PCs running NPCs in an adventure

[ThirdWizard]

What I've noticed recently in my current running campaign is that the PCs are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. The campaign is fairly involving plot and character-wise, and things are in place that give the PCs a lot of possible responsibility. Basically, they need a short break from the campaign which has gone eight months non-stop, a little breather with a bit more light heartedness and a bit less stress.

One-offs do this very well, but an odd idea popped into my head. The PCs live in a city where adventuring is basically considered a basic occupation like smithing and cobbling are in most places. Thus, they know a lot of other adventuring groups, and one in particular they are good friends with. I have recently in the past two sessions alluded to a map that this group found that shows the lands as they existed long ago (ancient empire left in ruins, blah blah, great riches, blah blah). So, my idea is for the players to play this NPC group ("Small Trouble" - a gnome, two halfling twins, and a goblin) who they are very familiar with and like a lot.

Has anyone ever tried this? What do you think? It could be a nice change of pace for a session after eight months playing the same characters. I have yet to ask them if they want to do this; first I want to get impressions people have who have maybe tried this or from anyone that can offer advice on how to pull this off well. I think it could be a lot of fun.

 

[palleomortis]

Yea, we usually come up with another idea that we need to try, and your campaigns were never finished, and we usually started somthing new every few weeks. So I can't really help, but I know that I enjoyed playing a bunch of diferent thing to learn better what I could play.

 

[DrNilesCrane]

Sounds fun, and if they already know (and like) the characters, they'll have some investment in their survival as well as enjoy the tie-in to their regular characters.

I haven't done what you describe; I've had players take over individual NPCs as their own PCs on a couple of occasions, but not the whole group at once.

 

[jmucchiello]

My group is in charge of a couple of lower level investigation teams. When my sessions starts in June (multiple DMs, same characters), I intend to hand them the character sheets for the lower level group (3-4th level) and have that group find out what's going on and (hopefully) warn the high level group (17-18th level) as to what's going on just outside their base city. I'm wondering if playing the low level characters will enamour the group toward or away high level play.