D&D: How To Avoid Creating Bad DMPCs

In Dungeons & Dragons, one of the worst things that can happen to a campaign is a bad DMPC. If a good DMPC can raise a campaign to new heights, then a bad one can sink it to the lowest depths. The quality of a DMPC frequently reflects that of the campaign, so if one is used, it is crucial to do so properly.

There are several stories floating around of DMPCs who completely derail campaigns. Whether done intentionally or not, a DMPC should never detract from the player’s enjoyment of the game. The primary goal of the Dungeon Master is to make sure that the players are having fun, and every aspect of the campaign should be crafted with that goal in mind. With enough creativity, even ideas such as assassins as heroes or paladins as D&D campaign antagonists are viable.

There are a few common missteps that appear with bad DMPCs that every Dungeon Master should be aware of. By recognizing the frequent pitfalls, one can know exactly what to avoid when making a DMPC. Current and aspiring DMs should take great care to never fall into these common traps when making a DMPC.

D&D Parties Are The Stars Of The Story, Not The DMPC

Sometimes a Dungeon Master will get carried away when bringing their DMPC into a scene, and they wind up taking up much more of the session time than they should. They want their custom-made character to be important, but the issue comes when they start to overshadow the party. This is a very common problem with DMPCs, especially those that their creators are particularly enamored with.

One thing that a bad DMPC will do is become more important to the story than the party themselves. Often, this comes when the DM introduces homebrew into the campaign, but is so excited that they do not balance its usage. This particular variety of DMPC will get a lot of scenes where they dominate the attention of everyone present, and they will rarely if ever be portrayed as in the wrong on any topic. The party will just be expected to go along with their whims and wait for their chance to have control of a scene again. In particularly extreme examples, the party will be reduced to essentially being the DMPC’s sidekicks. Obviously, this makes the game less fun for the players. They want to be the heroes, not support for the Dungeon Master’s chosen one.

In order to avoid this problem, the DM should carefully plot out the DMPC’s role. They can be important, even vital to the story. However, even if the DM is excited to introduce something such as an evil D&D character who’s really a hero trying to save the world, they must remember that the starring role should always go to the players. No matter who the DMPC is in the world, the Dungeon Master should know when to have them step aside and let the players have the limelight.

DMPCs Should Not Be Much Stronger Than A D&D Party

If a Dungeon Master wants the DMPC to be strong, there’s nothing wrong with that. A more powerful, more experienced character can open the door for some good moments with the party. However, the problem comes when a DMPC is stronger than the player characters to an absurd degree. There is a significant difference between an experienced knight who aids the party against a stronger threat than usual with his great strength and endurance, and an overpowered magical warrior who effortlessly slays a threat that the party was in the middle of fighting. Learning this distinction is important for anyone who wants to create a strong DMPC.

A D&D party battling a higher-level creature monster with the help of a powerful DMPC is fine as a rare occasion. However, the DMPC should not be decimating everything in their path with ease. It is a similar problem to the DMPC that steals the spotlight from the party, and examples of one of these problems frequently include the other as well. When a DMPC is overwhelmingly strong to the point that they overshadow the party, it feels like the Dungeon Master views them as the protagonist rather than the players. It can be rather discouraging and alienating to some parties when it feels that their efforts are outshined by an absurdly strong DMPC.

There are ways for incredibly powerful characters to work in a campaign. For example, the headmaster of a mage’s academy could be a Level 20 Sorcerer, or a very high-level fighter could be the captain of the guard. Encounters in D&D cities and urban settings may be a good approach for these sorts of characters in order to downplay their immense power. However, a character this strong shouldn’t be a frequently-occurring DMPC unless the players are at a similar level of power. The players should feel powerful, and an absurdly strong DMPC can rob them of that feeling.

If A D&D Party Doesn’t Like The DMPC, It’s Time For A Change

When using a DMPC, the Dungeon Master should remain acutely aware of the players’ reactions upon their appearances. If the players are clearly having fun, bantering with the DMPC and using their in-character knowledge effectively, then all is going fine. However, if the party seems disinterested or annoyed when the DMPC shows up, that is a definite sign that something has gone amiss, and it is up to the DM to fix it.

In situations such as these, taking feedback from the players is important for improving in the future. Like what Abed’s roles as DM in Community show, ensuring player satisfaction is priority one. For example, a DMPC could be introduced who is intended to be incredibly confident, but his portrayal makes the players view them as insufferably smug and arrogant instead. Knowing the problem, the DM can attempt to solve it. This can be done by humbling the DMPC and having them acknowledge the party’s talents, or to change the DMPC into more of an opponent for the party to beat in the campaign.

Communication between the party and DM can turn a lackluster campaign into a good one, and the same holds true for DMPCs. Solving problems is every DM’s job in D&D, including problems that they may have created themselves. Some ideas that don’t work at first just need a little bit of work. Even if the DMPC ends up being scrapped entirely, it is better to remove an element that is diminishing the campaign rather than try to force it through at the expense of the players’ enjoyment.

A Dungeon Master who is devoted to making a satisfying campaign will heed the signs of a bad DMPC and craft their own accordingly. Remembering that the DMPC is a supporting player in the campaign and knowing the party’s preferences are good ways to avoid these problems. Keeping this in mind will help a Dungeons & Dragons campaign remain fun for everyone.

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