History Main / GMPC

Not to be confused with [[{{UNIX}} Gnome]] Music Player Client.

* KnightsOfTheDinnerTable BA's are generally assistants (Gilead, Knobby Foot) ands put-upon {{Butt Monkey}}s whose sole purpose are to be kicked around by the [=PCs=]. The few times he had to resort to using an overpowered {{GMPC}} were done to hastily [[{{Railroading}} put the plot back on the rails]].

* Sir Osric in [[TheGamers The Gamers: Dorkness Rising]]

* {{BlissStage}}'s Authority Figure is one of these. Notable as one of the possible results of getting to OneHundredAndEight points of Bliss is for a Pilot to mutiny and take over LaResistance: If this happens, that pilot's player ''must'' become the new GM!

* {{Paranoia}} not only has the Computer, but also specifically encourages the GM to be antagonistic towards the [=PCs=] and cheat when necessary.

* {{Knights of the Dinner Table}} BA's are generally assistants (Gilead, Knobby Foot) ands put-upon {{Butt Monkey}}s whose sole purpose are to be kicked around by the [=PCs=]. The few times he had to resort to using an overpowered {{GMPC}} were done to hastily [[{{Railroading}} put the plot back on the rails]].

* {{Darths and Droids}} uses this trope when the the regular GM can't make it to the session, and Pete takes over while still playing R2-D2, during the battledroid factory sequence. During the battle, he decides R2-D2 has rocket thrusters, which in the movie, pretty much allowed Artoo to save the day.

* Eluamous Nailo in {{Unforgotten Realms}}.

* While not quite a fit in this section, the MSFHighForum has a few of these. Mitchell, current head GM, is known for trying to make sure his stay out of the fight, especially at climaxes. For instance, Michelle was busy fighting her evil twin in an ultimately irrelevant battle (And lost), and includes one in his planned Mahou Galaxy adventure, and Legion-based online game.

<<|TabletopGames|>>

This kind of GMPC quickly earns the [[CreatorsPet ire of the players]], since what's the point of even playing the game if all the DM's going to do is [[AccidentalInnuendo play with himself?]] They came to the gaming table to [[TheRoleplayer play as fantastic characters]], [[TheRealMan crack some heads]], and [[TheLoonie have fun]]; not sit and watch some MartyStu kick werewolves through buses (And in the case of the {{Munchkin}}, ''he'' wants to be the one kicking the werewolves through buses). This may lead them to try to [[OffTheRails kill the offending character]], which inevitably fails because of countermeasures including [[GameplayAllyImmortality unstealable Rings of Invincibility]] and hostile allies [[RocksFallEveryoneDies getting struck by]] [[BoltOfDivineRetribution 10d100 lightning bolts]]. The GameMaster may quickly find himself without a game if he doesn't get a clue.

* MaidTheRPG is a sendup of the entire {{Meido}} trope in which the [[{{GMPC}} Master]] can have a powerful artifact known as the [[DeathNote Desu]] [[MemeticMutation Note]]. ...Do I really need to say it?

Admittedly, this kind of character [[TropesAreNotBad can be done well]] - adding flavor to the campaign and immersing the players in the world the GameMaster has set out to create. This kind of GMPC often serves as a NonActionGuy in order to avoid stealing the spotlight from the players, or at least some form of StaffChick. (passive [=GMPCs=] often end up in the 'healing' role)

However, it's all too easy to screw up the GMPC, especially since the Game Master also controls the game world and plot. Thus, the GMPC turns into a plot device to [[{{Railroading}} keep the players on track]], stopping them from going OffTheRails. Even worse, the GM can take too much of a liking to his PC, and the character slowly but surely turns into a MarySue; defeating all the enemies singlehandedly, doing all the cool stuff, and gradually reducing the players to [[SpotlightStealingSquad supporting roles]]. He might also set up the adventure as an [[EigenPlot Eigen Plot]] for his character, without considering the others.

Sometimes, a GameMaster doesn't have enough players to run a decent game. Or else, he just wants to have his cake and eat it too. Either way, he starts out an important {{NPC}} to travel with the party and fill any [[AnAdventurerIsYou missing roles]] no one else wants to play. It's almost like the GM has a PlayerCharacter of his own, thus this concept has come to be known as the GMPC.

Sometimes, a GameMaster doesn't have enough players to run a decent game. Or else, he just wants to have his cake and eat it too. Either way, he stats out an important {{NPC}} to travel with the party and fill any [[AnAdventurerIsYou missing roles]] no one else wants to play. It's almost like the GM has a PlayerCharacter of his own, thus this concept has come to be known as the GMPC.

This kind of GMPC quickly earns the [[TheWesley ire of the players]], since what's the point of even playing the game if all the DM's going to do is [[AccidentalInnuendo play with himself?]] They came to the gaming table to [[TheRoleplayer play as fantastic characters]], [[TheRealMan crack some heads]], and [[TheLoonie have fun]]; not sit and watch some MartyStu kick werewolves through buses (And in the case of the {{Munchkin}}, ''he'' wants to be the one kicking the werewolves through buses). This may lead them to try to [[OffTheRails kill the offending character]], which inevitably fails because of countermeasures including [[GameplayAllyImmortality unstealable Rings of Invincibility]] and hostile allies [[RocksFallEveryoneDies getting struck by]] [[BoltOfDivineRetribution 10d100 lightning bolts]]. The GameMaster may quickly find himself without a game if he doesn't get a clue.

An equally problematic variant is the GMPC who is [[JerkAss obnoxious]], [[TheLoad absolutely useless]] or [[TheMillstone worse]]. These characters exist mainly to cause trouble for the players through their [[TooDumbToLive sheer incompetence]], yet they are too pivotal to the plot and/or the fate of the world for the PCs to leave them to their justly deserved fate. This has all the problems of an EscortMission in a video game, compounded by the fact that the Dungeon Master is doing it intentionally, rather than because of the inferior AI of a game.

* The Wild Card in "MeddlingKids", a table-top game for kids based very loosey on mystery shows of the ScoobyDoo kind.

* The Wild Card in "Meddling Kids", a table-top game for kids based very loosey on mystery shows of the ScoobyDoo kind.

However, it's all too easy to screw up the GMPC, especially since the Game Master also controls the game world and plot. Thus, the GMPC turns into a plot device to [[{{Railroading}} keep the players on track]], stopping them from going OffTheRails. Even worse, the GM can take too much of a liking to his PC, and the character slowly but surely turns into a MarySue; defeating all the enemies singlehandedly, doing all the cool stuff, and gradually reducing the players to [[SpotlightStealingSquad supporting roles]]. He might also set up the adventure as an [[EigenPlot]] for his character, without considering the others.

However, it's all too easy to screw up the GMPC, especially since the Game Master also controls the game world and plot. Thus, the GMPC turns into a plot device to [[{{Railroading}} keep the players on track]], stopping them from going OffTheRails. Even worse, the GM can take too much of a liking to his PC, and the character slowly but surely turns into a MarySue; defeating all the enemies singlehandedly, doing all the cool stuff, and gradually reducing the players to [[SpotlightStealingSquad supporting roles]].

This kind of GMPC quickly earns the [[TheWesley ire of the players]], since what's the point of even playing the game if all the DM's going to do is play with himself? They came to the gaming table to [[TheRoleplayer play as fantastic characters]], [[TheRealMan crack some heads]], and [[TheLoonie have fun]]; not sit and watch some MartyStu kick werewolves through buses (And in the case of the {{Munchkin}}, ''he'' wants to be the one kicking the werewolves through buses). This may lead them to try to [[OffTheRails kill the offending character]], which inevitably fails because of countermeasures including [[GameplayAllyImmortality unstealable Rings of Invincibility]] and hostile allies [[RocksFallEveryoneDies getting struck by]] [[BoltOfDivineRetribution 10d100 lightning bolts]]. The GameMaster may quickly find himself without a game if he doesn't get a clue.

* {{Paranoia}} not only has the Computer, but also specifically encourages the GM to be antagonistic towards the PCs and cheat when necessary.

* The ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' played with this. While there were loads of GMPCs, they were always characters being run in another GMs campaign.

* MaidTheRPG. Just... Maid: The RPG. Which is a sendup of the entire {{Meido}} trope. Where the [[{{GMPC}} Master]] can have a powerful artifact known as the [[DeathNote Desu]] [[MemeticMutation Note]]. ...Do I really need to say it?