DMPCs, anyone?

[Someguy]

If i did this, My group would cry that he is being favored, and he could never get any treasure at all...

 

[LostSoul]

Sometimes I have an NPC who hangs out with the party for a while. Usually he's got levels of one to two-thirds the average party level.

That way, he's just around for role-playing and doesn't steal the PC's thunder.

 

[Altalazar]

I really don't like doing that. Even an NPC, unless part of the story, I don't often like. I'd rather focus on the other things and let the party be all PCs.