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Successful DM NPCs: fact or fiction?
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<blockquote data-quote="Hairfoot" data-source="post: 4851702" data-attributes="member: 23732"><p>Forked from: <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showpost.php?postid=4850830" target="_blank"> What was your irritating DmPC's backstory? </a></p><p></p><p>This question has cropped up before and, to my recollection, players' experiences of "pet" NPCs have been largely negative.</p><p></p><p>As a player, have you ever had a good run with a DMNPC/PCNPC/whatever? Or as a DM, have you ever successfully included a favourite NPC?</p><p></p><p>I've run one in a couple of campaigns - an old PC of mine I like to throw in for my own fun. I seek a lot of feedback from my players, and I don't get the impression he's regarded as an annoyance or Mary Sue.</p><p></p><p>The key (I hope) is not to make the NPC in any way crucial to the campaign. My guy's usually lurking somewhere around the adventure area, and if the PCs interact they might get a clue to an "Easter egg" - a bonus cache of treasure or a shortcut to a character goal - but only ever as an optional side-quest. I certainly don't force him upon the party.</p><p></p><p>I've also found it useful for including off-colour or comical side-quests. So, if a given campaign centers on military aspects of an orc invasion, my dude might lead the party on a creepy mission to a vampire's den, or a farcical myconid chase as relief from an otherwise gritty and murderous campaign. That way, the players know where to go for something a bit different.</p><p></p><p>Your experience?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hairfoot, post: 4851702, member: 23732"] Forked from: [url=http://www.enworld.org/forum/showpost.php?postid=4850830] What was your irritating DmPC's backstory? [/url] This question has cropped up before and, to my recollection, players' experiences of "pet" NPCs have been largely negative. As a player, have you ever had a good run with a DMNPC/PCNPC/whatever? Or as a DM, have you ever successfully included a favourite NPC? I've run one in a couple of campaigns - an old PC of mine I like to throw in for my own fun. I seek a lot of feedback from my players, and I don't get the impression he's regarded as an annoyance or Mary Sue. The key (I hope) is not to make the NPC in any way crucial to the campaign. My guy's usually lurking somewhere around the adventure area, and if the PCs interact they might get a clue to an "Easter egg" - a bonus cache of treasure or a shortcut to a character goal - but only ever as an optional side-quest. I certainly don't force him upon the party. I've also found it useful for including off-colour or comical side-quests. So, if a given campaign centers on military aspects of an orc invasion, my dude might lead the party on a creepy mission to a vampire's den, or a farcical myconid chase as relief from an otherwise gritty and murderous campaign. That way, the players know where to go for something a bit different. Your experience? [/QUOTE]
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