[Troll Slayer] Player and GM power divide

[dindenver]

Hi!
  Try this maybe?

  Role:
  Come up with a list of roles usually performed by the GM and make sure it is clear what each role does, for instance:
  Rules Arbitration
  Challenge setting
  Narrative control
  Group management (managing lulls in the game or whatever)
  Event coordination (Letting everyone know when to show up, etc.)

  Bidding
  Have the players bid tokens. to get tokens follow this steps:
  Give each player 9 tokens
  Players can nominate other players to get between 0-5 more tokens based on their estimation of their ability to perform these roles (1 for each category)
  Once all the tokens are dispersed, bidding begins
  The high bidder decides whether to take the role on solo or who they want to share it with.

  This way players invested in some aspect or other will be able to "go for it" and even the parts people are not interested in will go to someone...

  The reward becomes letting players do what they like. And if they are good ay what they like to do, the other players will reward them with more tokens...

[ffilz]

I have done the NPC as party healer/buffer before, and that is a decent role. One trouble there is that if a spell casting type is really worthwhile to the party though, and assuming it is interesting to play, players will be interested in playing it.

Hmm, one thought I have is that I handle the levelling up etc. for one or two NPCs, but the players run them in combat since in combat I can make plenty of interesting tactical opportunities for the opposition.

Dave, hmm, there's some possibilities there. Obviously some of them have to be taken on by the person initiating the game for the first session, but if the bidding/awarding is done each session (or maybe every adventure), it could work. Hmm, for the bidding to work though, you might need more roles than people to prevent people from just bidding all their tokens on the thing they really want to do (at which point you're really just voting on who you think would be best for each role). What would be interesting is if some roles wound up not being bid on because no one thinks they're worthwhile (sort of like how some folks have suggested that every elected office require a certain minimum number of votes, and if no one gets that many votes, the position isn't filled).

Thinking about your list though, I see one reason the traditional GM in a traditional long running regularly scheduled game almost always ends up being the event coordinator - they're the only player who MUST be present to play, so it's easiest to just communicate if you can make it or not to the GM, who will then announce if the game is on or not (very quickly if she will miss a session).

Callan, on the PC sacrificing in the front line - sure, it would take a pretty cooperative group, but I tend to go for such cooperative groups. Of course it may be possible to discourage that strategy by setting the payoff such that it doesn't pay to work that way.

Frank

[dindenver]

Hi!
  OK, I have to chime in on the old DMPC issue. First, I think it's a bad idea. In fact, if you check out the "What's a DM to do?" forums on the wotc discussion boards, you will see that it is a common prob (taking up between 5-10% of posts).
  Advantages:
  Gives you a hand in the player side of the narrative
  Gives you a voice to help the players out with dificult puzzles/clues
  Gives you a char to play if you switch GMs

  Disadvantages:
  Nerfing - DM may be tempted to nerf their GMPC so as not to steal the limelight from the regular party
  Showboating - DM may be tempted to cast his character in a role that alleviates the need for the rest of the party
  May distract the GM from their other considerable duties

  There is probably more issues I cannot think of now, but you get the idea. As you have already experienced, it "can" be a good thing. But it is a fine line to tread to get to the point where a DMPC is a positive thing.
  Good luck!

[ffilz]

Dave - some good thoughts on the pitfalls of GM PCs.

I think this thread is starting to wander and we're bouncing around various hypotheticals. I think at this point, I really need to take all the input that has been shared so far and really think it over, and then come back later with a very specific draft of rules for comment. If anyone has some experiences with GM PCs they would like to share (especially if you have some good experiences, or experiences that suggest ways to improve the idea), I'd invite you to post them in Actual Play.

Frank