NPC Helpers

[TigerHunter]

I'll be DM'ing for the first time ever this weekend, and I have a quick question. Due to the fact that we have only two people in the party, I'm going to make them part of a military group consisting of a few Warrior mooks led by a Paladin.

I'm wary of doing this, since I've read enough on these boards to know that players don't like sitting around watching NPC's do cool stuff. For this reason, the warriors will mostly be there to soak up damage while the party (wizard and ranger) blasts away at the bad guys. Also, most of them will be wiped out the first time the dungeon's boss (a Juvenile Blue Dragon) uses his breath weapon.

Does anyone have any tips on how to handle the situation so that the mooks make things easier on the PC's without overshadowing them?

[RTGoodman]

Well, DMPCs or not, the best way (I think) to handle a bunch of mooks following along with the party is to not really worry about rolling for them. Just assume that they've got a few kobolds/orcs/bandits to worry about and killing during each encounter, and let the PCs worry about their own monsters. That way no one steals anyone's spotlight and you've lightened your own load considerably as far as figuring out HP, attack rolls, initiative, and whatnot.

[Cybren]

Hirelings, NPCs, and DMPCs are not the same thing. A DMPC only comes about when the DM elects to more or less play a character themselves, and the game involves extended sequences of the player characters going along with the DMPCs adventures as he woos damsels and overcomes foes.

[FoE]

I would suggest not making the DMPC Paladin the actual leader of the group. That could lead to problems. They might follow the DMPC for a while, but resentment will build. Your players should feel like they make choices for themselves.

Also, if the problem is not having enough people in the party, have you considered giving them familiars of some kind? Like a wolf or a similar beastie for the ranger, and perhaps a construct for the wizard? Or making the NPC mooks hirelings of the party?

Is there any reason why both players (presuming you have two) can't RP two characters each? You'd be surprised how well that works.

[TigerHunter]

Hirelings, NPCs, and DMPCs are not the same thing. A DMPC only comes about when the DM elects to more or less play a character themselves, and the game involves extended sequences of the player characters going along with the DMPCs adventures as he woos damsels and overcomes foes.

Ah, thank you. Terminology fixed.

I would suggest not making the DMPC Paladin the actual leader of the group. That could lead to problems. They might follow the DMPC for a while, but resentment will build. Your players should feel like they make choices for themselves.

Oh, I know. I meant that the paladin would be leading the mooks, not the actual full party.

Is there any reason why both players (presuming you have two) can't RP two characters each? You'd be surprised how well that works.

I hadn't thought of that. I'll ask them about it.

[Zeta Kai]

1) Make the DMPC a race &/or class that is considered weak. Half-Elves are a good choice for race; Fighter is a good choice for class. Avoid full spellcasters like the plague.

2) Refuse to optimize. This can be hard, but resist the urge to make this character powerful.

3) Don't give the DMPC anything special. No extra money, no extra magic items, no extra knowledge, no extra anything.

4) Don't let them take the lead. The players are the ones who take control; your DMPC is there to fill a role & lend support, not hog the spotlight.

5) Be fair. Dude, just be fair.

6) Get ninja'd 4 times, including once by the OP.

[elliott20]

I would say not optimizing should not really be all THAT difficult. Just remember that mooks are level 1, always. easier book keeping that way anyway. and the NPCs are not like the PCs. They don't have laser focus and devotion to their craft and their career. They don't think about life the way gamers think about optimizing. Organic growth usually will automatically result in less than optimal characters. the world of OOTS is a great example of this.

[BobVosh]

Gestalt. This is why it was made originally, for parties that aren't big enough.

Beyond that, I would say a cleric Tank/Healbot should work well. Make it of a god that just loves travel or something so he is with em to "see the world" and he won't annoy the party.

*edit* Reread your post. Stupid guests at my hotel, thinking I should "work" while I'm here. BAH! Anyway, not as relevant as before. Still think cleric > paladin, simply because he will buff the other two and no matter how strong he is won't take the spotlight if he makes em stronger. If you use "paladin" to mean holy warrior a cleric means it too.

[Devils_Advocate]

Far better to let (one of) the PCs lead the mooks and get rid of the paladin, I think.

"I'm better than you, because I hold myself to high moral standards, plus I have followers and you don't!"

That just seems like it might match up a little bit with the sort of stuff people associate with, and dislike about, DMPCs.

[crimson77]

Does anyone have any tips on how to handle the situation so that the mooks make things easier on the PC's without overshadowing them?

I would just give the PCs the warriors without the paladin and allow them to control the henchmen. If the party decides to let them be killed it is their own fault. This way you are not controlling anything and the NPCs are just taking orders from the PCs.

[elliott20]

or if you're really bent on giving the militia group a leader, make the leader just a token figure with no actual powers. i.e. make him a character with just noble class levels and not enough courage to go around.

then, give the players a limited number of militia lackey's. Then give each one of them 2 quirks to define them a little. (so the PCs don't end up just using them as trap fodder)