I've been running games for a long time and I used to never use DM PCs. Sometimes the players would become attached to a particular NPC and they would adventure with the group for awhile before the NPC would justifiably chicken out on a particular adventure. At which point they would be left behind/forgotten.
In recent years though, I've noticed a stronger push from my players to desire the accompaniment of a DM PC, An NPC that is functionally another player in the group.
The struggle I've had is having the party like the character without the character taking the spotlight, gp or xp from the party.
I've done things like a magic cat, a fairy sorcerer and a love sick winter wolf. Creatures that can't really do anything with treasure but can provide limited support in the form of information. However, the players only seem to like the NPC if they are able to do something useful in combat.
Does anyone else regularly use a DM PC?
What is their purpose in the group?
As a DM I feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot every time the character does well in combat.
Even when I ask why this sort of character is wanted I just get a sort of vague answer like "they help the party know what they should be doing". But advisory type NPCs for some reason are unsatisfactory and the players try to offload the "dead weight" at the first opportunity (This is the same group btw).
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My usual home group is just my two kids, so I often need to run 2 characters for them to have a balanced party. They get a full share of wealth and are otherwise identical to other characters. However, when I can do so in a subtle way, I try to make the kids' characters better rather than doing the spectacular things. As an example, the wizard will use haste on the party and greater invisibility on the rogue before turning to fun damage spells.
They want a friendly NPC ("DM PC" has a lot of negative connotations) who (a) gives them some kind of direction when they're stuck, and (b) helps out in combat.
And you don't want to steal the spotlight in any way.
So, I'd suggest you start by my making a character who provides a useful combat role that doesn't contribute much damage or knock out enemies with Save or Suck spells. I can't say what this would be without knowing the party makeup, but a bard, cleric or oracle who buffs and heals can do this pretty well.
Make this character able to give good advice as well. Maybe they have visions that guide the party. Or they could achieve the same thing by blundering into the places they need to be by accident.
Try to give this NPC another function as well - potential love interest for PCs, quest provider, or similar.
If your magic animals aren't going down too well, try a human. I'd suggest not worrying too much about whether they need gold for equipment. Just let them find the things they need; you control the loot, after all.
My dad used a DMPC that was essentially one of his characters that he used to play back in 1e and 2e. Larry Spitfire was his name, a Lawful Good wizard who had been rescued from the depths of hell, and as a result of the torture he had gone through, was kind of a little bonkers.
Long story short, this guy was a level 27 wizard/archmage and often times, he'd be off doing his own thing, fighting baddies, defending Shadowdale, that kind of stuff. But occasionally, he'd join us on our adventures.
There were a couple times when he would actually need our help in doing something. During one puzzle, we were in a giant cavernous room with a pillar in the center, and a bunch of switches and dancing lights placed in a circular pattern. Long story short, he kept blasting the pillar with some kind of energy beam, (I think it was spellfire) while we'd have to direct the switches, and our wizard and bard would control and adjust the dancing lights and what not. Monsters would come out of cracks in the walls so our beat sticks would cover our backs, and the cleric would use a wand we'd found that could keep Larry alive while he kept blasting the pillar. Apparently, cure wounds wands didn't work on him for some reason. That wand could also not work on us...but damn he has a lot of health.
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So, here is an example of a character who traveled alongside us, who didn't need equipment, who we could go to if we needed answers or support in some way, and was always at our complete and utter disposal. He had legit reasons not to be with us at all times, but if he was available, and we needed him, he was always a Bat Call (Arcane mark his sigil in the sky) away. Sometimes, he'd even give us our own quests to do because he simply lacked the time to do them. Suffice to say he had a vendetta against Hell/Abyss/every other realm of evil in the universe.
While DMPCs have a bad rap, I use them from time to time. As others have said, the trick is to not steal the other PCs thunder. My personal one is a Ganzi named Phriggle, now Phriggle has gone through numerous alignments and classes, but is always a goofy and upbeat character with poor intelligence and solid Wisdom. Part comic relief and part utility knife, Phriggle remembers the weird rules of the game and uses them to help keep folks alive. He always fights in some unique and odd manor, apologizing as hits folks.
The important thing about Phriggle is that while he is functional, he is never more optimized than the party. He shows up with skills the party lacks, helps them out without requiring anything in return except occasional praise and the odd magic item or two. He represents a sort of last ditch backup in case the PCs fail to bring the right tools for the job. Especially since he needs complicated things explained to him, meaning the Pcs get a crack at things before turning to him. Also, he is damn fun to play since as I said he is a total goofball.
Plus, it gives the PCs a sense of responsibility. Like letting your kids take care of a goldfish.
Bards are great for this because they’re friendly and they’re useful in a lot of situations without ever being better at something than the character that’s supposed to be good at it. By that I mean: it can heal but not as well as a healer; it can fight but not as well as real martial classes; it can cast arcane spells but not like a wizard/sorcerer; it can help with a lot of skills but isn’t a true skill monkey like an investigator or rogue. The thing they’re best at is probably buffing but that’s not going overshadow anyone (most likely) because they’re making the rest of the party better. So you end up with a likeable/memorable character that doesn’t overshadow anyone and (thanks to bardic knowledge) can often offer a piece of useful information when the party is stuck.
Give them an actual Guide?
very cool, I've never run across that before. I'll probably try it out for the next game I'm in the midst of planning.
Bards are great for this because they’re friendly and they’re useful in a lot of situations without ever being better at something than the character that’s supposed to be good at it. By that I mean: it can heal but not as well as a healer; it can fight but not as well as real martial classes; it can cast arcane spells but not like a wizard/sorcerer; it can help with a lot of skills but isn’t a true skill monkey like an investigator or rogue. The thing they’re best at is probably buffing but that’s not going overshadow anyone (most likely) because they’re making the rest of the party better. So you end up with a likeable/memorable character that doesn’t overshadow anyone and (thanks to bardic knowledge) can often offer a piece of useful information when the party is stuck.
It's funny, I keep on having players play bards and so while this would be a natural choice the npc. A lot of the time such a character would be in direct competition with a PC. Party balance is rarely a problem and so I know that it isn't the reason.
Does anyone else regularly use a DM PC?
I have used NPC party members (my alternate name for DMPC) in two out of the three adventure paths I ran. Their chronicles are at Amaya of Westcrown and Iron Gods among Scientists/Inconspicuous PCs Unmotivated in Palace of Fallen Stars. These threads are full of spoilers.
What is their purpose in the group?
Jade Regent adventure path is an escort quest. The NPC party member, Amaya Amatatsu, was the escorted lost heir. Her purpose besides plot hook was to provide inside information revealed by her supercharged Knowledge of the Ages time oracle revelation. She was also the party healer.
The NPC party member, Val Baine, in Iron Gods was the fourth party member, filling in the vacant frontline martial role, before we recruited a fourth player. Her secondary role was Bluff expert, because the party was maintaining a cover story to protect the town from the evil, powerful Technic League, but no-one else wanted to invest that many skill ranks into Bluff. She became the assistant to the party: running errands, maintaining records, crafting armor, etc. She was also a test case for a homebrew archetype I invented.
As a DM I feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot every time the character does well in combat.
Why? Performing well in combat does not necessarily have to steal the spotlight. It can instead be the high-AC character willing to stand in a dangerous spot to flank for the rogue, or the combat maneuver expert who trips enemies so that others get solid hits, or the highly mobile character who rushes out to aid anyone overwhelmed in combat. Val Baine does the last of those three. In Jade Regent, one player had a cohort, his main character's barbarian wife Yuki, who was all offense and no defense. Amaya Amatatsu was close to the opposite and they made a solid team, with Amaya keeping Yuki alive so that Yuki could slice through enemies.
One problem I ran into with Amaya is that once her identity as heir became important, she became the party face, the person who would negotiate with NPCs. This led to a lot of conversations between characters played solely by me. It was hard on my voice. Val was also a high-charisma NPC, but she specialized in Bluff rather than Diplomacy. She was not the party face. Val spoke up only when another party members was digging him- or herself into a deep hole in their conversation.