Rya.Reisender
Explorer
If a player is missing a session but tells me ahead of time, his PC will receive XP according to what he does.
If a player is missing a session and didn't tell me about it ahead of time, then his PC won't receive any XP for that session.
The other players can tell me how I should act him. A PC of a player that isn't present doesn't die. As DM I have enough completely official tools available to ensure that.
I usually decide whether to take the PC along or not depending on current story context. The group is currently in a town and just moving from NPC to NPC? Then I just let the PC stay at the Pub. The group is in the middle of a dungeon? PC won't magically disappear. Group is starting to do a small quest I'm sure they will complete in the current session? PC stays in town and does something else in the meantime.
If a player is missing a session and didn't tell me about it ahead of time, then his PC won't receive any XP for that session.
The other players can tell me how I should act him. A PC of a player that isn't present doesn't die. As DM I have enough completely official tools available to ensure that.
I usually decide whether to take the PC along or not depending on current story context. The group is currently in a town and just moving from NPC to NPC? Then I just let the PC stay at the Pub. The group is in the middle of a dungeon? PC won't magically disappear. Group is starting to do a small quest I'm sure they will complete in the current session? PC stays in town and does something else in the meantime.