I lied. The next post in the series will be up tomorrow, but in the meantime, have a few thoughts that are near and dear to my gaming heart. By this I mean the oft-abused tool of the GMPC.
Raise your hand if this has happened to you: there you are, adventuring merrily in your setting of choice with your ragtag group of compatriots, when suddenly an NPC embroils him or herself into your ranks like some Clingy McGuffin with a character sheet. It is at this point that many gamers would probably chuck a Monster Manual at the GM's head, if it weren't for the fact that said GM provided this week's pizza.
This is probably the most common scenario when an NPC crosses that dreaded line to become a GMPC. Why do these characters cause such foaming at the mouth, anyway? Is there a use for them other than cannon fodder and pack mule? Should they just never happen, or can they be not only acceptable, but even liked?