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Elvencloud
2010-11-06, 04:07 AM
So here's the story- The party has encountered the Cult of Tharizdun/The Elder Elemental Eye, and Tharizdun's avatar is trying to fully wake- which will be the end of the campaign.
I plan on when they're 16+ having them make a choice that will change the game forever, one which will be angels and demons working side by side to prevent the destruction of all planes.
I digress.
The party consists of an Aasimar Monk, a drow wild mage (a convert from second ed!), a human knight, a (now human after reincarnation) rogue, and an elf Paladin (my npc). All of them are about 7th level.
All of them have tailored sidequests, and now they are assisting my pali in her quests, two of which I want to do, but am clueless on how I want to run them.
One: The paladin needs her holy mount. I was thinking I want to a grand adventure to Hades for a nightmare that she would have to tame and redeem. Any other grand ideas for a cool mount would be really, really nice- preferably something that would really make the party go "whoa.."

Two: The paladin may go questing for a sword. Perhaps it will be an intelligent item, but it would be her divine weapon. Perhaps an elven thinblade.
Any ideas would be FANTASTIC.
Thanks in advance.

DragonOfUndeath
2010-11-06, 04:24 AM
you want 2 sidequests for the DMPC?

Elvencloud
2010-11-06, 04:34 AM
Possibly.
The mount one would be fantastic, and since the Knight and the Paladin have developed together and are part of the same knighthood... I could get a sword through other means.
Perhaps a quest to another plane, or a quest to free a mount- I want it to be an experience for the party. I want the Pali to work for it, and need her allies to help with it.
Any cool ideas for it?

DragonOfUndeath
2010-11-06, 04:46 AM
a Demon Lord's personal mount? enslaved against it's will to carry the Demon to and from battles and is a powerful being in it's own right

Yuki Akuma
2010-11-06, 06:49 AM
...You want sidequests for your DMPC?

...

I think you should focus on your players' characters, not yours.

hotel_papa
2010-11-06, 06:56 AM
I think you should focus on your players' characters, not yours.

This. Very, very this. I tend to avoid DMPC's altogether, and if they become necessary, they are very very rarely in the spotlight, much less the apparent focus of a good portion of the campaign.

Paladins in particular have that uncomfortable "because I'm here everyone has to play nice" baggage that makes them rarely welcome as PCs in my games, much less as a DMPC who's apparently in charge of the party. (Granted, I don't know this for sure, but there are few acquaintances I'd follow into hell for the sake of them getting a new horsey)

My advice, my plot assistance, is to have your next big, reoccurring threat kill this Paladin. If the knight is so very close to him, it will spur him along the story line for righteous vengeance, and start making the story all about the players.

HP

JeminiZero
2010-11-06, 07:17 AM
Possible Idea : Your Paladin is told that the Horse/Sword/Both can be obtained, if she goes to Dungeon X, finds and activates the Magic Chamber of Macguffiness, and meditates in it non-stop for Y amount of time (hours, days or maybe even weeks. Elves don't sleep after all).

Incidentally, activating the magic chamber attracts all surrounding monsters to the area. The PCs in the meanwhile get to setup and run the defenses needed to protect her helpless elven hiney. That way, the paladin is out of the picture, and the PCs have something to plan/do.

Kaww
2010-11-06, 08:09 AM
Make the DMPC die a honorable death, defending his comrades...
Never use DMPCs again and focus on your players.
If you really have to play something play the best bad guy you can play. Also dumb, deaf, idiot band-aid may be appropriate, maybe...

BridgeCity
2010-11-06, 08:18 AM
I agree with those that have said you should try and avoid a sidequest for you own character, let alone having two. It seems like you are taking the spotlight off the PC's in your group and making them watch the DM play the DM, which can get old very fast. I know that you want to be able to interact in your world and have as much fun as the other PC players, and that is completely fine and understandable, but making the party go on TWO sidequests for your DMPC is extreme.

What my DM does is find out what all the PC's are after, what their goals are, and creates adventures that will allow them to complete these goals. He then constructs these adventures so that while we are solving the Barbarians need to return to the mountains and stop the Tribe from rising up and invading the lands of men again, we can, at the same time, be working towards the goal of his PC, whose aims and drives for the moment are in the same area. Basically, he tailors his characters goals to ensure they fit in around what the PC's are doing, not dictating what the PC's will do.

This way the spotlight is not taken off the other PC's, and they are not being railroaded into going where the DMPC tells them they must go, and the DM is still able to play his character and have plot development and all that jazz.