Switching DM's and thier characters

[Dagger75]

Well I will be a running a game for a few weeks but I will also be playing the game after my stint as DM. Now I made a character to play but I am going to use him as an NPC. I don't plan on any special treatment or nothing and will probably just give him to one of the other players to play durning combat and what not.

Now should I give him normal XP with what I give other players?

 

[Arnwyn]

If you want. If this NPC will become your PC later on, then it's probably a good idea to give him normal XP so he will be comparable to the other PCs when you begin playing him.

 

[Andre]

Well I will be a running a game for a few weeks but I will also be playing the game after my stint as DM. Now I made a character to play but I am going to use him as an NPC. I don't plan on any special treatment or nothing and will probably just give him to one of the other players to play durning combat and what not.

Now should I give him normal XP with what I give other players?

My first thought: Don't do it. IME, it has never, ever been a good idea for a GM to run an "npc" that is really a pc.

If, OTOH, you can't resist, give the pc/npc whatever you want. Then before your first session as a player, hand the sheet to the GM and let him make whatever changes suit the campaign. It's his/her call, not yours.

 

[Crothian]

Give him full XP, but just keepo him int he background and be more DM then running the character.

 

[Runesong42]

I say, it depends on your gaming group.

If your gaming group is cool with your playing a PC/NPC, then no worries. The most important thing to remember, though, is to resist temptation to favour your NPC while your DM... for example, putting in magic items that your character would like, or something only he can use... that's just not cool. Your group is trusting you to run a fair game, and to stack the deck in favor of your own guy is just unfair (and a reason for the next DM to slam you for it later). Also, try not to hog the spotlight. Just because you're in control of your own PC as GM doesn't give you the right to orchestrate a story centered around your character. The game is about player heroics, not NPC heroics (unless your story specifically calls for NPC heroics -- and even then, don't use your own guy as the focus).

All that aside, I agree that your PC/NPC should get an equal share of XP, regardless of his in-game status, provided he earns it. A good thing to do is as Crothian suggests, and have him hanging in the background, but active. If your storytelling skills are up for it, it never hurts to speak in character for your PC/NPC if there would normally be a call for you to do so if you were a player (example, PC powwow's at the tavern to discuss what to do next etc).

I've had nothing but good experiences in the past for trading up PC/NPC status. Sometimes you just need a break from DMing and it's very handy to have a pre-made character that all the players already know.

 

[jmucchiello]

My first thought: Don't do it. IME, it has never, ever been a good idea for a GM to run an "npc" that is really a pc.

Never, ever speak in absolutes

Who is going to DM afterwards and what happens to his PC? Perhaps you can take over his character if you can agree on a type of PC for you both to play.

 

[JoeBlank]

I play in a game where we rotate DMs. We all make sure that our PCs are off-camera while we are DMing. As others have mentioned, it all depends on your group. This particular group despises DMPCs. So our agreement is that the DM's PC will find something else to do while he is DMing.

Again, no absolutes. But this works for us. It can result in uneven experience levels, espeically if one of us DMs for longer than the others. We are fine with this situation. If it sounds good to you, try it.

 

[Andre]

Never, ever speak in absolutes

Aww, that's no fun...