D&D General Is it bad to make your version of another player's character? (My mental hangup.)

[Dragonhelm]

When I was in college and first playing D&D (2nd edition), a friend of mine was playing a human psionicist named Kelson Haldane, named after a character in Katherine Kurtz' Deryni series of novels. Kelson was my intro to psionics. The player left the game and his character was said to have left and start a school for psionics.

As a side note, Katherine Kuntz's Kelson Haldane was statted up in Dragon Magazine #78.

Over the years, I've had this weird obsession with Kelson. I love the name. I've seen other characters in D&D named Kelson, the most notable of which is Kelson Darktreader from Daggerford (statted up in Under Illefarn). I wanted a teacher type of character in the spirit of Charles Xavier from X-Men.

When the 5e psionics rules were being playtested, I got to create my own headmaster for a psionics school. I landed up creating a whole new character who was inspired by Profossor X and maybe a bit of Mace Windu.

Yet the obsession with Kelson continues.

Strangely, the old college group is back together and my friend is playing Kelson once again. We never thought it would happen, but the DM got divorced and he started up the old campaign.

Recently, I've had some great inspiration and wrote up a whole new psionic character and I like this idea for Kelson. I want to play the guy. BUT...I feel weird using the name Kelson Haldane because my friend used it, even though it wasn't his original name.

Am I okay to use the name Kelson Haldane? Should I change the surname, or scrap the name altogether?

Should I be put into a home for the psionically insane?

TL;DR - My friend has a character named Kelson Haldane. Is it wrong of me to have my own character named Kelson Haldane?

EDIT: To clarify, my own character would be in a separate game from my friend's character. My friend would not be playing in that game.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Follow-up: What if the DM had an NPC we never saw named Crystar, who was inspired by Crystar from Marvel Comics? Can I create my own if I completely rewrite his stats and story?

 

[Stormonu]

Sure, use it with abandon. One of the early 1E/2E games I ran we had a elf fighter/m-u ran by my brother named Link. And then there was Mordor the Paladin in the group too.

People used to name their characters Aragorn, Bilbo, etc. all the time. My own avatar - Stormonu - was a friend's character in my old homebrew (who is now the Master Mage of Amberos for said homebrew).

The only time you need to make a change would be if you're going to commercially publish anything.

 

[billd91]

If you're not playing in the same campaign, what's the hang up? You've both lifted the name from a literary source. The fact that he did it first means I think you should probably defer to his opportunity to play the character when you're in the same campaign at the same time, but outside of that all bets are off.

 

[pukunui]

It's a little unclear to me whether you want to play "Kelson Haldane" in the same game as the other guy playing a "Kelson Haldane". If yes, then I would say don't do it. Not just out of respect for your friend but also because having two characters with the same name in the same game would get confusing for everyone.*

If it's the same group but a different game (or the other guy's version of Kelson leaves / dies), then I'd say sure, but maybe check with both the player and the DM as a courtesy first.

If it's a completely different group all together, then have at it!

As @Stormonu says, using a name that's most likely under copyright or trademark protections is only going to be an issue if you want to publish a commercial product with that name in it. If you just want to use it in the privacy of a home game, then you're all good from a legal standpoint.


*I was once running a game where two of the players wanted to name their characters after each other. I had to nix that idea because it would've been hella confusing.

 

[MGibster]

You all have my permission to use any NPC or PC I've created as inspiration for your own games. It won't bother me in the least.

 

[Theory of Games]

 

[Dragonhelm]

It's a little unclear to me whether you want to play "Kelson Haldane" in the same game as the other guy playing a "Kelson Haldane". If yes, then I would say don't do it. Not just out of respect for your friend but also because having two characters with the same name in the same game would get confusing for everyone.*

If it's the same group but a different game (or the other guy's version of Kelson leaves / dies), then I'd say sure, but maybe check with both the player and the DM as a courtesy first.

If it's a completely different group all together, then have at it!

As @Stormonu says, using a name that's most likely under copyright or trademark protections is only going to be an issue if you want to publish a commercial product with that name in it. If you just want to use it in the privacy of a home game, then you're all good from a legal standpoint.


*I was once running a game where two of the players wanted to name their characters after each other. I had to nix that idea because it would've been hella confusing.

So I edited my first post to clarify.

It is NOT the same game nor the same group. Whatever game I would play him in would not have the other player.

I am not going to publish anything with this name. Just for use in the privacy of my home games.

 

[pukunui]

So I edited my first post to clarify.

It is NOT the same game nor the same group. Whatever game I would play him in would not have the other player.

I am not going to publish anything with this name. Just for use in the privacy of my home games.

In that case, yeah - go for it! Nothing weird about it at all.

 

[jgsugden]

I'd go through these questions:

1.) If this friend knew about it, do you think it would bother him? If the answer is yes, just change the name, but play the character. A rose by any other name... If the answer is no ...
2.) Are you comfortable asking him if it would bother him? If yes, ask for his blessing. If he gives it, use it. If the answer is no, or the blessing is not given, play the character but use a different name.

If you need an alternative name, Bester (the character from B5 or the author that inspired the character with his work) is nice.

It is just not worth the anguish or a strained relationship to use a name - even if you think the anguish is unjust.