Invite Guest Players to D&D, But Let Them Play NPCs

The cast of the show (the D&D game)

To spice up our D&D game, we can invite guest players to portray NPCs, similar to a cameo appearance in a TV show. Dungeon master extraordinaire, Chris Perkins, explains that he thinks of his game very much like a TV show. This is good advice and a useful model to think about our campaign. Most campaigns function similarly to a serial TV drama. Story threads play out in individual episodes but are part of a larger narrative framework. The characters in this framework assume the role of our Dungeons & Dragons game’s (our show’s) main cast. They are the heroes of our adventures, and the protagonists whose story we follow. We might think of NPCs as the supportive cast of our show. Secondary characters that show up repeatedly but will rarely be in the spotlight. NPCs fade in and out of our story as the player characters make their way through the campaign world.

This supportive cast is the perfect opportunity, to give certain roles to guest players at our table. We might think of these instances as cameo appearances of famous actors in a TV series. Letting a new player play a particular NPC, can shake things up for the otherwise predictable cast of our game.

Our players are used to interacting with NPCs that are portrayed by us, the DM. When we give that role to someone else, it forces players and dungeon master alike to step out of the routines that might have developed over many sessions of playing together with the same cast.

Introduce guest players just as you would a regular player

Most likely, while reading this, there are people that come to mind as potential guest players for our D&D game. They might be someone with whom we had played before, or someone who has never played D&D before. Both of these circumstances can make for a fun guest experience. The same basic principles apply for inviting a guest, as for forming a new group of regular players. We are going to spend three to five hours together, so we need to be able to get along.

We also need to consider the other players. Get them on board with inviting guest players. After all, D&D is a performative hobby, and not everyone feels comfortable roleplaying in front of people other than “the regulars.” Talk about everyone’s concerns before inviting a guest. Playing with a guest can be an enriching experience for every group. But maybe it’s just not for our specific cast of players. Or at least not yet. Accept each other’s boundaries, and ask again in a few weeks or months.

Once we have established that everyone is on board with a guest player, we are ready to play. There is very little we cannot work out in advance between the guest and us, the dungeon master. We can explain the rules, brief them on any necessary information about the campaign, and make sure they understand their role as a guest player. We can even play a small session zero with them to get them acquainted with D&D and their character.

Playing a NPC versus a guest player character

NPCs embody the constraints of a cameo appearance

Why should we give the supportive roles of NPCs to our guest players in D&D? The term “non-player character” after all suggests that these supportive cast members are portrayed by the non-player – the DM. But in fact, the characteristics of any NPC fit the framework of a guest appearance especially well. The NPC usually has a very focused motivation, and a limited backstory and personality traits. They also have a concise suite of abilities contained in an NPC stat block. These are the things that make it manageable for us as dungeon masters to run NPCs at the table. And these are the same things that make them perfect for our guest players to slip into.

A player character has a wide range of mechanics, elaborate backstories, and individual hooks for adventure. An NPC on the other hand emphasizes the limited role of the guest player. The nature of an NPC provides manageable tools for the player to quickly embody the character. If we think of the guest as a cameo appearance in a TV show, this structure fits especially well. The character is relevant to a specific dramatic arc within one or two episodes. But eventually, they will leave the main story or fade into the background.

Giving a NPC to a guest player, frames the role of the player in the right terms from the outset. An NPC leaving the party to their own devices at the end of a session feels natural in our games. A player character, leaving the party, on the other hand, might feel forced. It goes against our instincts as players and dungeon masters, to see player characters leave once they have been introduced.

NPCs provide guest players with limited goals and motivations

When we hand the NPC to the guest player, we can provide them with clear goals and motivations to play. These should be easily understood, and achievable within a session or two. The berserker needs to find their tribe that’s been lost in the jungle. The mage must collect the magical ring currently in the possession of a nasty devil. The veteran seeks revenge on the orc warlord that has slain his company. Limited goals and motivations such as these give the guest player a concise purpose and provide hooks to the other player characters to join forces with them.

Alternatively, we might let a guest player pilot an antagonistic NPC. Let them portray the villain in the final climactic encounter. Have them play an assassin that strikes out of nowhere to collect the bounty on one of the characters. The tension and drama is bound to skyrocket when the players face an antagonist not portrayed by the DM. This works especially well if we don’t tell our regular players the role the guest player is going to assume.

NPCs give the guest player manageable mechanics

In addition to these benefits, the concise nature of an NPC stat block allows guest players to jump right into the action of our D&D game. They don’t have to learn to maneuver the epic battle machines that our characters become after a certain level. The mental preparation required in running a veteran, a gladiator, or a mage is designed to be manageable for DMs. Even more exotic choices of stat blocks for our guest characters can prove interesting. Monstrous NPCs are exciting, yet they keep the mental load of the guest player running them feasible. We could let them play a guardian naga, guiding the characters through ancient ruins, or a friendly stone giant accompanying them on a trek through the Underdark. Any stat block from our favorite bestiary can work as long as it makes sense in the fiction.

Shake things up with guest players portraying NPCs

Cameo appearances in TV shows are exciting. We get to see an unusual addition to the regular cast of the show. The same applies to our D&D game. Giving guest players NPCs to portray is practicable for the players, and sets the expectation for a temporary supportive character. It makes sense that they are going to leave the main cast after a single adventure. We can provide guest players with a clearly focused motivation, and limited roleplay information for their NPC. That way, we help them quickly slip into the character’s mindset. We can give them a concise yet interesting stat block to be part of the action at the table. With this method, inviting guest players becomes easy. After a while, we might use these cameo appearances to regularly spice up our game.