Throwing in NPCs to help along small parties

[Psion]

Would you do it?

I was planning the (tough battle) climax of one of my adventures this week, but I have had not one but two of my players cancel on me.

But I want to get the game going.

What do you do in such a situation?

 

[Captain Howdy]

Usually when one of my players cancels, we play anyway. But if more than one or two cancel, or if it's an important session like you said, then I would run a different game. We always have a couple on the back burner for such a situation, because it sucks making new characters all the time.
For example, right now our main game is Eberron, but if not enough people show up, we do D20 Modern with zombies or Rappan Athuk.

 

[rrealm]

If it is important, we play a different campaign or just hang out playing xbox or the like. Otherwise, I let the party hire NPCs if they are in town, or I adjust the encounters a bit.

 

[Crothian]

If people cancel now a days we cancel the game becasue my group is small to begin with. But in larger groups I keep going and don't tone down the encounters any.

 

[painandgreed]

I usually run small games, 2-4 players, who all have individual goals anyway. So, when one person doesn't show up, we just concentrate on the people who are there. With the next game the missing person plays catch up as it is reasoned they are off doing something else on their own as the reason they weren't there earlier. If there is something big going on like a major combat or dungeon or we're in the middle of something where we can't explain away the absence of a player, we wait and cancel the game for that week.

 

[Scharlata]

[...] What do you do in such a situation?

If we agree to play, we distribute the charcter sheets evenly amongst the attendees and have fun! The ausentees (is this a word?) are given half XP, because their characters were present at the fight.

It's a solution to not having to cancel the game for the day/night.

Kind regards

 

[diaglo]

i let the players decide. they know or think they know what they are going to face or can handle. so i leave it up to them if they take the challenge alone or with a smaller party.

i get other adventures ready just in case they decide to forego the final battle.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

If it was just a regular session, we'd probably just play. If it was the climax of several sessions, or if I knew something critical to the overall campaign was going to happen, we'd break out 'Dune' or 'Circus Maximus' and play that instead.

 

[jmucchiello]

Distribute character sheets. All CHARACTERS get full xp. If an important plot point hinged around a missing player's character, change the flow of scenes till next week or cancel.

 

[Savage Jim]

I generally tend to have multiple games running. When someone cancels, we simply play the game that the players in attendance are a part of.