I feel like this is a decisive topic but I'm DMing my first campaign, having only played in one myself 2 years ago. The thing is, there's only one PC, a first time player. She's playing a half elf beast master ranger with a young owlbear companion (currently using black bear stats but this will change as it matures)
So I think she needs a friend to at the very least, bounce ideas off. I don't want anything that's gonna steal the show or take the lead but I'm not sure if I should go with something opposite or complimentary. She's going stealth/archery so something that can hold up in melee makes sense.
My current idea is a warforged path of the ancients paladin - more along the lines of an animated tree if I'm honest. Paladins seem to be capable of a bit of everything, a few spells, healing etc so he could always make himself useful.
Or something like a dwarf barbarian, someone who will clash with her a bit more.
I've got encounters in mind for both but which would people recommend? Do I have her encounter both and see which one she takes to?
One-player adventures are perfectly feasible, but if you feel she needs some support and would appreciate a friend, perhaps you might consider allowing her to befriend an NPC or get a sidekick rather than creating a DMPC.
It is very difficult to tread the line of DM and player, and even experienced game masters can fail with this. DMPCs, by the nature of having class levels, can easily dominate and outshine players. Moreover, PCs have equal standing in a party, whereas NPCs and sidekicks are there to support. Your player may start to rely on the DMPC, even unconsciously, and you could find yourself telling the story and making the important decisions. With an NPC, there's a kind of meta understanding of their purpose that tends to prevent that from happening.
If she needs a tank, perhaps she can encounter an NPC with the Veteran or Knight stat block. A Warrior or Spellcaster sidekick would get some abilities that grow with the ranger, but would still be there as a supporter rather than a peer.
As yo;ve only got the one player why not turn the animal companion into the extra pc/dmpc. Add the Awaken spell to it so it can speak etc and then have it level up when the player does then level it up as a Path of the Totem Warrior barbarian using the bear and eagle abilities to reflect its part owl part bear.
If you put in a DMPC in a solo player game, then you have to acknowledge that 50% of the turns taken by PCs in encounters are going to be taken by the DMPC. If they're equivalent level to the PC, then they are going to have an equal amount of impact on a battle as the PC. It's more than possible (eventually it will happen) that you'll have encounters where the PC misses all her attacks and the DMPC lands all of theirs, and wins the encounter solo.
Imagine the following: Ranger and Pala DMPC (both level 3) come up against 4 goblins. Initiative is rolled.
Ranger attacks and misses target
The paladin swings and hits a goblin, killing it
The remaining goblins attack, injuring the ranger
The ranger disengages and retreats back behind the paladin
The paladin swings and kills another goblin
Ranger misses again
Assuming that they have a 50% chance to hit, this will happen once every 8 encounters. We haven't even factored in the paladin using Smites to take down bosses.
This also applies to things like bypassing traps, infiltrating lairs, and can even spread to social interactions. As she learns the DMPC's skillset, your player will begin saying "I want my paladin friend to cast zone of truth," and things along those lines. The more varied and funky the skill-set, the more than DMPC is going to impact the adventure. The worst would be to have a full spellcaster, who is able to resolve challenges with the use of magic spells.
To give her a companion, create a stat block - not a PC stat block, a monster stat block - that has a simple set of abilities. They should have a ranged attack, and a melee attack, and that's it. Make the companion below the PC's level (I recommend starting a solo campaign at level 3, so set them at 2 hit dice). That will mean they're likely to be less impactful, and (after a couple of sessions) give the player the stat block so she can control the NPC in combat. That way she isn't spending 3/4 of the turns waiting for her turn to come around.
Be prepared for that companion to die, it's ok if they do. Don't level them up unless the PC gets attached to them, then just modify their stat block a bit, keeping them under the player's power level.
Simply, DMPCs aren't controlled by the player and have an equal, if not greater, impact on party choice and outcome. The have the meta-link to the DM. Sidekicks are player controlled and less competent in combat, to allow for the player to choose the tactics and actions of the party, without the meta-link to the DM. Sidekicks allow for the player to remain center stage and allow for the DM to stay behind the curtain, much like Dorothy and her companions.
NPCs are an interaction point between the world(DM) and player(PC) that happens in-game through roleplay. They can be used as a source of information and knowledge without directing party action.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I would also add the suggestion to avoid building encounters that require a specific outcome. Maybe focus on goal oriented encounters that allow for non-tank required solutions. And, you might lean into building encounters that will allow the PC to showcase their favored abilities.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
You can make a DMPC/NPC/Sidekick support character if you feel the need. If you don't want it to outshine her, don't make one that will excel in the areas that she do. Basically then this character will simply have more capabilities to support her if you go DMPC > NPC > Sidekick, more skills, more feats, more spells etc...
So identify your needs and plan accordingly. If all you want is a healbot for exemple, a Sidekick with healing spell will do. If you also want it to be able to be to open locks and disarm traps along with more buff spells for exemple, then a DMPC Cleric/Rogue or full Cleric with a background granting thieves' tools proficiency can do it better, without being great combattant. If you want it to be melee meatshield that will keep enemies away from her, a Fighter could be even better than a Barbarian with the help of Fighting Technique or Maneuvers. It all depends what you want it to accomplish.
DMPC is the idea that the DM is playing a character who is, more or less, competing with the players.
Playing an NPC party member is not a DMPC and it is nothing you have to feel ashamed of. It's a normal part of D&D.
The trick is to remember that the player is the main character. The NPC should not know the answers to problems. They can have opinions and sometimes those opinions are correct. However, they should be based in the character's perspectives and world view. In my current game, the party has four NPCs running along with them. These characters are "real people" with their own goals and motivations and sometimes pressure the PCs into making disadvantageous decisions that benefit them.
I think if you do that, making the NPC into a character who has their own opinions, goals and motivations, then you'll be fine. I would be cautious about having too many NPC companions if you have only one player. It might end up with the player just watching you running combat against yourself.
I many thanks, this has pretty much confirmed my concerns. I like the idea of building up the companion with more abilities, hadn't really considered that before. I don't think I'd go so far as enabling it to talk though.
For me the main difference between them all is one of format and progression; not how its played and wether it compete with PC or not. The PCs should always remain the main heroes of the story onto which the spotlight is on.
Having read the description, an NPC party member was the idea. Something that would support her but not outshine her but equally not cramp her style. I've been running one already but he's very quest specific so won't be following long term. I just wasn't sure if it was better to have one that mimics her style or compensates for her vulnerabilities. While beefing up the animal companion will be great, she can't really have a dialogue with it.
While beefing up the animal companion will be great, she can't really have a dialogue with it.
There is always the possibility of a Sentient Magic Item, which may be capable of dialogue. If she ever find an intelligent magic bow for exemple, she'd be able to discuss with it and what is great about Sentient item, is that it's not somethign you need to worry about on the board, it's not a creature occupying a space and taking turn, yet it can have a will and some powers!
Dittoing Verenti, that video is an awesome tutorial on how to run a 1 GM / 1 Player game, and the use of an NPC, DMPC, companion beast, talking sword, whatever as a sound board and how to "play" it through reflecting questions is a key DM skill. I was just about to post it myself till I got to the end of this thread.
I actually like the enchanted sword. Start with it just as a literal conversation piece or a piece ot have conversation with. No bonuses other than "magical" (a one player campaign, they'd likely need the bone you're throwing); and make it a sort of mentor personality or adversary, maybe the soul of former adventurer is within it etc. Or maybe it will be the end of the PC if the PC follows its plans a la Stormbringer. The weapon can "level up" as you see fit following some of the "magical weapon" progressions you find in things like the Critical Role books.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I think what you really meant after reading the thread is adding an NPC to the party. An NPC can be based off a stat block or created using the same rules for a PC. The key difference is that they are a NON-player character. The DM runs and controls them in the context of the character's interests and the world around them.
So, how does this differ from a DMPC if the NPC is created using the same rules as a PC. In my opinion, it has entirely to do with the DMs relationship to the character. If the DM thinks of the NPC as THEIR character, if they have the NPC interact with the other players as a PC run by the DM might if he was sitting at the table as a player, if the DM plays the NPC as if it were a PC instead of running the character as an NPC then that is a DMPC.
There are DMs out there who have trouble separating themselves from certain beloved NPCs - those cases also run the risk of becoming DMPCs.
The problem with a DMPC is that the DM can't play two roles. They can't be player and DM at the same time since as DM they know what is going to happen in the plot. Unfortunately, sometimes DMPCs can dominate a game with a bad DM since they want to make THEIR character the star of the show ... which is why DMPCs have such a bad reputation.
The one time I have seen DMPCs work is in games with rotating DMs - however, even then, the DMs player character is treated by the DM and the other players as an NPC when the DM is running the game. The other players will handle the mechanics of the PC/NPC in play and the only time the DM might offer input is when it becomes a question of how that character might react to specific circumstances - then the DM provides some additional insight into the character - but otherwise the part time PC is treated as an NPC when the DM isn't running the character as a player.
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In your case, it sounds like you want either a sidekick or an NPC based on a PC template (though you could also use an NPC stat block with modifications if you like - NPCs don't need to justify the things they are capable of doing).
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I feel like this is a decisive topic but I'm DMing my first campaign, having only played in one myself 2 years ago. The thing is, there's only one PC, a first time player. She's playing a half elf beast master ranger with a young owlbear companion (currently using black bear stats but this will change as it matures)
So I think she needs a friend to at the very least, bounce ideas off. I don't want anything that's gonna steal the show or take the lead but I'm not sure if I should go with something opposite or complimentary. She's going stealth/archery so something that can hold up in melee makes sense.
My current idea is a warforged path of the ancients paladin - more along the lines of an animated tree if I'm honest. Paladins seem to be capable of a bit of everything, a few spells, healing etc so he could always make himself useful.
Or something like a dwarf barbarian, someone who will clash with her a bit more.
I've got encounters in mind for both but which would people recommend? Do I have her encounter both and see which one she takes to?
One-player adventures are perfectly feasible, but if you feel she needs some support and would appreciate a friend, perhaps you might consider allowing her to befriend an NPC or get a sidekick rather than creating a DMPC.
It is very difficult to tread the line of DM and player, and even experienced game masters can fail with this. DMPCs, by the nature of having class levels, can easily dominate and outshine players. Moreover, PCs have equal standing in a party, whereas NPCs and sidekicks are there to support. Your player may start to rely on the DMPC, even unconsciously, and you could find yourself telling the story and making the important decisions. With an NPC, there's a kind of meta understanding of their purpose that tends to prevent that from happening.
If she needs a tank, perhaps she can encounter an NPC with the Veteran or Knight stat block. A Warrior or Spellcaster sidekick would get some abilities that grow with the ranger, but would still be there as a supporter rather than a peer.
As yo;ve only got the one player why not turn the animal companion into the extra pc/dmpc. Add the Awaken spell to it so it can speak etc and then have it level up when the player does then level it up as a Path of the Totem Warrior barbarian using the bear and eagle abilities to reflect its part owl part bear.
An NPC/sidekick is exactly what I had in mind what I had in mind, though if I'm honest I'm not entirely sure where that ends and a DMPC begins
I second the idea of making the owlbear talk.
If you put in a DMPC in a solo player game, then you have to acknowledge that 50% of the turns taken by PCs in encounters are going to be taken by the DMPC. If they're equivalent level to the PC, then they are going to have an equal amount of impact on a battle as the PC. It's more than possible (eventually it will happen) that you'll have encounters where the PC misses all her attacks and the DMPC lands all of theirs, and wins the encounter solo.
Imagine the following: Ranger and Pala DMPC (both level 3) come up against 4 goblins. Initiative is rolled.
Assuming that they have a 50% chance to hit, this will happen once every 8 encounters. We haven't even factored in the paladin using Smites to take down bosses.
This also applies to things like bypassing traps, infiltrating lairs, and can even spread to social interactions. As she learns the DMPC's skillset, your player will begin saying "I want my paladin friend to cast zone of truth," and things along those lines. The more varied and funky the skill-set, the more than DMPC is going to impact the adventure. The worst would be to have a full spellcaster, who is able to resolve challenges with the use of magic spells.
To give her a companion, create a stat block - not a PC stat block, a monster stat block - that has a simple set of abilities. They should have a ranged attack, and a melee attack, and that's it. Make the companion below the PC's level (I recommend starting a solo campaign at level 3, so set them at 2 hit dice). That will mean they're likely to be less impactful, and (after a couple of sessions) give the player the stat block so she can control the NPC in combat. That way she isn't spending 3/4 of the turns waiting for her turn to come around.
Be prepared for that companion to die, it's ok if they do. Don't level them up unless the PC gets attached to them, then just modify their stat block a bit, keeping them under the player's power level.
Simply, DMPCs aren't controlled by the player and have an equal, if not greater, impact on party choice and outcome. The have the meta-link to the DM. Sidekicks are player controlled and less competent in combat, to allow for the player to choose the tactics and actions of the party, without the meta-link to the DM. Sidekicks allow for the player to remain center stage and allow for the DM to stay behind the curtain, much like Dorothy and her companions.
NPCs are an interaction point between the world(DM) and player(PC) that happens in-game through roleplay. They can be used as a source of information and knowledge without directing party action.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I would also add the suggestion to avoid building encounters that require a specific outcome. Maybe focus on goal oriented encounters that allow for non-tank required solutions. And, you might lean into building encounters that will allow the PC to showcase their favored abilities.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
You can make a DMPC/NPC/Sidekick support character if you feel the need. If you don't want it to outshine her, don't make one that will excel in the areas that she do. Basically then this character will simply have more capabilities to support her if you go DMPC > NPC > Sidekick, more skills, more feats, more spells etc...
So identify your needs and plan accordingly. If all you want is a healbot for exemple, a Sidekick with healing spell will do. If you also want it to be able to be to open locks and disarm traps along with more buff spells for exemple, then a DMPC Cleric/Rogue or full Cleric with a background granting thieves' tools proficiency can do it better, without being great combattant. If you want it to be melee meatshield that will keep enemies away from her, a Fighter could be even better than a Barbarian with the help of Fighting Technique or Maneuvers. It all depends what you want it to accomplish.
DMPC is the idea that the DM is playing a character who is, more or less, competing with the players.
Playing an NPC party member is not a DMPC and it is nothing you have to feel ashamed of. It's a normal part of D&D.
The trick is to remember that the player is the main character. The NPC should not know the answers to problems. They can have opinions and sometimes those opinions are correct. However, they should be based in the character's perspectives and world view. In my current game, the party has four NPCs running along with them. These characters are "real people" with their own goals and motivations and sometimes pressure the PCs into making disadvantageous decisions that benefit them.
I think if you do that, making the NPC into a character who has their own opinions, goals and motivations, then you'll be fine. I would be cautious about having too many NPC companions if you have only one player. It might end up with the player just watching you running combat against yourself.
I many thanks, this has pretty much confirmed my concerns. I like the idea of building up the companion with more abilities, hadn't really considered that before. I don't think I'd go so far as enabling it to talk though.
For me the main difference between them all is one of format and progression; not how its played and wether it compete with PC or not. The PCs should always remain the main heroes of the story onto which the spotlight is on.
Sidekick: Simpler character sheet, level up
NPC: Monster statblock, no level up
DMPC: Full character sheet, level up
Having read the description, an NPC party member was the idea. Something that would support her but not outshine her but equally not cramp her style. I've been running one already but he's very quest specific so won't be following long term. I just wasn't sure if it was better to have one that mimics her style or compensates for her vulnerabilities. While beefing up the animal companion will be great, she can't really have a dialogue with it.
There is always the possibility of a Sentient Magic Item, which may be capable of dialogue. If she ever find an intelligent magic bow for exemple, she'd be able to discuss with it and what is great about Sentient item, is that it's not somethign you need to worry about on the board, it's not a creature occupying a space and taking turn, yet it can have a will and some powers!
I'd say having them being able to speak and therefore bounce ideas off of is very important.
Obligatory YouTube video: (specifically around 11:50)
Dittoing Verenti, that video is an awesome tutorial on how to run a 1 GM / 1 Player game, and the use of an NPC, DMPC, companion beast, talking sword, whatever as a sound board and how to "play" it through reflecting questions is a key DM skill. I was just about to post it myself till I got to the end of this thread.
I actually like the enchanted sword. Start with it just as a literal conversation piece or a piece ot have conversation with. No bonuses other than "magical" (a one player campaign, they'd likely need the bone you're throwing); and make it a sort of mentor personality or adversary, maybe the soul of former adventurer is within it etc. Or maybe it will be the end of the PC if the PC follows its plans a la Stormbringer. The weapon can "level up" as you see fit following some of the "magical weapon" progressions you find in things like the Critical Role books.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I think what you really meant after reading the thread is adding an NPC to the party. An NPC can be based off a stat block or created using the same rules for a PC. The key difference is that they are a NON-player character. The DM runs and controls them in the context of the character's interests and the world around them.
So, how does this differ from a DMPC if the NPC is created using the same rules as a PC. In my opinion, it has entirely to do with the DMs relationship to the character. If the DM thinks of the NPC as THEIR character, if they have the NPC interact with the other players as a PC run by the DM might if he was sitting at the table as a player, if the DM plays the NPC as if it were a PC instead of running the character as an NPC then that is a DMPC.
There are DMs out there who have trouble separating themselves from certain beloved NPCs - those cases also run the risk of becoming DMPCs.
The problem with a DMPC is that the DM can't play two roles. They can't be player and DM at the same time since as DM they know what is going to happen in the plot. Unfortunately, sometimes DMPCs can dominate a game with a bad DM since they want to make THEIR character the star of the show ... which is why DMPCs have such a bad reputation.
The one time I have seen DMPCs work is in games with rotating DMs - however, even then, the DMs player character is treated by the DM and the other players as an NPC when the DM is running the game. The other players will handle the mechanics of the PC/NPC in play and the only time the DM might offer input is when it becomes a question of how that character might react to specific circumstances - then the DM provides some additional insight into the character - but otherwise the part time PC is treated as an NPC when the DM isn't running the character as a player.
----
In your case, it sounds like you want either a sidekick or an NPC based on a PC template (though you could also use an NPC stat block with modifications if you like - NPCs don't need to justify the things they are capable of doing).