Well, this is a basic GMing rule and one of the most common mistakes beginning GMs make. I had this problem when I started.
Imagine players face a particularly difficult situation. They are about to die and than… an epic
level NPCs comes and rescues them.
Sounds familiar? If you are a good GM – it shouldn’t. The problem with such NPCs (even if ther are really awesome) is that the game is not about cool NPCs, it is about cool players. Usually when somebody saves them, they are disappointed. It is not difficult to guess what players are thinking: “If somebody comes and saves us when we are in danger, than our life and death is completely up to GM (not our actions). We weren’t supposed to fight those demons ourselves. We’ve got no control over the game.” I believe the less control players have, the worse is the game.
That was one drawback of the cool NPCs situation. Another thing is that it is bloody depressing to see some character being much better than you. He (the GM) gets all the fun, while you sit and watch. What is the point of playing than?
However, I think that the above situation with cool NPC saving the players in trouble is not that bad. In the end, you avoid TPK (Total Party Kill). A much worse situation would be a CNPC (Cool NPC) following the party all the time. Being an essential character, just like all the PCs. I fully understand GMs that want to play and be GMing and the same time. It is not a good idea tough. Why? Your (GM’s) character will always be better than the rest. Game master knows what happens, who is the bad guy, how will he/she fight etc.
Despite everything I said above I happens that, if done properly, a GM can lead a character and be a GM at the same time without spoiling others’ fun. Advantages of such situation are:
-
Such character can do what other PCs can’t: be a Cleric and heal the party.
-
He can say, what GM wants to say, suggest what players may do next.
-
More PCs usually means more fun (more interaction between characters).
In such situations the GM has to remember about thing: the character should stay in the shadow of ‘real’ PCs. Say something only when asked or when it is really important. Try not to describe in details actions of the player, you are the only want who wants to listen about them.
That’s all folks. Anything to add?
I agree that Cool NPCs shouldn’t come in to save the day. However it is needed occassion. I know I have at times miscalculated what I thought would be a good encounter for the party and have almost killed them. Every now and then GMs make stupid mistakes like this.
However there are other ways of saving the party without a “COOL NPC.” The party was level 2 (maybe 3) and made up of almost all wizards. They just had a tough battle and used up most of their spells. THe Cleric used all of his spells healing them. It was night and they were resting. There was a bad storm, lightning, thunder and all that good stuff. Well teh party ended up surrounded and divided by a pack of dire wolfs and the party was going down quickly. SInce it was raining and the party already saw a tree go down because fof lightning I had a bolt lightning crash down nearby which scared away some of the wolfs, killed one and injured a PC.
Like the cool NPC, it can’t be down often or else players will forget that their characters can die, but using nature to help save your PCs is one way to go if it IS NEEDED.
As a general rule, I almost always have player characters to be among, if not the, most personally powerful people around in the setting or their environment. Makes even unintended railroading hard, keeps the spotlight firmly on them, and works nicely.
The more powerful the characters, as long as it is reasonable when the setting is considered, the better. IMHO and as a general rule.
Joey I liked your example with the lighting. Wisely done. Injuring a PC with it also made it less obvious, that it was used to help the PCs.
thanks
I agree that having a COOL NPC (C-NPC)can take the spotlight off of the PC’s, it can be used to enrich a game. For example,
1. The C-NPC can be used as a measuring stick of the PC’s progress. The C-NPC will not advance in levels as quickly as the PC’s.
2. The C-NPC may be behind some of the plots the PC’s are uncovering. The C-NPC may have helped the PC’s because they were with a group of NPC’s who don’t know the C-NPC real motives.
3. The C-NPC may demand some type of payment for helping the PC’s. This may lead to new adventures for the players.
4. The C-NPC may be part of a secret organization. The C-NPC is keeping an eye on the PC’s for future membership or is required to personally assassinate one or all of them if they discover a secret (e.g., Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Grail).
5. The C-NPC is actually evil, but doesn’t want the advasaries of the PC’s to get something. He helps or joins with the PC’s to accomplishes his goal, turning on them when the time is right (insert evil laugh)
Really good ideas, Zelgar. Thanks for the comment.
C-NPCs make good one shot saviors– if you’re desperate. Get them off screen as quick as you can after.
GM NPCs who travel with the party are very hard to do well. Each of your three “plus points” has a chance to go wrong.
- Being a cleric or other class is fine IF it’s a class/role that no player wanted. Even better, usually, is to play without the role, or substitute items.
- When you suggest what the GM wants (in the NPC’s mouth), the players being shown the railroad tracks. It’s not horrible, but if they keep giving in and just doing whatever the NPC suggests, they’re missing out on getting significant input into the game at all.
- More PCs usually means more downtime between turns. It’s rare that an NPC is a great conversationalist, because the GM is busy juggling everything required to setup the next encounter. If the NPC delays your turn in combat and isn’t a great conversationalist out of combat… why do you want them again?
All of the above is laid out more strongly than I’d actually argue– but they’re warnings about the extremes in that direction.
I think I may need to add some clarification. I think that DM/GM’s shouldn’t have their own PC in the game. All of the characters ran by the DM/GM are NPC. If the DM/GM is running his own PC in a game it almost always leads to trouble.
For points 1 & 2 consider giving the party a magic item that produces a similar effect:
1. If the party is missing a cleric, have an “everflowing” potion bottle that has the same number of uses as a cleric of the average party’s level.)
2. The magic item could be an oracle of some type, but will only provide results in riddles or confusing messages (e.g., if you take the path to the right, blood and pain will follow; but the path to the left will lead to unlimate sorrow.”
The ultimate problem with a DM/GM PC is favoritism or a belief of the players that you’re playing favorites with your PC. It’s hard to kill your own PC (how many times do the monsters fail to hit/kill your PC), (how many times does your PC hit/kill the monster), (how many times does your PC get the best equipment/spells/magic items/etc.).
See, Zelgar. It is not the point how to replace a PC(or NPC, whatever) lead by a GM. The point is that the GM wants to play and here are some adventages of such situation.
bottIt is more fun to have a character than to supply players with a magic bottle.
Why does the DM/GM need to play PC in the game? (S)he’s playing all of the NPC’s already, why add the problems of running a PC in the game as well. The DM/GM needs to acknowledge that the game is primarily for the players. The DM/GM’s job is to be doing all of the background work.
In a play analogy, the PC’s are the actors, and the DM is everything else. Without both, there is no play. If the director, playwright is also playing a character, don’t you think something might be missed or that the other actors may be envious if that character has more parts?
When I’ve played, I have seen when there’s been a DM/GM pet NPC. This is almost as annoying as playing in a game with the DM/GM’s boy/girlfriend PC, who’s only playing to be with the DM/GM.