D&D 5E (2014) How Often Do You Have NPCs Join the Party?

[DMZ2112]

<25%. As required by the plot or by PC role shortfall. In the first case they are silent but for their story purpose, and in the second they are silent but for their combat contribution.

For a long time I thought DMPCs were embarrassingly bad tradecraft, but recently I met a dungeon master whom I respect a great deal who never runs without one. I can't say I really understand it, but it is clear to me that this is yet another one of those aspects of dungeon mastery that comes down to experience and skill.

 

[guachi]

I love me some henchmen, so I'm all for having NPCs along for the ride. Players in my current campaign picked a jackpot of adventures for NPCs. Module B2 netted them 2 henchmen that I converted into a Fighter and a Cleric and B10 got them a dog. The module itself has a random encounter table that has a result where a totally random guy insists the party take his dog. It has no relevance whatsoever on the module.

I converted the dog into a rare breed of war dog that just happened to be all mangy and underfed. Currently it has the stats of a wolf and I plan on making it something like a Mabari war hound from Dragon Age if the players want to keep it.

In a game lower on magic items (like 5e can be) I find myself looking to other means to make the characters feel powerful. I over describe non cash loot so the party wants to keep it. I've converted magical weapons into fancy nonmagical versions. At least they don't look like grungy armed vagabonds.

I've got all sorts of tactile things to hand players - toothpicks, Monopoly money, maps (many printed with my photo printer. A 4x6 map printed on photo paper goes a long way), playing cards, spell cards (from GF9), M&Ms, tons of extra dice. I've even had sound effects like the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly play during a showdown with the Redbrands in the streets of Phandelver from the Starter Set module.

It's really awesome being an adult and having some money to do some of this stuff.

...speaking of sounds, I have to hunt down the mp3s of the Mabari warhound and a good screenshot or two and print the photo out and give it to the players.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Players: We can do this mission for King John by ourselves.
DM: King John insists that one of his Knights goes with you.
Players: Oh, OK.

PC1 to PC2: Let's ditch this chump in the next town.

 

[Umbran]

PC1 to PC2: Let's ditch this chump in the next town.

Knight: King John, the party has chosen to move on, without guidance close to your desires, and they behaved most dishonorably.

King John: They wish to wreak havoc without oversight or agreement from the crown? Outlaws it is, then!

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Knight: King John, the party has chosen to move on, without guidance close to your desires, and they behaved most dishonorably.

King John: They wish to wreak havoc without oversight or agreement from the crown? Outlaws it is, then!

PC3 to PC1 (prior to the knight's return): What if she snitches on us? We'd better make sure she suffers an "accident" in her sleep.

Or the knight returns, and the PCs are outlaws. Either way, they still don't have an NPC in the party.

The DM can make it favorable for the PCs to choose to have an NPC with them, but has no power to enforce that decision.

 

[Bluenose]

My players like to recruit followers of various types, whatever the game we're playing - so do I when I'm a player instead of GM, actually. I've sometimes had an NPC or group of NPCs hire the players to do something which involved those NPCs coming along (guard us while we survey this area for minerals in a recent Traveller game), but that's more in the style of Patrons than companion NPCs. It's rare otherwise, though not entirely unknown.

 

[Crothian]

As DM I never have NPCs join the party. That's a players choice so the players decide when and who an NPC joins the party. They do have it happen a lot.

 

[Celebrim]

Just curious how often DMs add NPCs to the group.

I think your question is fundamentally flawed.

I never add NPCs to a group.

But if by your question you mean, "How often are NPCs accompanying the PC party", then the answer is, "Really close to 100% of the time."

The real question isn't how often a DM imposes NPCs on the PCs (violating their rights to free association), but how often the PC's recruit someone to help them.

And the answer to that question is usually, "Every chance they get."

Right now the standard party consists of 6 PC's, 2 animal companions, 1 familiar, 1 intelligent mount, and an NPC henchman - and that's not counting the intelligent sword. Generally speaking, whenever possible they try to convince other NPC's to assist them - templars from religious orders they are aligned with, civic officials interested in the cases they are working on, various other concerned citizens of a heroic bent, etc. It's unusual now for the party ever have less than 4 other NPC's with it.

 

[Celebrim]

Knight: King John, the party has chosen to move on, without guidance close to your desires, and they behaved most dishonorably.

King John: They wish to wreak havoc without oversight or agreement from the crown? Outlaws it is, then!

Or more straight forwardly:

PCs: We can do this by ourselves.
King John: One of my knights will accompany you.
PCs: No.
King John: I'll throw you in prison.
PCs: Ok, you just do that.
King John: I'll have you beheaded.
PCs: Then I guess we'll die here. Either way, the knight isn't going with us.

It's beyond the power of the DM to make the PC's accept someone in the party. You can pursue them. You can harass them. But the players aren't pawns for the DM.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think your question is fundamentally flawed.

You quoted a statement and called it a question, so I can see how that would be confusing.