How far would you mess with an inactive PC?

[Witterquick]

If you hop down the the "Crusades" section, you'll see that I've introduced a few former PC's as NPC's in my campaign. Two of the players from the old campaign are in the new one. In the story the former PC's may be captured by the forces of evil.

My question is, how comfortable would be changing the status of former PC's? Could you kill one? Change their personality? Turn them evil?
_________________
http://strangequests.wordpress.com/

[PeelSeel2]

Any of the above for a good plot line
_________________
Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

-George Washington

[Treebore]

If it helps, change their names when you re-use them. I do whatever makes sense based on how the character was played and with what I have happening in my game.

[Omote]

Uh, depends on what you want to do with the former PCs? Do you want the new PCs to know that the old PCs are now being used? Will in fact the old PCs be the same as they were, just NPC'd?

..........................................Omote

FPQ
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Nelzie]

I wouldn't do anything to a former PC, with that PC's player at the table, unless discussing it with the player first.

When you play and retire a PC you are left with a vision of where and what they PC went on to do in retirement. Whether it was just handle a few minor things around the house or simply ride off somewhere to live a quiet life far from adventure.

Having that PC return and be something wholly different, if not the opposite of what you, as the player, envisioned as that PC's retirement can be a very jarring experience. I would feel that my character was stolen, beaten, tortured and then shown to me, becaue the GM/CK/Ref/whatever just wants to be a p*i*k. It's a kind of violation.

If the retired PC was a hero, then that retired PC would still be a hero, even if he/she just isn't into adventuring any longer.
_________________
Earned the following:

50 Useless Trivia Points from Serleran

[irda ranger]

Witterquick wrote:
My question is, how comfortable would be changing the status of former PC's? Could you kill one? Change their personality? Turn them evil?

Other than perhaps a quick cameo mention, I would never play someone else's PC. Ever.

People invest a lot of emotional energy in their PC's. It's a kind of alter-ego, if you play them long enough. I'm not talking about one-shots, but the kind of PC you might play for year or more becomes a part of you. It's very personal, and not subject to invasion.

In other words, the polar opposite of PeelSeel2.
_________________
Check out my Iron C&C House Rules: The Tombs of Akrasia

[Maliki]

I'm with Nelzie and Irda Ranger on this.
_________________
Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

[The One and All]

I once used another Player's Pc in one of the campaign I dmed in 3.5. That Pc was used in the last campaign we all played and died during the last battle. A Red wizard who was still alive at the end teleported away, bringing the body of the slain Pc with him.

The following campaign, I had the wizard battling the NEW PARTY for some reason and his bodyguard was the slain Pc, turned "CURSED", some weird template.

The Player didn't mind, probably because his PC was dead anyway. It was fun.

[serleran]

A PC that is inactive for a long time becomes a tool to be used by me. Once the PC is no longer a PC, meaning, not being played by a player, it is a NPC and subject to whatever I want. Therefore, I'll do anything I feel is appropriate, including death, sex changing, item redsitribution, and even re-rolling (re-creating) stats. However, if this would call for a total overhaul, its simpler to just kill the ex-PC off and introduce a new NPC in stead.

[Dristram]

I usually don't mess with inactive PCs. If they retired as prominent or famous PCs, and I want to have them take part as an NPC, I will usually confer with the player about what's happened to him after retirement. I figure its their memory and I would not want to disrupt it.