TV/Movie Characters in your game...

[EP]

Was thinking of new NPCs for an upcoming game and suddenly had the voice of Adalei Nishka (spelled is wrong, I know, but can't play the DVD at work) from Firefly.

"Now you know rumour is fact."

None of my players has ever seen the show, so there's no worry about a rip-off glance when he walks in the room... but then I wonder if it's worth the effort of introducing a character that's familiar to me but not to the players.

Then I thought of any other characters from other shows and movies that could work as NPCs and came up blank. Ideas?

 

[kenobi65]

I think it can be useful, from the standpoint of giving you a consistent "voice" to use for the NPC. (And, probably better this way, that the players won't be able to say, "Oh, that's Niska!")

A lot of times, I use people I know for NPCs, for that same reason.

 

[Psimancer]

Any of the characters from Deadwood (specifically Al Swearengen, Seth Bullock or E. B. Farnum)...

 

[shilsen]

I've often used characters from TVs and movies, but much more often literature, in my games. Sometimes the players recognize them and sometimes they don't, partly depending on how obvious I am about my source.

The PCs in my current Eberron game were guided for a time by a drow ranger called Urden who dual-wielded shortswords (and at least one player was incredibly pleased when he got killed) and are currently traveling by an airship called Serenity, captained by Malkom d'Lyrandar and including all the characters from Firefly/Serenity except River (thus far), with no names changed. PCs in other campaigns have encountered Sherlock Holmes (conceptually, but name and everything else changed), Nathaniel Bummpo (Hawkeye, from The Last of the Mohicans), etc.

I've also used references that aren't to individuals, like when the Eberron PCs ended up finding the sunken wreck of the lost vessel, the Merry Celestial. Yes, that one got some groans and threats of throwing dice

 

[davidschwartznz]

In my Grimm campaign the kids were going to face the Pied Piper, and I knew the players would think of sticking something in their ears, like wax. So where could they get wax? Why the chandler's shop, of course. But what personality to give the chandler? ...From there is it was just a short jump to having the chandler be married to the innkeeper, Monica. And What's an inn without bards? Enter the player Joey and musician Pheobe.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I have a bad habit of informally naming group of antagonists "Larry, Daryl and Daryl" and pairs of allies "Click and Clack". I'm trying to stop.

In a recent game I lifted Lord John Marbury from West Wing with pretty much no alterations except being an elf. He was a fun npc...

 

[kenobi65]

And What's an inn without bards? Enter the player Joey and musician Pheobe.

Two bards with 0 ranks in Perform.

"Smelly cat
Oh, smelly cat
What are they feeding you?"

 

[Hypersmurf]

I think it can be useful, from the standpoint of giving you a consistent "voice" to use for the NPC. (And, probably better this way, that the players won't be able to say, "Oh, that's Niska!")

Yup. My Basil-Fawlty-as-Spugnoir-the-Wizard is still one of my favourite NPCs

-Hyp.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I've stolen the idea behind the Charmed Ones as the basis for my three most powerful spellcasters in my homebrew.

I also have one NPC based on Alan Alda's role of Bejamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce from MASH.

Thats it.

 

[krissbeth]

My rogue character was strongly influenced by Veronica Mars.