Should a DMPC use hero points?

[YawarFiesta]

Hi everybody:

Forward thanks for your collaboration, this is the escenario. I've being running a campaing for 5 PCs and 2 two of them quit because schedule complications and I am DMPCing their character until they can and want to return.

Then party has recently been updated to the APG and I allow them to use hero points. My questionis, should agrant the DMPCs a hero points, restricting them to level up and arc completion points, grant them a bonus feat or neither?

Humbly,
Yawar

[Fraust]

First off, why oh why was the term DMPC ever invented? The player's run PCs, the DM runs NPCs...

To answer the question (with a question, because I'm one of those types), how likely do you honestly think the players are to return? The characters were created with the intent of being PCs, and the party will likely be hindered if some PCs aren't up to par with the rest...So in essence, if you really want the party, as a whole, to use hero points, I think these characters should have access to them also.

Now, the reason I answered with a question is...if your players return, and find out they have access to this cool new ability, but you've already spent some/most/all of their points, they might be a little piffed. If they are unlikely to come back, then this is less of a problem.

If you feel guilty for using hero points, where NPCs aren't technically supposed to (I say screw that, the important bad guys in my campaign have access), then one solution could be let the other players decide when the two characters with missing players (CWMPs) use their hero points. This way the power is there for the party to benefit from, and it remains in the hands of the party.

[wraithstrike]

YawarFiesta wrote:

Hi everybody:

Forward thanks for your collaboration, this is the escenario. I've being running a campaing for 5 PCs and 2 two of them quit because schedule complications and I am DMPCing their character until they can and want to return.

Then party has recently been updated to the APG and I allow them to use hero points. My questionis, should agrant the DMPCs a hero points, restricting them to level up and arc completion points, grant them a bonus feat or neither?

Humbly,
Yawar

I would give them the same things the other characters get. I would be unhappy if I returned and my guy had less than the other characters. They have PC status from my PoV. They just happen to be temporarily ran by the DM.

[YawarFiesta]

wraithstrike wrote:

I would give them the same things the other characters get. I would be unhappy if I returned and my guy had less than the other characters. They have PC status from my PoV. They just happen to be temporarily ran by the DM.

Under that situation I could grant them the Hero points when they return.

My problem is, sorry for not being more specific previously, would it be fair play to aloud the DMPCs to get hero points? I don't allow them for cohorts. Also I had bad experiences with DMPCans wich make the party look like a bunch of sidekicks by overshadowing them, through a metaplaying DM, and/or being railroads operators.

Humbly,
Yawar

[NeoFax]

I would give them AP's, but have the other players take turns playing the "DMPC's". This way there is no possibility of favoritism and you can step in if you think the other players are stepping outside the normal players boundaries for their character. When/if the player returns they have the hero points and they know that their character was played within their background/story guidelines.