D&D General PCs jumping to other campaigns/DMs

[Wolfram stout]

Case by Case. No outrageous characters, but if it is within reasonable tolerance of what is already in play, Why Not?

This reminds me a poster here years ago (like over a decade +) that talked how he always played the same character. He apparently kept pristine notes on his XP and what items he had at what XP point, and would just use an "earlier" version if he were playing at a new/different table. At the time, I was floored, but in the intravening years, I have mellowed. Still not sure how I would handle that at my groups table but based on the specifics of the character sheet/background I would not dismiss it out of hand.

 

[Stormonu]

No, I play at a different power level than most other games (generally lower). I've only been asked a couple of times in the past and the character just wasn't a good fit for the game.

I have had players make copies of their characters from my game and play them in other games, but I've never allowed the copies back into my own games.

 

[MarkB]

It's interesting how much some players will identify with a specific character, to the extent of wanting to essentially play that person in every adventure. To me, creating a new character with a new backstory is a highlight of starting a campaign, and I don't think I've ever felt the urge to go back to a character once a campaign concludes, much less port them around.

But I do understand that it's a thing some players prefer, and would try to be accommodating to them when starting a new campaign - but no, the character doesn't get to take a 'vacation' to some other campaign and then return.

 

[payn]

Organized play, specifically PFS. It works fine and has a west marches feel. I'm with many others here though that I'd tread carefully on home games with the concept.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Explicitly, unequivocally yes. I'd of course convert the character to the "local" rules/reality of my campaign — including magical items — just like the old D&D rulebooks say to do. The character can always "reality shift" back at a later time, based on how other DMs they play with run things.

 

[Quickleaf]

One of my gaming goals is to run a higher level game welcoming the player to use old PCs if they'd like to. It's something that used to be more prevalent in gaming culture, and I think that despite the headache it's worth making a come back.

 

[Kobold Stew]

For me too, this is a thing of the past, like having a mapper with graph paper having corridors described to them by the DM and always getting it wrong. I've not encountered anyone transferring characters between DMs, or wanting to, since AD&D.

(Replicating characters, sure; but not wanting to bring the character with their stuff and experience.)

 

[Lanefan]

If the game or system system is compatible (or conversion ain't too much of a pain) then sure, why not?

And it's the actual character making the jump - if you're bringing Jocasta from Phil's world to mine that's fine, but while she's here she's here, not in Phil's world at the same time.

I-as-DM retain veto, however, over anything I think is overcooked for the party/campaign you're bringing her in to.

 

[the Jester]

Not typically. There have been a few occasions where I have had crossovers with other DMs' campaigns; but generally no, and absolutely not casually.

 

[cbwjm]

Not different groups but same campaign with a side trek run by another DM. Anything that was found was able to be brought back into the adventures I was running.