Things I've never done as DM

Agreed user.

I've never had a dmpc (as described in many threads here at tg).
But yeah, there are always an NPC that can bring the pc's into check if needed. The PC's will likely never meet said npc, but he's out there..waiting.

>But yeah, there are always an NPC that can bring the pc's into check if needed. The PC's will likely never meet said npc, but he's out there..waiting.

That's not it either. Strong NPCs being around and moving world events are a good thing. The setting should move as the players do rather than being static. Six months time can change a country enormously. The PCs may not even be involved in the change, but it will happen anyway because NPCs don't freeze the second they're out of the PC's frame of vision.

>>I've never fudged the dice
In this whole thread, this is the one thing I can proudly say I've never done and never felt any compulsion to do. Maybe I'll run NPCs where their entire character is five numbers that exist in my head, but once I pick those numbers they don't change. And I've always rolled either a digital die that everyone can see the result of or roll in plain view.

I do sometimes roll dice just to make players nervous at the sight, but that's more for atmosphere than for any actual purpose.

>I do sometimes roll dice just to make players nervous at the sight,

One of my favorite things to do.

Ask a pointless question that doesn't matter at that moment....like

>Hey, who's sleeping closest to the fire?
> "er, I am I guess"
>I make a couple rolls and smile.
>Ok.

Then I giggle inside at the looks of horror on the players face, just KNOWING that doom is coming.

Yep, there's absolutely no problem with having NPCs around with PC levels. They can even travel with and join the PCs on adventures. They can assist the party and accomplish things no PC could. They can be levels above or plot amounts of stronger than the PCs. They can even grow as characters and as statblocks. Whatever a DMPC is, none of those things are a problem. As long as the PCs are the heroes of the story, as long as the important moments are the PC's, as long as the NPCs aren't stealing the stage and large amounts of session time, you're good. Because you want to give the PCs a good viewpoint of the events occurring in the world, it's a good idea, even, to keep them close to these movers and shakers. As the campaign progresses, they can be the PCs' "in" to influencing the world.

Strong NPCs are also a good benchmark for players to reach. If you are saved by a paladin when you are level one only to surpass him 12-15 sessions later it feels good.

But the DMPC stereotype is more about a DM that is just there to ave a captive audience for his "muh epic" bullshit.

I feel obliged to tell you that the only thing you're doing is being tedious.

False.

>I have never flat out told the players "You can't do that" and "You can't go there because I have nothing prepared there."

>I have never attempted to kill a Player character out of spite.

>I have never gotten mad when players RPd among themselves, even if it went longer than fifteen minutes.

>I have not given all the spotlight to one player because I like them more than anybody else. (But damn if it isn't hard to get the less gregarious to go out and get the spotlight for themselves sometimes)

Addendum:
>I have never put the PCs in a cutscene. They can always interact with my NPCs, even when they are monologuing

>I've never gotten mad at a character for bringing torches to a forest where they know trolls exist.
>I've never made a character roll a CHA check after they've given a plausible argument IC.

>>I've NEVER tried to intentionally kill a PC, because I was in a bad mood, or irked at the player

I wish I could say that...
Done it once, years later I regretted it. Player turned into a huge shithead in-game without any justification and when asked to cut it out, he gave us false reassurance that he'll stop. Then he immediately tries to get the party killed and ditches them to "jack off at his place." I had the super-duper assassin dude they were after beat him to the punch and destroy him in two rounds. Not my proudest moment and never attempted ever again.

>I've NEVER tried to intentionally kill a PC, because I was in a bad mood, or irked at the player
Does it still count if I put them in a difficult fight and gave them a dozen rolls for them to not die once I realized how screwed they were?

Because I've done this who a player who complained that the campaign was too easy and generally acted like a cock whenever he wasn't in the spotlight but I also gave him several rolls to try and unfuck the situation (which he either failed or ignored).

6/6!

I feel better about myself already.

I've never plucked a rooster and I'm not too good at ping-pong
And I've never thrown my mashed potatoes up against the wall,
And I've never kissed a chipmunk, and I've never gotten head lice,
And I've never been to Boston in6 the fall.

>>I've NEVER had a DMPC super hero that surpassed the PC's
Absolutely did this.
But it was so he could get killed.
Like having Superman tell the Teen Titans to work crowd control while he takes care of the alien invaders, only to get slaughtered in seconds.

>>I've never fudged the dice
I've done this. But I use it as an absolute last resort now. It's often a sign of poor creativity.

>what separates a NPC from a DMPC
The difference is usually whether or not it's an issue to the players.
It's like the line between an obnoxious player and That Guy.
You're right in that it's a subtle, subjective line, but the term exists because some DMPCs have crossed that line.

>In this whole thread, this is the one thing I can proudly say I've never done
If this is true, you've been a horrible GM. I hope you're better now. You sound good.

I'll fudge the dice, but only to keep things interesting, whether it's to assure a PC makes a save(followed by fun/cool narration of their actions)or make sure the PC's are still being challenged in interesting ways.

I've never turned down an idea outright, and I always give bonus xp for creative solutions. RIDE THE DEMON CHICKEN INTO THE FOREST

Always good to see a fellow user with good taste.

Had a DM do something like this once, but it mostly came about because he kept overestimating how tough we were. Like the time he had 4 Purple Worms ambush us in an enclosed area, and had 3 immediately retreat because just one nearly instantly killed our party's tank on the first turn.

Or the time he threw a Wailing Banshee trap without realizing it was basically a Save-or-Die trap at our level. He was about to retcon it and replace it with something else...except 4 of us rolled out of habit and made or saves. He said if our 5th guy made the save, he would leave it and give us appropriate EXP for surviving it. He rolled....and got a 19, which was just enough make the save(if he rolled 17 or lower he would have died. Did I mention this was a really high level trap?). The EXP from survivig that trap by itself shot us up a level, and gave us about halfway to the next level.

I guess the upside to all that was we were leveling up stupidly fast, too fast in fact, and the game died because it was supposed to be a long campaign and we were level 15 by the time it really picked up, and the DM had no idea how to challenge us at that point.

>I've never accepted this old bromide: "a GM should never say 'no', it should be 'yes, and...' or 'yes, but...' "

This is a thing? There's times when a GM just needs to say no, especially if it's for the overall health of the game. If a player is butt hurt about that, they need to rethink a few things.

>I've NEVER liked any of the campaigns my players have found fun

>I've NEVER been asked if I want to take a break from GMing

>This is a thing?
Yeah, but I never took it as literally never say no.
more like if your player wants to play Captain McAwesome with tons of specialized gear at level one, instead of saying "No.", you say "Yes, but you have work up to it and quest for that gear."
that kind of thing.
Also, there's the fact that they can *attempt* anything.
>I beat the Tarraesque to death with my cock!
>Are you sure?
>Did I fucking stutter?
>Your attack hits but does no damage... and you are eaten and killed.