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<blockquote data-quote="Mishihari Lord" data-source="post: 3177587" data-attributes="member: 128">To me, a DMPC is just an NPC that the DM uses like it's his own personal PC.&nbsp; The difference is in how much the character is metagamed.&nbsp; PCs act according to the goals of their players.&nbsp; They take actions that are sometimes not what they would do in character because the players know what's optimal.&nbsp; They have certain special privileges, like immunity to diplomacy, protection of niche, and protection of character concept (I don't do the last, but some people do) that NPCs do not.&nbsp; They (should) receive equal spotlight time with the other players.&nbsp; They sometimes receive special treatment from the DM to make sure the players have fun.&nbsp;&nbsp; All of this is fine.NPCs on the other hand generally act according to what makes sense in character and receive no special privileges or consideration from rules, the DM, or other players.The problem with a DMPC, or an NPC that receives all of the special treatment of the PCs, is that the DM as player intrinsically has an advantage.&nbsp; The DMPC can make all of the right moves because its player knows the monsters' abilities and strategies.&nbsp; The DMPC can make all of the right preparations because his player knows the encounters for the day, or at least the table.&nbsp; The DMPC can easily be stronger than the PCs by the DM's choice, and even if they're the same level the DMPC can be stronger because he's optimized for his current level rather than being grown organically.&nbsp; Fudging is another problem.&nbsp; Most DMs fudge a bit to make the game more fun.&nbsp; Maybe they don't want a PC to die right then or maybe they want to draw out the combat to add suspense.&nbsp; With a DMPC the DM has a conflict of interest.&nbsp; Even if he gives his DMPC the same consideration as the other PCs he'll be viewed as favoring himself.Given all of this, of course the other players are going to resent the DMPC.IMO NPCs that are part of the adventuring party are a good thing, while DMPCs are not.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mishihari Lord, post: 3177587, member: 128"] To me, a DMPC is just an NPC that the DM uses like it's his own personal PC. The difference is in how much the character is metagamed. PCs act according to the goals of their players. They take actions that are sometimes not what they would do in character because the players know what's optimal. They have certain special privileges, like immunity to diplomacy, protection of niche, and protection of character concept (I don't do the last, but some people do) that NPCs do not. They (should) receive equal spotlight time with the other players. They sometimes receive special treatment from the DM to make sure the players have fun. All of this is fine. NPCs on the other hand generally act according to what makes sense in character and receive no special privileges or consideration from rules, the DM, or other players. The problem with a DMPC, or an NPC that receives all of the special treatment of the PCs, is that the DM as player intrinsically has an advantage. The DMPC can make all of the right moves because its player knows the monsters' abilities and strategies. The DMPC can make all of the right preparations because his player knows the encounters for the day, or at least the table. The DMPC can easily be stronger than the PCs by the DM's choice, and even if they're the same level the DMPC can be stronger because he's optimized for his current level rather than being grown organically. Fudging is another problem. Most DMs fudge a bit to make the game more fun. Maybe they don't want a PC to die right then or maybe they want to draw out the combat to add suspense. With a DMPC the DM has a conflict of interest. Even if he gives his DMPC the same consideration as the other PCs he'll be viewed as favoring himself. Given all of this, of course the other players are going to resent the DMPC. IMO NPCs that are part of the adventuring party are a good thing, while DMPCs are not. [/QUOTE]

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