I've told the players in one of my games that they can control random NPCs as long as they don't do anything like start a fight or something like that with them.  I've added second characters to each of them called "NPC Gallery [A, B, C, or D]" since I'm not sure if there's a way to give them all access to one character I'd like to call "NPC Gallery".

Is there a way to give multiple RPOLers access to one character in the game?  Or should I stick with the way I've chosen to do this?

Thanks a lot!

There is no way to give multiple players control of the same character.  The way you've set it up is the closest you can get.
This message was last edited by the user at 08:23, Sat 05 Apr 2014.

That's what I thought.  Thanks a lot!

I'm no expert, GMing my first game, but I believe there is an option for co-GMs and as such they might be able to share running the NPCs.  Not sure how much control there is for what a co-GM is and isn't allowed to do - this option may end up giving the player more control than you wish.
This message was last edited by the user at 14:16, Sat 05 Apr 2014.

Anybody who is made a co-GM in a game basically has all the abilities of the main GM, except that they cannot edit or deleted posts by another GM.  They can, for example, see all threads, and all PMs.

Right, which is why I would rather not give them GM-rights since they're primarily players who will have only minor control over unimportant NPCs they'll be interacting with.

My suggestion:

Have them post as the NPC...  They have to do it as their character, but have them put in a line at the top indicating "Post from: NPC-Name".  Then, as the GM, if you approve the posting, you can edit the post to make it come from the NPC.

It's a bit more effort on the GM's part, but it gives the GM approval/override capability.
This message was last edited by the user at 00:14, Sun 06 Apr 2014.

That's a really good idea... Although you could easily give each player an NPC Cast #01 etc. and you can as suggested switch the poster to the appropriate NPC Name on approval.  The generic NPC posting I'd being a bit of reminder for you the GM to switch it over after reviewing.

I like doing something similar to that. If a player has something inconsequential they'd like an NPC to do, they can put in quote tags

<quote NPC Name>Stuff the NPC is doing.</quote>

Shows this

Maybe I wasn't clear before, but that's what I've done. The game has 4 players right now, so each of them has a second character they can post as called "NPC Gallery A, B, C, or D".

They're in town right now before the actual quest starts.  So by giving them these NPC Galleries, they can post as the blacksmith and interact with their own characters as well as the others.  As long as a fight doesn't break out, I don't mind at all if they control these characters since it's just giving them some time to RP. while I'm getting prepared for the actual game.

For other GMs out there, I actually quite recommend doing this since it lets me focus on what's really important for the game instead of checking their thread all the time.

Oh I wasn't talking about making separate characters, I was talking about just using qoute tags to diffrentiate from the part of their post that's their character.

So I'd start as steelsmiter every time and there would be no NPC gallery requirements. When I just need one, I throw up quote tags and make up an NPC name, or use their occupation, whatever. No special effort on the GM or additional NPC gallery so the player has to do the dropdown list every time either.

They'd still post as the main character, they'd just have made up quote tags mid post.