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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 1405566" data-attributes="member: 63">Stahn Li was my DM for the last campaign I played in, so let me first start by shouting a big thanks to him for a really fun experience, and for all the advice he's given me on my games.  When you show up in a couple weeks, I'll give you a belated GM's Day present.  I know you don't know how to read, so I figure I'll get you the Book of Erotic Fantasy, for the pretty pictures.Now, as to friend characters, the first piece of advice is not to have the 'friendly traveling companion' try to ingratiate himself into the group by saying, "I've been studying you for weeks, and know everything about you.  I want to help, but if you don't let me come along, I'll write a tell-all book about you, and sell it to your enemies."Especially not with Matt and Hamid playing.  Next time wait for me and Beth's characters to join the group.I dunno.  You could make the character related to one of the PCs (it worked for Katrina), or if the group is right have the NPC be a helpless person they want to protect (it worked for Crystin), or be a potentially valuable hostage that the group won't want to kill, and who will have time to see that he or she likes the party (like Shalosha).The best two heavily-active NPCs I've had go along with my parties were in my games back home.  The first started off as the friend of the party's late employer, who joined with the PCs to help them avenge his death.  She helped them explore the Underdark, which they were unfamiliar with, and she needed the party's help as much as they needed hers.  By working together on adventures, she became as much a part of the group as the real PCs.The other major NPC I had with a party was on a pilgrimage, and the party met her, liked her, and ended up getting hired by her mentor to escort her on travels to various magical sites around the world.  They initially were really interested in her because the group was all together on the same sailing vessel, and there was this mysterious figure wrapped head to toe in cloth, with an obviously magical staff.  The group eventually learned that she'd recently been scarred by a red dragon's breath, and hadn't had a chance to receive proper healing, so they were sympathetic to her pain.I think the most consistent thing that's worked for ongoing NPCs is that they're higher level than the party, but only just, and they provide a type of power or knowledge the group needs but doesn't have.</blockquote>

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