DM Makes Mary Sue NPC The Main Character, Backfires Horribly

[@samkibbey6321]

DM: THE CENTAUR IS WAITING FOR YOU BACK IN TOWN! ME: I ... I just ... I put my crossbow in my mouth DM: HE'S GOT SHINY NEW ARMOR! ME: It's been a pleasure fighting along side you all

[@thegoldenone3428]

Lmao

[@Raymond13557]

Artificer: you know, we could just... ditch him again. DMPC: You can't for I have the boots of jiffy poof, if you leave I'll be there! Rogue: YOU ARE A CENTAUR! YOU CANNOT WEAR BOOTS! DMPC: I ... Can turn into a human that CAN. Party: ♫Fuck this shit we're out♪

[@manboy4720]

@@Raymond13557 "i'll put on human feet on top of my hooves, then i put the shoes on the human feet on my hooves!'

[@manboy4720]

what's the spell to explode myself?

[@thewovenmantis6813]

This comment made my day lmfao

[@davidspring4003]

See, the race should have been a major red flag for the DMPC. He wanted to be the centaur of attention.

[@mathisntmybestsubject8440]

Nice wordplay.

[@SymbioteMullet]

Golf clap

[@dracokaleb1239]

I hate that this got a chuckle out of me. Well played.

[@viennasavage9110]

I love you

[@rynslev]

i was going to make this joke but in my heart i knew it had already been said

[@ThatOneMan830]

I love how the party effectively went, “if it bleeds, we can kill it” after realizing that the centaur could be hit at all.

[@fleshdadbot6852]

There is no foe that cannot been slain with enough steel With enough effort, even gods shall bleed

[@lucky6961]

​@@fleshdadbot6852 or silver

[@Araidiara]

@@fleshdadbot6852 that is until the fourth wall erases you from existence out of sheer pettiness

[@TheXLink]

"If you stat it, they will kill it"

[@Yojimbo16]

For a second there near the end I thought the DM was going to say "As you thrust your sword into the centaur's body, it phases through. It's a hologram!"

[@Chaseman-ll5co]

Rezmir, part 2: “Truer” hero

[@StSubZero]

Rezmir: "Finally, a worthy opponent! Our battle of cringe mary-sue DMPCery shall be legendary!"

[@ooftime2557]

"And then rezmir comes out of the bush and everyone clapped"

[@lastpringle8904]

Honestly, if I were to make a DMPC (I'd have to get started playing as a player first) I'd make a character called Reznov that just shows up to slap a player and vanished, maybe one single time per session Wouldn't even do damage, I'd just have everyone role to see who gets slapped

[@evanbyrain]

@@lastpringle8904 real perfect dmpc

[@SamueltheHamuel]

Literally raises his OC from the dead as a demigod and rips up a character sheet. Then the entire party just starts talking about a new session just ignoring him. Priceless.

[@Mr.2Dirty]

I love the moment when one player just looks at OP with the most amount of “I’m done” energy like “So you need a break bro or you got something planned?” and OP just went “…yea gimme a week.”

[@Zetact_]

See, an NPC being a centaur who is good at everything and has deep ties with the group could work. That describes actually Chiron. Key difference: Chiron's students surpassing him is the point.

[@Fly-the-Light]

Should have just made him a Chiron-rip off

[@Yojimbo16]

Chiron the Mage from Yu-Gi-Oh?

[@williamharmon4039]

@@Yojimbo16 Chiron, the teacher of heroes from Greek legend.

[@Yojimbo16]

@@williamharmon4039 I know, it's just that Chiron the Mage from Yu-Gi-Oh was the first time I've heard that name, and iirc, it references the Chiron you're talking about in the Trivia page.

[@williamharmon4039]

@@Yojimbo16 Fair enough.

[@weeaboojones5688]

Honestly at this point, I don't get why DMs like that don't just...write their own self-contained book

[@mathisntmybestsubject8440]

Nothing like having a captive audience.

[@xavierkazoo1619]

Why write a book when you can force real people to suffer through it instead?

[@Captaincory1]

Because then people could just toss the book in the fireplace after seeing how bad their writing is, at the tabletop they have a captive audience they could force to experience their atrocious storytelling for as long as possible

[@xyxxyyxx]

Probably because writing has a different skillset and those DMs can't be bothered to learn how to write. Also you can't easily force people to read your book

[@minamajikina8075]

Because no one would want to read it.

[@forseti9006]

I like how the thumbnails for videos on Mary Sue MC Syndrome players regularly have Kirito in them

[@scientist368]

The dude kept coming back from the power of love in a setting which makes no sense cause the game would limit him and he would die like the bitch he was.

[@Kurotekken]

Kind of off topic for the video, but I'm baffled as to why so many people insist SAO "is good for the first two seasons" or something to that effect. It's so cringe and one dimensional.

[@aliallail9874]

@@Kurotekken Abridged SAO on the other hand...

[@Samuraiedge2]

Well, when people think Mary Sue, Kirito is the arguably the most exposed in the West.

[@Garlicbreadsupremacist631]

The dude is a class A Mary Sue

[@littleperson8315]

i literally cant get over how they ditched him, proceeded to kill him later, he rises from the dead, *rips up a character sheet*, and expects them to STILL BE COOL WITH HIS BS like, him actually being surprised that they didnt want him to dm next week is so insane

[@knju1monsterhunt656]

Im surprised his nose didn't get broken from the sheet-tearing thing.

[@bettycharms]

I would of turned to violence as well.

[@kittikats]

I'm surprised the TL:DR didn't have "DM makes himself the Centaur of attention". Missed opportunity

[@drdoominstien713]

@@kittikats I thought this too

[@MusMasi]

I am surprised that they allowed him to stay playing with the group, the guy has social/mental problems for sure.

[@shaurmiath6719]

Ripping up a character sheet is beyond the pale. I can't even imagine having the audacity to do that to one of my players. It takes a lot of time to write up a character; even if my character died, I'd want to keep the sheet. Doing something like that out of spite would be grounds to get kicked out of the group.

[@DOKTORPUSZ]

Yeah for real if someone did that to me they would need to immediately protect whatever belongings they had around them, because something would be getting smashed.

[@Deadendv1]

Thats crazy I still have a binder with every character sheet that was given to me and I haven't played since 4th edition came out.

[@MusMasi]

@thunderdrae7749 It wasn't even MIn-Max it was just straight up cheating and inventing BS hes the bloody DM ffs.

[@thahirshibu5042]

is it possible to tape that sheet back together? I know its a sentimental thing and getting it torn to bits hurts like hell, but can you?

[@shaurmiath6719]

@@thahirshibu5042 It really depends on how thoroughly it's been ripped and if all the pieces can be recovered, and even then, it would probably take a ton of work.

[@anthonytonythegeek5561]

The “romance scene” between the bar maid and the centaur reminded me of that scene from space balls where Darth helmet was playing with dolls XD

[@LokiJDeWitt]

Me too lol

[@nintendo917]

"Lord" Helmet

[@piedpiper1185]

No sir! I did not see you playing with your dolls again!

[@rosehearttoxic1691]

@Jayden Farley yup its a real film and a good parody also check out thumb wars

[@InkWarrior]

YOU DIDN'T SEE HIM PLAYING WITH HIS DOLLS!

[@firockfinion3326]

The way they just straight up said, "okay so you're DMing next week, right?" Like damn bro, we need to report a murder. XD

[@flameofmage1099]

In my opinion, if you're going to use a DMPC, choose a healer or something so you can keep the party alive without tricks.

[@Dreams_Of_Lavender]

I haven't played much but that's usually how I'd want to do it. Try to cover a hole in a small party, but if the party's big enough to already have all the bases covered, then don't.

[@jessicaschoen6647]

I've usually tossed a healer in as a DMPC, letting a player do the roles and movement in combat and keeping the character mostly quiet. Other NPCs, such as hired guides, have been made to be pretty dumb, which my players have picked on me for. One was guiding the party in the Underdark and found an ambush. Whenever he mentioned that it looked like an ambush ahead, he was referred to as Captain Obvious by the party. Now whenever something like that comes up, we joke 'This is a table!' as one of the players was making fun of just how dumb the NPC was at pointing out the obvious and that was the first callout they made.

[@billeckert6614]

Yeah when I did a DMPC I grabbed a healer as they had NONE

[@deathsecretary2055]

A really powerful fighter DMPC could work and be fun if they were the "do it yourself and don't bother me for anything less than the actual end of the world " type. I might do this next campaign.

[@buggart]

If I was a GM my DMPC would be a bard. No, he doesn't do anything that special. All he does will annoy the players with rhymes and the only way to make him shut up is by playing along with him for a minute. The reward is a special little buff that will add 1% of all stats for at least 30 minutes before the bard will go back to his usual antics.

[@alricmalicorne321]

A nice plotwist would have been that it was the DM's intention all along, to push them to the brink of insanity just so they could overcome his creation through sheer spite. "And as the centaur breathed his last, a spell was undone, and all could see the nightmarish creature that laid under the glamour..."

[@maltancrusader]

dude that could have salvaged the entire campaign.

[@toxicdemon1315]

Would've been way better, ngl. I could see it clearly in my mind. Picture this, he gives a huge smile and begins to narrate: "As your sword connects to deliver the final blow, the spell around him breaks, showing the monster hiding beneath the glitz and glamor, and all around you, the landscape changes, revealing the devastation the centaur spread, disguised as goodwill and benevolence under layers of illusion."

[@alphons1456o]

@@toxicdemon1315 Make it so that the party was tasked with hunting a cowardly fey doppelganger or something similar, then have the centaur DMPC show up. Constantly throw hints that the centaur, despite portraying himself as a powerful warrior, cowers away or doesn't choose to fight. Then make it so that the entire town and quest givers realize they were fooled as well

[@kingcyclops4079]

Bro that would be insane. The BBEG just created an illusion monster to divert the party away from his evil plans.

[@DevilPogoStick]

Honestly, I find it hilarious and cathartic that everyone just practically rolled their eyes, all decided to just end the total bullshit, and just start another game. Like they don't even bother giving this scenario an ending nor give the DM any sort of satisfaction with his crap. And all he can do is give the surprised pikachu face. If the DM's OC can't be killed, may as well ignore him.

[@skywoofyt5375]

The main characters all flee from the town and live in hiding, for the fear of unfortunately meeting the centaur again.

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

The Centaur becomes real and makes everybody like him and then goes back into the game. Maybe he'd try this.

[@InsanityVirus]

I'm amazed they kept him in the group after that, especially considering the OP said he kept altering numbers. Why keep him around after drama like that and known, proven cheating? Just fucking kick the man and end the stupid drama

[@barneymcwhat6241]

maybe he also brought the good snacks every week

[@tsubakiofmelancholy6297]

@@barneymcwhat6241 He had all the figurines and die they used as well. LOL

[@efrenenverde]

Maybe they were coworkers or friends IRL

[@mauro_carvajal]

while the person was a terrible DM and a megalomaniac i thing it was never rude, so maybe is not that bad as a player, maybe the cheating was one time ot they could be friends that could actually talk about rights and wrongs

[@liamdalemon1525]

YOU KEEP HIM AROUND FOR THE SOUL PURPOSE OF TORMENTING THIS INSUFFERABLE FOOL!!!

[@HanyouDante]

The DM's PC truly was the centaur of attention.

[@kidashian4658]

I came here to see if anyone else said it. I couldn't stop thinking about it through the video!

[@Maesoagaming]

Damn, you beat me to it.

[@DerpsWithWolves]

@@Maesoagaming Same.

[@CatoNovus]

I had to check the comments. The fact it wasn't used in the video made me question myself if it actually made sense. Thank you.

[@cpt.awesome7281]

@@kidashian4658 Absolutely. Me too.

[@gauracappelletti3893]

I can't imagine having so little self awareness that you would counter player criticism by just having NPCs praise your own character

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

He might be mentally "challenged" in some high-functioning way. I suspect something on the Autism scale because of his lack of awareness, that other people don't find everything that he does for himself is fun. I'm not defending him, but, I don't know, I don't think he's necessarily a bad person. Probably just doesn't have that much self-awareness. I used to struggle with that too, and I did really stupid things without realizing it. There's just more to it I think. Edit: Thumbs up for you. I'm pretty high btw I've smoked.

[@gauracappelletti3893]

autism doesn't take away your ability to understand that other people exist separately

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

@@gauracappelletti3893 Bitch please. There are different types of autism. It's a wide scale full of variations to stereotypes, and everybody gets affected differently. I know autism, and very well so. It can definitely take away awareness of any kind, but also give it to extraordinary extents.

[@gauracappelletti3893]

@@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe everyone in my immediate family is on the spectrum, none of us fail to understand that other people have their own perspective. Figuring out that perspective can be difficult, yes, but we're talking about a guy who praised himself as other characters without realizing how that comes across

[@YourIQDoesntMeanShitToMe]

​@@gauracappelletti3893 So? Your family is your family and doesn't prove you right. A lack of self-awareness is still a symptom or sign of Autism (and/or other disorders) and always will be. Not everyone on the spectrum has the damn same issues.

[@CoreXion_]

So, the DM felt that he had to create a perfect DMPC and by picking a Centaur he made sure that the DMPC was literally hung like a horse and had female NPCs lusting after him... think tiny bit of overcompensation.

[@chosenuwu]

i did not think about that oh nonononoo

[@fabienchamberland4791]

Ok, real question, would it be beastiality? The genitals arent human genitals, but the mind is human-like so is it beastiality?

[@leila13dnd]

Funfact: this whole thing could have been saved if the DM had simply made the centaur the final boss from the get go since the party hated his guts. That would have been hilarious and actually smart, but alas.

[@markfreenick]

He was his favourite marti sue so he cant let players win vs him.

[@zigzackb2036]

the DM rping with himself just brought up a bunch of Lord Helmet VIbes

[@nathanross5527]

That was my thought as well. The difference being, the DM didn't mind his friends watching

[@robertbryant8243]

@@nathanross5527 Could you imagine how different that scene could have been? "Oh Schwartz, please don't make us watch you play with your dolls again!"

[@hasseo195]

My brother and i are doing it actually. Whe wanted to try dnd, but it didnt worked really. Know whe try it only with 2 people. I have 3 charas, he has 2 (his own and a healer as filler). To manage the interactions, whe speak more as narrator, instand of speaking like the chara himself. It isnt as diverse as with a Real group. But its easier for the controll of the Story.

[@nathanross5527]

@@hasseo195 oh yeah, when there's only a couple of you, you don't have much choice. Gotta do whatever works. As long as you're not inviting friends to play in the group and then just doing that in front of then

[@philclip23]

I DIDN'T SEE YOU PLAYING WITH YOUR DOLLS AGAIN, SIR

[@chuchupow]

As a DM who used to do this when starting out, I still get nightmare's of doing this. My fear of ghosts has honestly been overidden by the fear of being a bad/cringy DM again

[@rei8694]

recognizing it is the first step, I’m sure you’re doing great :)

[@mrrizzla4961]

We all make mistakes in the beginning. The key is to learn from them. Many of the tales on Critcrab are from stubborn DM / Players who refuse to change their ego stroking ways.

[@manboy4720]

you've done a lot better then any of these nightmare dms, trust me.

[@alejandrocamberosrodriguez4222]

The fact that you acknowledge you're afraid of falling back into those habits already says that you're trying to improve and become a better DM. Just for that, you're already better than certain DMs that just jack off behind the screen. Keep going!

[@kroww5h848]

You've improved, everyone still has cringy memories that big them every single night, accepting that you were cringe but aren't anymore is the first step to accepting cringy memories and ignoring them. Shit happens man.

[@ZandorDaysev]

Just... Why? DM are already above gods... Why they keep making Mary Sues? It's like cheating in competitive on-line games... Where is the fun?

[@merphul]

TTRPG's are meant to be collaborative fun, but some DM's seem to think they're actually supposed to be an omniscient god telling their amazing story rather than the narrator/referee. Some people handle authority and power very poorly.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

Because they can't find a DM who lets them play their Mary Sue characters in their game.

[@merphul]

@@schwarzerritter5724 running a super DMPC must be an obsessive power gamers wet dream.

[@ZandorDaysev]

@@schwarzerritter5724 When everybody is super... No one will be.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

@@ZandorDaysev Of course the DM doesn't want everyone to be super. What is a mary sue without legions of people admiring it?

[@theegg141]

4:00 “This centaur was always the center of attention” There’s such a good opportunity for a dad joke there that I’m so sad was missed..

[@chosenuwu]

omfgl mao

[@sorenweber5684]

This Centaur was always the Centaur of Attention

[@liamdalemon1525]

"I had actual math on my side" OP: wait is that... addition on ability scores? D&D is just numbers, your great at adding numbers, you can add numbers! (OP starts running calculations) DMPC: it's over players. I'll revive you once it's done OP: hey Centaur, you know what's cooler than magic? (attacks hit the Centaur as he screams in agony and eventually dies) OP: *MATH!!!*

[@prkr07]

*Captain America point* I understood that reference

[@SondaroSasuke]

Not gonna lie, this whole centaur character stealing everything kinda feels like a cool idea for a villain everyone think is a hero, but the characters just want him murdered, so it makes you question who the villain is... Idk, some weird ideas, could be interesting to explore with a comfortable table that agreed with it.

[@generalgamer50]

I had this same thought as well, my question would be how to get a table to agree, while keeping it a twist that this is the villain? I was thinking something like this DMPC has been a part of the party for so long that the party starts to plan murder behind the back of this demigod DMPC, because only they know how messed up they are in private/away from public eye. It could be fun, but would require pretty good acting skills from dm lmao

[@WizardMathis]

I was thinking exactly this halfway through the video. If I can figure a way to work it into the story, I know my current table would LOVE to hate this kind of villain together.

[@tokiwartooth9935]

Play it like Lord Flashheart from the show Blackadder, he's the hero everyone knows and admires (even some in the party) and somehow always gets credit for saving the day no matter how little he contributed. For an added twist you can make unintentional, he doesn't think he's stealing the spotlight from the party or goes out of his way to be antagonistic. He just always manages to be in the right place at the right time and gallantly arrives to get the last hit in a theatrical way or connects something questionable he did earlier as having set up the end result for the party. He genuinely believes he did good, and as a result so does the rest of the world.

[@davidhodgson1011]

2 words.... Zapp Brannigan

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

I think Captain Hammer also fits the mold

[@hiropisku1078]

DM's brilliant plan: - Make a character that isn't possible to achieve through mixing all the classes. - Make said character be the center of attention and ignore players to make them seem awesome - When players leave without centaur, make your character even stronger while stealing achievements from players - Suprise Pikachu face when they decide to attack your flawless character who hasn't been suffocating them *BIG Brain time* Use your DM powers to revive your centaur as a Demi god and kill player character so they can bask in your presence. - Shock that players don't want to be in Dungeons and Centaur anymore

[@yourlocalanarchylovingcatguy]

It ain’t Dungeons and Centaur, it’s just Centaur and Centaur

[@Danube-TV]

​@@yourlocalanarchylovingcatguy It isn't even Centaur and Centaur, it's just: "The Centaur Show" with French dub: "Centaur & Cie"

[@n.clampitt]

It's the shock that gets me. Even for being self-unaware, this was insane.

[@ZorotheGallade]

12:15 I'm going to gamble a guess and put my sand dollars on "DM pulls out some bullshit reason that gives the centaur an instant true resurrection and smites the entire party"

[@ZorotheGallade]

Called it.

[@mothichorror446]

I mean, both answers were right

[@crabruler1590]

I expected the DM to say "well no, your character can't do that." Sadly, I was incorrect, as that would have been better than him somehow becoming a demi-god.

[@Ender41948]

@@ZorotheGallade Man put on his glasses and read this DM like a book.

[@amelonnamedkate1400]

The fact that they all tried to kill this man’s character for being annoying is the highlight of my day

[@lucky6961]

annoying is to little, he was having roleplay with himself and didn't even notice people talking around him

[@angryretailbanker5103]

In fairness, that final session sounded like a lot of fun. A party teaming up to defeat and undefeatable near-godlike character is exciting, and the actual victory must have been cathartic and something they remembered fondly and with pride for years to come.

[@SilverDungeoneer]

I made a DMNPC Warforged Cleric because the party consisted of a fighter, a rogue, and a fighter/wizard dual class. Nobody had any support and they kept nearly dying so I though I would help them out with a healer bot. They bullied him because he was only good for healing and usually failed when trying to attack anything. I did that because I didn't want to make him an OPDMPC. I still have his stat sheet as well. 9 in strength, 16 in dexterity, 20 in con, 11 in intelligence, 18 in wisdom, and 10 in charisma. Why was he so bad at attack despite the really good scores? Because he took almost no offensive spells. but when I got tired of playing that DMPC, I tried to kill him off... and they resurrected him. They actually liked him enough to prevent him from dying and they thought of him as my character in the story. And that's how my DMNPC durned into a DMPC. Did I do it right?

[@iateitguy903]

If they were invested enough to keep 'em around, I'd say yes.

[@SnivyTries]

"Hey look, we know we mock you a lot for not being able to kill things, but like...we do actually appreciate you not letting us die, so um...here's a diamond on your corpse and a handwritten note saying sorry"

[@MusMasi]

yes

[@PaytonTate]

Usually I find that the best way to bring in DMPCs is to just use them to fill out party roles. Like if the healer & the DPS break off from the group and they need someone to tank shots. Or if the party could use a healer who can also give them some exposition about the world. All you really need for a good DMPC is a light touch, and to treat them like any other NPC. Anyway, awesome video as always CritCrab!

[@vincentcrow6075]

It's still awkward. Like playing chess with yourself. While group of people watching you doing it.

[@nicholasscovelle1772]

resently Iv started the porsses of demoting a DMPC I had in my Pathfinder game down to just a normal NPC I made the DMPC because everyone who was playing at the time where all new to Pathfinder and I wanted to help them out but at this point the party is larger its gone from 3 to 5 PC and they all are more coftable with the system so Il be removing the DMPCs abilaty to partisapate in combate and only keep them around for the story hooks (they are a story npc) well that and the fact she is the gilfind of one of the players PCs

[@taylordwatson]

I gave my party a Warforged Fighter Champion that was a prototype from ages past. It had Microsoft Sam's voice with 5 different responses and could be ordered around by the party. If they didn't order it, it would act in self defense (dodge/attack back only). It was fun to give the squishy party a tank that wasn't too OP (forgetting to order it created some funny situations).

[@silentvi6788]

Maybe because we should play those DMPC more NPS. I remember one day when I use bunch of low level fighters to support the group, because it's players who hired them at first place.

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

So far the only decent way to use a DMPC (at least according to the group I host) seems to be to set up a BBEG. For instance, maybe the BBEG kills off the DMPC to establish they are a big threat?

[@Its-Quirky]

The last time a DM tried to be a Mary Sue in his own campaign to make us play backseat, one of us was petty enough to actually take the page and rip it up in front of the DM's eyes. Because my friend, himself, is a very well tailored dm, and doesn't stand for bullshit xD safe to say we weren't allowed back into his campaign If anyone was curious, it was an anti-paladin that could STILL use paladin abilities...

[@karisasani7006]

In other words that dmpc was an oathbreaker

[@Its-Quirky]

@@karisasani7006 Eh, sorta. Anti-Paladin had some mild Homebrew abilities, but used Negative energy rather than positive. It's been roughly 5+ years, so it's hard to recall the set-up

[@KingsNerdCave]

DMs like this need to just write a book. I love that the players just decide to kill his super strong character and actually pull it off despite him reverting it. Leading to them just picking OP to start up a new game, good for them not putting up with it any longer.

[@ShyBiiteVT]

I like to imagine that OP's next game after this had the centaur as the BBEG who was a master of deception and used that to make the entire world outside the players believe he was this amazing, godly being that they should all love and worship.

[@animeotaku307]

Considering that the previous DM is still with the group, I doubt it. I think he’d rage quit as soon as he found out.

[@kyleanderson449]

@@animeotaku307 so a good idea! Great way to get rid of him. Especially when he can't flip a table during remote play.

[@matthewthiessen2173]

Pro tip for the next time anyone plays with a GM who pulls this shit: ask to see the DMPC's character sheet, when they hand it over, look over the (Usually) ridiculously high, and often made up, numbers, and then start to compliment them on their ability to write numbers on a piece of paper. Seriously, just lay it on thick how impressive it is that they are able to formulate numbers in their head and then transcribe those numbers onto paper. It may bring them down to earth a bit, or it may go right over their head, either way, it's a lot of fun.

[@DXYS95]

Sometimes DMs will come up with a DMPC and they'll tell everyone how badass they are, how they fought against 20 men alone and came out on top. And all I can think of is "okay, so? You just made that up". It's so hard to understand why DMs do this. On top of that these DMPCs have plot armor, just in case you manage to outsmart and get rid of them. I'll definitely ask for that sheet from now on though

[@tibik.8407]

@@DXYS95 "It's so hard to understand why DMs do this." High insecurity or lack of actually playing instead of DM-ing, wet dreams of power-fantasy both in-game and IRL, and the delusion that this is what his game can, should and will be about. The players? Nah, they are just here for the show, they are lucky if then can be even included, they should be thankfull your self-insert prince can walk all over them, whils't being simped upon by other characters who the man makes up in his head, probably his past classmates, crushes or internet-personel. It's sad, really.

[@DiscordTDD]

My favorite dmnpc was one i had to make up on the fly for someone to talk to, named him sham as in (sham character) guy and party loved him and brought him on the adventure, bbeg ended up kidnapping him and basically him a zombie Buttler and when the party tried to save him ended up accidentally killing him, now they plan to cremate him with alcohol because its what he would have wanted.

[@gorvarhadgarson5227]

Same happened with a batiri goblin in a ToA campaign I ran...they named him Gobbo and helped him become an paladin of Ubtao. DnD, the game where bullshit decisions happen and your players eat that shit up

[@DiscordTDD]

Indeed it is, indeed it is

[@manboy4720]

rest in peace sham he died as he lived: covered in alcohol.

[@berenromkey4225]

My party had no healer so I made Eric the Cleric is my DMPC. Everyone loved him so now in a new game he’s my player character

[@backtoklondike]

This made me think of an campaign idea where the Mary Sue DMPC is actually working for the BBEG. Like the reason they are so powerful, beloved and keep overshadowing the party is because they are threating the NPCs when the party isn't around. All in order for party to never reach the BBEG. But the party is supposed to figure it out at some point thanks to the DM giving out hints that maybe this isn't actually his selfinsert fanfic.

[@thatstranger6114]

"... Talk about how famous he was, how handsome he was, how charming..." Looks like somebody saw Gaston as the hero of the story.

[@mirirabinowitz3629]

So you could say the DMPC was the CENTAUR of attention

[@matthewthiessen2173]

Son of a bitch stole my line. ;)

[@TheToonpimp]

Corner of shame.... Right now...

[@mathisntmybestsubject8440]

Nice wordplay ;)

[@MiraTheWarlock]

Corner, now

[@4717-b7j]

Lol shoulda known this joke was already made (an better)

[@rossjohnstone4689]

Hey Centaur! There's an airship over there! I think you'll fit in just fine :3

[@TheRenofox]

Now that I think of it, the infamous airship would make for a great adventure. The party is excited to go adventuring with a crew of demigods, only to gradually realize that they're basically prisoners of these OP characters who don't think they could survive on their own. It might take too much intelligence from most players, but I for one would love a game where you have to keep up the charade while secretly finding gaps in the security and preparing a way to escape the ship.

[@ajn_rules_5074]

After all these horror stories, DMPC is worried some enough, but a homebrew one is just a giant red flag. I'm thankful to have a DM that would never use this, we sometimes just have a temporary NPC that had relation to one of the parties. Not force down our throats from the very start as an all-important character. But for the most part, our adventures have only been just the party which is more than perfect.

[@danielmbg]

DMPCs aren't the real problem though, I usually use them to cover the holes in the party's stats, and they're a great tool for keeping the story on track, and giving the players something to care about. The whole point though is that DMPCs aren't the protagonists, they can't be overpowered or be the ones solving the problems. When I do them I treat them as characters who can die at any time, and depending on the situation let the players roll for them.

[@gathererofmagic5350]

Yea I tun NPC not PCs they come an go sometimes a few levels above the party but I use them for story reasons an then their gone. Or I dramatically kill them off to make the PCs mad at whatever killed them.

[@MrBoltstrike]

I agree with the above. In my most recent game, I had to deploy the DMPC. I had planned for an NPC on their pirate ship to become a major antagonist later on but my party failed to pick up on any of the hints in the setting and also showed no initiative to interact with the quests and plot threads, so the DMPC was literally there for me to feed hints to them and get them on track before betraying them. I may sound like I'm exaggerating, but I really did feel sick and disappointed in myself for needing a DMPC to chaperone my group. They still took a back seat and never spoke unless the party hit an awkward pause or started to walk away from critical items/npcs as though they forgot about them.

[@LucyTheBox]

I'm sometimes really scared of accidentally creating some form of DMPC. I randomly generate other adventurer groups the players can come across. There was this one group of 3 adventurers that my players instantly took a liking to and wanted to go on an adventure with. This resulted in a 6 man party made up of 50% NPC characters.

[@smugpittbull]

I don't do any DMPCs. If the party needs help, I might have a "help for hire" character. They only will help them with whatever quest they are on, but they typically don't do much in terms of puzzles and roleplay. They're solely for helping with tough encounters.

[@legomaniac213]

6:36 Dark Helmet: "Did you see anything?!!" Col. Sandurz: "No, sir, I didn't see you playing with your dolls again!"

[@thecamper127]

It's kinda surprising how well this ended, they didn't have a big fight, the dude just wasn't dm anymore and it kinda nice to hear it had a mostly happy ending

[@savvypanda4974]

Despite the DM learning absolutely nothing, being toxic and utterly unaware, I think there is a bigger happy ending to this than most people realize. First, everyone just rolled with “yeah, screw it. New game” and STILL invited the problematic DM. No heavy drama, no pettiness, no screaming or property damage (beyond OP’s character sheet.) Just brush it off and move on. Very mature and good to hear. The only lingering factor of malcontent is the DM trying to cheese his character with phony buffs. Something that should be addressed in the future, but it seems like the group is onto him. DM needs to learn to save his power fantasies for single player games and fanfiction. The other positive note? The new player doesn’t get disillusioned and ends up DMing too. It really warms my heart that she stuck with it and is having fun. You can have fun playing a fantasy game with your friends and still be a reasonable adult. They aren’t mutually exclusive.

[@Daelyah]

I wouldn't want to game with someone like that, and if it ever happened, I'd either ban him from future sessions or look for a new group. I'm there to have fun, not to babysit a cheater.

[@rollfaceonkeyboard]

@@Daelyah yeah I don't see it as a win to just let a person get away with that. And move on like they didn't waste dozens of hours of your leisure time. Calling someone out for being an ass and ruining everyone else's fun. Isn't petty or wrong conflict happens just putting up with toxic terrible people to keep the peace. Isn't actually a win.

[@Former_Halo_Fan]

@@Daelyah It's possible that they interact with each other outside of D&D, and simply value that relationship more than they value D&D.

[@Daelyah]

@@Former_Halo_Fan With personal experience, though, I don't trust people in general that are willing to cheat at the gaming table. It's one thing if someone is modding up a personal solo game, but another if they are rigging a game they share with others for their own personal favor. Call it mere correlation, but anyone I gamed with who cheated at the table also liked to pull other BS in our social lives. Got too tiring to maintain friendships with people like that...

[@ButterflyScarlet]

@@Daelyah Yeah it does kinda imply they they have some kind of interpersonal problem. I mean, its DnD. The whole point of the game is to make shit up and have fun with friends as a team. Anyone who pulls this kind of shit just makes it super clear that they do not value other people's wants, needs, and opinions beyond however it serves them.

[@Hughes81]

As a GM, I can be guilty of inserting too many "cut scenes" into my campaigns, most of my players don't seem to mind, as it helps add to the narrative and subtle world building. But I do let them know they are welcome to interrupt at any time.

[@DoctorLuny]

Cut scenes are lit, helps me actually get into the world

[@skorpiongod]

Nothing wrong with that by the sounds of it. Just as long as you dont go overboard but that can be said of any DM style

[@troy242621]

Cutscenes are nowhere near the same as god tier self-inserts and on-rail campaigns. I actually appreciate the world building and immersion cutscenes can add, especially interactable ones.

[@leila13dnd]

As a player: keep going and don't worry, we love that shit.

[@nothankyou9897]

Yeah, echoing the other comments, cutscenes are great, especially if they are well told. Helps set the stage for players to do their thing, and if the players can break in at anytime there's literally nothing wrong with that. I personally would consider that a positive!

[@rainyliquid5644]

One of my still all time favorite games I ever played in started off kind of like this. The DM gave the party a DMPC that was hideously busted and broken, and had so many npcs talk about how great he was. The trick though was it was all fake. In reality it was someone using rewrite memories, and illusion based spells, in an effort to make themselves look good, and be some God like hero, when in reality they were just a small pale sickly Goblin who happened to be really skilled at magic, but didn't view Mages, as a typical hero figure, so he instead used all his magic to make himself look like a buff 6 foot tall orc fighter, and inserted memories of fake deeds he did into people's minds. Once it was discovered, the game shifted into us having to prove what he was doing was all a lie, and show the Kingdom that their 'hero' never existed.

[@daviddaugherty2816]

That is actually genius. Must’ve been a hell of a trick for the DM to pull that off without his whole table rebelling.

[@SnivyTries]

I absolutely would have gone the "Hey, I know you think mages aren't cool, but like...you're a really powerful mage! Instead of tricking people with false memories of bravado...make some real ones! Use that awesome spellcasting of yours to do some actual heroics, with us by your side!"

[@jopestus]

*furiously taking notes* i will be borrowing this idea and altering it a bit, comrade. Thanks.

[@redaurora8602]

I find it really cool and kinda sweet that the demon who feeds on suffering and despair to not only lead his team to dethrone the pretty much tyrant but also come back from hell to aid them in battle, also saying that they should be the ones be healed because he could come back. I dunno just think that sounds metal as hell and like a great group to be a part of.

[@bradwolf07]

I've had a few DM's do the DMPC thing, but it has only ever been a backup character. They were never the focus, they were there to supplement the Party. For instance, when the party didn't have a healer, he made a healer for us that didn't participate in the actual fighting. Edit: Only once did the DM try to make his DMPC important to the story (long lost Princess). The entire party told him that would be a bad idea and we would hate that. DM was new and tried to follow through (because he was stuck in a inspirational block). We then started a new campaign. He was new, not a self-absorbed like the DM in this story. He learned from this and has definitely improved.

[@TheStopShort]

Mary sue: become main character Achievement unlocked: Mary Sue 1st Place

[@johnnyguillotine1673]

Talladega Nights Syndrome "If you're not 1st you're last"

[@toxicear5274]

I try my best to avoid this with the DMPC in my campaign, I use him more a comedic relief, doesn’t really talk to important NPCs or make important decisions. Just kinda there to heal and to call the wizard ugly every once in awhile.

[@Nahellion]

Yeah, the one I have is a healer/tank fo the group. But it's for a multi-shot...where there will be some short rests, but no long rests...and they cannot escape it. So I have a 'healer'/'tank' so I can slowly teach them how to use resources (they were spoiled on never having to worry about managing spell slots/resources for the other games)

[@toxicear5274]

@@Nahellion I have a group full of spellcasters, so they quickly learned how to manage their resources. But I try to be careful in running my dmpc, because I don’t want to put too much attention on him, but I still want him to feel like he’s part of the party and not just a throw away character.

[@ceejno7861]

We've had a couple DMPCs in our campaigns. Our DM knows when to use them and how. Comic relief, an extra set of hands when needed, occasional offhand clue dropping when we're genuinely dithering over our next course of action. There's plenty of uses for them, but they should never steal the show.

[@toxicear5274]

@@ceejno7861 I totally agree, I think I’m doing a good job for my first campaign lol

[@NathanSimonGottemer]

Comic relief is the best use of a DMPC...it's because you can easily make a running gag of it because they're less ephemeral than a normal npc

[@kcollier2192]

We all remember that one kid at the playground that never took any damage or got caught in any genre you played, right? Well, this is what they became when they get older.

[@ianesgrecia8568]

One DM tried to make a OP character and use intimidate/mind control in all the party but forgot my elf was imune. I crit on a roll and killed it... The DM banned me from the game.

[@BlaineSimple]

Guess you could say that the DM really wanted to be the CENTAUR of attention

[@mothichorror446]

Go to corner

[@coolfishron6668]

Someone needs to put a DHAMPIR on that pun.

[@Larya26]

3:55 "this centaur was always the center of attention" the pun-loving me: *mission failed - we'll get them next time*

[@winterwombat]

GODS: "Never a truer hero..." ME: "Wellp, time to figure out how to kill some gods." Honestly, though, it was refreshing to hear a story about someone being colossally clueless rather than outright malevolent.

[@HazZzur]

As a DM after hearing this, I keep thinking about designing a campaign around this exact scenario... having a super annoying DMPC, secretly the messenger of (seemingly good, but actually arrogant and awful) gods, and annoy the PCs so much they kill him, anger the gods, find out the actual bullshit the gods are doing, and go on a god-killing quest.

[@lordhamster9452]

@@HazZzur yeeees Sounds fun!

[@lordhamster9452]

“Time to figure out how to kiss some gods” (Doom music intensifies)

[@liamdalemon1525]

okay the Centaur wasn't a bad guy and he was a hero (in the actual context of the game universe) but I'm pretty sure there have been truer heroes that didn't get bullshitted back to life.

[@MusMasi]

Grabbing someones character sheet out of their hand and tearing it up in front of them is pretty Malevolent

[@MetaGiga]

It’s always fun to see Kirito as the placeholder character for a Mary Sue story

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

This comment reeks of someone who isn't a weeb

[@MetaGiga]

@Nidhogg Did you know that the creator went over the word limit for the contest he was entering the light novel in because he wanted to keep writing Kirito and Asuna’s weird slice of life shit with their not-child instead of finishing the actual book

[@akmi1931]

OP’s comment reeks of someone who doesn’t even know what SAO is outside of memes.

[@MetaGiga]

@AKmi I used to be a die hard fan of SaO. Then I looked back on everything and found myself saying ‘wow, this kid is untouchable’ too much. If you like it, then I won’t attack you or be passive aggressive. Everyone has their own tastes in anime/light novels, yeah?

[@MetaGiga]

@Nidhogg Oh, he’s improving it? I’ll probably check it out Progressive later. Also, I didn’t say anything about hating Kirito. He’s annoyingly OP, but my comment literally says nothing about hating him. I just mentioned that it was fun seeing him being used as the impromptu mascot for the stories featuring Mary Sues. Characters do progressively get better as the author gets better. The image usually used is when Kirito *wasn’t* improved

[@Bollthorn]

"This centaur was always the centre of attention." Don't you mean the CENTAUR of attention? Eh? Eh? I'll get my coat...

[@AmazingAutist]

14:06 my only question is why would you let that player back into your game like no, I know what type of individual you are and I'm not going to babysit a cheater. No, you can't play with us. I'll rip up your character sheet and give you your Just Desserts

[@randalthor741]

As a DM I often have one or more NPCs accompany the PCs on a quest here and there, but it's *very* important to make sure that any NPCs joining the party contribute less to any fights or crucial interactions than any PC. Sometimes the NPC(s) will be there because I'm worried fights may be too much for the party, and sometimes it's just because it makes sense for the story, but either way as a DM you need to ensure that it's still the PCs who are the heroes, and the NPC(s) are just supporting characters to them. Also, I don't like having a DMPC permanently be part of the party, only on a short-term basis, but YMMV on that.

[@adriank4721]

I may be misinterpreting what you said, but you seem to imply that NPCs who tag along with the party are DMPCs. I would disagree with that. An NPC, run the way you describe it, is still a non-player-character. A DMPC is a type of Player character, where the DM is the player. Thus the DMPC is supposed to be on equal footing with the rest of the party, get an equal share of the spot light and an equal say in any decisions. He represents the DM, so it may be hard for the DM to stay impartial when making decisions, etc. NPCs are great, even when they tag along on an adventure or two; DMPCs pretty much always suck imho. Other than that I agree on everything you said. It's excellent advice for how to run NPCs alongside the party.

[@davidspring4003]

There's a huge difference between cutscenes that enhance the story and you playing with your dolls in front of a captive audience that clearly wants to do something, anything else.

[@randalthor741]

@@adriank4721 I actually didn't mean to imply that NPCs who tag along are DMPCs, that was just sloppy writing on my part. What I was trying to say there was more that I just generally don't like DMPCs, although I've heard of groups where they actually work well because the DM plays them well & they don't dominate, so I don't automatically assume that a DMPC makes a campaign bad (although usually...)

[@randalthor741]

@@davidspring4003 well said!

[@najmamcarthur5777]

DM: Twilight Sparkle was the smart one and she represented the magic of friendship... Players: Please! We just want to play the game! DM: I'M NOT DONE! and Rainbowdash was like the sporty girl!

[@Arting-Sir]

I really love how every time you talk about people with MC syndrome, you use Kirito as the thumbnail as if, making him the prime example of one lmao which is pretty much SAO in general if you don't like him or a part of his harem, you are a villain.

[@GiantProcrastiNation]

SAO was decent for most of the first game. Then they decided to end that game and the gimmick got old fast.

[@Arting-Sir]

@@GiantProcrastiNation Decent is a word I wouldn't describe SAO at least to me.

[@GiantProcrastiNation]

@@Arting-Sir well it wasn't for everyone. I respect the opinion of the show not being good. Like I said. I only enjoyed about half the first season

[@Arting-Sir]

@@GiantProcrastiNation It held promise but it was executed poorly.

[@GiantProcrastiNation]

@@Arting-Sir agreed

[@onabayonet]

I had DM who I love that made an all powerful Mary Sue like character that just…didn’t care about anything enough to actually get involved. We even tried to ask him for help once, and he smiled at us, joyfully said “No!” and popped into a different plane so we couldn’t ask again.

[@ArcCaravan]

I am honestly surprised and impressed that the party could squeeze in their own adventure and actually beat the DMPC in a fair-ish fight. And their reaction afterwards was great, just everyone but the DM agreeing to have OP make next game while said current DM is dumbfounded.

[@BusterBuizel]

In order to have a good DMPC you HAVE to play them as a side character or third wheel. Have them underleveled to the party and be there as a secondary role as to not hog the spotlight. It’s *our* story, not yours. Or have your DMPC be a one trick pony being called by the group to do one thing really well while being lacking in other areas. For example, I have Sam who is a fighter pilot my group calls on for airstrikes. Catch is, the group has to SPOT enemies and target them with a laser designator for Sam to drop bombs and missiles on them. And also show vulnerability with your GMPC. Sam got shot down one time and the party had to rescue him so he can fly the planes they steal. GMPCs can be done right but *so very few* GMd can do yhat

[@adriank4721]

That sounds like an NPC to me. Would you mind explaining why you call Sam a DMPC?

[@BusterBuizel]

@@adriank4721 because I specifically told my players he was a persona of myself and my power fantasy just so happens to be more of a supportive role as a fighter pilot

[@daviddaugherty2816]

I would say the difference is that a DMPC travels with the group full-time instead of just being a self-insert. Still, the point should be the same thing: never, EVER overshadow your PC's.

[@BusterBuizel]

@@daviddaugherty2816 I mean, *I was always on call to drop bombs or shoot down an annoying helicopter* so in a sense I was always traveling with the party. Just 5000 feet up and heavily armed is all

[@daviddaugherty2816]

@@BusterBuizel Then yeah, DMPC.

[@taylordwatson]

When the DM goes crazy like this and narrates the gods resurrecting their DMPC, that is when you should stand up and start story time of your own! The campaign is over anways (meaning you aren't avoiding a confrontation), you may as well try to give the DM an example of why what they are doing is ridiculous. "And as the good gods stand behind the Centaur all gods evil and neutral join with the devils, demons, and other worldly beings to bestow power on my character. Having this power a reach out and transform the DMPC into a small warty troll, cursed forever to have delusions of grandeur and annoy those around him."

[@Former_Halo_Fan]

That sounds fun in theory but in practice will quickly devolve into two nerds going: "I hit you with my anti-anything sword!" followed by "nuh-uh I block it with my everything-proof shield!" It's childish and only makes both parties look petty. The fact that they chose not to acknowledge the resurrection and start talking about the next game was a far better response. It shows how what just happened was so mind-numbingly stupid that they don't even need to explain what was wrong with it. Basically an unspoken agreement that they're done with the campaign.

[@taylordwatson]

@@Former_Halo_Fan LOL, true, how my mind was going was to end the conversation after saying it and walk away with the party like what happened. Saying those things wasn't to "win" but to give the DM an example of how ridiculous they were being. I have a buddy that will say/ask/do ridiculous things occasionally. I will usually re-frame what he said did and the second that happens he thinks about it, looks around and apologizes.

[@liamdalemon1525]

I think a more realistic approach would be to undermine what the DM did, which I call the : Gods Evade Neutralising Everything Via Absence convention (it's an acronym.) basically what this means is that Gods don't get directly involved in conflicts on the mortal plane in order to keep the balance of power because otherwise the BBEG would get killed at the start of the game and the whole thing would be pointless. unjustifiably reviving someone and levelling them to hell and back would DEFINETLY violate this rule so you should narrate this: "you hear a bang in the sky as half the sky turns red. you then hear a voice echoing as it says "THAT MAN WAS TO DIE TODAY AND YOU UNJUSTIFIABLY INTERFEERED! THIS MEANS WAR!!!". you then see the sky fill with golden and crimson explosions as the Gods have a merciless fight before you see a giant red fireball heading directly towards you. the Gods incinerate the mortal plane as a result of their conflict that all started because a whiney God couldn't stand their favourite hero dying." before you then go and shred all the campaign notes.

[@Vikashar]

"What's wrong?", he asked, shocked. The lack of ability to read the fucking room is staggering.

[@matthewjones6786]

I don't even know how that's satisfying for the DM! I mean, the entire reason I'd be invested in my characters is for the interesting ways they choose to overcome adversities. Conflict is what makes a character a character!

[@toddvogel8887]

I have had a great track record so far with my DMPCs in games I've run, mainly because they are no stronger than the party and often play a support role, and have little importance in the main story, they exist to help the party and guide them if they get lost. One was basically just a teenager with a scooter, and the party loved him.

[@polterboo3515]

As someone who loves centaur characters and draws them/creates them frequently, this entire story delt me so much critical damage Centaurs are my favorites and to see one turned into *that* made me cringe into my soul

[@tatersalad76]

In my experience, players tend to be more attached to NPCs with less than 20HP when they're all level 5 or higher. My goblin NPC was a party favorite and I would have let the party join him in his insane quest to conquer the world if we got any more sessions in before covid

[@MsKeylas]

Honestly after I would have heard "you get 100 xp" I would have flipped the table into the face of "DM"

[@AzeriusDenetrate]

As a DM, I do make DMPC's but they're usually just an NPC. I never made a DMPC that actually fights with the party, the farthest I've gone with a DMPC is revive a character for plot reasons. But even then it was mostly a fun little interaction

[@floramew]

I can't believe that dm's pc was called the "center of attention" not once, but twice, and neither time did poster nor crit crab say "_centaur_ of attention," it's a travesty 😂

[@TBTabby]

I would think "The whole party deciding to kill your DMPC" would be taken as a sign that perhaps he isn't as cool as you thought.

[@ryanrizzo4869]

I liked that you couldn't get through that resurrection scene without laughing because neither could I. xD lmao

[@phantompop3192]

It sounds like a literal little kid made that centaur. “Umm… he’s super strong… and he can… one shot people… and h-he’s super handsome”

[@RagnarokAvatar]

If I were that DM, I'd have the centaur as a cameo as a patient in a sanitarium believing that he's a divine hero

[@lunch_trey]

I would've left the table the minute the party got back to town and saw the centaur in new gear. Must've been a helluva first experience for the newbie, though.

[@darklord884]

While I'm not too confrontational usually, there was just something about the DM reaching over and ripping the devil's sheet and just saying he's destroyed that made me think the comeuppance wasn't enough. No, he didn't deserve to keep coming back and keep trying to cheat. What he deserved was the New DM looking him in the eye and going "Oh you wanna join my game? Sorry, no can do mate. The gods of my world destroy your character immediately." as he rips the asshole's sheet to bits right there in front of him.

[@mikhailthegreatestdragon3627]

That's frankly petty

[@darklord884]

@@mikhailthegreatestdragon3627 I know. That's the poinr.

[@idodo32]

Honestly this makes me want to run something like this as a joke, allowing the PCs to do things with a DMPC who always does these amazing stuff off screen while being entirely useless while on screen

[@jimbone17]

Honestly I was picturing the DM acting like Darth Helmet when he was playing with his action figures during the love scene

[@Chronoplague]

I appreciate you going over some of the terms like DMPC. A lot of us have been listening for a while now, but it's nice for sharing with friends who aren't as familiar with tabletop role-playing.

[@FedericoVetencourt]

I love DMPC stories, as a first time DM having only played once in my life before I did insert my DMPC to the story but did not even one of the things I constantly see people criticize, I don't do it now anymore but Seeing this kind of stories makes me feel that I had some of the right instincts back then

[@acetraker1988]

TLDR: When a DM should have just written a LN.

[@easiestcc6451]

With the way the DM wrote their DMPC, they TOTALLY should have. It would be GARBAGE but at least they wouldn't have the subject players to it. Just change the PCs to be generic waifu material to eventually become part of the MC's Harem and you'd have "Generic Fantasy Anime #3000"

[@wishfulwaffle4801]

I'm very tempted to run a "centaur" in a campaign. Overbearingly obnoxious, and disgustingly overpowered, but, by the end of session two, is killed by BBEG. A lot more fleshing out would be needed, but I like the idea, it could make the heroes feel like underdogs and heroes of necessity, since everyone more qualified is dead. Really sweeten the victories 😁.

[@euchiron]

The description of playing with figurines made me picture Dark Helmet. Love it

[@toning338]

The Centaur really went Super Saiyan after dying, truly the world's greatest hero ever known to man.

[@damiengarner6548]

My players made me make a dmpc and I didn't want something like this to happen so he tends to get knocked out a bit easier than the rest of the group

[@PaladinGear15]

I'll never understand DMPC's. I've had a couple of situations where the players have wanted a quick hireling rogue or cleric because they weren't a very diverse party, so I've technically played DMPC's before, but they were given the standard array, just did whatever the party said as long as it wasn't a death sentence, and then once the job was done, they'd bugger off never to be seen again, they sure as hell weren't the main character with the party as backup >_>

[@ottokarl5427]

Same here. Either my "DMPCs" are basically just mercs without much personality or they are characters that later on return as regular NPCs, either as friends or foes...

[@danielmbg]

DMPCs make sense for game and story purposes, I use them quite a bit, I even had some be with the party for the majority of a campaign (we have a small group). They can fill in the gaps in the party, help nudge the players to go where you want them to, and most of all they can be people that the players care about and give emotional value to the story. The thing is, they're there to help, they aren't the focus of the story and they can't be the ones solving the problems or driving the story forward, those are the players roles. The players are the main characters, the DMPCs are expendable.

[@ohno8398]

My players keep asking for more DMNPCS and I'm always like 'isn't it meant to be the other way around?'. Bear in mind I'm not bragging about my character writing or whatever, they just really like more characters 😭

[@PaladinGear15]

@@ohno8398 I doubt you mean DMPC's as in they travel with the party and do all the important stuff. I think you're just talking about NPC's in general.

[@russdarracott395]

The DM is a 100% donkey hat and should be left behind. Also CritCrab, love the videos, keep it up.

[@Otter855]

I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS VID FOREVER BRO

[@SmartBatto]

If I ever DM, I would ONLY ever make a NPC like that to be a Twist Villain.

[@Telawin]

I guess you could say he really wanted to be the *centaur* of attention ... I'll see myself out

[@Bern-br9yr]

God-damn you

[@sacripant-j2e]

As a DM I really laught hard listening that story. The most "comparable" thing I done as a "DM NPC" (not really playing him differently from any other npc to be honest) was a Veteran Repurgator which I wrote as "the best friend or the most terrible ennemy of the group depending how they act during the scenario". Turns out to use it as an ariane rope to help the group and eventually "died" for them in the end (not really dead but wait a little bit). Eventually the campaign continue and they loved the character. And as their are now searching a bunch of powerful ally to defeat a cult summoning a powerful deamon, they think before me to find where this NPC is resting from his wounds, recruiting him again etc. After all I'm more than happy that my group wanted to brought back this character by themselves ! Gave me a good occasion to continue this NPC backstory, side quest and giving some good background to my entire campaign aswell. PS : the thing I love about your channel is that I'm more confident than ever about my way to DM. Because when you are involve a lot in writing campaing/scenario, you are always wondering "am I doing the right thing ? is this logical ? Will my players loves or hates this ? etc. But as we are playing since almomst two years now, I think it's ok :)

[@nero8369]

Every time I listen to this type of story I feel thankful that I discovered Crit Crab before start dming. I'm new to being a DM, even tho I have been playing TTRPGs for about 12 years. Started a real campaign this year (I ran some one-shots and a table that fell apart because of work and school schedules). These horror stories make me check myself every time to see if I'm doing something dumb or something that could ruin my players fun. With that said, I have the exact opposite from this DM's problem. I end up overpowering my players a little bit (nothing on this centaur's level) but still. I do that because I believe that my players will get some extra enjoyment from feeling powerful and that also allows for me to use some nice stronger monsters to have fun myself. I don't really get the enjoyment DMs get from their OP self inserts, it is basically a one person game at that point. Go play solo.

[@Flonk3]

Imagine if the dm purposfully does this and when they defeat it, its reveald that thats the big bad.

[@CaitlinKoi]

Center of attention? More like centaur of attention

[@Kikrafis]

See the DM could have made this work, have the centaur be a fraud and keep taking credit for the players actions, have him constantly working behind the scenes to deem heroic or to trick the party

[@dodojesus4529]

Or if going for an evil campaign, have him be this strong hero guy you just murder