DMPCs or Plot Hooks?

[RandomNPC]

So my party ran into the first of a few high level NPCs and enjoyed it, but I want a few pointers so I don't go to crazy with it. They've only met the first, but I'll list the ones I've thought of.

Spoiler

Show

The Bard: an Ogre Bard. Good times, as soon as the party bard heard that there was another bard he ran up and started chatting. His turn on watch was spent having a jam session a bit down the road. He calls himself "The Bard" and obviously loves telling outlandish stories, he may add some flair, but the base of all his tales are true (if a bit out there) He also mentioned "The Warrior" when our unarmed sword sage asked about martial stances. His tale about the two of them overthrowing an oppressively lawful country was not believed. If the party bard enjoys being a bard he may be passed the title of "The Bard" later on.

The Warrior: Human, Sword Sage, Master of the Nine. You guessed it, he calls himself "The Warrior" The one character that gave me decent backstory (The party sword sage) doesn't know it but his teacher is this guy. He's handled each of the nine swords at different times. His reason for teaching the party sword sage is to pass on the title of "The Warrior" but he used a "human" name so the party member knows nothing.

The Guardian: Warforged Druid. Lives at the center of a large forest, trying to protect it from encroaching civilization. The elves of the forest also try, but they got The Guardians message wrong and violently defend the edges of the forest. They refuse to admit such a large mistake and so he spends most of his time working against the elves, who work against the world.

The Traveler: Le'Shay (epic level handbook) haven't figured out a class yet, may just give him more HD in Native Outsider. He travels the multiverse trying to keep from being bored. He's the last of his kind, and has no true home. He has a series of portals to every plane, he's currently growing magical glass flowers with adamentine pollen to harvest adamentine to build gates over the portals. To give you an idea of how long he's been working, he's got three 10X10 doors. He's started with the gates he worries about most, The Abyss, the 9 Hells, Mechanicus.

The Mage: Dwarven Wizard. He's currently resigned to his home town within the mountains, nearing the end of a 100 year "Retirement" because he couldn't find a suitable apprentice to pass his title to. He will resume his search soon. Yes, he calls himself "The Mage"

The Idea is that the High level adventurers are "The Adventurers" and have all worked together at one point or another. The Bard and The Warrior get along great, traveling constantly for ten years. Now most of them are looking for the next holder of the title, either from nearing retirement age or just not wanting the attention of being one of "The Adventurers" anymore.

TL;DR
What's your opinion on high level NPCs trying to inspire the party so they can pass their titles down to the party members? NPC plot? DMPC? Bad DMPC?

[GenericGuy]

You're missing a token chick

Also love the Guardian idea

Its always great when the PCs are okay with high level NPC around, and don't immediately try and kill them.

An idea for good villians would be failed apprentices, bitter at their masters for passing them by.

[Golden Ladybug]

I like it! Its a pretty cool idea for a plot, and as long as they don't spend the entire session(s) stealing the spotlight, you should be fine.

[Tyndmyr]

There's nothing wrong with high level NPCs existing in a world, but I certainly hope you don't plan to have all those high level NPCs accompany the party. That would be...immensely bad.

If they're just folks in town your party can go to for advice and training, though, it's no prob. Even if they decide to cajole one of them into helping them briefly(Which should be duly difficult, given the level of assistance a higher level NPC should provide), that's ok. But they shouldn't me a normal part of the party.

[Kolonel]

There's nothing wrong with high level NPCs existing in a world, but I certainly hope you don't plan to have all those high level NPCs accompany the party. That would be...immensely bad.

Agreed, this is the general situation.
However, I managed to put a high-level DMPC in the party, without it ruining the players' fun.

One way to do this is when the party's mission is not the usual survive/defeat the enemy stuff, but something that requires skills (from the skill list), preferably ones that the DMPC does not have. There may be a powerful barbarian in the party, but the illiterate berserker won't be much of a help when the party has to steal secret scrolls from a mage's tower.

A second method is to have the DMPC trust the PC-s with specific tasks.
Find a plot reason: maybe the Wizard needs some days to prepare a spell or cook a potion, and can't help the PCs defeating a lesser enemy. Maybe he could solve the problems without breaking a sweat, but he wants the PC-s to succeed on their own. Perhaps he is focusing on a single enemy while the PC-s have to defeat the others without him.

The key is: never, not once let the DMPC take the spotlight from the players.

[RandomNPC]

Generic Guy:
I do need the token chick... change a pronoun, or make another hero?

The PCs ate up the bard, he skipped sleep for a night because the party had so much to ask him about, everyone on watch was asking question after question.

I'm taking the apprentices idea and running with it.

I find it appropriate that Generic Guy and RandomNPC like each others ideas.


Everyone else:
As for the spotlight, as soon as they can the adventurers drop some information, tell a story or two, and excuse themselves. The party ran wild with The Bard, I figure if they keep pulling them into conversation I'll be good as long as I don't rant to much.

[RandomNPC]

Generic Guy:
I do need the token chick... change a pronoun, or make another hero?

The PCs ate up the bard, he skipped sleep for a night because the party had so much to ask him about, everyone on watch was asking question after question.

I'm taking the apprentices idea and running with it.

I find it appropriate that Generic Guy and RandomNPC like each others ideas.


Everyone else:
As for the spotlight, as soon as they can the adventurers drop some information, tell a story or two, and excuse themselves. The party ran wild with The Bard, I figure if they keep pulling them into conversation I'll be good as long as I don't rant to much.

[GenericGuy]

Generic Guy:
I do need the token chick... change a pronoun, or make another hero?

The PCs ate up the bard, he skipped sleep for a night because the party had so much to ask him about, everyone on watch was asking question after question.

I'm taking the apprentices idea and running with it.

I find it appropriate that Generic Guy and RandomNPC like each others ideas.


Everyone else:
As for the spotlight, as soon as they can the adventurers drop some information, tell a story or two, and excuse themselves. The party ran wild with The Bard, I figure if they keep pulling them into conversation I'll be good as long as I don't rant to much.

The only NPCs the party hasn’t met yet are The Guardian, The Traveler, and The Mage correct?

The Guardian is warforged and probably should be considered sexless, if you did give it a more feminine personality it would come across as comical like it or not, instead of the more solemn creature I’m picturing. But your party may like the humor of it, so it’s up to you on how you want your party to feel about the character.

The Traveler could easily be female and given the important job she appears to have she won’t seem all that “tacked on” like a lot of token chicks.

For the Mage, I don’t know how you like your female dwarves, bearded or non-bearded. If bearded than you run into the same problems as the warforged, may come across as too comical, but if non-bearded I don’t see why an elderly mage male or female will make much difference.

If you do decide about just adding an NPC, how about The Assassin (two for one deal, a token chick and token evil teammate). I’m picturing an Elven (maybe Drow) assassin, who may have had a romantic history with the Warrior (and if he is lawful good it makes all the more dramatic).

P.S. Glad you like the failed apprentices idea.

[Jay R]

However, I managed to put a high-level DMPC in the party, without it ruining the players' fun.
...

The key is: never, not once let the DMPC take the spotlight from the players.

The second key is to call him an NPC, rather than a DMPC. There's no technical difference, since an NPC is a character run by the DM, but the term "DMPC" makes it sound like the DM is trying to horn in on the PC's turf.

[Kolonel]

The second key is to call him an NPC, rather than a DMPC. There's no technical difference, since an NPC is a character run by the DM, but the term "DMPC" makes it sound like the DM is trying to horn in on the PC's turf.

Yeah, that too can help.
We called the character by his name.