diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/use-player-characters.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/use-player-characters.test.tsx
index c79457d..101243e 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/use-player-characters.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/use-player-characters.test.tsx
@@ -112,6 +112,49 @@ describe("usePlayerCharacters", () => {
 		expect(result.current.characters[0].name).toBe("Vex'ahlia");
 	});
 
+	it("createCharacter assigns a fresh id after rehydration from persistence", () => {
+		const stored = [
+			{
+				id: playerCharacterId("pc-1"),
+				name: "Mikka",
+				ac: 12,
+				maxHp: 58,
+				color: undefined,
+				icon: undefined,
+			},
+			{
+				id: playerCharacterId("pc-3"),
+				name: "Bob",
+				ac: 14,
+				maxHp: 40,
+				color: undefined,
+				icon: undefined,
+			},
+		];
+		const adapters = createTestAdapters({ playerCharacters: stored });
+
+		const { result } = renderHook(() => usePlayerCharacters(), {
+			wrapper: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => (
+				<AllProviders adapters={adapters}>{children}</AllProviders>
+			),
+		});
+
+		act(() => {
+			result.current.createCharacter(
+				"Charlie",
+				13,
+				25,
+				undefined,
+				undefined,
+				undefined,
+			);
+		});
+
+		const ids = result.current.characters.map((pc) => pc.id);
+		expect(new Set(ids).size).toBe(ids.length);
+		expect(ids).toContain(playerCharacterId("pc-4"));
+	});
+
 	it("deleteCharacter removes character and persists", () => {
 		const { result } = renderHook(() => usePlayerCharacters(), { wrapper });
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/use-player-characters.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/use-player-characters.ts
index 12638fa..9a747e0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/hooks/use-player-characters.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/use-player-characters.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,18 @@ import { isDomainError, playerCharacterId } from "@initiative/domain";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useAdapters } from "../contexts/adapter-context.js";
 
-let nextPcId = 0;
+const PC_ID_PATTERN = /^pc-(\d+)$/;
 
-function generatePcId(): PlayerCharacterId {
-	return playerCharacterId(`pc-${++nextPcId}`);
+function generatePcId(existing: readonly PlayerCharacter[]): PlayerCharacterId {
+	let max = 0;
+	for (const pc of existing) {
+		const match = PC_ID_PATTERN.exec(pc.id);
+		if (match) {
+			const n = Number(match[1]);
+			if (n > max) max = n;
+		}
+	}
+	return playerCharacterId(`pc-${max + 1}`);
 }
 
 interface EditFields {
@@ -55,7 +63,7 @@ export function usePlayerCharacters() {
 			icon: string | undefined,
 			level: number | undefined,
 		) => {
-			const id = generatePcId();
+			const id = generatePcId(charactersRef.current);
 			const result = createPlayerCharacterUseCase(
 				makeStore(),
 				id,