Whose "property" are the PCs?

[Westgate Polks]

As a courtesy, I would choose to speak with the players (assuming they are still around) and indicate I would like for their characters to continue to be part of my game world even though they are "retired" as active PCs. I would then describe in general terms what I anticipate happening involving the characters. That allows the players to get a "pop" for creating a memorable character and gives them an outlet to discuss what they can see their characters doing; more important it shows you have respect for the players AND their creations.

In my experience, this has been more than sufficient in almost every instance. I try to do this where possible, even if the retired PCs have small supporting roles, simply to provide continuity and familiarity within the game world.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Turanil]

What do you guys think?

Personally I leave the PCs as a player's property, so to speak. If they are to be involved as NPCs (which happened only once or twice as a DM), they would be involved in a slight way that doesn't change much to the character.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I would always expect the DM to be able to do what they want with the PCs after the game is "done."

The last fantasy game I played in was set in a universe played in (in game) 800-some years ago. All of the iconic figures (two of them the main saints for the world's religion) were the old PCs, but one of the villians also happened to be one of the old PCs.

To me, it would be an honor for the DM to take my character and do something significant with them (regardless of whether or not it's "something that character would do").

 

[Quickleaf]

All points well taken. It really depends on the circumstances.

Having the dead PCs become heroes in the next campaign seems like a no-brainer to me. In fact, players love that sense of continuity and legacy.

Crothian, I assumed she meant different circumstances. In her original post she mentioned the GM deciding a PC turned to evil. Without the player's consent, I feel that impinges into the player's jurisdiction (it's called a "player character").

 

[delericho]

The character belongs to both equally - the character was created by the player, who proceeded to portray him in the game, so his ownership is clear, but none of the PC's exploits make any sense without the context of the game world, and the events therein, which are clearly the DM's.

For the sake of versimilitude, the DM has to have the right to determine what happens to the character after the end of the campaign. Otherwise, the character has to simply disappear from the campaign world at the end of the campaign. Or, alternatively, the campaign has to end with a TPK. Basically, either the DM can add to the story of the characters to expand his world, or that story has to stop. (There is a third option, but I doubt anyone would actually like to use it: "and then you woke up...")

Legally, there could be issues if either the DM or the player seeks to publish. For instance, the player might write a novel about his character, or the DM might seek to publish his home campaign. Either way, there's a rights issue that would need cleared up. But, since I'm not a lawyer, I'm not going to get involved in that one.

 

[S'mon]

IMO - copyright in the PCs vests in the players, however in joining a game they grant the GM a free non-revocable license to use those PCs in their game-world (and related materials - though I wouldn't publish a novel centred around a PC without that player's permission)

After player leaves game, the GM can do what he wants with those PCs in his game-world. However the player can take the PC away and write stories about him/her, have the PC join another game, reminisce about the PC, level the PC up to 162nd and "play with himself", etc etc.

 

[Crothian]

I feel that impinges into the player's jurisdiction (it's called a "player character").

Only when the player is actually playing it. Then it is called a non player character.

 

[SG1Laura]

I wonder if you could copyright a character?

 

[SG1Laura]

Copyright in the PCs vests in the players, however in joining a game they grant the GM a free non-revocable license to use those PCs in their game-world.

After player leaves game, the GM can do what he wants with those PCs in his game-world. However the player can take the PC away and write stories about him/her, have the PC join another game, reminisce about the PC, level the PC up to 162nd and "play with himself", etc etc.

So, if that's true, there can be 2 "ends" for the character...one as he/she was left in the DM's world and one based on what the player decided?

 

[TheGM]

I follow some simple rules for my campaigns:
1. The character can not "pop out" of my worlds into another game. What's created there stays there. While I can't stop them from playing the character elsewhere, the character will still be in my world.
2. If the player might ever play the character again, I track time. After a suitable amount of time the character dies of old age.
2.5 If I know the character would not die of old age because of their nature, I give them a spectacular death in combat.
3. If the player will not be playing the character again and it's a nobody, it either fades or becomes an NPC.
4. If the player will not be playing the character again and the character is a great hero, they become an NPC and occasionally make cameos with future groups.
5. The most powerful PCs actually convert to 1/2 PC, 1/2 NPC. There is an organization of powerful people in my main world, and you have to earn your way in, but once you're in I assume the right to run the character should PCs seek him/her out and the player is unavailable. All above the board, I warn people this will happen if they join.
6. There is only one way into one of my worlds - to be one of those powerful people and then subsequently die. After that you start over at first level, in the land where you are waiting for "the end of the world" to return.
7. For the occasional character that comes to my world from elsewhere, I negotiate terms about ownership. Normally we end with "shared ownership", and a way for the character to return to where ever it came from should the player feel the world doesn't suit them.