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Post originally by Breklor at 2004-03-25 14:39:56
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The D&D 3.0 Forgotten Realms book includes a quote from Elminster that's relevant to this discussion. I don't recall it exactly and don't have the book handy, but in a nutshell, he says "Why don't I, and the other demigod-level NPCs of Faerun, go around kicking ass and taking names? Well, for every NPC like me, there's a demigod-level evil NPC waiting for us to let our guard down."

Now, ordinarily, I'm not that fond of Elminster, but here he does make a certain amount of sense. The higher-level NPCs of your campaign often can't get directly involved, simply because they're too busy maintaining the high-level status quo. Lower-level PCs can accomplish a lot by being small and insignificant (look how well it worked for Frodo and Sam), because they can do a lot of their work "under the radar".

And the higher-level antagonist NPCs use their lower-level minions for exactly the same reason. So the PCs can conceivably be butting heads with NPCs of approximately equal level for quite some time before they attract the personal attention of the Big Bad of the day... and by that time maybe the PCs have got enough firepower to send 'em packing (or at least cover their own escape).

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Post originally by Jeb Boyt at 2004-03-25 15:05:50
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The Elminster answer is a good one. Powerful NPCs have other things to do. They can be out of town on adventures of their own and otherwise unavailable. Many of the Doc Savage stories feature his aides, particularly Ham & Monk, handling an adventure while Doc is busy offstage.

Another answer is to not have the GMC be so reliable. The GMC should have their own agendas, and their agendas need not agree with the party's agenda. A particularlyu Macivellian GMC could manueuver the PCs into doing his dirty and dangerous work for him. The PCs should not be complacent that a GMC will not betray them. A GMC character could also be taken over or otherwise incapictated by the villain.

Ideally, GMC characters should be highly skilled in a limited area. The occult librarian may have a wealth of knowledge and no combat skills or be aged. Someone once asked why Batman was in the Justice League. Most of the other members - Superman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter - have great, cosmic powers. Batman's role, though, is to tell the other members what is going on and what direction they need to be moving.

In a Feng Shui campaign, I had an effective GMC that was there to explain what was going on in the Secret War and provide some minor mystic healing and other assistance. The character was based on the Magic Cop template and generally stayed out of the way during combat. GMC characters can be useful, but they should not be overused.

Jeb

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Post originally by Scottenkainen at 2004-05-03 09:30:03
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>Someone once asked why Batman was in the Justice League. Most of the other members - Superman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter - have great, cosmic powers. Batman's role, though, is to tell the other members what is going on and what direction they need to be moving. <

It's a common joke that all the superheroes of the DC Universe turn into idiots whenever Batman is around, because intelligence is the only way that character shines compared to the more powerful heroes. These same heroes seldom have trouble telling what's going on and what direction they need to be moving in their own titles.

Ahem, not that this has anything to do with the column...

~Scott C.

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Post originally by Chris Geisel at 2004-07-08 06:28:28
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On the subject of GMCs not being reliable: they need not be devious, just fallable. GMCs can make mistakes, underestimate the challenge they're sending the PCs to tackle, or be too concerned with something else to give them the attention they need. Consider Gandalf, in LoTR. He tells Frodo et al to head to Bree in the fall, and that he'll meet up with them at Bree (if not sooner).

But Gandalf doesn't anticipate his imprisonment by Sauruman, and as a result the Hobbits delay their trip. When they finally do set out, they are faced with the Nazgul--more than a challenge for a bunch of diminunative farmers--and once they make it to Bree, they're completely at a loss as to what to do. Even with Strider's help, they barely escape.

Another example is Dr Who (the BBC series). He's an absent-minded, arrogant hero who often puts his companions in harms way when he forgets to mention some tentacled danger lurking nearby because he's so absorbed in some private investigation of his own. He also often becomes impatient with them when they insist on asking for help (or asking questions generally), and sends them off or abandons them. When he realizes that he's responsible for putting them in danger, he's contrite (and often comes to their rescue), but until then, he often doesn't give them a second thought.

So there are many ways in which a GMC can be unavailable without having to be venal or self-serving.