The Rise of the GMPC?

(Day 2! Fingers crossed.)

I have an account on the RPG Stack Exchange. It's a great resource if you have rules questions for an RPG. It's also pretty entertaining to browse questions for games that you don't play. I've found some pretty interesting games that way, like Fiasco and Dogs in the Vineyard. Lately, though, I've been seeing some worrisome questions show up there. They involve the GMPC.

The GMPC is a player character that's controlled by the Game Master. It's separate from an NPC (non-player character), in that the GMPC presumably creates this character the same way that the players do, and then proceeds to be a part of the party, fighting monsters, solving puzzles, and gaining treasure/XP like the players do.

I am absolutely baffled by how this would come about. As someone who has been a Game Master for a vast majority of their gaming career, the very idea of this is anathema to me. A Game Master has a literally unlimited number of NPCs that they control. They can create those NPCs to be any power level, and give them whatever they would like in terms of abilities and treasure. With all this at their fingertips, why would a GM need a GMPC?

I can sort of see the evolution of the idea. I've had NPCs that have turned in Mary Sues because I was too attached to them. Or I decided that my NPC couldn't be defeated by the players by any means, and could do whatever they wanted it. It's an ego trap that a lot of GMs fall into and I understand it well.

However, to take it one step further and actually make a character to travel with the rest of the party...What exactly is the point of that? As the DM, you know what the encounters are going to be, you know any secrets that the plot has, and you know where the bodies are buried. You can't exactly role-play with NPCs because you'd be playing both characters. You can't solve puzzles for the party, because you already know the answers.  What would you actually do as a GMPC, other than control your character in combat?

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that I believe the rise of the GMPC is because of the effect that video games have had on RPGs. I think that new players see the role of GM as boring and they want to take part in the same excitement that the other players are having. So they think "I'll make a character as well!"

Looking at the questions on RPG.SE, it seems like GMs are trying to help a party that they deem as 'too weak'. Whether it's having a small number of players, or lacking a specific party role (like leader, healer or tank), they want to try to fill that gap with an additional player. I see at least two problems here. One, a GM should have a good enough grasp of the game to approximate how difficult an encounter is. Yes, this is a skill that's learned through a lot of GM experience, but even a brand new GM should be able to prevent a total party kill (TPK) if they don't want it to happen.

Two, there's nothing that a GMPC can do that an NPC can't do as well. If the party needs a healer and nobody wants to play one, then they should try to recruit one inside the game itself or try their luck without one. An NPC healer serves the exact game purpose as a GMPC healer would. If the PCs wouldn't trust an NPC because of the GMs track record in running other NPCs, there's a bigger issue with the GMs style.

I don't want to get into too much "one-true-wayism", but I feel that a GMPC is ALWAYS a bad idea. An NPC can handle whatever role a GMPC would serve, and, by definition, an GM should be less attached to an NPC than they would be a GMPC. The desire to have an "awesome" GMPC can lead the GM down a slippery slope that can quickly kill a game if left unchecked. It's really just bad GMing taken to a  new level.

Story Inspiration: Random Magic the Gathering Cards

Note 1: This is Day One of writing a post each weekday. Let's see if I can keep it up!
Note 2: This is not an original idea, but really, what is? I may have gotten the idea from this article on Reddit, but it may have been a different source.

The next time you are stuck for a story idea for a fantasy-type game, give this a try. Go to magiccards.info. (Do this even if you have no idea what Magic the Gathering is.) Click on the "Random" link in the upper right corner of the screen. You'll be taken to a page with a random Magic card on it. If you like the card, record it. (Grab a screenshot, save the image, draw a picture of it in crayon on a napkin; Whatever floats your boat.) If you don't like the card, hit random again.

Do this until you have between 3 and 5 cards. I've had the best luck using three cards, but your mileage may vary. (Warning *TV Tropes* link.) Now, take the cards and use them to sketch the outline of a story, trying to incorporate the cards as best you can. The reddit article recommends creating slots like "the problem", "the setting", etc. That's perfectly valid if you find yourself needing some structure but don't feel too constrained by it. Also, don't feel you have to use a card exactly as it's presented; you're not going to get in trouble if you deviate from it.

Basically, just get your creative juices flowing! I've found this to be extremely helpful because it helps you look at different fantasy tropes in a new light. In all the D&D campaigns that I've run over the years, I've never used Merfolk of any sort. However, as you'll see below, I was able to come up with an interesting story involving them using this method. Maybe you'll have the same luck!

Here's a rough example of a story I came up with based on these three cards.

 

• A vicious plague is sweeping through a region. The local healers, usually known for their skill, are having problems trying to contain it.

• Their many tomes of healing are being erased by an unknown force. Investigating one of the 'crime scenes', the party discovers mud, puddles of water, and fish scales.

• These clues can be traced back to a nearby river, and a group of merfolk who have taken up residence there.

• The merfolk are using magical crystals that steal the text of the books and bringing them back to their master, Uthuun.

• Uthuun is a sphinx that has lived in the area for many generations. He resents the human civilization that is unknowing destroying his domain.

• Uthuun created the plague to drive out the humans or destroy them. However, due to his love of knowledge, he wishes to retain as much of their learning as possible.

• He also sees humans as being very powerful, and wants to unlock their secrets.

There you have it! A fast and easy method to generate a ton of stories. Give it a try the next time you are stuck for an idea.

Welcome

Hello! My name is Discord. I'm a cis-gender male in my mid-30s who's been gaming for around 20 years. My experience mostly lies in Dungeons and Dragons, starting in 2nd Edition, although I have a very strong background in AD&D. I've played 2nd Edition, 3rd & 3.5, and am now on to 5th Edition. I've also ran several Old World of Darkness (oWoD) games.

I'm also an avid Magic the Gathering player. My first cards were from Revised and Fallen Empires. I stopped playing somewhere around Urza's Saga, and then picked up seriously again during the Scars of Mirrodon block. During that hiatus, I managed to acquire a bunch of Coldsnap, Future Sight and Zendikar block cards as well. I play casual Magic with my gaming group once a week.

The purpose of this blog is to help get my creative juices flowing once again. Back in November of 2015, I finished running my first 5th Edition campaign. I liked the system a lot, but I was very burnt out on running a game. At the time we were alternating between two different campaigns, so it was very hard for the players to stay focused on the story. I was also very busy at work, and didn't have the energy to put into the game.

Right now, I'm beginning to feel the urge to run a game again. However, I want to make sure that I'm prepared to do so. One of my biggest issues with campaigns has always been running of steam. Generally, I can get a campaign started pretty well, but as we get higher level, either I don't know where the story need to go for it's logical conclusion, or I do know, but I don't know how to get the players there.

*Side Note* As an example, I once ran an oWoD game set in Boulder, Colorado. Because a couple of the players were moving away, the last 30 or 45 minutes of the session was just me telling the story while the players listened. Not exactly my finest moment.

At any rate, the purpose of this blog to get some of my thoughts down as I begin planning my new campaign. Honestly, I need the writing practice, as the extent of my writing for the past two years has mainly consisted of emails. I'm going to try to write on the blog every week day. If I can fit in weekends too, so much the better.

Again, welcome to the blog. I hope you enjoy!