D&D 5E Players with multiple characters

[Shiroiken]

I run a West Marches style game, but rather than having a lot of players, I have a lot of characters. Each player builds 2 characters at a time, and can't build any more until both of them have seen play (or all characters but 1 are killed).

I give the adventure introduction, and then the players each choose a character. If the party has less than 5 players, the group may allow someone to play another character as a henchmen. They do not RP the character, and they only earn half xp value (but take up a full share). Henchmen make it easier to complete adventures at the cost of an overall reduction of the amount of xp, so the option isn't always chosen.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Other- disallow except under special circumstances.

Special circumstances, like days that end in a "Y"?

 

[AmerginLiath]

My players have alternates for the times when their primary characters are doing something else. So they run the alternate. The player who had her paladin on a diplomatic mission ran her sage while the paladin was away. One of the magicians whilst stoking her wizardly furnace to create an item ran her pirate then had her sail away when the item was created.

The only time each player ran everyone of their characters at the same time was when their home city was under siege.

That’s basically the way that I’ve always liked, especially since bouncing between characters allows the campaign to play with level — having lower-level reserve characters is good for returning to different styles of play and certain parts of a campaign where higher-level characters wouldn’t fit. Also, as someone who’s not a fan of high-level play, such back and forth allows a more natural ‘limit’ in terms of semi-retiring mid-level characters to slow such advancement, bringing them back out for major moments and allowing that level to be seen as more important in-campaign.

 

[hbarsquared]

You gotta do what you gotta do.

It's not preferred on a regular basis. But if we just don't have enough players, sometimes we play multiple.

Other times, it's more fun. But only when the story calls for it.

 

[Sunseeker]

Hmm, I may have misunderstood that the question posed was about running multiple characters simultaneously.

As a player, I do not enjoy it. Even while I enjoy classes that have "companions" I have little love for managing 1.5 characters.

As a DM, I would not allow one player to run multiple characters if we have a "full group" (4-5 players), even if not all the roles are covered.

If everyone wanted to run multiple characters, or we were a small party (2-3 players) I would allow one or more players to run multiple characters. But only with the approval of other players at the table. I don't want Billy and Sue to feel like they're not equal players at the table because Jenny is running 2 PC's. ESPECIALLY if Jenny is running two PCs who themselves have companions (Druids, Rangers, etc...).

Typically speaking, people do not ask to to do so. When they do, I tell them what I just said above: only if we are short handed, and only with approval of the other players.

 

[hastur_nz]

It only makes sense when you are short on real people at the table. Personally I've given my players a simple NPC from time to time, basically just to run during combats, usually if there are only three players as it drags things to a crawl otherwise. But I've only ever had players running multiple full PC's once ever, which was when my 3.5 Age of Worms dwindled to only two players but they both wanted to keep going, so they ended up with a main PC and a "follower" of -2 levels, both a full PC; however, they still only actually really role-played their own PC with their 'follower' in the background, they just ran two PC's each when it came to a fight. Running two PC's, as full-participation characters during the role-play moments, would just be silly, like talking to yourself...

 

[Umbran]

In my current 5e game, I have two 13-year-olds for whom it is their first game, and I'd probably ask they not have multiple characters at one time.

In general... this has not been a common thing at tables I run or play at for... 20 years or more? We did this back playing 1e. But since I went to college, this practice largely died away in my circles. Nobody would *ask* to run multiple characters, so my allowing it is kind of moot.

 

[Horwath]

No as a general rule.

IF there are too few players. I.E. 3, I would rather run an NPC or have the PCs be gestalt characters.

 

[the Jester]

Special circumstances, like days that end in a "Y"?

For instance- one pc was held prisoner in a megadungeon for several months of real time. When a party that included that pc's player found and rescued him, that player got to play both characters until they escaped the megadungeon (part of a session).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Kind of. The players only create one character, but they are often joined by NPC companions created by me (the DM), but played by the players.