How many people who share DM duties play a character while they DM?

[JoeBlank]

Each DM usually makes his own villains and runs them when he is running the game. The campaign is varied because each DM puts their mark on it with their own ideas, villains, secrets, etc, etc. We don't switch DMing duties in between adventures and over the course of a long-term campaign, there are more than a few enemies and plotlines.

We do the same thing. Occasionally, one of us will ask to "borrow" an NPC from another DM. That DM will let us know if this is possible, and if there are any restrictions on the use of the NPC. We have even "traded" NPCs. This can be great fun, if you create a minor NPC, and use the character fully for their purpose, why not let some other DM who likes the NPC take teh character and run with it.

In fact, we have also used each other's retired PCs, again with permission.

Our campaign world is also divided up geographically, so we each have a roughly-outlined area that we control. Usually, but not always, when GM 1 is running the show the plot leads us towards Area 1.

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

My fellow DM and I run completely different campaigns, and hell, even different systems on occaision--so tehre's no overlap here.

 

[DaveStebbins]

We rotate DMs within the same campaign and the DMs usually do not send their PC along unless there is a glaring need (like no cleric). As previously mentioned, the PC becomes an NPC and generally acts only in a support role. Each DM, as another post mentioned, usually has their own pet villians and plots, and others are more common property. It works out well for us.

-Dave

 

[Mallus]

Our rule is simple. The DM gets all the NPC's s/he wants, but only players get PC's.

Aside from the obvious conflict of interest problems it averts, it also allows for differently flavored storylines to develop.

I tend to play in small groups, where the switch of one player to DM and vice versa really changes the group dynamic.

Its amusing to see what kind of trouble a group can get in when the paladin or LG cleric's away on retreat. And it really feels nice to match good honest blades with cutthroats instead of poking around in dank tombs fighting horrors when the wizards off for sensitivity traning...

 

[Richards]

Yeah, "conflict of interest" is what did us in when I tried this 20 years ago with my brother. We had five players total, and he and I decided we'd swap off DMing duties, running our own character as an NPC while we were the DM. Since at that time we were pretty much just in "hack and slash dungeoncrawling mode" it didn't seem like there would be much of a problem.

Then my brother, whose PC/NPC was the party's only thief, kept dropping in magic items that only thieves could use. The little rat!

Johnathan