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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 6206856" data-attributes="member: 29398">One thing that seems to colour (badly) the view of party-member NPCs is the assumption that as an extension of the DM's ego they will always do the right thing and-or always outshine the PCs.This is not always a valid assumption.  The trick is to have the NPC come up with bad ideas or plans or tactics just as often as good ones, based on what its personality/intelligence/wisdom would imply; and leave it up to the PCs whether they listen to the NPC or ignore it.  In combat, you as DM can always "underplay" the NPC and have it make sometimes-suboptimal choices; or just let the players run it.  I always get the players to do the dice rolling for the NPCs, however - I've usually got enough to worry about running the enemies.Lan-"and sometimes the party won't let an NPC leave even if it wants to"-efan</blockquote>