Cancelling a session / not attending a session.

[Krensky]

If you're a player, if you're sufficiently sick that you won't enjoy the game, I think it's ok to cancel.
Conversely, if you're a GM, you should only cancel if you are *unable* to GM. Even if you won't enjoy it, you still have a duty to your group.

This is almost inconceivably irresponsible. If you're sick with something contagious, you cancel. Your players will NOT thank you for giving them whatever you have.

 

[Barastrondo]

Real life comes first. I've been through enough gaming sessions with a player who was too tired to really contribute, or a GM who was distracted and not into it, to ever want to go through that again. If the player of the priest is feeling crummy and shows anyway due to some feeling of obligation, then you probably get a half-decent session where you could have had a good one.

Being flaky sucks, but it's something that I've generally had to address on an individual player basis. "Real life comes first" works pretty well for most of the people I play with, though admittedly they're co-workers, friends or relatives I've known for a while. Everyone understands the concept of wasting other people's time by dropping out on a whim, and nobody really wants a sub-par session just to have a session, so it works out.

 

[S'mon]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it's because dating a hot redhead was a greater priority than pretending to be an elf.

This is the GM we're talking about. He left his players in the lurch because he apparently scheduled his hot date for when he already had a game scheduled.

If I were a player in his group I'd be looking for a different GM.

But obviously mileages vary - 20 years ago in high school when I was playing D&D every day, it wouldn't be a big deal. Now that it means half my gaming for the month, a GM cancelling without good notice is a very big deal.

 

[S'mon]

This is almost inconceivably irresponsible. If you're sick with something contagious, you cancel. Your players will NOT thank you for giving them whatever you have.

I already said that in the other thread. You do know that after a week with flu you're no longer contagious, right? I played in a game last year where the GM had flu, none of us caught anything.

 

[Rel]

If I was angling for a date with a hot redhead (pending my wife's approval of course), I'd do my best to schedule it on a night when I wasn't GMing. If that's the only night she was available, I'd be willing to cancel the game (with as much notice to the players as possible).

If the hot redhead in question was Christina Hendricks, I'd be willing to cancel Christmas.

 

[Kinneus]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it's because dating a hot redhead was a greater priority than pretending to be an elf.

Indeed. We need to come to an accord here, people. I love D&D just as much as the rest of you, but I think we all need to agree that hot dates will always trump roleplaying sessions. This is what separates us from the stereotypes.

 

[Nagol]

Re illness, I had swine flu last October when I was due to play in a game. The first Sunday I was seriously ill, as was my wife, we could barely walk, I definitely could not have GM'd. I was off work that week - so a bunch of students didn't get their lectures either, first time that's happened in ten years of lecturing. The second Sunday I still was ill with the flu, but if I'd been due to GM I reckon I would have struggled to the game and done my best for my players, as I have seen other GMs do in that situation.

If you're a player, if you're sufficiently sick that you won't enjoy the game, I think it's ok to cancel.
Conversely, if you're a GM, you should only cancel if you are *unable* to GM. Even if you won't enjoy it, you still have a duty to your group.

So long as you inform your players that you're carrying a potentially infectious desiease that laid you up for over a week.

Frankly, as a player I have no interest in walking into that form of trap. I'll find something else to do for that day.

 

[Krensky]

I already said that in the other thread. You do know that after a week with flu you're no longer contagious, right? I played in a game last year where the GM had flu, none of us caught anything.

Wait, we're responsible for arguments made in other, unreferenced threads?

If you're too sick to do your job as a GM or are potentially contagious, make you cancel. If you're sneezing and hacking and will ruin the night for the other players, (the GM's a player too) you should cancel, even if you're not contagious.

Admittedly, drawing that line depends on knowing your group.

 

[Gog]

Assume the game is Saturday. Anyone can cancel for any reason at all until Wednesday or Thursday without hard feelings, on occasion anyway. Players I figure get an extra day. No need to explain "can't make it" will do.

After that everyone really should have a valid excuse. That can range from "death in the family" to "I realized I don't spend enough time with the kid, we're going to a park".

D&D is just a game and should take a back seat to most everything else but you do owe the other people involved the courtesy of not wasting their time.

Oh yeah canceling as a DM the day before a convention because you got pissed at somebody involved is straight up dragon doo-doo. Suck it up, be an adult and run the games like you promised.

 

[Sammael]

Re illness, I had swine flu last October when I was due to play in a game. The first Sunday I was seriously ill, as was my wife, we could barely walk, I definitely could not have GM'd. I was off work that week - so a bunch of students didn't get their lectures either, first time that's happened in ten years of lecturing. The second Sunday I still was ill with the flu, but if I'd been due to GM I reckon I would have struggled to the game and done my best for my players, as I have seen other GMs do in that situation.

So, you would have risked infecting others with a not-so-harmless disease for the sake of a couple of hours of enjoyment? As an archdevil, I salute you.

Conversely, if you're a GM, you should only cancel if you are *unable* to GM. Even if you won't enjoy it, you still have a duty to your group.

Right. Because when I'm not enjoying the game, my players are still likely to enjoy it. Not.

It's just like driving when you're sick - you're not supposed to do it because pretty much every sickness affects your concentration, makes you more irritable, and, overall, reduces your mental capabilities.