D&D General Who “owns” a PC after the player stops using them?

[DarkCrisis]

I'd probably tell the player I still have plans for the now NPC just to check if its cool.

I recall back when I first started playing (in the long long ago), my first ever character a human fighter (a fisherman who longed to marry a mermaid) was slain in the fight with the BBEG. That was it.

Found out later the DMed liked my character so much that he ended up being Raised and became a King after marrying a Mermaid. They both later died of old age and had a grand tomb built for them that eventually became a dungeon his new campaign players adventured to.

I thought it was the best thing ever and felt super proud to have that happen.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

The DM has infinite NPC's, the player has far fewer PC's. The character is the player's. If the player hasn't given permission for the old PC to stick around, make up your own NPC.

 

[MNblockhead]

In my last campaign that only happened when they died. Sheet went into the shredder and their name was added to the obituary sheet hanging on the game-room wall. Well, at least until I had to go virtual. Also in this campaign, most players had a second character. They would choose which would go on a particular mission while the others stayed behind running their stronghold. If a character died, they would have a backup character ready to go that could be smoothly transitioned into the session.

 

[SableWyvern]

I will say, if a player who is leaving comes up to me and has a reasonable conversation, including suggestions and requests about their character, I will most likely endeavour to honour those requests, but I'll do it with the proviso that I can't make any absolute promises about how things will go long term.

If I'm not approached, I wouldn't even think about it.

If I'm approached by a player who is couching their position in terms that suggest they think they have some kind of absolute veto over how the game proceeds in their (edit: permanent) absence, and a right to dictate which characters we include or how we play them ... well, I was going to say I would be inclined to simply refuse such requests, or at least be completely non-committal. But, if any of my players actually did approach things that way, I would most likely react with confusion and possibly some concern, and I would worry about what might be going on in their life that's resulting in this unexpected behaviour.

As to @tetrasodium's comment about bringing this up in session zero -- I agree it needs to be done at that point. Further, if someone did raise it, I would see it as a huge red flag that we may not have compatible ideas about how this whole roleplaying thing works.

 

[Quickleaf]

In my last campaign that only happened when they died. Sheet went into the shredder and their name was added to the obituary sheet hanging on the game-room wall. Well, at least until I had to go virtual. Also in this campaign, most players had a second character. They would choose which would go on a particular mission while the others stayed behind running their stronghold. If a character died, they would have a backup character ready to go that could be smoothly transitioned into the session.

We all make sacrifices going virtual. Sorry you don't have that troph... I mean obituary sheet hanging on the game-room anymore.

 

[Yaarel]

The DM has infinite NPC's, the player has far fewer PC's. The character is the player's. If the player hasn't given permission for the old PC to stick around, make up your own NPC.

This relates to my ethic of D&D generally.

The player controls the character.

The DM controls the world.

There are areas of overlap, which require both to agree. But generally their respective jurisdictions are clear, and each shouldnt be messing with other.

 

[Yaarel]

I guess this is the distinction between attitudes.

In my campaigns, player characters NEVER become nonplayer characters.

Giving the DM permission to play a character, is similar to asking a fellow player to play the character while unable to make it to a session. Heh, one expects the substitute player to at least try to keep the character alive.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

If a PC has fully retired and become part of the persistent campaign world, it is technically the DM's call as to their activities and impact on that campaign world after the player ceased to have influence on them. . .
However, common courtesy would indicate that the DM would depict them as the payer had played them, and ask that player if it is OK if that PC is going to be depicted particularly negatively or against what the PC had stood for while being played.

 

[Maxperson]

As I said in the other thread, if there is reason for the group to talk to a former PC and the player is still at the table, I will have that player take over the roleplaying of the former PC. He knows that character the best. However, if the player is no longer playing I will not be tracking the player down to see what he wants to do with the former PC. It's going to be roleplayed by me.

 

[ezo]

who “owns” a PC after the player stops using them?

I, as DM, own them.

Before they play them, as they play them, after they play them! They are mine, all MINE!!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Ok, so seriously... the DM does unless the player is actually playing them. If they are in the game as an NPC, they are mine to control. Now, of course I will play them as "true" to their character as the player had them established, but if they are in the game I put them in for a purpose.