Alt with the same name?

[VerdantSF]

If I have a friend with a level 1 character, is there anything against the rules with making a level 1 version of my higher level character to adventure with him? I've made a lot of alts, but I'd really just prefer to stick with my main character, if only in name & concept. Is it legal to have two characters with the same name and class, as long as they have completely separate PFS#s and chronicles?

[Todd Lower]

VerdantSF wrote:

If I have a friend with a level 1 character, is there anything against the rules with making a level 1 version of my higher level character to adventure with him? I've made a lot of alts, but I'd really just prefer to stick with my main character, if only in name & concept. Is it legal to have two characters with the same name and class, as long as they have completely separate PFS#s and chronicles?

Yes.

Ok, Maybe a little too short of an answer. You may have as many characters as you wish, each with a separate number. If you don't think you will confuse your playing partners by having the same character name all of the time, you certainly can.

Might I suggest though that you consider expanding and trying an alternate character. I get great joy from having the right character always available. Just a thought.

[Fromper]

Actually, I'm pretty sure the name has to be different, or you won't be able to register the character on the Paizo web site. All character names must be unique.

That said, it doesn't need to be very different. Tack a number on the end, give the second one a middle initial that the first doesn't have, or just intentionally typo the spelling of the name on the second version. Then just call him by the same name as the first character, and nobody needs to know that the spelling is one character different between the two.

Or tack ", Jr." to the end of the second one's name, and claim he's the son of the first one.

[graywulfe]

Fromper wrote:

Actually, I'm pretty sure the name has to be different, or you won't be able to register the character on the Paizo web site. All character names must be unique.

That said, it doesn't need to be very different. Tack a number on the end, give the second one a middle initial that the first doesn't have, or just intentionally typo the spelling of the name on the second version. Then just call him by the same name as the first character, and nobody needs to know that the spelling is one character different between the two.

Or tack ", Jr." to the end of the second one's name, and claim he's the son of the first one.

the "Account Name" of the Alias needs to be different. The character name technically can be the same, though my head spins at the idea of keeping 2 characters with the same name straight.

[VerdantSF]

As an alternative, I might just roll the younger brother of the main character.

[nosig]

Back in season 3 I was sitting down at a table with a beginner, who didn't have time to create a PC, so I offered him one of the several I had in my "Starters".
I told him to copy the PC to a fresh sheet, and change the name, and he could keep him... it wouldn't hurt to have a clone running around.

Well... he didn't change the name and when I went to register my guy... I had to change the name. So I slapped "The..." in front and went with that.

You might consider that... just name the same name and tag "III" or "II" on the end. You know "the second" ...

[RainyDayNinja]

Fromper wrote:

Actually, I'm pretty sure the name has to be different, or you won't be able to register the character on the Paizo web site. All character names must be unique.

And this is why I have one Paladin named "Cal0mel" (dead on his first mission), and another named "Calomel."

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

Fromper wrote:

Actually, I'm pretty sure the name has to be different, or you won't be able to register the character on the Paizo web site. All character names must be unique.

All PFS-registered character aliases need to be unique, because they function in some respects as usernames.

Your character doesn't need to be named the same thing as their alias on the system, though. My PFS characters could be "PFSCh#1" and "PFSCh#2" here on the boards even though their names are "Kermit" and "Lambogoni the Daft."

There are, as far as I know, absolutely zero rules governing character names, and I sincerely hope it stays that way forever and always.

(Now I want to make a character who literally does not have a name. Hmm.)

[kinevon]

graywulfe wrote:

Fromper wrote:

Actually, I'm pretty sure the name has to be different, or you won't be able to register the character on the Paizo web site. All character names must be unique.

That said, it doesn't need to be very different. Tack a number on the end, give the second one a middle initial that the first doesn't have, or just intentionally typo the spelling of the name on the second version. Then just call him by the same name as the first character, and nobody needs to know that the spelling is one character different between the two.

Or tack ", Jr." to the end of the second one's name, and claim he's the son of the first one.

the "Account Name" of the Alias needs to be different. The character name technically can be the same, though my head spins at the idea of keeping 2 characters with the same name straight.

Let's see. My Paizo account name is kinevon.

-2 is Kinevon, registered as Kinevon PC because my Paizo account name locked out the name for my PFS PC.
-11, I thinkj, is Kynevon.

-2 is a Fighter (Polearm Master)
-11 is a Fighter (Archer)

Strangely enough, my Polearm Master had a higher starting Dex than the Archer. Much higher now, with -2 at 12th level, and -11 at 3rd level.