The DM manifesting in-game as a "guide"? (D&D cartoon style)

[Pika...]

Been wondering this for a while. Has anyone ever done it on here? You know, become THE Dungeon Master (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JjhQ1Oi_3k)?

What would your role be? How much help would you give, and how often?

[Elvencloud]

I once ran a game where an NPC wish went bad (I wish they'd meet their masters!) as a dying action.

The wish was granted literally- every player was ported into the game, and was given a character sheet, and we convened to make stats for everyone.
I, as DM, got to make myself, and my character went my own separate ways, to play with my powers... and realized the longer we stayed in the world, we became attuned to it.

It became a quest to find a way home. Awesome.

[Pika...]

That sounds like it was awesome!!!

[Elvencloud]

It was. The DM character never appeared there (he appeared with the npc I was going to bring in, but didn't) and then made an alter ego for himself (Genos, Task Mage) and would appear at random times. He had to make sure his friends lived, but couldn't let the people (and gods of the world) know he was there.
In the end, after the DM character started losing abilities (as I became attuned to the plane) we were the tacticians for our characters, and eventually earned the spell Dismissal, which sent us home before we became native of this world.

It's fun, but I warn you, some players REALLY don't like it. I had one walk from the table when it first happened. I talked her back, but she was upset.

[Sir Homeslice]

Hey! Hello! Listen! Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Watch Out! Blue! Listen! Hey! Hey!

On a serious note, I've done this exactly once, and the character was a recurring merchant whose companions were an Eerily Correct Oracle (who didn't bother helping the merchant) and The Dull Looking Man (who was actually a bored wizard walking the earth). ECO gave tips to Recurring Merchant out loud that were useless to him but useful to the party, TDLM made random insightful comments that were useless to RM but useful to the party, and RM did his best to scam, cheat, bamboozle, and otherwise con the party out of their cash in exchange for crap they needed.

I liked them. They were fun.

[DogbertLinc]

In a mage played through maptools, I kind of did this with a random image named "Mr. Cluestick" I'd bring him in and make him run around whenever the players started to REALLY miss the point of things (wild tangents, seriously over thinking it, etc).

He was created when they failed to get 7 hints in a row.

[big teej]

I've occaisionally described to the players "a presence, watching you" that they can't find.

I've also seriously considered building me an author avatar in game, it would have virtually no impact on the game. but there would drift legends around the setting that "somewhere" is a being "evern greater than the overdieties" who can answer all questions.

that being being the DM incarnate.

[Kaje]

I once played in a Returners FFRPG campaign in a setting based on The Dark Tower. At one point we traveled to the real world and battled against the demon-possessed GM.