A player character (PC), also known as a playable character, is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a gamemaster (GM) refereeing tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling the character.