Scrying and Teleportation... Deus Ex Machina? ANYONE PLAYING UNDER ME STAY OUT!

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

If you are going to intervene in the situation (by means of a DMNPC or otherwise), do the absolute minimum necessary. Using an 8th level spell, two 5th level spells and a 4th level spell is overkill if a 4th level spell is all that is needed.

Have a mad alchemist with an experimental elixir (maybe with a weird side effect). Or have the 6th level cleric receive an inspiration for a 3rd level spell that transfers the drain to a willing recipient instead of curing it completely. Or a have a civilian who might be willing to part with a scroll for a price. (he collects old books, and one of them contains writing which turns out to be equivalent to a scroll).

Whatever it is, it should require a decision or commitment on the part of the PCs. But it should leave them with the feeling that they contributed to the solution of the problem.

One more for the Crazy Muffin Man's House Rule Compendium?

Share Burden
Clr3
Conjuration (Healing)

Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, XP
Range: Touch
Area: Single target
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

By using this spell, you take on one specific burden borne by any living creature. you may transfer any amount of nonlethal damage, Hit Point damage, ability damage, negative levels, ability drain, or a single ailing condition from that creature to you, bearing it at least partially and lessening it for the other person. This puts much strain on you, represented by an XP cost. You endure the chosen ailment (or portion thereof) as though it was put on you originally, including durations, remedies, caster levels and save DCs.

XP cost- 500.

This approach seems like less of a DM Magic Stick invocation than any other logical choice, but it doesn't solve the problem in full, it just moves it. This may be enough. There are six clerics currently on duty in the kingdom, so they can each eat 2 points of constitution in order to restore the poor guy (the other clerics on combat medic duty are Clr5). I'd volunteer to take part of the CON hit, but since I achieved Clr5 earlier in the morning, and it's only the afternoon, I can't really prepare it in time.

All of the clerics available for combat medic duty are highly skilled mundane healers, using their divine powers only as a last resort or a solution to a time-critical problem. It will have to wait until tomorrow for everyone to be sufficiently prepared, but the next morning, we will be able to alleviate the soldier's pain.

Thanks Cheiromancer!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Next adventure, give the DMPC something else to do in the church hierarchy. If the player characters genuinely require help, let them hire low level NPCs in town along the way.

DMPCs are rarely anything other than causes of resentment for the players. They need to be the stars, succeed or fail, not the DM's pet characters.

 

[Eric Tolle]

As far as I'm concerned, the proper question should be: "What are the PCs going to do to get themselves out of this mess?"

Really, ask your players how they are going to deal with the situation- if the response comes back as "well, we're going to wait around until the Big Friend can help us, then IMO, you might as well pack the campaign in.

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

Next adventure, give the DMPC something else to do in the church hierarchy. If the player characters genuinely require help, let them hire low level NPCs in town along the way.

DMPCs are rarely anything other than causes of resentment for the players. They need to be the stars, succeed or fail, not the DM's pet characters.

I will do so, allowing the two neighboring benevolent kingdoms (Sherbet and South Phonix) to work with each other and form an alliance. Pardeux will stay back for a while and do that, using the Eye of the Heart (quest item) as a condition monitor for the wounded, and a lie detector for North Phonix POWs. The truth is, it was already accepted universally that I would be running a character of equal strength to the others, and that I would play by the same rules as much as possible (read: unless the plot specifically requires other means). This way, he gets to aid the Great Prophecy, without being a meddler. There are three Pillars of Hope currently, and for the time being, those three are apart for now. Pardeux is aiding in mundane healing for the wounded, Donovan is seeing what he can do to aid in it, and Carina is still aiding the last of the good fight as an archer. Later in the day, this will end, and the three will be honorably discharged. They can still do whatever they want that day, including continuing to aid South Phonix, or getting down to quest business. I refuse to force people to wait for a handout.

All Stagnetians know of the prophecy.

I have decided to go with the Share Burden strategy myself. Less DXM that way. I'm just glad the rest of the campaign to date has fared better than this post-adventure segment. I guess I'll just call it a lowpoint and see what else I can do in the future to keep that the lowest point in the campaign.

 

[Brian Gibbons]

One mitigating factor of this (but not too mitigating) is the gravity of the prophecy that drives the quest, but it doesn't trump the others. It just commands a lot of consideration.

This, btw, is one reason to be wary of epic storylines with low-level PCs (unless you have players who are willing to ignore inconsistencies for the sake of the story).

If the setup is that the PCs are the only ones who are able to save the world, rescue the princess, fulfill the prophecy, slay the dragon or whatnot, it's hard to rationalize why those asking the PCs to do this would not go to extreme lengths to aid the PCs.

The general solution is to either undercut the support (the kingdom is being besieged and cannot get to your aid; the high priest is under a curse that limits his powers; most people think the prophecy is false, it's only a minor faction that's backing the PCs) or to solve the problem at the beginning and make the quest not that epic.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The truth is, it was already accepted universally that I would be running a character of equal strength to the others

IT STILL SUCKS. It's an unfair usage of your power as a DM.

"Here, let me set the stage for the adventure, bring in all the cast members and, oh yes, I will be playing one of the main characters!" This is a half-step away from you just putting on puppet theater for your players and having them watch.

And "universally accepted" translates to, nine times out of 10, "the only guy willing to DM dictated terms to us, whether we like it or not."

If you're looking to be a better DM, strike DMPC from your vocabulary. It can be successfully done, once in a while, but the vast majority of the time, it just makes an otherwise good game suck. A lot.

If you want to be a player, be a player. There are plenty of good indie RPGs that don't require a DM at all.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If the setup is that the PCs are the only ones who are able to save the world, rescue the princess, fulfill the prophecy, slay the dragon or whatnot, it's hard to rationalize why those asking the PCs to do this would not go to extreme lengths to aid the PCs.

The general solution is to either undercut the support (the kingdom is being besieged and cannot get to your aid; the high priest is under a curse that limits his powers; most people think the prophecy is false, it's only a minor faction that's backing the PCs) or to solve the problem at the beginning and make the quest not that epic.

And there's the Frodo Option: "The BBEG will be looking for Uber NPC #1 or Uber NPC #2 to move against us, so we're having them do other things to distract his attention. You guys go on this secret mission and keep your heads down."

And, of course, you then kill off the uber NPCs off-stage later on, once the player characters are of a level to take over.

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

IT STILL SUCKS. It's an unfair usage of your power as a DM.

"Here, let me set the stage for the adventure, bring in all the cast members and, oh yes, I will be playing one of the main characters!" This is a half-step away from you just putting on puppet theater for your players and having them watch.

And "universally accepted" translates to, nine times out of 10, "the only guy willing to DM dictated terms to us, whether we like it or not."

If you're looking to be a better DM, strike DMPC from your vocabulary. It can be successfully done, once in a while, but the vast majority of the time, it just makes an otherwise good game suck. A lot.

If you want to be a player, be a player. There are plenty of good indie RPGs that don't require a DM at all.

Very well. For my next segment, I will recruit another flesh and blood player, and see what I can do about Pardeux and Carina as a result. They will be NPCs from here on out. I can still run the campaign without running it into the ground.

BTW: Pardeux and Carina are Level 5, and the only two actual players in the current game are myself and a buddy. I will change that, for the improvement of the campaign.

Also, Zophar already knows we're onto him. It's just that WE don't yet. A twist in the campaign will strain South Phonix to the limit and require the two DM-puppets to stay in conscription. This puts an end to the plausibility/DXM issue, allows me to be a full gamemaster, and allows me to focus solely on Donovan and any other flesh and blood players I recruit. The two puppets will be able to work at full strength behind the scenes, and I can twist this plot in a whole new, more educated direction, without relying on possible Desu Ex Machinae. Not only that, but the quest itself is secured because we're still part of it, just spending a bit longer in one troubled kingdom. We'll be in South Phonix for quite a while, but it's worth it. At the end of South Phonix, two new openings will appear in the Prophecy for the NG and CG heroes, I will recruit two new warm bodies to fill in the gaps, and Donovan will rightfully take the lead (along with the two quest items to date).

I appreciate everything said here! I never knew that DMPC usage would incur such a risk.

 

[Vurt]

As a DM, I will only resort to deus ex machina if the story absolutely needs it in order to continue. The usual example of this is a TPK, but sometimes I'll have found that I've painted myself into a wall, and am forced to, reluctantly, teleport my way out of it. In general, if players still have characters that are alive and well, then it's up to them to solve whatever problems they come across.

Have your DMPC regularly issue a sending asking one of the other characters whether or not they need help. Then it becomes up to the players what direction they wish to take with it.

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[Felix]

Pardeux and Carina are Level 5, and the only two actual players in the current game are myself and a buddy.

You're running a one-on-one game? That's part of the trouble. D&D is a group game, and if there's only actual PC, or even two PCs run by one player, then they're going to suffer from a lack of character abilities. The campaign has to be tailored to match what they can do.

If what you're trying to run is a standard campaign, it's no wonder you're having some trouble. There are some one-player modules out there, but I very much recommend finding at least one more warm body if you're more inclined to continue with the campaign's current story arc.