How Do You Feel About NPC Party Members (A Poll)

[Jared Rascher]

What Do I Know About Opinions? Long Term NPC Companions​

I'll be running a poll asking your opinions about NPC party members. I'll be running this poll until January 7th, after which time I'll be summarizing the results on my blog. I would love to get your opinions on this question, so if you have thoughts about NPC party members, please feel free to participate.

Thanks for your time!

 

[John Dallman]

As a player, they're fine provided they don't try to dominate proceedings.

As a GM, I've used NPC party members for several slightly different roles.

• Representing a sponsoring organisation, to restrain really bad ideas.
• As a source of expertise, but not of combat power or problem-solving.
• To fill out a roster when a certain number of people are required, such as a military spaceship crew.

The last of these is what I'm currently running. They needed a gunnery officer, and a pilot. I gave them a fairly relaxed old hand to do gunnery, and to fill in other slots when a player is absent. For the pilot, I gave them a very talented, but undisciplined, newbie, and they've managed to steer her onto a sensible development path. Training is always part of the job of a warship captain, so I tried to make it interesting.

 

[aramis erak]

What Do I Know About Opinions? Long Term NPC Companions​

I'll be running a poll asking your opinions about NPC party members. I'll be running this poll until January 7th, after which time I'll be summarizing the results on my blog. I would love to get your opinions on this question, so if you have thoughts about NPC party members, please feel free to participate.

Thanks for your time!

I have no issue with players having NPC hirelings, NPC party members, or in certain settings with good players, multiple PCs.

I deeply object to GMPCs, a distinction which is about (1) NPCs with full PC abilities in systems which differ and (2) The GM wanting to be front and center in the party, as opposed to letting the players' characters be the spotlight.

 

[R_J_K75]

I deeply object to GMPCs, a distinction which is about (1) NPCs with full PC abilities in systems which differ and (2) The GM wanting to be front and center in the party, as opposed to letting the players' characters be the spotlight.

I feel the same. To go one step further, even worse is the DM turned PC who wants to turn their NPC into a PC. Not happening in my game. Hirelings and NPCs that travel with the party for short periods I don't have a problem with but I try and keep it to a minimum.

 

[tommybahama]

I responded in the additional comments that I’d prefer the NPC be a skill monkey to advance the narrative of the campaign but not involved in combat beyond providing the help action or being threatened in combat so that it adds another dimension that the party has to worry about in combat. Does the party gang up on the BBEG or split their actions to save the NPC from the swarming minions?

 

[Imaculata]

I like npc party members, but I am very careful not to turn them into my own player character, or have them steal the spotlight. They are also not a tool for me to force plot on my players.

My npc party members contribute to the plot, and they are a handy resource for the players to use as they please. They can bring them along as backup, but npc's tend to be weaker than the players, so they are at risk of dying. In fact, I love targeting npc's with my monsters if they choose to bring them along.

Occasionally I'll have npc's come along due to plot relevance, or a bit of exposition.

 

[aramis erak]

I feel the same. To go one step further, even worse is the DM turned PC who wants to turn their NPC into a PC. Not happening in my game. Hirelings and NPCs that travel with the party for short periods I don't have a problem with but I try and keep it to a minimum.

I don't even mind long term; I've run games where the PC's were aboard a ship and every member of the 30-being crew except the Captain were NPCs... the other 3 PC's weren't technically crew, but were the reps of the employing agency.

I like npc party members, but I am very careful not to turn them into my own player character, or have them steal the spotlight. They are also not a tool for me to force plot on my players.

My npc party members contribute to the plot, and they are a handy resource for the players to use as they please. They can bring them along as backup, but npc's tend to be weaker than the players, so they are at risk of dying. In fact, I love targeting npc's with my monsters if they choose to bring them along.

Occasionally I'll have npc's come along due to plot relevance, or a bit of exposition.

Same here.

 

[Campbell]

As long as they are like actual characters with motivations and goals I do not mind. If they are plot devices or the GM's mouth piece so they can influence player decision making that's a no go for me personally. I also hope that they are not used as get out of jail free cards.

 

[Imaculata]

As long as they are like actual characters with motivations and goals I do not mind. If they are plot devices or the GM's mouth piece so they can influence player decision making that's a no go for me personally. I also hope that they are not used as get out of jail free cards.

Indeed. One of my biggest frustrations in D&D, is when the DM uses his npc's to take actions that he wants the players to take. Sometimes the DM forgets his role in the game, or wants to prevent the players from ignoring something he badly wants them to interact with. In the last campaign I played in, we started to resent the npc's, and contemplated just shooting them all and be done with it. Its like constantly having someone hovering over your shoulder, ready to take the wheel.

 

[corwyn77]

I feel the same. To go one step further, even worse is the DM turned PC who wants to turn their NPC into a PC. Not happening in my game.

What exactly is the issue here? I've never done it but I wouldn't have a problem with it if the need/opportunity arose. It's not like the previous gm has total control anymore. I certainly don't see it as nearly as bad as turning a former pc into an npc when gming.