doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Yeah, very small groups are usually why I have NPC companions. Sometimes they become DMPCs, sometimes not. Currently, I've 2 NPC companions running around with my islands campaign, which has two players. Both players are playing orc/elf totem barbarians (elk and bear, respectively) who are "himbos". Occasionally there are guest PCs, and Orobo and Diego take a back seat or sometimes split the party into two groups. They're also helpful if when we have someone show up late or not at all in the midst of a multi-session arc with guest PCs. That PC is off looking into something with Diego or tracking something down with Orobo.I only have 1 player, so i've used multiple DMPC's on literally every single campaign i've run, and i have had only positive experiences with using them. My player loves interacting with the characters. While i could tailor encounters for single character instead, i prefer having a full adventuring party, the DMPC's exist more for interaction with the player than just combat hencmen. I couldn't imagine running games without DMPC's, my player would riot if i stopped using them.
Diego is a Shadar-kai Rogue/Paladin, and is also a patron of sorts for the group, having hired them to help him get into a sealed and trapped vault under the city to get an ancient artifact before the evil Colonel Montez can get it and use it to end the indipendence of the provence of Parancia and force it's people to bow to his Witch Queen.
Orobo is a grung ranger, and an old friend of the parents of the two main PCs, their "uncle" by virtue of those friendships, and habitually, and lovingly, laments being stuck accompanying two such malformed and unfortunate layabouts. He's 2ft tall and talks like a barrel chested slavic man, but with drawn out vowels and frequent rolling soft consonants. He's also a poisoner and alchemist, making him a great support dude.