Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pigknight 03-22-08, 04:41 PM	What are your guys opinions on characters based on other characters (Drizzt, Legolas, and the eventual Ikes (swordsage by the way))? And as a special on this episode (and it has been 2 weeks since the last episode) what are your opinions on the "games shows" (like Ask an Aberation) that are in the DnD forums.
NecroticBanana 03-22-08, 06:34 PM	well i for one do look for insperation in other medias..like right now, i really want to play a paladin decked out to look like a barbarian, riding a dire lion and weilding some uber-holy avenger (HE-MAN) but i will go very far to make this character my own. Too often have i seen players make exact copies of famous iconic characters. I even once had a guy play an elven archer..kinda bland in my own opinion. who tried to something akin, to fire half his quiver at once, and when he subsequently failed, he complained how Legolas could do it. well thats Legolas i say, an epic level archer (or at least close to it) AND not at all restricted by the physics of a players handbook. lol
Captain_Madrick 03-22-08, 08:14 PM	I encourage anyone to play any character they will have fun with. I even created a legacy weapon for someone to play the son of John Henry, the rail-driving Chultan from Lantan. I love when people make them based on characters they love, and have fun with it. That being said, I never let anyone play a Drizzt. Damn good drow...
Salla 03-22-08, 08:20 PM	I don't mind homage characters until one thing happens ... the player forgets he's merely playing a tribute to the original character (and likely at a lower power level), does something appropriate to the original, fails, and whines. For example ... in a certain book, Arglebargle the wizard defeats a white dragon with a single strike from a dagger. The player of Bargleargle the wizard sees a white dragon, and charges the dragon ... and promptly dies. The player then attempts to plead his case based on the novel, I plead my case based on the rules. Since we're playing a game and not reading a story, well, I win that argument. Result: unsatisfied player with nobody to blame but his own unreasonable expectations.
Bloodsoul 03-22-08, 10:14 PM	For a split-second I thought this was about incorporating game shows into D&D. Heck, I'd love to have a BBEG try to trick a party into taking an (empty) chest instead of some prized artifact. *upon revelation of empty box* "Stupid! You're so stupid!"
pigknight 03-22-08, 10:57 PM	Bloodsoul are you talking about my paladin (he has 7 int, I think he spent a while in the valley of the great mall-I mean maze).
Renown0 03-23-08, 01:14 AM	I never let my players choose stereotyped characters. Especially drow rangers. In fact, the only drow that are allowed in my campaigns are sorcerers and rogues. I like the "game shows", though. (Yeah, that's it...)
NecroticBanana 03-23-08, 01:45 AM	I never let my players choose stereotyped characters. Especially drow rangers. In fact, the only drow that are allowed in my campaigns are sorcerers and rogues. I like the "game shows", though. (Yeah, that's it...) hmmm so like characters based on people like Pat Sayjak, Drew Carry, and the epic Bob Barker?
Naderion 03-23-08, 06:37 AM	Characters from other sources - bad! Characters inspired by other sources - god! When the new character can stand on his own, I don't see any problems.
Bloodsoul 03-23-08, 10:03 AM	Ah, I was actually making a poor reference to an old movie called UHF.
Braithwaite 03-23-08, 11:03 AM	What are your guys opinions on characters based on other characters (Drizzt, Legolas, and the eventual Ikes (swordsage by the way))? Almost always a bad idea, for 3 reasons. 1. It interferes with other players. If they don't like the character, they will hate the PC, if they do like the character they will hate how the other player is playing the PC (I remember it being cooler in the books...) 2. It can be offensive to the author, and if your game is big/public enough, can create legal issues. True story, I was in a LARP (Live action RP game) where a player made a character based on a vampire in a novel, same name and everything (Gerald Terrant, from CS Friedman). I happened to be traveling to this game WITH CS Friedman, who played the same larp. She was furious. She demanded that he produce his written authorization to use her copyright, and when he couldn't she had a DM edit his character. I realize this isn't much of an issue in your local basement D&D game (although if you play at Cons it could be), but really, respect your favorite author by NOT playing their character. 3. Maybe this is elitist, but it is true. Lets say you have the best game ever. Drizzst and Legolas rule utterly and have an awesome time doing really cool stuff with an awesome plot. If you ever try to tell another gamer about it, I promise they will stop listening to you after "So, Drizzst and Legolas walk into the cave and".
BruteSquad01 03-23-08, 11:54 AM	2. It can be offensive to the author, and if your game is big/public enough, can create legal issues. True story, I was in a LARP (Live action RP game) where a player made a character based on a vampire in a novel, same name and everything (Gerald Terrant, from CS Friedman). I happened to be traveling to this game WITH CS Friedman, who played the same larp. She was furious. She demanded that he produce his written authorization to use her copyright, and when he couldn't she had a DM edit his character. I realize this isn't much of an issue in your local basement D&D game (although if you play at Cons it could be), but really, respect your favorite author by NOT playing their character. Sorry, no legal basis for this at all. It's called "fair use". Don't publish things and then get upset when it gets parodied.
mearrin69 03-23-08, 12:00 PM	She was furious. She demanded that he produce his written authorization to use her copyright, and when he couldn't she had a DM edit his character. Um. Sounds like somebody needed a nap. Yeah, no legal basis for this. She can be all the kinds of angry she wants to be...but a lawsuit ain't gonna fly. Seriously. What's this chick's blood pressure usually run? M
Braithwaite 03-23-08, 12:23 PM	That isn't parody. (He wasn't making fun of her character, he was using her copyright outside of its context. Try using Mickey Mouse in any public forum and see how fast you get sued.) It isn't fair use, it was in a game which charged a playing fee and was therefore technically for profit. You could probably get by with fair use in a basement D&D game if it ever came up, but it would be questionable at a con or anywhere where there was a fee. In practice, the legality of it was irrelevant, since the larp had/has clear rules about using other peoples intellectual property, point to the page of the rules and game over. I haven't looked for it, but I bet Living Greyhawk and other metagames have similar rules. As an aside, White Wolf claimed intellectual property rights over the stories told in its official LARPS, so by including anyone's copyrighted character there was an instant conflict with the author. And the author had a point, if you hated how that guy was playing the character she created, would they really go out and buy her books? But ultimately, given the fact that some authors don't like having their characters used in that manner, it is rude to disrespect their wishes.
Salla 03-23-08, 02:31 PM	Sorry, no legal basis for this at all. It's called "fair use". Don't publish things and then get upset when it gets parodied. There's also the fact that it was just a LARP; nothing was being printed or published, no money was being made by anybody. The author was completely off her rocker and should have recieved many point-and-laugh takes.