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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 8827339" data-attributes="member: 29398">It doesn't happen often but I can count at least ten instances over the years where it has; and this doesn't include players playing their characters' henches.One example: many real-world years ago Lanefan-the-character married another adventurer, a party-member NPC at the time.&nbsp; I think the DM expected us to retire soon after, but we kept adventuring and she was soon given over to me to play side-along with him.Another: a party-member NPC in one of my games so caught the imagination of one player that she flat-out asked me if she could take it over as her PC.&nbsp; I said sure, why not; as it meant one less NPC for me to worry about.In the fiction, explaining moves and abilities in non-mechanical terms that one has that the other doesn't, just like warriors probably would when sitting around over a beer or two at the mercenaries' guildhouse.&nbsp; As in:NPC Fighter: &quot;I've got this move I can bust out every so often where I can strike at every foe I can reach, kind of all at once.&quot;PC Fighter: &quot;Huh.&nbsp; Interesting.&nbsp; I've never heard of that one, but I did get trained once in how to swap my wielded weapon with another without missing a beat in melee.&nbsp; It's come in real handy a few times.&quot;NPC Fighter: &quot;You can do that?&nbsp; Show me how!&quot;Behind the scenes mechanics, all hypothetical: obviously the NPC is describing a version of whirlwind attack, which in this hypothetical isn't available to PCs.&nbsp; At the same time, the PC is telling her about an ability he has that allows him to sheathe one weapon and draw another as a free action; something NPCs don't get.If it's not a 1-1 correlation, or very close, there's something wrong.In the fiction this might look like: &quot;You talk about how every now and then you get in a real solid shot at the foe.&nbsp; That happens for all of us, of course - lucky strikes and all that - but when it happens for me I always seem to amaze people with just how hard I hit.&nbsp; There's nothing amazing about it, though, just a lot of practice in making sure that when I do get that one good opening I can really make it count.&quot;And that is precisely what I don't want; nor do I want it to happen the other way, when a PC retires and becomes an NPC (which happens all the time in a long campaign due to slow but steady player turnover).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 8827339, member: 29398"] It doesn't happen often but I can count at least ten instances over the years where it has; and this doesn't include players playing their characters' henches. One example: many real-world years ago Lanefan-the-character married another adventurer, a party-member NPC at the time. I think the DM expected us to retire soon after, but we kept adventuring and she was soon given over to me to play side-along with him. Another: a party-member NPC in one of my games so caught the imagination of one player that she flat-out asked me if she could take it over as her PC. I said sure, why not; as it meant one less NPC for me to worry about. In the fiction, explaining moves and abilities in non-mechanical terms that one has that the other doesn't, just like warriors probably would when sitting around over a beer or two at the mercenaries' guildhouse. As in: NPC Fighter: "I've got this move I can bust out every so often where I can strike at every foe I can reach, kind of all at once." PC Fighter: "Huh. Interesting. I've never heard of that one, but I did get trained once in how to swap my wielded weapon with another without missing a beat in melee. It's come in real handy a few times." NPC Fighter: "You can do that? Show me how!" Behind the scenes mechanics, all hypothetical: obviously the NPC is describing a version of whirlwind attack, which in this hypothetical isn't available to PCs. At the same time, the PC is telling her about an ability he has that allows him to sheathe one weapon and draw another as a free action; something NPCs don't get. If it's not a 1-1 correlation, or very close, there's something wrong. In the fiction this might look like: "You talk about how every now and then you get in a real solid shot at the foe. That happens for all of us, of course - lucky strikes and all that - but when it happens for me I always seem to amaze people with just how hard I hit. There's nothing amazing about it, though, just a lot of practice in making sure that when I do get that one good opening I can really make it count." And that is precisely what I don't want; nor do I want it to happen the other way, when a PC retires and becomes an NPC (which happens all the time in a long campaign due to slow but steady player turnover). [/QUOTE]

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