D&D General Do you re-use characters?

[NaturalZero]

When you play a character or specific character concept, do you ever recycle them in a different campaign?

I just got invited to play the in first in-person game I've been part of in a couple of years and I'm struggling to think of a fresh character concept that I'm excited about. I have a mountain of 5e characters that I've played for a few sessions, or even 7+ levels straight, but I've always had this hang-up about re-using characters I've already played, even when it's an entirely different gaming group or campaign.

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

I strongly prefer to fine-tune a character to a campaign setting. But I assume that you will not have a Session Zero where the DM explains the setting, after which the group is invited to design a party that fits in the campaign and will naturally stay together and cooperate?

I have once played a character in a one-off, which I fine-tuned for a longer campaign. But although the name was the same, I even changed its class from sorcerer to wizard.

If you kinda don't want to play an existing character, but are not feeling inspired for a new one, why not roll some dice and see what it comes up with?

 

[Shiroiken]

No two characters of mine are the same. Even if I have the same race/class combination, they're different in personality, background, and motivation.

 

[Dragonsbane]

Years back I switched my group from Forgotten Realms to my own homebrew world. The old PCs were there, with some interesting differences at times, as NPCs. Alternate reality-ish setting involving many alternate prime material planes with historical differences, it worked well.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I've never reused a character in a different campaign, although when I was much younger I did become enamored at one point with the stories of how players would sometimes, upon the death of their character Bob I, bring in Bob II. So I made a halfling thief, Red XIII, and upon his death I brought in his clone, Red XIV. The DM gave me a withering look, but he allowed it. Quite a few Reds died in that campaign. I think killing Red more than once was the one thing the DM liked about the idea.

Maybe you could take an existing idea but put a fresh spin on it? Like playing the version of a prior character that's from the evil twin universe. That way you have something to start with but you can take it in a completely new direction.

 

[Li Shenron]

When you play a character or specific character concept, do you ever recycle them in a different campaign?

I just got invited to play the in first in-person game I've been part of in a couple of years and I'm struggling to think of a fresh character concept that I'm excited about. I have a mountain of 5e characters that I've played for a few sessions, or even 7+ levels straight, but I've always had this hang-up about re-using characters I've already played, even when it's an entirely different gaming group or campaign.

No. There is always one new character concept in my mind I want to play, or 42.

 

[Krachek]

Yes, I do. I have some characters concept that I revamp and replay.

 

[DEFCON 1]

When I get to play it's usually not D&D, because the other GM I usually get to play for makes games in all other genres and systems. My last two games were Tales From The Loop and we're just starting an Warhammer 40K 'Only War' campaign... so obviously I'm not recycling characters for those (although I'm sure re-playing my 10 year old from Tales in the Warhammer game would've been interesting. LOL)

 

[collin]

Not usually, but I am currently re-using a character I had previously created for a D&D 3.5 campaign. The main reason I decided to go with this character (half-drow bard) was I enjoyed him so much when I played him before, but the previous campaign was short-lived, so I thought enough time had passed to dig him out of mothballs and start over.

 

[payn]

Maybe between different tables but not with the same group. I also like to tailor my new characters to the campaign.