What is your prefer method for when a player can't make it to the game>His character just disappears for the session and puffs back next session>In game excuse for the character not to participate>GM runs the character>Other player runs the characterAnd if the character is there, are you okay with the character dying when the player isn't present or do you try to give it plot armor for the time being? (as in the character doesn't expose itself to danger until the player comes back)
>>966516423, or 4 if it's repeated absences to take the load off the GM1 is retarded and 2 is very tiresome in practice>are you okay with the character dying when the player isn't present or do you try to give it plot armor for the time being? (as in the character doesn't expose itself to danger until the player comes back)it generally just gets played the same way we think that player would play it, haven't had a fucker die this way outside of games where resurrection is just an attack aimed at the party's funds
>>96651642I just have them poof out of existence for a session. It's like an actor being off-stage. It's fine. Not that big of a deal. I don't like doing stuff with a character in any way unless their player is there. The character is the player's, not mine.If they want to explain where their character was at during a session, I can accommodate, but it isn't necessary.
>>96651642I say that the character wasn't there, BUT I discuss with the player what manner of side-activity they character went off to do instead, and they usually come back with some new information or something. My favorite example of this was a player missing two sessions because of a trip they went on, and we did an entire dungeon without them. So the next session starts with the rest of the party coming out of the dungeon having gotten the book they went in there for, and the missing player comings RUNNING out of the bushes right at them."Where have you been?""WEREWOLVES! RUN!"And then three werewolves burst out of the trees behind them and its like "Oh... fucking hell we haven't had a chance to rest yet yeah I guess we do run."
>>96651642Generally the character just disappears with a post hoc explanation of what the fuck happened.We run a group with 7 players with incredibly varied schedules, so the GM has a rule that, if there are 3 players that can make it to the session, that's enough for the game to happen.
>>96651642If the session looks like it's gonna be really important we'll call it off. Otherwise there's three ways.>They leave the main scene and I throw them into a side session laterOnly happens if it makes sense and I like the player enough.>Lobotomized and ran by me/the playersHappens if there's no alternative or I just don't really care about the player but its their first offense.>Character disappears, player is kicked outHappens on their second fuck up. I've got zero patience for dickwads that won't respect the table's time.
I wonder if anyone here has ever show up after missing a session and got the "sorry bro, but your character died"
>>96651642>Missed a sessionYour character was abducted by goblins and raped repeatedly. >You make it to the next sessionYou fought your way free. You took X amount of damage, got X amount XP, and must make Con saving throw to resist AIDs. If PC is female, they are pregnant until a cleric casts goblin abortion magic. If not done in ten days, the mutant babies eat their way out.
>>96651642My GM has it so they fall into a trap door at the start of the session and then the next time they come back they fall out of a trap door in the ceiling. It's hilarious every time it happens and leads to funny scenarios like the party walking into a random inn and having their friend fall through the floor or them coming back to find out they fell from the sky and landed in a tree and are now stuck.
The worst time we had to deal with this was a player not making session but who wanted exp regardless so he wouldn't fall behind.I argued that wasn't fair since a missing player's character is safe from death. He's getting the reward for no risk. There was a big puff up about it and I don't remember the outcome specifically. Later in that game he tried to set my character up for getting killed by a boss mob but I clutched it out and another player helped against better judgement lolHe stopped playing eventually. I think he started rich white-guy slumming in vietnam or something.
>>96651642Traditionally 2, sometimes with 3 as a component of it. Like when one of the PCs got possessed.
>>96652287Only as a joke.
>>96653962It happen to my party once, when we has the character in auto Pilot, and it keep failing the roll to not get paralized. Due to the special circunstances GM allow us to revive him using magic the next session.
>>96651642Normally option 4, but can depend on the game.I had a Cyberpunk game that I used 2. A guy was absent a lot, His character was a homeless Rockerboy though so when the characters tried to contact him for a gig and he didn't show the characters (and players) just rolled their eyes. Then the next session they would call him and find him drunk in a ditch or something.worked well enough but not perfect though
>>96651642We just skip the session because if everyone isn't there then why bother?
>>96651642They get turned into a fumo doll that can use their skills and spells as I see fit, but their participation in combat is limited. Any fate that befalls the party also befalls them.
>>96654353Worse option.
>>96651642Depends on the session and group.
>>96651642Typically, we do shortened sessions to cover what elements we can without the missing PC, then spend the rest of the time discussing the game or playing vidya together. Both of my regular games have a small number of players, who are all invested in the shared story, so it doesn't feel right to go far without them. Thankfully, since we care, we go to great lengths to make the session and give advance warning when there is a schedule conflict.Unless it is my on-again, off-again Star Wars group. Seven potential players, half of them lunatics, and if I've got at least 3 I'm fine to keep running. Less likely to murder each other in smaller groups, anyway.
If OSR or "west marches" style adventure, no skipping sessions over a few bad eggs. Only those that participate get to go on adventures.If I'm going to host a heroic adventure game like Star Wars then I'm going to have to require long-term commitment from all participants in order to make every session worthwhile.
>>96652538>I argued that wasn't fairWhy? It doesn't impact you. You still got to have fun playing the game, so it shouldn't matter if it's "fair" or not because the cost was that the player missed out on the actually fun part of the RPG. You should have kept your trap shut.
>>96651642If more than half of the group can't attend, then the session doesn't fire. Otherwise, their characters are assumed to be resting, doing gear maintenance, or talking to the locals as appropriate. Basically option 2 but the player often gets some input on the character's excuse for not being there so long as the player communicated ahead of time why they couldn't make the session.
>>96652495>Your character was abducted by goblins and raped repeatedly.>You fought your way free. You took X amount of damage, got X amount XP, and must make Con saving throw to resist AIDs. If PC is female, they are pregnant until a cleric casts goblin abortion magic. If not done in ten days, the mutant babies eat their way out.
>>96658767I said in that post: It's the reward without the risk. This was a gritty game with maiming injuries but the DM was still in the phase of not wanting to injure or kill a PC if the player's not present. OK. But there's no reason diegetically they should be safe from harm in an AFK bubble but still coming along and getting EXP and loot for shit.Secondly - it doesn't matter if you're behind. This wasn't a PvP game where we all needed to be on even footing or something.
>>96659624>This wasn't a PvP game where we all needed to be on even footingSo why do you care if that player gets "unfair" treatment? You shouldn't care about his character then.>It's the reward without the riskWithout risk, but not without cost. The cost was that he didn't get to have fun playing the game with his friends. He gave up on an evening and only got the bare mechanical benefits without the actual benefit of the activity: playing. You still got to play, so you've really got no reason to be upset. You being upset at all signifies that you care more about player equity than you let on despite it not being a PvP game.
>>96659964You're supposing and filling in a lot about this scenario to justify being mad about a stranger on the internet's decade old D&D story mate. Maybe time to log off for the night.
>>96660099You said all of that. Not me. You come off hypocritical when you whinge about another player getting "unfair" treatment and then talk about how they shouldn't care about falling behind since it's not a PvP game. You know what sucks? Not having the same play options and capabilities as other players. If you actually didn't give a shit about how even the players are, then you shouldn't care that he would have gotten an allotment of XP since it wouldn't affect you or your character. Missing out on the session and not getting to play is a cost in itself.
