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<blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 3180400" data-attributes="member: 9254">I'm against DMPCs but I'm coming from a different direction as someone who DMs 99.9999% of the time.&nbsp; IMC I ended up with a DMPC due to player decisions.&nbsp; I had an NPC that was supposed to travel with the players for a while and then go off on his own.&nbsp; The PCs (and the players) bonded greatly to the NPC and used a combination of arguements (logical, social, economic, and religious) to keep the NPC around.&nbsp; I don't know when it became a DMPC but I know when I knew it was.&nbsp; The party was traveling through a savannah at night (b/c it is horribly hot during the day) and spooked a herd of gazelle at a watering hole.&nbsp; The injured character was not going to be able to make it to cover before the stampede arrived and I was dreading rolling the dice.&nbsp; I felt significant relief when it turned out the character was only dropped to -1 hp and not killed.&nbsp; And then, with dawning horror, I realized I had a DMPC.&nbsp; I've hated them as players for the way the DMs showed them favoritism and I realized I hated them as a DM for threatening the impartiality that lets me run the player-centric games my group enjoys.&nbsp; &nbsp; It felt like I was the umpire at a little league game where my kid was the pitcher.&nbsp; I kept doubting my calls and being concerned I was giving the DMPC too much leeway.&nbsp; So I forced him off-screen where he belongs.&nbsp; The players still sometimes ask me to bring him back so I know it didn't impact their enjoyment of the game but it could have.&nbsp;&nbsp; Obviously this DMPC was fine by the players but the potential for favoritism is there and I don't think it is worth it if they can possibly be avoided.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="kigmatzomat, post: 3180400, member: 9254"] I'm against DMPCs but I'm coming from a different direction as someone who DMs 99.9999% of the time. IMC I ended up with a DMPC due to player decisions. I had an NPC that was supposed to travel with the players for a while and then go off on his own. The PCs (and the players) bonded greatly to the NPC and used a combination of arguements (logical, social, economic, and religious) to keep the NPC around. I don't know when it became a DMPC but I know when I knew it was. The party was traveling through a savannah at night (b/c it is horribly hot during the day) and spooked a herd of gazelle at a watering hole. The injured character was not going to be able to make it to cover before the stampede arrived and I was dreading rolling the dice. I felt significant relief when it turned out the character was only dropped to -1 hp and not killed. And then, with dawning horror, I realized I had a DMPC. I've hated them as players for the way the DMs showed them favoritism and I realized I hated them as a DM for threatening the impartiality that lets me run the player-centric games my group enjoys. It felt like I was the umpire at a little league game where my kid was the pitcher. I kept doubting my calls and being concerned I was giving the DMPC too much leeway. So I forced him off-screen where he belongs. The players still sometimes ask me to bring him back so I know it didn't impact their enjoyment of the game but it could have. Obviously this DMPC was fine by the players but the potential for favoritism is there and I don't think it is worth it if they can possibly be avoided. [/QUOTE]

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