Coolest DMPCs

[Altaria87]

I was playing a 2e game on Saturday (the Lich Way campaign, believe it was in Dragon magazine or something) when the DM introduced one of the most hillarious DMPCs ever.
His name is Andor the Great. He thinks he's a Wizard, he has a cool staff with runes on, he detects magic by waving his hands about, but the party Mage cannot detect any magic on him.
We got him out of a room he'd locked himself into using 'Wizard's Lock' however he'd 'ran out of spells'
So the entire game centres around the PCs cleairng up his (amusing) mistakes such as when he thought he could cast Pyrotechnics (a non-offensive spell regardless) on a Hobgoblin and my fighter had to step in to sotp it all going wrong.
However he did show he can be awesome by lobbing a Zombie's head off with his staff (that's been painted incidentally).

So what have been the funniest, coolest, or most interesting DMPCs you've played with, or created?

[Optimystik]

Aribeth

[The Gilded Duke]

Aribeth

Aribeth in Hell

[Asbestos]

A Deadpool inspired Assassin Demon (forget their goofy ass name, they're pink)

[FoE]

I once had this powerful wizard that was like 10 levels above the party. He insisted on going with the party when they went on to defeat this dragon, and after he refused to help them defeat some goblin servants so they could gain XP on their own, he beat the dragon on his own while the players watched on the sidelines in awe. Then he got half of the dragon's hoard.

I know my players loved him because they were grinding their teeth in excitement while he fought the Big Bad.

[sambo.]

back in the 1ed days, one DM i played with had a half halfling, half leprechaun, 100% practical joker NPC that would show up to torment us every now and again.

he had a Wand of Wonder. which he could control.

we got blinded by butterflies, a LOT.

[Ridureyu]

The game I'm in has a DMPC because we started out with a huge gap in the party. The poor bard is known for such things as:

"That really hurts!" after being stabbed.

Dying and being rezzed immediately becuase the dwarf couldn't stop crying.

Blowing her share of the loot on beer

She also happens to be a Canary in a Coalmine. "Are you sure we want to open that?" now causes us all to panic.

[ocdscale]

I once had this powerful wizard that was like 10 levels above the party. He insisted on going with the party when they went on to defeat this dragon, and after he refused to help them defeat some goblin servants so they could gain XP on their own, he beat the dragon on his own while the players watched on the sidelines in awe. Then he got half of the dragon's hoard.

I know my players loved him because they were grinding their teeth in excitement while he fought the Big Bad.

I think I'm missing the sarcasm tag.

[BobVosh]

In rifts we had a similar situation. He was trapped in a park garage since the rifts opened, and was mildly insane from it. He once casted 'Rain of Steel' because he wanted a cabbage. If you know Rifts well you would know that is practically the equivalent of an epic level spell.

[herrhauptmann]

I once had this powerful wizard that was like 10 levels above the party. He insisted on going with the party when they went on to defeat this dragon, and after he refused to help them defeat some goblin servants so they could gain XP on their own, he beat the dragon on his own while the players watched on the sidelines in awe. Then he got half of the dragon's hoard.

I know my players loved him because they were grinding their teeth in excitement while he fought the Big Bad.

That's why I try not to use DMPCs. Or if I do, each encounter conveniently has a very high level creature that the DMPC takes care of solo. Otherwise, in addition to being more work, they're also just an excuse for the DM to have fun with himself. If a DM wants to do that, he should just play Neverwinter Nights


edit: First adventure I ran with my brother and his friends, the DMPC's job was to evaluate the characters, see if they were worthy of admission into the special hero militia (which lets players request help of cops, and order them around to an extent). So he spent most fights standing there with a clipboard. If the party was in danger of a TPK (all new players), he'd step in and trash all enemies with his awesomeness of being level 17 in the sunless citadel. Then he'd make a note on his clipboard. Too many blackmarks and they wouldn't get into the hero militia. (He'd also take all loot in the room when he had to fight)
Halfway through, I invented a reason for the examiner to leave the party, because otherwise they would have started to depend on him.

[Myrmex]

I think I'm missing the sarcasm tag.

Oh no, Face of Evil really runs games like that. Just look at his user name.

[Toliudar]

For a very long campaign (Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil) with significant PC attrition, we were sometimes without a trapspringer. For this purpose, I created a halfling Dungeon Delver named Cordo the Magnificent. He was foul-mouthed, smelly, cynical, almost useless in combat (what a terrible PrC! Tee hee) and a great cook. Whenever a PC rogue would show up, he got jealous and went off on his own in a huff. Over the course of a campaign, he showed up three times, the last time as the McGuffin that needed saving (you know that your players aren't hating the DMPC when they actually want to save him from some doom).

One of the few times I've used DMPC's, and my players have mentioned trying to bring him back in a new context in our current dragonlance campaign (transforming him into a kender, of course. The fools!).

[Maryring]

I haven't as a player experienced any DMPCs that I enjoyed, but I think I've successfully made one of my own.

She's a very humble cleric who isn't quite as strong as the other players, in that she is primarily a buffer and out of combat healer. She doesn't try to lead or command the party in any way, but is always there to provide some clue or hint to how a puzzle that has the players really stumped should be solved.

In other words, her primary function is as plot exposition fairy, and I feel that it works quite well. It seems she's very likeable due to her plain good nature, and she never steals the spot-light. Only sometimes enter it with her divine magic.

[Thajocoth]

I used a DMPC once, but only because the party had no healer. Sheana the Changeling Bard. Multiclassed every class that could heal for more heals, then took bonus-to-healing feats and powers that grant allies saves and heals. Then I made her a passive player who wouldn't talk much unless the PCs asked her to and she did whatever I thought tactically optimal for the other PCs (not herself) unless the PCs said they wanted her to do something else. Her existence still took XP & GP from the group.

In my current game, I took a different approach. Make 5 characters (Defender, Leader, Melee Striker, Controller, Ranged Striker) 1 level below the party's level. Each player gets one as a subordinate, so they have 2 people on the battlefield each. It turns a group of 3 into a group of 6, but not as strong as a group of 6 players would be because they're a level under. Gave them a couple personality quirks too, but it's up to the players to RP that, and they're subordinates RP-wise to the players, so they're never a detriment to the party. They take XP, but not GP or magic items. Instead, their sheets are re-made as if a brand new character each level (which, in one case replenishes consumable arrows.)

Though, we'll see about Mari... She's a cleric, and her quirk is religious masochism. (She uses some self-piercing in her daily meditation.) She's got a feat that adds 1d6 + cha mod to all her heals but stuns her if she damages a bloodied foe. She's got a power that hurts her for her surge value to heal an ally twice that and another to take ongoing 5 damage to heal an ally 15 each round. She's yet to be combat-tested and is all about self-sacrifice to aid the party.

The other two in use for this group are Kukri, the Bladeling Ranger with a Greatbow, lots of magical ammo, and a "Halt, evildoer!" personality, and Orryn, the Gnome Psion who has a stereotypically high pitched voice, Lucky Charm neck item, and always thinks he's right. Unused are a Warforged Warden and an Elf Monk.

Though, I don't think they're DMPCs... Created by me, sure, but I've offloaded the work of them onto the players...

[Akal Saris]

One [3.5] campaign I currently run is basically a modular game for when we don't have enough PCs show up to run 1 of the other usual games.

Since that means only 2-3 PCs, I have a couple of recurring NPCs-for-hire, including Craig Ironaxe the dwarf expert and Vurgtulmak the lizardman warrior.

Craig basically is stocked with survival and various knowledge skills and spends each round doing aid another on a PC in combat, while Vurgtulmak is a shortspear+shield frontliner who deals little damage but can take a few hits. So far having them as NPC classes has kept the two from over-shadowing the PCs, and the PCs haven't hesitated to hire them on for every adventure so far, so it's been a qualified success. I might even have a truenamer make himself available!

[Temet Nosce]

I once had this powerful wizard that was like 10 levels above the party. He insisted on going with the party when they went on to defeat this dragon, and after he refused to help them defeat some goblin servants so they could gain XP on their own, he beat the dragon on his own while the players watched on the sidelines in awe. Then he got half of the dragon's hoard.

I know my players loved him because they were grinding their teeth in excitement while he fought the Big Bad.

Yeah, I had one of my DMs make an awesome DMPC like that to. He was even smart enough to keep his lips shut after we killed the thing, and looted it.

In fact, on a scale of 1-10 any DMPC I didn't kill is a 0, and any I did is a 10. I'm just generous that way.

More seriously, I do not like DMPCs. I've seen them done right twice. Both times were in solo games, and neither were focused on battles. DMPCs by their very nature have no place in an actual PC party or any game where the DMPC would have an impact on the PCs ability to accomplish things, as their very existence steals from the PCs in multiple ways.

[Tyndmyr]

I haven't as a player experienced any DMPCs that I enjoyed, but I think I've successfully made one of my own.

She's a very humble cleric who isn't quite as strong as the other players, in that she is primarily a buffer and out of combat healer. She doesn't try to lead or command the party in any way, but is always there to provide some clue or hint to how a puzzle that has the players really stumped should be solved.

In other words, her primary function is as plot exposition fairy, and I feel that it works quite well. It seems she's very likeable due to her plain good nature, and she never steals the spot-light. Only sometimes enter it with her divine magic.

Plot exposition fairy also strikes me as a bit weak, unfortunately. She may not steal the spotlight, but if you're going to give the players a hint, give it to them straight. Both you and they are aware that the DMPC is just a front.

DMPCs should not exist. If they do exist, they should immediately be killed and looted.

If nobody in the party bothered to roll up a healer, the party has a few options:
1. Screw it, we can take it.
2. Potions and such.
3. Hire a lowbie cleric to tag along and be healbot. As their minion, the DM should treat him as he would a players cohort.



Edit: I forgot the awesomest DMPC type. The one that's really a mole, and is going to imprison/kill you all.

[Sinon]

Firstly, it was a PbP, so I’m reasonably sure that the players never realized it was a DMPC.

Sadly, the second reason why they never learned that was because the game collapsed as so many PbP do.

Anyway the set up was that the BBEG was a lich bent on global domination; so nothing new there. Find his phylactery and destroy him.

But the real BBEG was one of the wizard-lords who had sent the PCs on the mission in the first place. Once he had the phylactery in his possession, he would have leveraged the lich into supporting him.

DMPC was a doppelganger mindspy who “replaced a PC” and was there to go along until they had the phylactery, at which point he would have stolen it and lead them to the real BBEG.

The fun part for me was leaving little clues for the players: nothing that would reveal the character’s true nature right away, but stuff that would (hopefully) have seemed obvious in hindsight.

[Duos Greanleef]

I had a kobold archer in service to a minor angel. His name was Grintig. He started out as the Mini's stat card, and eventually became a full character. I loved him, and my PCs loved him anymore.
I gave him a flaming shortbow and replaced the fire damage with radiant damage to represent divine service.
Consequently, this was also my best moment of D&D improvisation as well...

[Tyndmyr]

This is the kind of plotline that encourages chaotic stupid behavior. Killing anyone you can get away with is, sadly, the logical response to most DMPCs, frequent NPC betrayal, etc. Im sure you think that being betrayed by their employer was a creative, original idea, but believe me, it's been done.

DMPCs are a bad idea. Always.

[arguskos]

This is the kind of plotline that encourages chaotic stupid behavior. Killing anyone you can get away with is, sadly, the logical response to most DMPCs, frequent NPC betrayal, etc. Im sure you think that being betrayed by their employer was a creative, original idea, but believe me, it's been done.

DMPCs are a bad idea. Always.

Sorry, but, no, that's not right. Such absolutes are never correct, since there is a time and place for everything. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

As for me, I have NPCs that sometimes join the party, with their permission (IC and OOC), sometimes for their own reasons, sometimes for good of the party. By technicalities, they are DMPCs, though I treat them as I would any other NPC. So far, no player has actively spoken out in anger towards this practice, not even one who is VERY strongly anti-DMPCs.

[Ridureyu]

I still think the one I mentioned is working out well. As far as the PCs go in effectiveness, she's somewhere in the lower-middle-third, or so,but fills a good niche. Does decent things in roleplay, is neither totally right or wrong, and helps to serve as a good way for the DM to balance things.

[Mikeavelli]

I ran a campaign once that introduced the PC's as a single party in what must have seemed like an Adventurer convention. There were something like five different adventuring groups that showed up to deal with the same problem (setup inspired by Temple of Elemental Evil fluff) - so the first few sessions were interacting with the other parties, helping some, hindering others, and ultimately the Players completed the objective, cementing them as "Special."

I took note of which NPC's the players liked, which ones they hated, and which ones they were "meh" about - the rest of the campaign consisted of using the former as allies and DMPC plot fairies, the latter as villains, and the leftovers as casualties.

[Ernir]

One of my groups has a go-to rogue that they hire when they know their mission is going to need someone with sticky fingers or knowledge of decives. His name is Flækjufótur (Tanglefoot), rides around on a dire dachshund, and is a general PitA.

And since he is always close on hand anyway, he can temporarily join the party (under player control) when one of the PCs is temporarily unavailable for reasons of plot or death by monsters.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

The only DMPCs I've run are those that started off as a random NPC the party was supposed to interact with once and then forget, but who somehow made the PCs like him/her and make him/her tag along. The weirdest one yet is Valen Longstrider, a forestlord elf (Races of the Dragon) who is ridiculously and cheesily optimized. The catch? The only thing he's optimized to do is have the ability to tree stride at will, all day, at character level 4. Other than that, he's weak enough to make a commoner 1 feel special.

He started out as a messenger for the party's patron who delivered messages to them when they were away from HQ, but they liked him enough to ask him to stay with them most of the time. He utterly ignores combat, hiding in the nearest tree until it's over--until an enemy dies, at which point he pops out, loots the body, and pops back in--and out of combat he pops from tree to tree to tree to tree to tree following the party, chattering about nothing in particular. Why they like him so much I have no idea.

[Seatbelt]

There is a DMPC in the Ravenloft game I'm running. He is necessary, as the person playing the party cleric dropped out. I had one of the players roll him up, with some input from me as to feats. He has a mwk longsword for melee and no directly offensive spells, as per my request. The player runs him as healbot and buffer during combat.

His name is Bartleby. He is absolutely necessary since the other cleric dropped out. The party has no other way to deal with ability score damage, disease, or level drain, and nobody in the party has UMD. For the party, the game without Bartleby would be unfun, because they would spend a week resting for one day's adventuring.

He does have slightly less personality than another healbot I made for a different game. The character's name was Ban Daid, a gnome cleric who would literally walk through fire to heal you in combat. He was EPIC.

[Tyndmyr]

A cleric isn't a requirement for an adventuring party, yknow...

If they opt to rest between adventuring days, they certainly can, and there's no requirement that every in game day takes the same amount of real life time. Skim over boring periods.

[taltamir]

Disclaimer: This is a joke

Best DMPC is mialee, the wizard she-elf.

[Solaris]

I once had this powerful wizard that was like 10 levels above the party. He insisted on going with the party when they went on to defeat this dragon, and after he refused to help them defeat some goblin servants so they could gain XP on their own, he beat the dragon on his own while the players watched on the sidelines in awe. Then he got half of the dragon's hoard.

I know my players loved him because they were grinding their teeth in excitement while he fought the Big Bad.

Heheheh. The players especially love it when the DMPC helps the DM keep the party moving along in the adventure, rather than get sidetracked with pointless wandering and exploration.

[taltamir]

If nobody in the party bothered to roll up a healer, the party has a few options:
1. Screw it, we can take it.
2. Potions and such.
3. Hire a lowbie cleric to tag along and be healbot. As their minion, the DM should treat him as he would a players cohort.

What is the difference between #3 and a DMPC?