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<blockquote data-quote="Balrog" data-source="post: 479201" data-attributes="member: 3543">I have been tackling this problem IMC for the last 6 months.&nbsp; The PCs are an average of 6th or 7th level, and there is an NPC in the party that has been part of the group since 1st level.&nbsp; For story reasons, he just hasn't left.&nbsp; He got killed once, but most of the party felt enough loyalty to him as a fellow party member that they chipped in to get him raised.IMHO, there isnt any difference between PCs and NPCs in a given group, strictly speaking from a storytellers point-of-view.&nbsp; In metagame terms, yes, the PCs should be more substantial and dynamic characters than any NPCs that are with the party.&nbsp; The DM has to take care not to blur the line between DM Knowledge and NPC Knowledge.&nbsp; I try as much as possible to let the PCs work out their own discussions with little, if any, input from the NPC I am running.&nbsp; Of course, they have lately been testing my ability to run the NPC cleric and not give out too many hints and suggestions through him.The bottom line is I try to give any NPCs that are in the group secondary roles, either as peripheral characters or as cohorts.&nbsp; It gets boring for the PCs if Joe NPC is constantly taking center stage and being the hero.&nbsp; Occasionally, yes,&nbsp; if the circumstances warrant it, this particular NPC may rise to the occasion and be the hero.&nbsp; but I try to keep him in a secondary role.&nbsp; That is not to say though that he doesnt pull his weight, because nothing would irk my PCs more than an NPC along for the EXP ride.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Balrog, post: 479201, member: 3543"] I have been tackling this problem IMC for the last 6 months. The PCs are an average of 6th or 7th level, and there is an NPC in the party that has been part of the group since 1st level. For story reasons, he just hasn't left. He got killed once, but most of the party felt enough loyalty to him as a fellow party member that they chipped in to get him raised. IMHO, there isnt any difference between PCs and NPCs in a given group, strictly speaking from a storytellers point-of-view. In metagame terms, yes, the PCs should be more substantial and dynamic characters than any NPCs that are with the party. The DM has to take care not to blur the line between DM Knowledge and NPC Knowledge. I try as much as possible to let the PCs work out their own discussions with little, if any, input from the NPC I am running. Of course, they have lately been testing my ability to run the NPC cleric and not give out too many hints and suggestions through him. The bottom line is I try to give any NPCs that are in the group secondary roles, either as peripheral characters or as cohorts. It gets boring for the PCs if Joe NPC is constantly taking center stage and being the hero. Occasionally, yes, if the circumstances warrant it, this particular NPC may rise to the occasion and be the hero. but I try to keep him in a secondary role. That is not to say though that he doesnt pull his weight, because nothing would irk my PCs more than an NPC along for the EXP ride. [/QUOTE]

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