I've got a D&D game that's been running now for about 4 1/4 years. We've crept from level 1 to level 21 in that time and mostly had a blast. It's changed quite a bit in that, with vaguely stitched together dungeon-crawls earlier on giving way to a somewhat more epic plot that's crossed continents. We've had 8 players (although right now we're just on 7) and a total of 16 different PCs - so it's been quite a long and varied affair.
We've had a few occasions where players had to leave or were going to but, in the end, didn't have to. One player left the game for about a year to go back home to Wales to work; another was away for a few months when his work commitments were too great; another still properly left due to RPG burnout, although he came back one time as a "guest star" for an anniversary session. Another two were set to leave due to work commitments but were able to build around it in the end. Each time we've had someone leave it's been sad, and sometimes a bit frustrating when it meant plots about them had to shut down, but we've pretty much just went with it and played on. Dudes come and go, but killing things and taking it's stuff remains!
However, a few weeks ago, one of the players mentioned she was pregnant. (In the middle of a battle with a Great Wyrm dragon, no less! That kinda took the attention away from me.
) She's the wife of another player, and it turns out she's about nine weeks pregnant - something they'd been sorta planning for a bit. We've all known each other for ages outside of our game as well (we all went to the same University and some of them know each other since 1997 or so) so there was a lot of hugs, pats on the back and general goodwill.
However, it's kinda put a bit of a black mark on continuing the game. Unlike the other times we'd be losing two players in one swoop - and at least one player has explicitly said, "I almost feel it would be betraying Jo and Dave to keep playing", something no-one voiced about any of the other departures. (I guess we view pregnancy as different than leaving for other reasons, plus the high level and investment in characters might make some people see things differently - Dave is playing the same character he was when we started in session 1!)
I'd been planning for a while on.... well, not quite ending the game, but moving into the final sections. like many RPG groups mine often struggles to get much done in a session so it more a case of moving some plots up a gear and pointing them towards a big finale fight with their long-time enemies via a quest that travels the game world and the planes. But now I've got to consider having to wind the game up at shortish notice.
This lot can struggle to do more than one combat in one session, so I'm loathe to pick a month and say "the game ends here" because I don't think we'd necessarily have a fun end - I'd rather the game's final notes be the best than be a damp squib. But then that depends on how the rest of the group feels, and of course I myself feel a little bit like these two players dropping out is almost a death knell. I'd prefer to have a hiatus for a few months and then maybe look at the game again after that - possibly playing without them, or playing less frequently and at their place if they wanted to join in again. (We do take a yearly hiatus from D&D of a couple of months to facilitate playing one-offs and stuff, so this isn't entirely unprecedented).
Anyway, this is mostly something my group need to talk about together, but I'm curious what some people's thoughts are on similar events. Did you have any pregnant players in your game, and how did it affect your game? Did their departure spell the end or did you play on or perhaps wait for them? Have any of you RPed with people with babies, and how did it affect your arrangements or play?
We've had a few occasions where players had to leave or were going to but, in the end, didn't have to. One player left the game for about a year to go back home to Wales to work; another was away for a few months when his work commitments were too great; another still properly left due to RPG burnout, although he came back one time as a "guest star" for an anniversary session. Another two were set to leave due to work commitments but were able to build around it in the end. Each time we've had someone leave it's been sad, and sometimes a bit frustrating when it meant plots about them had to shut down, but we've pretty much just went with it and played on. Dudes come and go, but killing things and taking it's stuff remains!
However, a few weeks ago, one of the players mentioned she was pregnant. (In the middle of a battle with a Great Wyrm dragon, no less! That kinda took the attention away from me.
) She's the wife of another player, and it turns out she's about nine weeks pregnant - something they'd been sorta planning for a bit. We've all known each other for ages outside of our game as well (we all went to the same University and some of them know each other since 1997 or so) so there was a lot of hugs, pats on the back and general goodwill.However, it's kinda put a bit of a black mark on continuing the game. Unlike the other times we'd be losing two players in one swoop - and at least one player has explicitly said, "I almost feel it would be betraying Jo and Dave to keep playing", something no-one voiced about any of the other departures. (I guess we view pregnancy as different than leaving for other reasons, plus the high level and investment in characters might make some people see things differently - Dave is playing the same character he was when we started in session 1!)
I'd been planning for a while on.... well, not quite ending the game, but moving into the final sections. like many RPG groups mine often struggles to get much done in a session so it more a case of moving some plots up a gear and pointing them towards a big finale fight with their long-time enemies via a quest that travels the game world and the planes. But now I've got to consider having to wind the game up at shortish notice.
This lot can struggle to do more than one combat in one session, so I'm loathe to pick a month and say "the game ends here" because I don't think we'd necessarily have a fun end - I'd rather the game's final notes be the best than be a damp squib. But then that depends on how the rest of the group feels, and of course I myself feel a little bit like these two players dropping out is almost a death knell. I'd prefer to have a hiatus for a few months and then maybe look at the game again after that - possibly playing without them, or playing less frequently and at their place if they wanted to join in again. (We do take a yearly hiatus from D&D of a couple of months to facilitate playing one-offs and stuff, so this isn't entirely unprecedented).
Anyway, this is mostly something my group need to talk about together, but I'm curious what some people's thoughts are on similar events. Did you have any pregnant players in your game, and how did it affect your game? Did their departure spell the end or did you play on or perhaps wait for them? Have any of you RPed with people with babies, and how did it affect your arrangements or play?
In my cases, as I am DM, my absence means no campaign- but the group went on and played other games in my absence, and I was able to slot back into things when I was able and willing to get back to the table.
