How would you balance having multiple characters?

[The Vagabond]

Let's say you wanted to play multiple characters- How would you balance it? How would one balance having two different characters who share the same contentiousness?

[Telonius]

The problem with having multiple characters isn't in-game balance, it's metagame balance. You run the risk of one person taking up too much spotlight time. There's also a possible problem of divided attention: how much attention is the player giving to each character? Are they able to manage two character sheets without slowing down combat?

I would work this out very, very carefully with the other players. I would want everybody to be fully agreeing on it. Keep careful tabs (preferably in an open, honest, and mature discussion after each session) on whether or not everybody felt they got enough time to shine.

[Ferronach]

If you are asking about playing multiple distinct and separate characters, I have some experience.
When players miss out on a session, I usually play their character for them in addition to my own (unless I am the DM) if they are OK with me doing that.

I find that it is just like playing a single character. You need to figure out what makes each character tick, how they respond to certain things and so on and so forth.
I have to add the element of how would X play his/her character in that situation but fortunately, you don't appear to have that problem.

Once you have developed an understanding of the character's nature, beliefs, alignment, quirks and such, you just have to roll with it as though that is the only character that you are playing.
The difficulty that I have found is trying not to metagame in combat or similar situations. Unless A tells B that they are going to charge in there and try to knock the mob over, B won't know and cannot plan for that. Only problem is that you know what A is going to do and what B is going to do. If your group communicate frequently and make plans etc. this isn't as much of an issue.

If you are trying to go for a Jekyll/Hyde type of character, I guess that advice might still sort of work?

[Sacrieur]

I've players who do this. I just let them. The game already balances multiple characters and it's challenging to divide your attention between several.

[DigoDragon]

I was one of just two players in a Shadowrun mini-campaign. A two-member runner team wasn't going to get far, so the GM had us each make two characters to play. The meta-gaming wasn't too bad. We were experienced players so we managed to keep our characters distinct. Takes a lot of work keeping two characters in my head at once though. One of them had an accent so I had to be aware of who I was RPing as when I spoke.

[Necroticplague]

Let's say you wanted to play multiple characters- How would you balance it? How would one balance having two different characters who share the same contentiousness?

By having them be of the race that represent that exact concept, or borrow the mechanics of them. They're called Dvati.

[Selion]

By rules two identical creatures have the base creature CR raised by two. I wouldn't say this would balance properly a player with two characters, but it's a good starting point. I would suggest at least some means to create a telepathic bond between the two characters, to prevent the insurgence of schizophrenia :)

[Rainshine]

Same way anything else at the table is balanced -- know the players and what they can handle and how they work as a group. Timing tends to be the bigger issue; most of the time I see or we use multiples, it's to bolster party numbers, as already mentioned. I was in one game as a Sorcerer, with a familiar a cohort, and a cohort's familiar. I took less time for all four's actions than a single 'veteran' player at the table did to even decide their action, much less their justification time. Most of my actions were used in support or control areas in combat, so other players could charge in and get their cinematic kills. If the player can handle it and the DM can handle it, no particular reason not to. If the player or the DM has issues with spotlight time, that's not a problem of two characters, that's something that needs to be worked on with that person.

[Elkad]

I think I've run 2 characters at a time at least as often as I've run just one.
A good portion were small games (2+GM or 3+GM), so a party of 4-6 just works better. A 3-character party can't cover all the jobs well. So we all run 2 characters.
Plus running a character for an absent player, or running a cohort, or a friendly NPC the DM hands you to run in combat, or even a sufficiently advanced familiar.

It's not hard to do. Hell, the DM runs dozens.