What role does the DMPC need to fill?

[Lanefan]

Voted "other", in this case meaning "a) whatever the party think they need to complete or augment their lineup and actively go out and recruit, and b) the significant NPCs some modules expect the party will take in during the adventure, and c) plot device NPCs". About the only thing they never seem to need at one time or another is a Wizard-type.

Sometimes, NPCs become an integral part of the party...they're treated (and run, by the players) the same as any other character; and so they should be. In the game world, people don't go around with little red "NPC" stickers on their foreheads...

Lanefan

 

[satin]

Healer / leader. None of the other folks seem to like playing that role (except me - so when I'm the DM, the character becomes a DMPC).

I also feel like players have better immersion and attachment to their characters when they're only playing one PC each. Nothing reminds you "it's just a game" like switching personalities and abilities every few minutes.

Whereas the DM's already running a bunch of monsters anyway, what's one more set of die rolls?

 

[tankschmidt]

I checked "other," meaning I wouldn't use a DMPC no matter what. The game plays fine with fewer than five people, and having an extra NPC around will just slow down combat even more.

 

[TerraDave]

Its funny, I don't use them very often, but I was just going to come up with one for my next session.

"DMPCs" (meaning "co-adventurers" run by DM, in contrast to cohorts, henchman, etc) I have used:

-A senior "mentor" that allows the party to punch above its wait in dramatic moments but doesn't steal their thunder.

-Subset of the above: a damaged but powerful charecter that the PCs have to "help" to unlock that charecters potential.

-An NPC introduced in the setting that the PCs actively recruit to help them (Village of Homlet is probably the best example of somewhere that facilitates this). Can also include freed prisoners.

-An NPC that is there to betray the party. (Again, see Village of Homlet, and this can overlap with the above).

-An NPC as "guide" or "plot device".

-An NPC to cover a gap, but normally as one of the above.

The key to all of this: use only in limited doses. I would never run an npc with the party in an open ended fashion with the possible exception of a 2 or 1 player game.

 

[Mercule]

None. Ever. The only time I'd consider it is if the group module-hopped and rotated DMs. Even then, the DM's PC should pretty much fade into the background for the duration.

If you want/need the party rounded out, I have no issue with persistent, even prominent, NPCs who function as party members in pretty much every way. IMO, though, they must remain non-player characters. Any character under the control of the DM, though, is expendible.

DMPC is something I'd use as a slur to indicate the DM is doing a lousy job. And I'd be insulted if the term was used to refer to one of my NPCs. Actually, there would be a good chance the "DMPC" would meet an untimely end in the near future just to put things right.

On the other hand, if by "DMPC", you just mean "an NPC who acts as a party member for role-playing purposes", I don't have an issue to that concept. The term just carries a different connotation for me. In that case, I'd say whatever the group is lacking and you can't go wrong with a leader -- which is what I chose to add for my wife's solo game, though I'm hoping she role-plays gathering other party members to round things out.

 

[Wombat]

Nothing in particular.

The character has a place in the story, first and foremost. These combat-roles are merely a shorthand for the story-reality.