Fantasy Novel Characters As NPCs?

[Fenes]

In our campaign we use both characters from novels, tv series and comic books (usually altered and adapted) as well as cameos by famous D&D characters, though very sparingly.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

If it is a game based on a novel, movie, or television series then yes - otherwise no.

But who could resist having an appearance of Cohen the Barbarian in Discworld, or the chance to have the PCs interrogated by Bester or Geribaldi in Babylon 5?

The Auld Grump

 

[Wraith Form]

I've used characters from literature and history, rather than fantasy. Generally I'm subtle enough with the allusions that the characters actually don't work out that they just picked up Hawkeye (from Last of the Mohicans and the other 'Leatherstocking' novels) as a guide or are sitting in the Mermaid Tavern with a guy called Will working on his latest play at the next table, so it's more for my own fun than theirs. Man, I am such a geek

I like to call this the "Neil Gaiman/Alan Moore [in the Leage of Extaordinary Gentlemen comic, not the movie] effect".....and, although kinda geeky it's tons of fun.

I've often toyed with the idea of throwing in Susan Snell (from Stephen King's Carrie) as a 45-year old bitter alcoholic that the party can meet in a Call of Cthulhu game... ("What? You haven't heard of the book I wrote? Does I Am Susan Snell ring a bell for you? Hmmph. Must've been before your time.")

I think part of the trick to making this work without the NPCs hijacking your game (and your PCs' fame) is to make the cameos be the "little people"--and, almost by default, therefore be a somewhat obscure reference. In the above example, it'd be too over the top if Carietta White were to show up in a CoC game--she's too powerful!--but Susan is entirely appropriate as a contact/info source for the PCs (or whatever).