So I'm a first time DM whose played before and my group is mostly new players. We started a level 5 one shot and loved it so much it became our campaign. One of my players seduced a guard in the prison they were trying to escape and convinced them to help them escape. I have no clue how to play and balance this new character. I'm not sure how to create a proper npc for this character since they were supposed to be a throw away enemy. How do I now balance the fights? Do I give the guard a character sheet and if so what level?
Maybe give them some extra health if they're going to be traveling with the party for an extended period of time. Maybe give them a unique ability from one of the Fighter subclasses or something. I'd say it'd be good to maybe toss in an extra enemy each combat to keep things from getting too easy for them now that they have a reliable ally with them... but also remember that the party will receive less experience per combat with the NPC accompanying them. I'd recommend finding a reason for the guard to not be willing or able to fully accompany them on their journey so that the guard doesn't become a DMPC, but sometimes players really like having an ally with them at all times and if that's the kind of game they want to play, only then should you take the time to give the guard a full player character sheet and have them level and grow with the party.
Why would the guard stay with the party? More likely is he comes to his senses and goes off to do his own thing. And as transmorpher is saying, if he stays, he gets a share of the xp and treasure, that alone is usually enough reason for the PCs to send him on his way.
And just in practical terms, as a first time DM, you should find a way for him to leave. You don’t need the extra headache of running a long term NPC with the party.
Remember, you don’t have to keep the guard around. Even if he (or she) was seduced into letting the prisoners escape (which I think is weird, but it’s your game) he still has a job, a house, and a life in this town, plus a LOT of excuses to make so he doesn’t end up on the run. Seduction isn’t mind control, it’s seduction, and he can totally leave with a “see you later, sweetie.”
I see two options. 1. follow the above advice and find a reason to give the NPC a reason to leave (or the party to dump them)
2. Make the NPC part of the party with the players maintaining control of them, you have enough to do. We did this all the time in AD&D since modules were designed for more characters than we had players. Each player took turns running the NPC and the DM made sure we didn’t abuse them ( reminds me of an old Dragon Magazine cartoon, adventurers outside a cave, “sounds like the growls of a hungry owl bear. Send in the NPC!”)
they shared the xp, as they were a class like everyone else, and got their share of treasure and magic items.
You could always use the Sidekick rules. I guess some people use them in their games, as well as hired help outlined vaguely in the Basic Rules under Services.
What I would do is if you think the NPC should stay is that you should let them stay, but drop the responsibility onto a character for battle. If you don't want the extra work, create a short goodbye, or you could let them die, like in battle, all the enemies target them or something because of what they said.
Or you could just have the NPC decide that even though they like being in a relationship with an adventurer, they're not interested in being an adventurer themselves. Have them leave the party to find a job that involves regular hours and a roof over their head in whatever town the party is based out of.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I see two options. 1. follow the above advice and find a reason to give the NPC a reason to leave (or the party to dump them)
2. Make the NPC part of the party with the players maintaining control of them, you have enough to do.
There is a 3rd option. I don't necessarily recommend doing it but, it exists: Kill the NPC.
Not just randomly and for no good reason. But at some point when they are facing a super-hard foe and you know the blow could kill someone, attack the NPC instead of a PC, and if he happens to die, oh well, your life just got easier. And it teaches the players, without losing a PC, that the monsters in this world play for keeps and people can actually die.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
You could make it an epic death too, let the guard jump in front of an arrow meant for the player who seduced him.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Honestly depending on how you roleplayed the guard you may want the guard to doublecross the party and be evil without the party even noticing. Say that there is a local bank nearby or something, and then meanwhile the guard reports escaped convicts to the authorities, the guard manages to steal a valuable artifact, or perhaps stealthily robs a bank as he only cared about money and hated his job or something like that. Maybe the guard may not be happy with his prison guard life and only wants money, so he could even fake death in an attempt to “stop the escaped convicts”, meanwhile he was working for them in order for him to get a new life far away and away from his/her old life.
I see two options. 1. follow the above advice and find a reason to give the NPC a reason to leave (or the party to dump them)
2. Make the NPC part of the party with the players maintaining control of them, you have enough to do.
There is a 3rd option. I don't necessarily recommend doing it but, it exists: Kill the NPC.
Not just randomly and for no good reason. But at some point when they are facing a super-hard foe and you know the blow could kill someone, attack the NPC instead of a PC, and if he happens to die, oh well, your life just got easier. And it teaches the players, without losing a PC, that the monsters in this world play for keeps and people can actually die.
Just make sure it’s a permanent irretrievable death. With the DMs luck the seducing player might get them raised, lol.
When I was playing AD&D there was a player in my group who had us go out of the way to raise one of his henchmen that got killed. Was kind of annoying but <shrug> we still continued on afterward, freshly raised henchman in tow. He didn’t last long though.
So I'm a first time DM whose played before and my group is mostly new players. We started a level 5 one shot and loved it so much it became our campaign. One of my players seduced a guard in the prison they were trying to escape and convinced them to help them escape. I have no clue how to play and balance this new character. I'm not sure how to create a proper npc for this character since they were supposed to be a throw away enemy. How do I now balance the fights? Do I give the guard a character sheet and if so what level?
It's not worth the effort to give every NPC a full character sheet. I'd say just use the Veteran stat array: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/veteran
Maybe give them some extra health if they're going to be traveling with the party for an extended period of time. Maybe give them a unique ability from one of the Fighter subclasses or something. I'd say it'd be good to maybe toss in an extra enemy each combat to keep things from getting too easy for them now that they have a reliable ally with them... but also remember that the party will receive less experience per combat with the NPC accompanying them. I'd recommend finding a reason for the guard to not be willing or able to fully accompany them on their journey so that the guard doesn't become a DMPC, but sometimes players really like having an ally with them at all times and if that's the kind of game they want to play, only then should you take the time to give the guard a full player character sheet and have them level and grow with the party.
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Why would the guard stay with the party? More likely is he comes to his senses and goes off to do his own thing.
And as transmorpher is saying, if he stays, he gets a share of the xp and treasure, that alone is usually enough reason for the PCs to send him on his way.
And just in practical terms, as a first time DM, you should find a way for him to leave. You don’t need the extra headache of running a long term NPC with the party.
Remember, you don’t have to keep the guard around. Even if he (or she) was seduced into letting the prisoners escape (which I think is weird, but it’s your game) he still has a job, a house, and a life in this town, plus a LOT of excuses to make so he doesn’t end up on the run. Seduction isn’t mind control, it’s seduction, and he can totally leave with a “see you later, sweetie.”
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
I see two options.
1. follow the above advice and find a reason to give the NPC a reason to leave (or the party to dump them)
2. Make the NPC part of the party with the players maintaining control of them, you have enough to do. We did this all the time in AD&D since modules were designed for more characters than we had players. Each player took turns running the NPC and the DM made sure we didn’t abuse them ( reminds me of an old Dragon Magazine cartoon, adventurers outside a cave, “sounds like the growls of a hungry owl bear. Send in the NPC!”)
they shared the xp, as they were a class like everyone else, and got their share of treasure and magic items.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
You could always use the Sidekick rules. I guess some people use them in their games, as well as hired help outlined vaguely in the Basic Rules under Services.
What I would do is if you think the NPC should stay is that you should let them stay, but drop the responsibility onto a character for battle. If you don't want the extra work, create a short goodbye, or you could let them die, like in battle, all the enemies target them or something because of what they said.
Hello. I am a red dragonborn. Fear me.
Or you could just have the NPC decide that even though they like being in a relationship with an adventurer, they're not interested in being an adventurer themselves. Have them leave the party to find a job that involves regular hours and a roof over their head in whatever town the party is based out of.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
There is a 3rd option. I don't necessarily recommend doing it but, it exists: Kill the NPC.
Not just randomly and for no good reason. But at some point when they are facing a super-hard foe and you know the blow could kill someone, attack the NPC instead of a PC, and if he happens to die, oh well, your life just got easier. And it teaches the players, without losing a PC, that the monsters in this world play for keeps and people can actually die.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
You could make it an epic death too, let the guard jump in front of an arrow meant for the player who seduced him.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Honestly depending on how you roleplayed the guard you may want the guard to doublecross the party and be evil without the party even noticing. Say that there is a local bank nearby or something, and then meanwhile the guard reports escaped convicts to the authorities, the guard manages to steal a valuable artifact, or perhaps stealthily robs a bank as he only cared about money and hated his job or something like that. Maybe the guard may not be happy with his prison guard life and only wants money, so he could even fake death in an attempt to “stop the escaped convicts”, meanwhile he was working for them in order for him to get a new life far away and away from his/her old life.
Just make sure it’s a permanent irretrievable death. With the DMs luck the seducing player might get them raised, lol.
When I was playing AD&D there was a player in my group who had us go out of the way to raise one of his henchmen that got killed. Was kind of annoying but <shrug> we still continued on afterward, freshly raised henchman in tow. He didn’t last long though.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?