Can dungeon masters have pc's?

Question

I recently bought the 1st edition advanced dungeons and dragons books, and I am going to be a dungeon master and I was wondering, can a Dungeon Master also have a player character. I know it would be kind of cheap since I know more stuff then the regular players, but is it allowed?

Answer 1

In Role-Playing Games, "cheating" is a very situation-specific concept.  Fundamentally, the object of almost any game is to "have fun".  If everybody in the game has fun, then it isn't cheating (whatever "it" is).

From a practical viewpoint, however, there are real problems with running your own Player-Characters in a game you DM.  The two biggest problems, IMHO, are "illegal information" and "perception of cheating".  The latter is probably what you are really refering to, while the former is the reason it is not generally as much "fun" playing your character in your own game as it is when playing in somebody else's game.

"Perception of Cheating" problems depend entirely on your gaming group, and your style of play (including play in your capacity as the DM).  If nobody seems to think your character gets an unfair advantage, then this probably won't be an issue.  There is, in fact, a notorious "style" of gaming that is built entirely around this point: "Munchie D&D" (more about that later).  For an inexperienced player, however, it is very difficult to maintain both the balanced approach to moderating and the "personal identification" with the character you are simultaneously running.

This difficulty stems from the "illegal information" problem.  In point of fact, you (the DM) basically know everything about your game-world in general, and the current scenario in particular.   It is very tricky for you as a player to stay "in character" and not act on information that the character can't reasonably know.  It's even more difficult to reliably portray a character who suspects something, but doesn't really know (and may well be completely wrong, or just a little mistaken).  The ability to maintain this "separation of information" and "character integrity" is basically a key mindset of the fiction author.  Thus, clearly some people can handle it easily...but most of us struggle until we gain more experience.

If you are just starting out, however, and don't have access to an already-established group of players with a (more) experienced DM - or if you want to play AD&Dv1 and can't talk anyone else into it - then you really don't have a lot of options.  Whenever I get a new FRPG, one of the first things I do is "solo" an adventure or two, running my own Player-Character through a scenario that I designed, as a way to "get a feel" for the rule-mechanisms, and the boundaries of what sorts of things might need special consideration.  Clearly, running a game for yourself and one or two others is not much of a stretch over solo gaming, so long as the others aren't complaining about it.  Just don't be too surprised if experienced gamers discount your character's proud exploits once they find out you were your own DM.

Which brings us to the much-reviled, but still often enjoyable "Munchy D&D".  I have never seen or heard a hard-and-fast definition of this term, but it mostly seems to refer to some sort of "Rules Abuse" gaming.  The key/minimal requirement seems to be at least partially self-run gaming.  This might be entirely solo gaming, but usually involves some sort of cooperative DM effort in creating and moderating the game-world and some of the major NPC's.  Often, there is a general division of labor about certain regions "belonging" to one or another DM, and a general consensus about the geopolitical and religio-magical nature(s) of the gameworld in which these regions fit.

Generally, your own Player-Characters are treated as (probably very potent) NPC's within your own games, and they are usually not allowed to gain "significant" treasures or abilities while you are the DM.  Somebody else has to moderate the acquisition (or at least, the "attunement" and characteristics) of major magical items.  The general rule is: if anyone can purchase "it", so can your PC.  If it can only be acquired through adventuring, then your PC can only get it by either playing in somebody else's game, or in trade from somebody else's PC.  In the more-extreme "Munchy D&D" games, you don't even have to get your die-rolls "witnessed" for "down-time" activities - as long as the rules say it is "technically possible" for you to do it if you roll well-enough, you made the roll!  Obviously, such games often devolve into high-powered romps by well-equipped characters with almost unlimited funding.  However, they can nontheless still be "fun" - and surprisingly challenging, since the DM du Jour typically has to come up with some scenario involving unusual rewards (usually high-powered magic, artifacts, and/or divine favors) that are only justifiable with high-powered "nigh unbeatable" opposition.  Said opposition will generally be using the artifacts-of-interest, too.

There are also game-aids specifically designed for solo adventuring.  As far as I know,  started with the "Tunnels & Trolls" system from Flying Buffalo, but they then spread to RuneQuest and a few other systems.  I don't specifically recall any D&D/AD&D solo games of that same general format, but there *were* a whole spate of "choose-your-own-path" AD&D-based adventure-novels.   If you can get ahold of some of these (possibly even at the local public library), they can form a good foundation for a gameworld or two.  They have the advantage that some of the "illegal information" problems are effectively masked from you by the very nature of the product (so long as you don't "read ahead" to various options without commiting to a choice, first).

Answer 2

You've stumbled on one of the great debates.  Yes a DM can have a PC, however, most players will object.  As the DM, you will run several NPCs, but most people will agree you shouldn't run a PC.  Running PCs is the players job.  You already have a job, running the game.

Answer 3

We'll it's all a matter of how you look at it.

On one hand you get to play as many Non- Player Characters as you want. On the other hand, as Whatdoitypehere stated, your job is being the DM theirs is being players.

What I have done with groups that need filling out or with younger players that may need assistance is to create NPC's that can, as is needed, join in the adventuring party, offering what ever servise the group may need. Make sure though that the NPC is not there to always come to the rescue of the group but to aid in the fun of the players, or even to teach new players the ropes. (I must admit though however one of my favorite ways to introduce a cool NPC is by having him/her come to the rescue of an out numbered party introuble).

Mix it up from time to time by throwing in some odd ball, or some deviant NPC's as well. A traviling pickpocket, with a high charisma,disguised as a pilgram or priest is always fun for robbing PC of a few gold. Keep your players on their toes.

If your need to have a PC is out of a desire to roleplay, you have missed the point of being a DM. You get to play thousands of characters while players play only a few. (Just out of curiosity why 1st edition? And yes I've played them all.)