D&D General Do you re-use characters?

[The-Magic-Sword]

Yes, but mostly because I'm a forever GM who hasn't gotten to play in a long game for the decade I've been playing, so it seems like a waste to only use them once or twice when i get excited for them.

Elyessa Lightbinder my Tiefling Enchantress from 4e came up with me to 5e in our West Marches, and most recently has been an NPC in a campaign, deliberately young enough to become a PC in a few in-universe years.

She's gone from a 4e Wizard to a 5e Wizard to a 5e Whispers Bard, to most likely a Pathfinder 2e Witch, so she's changed a fair bit. Heck, the Witch build will be inspired and refer back to this party of players from my most recent campaign.

 

[Ogre Mage]

It is uncommon but yes. Most often it is because I enjoyed playing a particular character but either from a character arc or game mechanics (or both) aspect the PCs growth was left unfinished. The campaign may have been deliberately short or more likely things fell apart too soon.

One thing I've been curious about is playing the same character again but with some significant tweak. Maybe they made a different decision at a crucial moment. How did things turn out differently? Or instead of being born into poverty they come from wealth. How did those circumstances change them?

 

[overgeeked]

When a new edition of D&D drops, I test the game with either a halfling rogue or a dwarf barbarian. Beyond those, I try to keep it fresh. I did the Jr or the Second schtick a few times when I wasn’t ready to play something else or didn’t have a back up character handy.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I had a character named Tarion once....

 

[Azzy]

Rarely—there's always new character ideas to explore. However, I do like the idea of ressurecting (metaphotically) a character that I played back in the 80s or 90s just to see how they would play in the new edition.

 

[Blue]

I have so many more character ideas then campaigns I'm in, I see no need to redo characters. Heck, I joined a West Marches game and part of the thing thrilling me is the chance to play some of my more offbeat characters who might be a bit much for a regular campaign.

But more importantly, to me a big part of a character is the shape they make in the world around them - the relationships and rivalies they have, the people they have saved and lost, the stories they tell in the taverns about them and the stories they tell others around the campfire late at night. That doesn't transplant well to a new campaign.

Now, I have had characters from shared worlds join up with other groups - but to me that's still the same character, not reusing them at all.

 

[Ancalagon]

Yes, when I feel I'm not "done" with the character.

I was playing Play By Posts game here, and a number of them died early. So I grew tired of making new characters, and I created Lal Qualandar, a wandering dervish (a barbarian with the hermit background). He was essentially an involuntary planewalker - he would go on trips and end up ... somewhere else... where his presence was needed. I used him even though I had mediocre stats, in 3 different campaigns, each with a different subclass, and I would use him again if I'm in a game that needs a tank.

I have a few other concepts in my back pocket that I would re-use. I think that about 1/3 of my characters these days are "returns".