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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 12:43PM
#321
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After reading this thread I think there are several other substrata of NPC worthy of recognition. They should receive their own moniker to distinguish them from other NPCs to prevent confusion.
PC—a player character.
NPC—a non-player character. The following is a list of NPC sub-types for consideration:
1) DMPC—A non-player character run by a DM as a player character.
2) DMNPC—A non-player character run by a DM as a non-player character.
3) DMC—A non-player character run by a DM as a player character, but with character.
4) TDMPC—Temporary DMPC. A DMPC run on a temporary basis.
5) RNPC—Recurring NPC. An NPC designed and developed to show up multiple times throughout a campaign. Of course this leads to the requirement for:
6) NRNPC—Non-Recurring NPC. An NPC that does not show up again in the campaign.
7) NPCWC—NPC with Character. An NPC developed and run with distinct characteristics. This can also have the R or NR prefix attached depending upon whether it is recurring or non-recurring.
8) NPCWOC—NPC without Character. An NPC run without character or distinctive characteristics i.e. the cardboard cutout. May contain the R or NR prefix.
9) DMPCWOS—DMPC without Stats. These are recurring characters the DM is attached to, but he has either chosen, or is too lazy to generate stats.
10) DMPCWS—DMPC with Stats. Generally a recurring character the DM wants to run like a player character by filling out a PC record sheet so it seems like a character.
11) NPCWOS—NPC without Stats. These are either recurring or non-recurring characters the DM has created that they are not particularly attached to, but necessary to serve some function. Note: If the DM becomes attached to these characters they can be turned into DMPCWOSs.
12) NPCWS—NPC with Stats. Generally a recurring character the DM wants to run, but without filling out a PC record sheet so it is not quite as much work and to make the players feel more comfortable that the DM has no intention of seriously playing as part of their group.
13) NPCSOAABG—NPC Secretly Operating as a Bad Guy. This is an NPC designed to operate as a bad guy within the party, but without significant attachment to the DM.
14) DMPCSOAABG—DMPC Secretly Operating as a Bad Guy. This is a bad guy the DM is particularly attached to designed to provide maximum damage to the party through betrayal and death. Generally used to show how clever the DM thinks he is.
15) NPCSSAAPC—An NPC Secretly Serving as a Player Character. This is a distinct form of NPC designed to convince the PCs they are playing with a DMPC when in actuality it is an NPC. Best illustrated by the DM coming out from behind the screen, sitting with the PCs, eating snacks, and playing his NPC as if it were a PC.
16) FFFTVA—Free-Floating, Full Torso, Vaporous Apparition…oops, sorry, movie reference.
17) NPC—Non-Player Character. A character run by someone other than a player. This should be generally limited to DMs however can be applied to anyone else you can get to the table without them actually being a player or DM.
I would also like to propose a second alternative I like to call the NPCNP or NPC Nomenclature Project. This alternate naming convention I am considering is similar to property book entries in military units. I have only developed a few of the categories for constructing the nomenclature of NPCs, so here they are for your consideration:
Nomenclature:
C: Character
Types:
P: Player
N: Non-Player
D: DM
Designations:
1: Recurring
2: Non-Recurring
3: With Stats
4: Without Stats
5: Temporary
6: Expendable
7: Durable
8: Non-Durable
9: With Name
10: Without Name
As an example you could create a shopkeeper with the following characteristics:
Nomenclature: Character
Type: Non-Player
Designations: Non-recurring, without stats, temporary, expendable
In documents they could be referenced by LIN or line item number developed through the above list:
LIN CN2456 Shopkeeper, Character, Non-Player, non-recurring, w/o stats, temp, exp.
I am personally opting for the second system because it clearly provides a tighter definition for all sub-categories of NPC to insure there is no misunderstanding as to their individual application.
Proponent and founding member of the PFPWNIRRP—Project for Precision Where None is Required Redundancy Project.
You know what I just heard? Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo, blah, blah, something about Space. --Toph Bei Fong
Think "can do" not "can't do".
Not all character concepts are equally cool.
Not all house rules are equally cool.
If you are spending time making a house rule, ask yourself why you aren't putting the time into making cool encounters instead?
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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 1:29PM
#322
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Date Joined:
Dec 16, 2005
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Nice one Viperm4a3!! Made me chuckle for sure.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:53PM
#323
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Date Joined:
Oct 22, 2004
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Hellmute - The DMG doesn't have a copy of the Monsters Manual in it...so doesn't that mean attacking the party with Orcs is against the game rules?
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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 3:18PM
#324
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Date Joined:
Jun 28, 2008
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Hellmute - The DMG doesn't have a copy of the Monsters Manual in it...so doesn't that mean attacking the party with Orcs is against the game rules?
Let me respond with as much respect and logic. Gibbity pibbity boo. 
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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 7:23PM
#325
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Date Joined:
Jun 16, 2007
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My personal discovery is that DMPCs are... tricky at best. Your best option is to instead pick an intelligent monster to accompany the group. Maybe they can do something in battle at low levels, but mostly they're there for the occasional handy-hood.
For example, in 3.5 my group consisted of a Marshal, a Fighter, a Barbarian, and a Ranger. Anyone notice a lacking? You'd think the DM would feel some inclination to use a Wizard in the party. Except that I had no intention of DMPC-ing a super-smart character who would make everyone want to promote him to leader, since he'd always make the right idea. Instead, I gave them a Familiar Monkey who abandoned his owner (wearing an anti-scry amulet of great power). As a familiar to a Wizard, he had high Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana). He could deal with all the magical technologies they had encountered. At the same time, no one knew a bloody thing he could possibly dream of saying, 'cause he was a flippin' monkey.
Another idea I've had for 4th Edition is that an Imp decides to try and convert the PCs to evil. Imps try to party with people for the sake of corrupting them, because to them it's jolly good fun. At the same time, since Imps fly, it would make a good scout. But they also lie about things on a regular basis, assuming they actually know anything about a subject. A DMPC that takes very little handling, is interesting, and is not meddlesome.
I don't use emoticons, and I'm also pretty pleasant. So if I say something that's rude or insulting, it's probably a joke.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 11:59AM
#326
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Date Joined:
Aug 18, 2008
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I would like to here hellmutes opinion rotating DM's factors in. If a group of players each take turn being the DM for different plot threads, but use the same PC's regardless of who is the DM what is that character called?
Is it a PC, then an NPC then a PC again ? And if this is so why cant there be a term such as DMPC for these situations (such as the short hand BBEG)?
Please do not just say "bad idea, don't do it", because a) it doesn't answer the question and b) regardless if you think its a bad idea or not it happens.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 12:32PM
#327
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Date Joined:
Aug 13, 2007
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yeah it happens, and it is tricky. it would be best to share the pc between the dms, but of course, noone likes to share his character. btw: if there are more than 2 dms, continuity of the story will be so worse than with 1 dm, that it would not matter if the 1 player just popped in and out of the game.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 1:20PM
#328
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Date Joined:
Mar 31, 2008
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I would like to here hellmutes opinion rotating DM's
(ninja'd see above about story continuity)
You missed it in a prior post.
Don't rotate DMs.
New DM = new game and new set of PCs.
I don't want the player party constantly changing, or the players constantly changing within the group. That is no different from half the group of 10 never showing up, and you never know which 5 people will show up any given night so never know what you are doing.
Might as well either run one shots, or separate games with the different DMs.
There will always be one person that is not a part of the player party....the DM for the current game.
I am also not a fan of bringing PCs from one campaign to another. The DM and each player would decide what is and is not accepted for that character in the current game.
Odds are your background would remain, but this newly introduced character would be stripped of all gear, and would be reassigned gear appropriate for the game and group he/she is joining.
What is done with the old version of the character in another campaign means nothing as it isn't part of the game he is joining with my group.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 1:40PM
#329
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Date Joined:
Aug 18, 2008
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I play with a bunch of people from work, and our issue is that free time rotates. You can got from working 20 hours a week to 120 a week for months, so whoever is on downtime picks up where we left off.
We do have a separate campaign that i DM, but there is sometimes 5-6 months before i can actually get more then random thoughts and ideas on paper.
The reason i got into this thread is because DMPC is the short hand term we use for the character of whoever happens to be DMing for said session. I.E. When we send out the setup for that weeks session there is usually a spot in there saying "Where will the DMPC be when we are doing this, is he tagging along, what is his roll if he is" ect.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 1:50PM
#330
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Date Joined:
Mar 31, 2008
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Why not just run one-shots with the various groups?
Sometiems these are a lot more fun than a campaign, and help break up a campgin for long standing groups to get you out of a rut.
You have a character that is meant toe xist for only a single adventure or a few session. You can try ANYTHING in it with little risk, and find out new things about the game, and maybe things you might want to try in your long runnign campaign, then when you have a stable group you can play a campaign.
I don't really like unstable groups for long-term play. That never works out to anythiing that I can get interested in.
Why does it tkae you so long to come up with ideas nearly a half a year?
Start a new thread about it, and maybe people will be able to bounce ideas around to help you get more on paper that can flesh out your campaign so you do not have to do all the work. That is what forums are great for.
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