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D&D 5E Cancelling games over absent player(s)
- Thread starter Prakriti
- Start date
iserith
Magic Wordsmith
If I'm the DM and I'm available and willing to run the game, there's a game. I have 8 players. For any one session that I run, only 4 players are permitted to join. I announce the game day/time and the players work it out among themselves who will attend, which characters will be taken on the adventure, and what their goals are as a party. Sometimes players who aren't in the session observe the game and jump in to take the place of a player whose character has died.
In games I'm in with other DM's, it's a lot less certain we'll have a game if there are too many player absences. There's often a lot of talk about scheduling, too.
In games I'm in with other DM's, it's a lot less certain we'll have a game if there are too many player absences. There's often a lot of talk about scheduling, too.
Enevhar Aldarion
Hero
I voted two or more, but for the size of my last really consistent group it was more like three or more had to be missing before we cancelled the game and played Magic or some other card or board game instead. What game system was being run also would determine how many players could be missing before we would cancel or maybe play a side adventure using the characters who were available.
Imaculata
Hero
I play with a group of only 4 players and me. So if there is one person missing, that's a lot. Considering how many important things tend to happen in any given session, it is rather important that everyone can attend. If that means postponing the campaign by 1 or 2 weeks, so be it.
AaronOfBarbaria
Adventurer
I will run the scheduled game if less than half the players are missing.
However, I also keep some side games prepared so that there is a game to play for the players that show up. So for Friday nights the schedule is alternating sessions of Shadowrun and a home-brew D&D campaign, but if it is only N. and S. available to play we've got a Dark Sun campaign for just those two, or if it is just R. and S. we have a side story of the home-brew campaign with just those two, or if N., R., and S. are there we play a Rappan Athuk campaign, and so on.
But I definitely don't let anyone show up for game night at my place and not be entertained - and I only cancel game night if I just physically can't be entertaining that night.
However, I also keep some side games prepared so that there is a game to play for the players that show up. So for Friday nights the schedule is alternating sessions of Shadowrun and a home-brew D&D campaign, but if it is only N. and S. available to play we've got a Dark Sun campaign for just those two, or if it is just R. and S. we have a side story of the home-brew campaign with just those two, or if N., R., and S. are there we play a Rappan Athuk campaign, and so on.
But I definitely don't let anyone show up for game night at my place and not be entertained - and I only cancel game night if I just physically can't be entertaining that night.
Mouseferatu
Hero
Our groups is six people; 5 PCs + DM.
Our general rule of thumb is, we'll play with one person out, cancel if it's two or more. But there are a lot of exceptions to that. If the person missing is particularly important to what's about to happen, or if it's one of the two hosts and he/she is sick, or (of course) if it's the DM, we'll cancel with only one person out.
Our general rule of thumb is, we'll play with one person out, cancel if it's two or more. But there are a lot of exceptions to that. If the person missing is particularly important to what's about to happen, or if it's one of the two hosts and he/she is sick, or (of course) if it's the DM, we'll cancel with only one person out.
pukunui
Legend
One of my groups has five players in it, but it's very rare for everyone to be present at the same time. We usually only have three or four at any given session. I have run the game for just two players on a few occasions now as well, though. The show must go on!
It helps that I'm running a fairly episodic campaign for that group, so it doesn't matter as much if the same selection of PCs isn't always available from one fortnightly session to the next.
My Tyranny of Dragons group, though, only has four players in it. We've run a few sessions where we've been short one player, but as soon as two can't make it, then we cancel or reschedule.
It helps that I'm running a fairly episodic campaign for that group, so it doesn't matter as much if the same selection of PCs isn't always available from one fortnightly session to the next.
My Tyranny of Dragons group, though, only has four players in it. We've run a few sessions where we've been short one player, but as soon as two can't make it, then we cancel or reschedule.
MonkeyWrench
Explorer
Sunday is game day, and even if it's just the DM and one player, we'll find something to do - flashback, side trek, one-shot, test battles - something.
delericho
Legend
For my current campaign, we've fallen into the convention that we'll play on with 1 missing, but cancel with 2 or more down.
In hindsight, this is probably a mistake - I think we should have set the threshold at 3 absences before a cancellation, as we've had a lot of sessions being dropped and it's really hurt the campaign.
(Indeed, I'm almost tempted to say you should have a backup game of some sort on standby, so that whatever happens there's a game for whoever turns up. But I'm not 100% certain on that one.)
In hindsight, this is probably a mistake - I think we should have set the threshold at 3 absences before a cancellation, as we've had a lot of sessions being dropped and it's really hurt the campaign.
(Indeed, I'm almost tempted to say you should have a backup game of some sort on standby, so that whatever happens there's a game for whoever turns up. But I'm not 100% certain on that one.)
