roles as NPCs in the game I ran in college. Some of the college PCs ascened into godhood in my Hackmaster campaign, others became rulers around the world, and others disappeared into obscurity.

Now, my 2nd Hackmaster game is only a 'five-years later' campaign, and the adventuring company the original group formed is looking for more members. Most of the group is off on the great crusade, so the new PCs will only meet the local druid, the hip-hop nubian warrior who runs the local trading post and his family, and the party mage (a vampire no less).

I intend on building up the current players to original party levels. If the players' PCs die, I may allow them to go back to their original characters. Plus it allows for special guest appearances of PCs whose players can only make annual visits.

 

[Odhanan]

Do you use old PCs from previous campaigns as NPCs in your campaigns, to add that bit of depth to the game?

Yes. Some characters of our Seven Spires campaign have made it to Ptolus. In our Ptolus campaign right now, it is thus possible to meet some of the ex-PCs. It did not happen as of yet, but it very well might in the near future.

 

[sydbar]

Our current dm is using 2 of his son's old characters as the owner of the inn we are staying at, and we found out some info about some people that appear to be part of a group that has been causing trouble for the small town we are helping out, and the character his son is playing decided to ask his old character(now npc) about them, so our dm just got his idea used against him, the look on his face was priceless.