Running multiple characters

[SciChronic]

So a person is leaving the group i'm in, leaving the campaign we're about to start very under-manned. To remedy this i've been considering running a second character along with the face/skillmonkey I will already be running. I have the majority of the character already thought out (i wrote up 4 characters and had the group decide which i would play in the first place). However, i was pretty excited about the roleplaying aspect of each of the characters i wrote up. I feel that if i run 2 characters i won't be able to properly roleplay one or both of them.

What do you guys think I should do? our DM was already considering a DMPC before the person left our group, and having him run 2 DMPCs would be silly.

as a tertiary question, how do you guys handle running 2 characters simultaneously?

[aeauseth]

I hate running two characters, you can't role play either effectively and they tend to act like siblings instead of separate individuals.

I think it best to allow the DM to run one NPC (who offers little role play assistance but does the requisite healing or whatever when asked). Two NPC is going to be problem long term.

Another option (assuming you think your group will remain small), is to use the gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) rules.

If your just short on melee'ers you can buy a wardog or warbeast. Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) might do as well.

There is also Leadership (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership).

[ArcturusV]

It really depends. Some people are good at running two characters at once. Other people consider it blasphemy and hate seeing it.

But what's the vital role that you feel needs another character in the party to fill? Often times I find that it's more fun NOT to have that "crutch", and just work out the roleplaying and tactical problem that is not having them.

It can give your campaign a different feel. But it's not a terrible thing if you realize your party is a Rogue, a Fighter, a Ranger, and you're lacking spellcasters, for example.

Of course, I do second the motion up above. If it's that you are "missing" something that can be replicated by something less than a full character... go ahead and use a "pet". Need a tracker/scout? Get a dog. Need a melee disabler? Go get a trained bear to knock 'em down and maul 'em. It's less pressure to really "roleplay" them while giving you the utility that you feel you need.

If it's spellcasters you're lacking? Well a spellless party isn't the end of the world. It does force a "harder" campaign. But it can be fun and rewarding.

[unseenmage]

The last time I two characters they were married and the wife was a reclusive druid. Not exactly stellar RP material when she'd rather scoff from the treeline than help the party.

It's hard. Harder than you think it will be.
I'm not against it exactly, I just think one shouldn't underestimate it's difficulty.

[SciChronic]

that's why i'm scared of running a second character. I don't feel like i'll be able to do both characters justice on the roleplaying front.

As for what my group has and what we need, my group consists of 2 new players, myself, and our DM. the DM and I have years of experience. Our party consists of a Wild Shape focused Druid (new player), a control Sorcerer (new player), a Factotum Skillmonkey/Face who relies on sneak attack and knowledge devotion (traded SLA progression for Maneuvers and Stances) for damage (me), and the DMPC whose roll is undecided atm. The The second character i would run would either be a Captain America-themed, shield bashing/throwing bloodstorm blade (not sure how i would roll play this character yet) or a psychic warrior claw gish w/ psycrystal (my character herself would be mute but would communicate through the psicrystal who has lived the majority of her life in the wild and is not used to the civilized world).

[ArcturusV]

Yeah. It seems like what you want is just "Muscle". Which you could probably get with just having an Animal, taking the Wild Cohort feat for example.

... I seem to recall another topic on here was talking about how Wild Cohort (Or was it the Paladin Mount? Maybe both) could end up taking feats as they gain bonus HD from the ability. Which means you could say... wild cohort a badger who has Martial Study/Stance feats to have a faux Warblade thing going on.

With all the RPing responsibility of a pet.

Might be worth looking into.

At the very least, you got Divine and Arcane casting covered, and a skills guy who can dish out damage. Not really seeing too much need for an extra body myself.

[SciChronic]

Well we're going to be running the Shadowdale campaign, and he wants the make the encounters a bit harder than listed in the book. The campaign was made for 4 PCs, and with the DM making encounters harder, he thinks 5 would be better. And even though the new players are playing tier 1 and 2 classes respectively, they're new players and don't know the ins and outs of the 3.5 system. The DM and I have given them advice on how to get what they wanted from their character more efficiently, but they don't really know how to use the tools we've given them yet.

I feel our party needs more damage to actually execute enemies before the sorcerer's sculpted, heightened glitterdust/grease spells run out.

regarding the wild cohort, i don't exactly have the feat room for it -i'd have to talk to my DM about getting it free. I'm also not sure how i would fit it into my character roleplay-wise. A CN(w/ Evil tendencies) shape-changing thief/assassin/grifter who poses as a singer/dancer/courtesan/escort/whatever she needs to be and has items prepared for a large variety of situations, a prepared thief is a successful thief.

[Honest Tiefling]

I'll second gestalt. Especially if the DM already wants to be tough. Have you considered recruiting at your FLGS?

[SciChronic]

I'm not very familiar with gesalt, personally, and i'd rather not have it be the first experience of 2 new players