Advice Needed: Sudden Character Exits

[Headsman]

Nothing like a good magical curse or disease!

Give the leaving character a disease that can't be solved by magic alone. The party can go on a side quest to find a cure for magical leaping crotch pheasants or the party moves on.

You can also have the player make a bunch of rolls and record the rolls. Then play the character and use the roll results in the order made. This is like some of the other options already given, the player has to buy in.

 

[cattoy]

an unfortunate accident with a sphere of annihilation.







...oh, he's supposed to come back later?

nevermind.

 

[blargney the second]

Petrification is handy for stuff like this.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Is there nothing in the character's background, or actions, that might have created any kind of obligation? When I was hospitalized for a few months earlier this year, my DM simply had my paladin leave on a personal quest (to take the Trials to join a certain paladin order) that he had been planning to do "eventually." When I was released, my paladin completed the trials and returned to the group.

Are there no outstanding plans the PC has? Has he made no promises to "return someday" etc.?

If not, I'd probably go the family route. A sick aunt has asked for his presence, etc. Then have the aunt get better when he's available to play again.

 

[Brasswatchman]

Re

When a player skips on on the group, the character skips out on the party.

For the record, it isn't exactly something the player can help. He's going to study abroad next semester; by the time he gets back, I'll have graduated.

 

[Sandain]

My best friend DM's a game in another city and I play whenever I visit. Its unfortunately not that often and my char is mainly an NPC. What he does is emails me telling me whats coming up, and asks what may char will do - what spells, what descisions etc. After the game he tells me what happened so I keep abreast of thing.

Its works out ok for us