D&D 5E dealing with PCs when players leave a game.

[Elf Witch]

I am running a modified Hoard of the Dragon Queen game. I invited an old friend to join the game and he asked if his daughter and ex wife could join. I said yes even though I was a little worried about DMing for seven players.

We played three sessions with the ex wife joining us for the third session. After that session which didn't go well because the party didn't work together as a team we had to take a break because I was moving when I started the game up again I helped everyone level as well as allowed some changes to characters. Several days before the session all three of these players dropped out without really giving me a good reason why. No one talked to me about any issues.

So I was stuck with three PCs I needed to deal with in a way that made sense to the game. So I had a way for two of them to just disappear pulled away by another faction. I had the third character the ex wife PC murdered and her soul go into an amulet that one of the other characters found. I really liked what we had done creating a PC that dealt with elements and had visions and I didn't want to lose that so she is now in the stages of becoming a magical artifact. It will take time to develop right now the murder and sudden death has left her soul confused.

Now understand she played this character one time her ex and I built the character. Imagine my surprise when I see this on Facebook.

:So Nahzinga was murdered instead of just vanishing into the night. To my non-gamer friends this means I pissed the GM off so badly we'll make sure you never play her again, ever. The truth: I only played once then due to every day mundane stuff like illness and moving and finances and all, we didn't play in the game for months. The GM asked if we were still interested in playing. I was bit overwhelmed because the group was so large, had lots of little packets of money to be earned by apparently double crossing people. And it was loud and set my anxiety off. My story has never wavered.
As far as Nahzinga goes you can say she has been murdered (did that make you feel good? ?) But she was saved at the last minute by summoning a healer with a tiny amulet no one knew she had.
Don't worry about her coming back because she thought the group fought with out discipline and with too much chaos.
As for what you think of me personally I see that writing on the wall but im no longer afraid to jump off the wall with amulet.
This is why I GAFIATED from gaming the first time. I don't need the thing that was helping me heal turn vicious on me. I hope the few people who know what they've done.:


I have no clue what she is talking about other players being rewarded packets of money for betraying the party because that never happened. Nor did she ever tell me any issues that she had with the game. I can understand not wanting to play in such a big group and personally I am glad the group is not so big anymore. I thought everything was okay. They had found a new group to play with which I thought was great.

Anyway I have never seen a reaction like this over something happening to a character you are no longer playing. Did I do something wrong in choosing the best way for my game as DM to continue the plot without these characters? Should I have cleared it with her first? How do other DMs handle leftover PCs when players leave?

 

[Sunseeker]

People who post nasty messages on Facebook or other social media when things don't go their way (often a way they never expressed) are generally nasty people who are seeking attention and sympathy by making it look as though they've been "wronged" by someone worse than them. Be happy you're not playing with her anymore, because this would have happened at the table eventually.

Honestly, I try to end my sessions with an extended rest, if that's not the case, I will usually "do nothing" with the PCs who leave the game. If they're necessary for the party, keep them around as NPCs but basically water down their character to nothing. Otherwise it's "you wake up in the morning and Joe is nowhere to be seen!"...then carry on with the game. If someone gets up and walks away from the table, their character basically does the same.

I don't like to "do things" with characters unless I can add something VERY meaningful to the game, usually that isn't the case, so I don't.

 

[Elf Witch]

People who post nasty messages on Facebook or other social media when things don't go their way (often a way they never expressed) are generally nasty people who are seeking attention and sympathy by making it look as though they've been "wronged" by someone worse than them. Be happy you're not playing with her anymore, because this would have happened at the table eventually.

Honestly, I try to end my sessions with an extended rest, if that's not the case, I will usually "do nothing" with the PCs who leave the game. If they're necessary for the party, keep them around as NPCs but basically water down their character to nothing. Otherwise it's "you wake up in the morning and Joe is nowhere to be seen!"...then carry on with the game. If someone gets up and walks away from the table, their character basically does the same.

I don't like to "do things" with characters unless I can add something VERY meaningful to the game, usually that isn't the case, so I don't.

My players can't stand that they want an explanation and they were all trapped in a keep besieged by a dragon. So I came up with a way to further the game and explain the disappearance. I will admit I think I dodged a bullet with this. I really don't like playing with players who act like this over a game. It seems extreme to me to act this way over a character you played once.

She sent a rambling email demanding I take any mention of her character out of my game that I am stealing her character and infringing on copy write an plagiarism.

 

[Valador]

No wonder that woman is an EX wife... If I had to deal with that drama queen Id leave her too...

 

[Sunseeker]

My players can't stand that they want an explanation and they were all trapped in a keep besieged by a dragon. So I came up with a way to further the game and explain the disappearance. I will admit I think I dodged a bullet with this. I really don't like playing with players who act like this over a game. It seems extreme to me to act this way over a character you played once.

She sent a rambling email demanding I take any mention of her character out of my game that I am stealing her character and infringing on copy write an plagiarism.

Sure, if an explanation is needed, it makes sense to come up with one. But honestly, "Bob left, his character no longer exists in the game." really should suffice for any rational person who understands that handling other people's characters when that person isn't around and potentially without their permission can be a touchy subject. I've had more than one game where that was the exact reason the DM gave to players who wanted "explanations".

Heh, you should make mention of her character as often as possible. Write her into the history of the world in future games. j/k. Still, it's always amazing how few people actually understand copyright these days.

 

[Elf Witch]

Sure, if an explanation is needed, it makes sense to come up with one. But honestly, "Bob left, his character no longer exists in the game." really should suffice for any rational person who understands that handling other people's characters when that person isn't around and potentially without their permission can be a touchy subject. I've had more than one game where that was the exact reason the DM gave to players who wanted "explanations".

Heh, you should make mention of her character as often as possible. Write her into the history of the world in future games. j/k. Still, it's always amazing how few people actually understand copyright these days.

In all my years of playing I have never seen behavior like this. Every group I have played with had the rule that if you leave the game the DM gets to decide how to deal with your character in a way that works for their game.

I had to leave a game because of my job and next thing I know my paladin had fallen and become one of the BBEG. I was flattered that my DM used my character in a way that made a huge impact on the game.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

Ive been pretty lucky. Generally Ive never gamed with a Boyfriend/Girlfriend combo or a Husband and Wife. I do run an Expeditions game that has a Father and Son appear more often that not. The father im thinking is a long time gamer and is trying to get his son into it. I do get a thankyou from the son after a game .. but the tones and undercurrent I think are a bit lost there sometimes (as they would be for all new gamers).

I run Wed night encounters. How do I deal with a missing player? I dont. I gloss over the fact they arnt there. I just dont think you can with a program like Encounters, or you would go Crazy. Players come and go all the time.

 

[Shiroiken]

As far as extra characters after players leave... I'm pretty notorious for killing them out of hand. I'm a jerk that way, but to be fair, I've been known to murder a PC or two while the player was still playing them

Sometimes the ninja vanish trick works. I did this earlier in my campaign when a player left, but no one had any problems with it. The character was a rogue/assassin that was a potential betrayer already, and he went missing during a time they were captured. Sometimes you can call these characters back for amazing plot twists.

Other times, you can just have a reason why they leave. This works well if you're in town with little going on. If the character has some vested interest in staying, you create a crisis they have to deal with (family emergency kind of thing). They make for good NPC allies later on.

Sadly, sometimes you have to water down the character, run it as an NPC (while you have a lot of other crap going on), or have someone "bot" the character until you can get rid of them otherwise. Something I've done that my players have been ok with, is to explain that there are other monsters that the ex-PC spends his time taking care of. It allows them to use some needed utility out of combat, without being a hassle in combat.

 

[Lanefan]

When someone leaves with no warning (or gets tossed out, it happens now and then) what becomes of their PC(s) largely depends on the situation at the time.

If the party is in mid-adventure and miles away from anywhere the character usually sticks around as an NPC until the party gets to town, and a remaining player takes over its dice-rolling. Once in town (or if the player leaves when the party's already in town) the character is gracefully retired.

Once in a while, if it's somehow known a player is never coming back, a character of theirs might make a cameo appearance at some point as a plot device. Or as a corpse.

Lan-"the person I don't envy in the OP's scenario is the DM of the new game they found, 'cause you just know the same thing will probably happen again"-efan

 

[KarinsDad]

I think you are reading too much into this. Crazy people are crazy people. There are people who take their PCs way too seriously, but this goes even beyond that. Anyone who is this attached to their PC after playing her for a single gaming session is a hurting cowgirl to begin with. My advice: never have her come back and stay as far away as possible.

As for left over PCs, you did fine. You are the DM. She is not. Her PC is no longer a PC.


Btw, I had something similar happen. I had a lady who left the gaming group. In order to add drama, I had her PC murdered in a very brutal way in order to get the other PCs heavily invested in going after her murderer. When she found out via a mutual friend, she was really annoyed. Oh well. If she was that interested in her PC, she should have continued playing. IMO.