GM's-PC: Redefinition in the Playground

[GungHo]

Emmerask has a lot of it, but the root distinction that I started with is that a DM-PC is one where the DM says something like "hey guys, I was thinking of running a PC because {I want to play too|you guys are short-handed|it's custom to run a DM-PC|whatever other reason" and then the rest of the group says "OK, whatever" or "sure, sounds great!". A TN-PC is one where the DM brings in an NPC that turns out to be, in all ways but name and person running it, a PC; generally in this case there's little or no prior approval by the group as a whole. If you talk to the DM about it, a DM-PC will be described as a DM-PC, but a TN-PC will be described as a totally legitimate NPC.

I'll see if I can condense that down in the OP to make the point a bit clearer.

Yeah... I don't know how to put this, but there is a level of "denial" that TNPCs exist in where you have a DM (of widely varying skill level... you can't just put this on the newbies) who just won't admit that he's inserted a mole into the team. That mole may or may not be acting in the party or campaign's best interest... hell, I know I've inserted TNPCs where a party badly needed a role (like no one wanted to play a cleric nor did they know jack about alchemy or have any henchmen, and they were going to be in a meat grinder), but the DM needs to be conscious that he is not the damn player. I'm almost more in favor of letting a player play the Wonder Twins and give them the TNPC just to keep my hands out of it.