TV/Movie Characters in your game...
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MrFilthyIke
First Post
In our City of Brass game, the DM gave our character's patron the voice of Ninja, from Ask A Ninja.
Arashi Ravenblade
First Post
In my friends Evil Dead d20 modern game we Had Jay and Silent Bob show up and help us out. And rumor has it that the sequal to the last story we did will have us meeting William Shatner and Stan Lee.
I dropped an unrenamed TV character into D&D exactly once - but found myself stuck with him for years.
I created a one-off PC magic-user named "The Doctor" as a lark. (Keep in mind that I was 13 years old.) It was 1st edition, and my main character was off training so I needed a character for the day. The Doctor cast his one sleep spell, deciphered a couple ancient scripts, and was otherwise irrelevant. He stood at the back of a large party adjusting his scarf, pulling things out of his pockets, and playing with a yo-yo.
That day our party met and defeated the demoness in my DM's version of "The Temple of Elemental Evil." (We had gotten sick of waiting for Gygax to publish the darned thing). My contribution was minimal, but my share of the XP was not. I found myself with a 2nd level magic-user on the cusp of 3rd level, in a brutal campaign where no previous wizard had survived 1st. I had to keep playing him.
I played my unfortunately-named (but quite powerful) Doctor for four years. I ditched the scarf, experimented in vain with alternate names like "Otis Braumeister," and made it to the pinnacle of power in our very long campaign: 6th level. But he was always The Doctor.
He was actually a great character to play, but I was embarrassed every time I had to explain the reasons for it all to a new player.
I've continued to borrow characters from movies and books, but I always change their names, and I will never tell anyone who the character is inspired by.
I created a one-off PC magic-user named "The Doctor" as a lark. (Keep in mind that I was 13 years old.) It was 1st edition, and my main character was off training so I needed a character for the day. The Doctor cast his one sleep spell, deciphered a couple ancient scripts, and was otherwise irrelevant. He stood at the back of a large party adjusting his scarf, pulling things out of his pockets, and playing with a yo-yo.
That day our party met and defeated the demoness in my DM's version of "The Temple of Elemental Evil." (We had gotten sick of waiting for Gygax to publish the darned thing). My contribution was minimal, but my share of the XP was not. I found myself with a 2nd level magic-user on the cusp of 3rd level, in a brutal campaign where no previous wizard had survived 1st. I had to keep playing him.
I played my unfortunately-named (but quite powerful) Doctor for four years. I ditched the scarf, experimented in vain with alternate names like "Otis Braumeister," and made it to the pinnacle of power in our very long campaign: 6th level. But he was always The Doctor.
He was actually a great character to play, but I was embarrassed every time I had to explain the reasons for it all to a new player.
I've continued to borrow characters from movies and books, but I always change their names, and I will never tell anyone who the character is inspired by.
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Dragonhelm
Knight of Solamnia
shilsen said:
Brilliant! I always thought Serenity would work well for Spelljammer. Eberron makes perfect sense too, and with the support for psionics, River could easily be added in. Gotta love it.
Crothian said:
That's an obscure enough reference that not everyone will catch on. Great place to start an adventure.
I've used TV/movie characters from time to time in my games, as well as novel and comic book characters. I created an avariel society based on Angel from the X-Men losing his wings in the Morlock tunnels. I've used the Crow as a foundation for a character in a game once too.
What I would like to use in a game is Sylar from Heroes. You would have to approach him very carefully, but played right, he could be a fearsome villain. Change a few cosmetic details (i.e. eating brains) and you can throw your players off into thinking you created a nifty serial killer.
possum
First Post
I play Star Wars d20, mainly, so movie/TV/Other characters are definately in the mix, so I'm going to list some major ones.
*In my TOTJ campaign, I had planned for the Neti Jedi in my group to come across Ood Bnar and the blonde chick from Shadows and Light during the meeting shown in the comic.
*Haazen may make an appearance in that campaign as well as Kyndra Draay. Both are from the Knights of the Old Republic comic series.
*In a NJO campaign, the fighter pilot flew under Keyan Farlander (from the X-wing game) in an impromptu Jedi aquadron during the Battle of Ithor.
*In my TOTJ campaign, I had planned for the Neti Jedi in my group to come across Ood Bnar and the blonde chick from Shadows and Light during the meeting shown in the comic.
*Haazen may make an appearance in that campaign as well as Kyndra Draay. Both are from the Knights of the Old Republic comic series.
*In a NJO campaign, the fighter pilot flew under Keyan Farlander (from the X-wing game) in an impromptu Jedi aquadron during the Battle of Ithor.
ivocaliban
Explorer
I've used dozens of characters from television, movies, and literature to shape the NPCs in my campaign. Rarely are they blatant copies of the character, but they serve as a springboard for their mannerisms/behaviors. A few examples:
Monaghan, an archmage and mentor to a PC in a recent campaign, was based on Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully from Terry Prachett's Discworld. Strong, stout, stubborn, physically fit...with a outlook on life one might expect from a fighter or a ranger rather than a wizard. As a side note, the name Monaghan derives from an Irish word for an area overgrown with briars and bushes and Monaghan (the character) is known for his thick, tangled beard and hair.
Noah Roberts, grandfather of a PC in the same campaign, a legendary privateer and swordsman in his time who was still quite active despite his advanced age. He was particularly fond of telling tall tales of his travels and stories of near impossible feats...and he looked exactly like John Neville in Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Wulf Hanssen, a bounty hunter/mercenary NPC, was inspired by Brock Samson from The Venture Bros. animated series. Sort of an indestrucible force of nature who preferred to kill his quarry up close and personal.
Monaghan, an archmage and mentor to a PC in a recent campaign, was based on Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully from Terry Prachett's Discworld. Strong, stout, stubborn, physically fit...with a outlook on life one might expect from a fighter or a ranger rather than a wizard. As a side note, the name Monaghan derives from an Irish word for an area overgrown with briars and bushes and Monaghan (the character) is known for his thick, tangled beard and hair.
Noah Roberts, grandfather of a PC in the same campaign, a legendary privateer and swordsman in his time who was still quite active despite his advanced age. He was particularly fond of telling tall tales of his travels and stories of near impossible feats...and he looked exactly like John Neville in Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Wulf Hanssen, a bounty hunter/mercenary NPC, was inspired by Brock Samson from The Venture Bros. animated series. Sort of an indestrucible force of nature who preferred to kill his quarry up close and personal.
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