Is it okay for a GM to create a GMPC who steps in and steals the spotlight from the PCs and does all of the stereotypical shitty GMPC stuff if that GMPC isn't always around and only exists to be completely destroyed by the BBEG in order to show how powerful he is?
>>46587998
no, its not okay.
Nah, it's still the players game.
You want to do that, have him assist in fights, be on simultaneous missions of greater importance and have people talk about how great he is/his actions are.
>>46587998
>Steals the spotlight from the PCs
If it's for like one short scene, it's fine. There is no good reason why they can't have a scene where they shine.
>Isn't always around
As long as you give good reasons why.
>killed by bbeg
As long as you can sell that it's because the bbeg is strong instead of this guy being a chump.
If your players truely are murderhobos, GM NPC will end with GM NPC being murdered for loot distributuion.
That alone is a important sign.
A sign that its not okay, even if the players are not frothing murder hobos
>>46587998
Can someone explain the difference between an NPC and a dmpc? Because with my understanding I had like 5 dmpcs with the party because the party kept wanting to make friends with the enemies.
I always tried to have them leave but the players would keep finding ways to keep them around.
>>46587998
No.
This isn't taking one bad GM playstyle and killing it off. Rather, it is taking one bad GM playstyle (outshining PCs with DMPC) and then layering that on top of another bad GM playstyle (killing someone powerful to show off how badass the BBEG is).
You'd be far better with A.) not making the NPC into a DMPC, rather making them an arrogant or asinine foil to aggravate the party, and B.) showing off what the villain can do through other means, either commanding an army or manipulating things or being seen in a way that the PCs can't interact with them - like watching the villain burn a village or raise an army of undead in one go.
>>46588301
DMPC is a NPC that remains with the party, is equal to the PC party members, and remains in full DM control.
The difference between a DMPC and just a NPC in the party is generally that the DMPC is considered as important as the other PCs, and that the DMPC doesn't take commands from any of them. A hireling or an ally is generally going to let the PCs take charge and make decisions, despite remaining in the party. Also, the PCs are generally the ones who decide to keep/remove random NPCs from the party, while the DMPC remains regardless of everyone's wishes much like the other PCs.
>>46588301
It's entirely arbitrary.
The closest thing to an 'objective' definition is 'an npc filling in a niche the party needs'. Ie, in games where you need a full functioning party. Shadowrunners don't have a decker, dungeoncrawlers don't have a healer, etc. In those circumstances, the DM might make an extra person to mechanically fill in the role. How this is any different from, say, a hireling or a henchman in the old days, I have no idea.
Beyond that, it just means 'NPC that goes everywhere with the PCs'. I get the feeling it's supposed to have a negative context, which is why I'm not crazy about the term, but I could be wrong about that.
>I had like 5 dmpcs with the party because the party kept wanting to make friends with the enemies.
>I always tried to have them leave but the players would keep finding ways to keep them around.
To me, that sounds like you were doing something right.
>>46587998
This sort of thing works if you keep it short. As soon as they resent the GMPC you're good to go and should kill them off. Drawing it out is a chump's game.
However, your specific plan is bad because it'll make your players like the BBEG a little.
My DMPCs are basically plot points and quest givers. The party will encounter some merc who offers them a bunch of gold if they find something for him. He might join and assist in fights, but will fight defensively and in a supporting role so that the player's still need to do their jobs. They might also provide a service for the players, such as selling items.
>>46587998
One time my PCs were fighting this bandit queen they weren't supposed to fight until way later since she was 10 levels higher than them because they went out of their way to attack her so as they got their asses kicked I had one of their friend NPCs ride in to assist. He was supposed to get off one good hit with his smite evil and get promptly slaughtered but he rolled to charge with his Lance on horseback and critted with smite evil active which was fine until one of my players reminded me that lances do triple damage on horseback. So this npc did x5 charge damage plus his smite evil and given the damage the players had cause on their own promptly knocked her into the red zone.
