D&D General The "DM's PC"

[Stormonu]

On occassion, I have used DMNPC's to bolster an undersized party. I do my best to just treat them as highly detailed NPC's. Mostly they hang back to let the party do the real lifting and occassionally assist in combat or lend their skills to help PC's if the PC's aren't trained in a particular skill. If they are asked for advice, they give it to the best the character would know in the situation - which means that at times it might be colored or prejudiced, or even flat wrong.

I've seen the DMNPC's go off the rails and become a problem many times in the past - and I'm sure I've been guilty of causing some of the problems myself in the past. I'm currently involved as a player in a campaign where DMNPCs are a real problem as the DM rotates in and out so many (powerful) NPCs they outnumber the party - and you can't get rid of them and they're usually dead weight for the group anyways (most often they're other player's characters from the other games the current DM is running or playing in, just appearing for color and to slow the game to a crawl in NPC to NPC interaction scenes).

<EDIT> Worst I've ever seen was the DM who inserted his power fantasy self into the game every. single. time. And the PCs couldn't ever do anything but be along for the ride on the DM NPCs adventures. I finally got so fed up that I talked the party into helping me kill the DM NPC with the NPC's own aid. The DM was about to retcon it all when I told him off, and departed the game. Of course, this was also the DM that I ended up banning from my own games as a player because he was outright cheating not only on his rolls, but on his character's abilities as well.

 

[Flamestrike]

Sometimes a DMPC is easier and causes no in game problems. What alternate ways do you recommend?

Designing adventures for the group you have?

 

[Cadence]

Designing adventures for the group you have?

That feels a lot easier in 5e with the healing. Running 1e/BX up to 3.5/PF not having a cleric around in a small party really changes things.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Designing adventures for the group you have?

That can often be more difficult than just adding another player.

Example: I have run a campaign where there was only one player, who chose to be a gnome wizard. Because of this, he was very weak in combat, couldn't perform certain aspects important to game (strength, healing, etc), and just needed another party member to do the heavy lifting. I added a genasi bear totem barbarian as a DMPC to just allow for someone to talk to in game, give more support in combat, and allow for the to take a bit of damage without a TPK.

The player liked the character, it helped with the campaign, and was easier and a better fix than learning how to run a campaign that wouldn't obliterate a wizard character with 13 hit points instantly.

 

[Flamestrike]

That feels a lot easier in 5e with the healing. Running 1e/BX up to 3.5/PF not having a cleric around in a small party really changes things.

In 3e wands of cure light resolve that issue.

 

[LordEntrails]

Actually, it answered your question but I knew what you were trying to do. Sorry that my answer didn't play into your plans.

So, as I said before, when I DM and play a PC, there are no problems. I can easily separate the two roles in the game.

Oh you are so smart!

To bad you don't engage in honest discussion with any intent to accept any other view point but your own. But that's exactly how you DM. So of course when you DM and play a PC there are no problems.

As I said repeatedly though, it's not about YOU, it's about the issues with narrow sighted and self centered DMs.

Let's just agree not to engage with each other anymore. Please do not engage with me, and I will not engage with you.

 

[Cadence]

In 3e wands of cure light resolve that issue.

As long as there's someone awake and not fighting for their life so they can use it.

 

[Lanefan]

In 3e wands of cure light resolve that issue.

Can any class use a wand in 3e or does it have to be used by a caster? If the latter, problem not solved for a lone-running Fighter...

In 1e only casters can use wands (and often only casters of one type or the other), with a very few specific exceptions.

 

[Tonguez]

What I mean is a frequently used NPC that either is an ally or even a member of the party. Obviously it is just an NPC, although if it is a multi-DM campaign, I suppose it could also be the DM's PC when they play. In the past I have sometimes used such an NPC, whether to flesh out party ranks, to be a source of information or guidance in some way, or just add a bit of regular interaction.

How have you done this? Again, I'm not talking about the countless NPCs - even frequent contacts - that the PCs will encounter, but one that is either a member of the party, or perhaps regularly drops in and out of contact. Are they just another party member or do you use them as a source of info dumping when necessary (e.g. Gandalf), or somewhere in-between? What problems have arisen? Etc.

Orbril the Gnome was my PC in the first online game I played in the late 1990s, I loved him so much that I kept him across multiple different games and systems and then made him and his circus an NPC.
Orbril is the Master of Orbrils Circus and can be spotted travelling from city to city on his wagon pulled by 2 - 4 giant carnivirous hamsters. Thats a deliberate decision to keep him moving and unpredictable and stop him dominating the story. Of course being an elder gnome and a support class also helps him to remain out of the action too.
PCs can hitch a ride and travel with the Circus wagons which will get them into various adventures, PCs can also choose to perform or can get Orbrils aid.

Being so well travelled Orbril can usually give information about most places, has his own network of favours and informants and is also an accomplished alchemist (which he uses top create speciall effects for the Circus), an expert in geology and is known to a number of Royal and Noble courts.
He’s old even by gnome standards and possibly immortal having once lived in the Fae Realm as a consort of the Fairy Queen.

 

[Flamestrike]

Can any class use a wand in 3e or does it have to be used by a caster?

Having a single level of a class that has Cure light Wounds on thier spell list is enough to use one without any sort of check, and if you don't have a single level in such a class, you can make a DC20 Use Magic Device check to use one (taking 10, you only need a +10 bonus).

Paladin, Ranger, Bard, Cleric and Druid all have the spell on their class list. A single level in any of those classes and you're good to go.

Our 3.5 ed parties always carried several Wands of Cure Light wounds. Market price 750gp (only 375gp to make yourself) and they have 50 charges.

At 2.5gp per Cure light wounds spell, that's great value for money. It ensures you hit every encounter at full HP.