Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cloudncali 03-21-05, 09:26 PM	ok i wanted to play D&D but i have to be a DM for my friends so i had an idea i will be a charactor exept my intelligince is 6 and wisdom =6 so basicly i wont be able to have him tell every thing and not be vary good in all areas becuse he is 1 step above being mentily slow(i wont say the real word becuse it might insolt people)so basicly he all brone and no brains do you think this is a good idea or is it a big Dm NONO :( what are your suggjestion for PC/DMs
Morwen 03-21-05, 09:30 PM	Well, as long as you're able to keep DM knowledge and PC knowledge separate, and you don't try to favor "your" PC above the others, there shouldn't be a problem :)
Agent 34 03-21-05, 10:07 PM	I'v only ever had one DM play actual PCs in the party and thats my current. As long as you can stay away from what he does, you'll do fine. :p It dosn't matter if your charecter is really stupid as long as you make sure that he dosn't know what you know. If the players ask what they should do in a situation where your PC could tell them important information you want them to figure out on there own roll an Int check to see if he has the brains to tell them in that situation or give a bad idea or just not know. While you can use your PC to push the rest of the party along the road that you would like them to go don't strong arm them and remember that the PCs usualy don't like linear campaigns and will start to fight against your PC if you keep using him to push them in a certain direction. Lastly, don't favor your charecter with a lot of bonuses. Your charecter should have the same possability to die as everyone else, and if he does, no biggy. Players at times need to make new charecters and so should you when your playing a PC.
Nytmare 03-21-05, 10:10 PM	I think it's a really, really bad idea. Instead you should make an NPC who is a fighter or maybe a barbarian. I think that is much, much safer.
Chandaroon 03-21-05, 11:35 PM	I penalize Players for using player knowledge so be wise not to use DM knowledge. I routinely play PC in my campaigns. I warn my players not to ask my PC for advice. Make your own decisions. Usually my PC's are just there to fill a gap. If I play a Wizard or Sorcerer then the other players pick my spells. They also advise me on Skills and feats. As a DM my character is still a member of their party. More often thean not I will end up playing a Cleric or a fighter. Just there to hack or heal. Playing characters with low intelligence or low wisdom is great for a DM that way their character can just keep his mouth shut more. Or say things after someone else has already said them. example : PC1 says,"I'm going to go ask the bartender where the Red Dog Inn is." The PC1 goes over and comes back and says he now knows. The party drinks another round and the DM-PC says, "I'm going to go ask the bartender where the Red Dog Inn is." When the party tells them that PC1 already did. The DM-PC says,"oh, really? Ok" There's nothing wrong with playing PC's in the game as long as the DM realizes that they are really littl more than NPC's. They are just a more long term version of NPC. Every now and then it is also helpful if the DM kills off his own PC. It shows a lack of favoritism. My characters always take just a little less of the treasure as well. That's my take. :)
Thorak 03-21-05, 11:56 PM	DMs can't have PCs. By definition, that's a Player character. Not a Dungeon master Character. Any character the DM plays is, by definition, an NPC. Thus, you should treat any PC-type NPC as just that; an NPC. They are secondary to the PCs, are there as window dressing and support, and are not going to steal their thunder. It's fine to have an NPC cleric tagging along to heal the party, or a grunt Barbarian helping out in melee, but the bulk of the treasure should be going to the PCs, as should the RP time. The only case where an NPC in the party should be getting significant RP time is if the NPC is important to the story, and in that case, there'd better be a good reason they need to be with the party. Like, say, they need to betray the party at some point. But don't even considering playing a "DMPC". That implies a level of care for the NPC which will inevitably lead to you shafting your players, whether it be in losing a share of treasure, being outshone by the DM in RP because the DM holds the reins, or even just taking up RP time for the DM to build a character that has nothing to do with the story. You have more than enough on your plate as the DM. You don't need a PC to worry about too, unless it's necessary for the story. And by 'necessary', I mean impossible to tell without using a PC for that purpose. If someone in the party needs a dark unknown past, use one of the real PCs. More fun that way.
diaglo 03-24-05, 08:01 AM	it is usually a very bad idea. if you want to play, find someone else to DM.